THE SEMINAR

This wasn't the first time I signed up for this seminar, but it certainly was the first time I actually got up the courage to attend.  I'm so glad I did!  

I have avoided the idea of having bariatric surgery for a very long time.  But, here I am...recently turned 40, and heavier than I've ever been.  Even though I've had some success with food logging and exercise, for whatever reason I just can't sustain it and before I know it I've gained the weight back, and then some.   I have tried over the last 10 years to get down to a healthy weight.  I don't know why I can't get myself there, but I can't.  I'm tired of the disappointments and failures, and I'm ready to be at a healthy weight...at the end of the day, that is what it is about - getting to a healthy weight and lifestyle!  

So, tonight, I went to the seminar - husband in tow.

I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical on the way there, and even at the beginning of the seminar.  I told Chris over and over that even though I was going, I was pretty sure I wouldn't really consider the surgery.  Chris, on the other hand, was sold...and had been for a very long time.  By the end of the seminar I was singing a very different tune: I was pretty sure I was going to seriously pursue it.  I loved the doctor and his straight forward attitude and approach.  I loved the testimonial speaker and all she shared about her experience before and after surgery.  Every part of the seminar spoke to me, especially the testimonial speaker at the end, and by the time it was over I had gone from feeling very hesitant to feeling like I couldn't sign up fast enough.

So, what was holding me back all this time???

One thing that initially held me back from seriously considering bariatric surgery are the many, many myths that exist about it. They terrified me, and I felt like it would leave me in worse shape from a health perspective than being obese! In addition, my mother had bariatric surgery many, many, many years ago and frankly, although she lost the weight, she hasn't been the healthiest person post surgery.**  Well, tonight the doctor addressed most, if not all, of the myths that I had allowed to dissuade me:  high mortality rates associated with the surgery, malnutrition, osteoporosis, never eating more than a couple of tablespoons of food, having to cut out many, many foods indefinitely, hair loss, etc.  

Ultimately, I learned that yes, all surgeries carry risk, but no, the mortality rate for bariatric surgery is not higher than other surgeries - in fact, in most cases, it is lower.  I learned that many of the negative issues that occur with bariatric surgeries are typically caused by failing to follow the program after surgery and failing to actively participate in "after care".  I learned that no foods are off limits after surgery - of course, the portion sizes are different, the frequency you can eat certain things is different, but, after time, the post-surgery diet is actually very balanced and very healthy.  YES, for around 6 weeks after surgery you only eat a few tablespoons of food, and what you eat is very restricted, but YOU ARE HEALING, so this is to be expected!   As time goes on, and as you heal, you incorporate more and more food varieties, and eventually eat a fairly normal, balanced diet.

**As a note, when I talked to my Mom after the seminar, she told me "Oh yeah, I could have told you that!  I never did what they told me to do!".  Oh. My. Hell!  MOTHER!  I was going to kill her!  

Another issue that kept me from seriously considering surgery was, well, pride.  I wanted to lose weight "on my own".  I wanted to beat this "without help".  Also, I read the nasty, brutal comments left on Facebook posts and blogs for people who had gone through surgery:  "I did it the hard way - you took the easy way out", "You are a cheater", etc., etc.  I let all of those things get to me and for years let it steer me away from surgery and beating obesity - which I now realize IS a disease that requires treatment, and why the hell would I not use the miracles of modern medicine that are available to me!  

I finally realized that no matter what path I choose to take to lose weight, I am going to need help.  Some people go to doctors, dietitians, or clinics that oversee every step of their weight loss.  Some take medications, some hire trainers...bottom line, they get help!  I have too much weight to lose and far too long a journey to travel to go it alone.  I need help!  There is just no way around that. 

I also FINALLY realized that I didn't give a SHIT about those people who make it their mission to tear others down - those people who make comments about "taking the easy way out" or "cheating" to lose weight.  Further more, how dare they judge someone for taking control and doing whatever it takes to get a healthy body and lifestyle - and frankly, I doubt that many of those individuals were facing a 265 lbs. excess weight situation!  Seriously, I wonder if these same people are out on the Facebook pages and blogs of cancer survivors, telling them that they took the easy way out by using modern medicine to treat their disease!  How dare they not "go it alone" or use the holistic route!  I'm sure those survivors feel like they "cheated" in order to survive!  These are the same people, by the way, who made me feel terrible for giving birth via c-section...I mean, how crazy that when the doctor told me that I needed to go the c-section route to ensure a healthy baby, I DID...how shameful of me!  Really, I should have told him that it was really more important for me to do it the "natural" way, vs. have a healthy baby at the end of it all!  You know, the process is way more important than the outcome!

Bottom line to it all, tonight I left ready to get the ball rolling on this process.  I'm ready to go down this path...and, luckily, so is my husband!  We are doing this together!  And together we will give each other the support we need to get through this and get ourselves on the path to the healthy lifestyle we both want!