BariatricEating.com Health & Nutrition
Rant - Just do the right thing!
The shock value of having your stomach cut in half and intestines re-routed
or a silicon band cinched around your stomach to squeeeeeeze off a teeny
section is off the chart for me.
I am over five and a half years post op and there is more info out there than ever before. When I had my Lap RNY in June of 2001, no one knew anyone who had weight loss surgery. People would look at me in horror when they would learn of my procedure as many were hearing of it for the first time.
Today, everyone I talk to not only knows someone who has had weight loss surgery, but knows someone who has FAILED at weight loss surgery. Hey, now that's the way to spread the good news of our surgery - be the failure at the office that everyone knows about.
When I had my procedure, people were curious - 'So do you eat food?', 'So after you lose weight, they have to reverse the surgery, right?'.
Today everyone and their brother is an expert! 'I have a co-worker who had 'the surgery' and she still eats all the junk she used to eat - she's gained back almost all of her weight!'... 'My sister in law had 'the surgery' and she is as big as the side of a barn again!'... 'A friend of mine had 'the surgery' and it's crazy but she throws up when she eats hamburgers but the Doritos stay down'... 'My husband works with a guy who had 'the surgery' and he can eat anything he wants to - it didn't work!'
I listen to their stories and just nod on the outside, but on the inside I want to scream that their co-worker, sister-in-law, friend, or guy that works with their husband, is an idiot! However, I maintain control and don't even bother to try and convince them of the merits of 'the surgery'. I am not going to change their view with words as they have witnessed how 'the surgery' works first hand.
In their eyes it is great for a while - they notice how fast one loses weight after 'the surgery'. They also take note when their co-worker goes back to eating the office birthday cake, the subs, the fast food burgers, the Hershey kisses in the desk jar, the after work Happy Hour margaritas at Friday's. They are standing there watching when it all begins to go right down the tubes.
I don't defend or talk bad about the person they know... I just tell them my short story and show them the AchievONE I happen to be sipping and tell them that the reason I look healthy, maintain my weight loss after over 5 1/2 years, and have shiny thick hair is because I am not only careful about what I DON'T eat, but I am careful about what I DO eat.
Maybe if enough of us set a good example, they will talk about us as a positive example of 'the surgery' rather than ramble on about the person they know who is failing.
'I know a woman who lives in my building who had 'the surgery' almost six years ago and she looks great! We had a boat parade party at our condo clubhouse, and she brought a pot of Greek Chicken with Feta, and a sugar free tiramisu that was absolutely delicious! She's a new person!'
Yeah, that's better!
Copyright
© BE, Inc. 2011 - Susan Maria Leach. All rights reserved.
