I got these questions from an OH member who is doing college work on the topic of obesity and weight loss surgery. So here goes:
age/sex/race 28 years 11 months, and yes, I'd like a present.
profession Mother of four, coffee-slinger and blogger. To be honest, I don't have a profession, I've had four babies in ten years, and that has taken up most free time, and you can do the math, my oldest is 10 years and 3 months old.
marital status Married.
weight before 320 pounds.
weight after Lowest post-WLS weight 147 pounds, current weight 165 pounds.
where you are in your journey. Three years and seven months post gastric bypass.
1.
Have you always been Obese? Did growing up as an obese child affect
your life? Or if you were of healthy weight, did you notice a
difference between your life and the lives of the obese kids?
I was always chubby as a kid, once I hit the pre-teen years, I started packing on more weight, and as a teen, I got obese, landing in the low 200's. I got teased immensely, as a little kid, preteen and teenager. One instance that stands out to me, was from a church (ha ha) peer, who taunted me with, "Leon is getting larger!" from the movie Airplane. Nice, no?
2. Do you feel that being obese led to any exclusion from different aspects of life? What kinds of things did you not feel
comfortable (physically or socially) doing?
Oh definitely, but perhaps it also kept me from getting involved in inappropriate things as a teenager, too.
I befriended all different kinds of kids, mostly outcast types as I was shunned by "popular" type groups, because I was slightly overweight, we're talking 200 lbs.
Had I been accepted by other groups, I would have been exposed to things I had no idea about, drugs, promiscuity, shop-lifting, eating disorders - those things were RAMPANT in our school and usually ran with the cliques. And, there was me - in the marching band and DECA, being a geek, staying out of big trouble. Also, I spent the majority of my excess time with my boyfriend, who was morbidly obese when I met him, and we were together for most of our high school years, too. That sort of put me in a bubble, socially - and I was protected in a way - from other crap.
3. As an obese person how was your love life?
This question doesn't really apply to me, seeing as I married my high school "sweetheart" - and I haven't had to date as a morbidly obese woman or as a normal size woman. I do realize it would be five-billionty times EASIER now, as I get hit on all the time NOW - something that only rarely happened as a chubby gal.
4. What did/do you feel was a bigger inhibitor in life, your health or your mentality? Why and in what way?
I had good health as a fat girl. I have sort of sucky health now, as a thinner girl. My health inhibits me slightly now - but not by choice. Mentality-wise, I never believe that I can get stuff done to the end - which translates to never finishing anything. I am 28 - and I've yet to have a real education or job.
5. Do you see things in a different light now that you have been both obese and thinner? Please explain.
YES! I have finally realized how shallow people are - and how we are all judged immediately upon our outside appearance.
6.
Do you feel that Gastric By pass was a good decision for you? Have you
had any complications that have marred your life in ways other than
that of being obese?
Yes, for the fact that I lost nearly all of my excess weight, and I will probably (though it's not a guarantee) remain at a normal body weight if I control my diet and lifestyle. No, because I've gained health problems directly due to the weight loss surgery.
Complications?
-Anemia
-Vitamin D Deficiency
-Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
-Kidney Stones
-Early Post-Op Dehydration
-Reactive Hypoglycemia
-Miscarriage (I blamed my nutrition)
..and more, like, short-term memory loss?
7. What is the worst part of being obese?
Um. The emotional distress.
8. What is the worst aspect of this surgery process?
Long-term post operative complications.
9.
Do you feel certain cultures or the different sexes get a “free pass”
to be accepted as an obese person? Please respond to both.
Short answer, men, yeah.
10.
Do you feel your habits with diet and exercise have changed for the
better since your surgery? Or is it easier to “get away with” not
exercising because of your tool?
Easier to get away with, regarding actual exercise. I am still lazy when it comes to exercise or motivation. That won't change, unless other factors change.
As for diet, there is no way to get away with anything with my particular surgery and side effects. If I eat poorly, I get sick. If I eat too much, I get sick. If I eat the "right" way - I still might get sick. There's no rhyme or reason to much of it. It's a game, every day.
11. Do you feel that there are deeper psychological issues that led to your weight problem?
Uh, yeah. And, I like food.
12. If not, were there genetic and/or metabolic factors, including medications, that led you to your obesity?
Nah. I don't blame genetics at all - my dad has always been overweight, but it's entirely due to the way he learned to eat. Learned behaviors. And, unless there's something wrong with me - underlying metabolic disease that hasn't been found yet - it's just because I eat too much.
13. With weight loss have any issues gotten better, worse, or stayed the same?
I'll leave this with a quote my Dr. Phil: "Losing weight is not a cure for life."
I got these questions from an OH member who is doing college work on the topic of obesity and weight loss surgery. So here goes:
age/sex/race 28 years 11 months, and yes, I'd like a present.
profession Mother of four, coffee-slinger and blogger. To be honest, I don't have a profession, I've had four babies in ten years, and that has taken up most free time, and you can do the math, my oldest is 10 years and 3 months old.
marital status Married.
weight before 320 pounds.
weight after Lowest post-WLS weight 147 pounds, current weight 165 pounds.
where you are in your journey. Three years and seven months post gastric bypass.
1. Have you always been Obese? Did growing up as an obese child affect your life? Or if you were of healthy weight, did you notice a difference between your life and the lives of the obese kids?
I was always chubby as a kid, once I hit the pre-teen years, I started packing on more weight, and as a teen, I got obese, landing in the low 200's. I got teased immensely, as a little kid, preteen and teenager. One instance that stands out to me, was from a church (ha ha) peer, who taunted me with, "Leon is getting larger!" from the movie Airplane. Nice, no?
2. Do you feel that being obese led to any exclusion from different aspects of life? What kinds of things did you not feel comfortable (physically or socially) doing?
Oh definitely, but perhaps it also kept me from getting involved in inappropriate things as a teenager, too.
I befriended all different kinds of kids, mostly outcast types as I was shunned by "popular" type groups, because I was slightly overweight, we're talking 200 lbs.
Had I been accepted by other groups, I would have been exposed to things I had no idea about, drugs, promiscuity, shop-lifting, eating disorders - those things were RAMPANT in our school and usually ran with the cliques. And, there was me - in the marching band and DECA, being a geek, staying out of big trouble. Also, I spent the majority of my excess time with my boyfriend, who was morbidly obese when I met him, and we were together for most of our high school years, too. That sort of put me in a bubble, socially - and I was protected in a way - from other crap.
3. As an obese person how was your love life?
This question doesn't really apply to me, seeing as I married my high school "sweetheart" - and I haven't had to date as a morbidly obese woman or as a normal size woman. I do realize it would be five-billionty times EASIER now, as I get hit on all the time NOW - something that only rarely happened as a chubby gal.
4. What did/do you feel was a bigger inhibitor in life, your health or your mentality? Why and in what way?
I had good health as a fat girl. I have sort of sucky health now, as a thinner girl. My health inhibits me slightly now - but not by choice. Mentality-wise, I never believe that I can get stuff done to the end - which translates to never finishing anything. I am 28 - and I've yet to have a real education or job.
5. Do you see things in a different light now that you have been both obese and thinner? Please explain.
YES! I have finally realized how shallow people are - and how we are all judged immediately upon our outside appearance.
6. Do you feel that Gastric By pass was a good decision for you? Have you had any complications that have marred your life in ways other than that of being obese?
Yes, for the fact that I lost nearly all of my excess weight, and I will probably (though it's not a guarantee) remain at a normal body weight if I control my diet and lifestyle. No, because I've gained health problems directly due to the weight loss surgery.
Complications?
-Anemia
-Vitamin D Deficiency
-Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
-Kidney Stones
-Early Post-Op Dehydration
-Reactive Hypoglycemia
-Miscarriage (I blamed my nutrition)
..and more, like, short-term memory loss?
7. What is the worst part of being obese?
Um. The emotional distress.
8. What is the worst aspect of this surgery process?
Long-term post operative complications.
9. Do you feel certain cultures or the different sexes get a “free pass” to be accepted as an obese person? Please respond to both.
Short answer, men, yeah.
10. Do you feel your habits with diet and exercise have changed for the better since your surgery? Or is it easier to “get away with” not exercising because of your tool?
Easier to get away with, regarding actual exercise. I am still lazy when it comes to exercise or motivation. That won't change, unless other factors change.
As for diet, there is no way to get away with anything with my particular surgery and side effects. If I eat poorly, I get sick. If I eat too much, I get sick. If I eat the "right" way - I still might get sick. There's no rhyme or reason to much of it. It's a game, every day.
11. Do you feel that there are deeper psychological issues that led to your weight problem?
Uh, yeah. And, I like food.
12. If not, were there genetic and/or metabolic factors, including medications, that led you to your obesity?
Nah. I don't blame genetics at all - my dad has always been overweight, but it's entirely due to the way he learned to eat. Learned behaviors. And, unless there's something wrong with me - underlying metabolic disease that hasn't been found yet - it's just because I eat too much.
13. With weight loss have any issues gotten better, worse, or stayed the same?
I'll leave this with a quote my Dr. Phil: "Losing weight is not a cure for life."