I am curious as to how many members on here have been obese since childhood, just since adulthood, or just for the past handful of years. How do you think that has shaped your expectations of surgery and your body image?
I have only been obese for about 8 years. In my FB group, a lot of the women struggle with getting down to a smaller size because they aren't used to the compliments or they feel uncomfortable. I was "warned" prior to surgery that my brain won't catch up to my body size for a while. I have the opposite issue. I MISS the attention from men. My brain still sees me as skinny, so when I walk past a mirror I am shocked at my large size. I think that has played a huge role in my disappointment in the surgery and my unrealistic expectation that I should lose 50lbs a month. LOL. I am SO ready to be the me I know and miss, and losing "just" 70lbs isn't as big of an accomplishment as others may see it as. I will be proud when I accomplish that final plateau and settle into a size that my brain recognizes. I know this is a very different perspective than those that have been heavy since childhood, for example. Would love to have a dialogue about these differences and expectations.