Got told by a coworker today that I'm taking the "easy way"

[Swampdoggie 477]

I was reading this thread the other day and realized either I'm lucky that no one has said anything to me about being overweight or about surgery (OK, well, except one Egyptian guy at a cardiology conference who said Americans befuddle him and asked how I could have so many degrees and still be fat. That was weird) or that I've mostly been blissfully oblivious. So I asked my 6 ft 180 lb gorgeous inside and out husband of 25 years if he felt surgery was the easy way out. He said, what are you TALKING about!? He truly had no idea that people think this way.

[Stellam 2]

hi Jerr_Bear

I had my sister in law tell me how she knew someone that die from this type of surgery. She felt is was an unnecessary risk. She felt the need to tell me this 2 days before I had surgery. Some people have no clue. Well, I had surgery on March 5 2015 and I am alive. I am looking for to the next few month and weight loss. People like this will never understand because they think it is just a matter of stop eating.

You showed restraint by not telling him off.

[kyrickchick64 468]

It's funny, 7 yrs ago I was doing Atkins and I did really well lost 60 lbs and my sister in law gave my husband and I hell for not eating her Christmas spread a nd that it wasn't healthy not to eat any carbs blah blah blah.I could never give up bread blah blah Guess who's doing gluten free? People really need to shut up cause you never know where you'll be from one minute to the next. I'm h happy for her but she's making like she invented being low carb and gluten free. Makes me laugh

Edited March 18, 2015 by kyrickchick64

[VSGmary 418]

I dunno, this thread made me quite angry. Im very fortunate to not have had anyone question whether I made the best decision to go ahead with the sleeve. 5 months later and >100lbs lighter, you know the answer!

Should anyone in future even remotely suggest that i took the easy way out i will kindly suggest that once they are a qualified medical professional i will forward them the details of the health professionals I've seen over the last 5 years and ask them whether i took the easy way out! That's my Lymphoedema Specialist, Osteoarthritis Specialist, my Bariatric Surgeon (all 3 are top specialist/surgeons in their fields here in Melbourne) and last by definitely not the least my General Practitioner. I'm sure that will shut their lil gobbly gobs and question whether to ever say such a disrespectful comment/question ever again to another person.

I just dont understand how disrespectful some people are and how they (as insignificant as they are) feel the need to give you their opinion!

I wish you every success with your weight loss journey, stamp all over these maggots, you dont have room for them in your life!

[kyrickchick64 468]

@@VSGmary gobbly gobs lmao ...I love Australia

[purrfctangel 239]

Love Australia too. Next time i visit i will be more comfortable in the plane seat!

[Jerr_Bear 241]

hi Jerr_Bear

I had my sister in law tell me how she knew someone that die from this type of surgery. She felt is was an unnecessary risk. She felt the need to tell me this 2 days before I had surgery. Some people have no clue. Well, I had surgery on March 5 2015 and I am alive. I am looking for to the next few month and weight loss. People like this will never understand because they think it is just a matter of stop eating.

You showed restraint by not telling him off.

Yeah that just shows a general misunderstanding (read:ignorance) of any surgical procedure. Your sister in law obviously isn't aware that all surgery carries a certain level of risk. Any surgeon well readily admit this. Whoever died from having weight loss surgery probably didn't die of the WLS per se, but there were probably complications post surgery that the surgeon didn't foresee. Tragic, no less. But if these procedures were killing people left and right, does she really think it would be allowed? Come on. Besides, what are the risks of not doing something?

BTW, I showed restraint in not telling him off because he's just some random j@ck@$$ that I work with. Had a family member told me something like that, there would have been drama

Edited March 18, 2015 by Jerr_Bear

[Mercedes531 4]

I read your story and this sound so familiar to me. People are quick to judge. I was also told " have you condiser going to the gym or walking instead of surgery" my answer was your body tells you what is best for you. My body is not at a stage right now to go to the gym. walking? please, i felt as if i were having a race with my heart. by me having the lap band done was a new begining again. to start doing what i needed to do in my 20, and start fresh.

now im walking without the rapid heart beats. going to the gym 4 time a week. This surgery was not a easy way out by no means neccessary. we still have a tough road ahead of us for the rest of our lives. lol so no it's not the easy way out.

i dislike idiots and jerks!!!!

congrats on your decision.

[punkinvine 227]

You know the next time you see a person with a flat tire and you stop to see if they need help. Just think what they would say if you said... "If you use a compressor to fill that tire up you are doing it the easy way. YOU should just put your mouth on the valve stem and blow!" There are many ways to add or remove things and you have made an educated personalized plan for success. Let them blow their tire up anyway they want. Friend the proof is in the pudding. Be healthy and fit!

[Rogofulm 2,440]

DING, DING, DING!!! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! @@punkinvine ROTFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited March 19, 2015 by Rogofulm

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,899]

This is a quote taken directly from "The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery" (ASMBS) from their web page: https://asmbs.org/patients/benefits-of-bariatric-surgery

"More than a decade ago, The National Institutes of Health, better known as NIH, reported that individuals affected by severe obesity are resistant to maintaining weight loss achieved by conventional therapies, such as consuming fewer calories, increasing exercise, commercial weight-loss programs, etc.). The NIH recognized bariatric (weight-loss) surgery as the only effective treatment to combat severe obesity and maintain weight loss in the long term."

If they don't accept this then commend them on their brilliant medical knowledge, they are obviously smarter than the NIH & ASMBS.

The easy way out is not to do all of the preparation work for surgery, going through the surgery, having your stomach reduced by ~80%, the recovery period and a lifetime commitment to eating differently and exercise.
The easy way out is to do nothing, live a shorter, lower quality life, have lower self-esteem and physical ailments.

Edited April 12, 2015 by 4MRB4PHOTO

[kvlasy 195]

People confuse "easy" with "successful". Its only hard if you have to persevere and fail over and over again. Been there. Done that. We ALL have. In addition to the pre-surgery testing, the surgery that has its own entire set of challenges, we ALSO incorporate traditional diet and exercise into our post surgical lives. We do MORE than what has been the traditional path for weight loss! Its the final hope for those of us who have tried the traditional way unsuccessfully for years. Its final. Its not easy.

[Bonawanabfree 280]

@@Jerr_Bear

There is nothing easy about this journey. People are so misinformed and its none of their business what you do with your body. Gesh. I cant stand people that think they are knowledgeable about every damn thing on earth. I would have kindly said to him that if he wants to be a doctor there is school for that profession otherwise you will follow what your doctors have told you about your health. What a piece of dribble from this jabberjaw.

[QuilterGal 216]

This is illegal. It's workplace sexual harassment. I'd go to HR if anyone at work said something like that to me.

[imsoglad56 402]

This is illegal. It's workplace sexual harassment. I'd go to HR if anyone at work said something like that to me.

Have I missed something in this thread? How is it sexual harassment?