Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Feeling like I am taking the easy way out :-/



Recommended Posts

I don't struggle with this feeling because it's not easy.

I somewhat struggle with the possibility that others will perceive this as taking the easy way out, but then I realize that most people that haven't had WLS don't know **** about it and therefore their opinions don't matter.

If it was easy, every overweight person would do it. If it was easy, it would just be "the way." It's not easy. It's a complete lifestyle change FOREVER. It's relearning how to eat and properly treat your body for life. You didn't cheat. You did what you had to do to take your life back. I refuse to take this second chance at living to the fullest for granted.

Edited by blashlee

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

At 67 and almost 385, oh how I wish I had taken the "easy way out"!! All these years of weighing almost 300 pounds (at my all time highest now), the pain, emotional and physical, embarrassment, wearing ugly clothes, physical limitations........everything. Even if I had it done 3 years ago when I was 85 pounds lighter. I can't believe I have been losing and gaining hundreds of pounds for so many years.

Take the steps now. It will NOT be easy for ANY of us young or old. It is far from taking the easy way out. It is taking necessary steps to improve and extend your life. DON'T miss out on those precious years that cannot be relived.

Louise

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

After surgery you will never think you took the easy way out again. None of this is easy. I'm 2 months out and it's still hard. I can't eat some things, I get upset stomach . Sometimes I cook something abd eat it and be fine the next day eat the leftovers and get sick. Everything depends on how my stomach feels. Sometimes I fake it till I make it and just throw some make up on and go on tho I feel like I might(and sometimes do) barf. None of this is easy

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My surgery date is next Thursday...I am excited, nervous & emotional about it ..so even though this thread has provided so much support & information to me in my mixed feelings about the surgery, I want to reopen this thread because I think I need just a little more! Lol

I am 50-60 pounds overweight, but I have struggled with losing weight due to emotional eating, bad habits & yo yo dieting for 12years..I know I need this and I should think of it as a privilege to finally have a way to lose the weight and stop the depression it causes but there is still part of me beating myself up because I am having surgery to lose weight instead of being able to keep it off with diet and exercise

Ugh..I guess I need even more support in this decision.

Thanks everyone!

I hope to be on the other side of this issue soon! And providing the same for others :-)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I totally understand the guilt feeling, still dealing with it myself. It doesn't help when people say "oh you don't need surgery, you can do it on your own" and even my Primary Care doctor said "that's extreme, you haven't given traditional dieting a fair chance". Well I have been trying for over 20 years!! Come on people! If I could do it on my own I think I would have by now! I've tried everything, including prescription drugs! I'm not even sure this is gonna work but I gotta try!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well this has certainly been an interesting read

Just my 2 cents worth....

When I had my fairly large babies, I had the option of having and epidural or not during delivery. Heck that made my deliveries so much easier and pleasant. When I asked my mother who was an undiagnosed type 2 diabetic, if she would have gotten epidurals during her deliveries ( she had 9 children and they got larger with each baby, one being 13 lbs, 9 oz delivered "naturally"), she said "of course!" Why go through that without help if it's there?

Same with wls. Why not?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I saw the article and photos of the woman who had WLS and a friend of hers took those clever before and after pictures that showed her as famous characters from TV and history. It's called 'The Beth Project'.

I also saw comments associated with this article and they were horrible. Alot of 'why not just diet' or 'just do it the right way'. Alot were even worse than that. It made me realize that so many people unknowingly think WLS is some type of cop-out. I didn't understand because my family and friends are so supportive but it seems that the vast majority of people have a very negative attitude about WSL...at least when it comes to comments online. My goodnes...such hatred out there for overweight people. It's very sad.

Check out her pictures by the way. They are really good.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×