1. A coworker had the surgery 6 weeks ago, and she has been cheering me on since she found out why I was drinking "premier protein" shakes. During an oversharing confession session one day in my office, I told her that I was worried about what some people were going to say about me having surgery rather than losing weight "The natural way." How are people dealing with the criticism and the inaccurate thoughts that surgery is the EASY way out?

2. You see, I've vacillated for 2 years now, losing 15 pounds in the bariatric program only to gain it back. --and I've been fighting this battle for 20 years almost to the day! I'm tired and worn down, suffering from the daily pain of RA and Lupus now. Plus I am frightened that I will gain the weight back if I lose it...that the reasons that I gained this 130 pounds will continue to haunt me even after the surgery.

3. It seems that I don't have the self-caring any longer (and that I haven't in such a long time); I'm certainly no longer trying to be thin and sexy to catch a man at age 52! What are your motivations?

Any thoughts on the above???

Deborah

Fortunately, I haven't found the need to explain or justify my decision to have surgery to anyone.

If "the natural way" doesn't work for you then it doesn't work. No need to apologize.

I felt the same way for a very long time. I started gaining weight after my baby was born, I now weigh 30 lbs more than I did at my highest during pregnancy. I tried everything I could think of, even hiring a personal trainer. After a year of trying everything I could think of and seeing no results but instead gaining more weight and feeling miserable I decided to have the surgery.

At first I felt like a failure, but I realized that the only failure would be worrying what others think. I know I tried and at this point I don't care how I lose the weight as long as I lose it. I hate seeing myself in the mirror, I have very few clothes that fit and I look horrible in them. I don't care what anybody thinks, I'm doing this for me so I can continue living my life.

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I am 55 and I had the surgery about 6 weeks ago. My motivation wasn't to be thin and sexy but to hopefully live a longer and healthier life. I made the decision I didn't want to die of an obesity related condition. I didn't have any of them pre-surgery (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) but the writing was on the wall. I was gaining weight little by little every year and I knew as I got older it was just a matter of time before I would start having health issues from my weight. Plus, it is already harder to exercise as we get older but with each weight gain I was getting more sedentary. I decided to have the surgery while I was healthy to give myself the best chance of success. Good luck to you in your decision making.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

well. I do think it is easier with the surgery than without. but I don't think it's easy and I don't think it is cheating.

I do however tell people if there WAS a way to cheat or an easy way I would push and fight my way to the front of the line. Obesity is deadly and I am not going to play nice with it.

my motivation was to have normal blood sugar and weigh less than my husband. Successful already on both counts, so now I will continue to follow the eating program and see how low my body wants to go. I am one happy camper.

I don't really worry about what anyone else thinks. I had this surgery 8 weeks ago at age 61 because I want to live a healthy active life and after being unable to lose this weight with dieting the past 30+ years I am doing what I need to for me. I am not afraid to tell people that I had the surgery if they want to know how or why I am looking thinner.

This is one of my favorite responses to this question (from one of my favorite WLS Blogs, lessdangerouscurves.com:

What do you say to people who think you've taken the easy way out?

I tend to agree with them. I ask them why they wouldn't take the surest and quickest route back to good health?

Because seriously i've got better things to focus on in my life, like my family, and i'm doing this for them as much as I am for myself. I wanted to get myself back to good health in the quickest, safest, most effective way possible.

I'd rather get on with my life than spend miserable months dieting and slogging it out at the gym and then trying to maintain that for the rest of my life. I didn't personally know anyone in my life who had lost the amount of weight I needed to lose and more importantly... kept it off for good. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm just saying there's a good reason for not wanting to stuff around for another 10 years trying to do it the "hard way" when I could take the supposedly "easy way" and just get on with my life.

And really, unless the person who criticises you for taking the easy way out hunts their own food, grows their own veggies, sews their own clothes and washes them by hand at the river, never takes pain relief, home schools their children and gets about on foot or with a horse and cart I don't think they are in a position to judge. If they do all those things I also don't think they are in a position to judge because, well... back away slowly and nod. Try not to make eye contact.

We aren't talking about 10 or 15kg here. We are talking about people who are obese and specifically - morbidly obese. Morbid obesity is a serious health concern. If you are morbidly obese and don't have any chronic or serious health conditions - you are lucky. It's only a matter of time before you do.

This isn't a lazy decision. This is a positive decision to take back control of your health and do it with the greatest chance of success and as quickly as realistically possible.

what annie said

Statistics! Look up the statistics on the percentage of people who are obese or morbidly obese that actually lose all of their excess weight the "natural" way and keep it off vs. the percentage of those who have had bariatric surgery. Bottom line, bariatric surgery wins. Facts usually shut people up.