Longtime readers will recall that I have struggled with my weight since 2005, when I got a divorce, stopped smoking, went on depo provera, and lived it up with DH. Everyone has their own weight loss and body image journey. Unlike many of the authors of the weight loss blogs I read, I haven’t always been fat.
For a long time I tried various diets. Nothing seemed to work for long. For about a year and a half I have been working with Laura, a wholistic nutrition counselor. I’ve done a lot of internal work, figuring out how I got in this mess and why I am having such trouble getting out of it. Straightening out my relationship with food (which is one of the reasons I changed this blog from The Local Cook to Wholistic Woman). Last summer DH mentioned that he thought he might want to have weight loss surgery. I was adamantly opposed to that idea. A friend of ours almost died on the table having it! It was the easy way out! I remember sitting in Laura’s office, talking about how much I hated the idea.
Fast forward to earlier this spring. Ironically, I had just come to the conclusion that I was OK being fat. I was healthy. I was eating well (for the most part). Then, at my annual appointment, my doctor said I should have bloodwork done since it had been awhile. To my surprise, the results came back with high glucose levels and low “good” cholesterol levels. I was supposed to start exercising more regularly, eat more fish, and get rechecked in a few months. If there was no improvement medication might be in the cards.
Now, I feel the need to point out that my father is skinny as a rail and also has the low good cholesterol levels. And diabetes runs in both sides of my family. So it’s entirely possible (though not probable) that even had I not gained a ton of weight (not literally) over the past decade, I would still have medical issues. But I started thinking, hey, I’m closing in on 40.
DH, meanwhile, has watched his father, who is also severely overweight, lose mobility with each passing year. After spending a week with him deer hunting, he said, “I was watching my Dad have trouble walking and tying his shoes. I realized that we are the same weight. The only difference is about 30 years.”
So I nervously went to a local weight loss surgery seminar at the local hospital. After learning more about the various options and talking with a surgeon, DH and I have decided to get what’s called the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Basically, our stomachs will be smaller but we are not having anything rerouted. This is less invasive than the RNY option (commonly referred to as the bypass) and we won’t have any malabsorption issues. There are a few more insurance hoops to jump through, but if all goes well we will have the surgery this November or December.
So far, my family and coworkers have been supportive. I know this option is not for everyone. It is also not an easy way out–although it makes it difficult if not impossible to eat a large amount at one sitting, we know people who graze or eat foods like ice cream that are more likely to slide through. This is still going to require counting calories and exercise.
I’m still seeing Laura, and she is incredibly supportive. She noted the difference in how I talked about it last fall compared to now. I am at peace with our decision. I look forward to sharing what I learn and experience with you.
Meanwhile, if you are interested in learning more, here are some of the weight loss blogs that I’ve recently discovered:
The World According to Eggface
What's on your mind?