Bariatric noob, it's hard work

SolotoCEO wrote: »

Your statement of "I assure you we ARE WE ARE NOW VERY COMITTED IF NOT MORE THAN YOU ARE." is insulting to those of us who have chosen a healthy lifestyle and have lost weight eating healthy and moving our bodies. I have seen way too many bariatric patients (some 2x, 3x, or more) gain the weight back. Some succeed - I wish you the best. But please don't think for a minute you are more committed to being healthy than I am or that others are.

It shouldn't be insulting as I meant no disrespect. I lead a healthy lifestyle before becoming disabled and had no issues really. What I meant by the commitment was that in our (bariatric patients) lives the things we can/can't eat, the supplements we HAVE to take daily for the rest of our lives, and being mindful is a huge learning and can never run on auto pilot like it might with someone such as yourself.

That's all I meant by it, I understand your level commitment and I respect that. For us however there is no room for cheating or skipping supplements or water etc, it's a matter of life or death; the difference between being healthy and malnutrition. Yes, I said malnutrition....being healthy now runs in the opposite direction for me, if I skip protein I lose lean muscle, if I skip supplements I risk vitamin deficiency, if eat too fast or too much I'll throw up or get the squirts, I have to time my fluid intake to when I eat correctly and so on. That's the exact level of commitment I'm speaking of aside from the fact that we had major surgery.

I don't think that a lot, won't say most or all of those who live a healthy lifestyle think about those things consciously on a daily basis. It's hard work for us, not the part about being healthy that is pretty easy, but everything that goes into living life to stay on the right side of healthy and not dead is much more difficult and requires a greater degree of commitment than someone who hasn't has surgery.

I hope that clears the air and that you accept my most sincere apology for any misunderstanding.

We both have the same goals. Thank you for your reply.

Kay_Fancy wrote: »

I agree that what you're going through isn't easy, but you're pretty bold to come on here and say you're more dedicated than I am, or your struggle is more real than mine, because you have decided to pursue a medical solution to force your hand regarding the lifestyle changes you didn't make that led you to need the surgery in the first place.

I'm happy that you're recovering and that you're on here looking for support, but one of the worst ways to make friends is to do what you've done here. Just saying.

Your judgement and ones like it was exactly what I hoping to get to address. You don't know what got me to the point of seeking medical solution. About 15 yrs ago I weighed 275# and it took me a long time to lose it but got down to 145#, which was too thin for me but I finally got to a healthy weight of 165# up until about 5yrs ago. I didn't just decide one day screw it I'm going to eat a gallon of ice cream for 3 squares a day.

Due to a spine injury and a rare neurological issue that complicated that injury even more I no longer had the luxury of meaningful mobility. Holding a job, doing housework, going for a walk or exercising, and standing for longer than 5 mins was a thing of the past. So food prep, cooking sensible meals, grocery shopping was replaced with fast/cheap/unhealthy food out of necessity not choice. Add being bed ridden for 3-7 days at a time on top of that (every month) and you've got a recipe for disaster. With no way to burn those nasty calories I was consuming of course I got fat but surgery was the last resort I assure you.

I meant no disrespect to non-bariatric ppl and your level of commitment. Our level of commitment is the same as yours and I miss spoke. Why I was referring to it being greater is because the things we have to do to be healthy now that we have resorted to surgery. Food intake for us is far more different and slightly complicated than it is for you. The type of food, how much of it we can eat, portion control, macro/nutrients are all things we have to micro-scrutinze unlike ppl such as yourself. While you do pay attention to those things you don't have to do it on the level we do, if we don't we run the risk of malnutrition, loss of lean muscle, or stretching out our surgical reconstruction that cause double/triple weight gain. It verges on the lines of an eating disorder is the bottom line with how obsessed and mindful of it all we have to be lol. It's just insane, if you only knew.

I have no choice than to be more more committed than non-bariatric ppl, streaming food out of both ends isn't fun. Being dehydrated not fun. Eating one hard boiled egg and being too full to eat for 1.5 days, nope not so fun either cuz following that regular occurrence is passing out in the shower or standing up. Being to weak to do anything else as things spiral out of control leading to death isnt what I call a good time either and that's why my commitment is greater than others nor because I'm more special or life is harder because I'm disabled...those things aren't a big deal. I just have to micro manage my life in all ways that you would never understand but should be grateful that you don't ever have to.

I admire those who eat and live clean, you're my kind of ppl. I just would hate to miss out on connections with others because I judged them unfairly. I've read do many comment replies to ppl who said they had surgery and the comments were nasty, mean and ignorant. That's why I said the things I said and because I know what it means to be healthy, fat, fat and injured and now a bariatric patient I Def have strong convictions and feel they are justified. I mean I'm able to effectively compare being healthy, being fat and losing on my own and now surgery...so based on my experience I'm kind of entitled to be bold with my statements. I just wished I hadn't offended anyone in doing so.

Would have been nice to be asked why I was so bold rather than criticised, but I kinda brought that on myself I guess. Lol oh well...ya win some and lose some.

Thank you for your reply. Please accept my apology for any misunderstanding or disrespect you may have felt by my bold statement.

snowflake930 wrote: »

Sicnic5150 wrote: »

Hi, I just had the sleeve gastrectomy done on March 14th, and it isn't easy and it's definitely not cheating to reach your weight loss goals. It's a tool to get your head around proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle living, granted it does get you ahead of the curve toward reaching the finish line. It's a lifetime commitment to maintain this new way of living and it's HARD WORK WITH A 0 TO 100 LEARNING CURVE LITERALLY OVERNIGHT.

So I'm here to get support from own bariatric community as well as those who are living happy healthy lifestyles already or are just starting that journey. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN THE GARBAGE OF NEGATIVITY I'VE BEEN READING ON SOME POSTS this is not a bandaid or a crutch, it's a super charged tool some of us had to reach for to move past our previous failure of living healthy. For those of you who aren't a fan of this tool I assure you we ARE WE ARE NOW VERY COMITTED IF NOT MORE THAN YOU ARE. Failure is not an option anymore and shaming anyone for any reason is just outright FOUL! END DISCLOSURE RANT LOL, BE HELPFUL NOT HURTFUL!

I truly am in love with this app and it's it's saving my life, I love the support being shared and making like minded buddies! We are collectively what makes us successful in whatever our journey and I look forward to being part of yours.

I am all for any way you can accomplish your goals. It is not easy for anyone to lose and maintain weight loss, no matter what route you take to get there. Most of us have real lessons to learn, and teach ourselves about how to become, and stay at a healthy weight. The reason I did it without any type or surgery is because I am too cheap. So I found MFP, in March of 2012. Proceeded to lose and learn along the way, and succeeded in losing over 160 pounds and have kept it off for over 2-1/2 years now.
Every...............single...............day..............is a challenge. It is hard, but well worth the effort.
So, go for it, any way you can.

That's just fantastic Snowflake. I'm proud of you for making such an accomplishment.