I am 28 years old (29 in a few days!) and two years ago, I started a new weight loss journey in my life. On October 11, 2011, I had the VSG (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy) Bariatric Surgery. My starting weight was almost 300lbs, and as you can imagine, all of that weight was hard on my tiny 5'2" body frame. Before surgery, I was a 26 year old Type 2 Diabetic, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint pain, back pain, had hot flashes/night sweats (from blood sugar spikes and crashes), GERD, and all around bad health. When I found out I had Diabetes, it really hit home for me. I was not born with it, I got it from eating crap my entire life. I didn't want that for my life. I was slowly killing myself--I gave myself Diabetes. I was crushed, but once I found out, I knew I needed a change. Like most people who are obese, I have tried every "diet" out there. I tried pills, I tried starving myself, I tried EVERYTHING. I typically exercised a few times a week, and I was even active as a young adult and back in high school. My problem was too much of the wrong kinds of food. I wasn't educated on what my body needs. I wasn't educated on the right types of exercise, how long to do them, etc. I would crash and burn with every regime I tried. I never could lose more than 10lbs without gaining it back. I have been obese pretty much my entire life, maybe since about 6 years of age. It wasn't all my parents fault. I agree, however, when you see the 2 year olds on TV who weigh 80lbs and can't walk, that it is the parents, because at that age the baby can't eat on its own without someone making food for it. My story was a bit different. I am not going into personal specifics right now, but my eating habits were not entirely the fault of my parents, even when I was young.
Obesity really is a disease. I know there will people out there that disagree with that statement, and you are entitled to your opinion, and I will respect your opinion, just as I hope you respect mine. If you are obese, you understand exactly what I am saying. It isn't about just sitting around on the couch all day, stuffing my face with potato chips or whatever else people who aren't obese think that fat people do all day. Yes, there are people out there who literally sit around all day and do nothing but eat. And yes, eating the wrong food or even the right food, but in large amounts will make you fat (unless you are one of those people who has a magical metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want and never gain weight). But you can be a normal weight and still be unhealthy. Exercising is beneficial for everyone, regardless of your weight. I am not here to lecture anyone, because I know I have my own things to work on. I am just saying that people in general should take better care of themselves and try to adapt healthy lifestyles so that they can enjoy life to the fullest. :)
I used to binge eat. Food was my comfort my entire life, and it still is. The difference between then and now is that I learned to control what I eat and I have come to terms that I used to have an abusive relationship with food. It was like the horrible boyfriend that I couldn't get rid of. Food always made me feel good, it was always there for me, and it never let me down. Until I got diabetes. This lead to having all sorts of other health problems, but thankfully I never got to the point that I needed medication or insulin to control my diabetes. I now have a good relationship with food. I broke up with the junk for the last time. Don't get me wrong, food is just like a sucky ex boyfriend. It is always there, lurking around trying to get back into my life. I just choose to ignore it. I am happy eating whole, real, foods.
Weight loss surgery is a MAJOR surgery. It is not something anyone should take lightly because there are risks involved. I decided it was right for me after years of counseling and research. It is not a "magic pill" or the easy way out. I hate it when people say that I or other people who have had bariatric surgery took the easy way out. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through, both mentally and physically. It is also one of the best things I could have ever done for myself. At one year post op, I had lost 80lbs, which is typical of my surgery type. My diabetes is "gone" and I have not taken any blood pressure medication since the day of my surgery. That alone is wonderful, not to feel like crap all of the time or be on ANY medication other than daily vitamins and the occasional Prilosec when my acid reflux acts up. I also am able to jog and run! I could never complete the mile run in high school, and I have done a 12 minute mile 5 times now. I am now working on a 5k training program to get back on the saddle.
[I did not have the bypass surgery which most people are familiar with. With my surgery, the weight comes off much slower, and some of us never lose more than 100lbs (please remember everyone is different, some people lose much more than that) but we do not have many of the complications that RNY patients have, and from what I have read, many VSG patients keep the weight off at 5+ years post op moreso than RNY patients. Again, everyone who has had surgery had to make the decision of what surgery to have that is best for them. I am in no way being negative towards RNY or any other surgery. ]
This was me (and my now husband) in December of 2011, about 8 weeks after surgery and 20lbs lighter than my highest weight:
This is me now:
I recently changed my hair, but you get the idea. :)
So a few weeks ago, after I was honest with myself about gaining a little weight back, I decided to call my nutritionist. I had a long conversation with her about what I was doing and why I gained weight. I felt so guilty and so bad about myself. I felt like a failure. She told me that most people give in to the carb moster and gain weight, but I did the right thing by calling her. I don't know about you, but I love carbs. Carbs, however, don't love me back. They are addicting (to me) and cause me to crave more junk. When I don't eat them at all I feel deprived like many do, and then go off the deep end and eat a ton of carby things. After my conversation with her, I decided that I would once and for all cut junk and processed food out of my life as much as possible. This did not come up in our conversation, this is something I have researched on my own and also part of it is common sense.. I truly think a lot of chemicals in food, especially junk food are addicting and so terrible for our bodies. I strongly believe this. No one "needs" MSG, hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives, minus the naturally occurring preservatives our bodies need like salt. If I can't pronounce it, I don't eat it. If the ingredients list fills up the entire side of the package, I don't eat it.
I don't want to diet. I just want to eat healthy and be healthy. Since cutting processed food and junk food from my diet, I have noticed a vast improvement in my overall well being. I have more energy and I rarely feel hungry because I am feeding my body nourishing foods. Our bodies really know what we need to fuel them with, and when done properly you will feel amazing. I used to have to drink those 5 hour energy shots every day, and now I don't even think about them. As you can imagine, adapting a healthy life style has helped me start losing weight again. I stopped losing weight months ago (and even gained a little weight) because I let bad habits creep back in. Once I adapted the lifestyle of eating clean, whole foods, I started losing weight again. I even have bread and pasta in moderation, but it must be made of whole grains and no white flour.
One last thing to share is that I hope that others will find inspiration to cook their own delicious, healthy food! I also want to encourage those who are trying to adapt a healthy lifestyle. Regardless of if you are trying to lose weight or just trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet, don't feel bad if you have an off day. Life happens. Also, know that you can eat truly delicious things that are also healthy and good for you! If you show your body some love, it will return the favor.
So yeah, that is the long and short of it. :) I am happily looking forward to each new opportunity and challenge I encounter with my new lifestyle.
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