I apologize for not updating. We’ve been in the process of having our 3 year old evaluated for school district services. Baby girl qualifies for preschool under social/emotional delays and has some major sensory challenges the school OT observed. Lots of meetings at the school and we will still have another one to discuss her IEP once it’s written. I wanted to talk about seeing losing and maintaining weight as a lifestyle change both physically and mentally instead of just a diet. You would think this would be common sense. I went into the process of bariatric surgery after having done exte ..read more

My hand in compression gloves I wear frequently due to my RAMany people who struggle with their weight have dealt with having health problems blamed solely on their weight . Sometimes by medical professionals even if the problem isn’t specifically weight related. I never experienced this personally but have heard from others that medical treatment was denied unless they lost weight. Surgery is one case where I can understand because obesity can make anesthesia risky but in some cases medication or bloodwork people report was denied or the patient’s concerns were brushed off completely beca ..read more

One thing I am learning on this journey is that success in weight loss is not defined solely by reaching your goal weight on the scale or by reaching a normal BMI. A common misconception I hear online is that weight loss success for the super morbidly obese (as I once was with a BMI of 54 at me heaviest) should be still considered reaching a healthy weight BMI just as in someone who is overweight or the lower end of obese would set their goal. My bariatric surgeon’s goal is for me to reach the overweight BMI range. I recognize that to many people that because I am still obese on the BMI ..read more

The physical desire to eat is often greatly reduced after bariatric surgery. I have seen people say this was not the case for them but for me it has been. I do experience physical hunger but not on the same level as before and it is easier to satisfy with a lesser amount of food. But foods still look good and appealing visually even when I cannot eat much of them or at all. For example I was reading someone’s travel blog the other day while lounging in bed before my alarm went off. There were a lot of pictures of delicious looking foods from restaurants the writer had gone to during his travel ..read more

I am torn between being furious and crying right now. In a weight loss community I am in for the super morbidly obese (BMI of over 50), an anonymous new poster showed up stating they are suicidal. The person said due to their weight limiting their mobility and their extreme depression they are spending the entire day in bed or eating. They are currently thinking of ending their life. Every person in this group is either currently super morbidly obese or like myself used to be but has lost weight. Some like myself have had bariatric surgery. Others lost weight through diet alone. Either way ..read more

When you are morbidly obese, you are often in a place where you just don’t fit into society in general. You are often the largest person in the room. You worry about chairs not fitting your girth when you are out in public. Your clothing options are limited to the few stores that carry your size or in some cases to ordering online online. You are the parent sitting sidelined at the park because your weight leaves you too tired and in pain to play with your kids like the other parents. You avoid flying and public transportation for fear of not fitting in the seats. After losing 116 pounds ..read more

I was excited and honored to get an email from Feedspot listing me in their top mental health blog lists. I just got started blogging and it means a lot to have even a small amount of recognition on my journey. My battle with anxiety, depression and emotional eating is a ongoing one after VSG surgery. I will write an actual longer post later today. Here’s a link to Feedspot: Top 75 Mental Health Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2020 ..read more

I had my 6 month follow up yesterday. It should have been in December but it was late due to the holidays and everything else last month. I saw the surgeon’s PA-C. She was pleased with my overall progress in terms of weight loss. The scale there had me at 202. At home it’s 199 but that 3 pound difference is pretty normal for the surgeon’s office. At home my scale said 282 the day of surgery and there it was 285. Probably due to me weighing at home in underwear right before my shower or eating breakfast and of course being in clothes after eating breakfast for my doctor’s office weigh in. M ..read more

Today my weight was 199.8. A long way from the 315 I once was yet I struggle to see it. I look in the mirror and see my former size. Sometimes I believe my scale is lying to me. I know it isn’t logical. My doctor’s scale weighs me within a 1-2 pound range of my home scale. My tape measure has consistently measured my body at smaller sizes. I’ve changed clothing sizes repeatedly. I was once a size 26 at Lane Bryant. I had 4x tops. I am a size 16 and XL top now. I owned both Gloria Vanderbilt and Levi’s jeans in a size 24. I have both brands in a 16 today. I know on an intellectual level that I ..read more

The title is the statement of a mom in a parenting group I am in. A paraphrased version and not the exact words. The story is of a parent who wants their teen child’s doctor to shame the child into losing weight. Mom doesn’t want to talk about her child’s health. She wants to refer to her child as “lazy”, “gluttonous” and a “couch potato”. These are all terms she used to reference her child. Mom of the year, right? It was suggested she bring her child to a dietitian and a therapist. But those were offensive to the mom who called her child names. Mom acknowledged her child eats to cope with str ..read more