"Easy way out, my dimpled badonkadonk!"

I had a good workout this morning and I feel fantastic! I keep trying other DVDs but so far, end up going back to Mr. Simmons--glitter, 'fro, and all. Goofy as he is, I can keep up with him, I usually like the music, and the workouts are fun.

I usually don't play favorites in any arena, but I have to say that my favorite blogger is Lyn, whose blog is Escape from Obesity and I recommend it highly:

http://escapefromobesity.blogspot.com/

She blogged the other day about people talking about weight-loss surgery as the easy way out. I've said many of these things I'm about to say previously on this blog, but I am going to repost a paraphrased version of my comments to her simply because I get so very tired of hearing this crap--which, in my experience, 95% of the time from people who have never struggled with their weight (and the other 5% just have Issues).

I tried EVERYTHING to lose weight. All my life. From "healthy" doctor-supervised diet and exercise programs to having a full-blown eating disorder (and I exercised then, too). I have the most success (by and thus far) with my gastric bypass at 9 months out (also including healthy diet and exercise), but the true test will be when I am two years out, five years out, and so forth. The adjustments I have made to better my lifestyle cannot end or my progress will stop or even reverse itself, and I am getting older and my metabolism is slowing down just like every other human life form on Earth.

I used to be TOTALLY anti-bariatric surgery when it came to me. I researched it and struggled with the decision to have it for ten years. It was not something I undertook lightly, in large part because I wanted to make sure I was not doing it because I hated myself or thought I needed anyone's approval.

My lab work and other vitals have to be monitored frequently, I have to exercise regularly, and it is my understanding that I have to eat and drink no more than approximately 1500 calories a day for the rest of my life--and that's 1500 calories of the limited foods my body can comfortably digest now, which leaves out anything breaded, bread itself, meat that isn't ground, anything fried, the majority of dairy, pizza, the majority of alcoholic beverages, etc. etc. etc. As of today, the majority of my food intake is protein shakes and South Beach protein bars. And you know what? I'm happy to make these choices and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Do I think weight-loss surgery is the ONLY way? Absolutely NOT. I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who are able to lose weight with diet and exercise alone. It is DAMN HARD. I tried it many times, and I was never able to get below 250 pounds. (I have genetic predisposition, hormonal wackness, and I am over 40; perhaps that is why. Who KNOWS why? It just didn't work for me.)

Do some people use weight-loss surgery for the wrong reasons? ABSOLUTELY--and it blows up in their faces when they do. I have met many wonderful, noble folks who have been there, people who are still struggling valiantly to make their lives healthier and better--just as I am, just as the people who go to groups are, just as the people who are doing meal plans are, just as people who are doing diet and exercise alone are.

What deserves admiration and respect is still being in the fight. Still trying. Still learning. Still going back to the healthy stuff after a setback. Examining your own darkness and leaning toward the light. Acknowledging the experiences of others as valid even though they may be worlds apart from your own. We're not so very different after all; we all have our rocks to keep rolling up that hill in this life.

There is no easy way out of ANYTHING, ever. The only way out is through.

WLS Lifestyles Magazine

When I first saw a blurb about this magazine on the BariatricEating.com website, I thought the WLS in the title was the acronym for Weight-Loss Surgery, as it often seems to be, and thought, "Wow, there's a whole magazine devoted to bariatric surgery patients?" However, it stands for Weight-Loss SUCCESS Lifestyles!

This is a quarterly magazine geared toward anyone trying to lose weight and live a healthier life, whatever the method. While weight-loss surgery and its concerns are a healthy portion (har) of the magazine, there are all kinds of other subjects addressed within as well. Looking at the two issues I've received for fall 2009 and winter 2010, there are articles on corporate weight-loss strategies at work, the Mediterranean path to wellness, the relationship between physical pain and diet, how to make weight loss last, heart healthy foods and more. There are a lot of positive articles on how to take care of the inside of a person as well as the outside and features on actual doctors and medical facilities that are making strides to address obesity. The advertisements are good for post-WLS people, as they show products that address the specific nutritional needs of bariatric patients.

A friend who specifically wanted to do something for me to support the choice I'd made gave me the subscription as a gift, which I thought was extremely thoughtful--and it's actually something I can use. Things like post-WLS regain and other common concerns seem to be touched on at least once in every issue, and I can just flip through it at my leisure or go back to it when needed.