From One Leper to Another....

Liposuction, breast reduction, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, fat freezing, butt lifts. Crazy, right? These procedures, once available to a select few due to cost and risk are now being sought out by teenagers. TEENAGERS. Not wealthy, middle-aged, saggy housewives who want to look better at the country club. Children....and believe it or not some are actually getting them with the help of their mothers and surgeons abroad. I sat here and shook my head as I watched some crazy show on Netflix about this and then I remembered thinking at one point how I'd love to take a carving knife and cut the fat from my own body...just slice it away...and slice away the pain that it brought.... I was 12. Unless you have experienced it, there is absolutely no way to tell you how this feels. I couldn't wear the same stylish clothes as my peers.

My gym clothes looked hideous as my shorts rode up my chub-rub and got stuck in my butt.

PE was basically The Gong Show, where every attempt to do the most basic fitness exercise was torture for me but hilarious to everyone else in class.

And I would rather pull my own teeth than stand and wait to be picked for team sports. Because I would never be picked. And i actually felt BAD for the team that got stuck with me (by teacher assignment). I would have done almost ANYTHING to be accepted and to be "NORMAL"

Even give up my best friend. Just kidding. I would have never done that. But people are doing that every day to lose weight, look great, and be free of the demonic possession of excess fat. Don't believe me? On average 196,000 Americans agree to each year. It's called Bariatric Surgery. For many it is quite literally a life saver.

But for many MORE it exacerbates the emotional/psychological issues associated obesity because 1) the weight returns and 2) the Best Friend (aka "coping skill") is forever removed from their lives. Food is Life and Food is Culture. Food is Love and Food is A Friend. Because of this "diets don't work". 40% of Americans are morbidly obese and the CDC says that by 2020 that will skyrocket to 75% And all of that...the good and the bad... is being traded in for an extreme measure that may or may not work. I have known 15 women over the past 25 years who have gone through some kind of weight loss surgery. Only ONE of them have successfully kept the weight off and she works everyday to do it. It has never been easy for her. I get the desperation. Believe me.

You feel out of control around cake and pasta. Your knees hurt and you have no energy even though you have more than enough sugar running through your veins. I've been there. And while your surgeon may have good intentions, he isn't going to turn you away.

He has bills too. So before your desperation pushes you to sever ties with your Best Friend, Your Culture, and Your Coping...forever...take these things into consideration:

1. You will still need to journal, measure and choose your food...even more carefully.

Weight loss surgery isn't an alternative to diet and exercise—it is an addition to diet and exercise. In fact, good eating habits and regular exercise become even more important after bariatric surgery.For some, the commitment is more than anticipated. 2. You will still feel like a Leper around a Birthday Cake

You think social situations are hard when you are watching your calories? Measuring your food? Tracking your macros? That isn't going to change after surgery. The social activities you enjoyed before surgery may not be social activities that you participate in after surgery. Dr. Ninh T. Nguyen, MD, a bariatric surgeon and the former president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) says that this is a HUGE problems for some patients. He explains, "you may not be able to take part in social situations that revolve around food and instead learn to schedule social outings that involve physical activity instead." (that's gonna go over like a brick on Super Bowl Sunday) 3. Your boyfriend will feel insecure and your friends will change Going to the gym when your friends bail is hard, and that jealous stink eye from the boyfriend/husband isn't fun BEFORE surgery when we want to make change..

Guess what?

Your post surgery lifestyle will be more of the same. Just like when you announce that you are going on a diet and hitting the gym rather than drinking beer and eating tacos, your social circle isn't going to like it because it will disrupt THEIR lives. Be prepared.

4. Bye-bye Best Friend

If you expect weight loss surgery to solve social or emotional problems and make life better, you may end up disappointed. Some people who gain weight use food for emotional comfort (ME!). This isn't a problem that surgery can solve. If emotional issues are present prior to surgery, they are likely to be present after surgery as well.

The most important point I am trying to make here is whatever is hard for you RIGHT NOW about losing weight, increasing your fitness and regaining your health, it will be compounded post surgery because the ONE thing you have used to cope emotionally over the years is physically taken from you. Heal your emotional relationship with food. Know that YOU have the power to change. Surround yourself with a support system of those experiencing the same, because those closest to you will have the hardest time understanding. Sad but oftentimes true.Regardless of your path. I still catch myself coping with food. Behavior Modification is a pain in the ass. Only now I can recognize it and adjust my sails while loving myself and remaining in control of MY health and wellness. Be well <3