So, just a mere 4 days into 2018, I'm already enraged by the stories of people who have lost half their size. Or rather, not their stories, but the commentary surrounding them.
This morning, I had the pleasure of watching Good Morning America's segment on the annual People Magazine's "Half Their Size" issue.
Their weight loss is an achievement. I do not begrudge them the well-deserved accolades.
What I can do without is the People editor saying "We chose people who did the hard work to lose weight. No one who had surgery."
Or the anchorperson chortling about how happy these people must be now that they're thin.
I know I sound like a broken record, but the second verse is the same as the first, to paraphrase an old song. Weight loss surgery is not easy. Thinness does not equate instant happiness.
Is labor any easier if you end up with a c-section? Nope. You just end up with a different way of achieving the end goal: a baby on the outside.
Weight loss is not any easier with surgery. It's a tool, just like Weight Watcher's point system, Jenny Craig and Nutri-System's prepackaged portion controlled foods--they are all just tools that will hopefully get everyone to the end goal they desire: weight loss.
And as far as being thin means you're happier than you were when you were overweight, in my case, that's BS. That's all I have to say about that.
However, I do not want my first blog in months to be a rehash of rants I've written previously. I do have things I can rant about, such as the co-worker who had gastric sleeve done not even five months ago and came to me wanting to know how I "cheat".
I don't. Occasionally, or more often than occasionally since I'm the rare thin person who still suffers from bouts of unhappiness, I eat food that I know will make me sick and suffer the consequences, vowing never again. I am much better than I was, but since it is impossible to avoid food, my battle with my addiction rages on, as it always will.
It angers me that someone would go through the process of getting approved for surgery, have the surgery and then fallback to old habits, because they think that having a tiny tummy is going to protect them from showing that they've indulged their vices. Or that all you need to do to lose weight is have that tiny pouch.
Yet, I have also learned I cannot fix them or help them live their lives the way that they should post surgery. It's their path to walk and while I support them as much as I can, I cannot carry them.
There is so much more that I have to say rather then become a big angerball who only writes when she gets upset by the media or by the comments people make.
I used to post monthly pictures of my weight loss progress, because I felt that my weight loss was the biggest accomplishment in my life
Almost three years after surgery, I know now that it isn’t. I’m proud of the loss, however, I have greater accomplishments
1. I am a toddler whisperer
2. I am a writer
3. I make pretty things out of string
4. I’m a good daughter/sister
5. I’m the best Aunt my nephews & niece have in N.C.
6. I am a good friend
7. I’m a stellar librarian
8. My milkshake brings all the dogs to the yard
I’d rather leave this earth knowing that the best compliment people can give me is that I’m kind rather than I’m skinny
And that is I'm going to focus on, being a force of kindness in this world, irregardless of the fact that I just ranted. Ranting is necessary in order to release the kindness.
With that said, stay tuned. There's going to be a lot more writing this year coming from this broken yet beautiful librarian.
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