The first time I realized I was part of a cycle that needed to be broken, I was 20 years old and in college. For a history class, I had to write an autobiography incorporating one of the topics given by my professor. I don't remember what the choices were but I decided to write about 'Breaking The Cycle.' In my paper (on which I received a grade of A+), I discussed the cycles of poverty, abuse, teen parenting and (similar) partner choices in my family. I vowed to become a shining example (of what a responsible, successful woman is) for my then 3-year old daughter. I promised to teach her how to be a better decision-maker than I was. I wanted her to use my footsteps as a guide but not a designated route. However, it never occurred to me that there was another familial cycle that needed to be stopped.......the cycle of obesity. It wasn't until my daughter became pregnant last year and began 'eating like a pregnant woman' that I realized she may be on the path to becoming overweight.
Prior to her pregnancy, she didn't eat alot and was more of a healthy eater than I was. Like most kids, she enjoyed eating chips, candy and sugar water juice, but she preferred my cooking over fast food, water over soft drinks and apples over cookies & sweets. I guess it helped that, although I was quick to order in, I never was much of a snack/junk food consumer. So, when she did have those things, they were nice treats. Around her 3rd month of pregnancy, I began to notice a big change in her eating habits. She was eating more chips, candy, sweet drinks and fast foods. Plus, she was staying up until all hours of the morning....eating! I warned her to slow down and be mindful of what she was putting in her mouth. I mean, she definitely had room to splurge since she only weighed about 115 lbs before pregnancy but, still, I told her to be careful. By the end of her pregnancy, she had gained around 35 lbs total. Not bad. It didn't take long, after she gave birth, for her body to 'bounce back.' She retained a few pounds, and went from a slim size 3 to a curvy 5 (whoopteedooooo!). I was happy that my daughter's post-pregnancy body was one she could still flaunt, and hoped her regular eating habits would resume. But, that didn't happen. Her body didn't change too much but her life did......drastically.
She went from being a carefree, full-time college student to a full-time working Mom who with many responsibilities. This, in addition to having household chores/responsibilities, as she still lives at home with me. Naturally, this lifestyle comes with a certain amount of unavoidable stress, and having once been in her shoes, I can relate. Unconsciously, I dealt with my stress by staying up late and eating., not realizing it was a huge problem until I was way past the 'borderline.' After one particular time of 'shaking my finger' at my daughter as she partook in some fast food meal at some ungodly hour, I realized there are glaring similarities in mine and my daughter's behaviors. She also deals with her stress by staying up late and eating. Slim-gene aside, (I warned her) if she continues on this path, she will find herself in the plus-size section of somebody's store, holding back her tears. When I tell her these things, she just laughs and blows me off, saying/thinking it won't happen. Granted, she takes more after her Dad's every damn thing naturally slim body size/type than my voluptuous, fluffy side of the family but, still, the possibility remains.
Up until I became pregnant with her, I was always a slim-'normal' sized female. I weighed around 135 lbs. pre-pregnancy, gained a whopping 50 lbs and weighed 150 post-pregnancy. Over the years, my weight increased as my life fell apart responsibilities increased. I went away to college when my daughter was 3 years old and I still weighed 150 lbs. At the end of my first year of college, I weighed 162 lbs. At the end of my second year, I weighed 180 lbs. In the years following, my weight increased gradually. I've been in my current weight range of 234-240 lbs. for about 7 years. No one could/would have predicted that I would become an obese person and it still boggles my mother's mind that I went from 'that' to 'this.'
I pray that my daughter will take heed to my warnings one day soon. However, I know my actions will speak much louder than my words.Getting my health and body under control is as important for me as it is for my daughter and, now also, my gran'diva. This cycle has got to be stopped. Meanwhile, I feel like a mother helplessly watching her child walk onto a busy highway......
Have you broken or vowed to break a vicious family cycle? How did you do it and what was your family's response?
Being morbidly obese overweight carries a certain stigma that is socially accepted by everyone the majority. Seemingly, if you are fat, you are a candidate for the death penalty unworthy and undeserving of real love, positive attention, good job, great friends, pretty clothes, shoes, wonderful gifts, etc. And don't you even think about simple things like Respect and Consideration. All of the things 'normal' people expect, strive for and receive are not 'for you, Fatty.'
I went into a Best Buy store, some months ago, looking for cables that would allow me to connect my laptop to my television. I had no idea what I needed so, after looking at what seemed like hundreds of different kinds cords and wires, I looked around for a sales associate. A couple guys walked by but seemed to be helping other customers at the time. So, I waited a few more minutes. Then I began to realize that, yes they were helping other customers but other customers who had arrived after me!! I was finally able to get the attention of one of the associates, who, after barely listening to what I needed help with, told me he'd 'be right back.' Well, folks, I waited....and patiently waited.....and frickin waited some more. After a good 15-20 minutes (yes I really did wait that long....or seemed to anyway), I went looking for someone else. I finally found someone who did help me but even so, I left the store feeling......really bad.
Not bad as in, 'Oh, I'm such a worthless piece of fat crap,' but bad in the 'Damn, it's really like thaaaaaaaat???' kind of way. I probably should have reported this guy.....but the truth is, it wasn't the first time I got the 'Fat Girl Ignore' and it wouldn't be the last. And what was I gonna say anyway, 'Hey that guy blew me off because I'm fat?' Sure, I could've said, 'I asked him for assistance and he left me hanging in the aisle,' but his response most likely would've been something along the lines of, 'I was busy helping another customer, ' or 'I got caught up in something else and forgot,' or 'I DID come back and couldn't find her,' blah blah blah. Something tells me, had I gone to a manager to complain, they would have laughed about it after I left.
Have you ever been overtly discriminated against (in a store, at work, at the doctor's office, etc.) because of your weight? If so, how did you handle it? Do you think I should have done something different in that scenario?
Since my last post, I made a decision to begin the process for weight-loss surgery ('WLS'). I've tried all kinds of diets and I've tried to manage this myself. Nothing has worked. So I put down my pride and picked up some information regarding 'WLS.' There are many options available.....gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, gastric banding and more. The decision is mostly up to the patient but there are recommended procedures for people of a certain weight and/or health condition. Although I've yet to get my recommendation from the doctor, I've decided I want the Lap-Band surgery. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, the short of it is: a surgical band is placed around the opening of the stomach to make the opening and the stomach itself much smaller than normal size. This restricts the amount of food that can pass through and be held in the stomach. After surgery, the stomach is said to hold (approximately) the equivalent of 2 oz. of food. TWO OUNCES Y'ALL! However, the band can be adjusted to make the opening bigger or smaller, according to weight-loss goals and health needs. Click on this link to learn more - http://www.lapband.com/en/learn_about_lapband/device_how_it_works/
Before one can be scheduled for surgery, there are a series of medical and psychological evaluations to undertake. You cannot have the surgery if it will likely endanger your life or you aren't mentally ready. No doctor is going to do the surgery 'just so your boyfriend won't leave you' or 'to help you snag a woman.' The pre-surgery process usually takes anywhere between 3 - 6 mos but can take much longer, depending on your specific medical history and how well you follow instructions. Since my official start on August 9, I've taken 4 of my 17 required steps. I would like to be able to schedule surgery for late January but, at the rate I'm going (verrrryyyy slowwww), I don't know if it's gonna happen then......if it happens at all. 'What do you mean, if it happens at all?!' you're probably wondering.
Well, during the orientation phase, we learned about the different WLS options available, amongst other things like healthy eating and exercising. We were also told (more than a few times) that the goal isn't to get surgery. Instead, the goal is to teach one how to take control of their health; recognize what went wrong and make choices to make things right.....without surgery. However, it is also acknowledged that, if it was just that simple, there would be no need for the orientation or the surgery. That being said, I'm hoping fooling myself into thinking that I can finally get a hold of things and do this on my own so I won't need the surgery. HA! Who knows? Maybe I will, maybe I won't.
In the meantime, in sticking with the plan (within the next 6 weeks), I need to schedule appointments for my Sleep Apnea evaluation review, with the Nutritionist & Dietician and my primary care doctor. Hell, I'm gonna lose 25 lbs just from the change I'll have to dish out in co-pays.........Oh My!
By now, we all know there is no 'magic pill' nor quick permanent solution to losing weight. You must expend more calories than you take in.....period. You must eat less, move more. But lately, I've been in a funk and feeling like I just can't do it on my own. So I started thinking about surgery. I know I'd never do gastric bypass but the 'lesser evil,' Lap-Band surgery, I would consider.....have considered.....considering right now. One part of me is saying, 'NO, YOU CAN DO IT WITHOUT SURGERY!' while the other part is saying, 'OH YEAH??? WELL, WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE IT YET...HUH, HUH?
I've looked at the pros and cons and I'm not afraid of getting the surgery. I know what the possible & probable side effects are and they don't 'scare' me much. What has held me back from doing it is my own ego & pride. If I do it, then people will say/think I took the 'easy way out.' I know I shouldn't care about others' thoughts & opinions but the competitor in me wants the 'trophy' and recognition from doing it without surgery. I mean, lots of people have done it. There are many who can boast how they ate & exercised their way to a body that is 100, 200, 300, 400 lbs lighter, WITHOUT SURGERY.
I really wanna be one of those people and I know I can be. But what's the use of knowing but not doing.....knowing and not being? I've been in this fight for almost 20 years and over time, I've gotten farther and father away from my goal....from the win. Now, time is truly of the essence. The stakes are higher for me now that I am dealing with the early stages of diabetes. Yes, my weight has finally caught up with me in a way that I cannot avoid. I no longer have the 'luxury of time' being on my side. I must do something about my weight OR ELSE.
It makes me sad to admit that I haven't changed my habits much since my diagnosis. Which brings me to my current state of mind.....to be a surgery candidate or not to be. Deciding to have the surgery just might be more of a necessity than a personal choice....so I have to ask myself, what is more important.....my body/health or other people's opinions?
I cannot believe it's been 10 days since my last blog post. You can safely assume that part of the reason I haven't posted is because I don't have anything 'good' to share. Since February 25th, I've been slacking off BIG TIME, with my eating & workout efforts. With food & drink (aka 'cocktails'), some days, I do okay and others I do terribly. The Y nor my trainer has seen me since February 18th and I feel.....okay. Not 'okay' in the way that it's perfectly fine that I've fallen off the bandwagon, but okay in the way that I haven't bowed out. I haven't lost any weight but, by golly, I haven't gained any weight either (thank God). Mentally, I chastise myself every day, sometimes with food, sometimes without. But, I have not 'beaten or eaten myself into depression mode' as I've done many times before. I am determined to win this battle this time, so no matter how many times I sit, fall or get knocked down, I WILL get back up.
