More Thoughts

I know I've said this before, but it begs repeating.

I'm so surprised and kind of disgusted that people think that a life-threatening surgery (bariatric surgery) is more acceptable than fasting.

It disturbs me that someone would think that allowing a doctor to cut your stomach into a little pouch and rearrange your innards is somehow safer than fasting, and that it's necessary for so many morbidly obese people.

I have a sick fascination with those morbidly obese documentary shows on Discovery and TLC and stuff. It first fascinates me that someone gets that fat. To which my BF always mentions how fat I am, and how I let myself get as fat as I did (206). He's right, to a degree. I suppose it's just a matter of denial to creep up to 300 and beyond. I managed to go from 147 to 172 in a few months, and I was in pure denial. I did it eating junk food. Lots of fast food. And eating as much as my 6'1" athletic boyfriend did. I admit, it was stupid and I was blind. It got to the point where I was so scared to get on the scale to see the gain, that I'd just avoid it. And then the scale was banished to the closet. Once and a while it would come out, I would attempt to lose weight, nothing would happen, and the scale was once again banished.

So I can see how one can just fall into a despair and denial, and just gain and gain.

It makes me sad that 1) no one ever explained fasting to these people as an option, and 2) that if they were to ever consider fasting on their own, people would scoff and tell them how crazy they are. It makes me sad that the weight loss rates for fasting and the first month of bariatric surgery are the same (approx 1 lb a day). It makes me sad that they have had their stomachs reduced to the size of an egg, and must forever eat that way.

I haven't lost enough weight to see yet, but there are claims on some fasting sites that even though the weight is rapidly lost, because the body is doing it naturally and consuming it's excess reserves that I won't lose skin elasticity or tone and end up with droopy bags of skin. Unfortunately that's not so for someone who has bariatric surgery.

With fasting, I can get the results of someone who had a major, dangerous, and expensive surgery. And it's FREE! Hehehe. I don't have to take supplements for the rest of my life because my stomach is no longer intact and unable to absorb nutrients as efficiently.

Fasting changes the foods that I crave. While sure, that commercial for Jack in the Box's meal looked pretty good, what I really want to eat are fruits, veggies, whole grains, fish, chicken, and other delicious and nutritious foods. I don't want sodas, ice cream, cake, donuts, etc. I'm sure I'll indulge when I want to, but my mindset and cravings are on a different track, and it was absolutely painless to change my eating desires. I had no thought about it, it just was. For someone who had GB, they still want the same foods they indulged in, they have to learn to like the new, healthier diet they're supposed to be eating, but it will be harder for them to break the junk food habit.

I just really wish these people who are in pain and suffering with their immense weight had someone to turn to, somewhere to go to have someone there to offer an alternative to the drastic means. I think fasting is a valid and successful way to change their lives, and far safer than surgery.

My cousin had GB. And I'll be honest with you here. I don't respect that. While I understand what a big decision it is to have the surgery and all the life changes that come with it. I still can't find respect for someone who couldn't do it "on their own". To have someone cut out your stomach because you can't make a change in your life seems like a cop-out. It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's not your stomach's fault you are fat. It's all in your mind. That's what you need to change.