The Failure of Self-Mutilation

A couple of years ago, two women at work had gastric bypass surgery.

One is a very, very heavy woman who looks like an "ideal" candidate for the surgery. It too her a couple of years, though, before she found a doctor to agree to operate on her. She was very careful with her diet after surgery, and lost a lot of weight. As it turns out, she was too careful and ate too little. Her metabolism shut down, and she stopped losing weight no matter how little she ate. Today, she eats as much as she did before the surgery, and has regained everything she lost. She just joined WeightWatchers - again.

The other woman was stocky, but not especially fat by contemporary standards. She had to do a lot of doctor shopping and travel many, many miles before she found one who would agree to give her the surgery. She also lost weight, and became quite slender. She works in the field, and isn't in the office a lot. Today, I saw her for the first time in a while. She is regaining the weight she lost.

It is amazing how well the body can remember a former state, and how easily we return to it. There is only one foolproof way to be slender, and that is to not gain weight in the first place. It is so difficult, and so simple - just eat enough, and move more.

Comments

  1. MarianneApril 13, 2008 at 11:14 AM

    Ah, or there's another solution too - try to be happy and maximize the health of the body you are in. I am quite "fluffy" (LOL) and to tell you the truth, its just about the least of my health issues. I try to do the best I can and try to have a good self image. Thank god my hubby loves me the way I am. Yay for great guys who like something to hold onto. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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