Practicing Being Brave Part II

Damn right!

I revisited my blog today. My last post was in March of 2017 when Georgie went to puppy boot camp. It was entitled "Practicing Being Brave."

So this is part 2.

I am resurrecting the blog. And I am resurrecting my weight loss journey too. In a super charged way, I hope. I have decided to have bariatric surgery, more specifically, a surgery called "duodenal switch." I have been working on this with my doctor for over a year. My surgery date is July 11th.

I have friends that have had this surgery and have been very private about it, only telling their family. I didn't understand the need to keep it private, but I do now.

I am a "shout it from the mountain top" kind of person. I try to be as open as I can, hoping that it makes others feel comfortable. I have several friends that used the same bariatric program I am using. As I shared the process with my close friends and family, I have gotten all the support in the world. For the most part...

However, this process is raw and brings up emotions and feelings that have been long buried under overeating. So the criticism with the process hurt that much worse. I had a friend refer to it as "elective surgery" and that just sent me into a dark place.

Was it my poor eating choices alone that got me to this point? No, but it certainly contributed. And if I could lose the weight and keep it off on my own, I would have. I got to this weight on my own, but I can't get to my goal weight on my own. I have tried and failed many times. I am choosing medical intervention as a tool to help me reach my goals and be healthy now so I don't become even unhealthier later. This is not a nose job, it's been a process for over a year. This will change the way I eat the rest of my life. I will be on a strict vitamin regimen forever. This is not going to be easy. That's how I know it's going to work.

For those of us who struggle with our weight, let me remind you: naturally thin people do not get it. But it's not their fault. They will say things that feel wildly disrespectful and hurtful. We still need to let them love us and care about our struggles. And for those of you that don't struggle with your weight, let me remind you: go easy. Choose to be kind and choose your words carefully, because your words matter. That's a good life lesson for all of us.

So, I will keep practicing being brave. And I am excited about what's next.