Something Drastic: Why I Got Weight Loss Surgery

Contrary to popular belief, your fat-shaming did not motivate my weight loss journey. Of course, people gotta make it about them. But this journey was about me. This journey is about me putting myself first. It’s about me taking care of my body. It’s about wanting to live longer. Me being scared to get sick like so many of my family members. So if you want to know why I decided to get Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG Surgery). Grab a seat, a snack, and a Lil tea to sip, and let’s talk y’all. 

Since a young age, doctors labeled me as “overweight”. Of course, I was okay with it until other people started commenting on my body. I was very insecure because I listened to all the negativity that people put on me. It took me until my early twenties to do the work and love myself and appreciate my body. When I say appreciating my body, I mean I was feeling myself!  Honeyyyyy I mean dressing in what I want to wear, putting on two pieces and sexy swimsuits on the beach. I learned to love my beautiful big body. So when people think I lost weight because of me hating my body… WRONG! 

But the problem was I was not taking care of myself. I would work so hard to the point that I was not making sure I was okay. I would eat something fast so I can get to complete my many commitments. When I treated myself after any accomplishments, it was with food. When I was sad, I comforted myself with food. When I was bored, I turned to explore different recipes. So I was putting nothing but junk in my body. 

This journey is my own.

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That’s when I started to gain more and more weight each year; yet, I still embraced my body weight gain. I was more confident in my body than I was in years. Then something changed the whole thought process of my health and my weight. 

My father got sick. We later found out that he had kidney failure and was in the hospital for months. When I first got the news, I thought my whole world shattered around me. Years before that, my father was pre-diabetic and lost weight to help combat that. I was so sure that since he was working on his health years ago, that he would be fine in his future. 

Now, I thought long and hard about my father’s illness and some of my family histories with health issues. I have family members with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, hypertension; the list goes on and on. With all the worries I had with my father, I started to do research on weight loss surgery. 

I knew I needed to start now with my lifestyle change. I had so many times where I would stop and start a weight loss program. I would begin a weight-loss journey and lose 10 lbs, then a month later gain 20. Then create something else, lose 15 lbs, then gain 30 lbs. 

For a few months, I started reflecting on past failed weight loss journeys. After going through it in my head, I decided I needed to do something drastic. I then take my research on weight loss surgery passionately. About two months later, I booked my first appointment at a Bariatric Weight Loss Center. I learned so much about the program and what I needed to do. There were different requirements to complete to have the surgery covered by my insurance. In this series, I will talk more about the surgery. 

This journey is my own. Something that I work towards each day. While it’s very hard, I am determined to unlearn the habits I have had in the past, and it feels damn good. I want to inspire others because I know how hard it is to start and keep going. I struggle with it every day, but my writing is helping me stay motivated.

Please leave a comment below and tell me what you think!