I'm a chicken

I am hesitant to tell anyone about my decision for WLS. In my mind’s ear, I hear all these skinny, physically-fit people rolling their eyes with a look of disgust on their faces, thinking “Oh good grief – just push away from the table, fatty!” (These are the same people I see and hear in my mind saying “That’s disgusting” when they see me, which is why I never want to go anywhere.)


If only dieting were that easy.

There are statistics all over the internet showing that diets don’t work. I know they never have for me.

My earliest recollection of feeling fat was in 6th grade. My first diet attempt was in 9th grade when I was allowed to cook for myself. I remember living off of hot dogs and hamburger patties – the Atkins diet before Dr. Atkins! I was 5’ 6” tall and weighed 132 pounds. As I compared myself to the other girls in gym class, I was FAT. Pitiful, isn’t it?

Between age 14 and today, I have been on and off almost every diet published, including going to Mexico for diet pills (the ones you now hear of on the television asking you to join in the class action lawsuits for the all the health problems they caused). Weightwatchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems, Atkins, South Beach, cabbage soup diet – been there, done that. And I did well! I always lost weight. The sad part was, for every pound I lost, I gained back a pound and a half. Lose 20 pounds , gain back 30. Lose those 30, gain back 45.

According to the National Weight Control Registry, “only a fifth of dieters with a history of obesity sustain a loss of 10% of their body weight for a year or more.”

Luckily for me, I do have one advocate in my court. My dear cousin – the smartest person I’ve ever met – went through WLS of her own years ago. So she not only understands but can offer me real life experience, advice, and a laundry list of questions to ask. Thank you Lord for Denise!

I am especially not looking forward to telling the maternal unit. While I love her to pieces, and I know she loves me and only wants the best for me in all situations, she is, by nature, a negative person. I need positive thinking and support through this process – not doom and gloom or negativity. And so, I will avoid THAT discussion as long as possible. (Yes, I have feathers and a beak! Color me a chicken!!!)

In the beginning...

Welcome to my journey.


I am on a quest – a quest for health. The maternal unit would be thrilled but dubious. Can’t say I blame her – it’s a first in my 52 years on the blue planet. But here I am.

52 years old, 100 pounds overweight, two years out from double bypass surgery, with high LDL, low HLD and on my way to being pre-diabetic (if one believes their physician). I can’t walk my dogs because my excess weight hurts my knees and feet. I get out of breath bending over to change their piddle pads. I’d love to get into showing my wonderful herd of chihuahuas but I’m too embarrassed by how I look to want to do anything in public.

After many years of trial and error, I have discovered what so many others already know – diets don’t work! I can’t afford another diet – everytime I go on a diet and lose any weight, I gain back twice as much as I lost. That’s how I went from 150 to 250 in a little over 10 years.

And so I have joined the ranks of those in search of assistance with this problem – also known as weight loss surgery (WLS).