I just found this article written by a weight loss surgery patient.
It's a MUST read.
It's called, "I Once Was Obese and Now I’m Not. Please Don’t Applaud Me For Losing the Weight" by Shannon Chamberlain.
Shannon has a blog too. It's called, "Do Fat People Have Souls?"
Go check out the article and let me know what YOU think.
It's a MUST read.
It's called, "I Once Was Obese and Now I’m Not. Please Don’t Applaud Me For Losing the Weight" by Shannon Chamberlain.
Shannon has a blog too. It's called, "Do Fat People Have Souls?"
Go check out the article and let me know what YOU think.
Full disclosure - I read the article and glossed over some of the more recent blog posts. My first impression is that she seems like a pretty angry lady. I get not using weight loss surgery to meet arbitrary societal norms, but she seems really pissed. I can't quite figure who she is more angry at herself or our society that hates fat. Like I said-- I haven't read every post word for so I may be way off on my initial impression. I think we have all struggled with reconciling the social implications of our weight loss. I could analyze her all day but, she just seems angry. Also, in the short amount of posts I read I found no inspiration or even admiration. Honestly, when I was done reading her article and posts, it made me feel like I should feel bad about my WLS.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you. The article is irksome for a number of reasons and I will not click on the blog. The author's insistence that "no one" knows anything about weight loss and her sad, "Well, I have to starve myself and be unhappy even to just be a size 12 which is still on the fat side of normal" is pretty pathetic. The whole piece is about people who are "still fat" after years of VLC dieting and veers on HAES with anecdotal examples. I think it's a discombulated, defensive bit of self-loathing that maybe she should have discussed with her therapist rather than published. Not impressed.
DeleteLove the article, love her blog. Thanks for the "hook up" ;)
ReplyDeleteSad sack...not worth my time. Why is she spending so much of her time comparing herself to others? I want to shake her and tell her there IS joy in this journey, if you let there be. Thanks for sharing this, though. It has helped me get over myself during bandster hell.
ReplyDeletewhat...your not going to let us know what you thought?
ReplyDeleteOops! I forgot that part. I think that some people think that losing weight will solve all their lifes problems and then they lose the weight and all their problems are STILL THERE. In my opinion, this is the Shannon's (the author) main issue. But that's just a guess... Who knows where all that anger comes from?
DeleteI thought it was an interesting read...I do think that really we are just learning what and how weight loss can be achieved...I also agree that I don't want to be applauded, even if (or I should say when) get to goal...I still feel like I 'cheated' in some way by having surgery, I understand this is not true, but there is that nagging voice that comes up so often. Anyhow...she does seem a bit sad, a bit angry, but she does bring up some good points as well.
ReplyDeleteWow... I actually enjoyed this article because I relate with her on so many levels. Dealing with weight issues all of my life and seeing family members dying of obesity related illness is also what pushed me to get the band.
ReplyDeleteShe also brought up a point I'm just beginning to notice... I'm almost 2 months out from surgery and down 46 pounds. Last weekend a very good friend was angry over football and made a fat joke at my expense. She never commented on my weight before, but now that I've lost some, it's suddenly acceptable to call me fat in front of a group of people? Very interesting to think about...
That article really hits home for me. It's an unfortunate truth and mental struggle of all, that even with surgery, we have to commit to every day. It gets daunting at times. I can understand and identify with the underlying hostility and frustration in the article.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Tina as well that this journey has a lot of joy to it and that we do this for ourselfs and no one else. We should not compare to other and that the writer does a lot of that. I also feel like tz sometimes about having cheated, then I remember that I would never have gotten this far without it.
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ReplyDeleteHmmmm.....well....first of all...she writes well and she makes some excellent points that I think we can all relate to. On the other hand, I was taken aback by the level of "anger" (can't think of a better word right now). Or, perhaps it was just an over-the-top way of making some points. Not sure. In the end, she has some interesting theories and thoughts. Thank you for sharing it. I have never read HER blog but as soon as I get a chance....I am going to go over there and read it and hope she isn't as "angry" there...
ReplyDeleteOnward!
Judi
P.S. sorry I had to remove this the first time I commented because I made a typo and we can't have that now can we???
I can totally relate to how she feels in this article. I understand her frustration and anger. She did come off a little brash, but underneath I can see she's just beat down (by society and herself) like the rest of us that are or have been overweight. I dont see weight loss surgery being the easy way out but again that's not how people view it in society, especially those that have never had to deal with weight issues. They dont understand you still have to watch what you eat and exercise (if not more than those that are thinner). I have yet to read her blog but hope she doesn't come across as defensive, if not I think it would be a good read.
ReplyDeleteWell to be honest... I think she's a great writer but my mind is shot from a long day at work and her rhetoric went over my head at places so I lost interest. lol
ReplyDeleteI too think that she is a great writer. I didn't quite feel her 'anger' as others have posted, I actually got a greater sense of sarcasm and skepticism which parlays into depression and negativity at times. I agree with some of her points, but personally I tend to have an 'upbeat' (positive) personality, so I tend to disagree with many of her opinions/evaluations. Hey, we're all entitled to our opinions and I enjoy reading differing views, so thanks for pointing out this article and blog.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this article. I didn't see anger so much as a resignation that no one REALLY knows how to get the weight off. Not all the pills, programs, WW, JC or 100s of book authors. Why are we considered "good" if we get weight off and "bad" if we have weight on. I see her resigned to the fact that she and the rest of us will consistently have to work for this for the rest of our lives. As you so often say LBG, there is no "finish line". It's just another phase of the journey and we keep going.
ReplyDelete