What’s Eating Weight Watchers, Part 3

Several months after I had lap band weight loss surgery, I realized that I needed to relearn how to eat. I was losing the suggested – or should I say hoped for – 1 to 2 pounds per week; the doctors and I were pleased. The best part of the surgery was that it eliminated hunger.

Though I could literally eat anything I wanted to because the band reduced my stomach’s ability to manage volume, and as a result I couldn’t overeat. Ironically, chips and ice cream went down easily, as did alcohol. It did help to remember that our parents said, “slow down, chew your food and don’t talk while you are eating!”

Scrambled eggs, hamburgers and shrimp/lobster were a challenge. Apples digested more easily than pears, and bread expanded, causing great distress.

I took myself to a local WW meeting led by a pleasant woman. However, after the presentation portion of the general meeting was over, I asked a few questions about the program and was told to read the booklet or visit the site. I was accustomed to a leader spending time with new members reviewing the plan. That was what I believe distinguished other programs from WW and made it so successful.

If successful weight loss and maintenance depended upon reading materials, we would not be such an obese society. 

I maintained my post-surgical weight loss for 10 years. When I hit 65, I slowly added a little weight, and while I’d like to tell you I behaved perfectly, menopause and aging didn’t help. I could have “fills,” which is when the amount of fluid in the band is adjusted to control the flow of food to the stomach. While I did have a few fills here and there, it contributed to acid reflux, and I decided I wasn’t designed to be a skinny girl. Self-acceptance was the best, as I was so much better off than I had ever been in many ways not limited to body type.

As I age, I would love to have a WW lecturer from the old days when the “coaching” was invaluable.