The Only Option?

I watched Friday's 20/20 yesterday afternoon (helpfully taped by DH). The lead story was about a whole family and several of their friends who had been morbidly obese and after one got gastric bypass surgery the others all did. In total, something like 8 people had lost around 900 pounds.

The front runner was a now lovely lady who had weighed something over 300 pounds and is down to 139. She recounted her many efforts, when she lost and when she gained it back. Surgery, she said, was her last hope. In fact the doctor said that for most of his clients it is really the only option.

So how do you know when you are at that point? How do you know when nothing you do is going to work long term for you? By medical standards I am morbidly obese. I want and need to lose weight. I have done so several times and even done fairly well, but I gain it back with interest each time.

I realized watching that show that I would have to eat the cup (or so) of food they consider a meal in order to lose weight like they do. A finger sandwich is plenty for lunch with a tiny salad and a couple cubes of fruit.

I've never before been the sort of person for whom a cup of yougurt seemed like a meal, but that's how these folks eat to lose and keep it off. Their advantage is that they are physically unable to eat too much.

What I've got to figure out is how in the heck do you reprogram yourself to eat like that. Is major surgery the only way? Pondering (and ponderous).

TTFN.