UGH....never telling a stranger again!

[jencomenz 3]

So after thinking about it for months, and putting it off, I decided to join Curves (again) and got the support from my surgeon and even a WLS coupon for the sign up fee. This time I chose a location close to my work. The plan is to go on my lunch hour. This will a) keep me from feeling rushed after work and/or coming up with reasons I can't go c) keep me from eating out during lunch and d) keep me from, ahem, shopping too much during lunch. Seemed like a win win win win situation.

I make my sign up appointment, walk in excited, and proceed to fill out the paperwork. One of my questions was if I would need a doctor's note to pause my membership during my first month post op. Well, I should have never said ANYTHING!

The owner(?) proceeded to tell me that she did not support WLS and was going to talk me out of it. Kept saying things like "they are going to cut on you" and "that's just not natural" and "can't you just eat less" and, wait for it, "that's easy way out"!!!! It was all I could do to not get up and walk out of there. She even proceeded to tell me that her overweight son was signed up to have the surgery and she talked him out of it! Seriously?

I got some digs in. Told her the statistics of perminant weight loss with surgery vs. without. Told her that being overweight just "is not natural" either. Told her that anyone that thinks this is the easy way out isn't educatated about the process. And I also told her that she should be ashamed of not supporting her son, that it isn't an overnight decision and it took a lot of courage for him to a) come to that decision and c) confide in her for support.

She said he could lose weight other ways. I said has he? She said no. I said well those other ways aren't exactly working then are they.

I thought about not going back there. But I need this. I need to incorporate regular exercise into my routine.

I think it was good in a way. This surely won't be the last person I come into contact with that disagrees with my decision. And I feel like I held my own and knew the facts and answered back in an educatated and confident way.

I'm just really hoping come July that I prove her wrong!

Anyways the whole point of my rant is.....Isn't Curves for Women supposed to be one of the places that WLS doctors recommend? Maybe the employees need to take some information and/or sensitivity classes!

[NJMOMof2 17]

That lady is just OVER-opinionated and rude. Just thank God you are not her child and feel bad for her son, whose own mother doesn't support his decision to get healthy!!!!!

[FatToPhat 83]

Good for you for giving her an education!

[juliarh 35]

I think you put her in her place! Well done!

[Lots Of Hope 4]

Let me at her!!!

[TexasT 99]

You had a very wonderful and thoughtful response and showed a lot of poise in the situation. I probably would have told her where to put it and just walked out. Now you have the upper hand. Just start working out there, losing weight with the help of the VSG, and shrink before her eyes. Maybe you can be an exaxmple for her and she'll change her mind about her son. That would also be a win-win! Good luck!

[iegal 460]

Since when is surgery the "easy way out?" If I was only 5 lbs overweight and decided on surgery, I can understand her voiced concern. Did not wake up one morning and say "Hey, permanet alteration sounds good" and drive off to surgeons to get sleeved, as one does when ordering take out lunch. What sounds good...hmmm. Now screaming into an order board...."One sleeve please, no leaks." The presleeved me might have sat on her, where as you were much more controlled.

WLS is not for the faint of heart. This is forced commitment since one may never have regrowth of a whole stomach. Ignorance in one who is professing to be a health professional is tragic.

[swizzly 901]

Since when is surgery the "easy way out?"

I never try to convince people it's not easy -- for several reasons, not least of which is because I have personally found it to be ludicrously easy.

My questions back to these non-thinking 'easy way out'-ers always involve inquiring how much smarter might it be to do that which is both more effective and easier? Is there some particular virtue about doing something the "hard way"?? Good lord, doing things that are clever in terms of outcome and effort is why humans don't live in effing caves anymore. Do people say OMG YOU TOOK THE EASY WAY OUT when you, e.g., choose to send an email instead of climbing a mountain and building a fire with flint and steel and then sending smoke signals??

There is also an underlying inseparable value judgment in the whole 'easy way out' thing -- to wit, "you're a big fat old fatty who has no willpower or self-control or discipline and you therefore deserve to be punished via ineffective starvation diets and weight regain overandoverandoveragain."

To that judgment I say: Piss right off. Go pound sand. At the end of the day, I have clearly chosen the smarter alternative. They can all suck it.

Right. I'm in a bit of a mood today. I am ranting (is this the rant section?), so I hope no one takes it personally. I could also rant about Curves in general, but I will spare everyone my precious opinions.

[jencomenz 3]

Thanks so much for your support! I white knuckled it all the way home and ran to my computer to tell my sleeve family.

One thing I forgot is that she kept saying "you're too young". Well thank GOD I'm only 32! Does she want me to spend another 20 years in misery and then do this?

@swizzly I LOVE your angle on this!

[Rootman 1,101]

I have a question, "What IS natural?", I mean the woman at the Curves place brought it up. Let's see we all eat a ton of PROCESSED FOODS, that's not natural. We stuff ourselves with high caloric foods that don't even exist in nature - which is of course not natural. We sit around in climate controlled buildings which is not natural. We don't walk much but instead get around in another climate controlled box called a car, which is not natural either. We join "clubs" and pay for the privilege of exercising to lose weight - which again is not natural. Let's face it we as a species have done very little that is "natural" for a long, long time.

Just forget her, she is an asshat. You did well by not hauling off and whopping her upside the head - which, by the way, WOULD be natural in my book.

[BajaMedGroup 6]

This just shows you how uninformed or egotistical people are. It took A LOT of courage for you to go down the road you chose. Elective surgery is not for everybody. Plus, as you all know the surgery alone will not get you to your goal. It takes much will power and determination.

Shrug it off...expect more of these individuals whenever you mention what you did. Keep your chin up!!

[Megan 0]

Wow, ignorant and not such a great business woman berating customers. Real smart. Sorry she got all in your face, sounds like you got a lot in though, not that she seems to be the type of person to listen!

[klus263 9]

I had joined curves for a year. Went faithly 2-3 times a week. Guess how much weight Iost...Nada, zip, not a freaking pound. I watched what I ate and just could not lose weight. I also tried weight watchers and lost on 7 lbs. For me, weight loss surgery was the only option for me. This was not the easy way out. It is a tool as anything else but a tool that has helped me to be successful. So far I have been lucky and have not come across anyone negative to me regarding surgery. Hang in there and you can do it. You handled this person in a dignified manner, I don't think I would have been as gracious as you were.

[Saved By The Sleeve 22]

YOU BETTER SAY IT ROOTMAN. YOU REALLY SAID A GOOD MOUTHFUL THEN AND SAID IT VERY WELL! LOL

I have a question, "What IS natural?", I mean the woman at the Curves place brought it up. Let's see we all eat a ton of PROCESSED FOODS, that's not natural. We stuff ourselves with high caloric foods that don't even exist in nature - which is of course not natural. We sit around in climate controlled buildings which is not natural. We don't walk much but instead get around in another climate controlled box called a car, which is not natural either. We join "clubs" and pay for the privilege of exercising to lose weight - which again is not natural. Let's face it we as a species have done very little that is "natural" for a long, long time.

Just forget her, she is an asshat. You did well by not hauling off and whopping her upside the head - which, by the way, WOULD be natural in my book.

[wishes 125]

Wow, go you. I don't think I could have calmly spoken with her.