Gastric Bypass - I dont understand

BflSaberfan

Someone very close to me is in the final stages of having gastric bypass. He is about 100 lbs overweight. 2 years ago he started going to the gym and cutting calories, did really well, started losing weight and was even able to get off insulin. Then he stopped watching what he eats, and started only going the gym maybe 1 time a week. Put all the weight back on and then some.

He has to lose 20lbs before his surgery so this week he is starting cutting carbs (I told him to watch his sugar and count calories but he wont listen)

He mentions his surgery every time I see him, I know he is excited but it's hard for me to get excited for him for 2 reasons 1. I know recovery will be hard and don't want to see anyone go through that and 2. It seems to me if he can lose 20lbs now before the surgery, and was able to before - the surgery is not needed....I mean why not just continue to cut calories and go to the gym?

I don't get it. Why is major surgery "easier"?? It's his decision and I will support him during recovery but I dont want to ask him why he thinks it's easier so figured I'd come here to try and figure it out.

Also why do doctors think if these people cant control their eating now they will be able to after the surgery? If they cant what difference does it make anyways? Isn't the surgery a risk with no benefit then? I know 3 people that have had the surgery and alll of them put weight back on within 3 years.

butterflyluv1218

I've wondered that myself. I have a friend who had to lose 60 lbs to be able to get the surgery. She did. Why not just continue what you're doing? I personally would be terrified of being put under but to each his own I guess.

JessicaPasieka

I think weight loss surgery of any kind is only a temporary fix for Most people. Having surgery will Not and Does not teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle and how to maintain that lifestyle once you come from under the knife. In my Personal opinion, I think it's the easy way out for a lot of people. But they are too lazy to do what it takes to keep it up afterwards.

ldrosophila

Youre friend is in for a long and painful journey. I hope he gets his addiction managed before it kills him.

alvalaurie

Even this type of surgery requires a lifestyle change in order to be sucessful. We can only hope that his Doctor has informed of this and that he has made up his mind to do what it takes to make it work. All you can do is be there to support him, no matter which way he chooses to lose the weight. Either way, it takes work and dedication!

BflSaberfan

Youre friend is in for a long and painful journey. I hope he gets his addiction managed before it kills him.

This is my stepfather, both of his parents and his sister died in their 50's (all diabetic and morbidly obese) He is 56 and has already had 3 stents put in, has diabetes, and has been overweight for as long as I've known him. Surgery will not help him with his food addiction.

This is the same man that quit smoking cold turkey - the will power is there. I dont get it.

Jennloella

I personally know 3 people that have had the surgery, and all of them have kept the weight off for 3, 5, and 6 years respectively, the one that has kept it off five years has also done it through having two children. I think it depends on the person, the reasons they are doing it, and how committed they are. I've never had to go through it myself - I guess all you can do is be there for him no matter what, usually with matters such as this friends won't listen to us anyway.

cherryd69

I did contemplate a gastric bypass a couple of years ago, good thing was, at the time i was out of work and wouldnt have the money to do it privately, also couldnt get it funded by NHS as i hadnt hit their target bmi.

Im now glad i couldnt, after reading so many failed attempts at weight loss this way and the fact that even though you lose weight faster than normal... theres nothing to help that excess skin you end up carrying around.

I have enough excess skin as it is through being overweight and having c-sections (and doing bugger all exercise) i dont need anymore adding to it.

I think for some it is down to it being easier, before i get jumped on about this... i dont mean it in an offensive way. Iv had 2 c-sections recovery after that is hard enough. Its seen as a magical cure for being over weight and i dont think some people actually think about the fact that for a while your living on pureed things, that you still have to monitor what your eating. Even after the recovery if you dont eat properly..... you will gain it all back.

true life story, woman died after having a gastric bypass. She didnt puree down the chicken properly and it got stuck.

strongmindstrongbody

I was curious about this myself. Weight loss surgery seems so drastic. But from what I read, it sounds like the surgery cuts out a lot of hunger. I could see doing the surgery for that reason alone. It'd make dieting a whole lot easier, wouldn't it? But then I stop to think, why am I hungry? It's because I too often choose more calorie dense foods over low calorie fruits and vegetables. Seems like changing my diet is what's really needed, not the surgery. At least from an outsider's point-of-view.

Patty19550711

Perhaps I can help with this. I had Gastric Bypass 2 yers ago. Have lost 90 pounds and am still losing - although much more slowly now. IF people have a bariatric surgeon who is worth his (or her) salt, they will have made sure that not only is the patient physically ready for surgery, but mentally and emotionally as well. I was required to have a phychological exam as well as meetins with a great nutritionist before surgery. Before surgery I had diabetes (type2), hight blood pressure, high cholesterol and suffered from sleep apnea. I am happy to report that I have none of these co-morbidities now. Weight loss surgery isn't the easy way out a lot of people think it is. YES, it does help you lose weight quickly. BUT - after the initial drop in weight, you have to do the work yourself. Sometimes it takes that initial weight loss to help you continue. PLUS, even though I am 2 years out, I am still not able to eat the way I did pre-surgery. On the rare ocasion I try to 'push it" and eat something I shouldn't or more than I should, I get a reminder in the way of nausea, vomiting, sweating (just like having the flu). SO - weight loss surgery isn't for everyone, but it does work for people who take it seriously, lose the initial weight and co-morbidities with that help, and then CONTINUE to lead a healthy life style.
I hope this helps you understand why some people feel they must have surgical intervention. I guess it would be wonderful if everyone was born with the motivation and knowledge it takes to maintain a healthy life style, but the fact it that most of us were not.

briabner

I really think that people should have to work with a dietician as well as a therpist that specializes in over eating before being considered for the surgery. The surgery is just a quick fix but many times nobody addresses the issues as to why they are at the weight they are in the first place.

ecmorales

We think alike. However, I believe for people who have chronic weight issues, myself included, we want to believe there's a magic bullet, an easy answer. I had this same debate with my sister for years who wanted the surgery and finally got the surgery. She lost over 100 lbs and I was still overweight. I decided I should put my words into action if I thought losing weight without the surgery was so easy and it actually has been. BUT, I'm 51 years old and it took me 30 years of dieting before I finally figured it out -- the figuring it out part is hard, the execution is the easy part. The media is filled with so much conflicting information and 'lost 15 lbs quick' and 'drop 2 dress sizes in 30 days -- Nonsense. your friend, my sister and me have a very different and fundamental problem with not knowing how to eat. That sounds ridiculous in a country of such well-educated people generally surrouding by an abundance of healthy food options.

BUT, even doctors give bad advice - in my opinion the worst being to go to some commercial weight loss program that still keeps the person in the dark about the fundamental mechanics of weight management....it takes so many calories to power the body for a day, eat more than that and you gain weight. if we are gaining weight, weare eating more than weneed -- we can deny it all we want, leave food items off our food journals, even hide it from ourselves. But, it's basic math. Sometimes I feel lke an idiot for not getting it sooner, but I get it now and I share it with anyone who is interested.

The folks who put the wait back on, they didn't get the simple message. There is no magic bullet, and routinely eating more than our allotted calorie intake for the day will only yield one result. Maybe you can plug your friends into MFP?

fit4lifeUcan2

I know of 3 people who had this done. Only one has stuck with healthy eating and exercise and has not only lost all of the weight she needed to lose but has kept it off for over a year now. The other 2 regained all of the weight they lost and then some.
Its supposed to be used as a tool in conjunction with eating healthy and exercise. Some get the continued therapy they need to continue their weight loss and others unfortunately do not. I think they go into it with the right intentions but then some give up.

Personally I wouldn't want to go through surgery to do something that I can do on my own. If you're at the point where you either get the surgery or die then I say go for it. By all means get the surgery to save your life. I'm seeing more and more gastric bypass surgery being done on people who are not at that life or death point. But to each their own. Its certainly NOT the easy way out. There are a lot of problems that can come along with this surgery. Hopefully people getting it done realize that.

caribear1984

In a way I agree with you, but I wanted to comment on the quitting smoking thing. I quit cold turkey too. It was hard, but it got easier because I didn't have to keep exposing myself to cigarettes. Food is different because you HAVE to eat every day, which makes it easier to slide back into old habits. It is a constant battle, not something that you can just get over. Just my two cents.

BflSaberfan

In a way I agree with you, but I wanted to comment on the quitting smoking thing. I quit cold turkey too. It was hard, but it got easier because I didn't have to keep exposing myself to cigarettes. Food is different because you HAVE to eat every day, which makes it easier to slide back into old habits. It is a constant battle, not something that you can just get over. Just my two cents.

I hadn't thought about that, that is a good point.

Patty19550711

It is not - I repeat - not the easy way out. We who have had the surgery and are successful know that even with the help in the beginning, we have to do this on our own. No one can eat for us, not can they exercise for us. It's just that the initial weight loss of 90 pounds, along with guidance from a good nutritionist and phychologist specializing in weght management, was a huge help in keeping the healthy eating and exercise going. I am more healthy now than I have been in my whole adult life. THAT makes me want to keep up with the eating plan and exercise.

BflSaberfan

It is not - I repeat - not the easy way out. We who have had the surgery and are successful know that even with the help in the beginning, we have to do this on our own. No one can eat for us, not can they exercise for us. It's just that the initial weight loss of 90 pounds, along with guidance from a good nutritionist and phychologist specializing in weght management, was a huge help in keeping the healthy eating and exercise going. I am more healthy now than I have been in my whole adult life. THAT makes me want to keep up with the eating plan and exercise.

I know it's not the easy way out, its the hardest way out - why not just continue to do it on your own?

Patty19550711

O-o-ps. Sent before I was finished. My brother died at age 54. Way, way, way too young. After going through his illnesses with him and seeing he was doing nothing about them, I decided I would do whatever it took to not put my dear husband and family through the pain and sorrow my brother put us through. He had no idea of the hole it would leave in this family when he died. So, after trying on my own for several years and not succeeding, I decided to get professional help. Gastric bypass gave me back my healthy life, and continues to help me each day make better decisions about food and exercise. I will say that this is not for everyone. It's a tough road to follow, but if you follow your surgeon's and nutritionist's guidelines, you can be very successful. 'Nuff said....

rumplesnat

In a way I agree with you, but I wanted to comment on the quitting smoking thing. I quit cold turkey too. It was hard, but it got easier because I didn't have to keep exposing myself to cigarettes. Food is different because you HAVE to eat every day, which makes it easier to slide back into old habits. It is a constant battle, not something that you can just get over. Just my two cents.

Exactly. I know how to lose weight. I know how to count calories and exercise. I never felt full unless I overstuffed myself to "Thanksgiving full". I could lose weight, but I couldn't keep it off.

While some people think WLS is the easy way out, it's not. I've had my entire digestive tract rerouted. I will take vitamin supplement for the rest of my life. I had to go through 6 months of weight and diet documentation, supervised by my doctor, surgeon and insurance company. I had EKGs, sleep studies, GI scopes, etc. Co-pays were a financial nightmare....plus, my husband had the same surgery a month after I did. I will have to get my blood work checked multiple times a year forever to ensure I am getting the nutrients I need. Totally not easy, but for *me*, it was necessary and well worth it.

WLS is not the answer for everyone. If you don't change your habits (addiction), the weight will come back on.

I don't get sick from sugary foods like a lot of people do. I can eat a lot now. Smaller quantities at a time, but I can eat again within 20 minutes.

I have been successful and doubled the typical weight loss in the time since my surgery because I have changed and I've busted my *kitten*. I track all of my food. I exercise daily. I make better food choices. Weight loss surgery helped me know what it feels like to feel full. I have done the rest of the work and will continue to kick *kitten* because I am finally in control.

I am a food addict, and it's taken me years to wrap my head around recovery. If you aren't ready to make the changes for a lifetime, WLS isn't going to fix the problem.

jmwolffyy

I can speak from the viewpoint of someone who used to think surgery was the "easy fix" and now has actually gone that route to weight loss. I was nearly 200lbs overweight, and although I had not been diagnosed with any of the typical obesity health issues, I was feeling them catching up with me. I joined a contest that included gym membership and I did not have the physical ability to do many of the things that the group was doing. I modified and I did as much as I could, and I could not see the changes. Yes I lost weight, but I didn't feel like it was getting any easier to exercise. As a matter of fact, over a 6 week period, it seemed to get harder! I started a different job, where the surgery was a covered service under my insurance and I began to ask questions. I had a coworker who had just had surgery done a couple of months previously, and my boss was a 7 year veteran. Both were eating SO much healthier than I was and I just couldn't figure out how to change my habits. I finally decided that the surgery as a tool would be the way I could wrap my head around the changes in my lifestyle I needed to make.
Honestly, when I woke after surgery, I saw a pizza commercial and I was dying of hunger for that pizza. I immediately realized that the biggest issue was going to be the mental change. I have learned since surgery that while I have always tended to eat relatively healthy foods, I have succumbed to the societal pressure of portion size. I have learned that I can eat very tiny pieces of the "bad" foods (i.e. 2 bites of a Nestle Toll House cookie), and feel completely satisfied. We spend YEARS teaching ourselves that certain feelings mean we are hungry, and it is very hard to unlearn that! I needed to be forced into not being able to eat large portions and into learning what hungry really feels like, as compared to thirst or boredom. I feel very confident now that I have made amazing strides in learning these things, and I am working hard on teaching my children before they ever have to face a decision such as "surgery or not."
With all that said, I fear for the journey your stepfather is on. My surgeon's office will not allow just anyone to choose surgery. There are many criteria that must be met before they will even submit it for approval to insurance, and then they deny about 1/3 of the applications as well. Being 100 lbs overweight would be very unlikely at our office to qualify. They also require at least 2 meetings with their psychologist, who assesses the individual for their understanding that they are ultimately responsible for their own health/weight. The surgery is not the answer. It is only a tool, and as with any tool, it can be used appropriately or it can be done wrong. I hope for his sake, as well as those of you who are going to be his support system, that all of these things are brought to his attention and he realizes how much he must put into it himself, even after the surgery!

rumplesnat

I really think that people should have to work with a dietician as well as a therpist that specializes in over eating before being considered for the surgery. The surgery is just a quick fix but many times nobody addresses the issues as to why they are at the weight they are in the first place.

It is required by many insurance companies pre-op. It's not an easy process to have weight loss surgery. There is a lot of hoop jumping just to get approved for the surgery and for my husband and I, meeting with a therapist and nutritionist was required.

Also, I want to get kinda pissy and *****y/defensive about your comment about "why THEY are at the weight they are in the first place", but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and not take it as a snarky comment. There is an ugly stigma attached to those of us who have had WLS from some folks and I have mad bat-**** crazy ninja skills that come out when I feel like I'm being looked down on or judged for my decision.