my last resort: liposuction?!

shadowlydarkness

Hey guys,

Before you judge me, read my story below, i need some honest and helpfull feedback...

I have got a back injury, 2 slipped discs in my spine, its incredibly painfull all the time but the doctors refuse to operate as the risk of operating the spine is to high. The problem is that the pain makes it impossible to do the exercise i need to do to lose the weight, and the weight is making my back worse. I try to eat healthy but its not enough without excersise.

I have been laying in bed for 2 days, unable to walk properly.... my partner saw how much pain i was in and he was unable to help me cause of my weight, he said he now understands why i want liposuction, not to become thin but to lose enough weight for my backpain to stop crippling my life....

I want to know if you guys think i should do it and what your own experiences and thoughts are regarding this.

I dont want to be skinny, i just want for my back to stop hurting so that i can life a normal life.

hamoncan

I don't think you have any choice but to get your food intake in line with where you want to be otherwise it would seem to be inevitable you will gain the weight back anyways.

shadowlydarkness

Thanks guys, i havent made a decision yet, just doing research and getting feedback. I have been on diet and do stick with my calorie goal but its not working...

redfisher1974

Then you are taking in too many cals if its not working.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

How long have you been on MFP and sticking to a calorie goal? I know you feel desperate right now but surgery and medical procedures should be a last resort. You want to avoid it if you can.

There are plenty of people on MFP who have lost significant amounts of weight with calorie counting and zero exercise. I know your situation is unique, but I think you would find a lot of support here from people with physical limitations who have succeeded with diet alone. Don't give up yet.

scottkjar

I read up on lipo a couple of years ago, and most everything I read said that while it can sculpt your body, it does not really take more than a couple of pounds off. Lipo is more about your shape than about your weight. You should check up on that, because it might have an impact on your decision.

PikaKnight

redfisher1974 wrote: »

Then you are taking in too many cals if its not working.

^This.

Also, liposuction isn't an automatic success deal. The sustainability of it is zero if you don't know how to deal with your intake. I understand about back issues, but even getting liposuction might not be possible because some doctors may require you to still lose some weight or take your health into account as a risk.

tracie_minus100

If you are unable to lose weight without exercising, you need to lower your calorie intake.
You can absolutely lose weight without exercise.
I don't know a whole lot about liposuction. But I do know it's a surgery that comes with risks and that is not something to be taken lightly.

RinnyLush

I have a back injury as well (although it is not nearly as bad as yours - slipped discs, yikes!) and the pain was terrible when I was at my heaviest. I was being prescribed codeine just to get through sitting still on an airplane for a 2 hour flight. My doctor suggested that I start off really slowly with an extremely low impact exercise like swimming and work my way up. I also registered for a senior's strength training class, which was a huge help. I felt a little silly being decades younger than everyone, but it is what my body needed at the time. Very gentle and gradual strengthening of my core and legs. Eventually I could use the elliptical, walk, or even ride a bike.

Fast-forward a few years (and 80 lbs later) and I am now an avid runner and hot yoga attendee. My back still bothers me after a bad sleep or if I don't stretch properly following a run, but those moments are few and far between as long as I stay active and keep my weight down.

Best of luck to you - you can do it! And remember, in the end, the choice is yours. It's your body.

astrampe

pinklotus_56 wrote: »

If you are unable to lose weight without exercising, you need to lower your calorie intake.
You can absolutely lose weight without exercise.
I don't know a whole lot about liposuction. But I do know it's a surgery that comes with risks and that is not something to be taken lightly.

This...

shadowlydarkness

Im on 1460 cals a day as per mfp recommendations, granted i dont stick with it everyday, but i have had periods where i lost heaps of weight, but once i stop exercise it piles back on. Im on codine and several other pain meds.

Im not giving up yet, thanks for the feedback and support

jgnatca

There is another surgical option: Gastric Bypass or something similar. It is also a radical surgery but it will help you lose a significant amount of weight. You won't be off the hook for lifestyle changes afterwards, however.

I have lost eighty pounds with the surgery and lifestyle changes (40 lbs before surgery) and I have another thirty to go.

I will be eligible for some plastic surgery once I am at a stable, lower weight.

THAT is when you might consider liposuction or something similar; when you are at a stable weight. Your improved lifestyle also means you will have the background muscle to support the trimmed-up you. Not to mention strengthened core muscles to support your poor back.

jgnatca

Look at this guy's muscles under his excess skin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpKDteQ3FIQ

jgnatca

I should mention a year ago my mobility was seriously compromised though I was lucky that I wasn't in more pain. I had heel spurs (plantar fasciitis) in both feet. My knees crackled, and my hips were sore. And I kept falling down. On the ice. I had bursitis in one knee from a bad fall.

Once the first twenty pounds came off, my mobility improved quite a bit. I started to exercise a little bit, and then a bit more.

I would not have believed how far I have come just one year later.

shadowlydarkness

I know someone who has had a gastric bypass but the limitations on his food choices afterwards i know i cant do, i cant give up certain things forever, so i know thats not an option. I am looking at the different types of liposuction and seeing if its worth it.

jnv7594

redfisher1974 wrote: »

Then you are taking in too many cals if its not working.

I agree with this. You don't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. I didn't start exercising until I lost a considerable amount of weight. It's more about calories in/out. If you're not losing, it likely means you're eating more calories than you think you are. But while exercise is preferable along with a healthy diet for overall better health, it's not mandatory to lose weight.

raysputin

You don't need to exercise to lose weight. Get your calories below expenditure and you MUST lose weight. If your exercise expenditure is small; eat less. Arithmetic does not lie!

I had trouble losing even though I had the theory down pat. My problem was that I was operating in a factual vacuum and was actually eating more that my estimation. As soon as I started weighing and recording everything that I ate or drank so that I had facts at my disposal, I started losing successfully.

jgnatca

I've been very lucky. About the only things I have trouble with is soft breads and steak. And if I prepare them right I can have them too.

It's awful easy to give up something if you can't tolerate it, LOL!

My new favorite food post-surgery is watermelon.

shadowlydarkness

Thanks guys i will do some research into the things you all have mentioned.

Regarding the calories; i know i probebly eat more than the 1460 that i think i am, i will definitly try to start logging more accuratly again. Your stories about having lost weight without exercise has given me hope again that it might be possible for me to do the same

raysputin

Have you ever seen a doctor doing liposuction? It's brutal! Do you really want someone using a sharpened metal tube to chop up your fat and suck it away even while you are asleep? Not me.

I'll lose my weight by myself thank you.

opalsqueak007

Hello there.
I am sorry to hear about your back injury. I feel that lipo is not the answer for you, in that it does not take much weight off. I had dreadful back pain from November last year due to carrying extremely heavy items at work, and could not climb the stairs unaided, or get out of a chair without help. Doctor said it was a mechanical injury and nothing could be done. I started to lose weight in July this year and since losing 35lb, my back is so much better. Please stick at the calorie counting if you can. Good luck whatever you decide, and don't despair.

Edit: I have done no exercise whatsoever while losing 35lb.

Mistraal1981

About 8 years ago I called a company to ask about lipo costs. The lady asked for my height and weight and when I told her she said I needed to lose x pounds until I weighed y. Y would be the upper weight of the normal bmi category. She said lipo was for shaping, not weight loss

shadowlydarkness

opalsqueak007 wrote: »

Hello there.
I am sorry to hear about your back injury. I feel that lipo is not the answer for you, in that it does not take much weight off. I had dreadful back pain from November last year due to carrying extremely heavy items at work, and could not climb the stairs unaided, or get out of a chair without help. Doctor said it was a mechanical injury and nothing could be done. I started to lose weight in July this year and since losing 35lb, my back is so much better. Please stick at the calorie counting if you can. Good luck whatever you decide, and don't despair.

Edit: I have done no exercise whatsoever while losing 35lb.

Can i ask what kind of things you did to lose weight? I could use some tips cause its obvious what im doing isnt working eventhough i thought i was doing things right.

shadowlydarkness

raysputin wrote: »

Have you ever seen a doctor doing liposuction? It's brutal! Do you really want someone using a sharpened metal tube to chop up your fat and suck it away even while you are asleep? Not me.

I'll lose my weight by myself thank you.

Havent talked to my doctor yet wanted to do my own research first and see what options i come up with.

astrampe

You don't need special tips. Log accurately, weigh everything you put in your mouth, eat enough protein to keep you satisfied for longer, and move as much as your injuries allow you...Just to try and preserve muscle mass and keep your mobility, not to lose weight..

DataSeven

Lipo is not something you can do to lose massive amounts of weight, it's for little imperfections and sculpting. No one would be getting gastric bypasses if they could just have all their fat sucked out.

arrrrjt

Lipo is definitely NOT the option right now when admittedly you are not logging accurately. Try that first for a good few months and report back.

Maquillage_

raysputin wrote: »

Have you ever seen a doctor doing liposuction? It's brutal! Do you really want someone using a sharpened metal tube to chop up your fat and suck it away even while you are asleep? Not me.

I'll lose my weight by myself thank you.

In Ireland lipo is actually done while you're awake in most clinics! You are only sedated, and obviously the area in numbed, but at most you are drowsy and a little confused. You feel most of the pain while it is being done, but because of the sedation you don't really remember it. Not sure where OP is from, but this is a thing to consider. I know I could never go through any sort of surgery while only being sedated. I remember watching a documentary set in the UK and it showed a girl getting lipo done while sedated and the moans coming from her were awful, it obviously hurt a lot!

Anyway, you can easily lose weight without exercise. All of us have done it at some point! I lost my first 25lbs without any form of exercise at all! And even now that I exercise almost every day, it doesn't really aid my weight loss, my calorie limit is what is making me lose weight not exercise. Losing weight is all about calories in/calories out. You can exercise all you want, but if you don't eat at a deficit then you are not going to lose weight, so not being able to exercise is only an excuse as to why you are not losing weight. You need to give up leaning on the excuse of not losing weight because you can't exercise and be strict with yourself and eat within your calorie range. Eat wholesome foods, avoid processed sugars and ready meals, get lots of vegetables, and cut down on snacking if that is a downfall. I strongly suggest purchasing a food scale and a set of measuring cups. Weigh everything that is solid, and use the cups for any liquids. Even weigh packaged food because I can guarantee there is more than 120g of yoghurt in that pot! It may seem obsessive and a chore at first, but the only way to know how much your eating is to actually weigh it all out.

Honestly I don't think you should be at your last resort right now! In a post above you admitted that you haven't been accurate logging your food and that you eat over your limit, so that is why you are not losing weight, not from a lack of exercise. Accurately monitoring your calories will be your last resort because it is what works. Lipo is a quick fix that won't last. If you get lipo you will be back here writing the exact same topic because you put the weight back on, and maybe then you will be considering more drastic surgical options, which should never really be an option unless advised by a GP.

Start logging your food accurately, stick to your calorie goals, and I will put money on the fact that you will lose weight doing this!

opalsqueak007

shadowlydarkness wrote: »

opalsqueak007 wrote: »

Hello there.
I am sorry to hear about your back injury. I feel that lipo is not the answer for you, in that it does not take much weight off. I had dreadful back pain from November last year due to carrying extremely heavy items at work, and could not climb the stairs unaided, or get out of a chair without help. Doctor said it was a mechanical injury and nothing could be done. I started to lose weight in July this year and since losing 35lb, my back is so much better. Please stick at the calorie counting if you can. Good luck whatever you decide, and don't despair.

Edit: I have done no exercise whatsoever while losing 35lb.

Can i ask what kind of things you did to lose weight? I could use some tips cause its obvious what im doing isnt working eventhough i thought i was doing things right.

Hi. Like you, I had a seriously good reason to get the weight off - my health. At 194lb I was clinically obese. In July, I started counting calories and being precise about it, because when I guessed, it didn't work and I didn't lose weight. I weigh things now - it is quick and easy when you get used to it. For example, it was shocking to me how many calories were in a chunk of cheese that I would eat without thinking about it!

To get enough protein, I eat fat free Greek yoghurt, and eggs. I found foods that made me feel full, but were not high in calories. I cut out most refined white carbs like white bread and white dried pasta because I used to eat far too much of them. I cut out biscuits and cake as I needed the calories for nutritious food. Sometimes though, I will have a couple biscuits, but not eat the whole packet like I used to. I make soups sometimes - very easy, good for you and not high calorie. I fry with an oil spray, which is one calorie per spray - this has made a huge difference instead of frying things in loads of oil. I don;t miss the stuff I used to eat - not at all. Good luck. Friend me if I can help you at all

BWBTrish

i was injured badly years ago. So bad that the prognoses were never walking and sporting again.
And on top of my injury i got a double hernia. Which needed an operation and would result in a back that was locked down totally because of the iron pins in it.
2 surgeons and a physiotherapist couldn't believe i walked in the appointment room myself. I decided to NOT have the operation till i would drop down and couldn't walk anymore. But i didn't give up i trained ( walked slowly) and lost 60 pounds over 9 months. And believe it or not after that time i was riding my horses again and was dancing and even teaching dance and body robics again... i didn't give up.

After i gained some weight, about 10 pounds ( it stayed off for a good 20 years) I started to diet again 3 months ago.

Till now i lost 41 pounds in 3 months. I log everything, I am on 1200 calories a day without exercising.
But because i exercise i can have some more:)
I started about 5 weeks ago with walking 0.5 mile in 30 minutes and it was a struggle...But yesterday and today i did 2.4 miles in 45 minutes and 15 minutes of weight lifting.
I worked it up till this level and will continue.

But you can loose weight without the exercising but you have to weigh every piece of food and liquid you take in. EVERYTHING!
And for a non active person the intake is as low as 1200 calories a day.

Everybody is different but the calculator here on MFP will help you. Fill it in honestly. Start weighing your food and log everything. The days that you can walk ....walk.

My experience was that it is getting easier and easier. I got fitter over the weeks of course. And the weight loss has a huge effect too.

Further being on the forum here helps me too. Bunches of sweet people here. Who are supportive and with lots of good advice.

But be brutally honest to yourself is the biggest step to take!
I weigh to much so i have to eat less and more healthy. Plus when i want to get fitter i have to move. Even sticking your arms 50 times up in the air is a start. Next day 60 And next week 100.

My back will never heal, my injured left leg will never heal....but i choose to be healthy as possible can be.
And made it a part of my life style. With result that my back and leg is getting stronger again because i get fitter.

Now for the liposuction part...it wouldn't help me to get were i am now. Fitter, and healthier. Maybe when i manich to loose another 60 pounds i would consider skin removal....but like i said.....maybe!

My goal is as fit as can be and enjoy life!

oh and tips

log and weigh your food and liquid intake
stick to the menu and when you can move!
i also bought a step counter and my goal is 10.000 steps a day. Which i dont hit ....yet. But i get pretty darn close the last week.
i cut out all added salt and sugar Eat fresh veggies, meat, fruit, nuts and some diary and grain products.

that does it for me.

opalsqueak007

The above post from Owlhouse is absolutely spot on!