Weight Loss Surgery for Morbidly Obese
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Weight loss surgery is definitely a viable and useful tool. It is definitely worth considering. There are countless people who have had it done and lost a lot of weight (and kept it off). Anybody who is morbidly obese needs to consider all the tools available when devising a plan to try to lose weight.
Anybody who thinks it's a "loser way out" or that it's "cheating" does NOT know what they're talking about.
Back in December 2010, I went to an informational seminar on lap-band surgery. The following April, I went to see the doctor who did the seminar. He wanted me to lose 90 pounds prior to surgery. They've found that getting people to a certain BMI prior to surgery somehow aids in the success of it all. They set me up with a bariatric nutritionist who I met with once a month, and a therapist. They definitely knew what they were doing because I lost 90 pounds in about a year.
I ended up not getting the lap-band because I was doing so well at that time. I had gotten up to 115 pounds lost on my own, then had skin removal surgery (another 26 pounds). Then "life" hit me pretty hard. Now I'm sitting at about 78 pounds lost. Consequently, now I'm second guessing that decision not to have the surgery.
The thing to consider is: Either way (with or without the surgery), you're going to have to change your eating habits. Will the surgery (wither roux-n-y or gastric sleeve or lap-band) help you to be "compliant" and stick with the changes?
I know someone who did it to force compliance. He hasn't changed his eating habits - he still has the same "crap" he was having before; only now, since he can't have as much of it, he isn't gaining weight. I don't know why, but that bothers me. He could be "compliant" (eating more healthy foods) and just be rocking it! But that's when I have to say to myself, "his journey is his, and mine is mine."
Sorry for the novel - just wanted to add my perspective.
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I am 5'6 and at that time I weighed 347 lost some with weight watchers..at the time I had surgery I was 291 like I said I cant speak for everyone but when I was 100lbs overweight I lost all hope...some will say do it naturally because its safe and easy...but do what you think is best for you and your health..I can tell you one thing it is a push in the right direction...losing weight with it gave me the motivation and energy, I am more active with my daughter than I was before0
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My mum's friend had a gastric bypass a few months ago. She had to go on a super restrictive diet beforehand, can now only eat tiny portions and it made her so ill she'd never do it again.... Although I know some people do have success with it, I would rather eat less than hardly anything!0
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I had gastric bypass surgery on 11/18/14. I'm doing great. As for the comment about complications from wls can be fatal...be sure to have the surgery done at a Center for Excellence. And, fatalities are rare today. There are, of course, risks as with any surgery. I had mine at St. Luke's Hospital in Allentown, PA. Their statistics are high compared to the national average. I at one time was very opposed to weight loss surgery thinking of it as an easy way out. I was borderline diabetic (in a family where many have died due to complication from the disease), had high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and struggled with being obese for a very long time. I am 57 pounds down. So for me the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Be sure to attend information sessions, research, and talk to other bariatric patients to be mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared. It is NOT an easy way out. It's a tool. Almost everyone I've met at support groups who was diabetic is no longer diabetic or their insulin dosage has been drastically reduced. I was taken off blood pressure and cholesterol medicine the day after the surgery and both are in normal range. I started out wanting the sleeve, but conversations with my surgeon led me to decide to do the bypass. Check out http://mystlukesonline.activeboards.net/forums.html. It's a forum of bariatric patients started by St. Luke's, but anyone can participate. You'll get a good feel for patients' experiences, ups, downs, regrets, etc. Best success on your journey, whichever path you choose!0
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Sevendust912 wrote: »IMO it is a cop out for the folks that love to make excuses as to why they are unable to lose weight the natural way.
Shame on you for making such an asinine statement without, obviously, having done any research into the procedure.1 -
iheartinsanity wrote: »I lost 109lbs. to date (since 2009). I considered it in 2009 when I started my journey. Though I wasn't morbidly obese, I was only about 15lbs. shy (and the rate I was going I would have hit it quickly). Honestly? I'm going to tell you what everyone told you. It's just too risky. I crash dieted with Atkins (the old style of atkins 20g of carbs a day...MAX) and mostly walking till I got into the 100's (started running when I was about 210lbs. for a few minutes at a time). The hardest part is maintaining, but if you can get in the right frame of mind to discipline yourself, go for it. Your bariatric surgeon is going to put you on a "diet" anyways, they have to exhaust all options for insurance reasons...so why not give it a try?
As for the "diet" the surgeon puts you on, that may or may not be true depending on your situation. Some insurance companies do require a period of waiting and/or dieting before the procedure. Mine did not. One thing I learned that surprised me is the reason for needing to lose weight before the surgery. I thought it was for discipline reasons. While that's likely a part of it, the main reason is because when you're obese your liver is enlarged. The liver sits on top of the stomach. Losing weight shrinks the liver thereby reducing the risk of the surgery. In my case I had to lose 5% of my body weight prior to surgery; 50% of that 5% had to be lost before surgery could be scheduled.
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iheartinsanity wrote: »I lost 109lbs. to date (
I knew 4 sisters who were all morbidly obese.....all of em. Bad child hood with an abusive father
also, the oldest had it, has done well, not too many issues
the 2nd and 3rd sister had the procedure........they did so so on the surgery, one of em had some post surgery issues, but is ok
the 4 th never had it
Today, 2 years later
Sister one is with in her weight loss goal
Sister two and three gained ALL the weight back
Sister four never had the surgery........she suffered her first heart attack about 2 years ago
Strange thing, after all these surgeries, none of them speak to each other...they used to be close, when they were all massive and obese, they all got along fine
then sister 2 and sister 3 would call each other out if one ate the " WRONG" kind of food, or ate too much....they then started binging and sister one caught on to them, called them out ,so they stopped speaking with sister one...........sister 4 got fed up with the other 3 when they turned on her after her first heart attack, after they would gang up on her and say......." see ,we told you to have the surgery, and now you had a heart attack".........
kinda sad..........now all of them are not speaking.......... strange results....
note.....all 4 were sexually molested by dad, who was abusive , military and extremely cruel to all of them........they haven't spoken to dad in about 10 years........0 -
I knew 4 sisters who were all morbidly obese.....all of em. Bad child hood with an abusive father
also, the oldest had it, has done well, not too many issues
the 2nd and 3rd sister had the procedure........they did so so on the surgery, one of em had some post surgery issues, but is ok
the 4 th never had it
Today, 2 years later
Sister one is with in her weight loss goal
Sister two and three gained ALL the weight back
Sister four never had the surgery........she suffered her first heart attack about 2 years ago
Strange thing, after all these surgeries, none of them speak to each other...they used to be close, when they were all massive and obese, they all got along fine
then sister 2 and sister 3 would call each other out if one ate the " WRONG" kind of food, or ate too much....they then started binging and sister one caught on to them, called them out ,so they stopped speaking with sister one...........sister 4 got fed up with the other 3 when they turned on her after her first heart attack, after they would gang up on her and say......." see ,we told you to have the surgery, and now you had a heart attack".........
kinda sad..........now all of them are not speaking.......... strange results....
note.....all 4 were sexually molested by dad, who was abusive , military and extremely cruel to all of them........they haven't spoken to dad in about 10 years........0 -
iheartinsanity wrote: »I lost 109lbs. to date (since 2009). I considered it in 2009 when I started my journey. Though I wasn't morbidly obese, I was only about 15lbs. shy (and the rate I was going I would have hit it quickly). Honestly? I'm going to tell you what everyone told you. It's just too risky. I crash dieted with Atkins (the old style of atkins 20g of carbs a day...MAX) and mostly walking till I got into the 100's (started running when I was about 210lbs. for a few minutes at a time). The hardest part is maintaining, but if you can get in the right frame of mind to discipline yourself, go for it. Your bariatric surgeon is going to put you on a "diet" anyways, they have to exhaust all options for insurance reasons...so why not give it a try?
As for the "diet" the surgeon puts you on, that may or may not be true depending on your situation. Some insurance companies do require a period of waiting and/or dieting before the procedure. Mine did not. One thing I learned that surprised me is the reason for needing to lose weight before the surgery. I thought it was for discipline reasons. While that's likely a part of it, the main reason is because when you're obese your liver is enlarged. The liver sits on top of the stomach. Losing weight shrinks the liver thereby reducing the risk of the surgery. In my case I had to lose 5% of my body weight prior to surgery; 50% of that 5% had to be lost before surgery could be scheduled.
I had lap band surgery in May 2012. I was put on a diet by my surgeon for the two weeks prior to surgery for exactly that reason. Since my surgery was laproscopic, he didn't have much room in there and wanted my liver to be as small as possible. The diet consisted of oatmeal, applesauce, and artificially sweetened jello and protein shakes. It was pretty awful, but it was only two weeks. He never gave me any other kind of diet other than that -- I had to see his nutritionist several times before and after surgery, but I already knew what to do, food-wise.
Anyway, OP, if you're still out there: A lot of people have given you excellent advice on this thread. Some have said not so nice things. Some people will always insist that we've "cheated" and "taken the easy way." I've even had people dismiss my opinions on weight loss, fitness, and nutrition because I'm "altered" and therefore not part of the "normal" human race. One lovely woman even called me a disgusting freak. I know I did what I had to do for me, and I'm glad I did it. I also could not have been as successful as I've been had I not worked on my head as much as my body. You absolutely have to change your relationship to food for the rest of your life, and that takes a lot of work, with or without surgery. I still slip into old habits sometimes, but with the knowledge and experience I've gained over the last couple of years, and with a whole team of experts who have my back, I'm still on the road to success. Surgery is risky. Educate yourself. Think about it long and hard. If you go through with it, your life will never be the same.0 -
lookingforskinny69 wrote: »I am considering weight loss surgery, I am sure the bashing will happen, any comments for or against?
Most who go this route regain significant weight.
It's not a "cure"...
I guess you are reading something I haven't read. I had the surgery 5 years ago yesterday and lost 174lbs. I did regain when I stopped using the tool. But now I am back to using the tool and am keeping the weight off. Many people do gain some weight back, but I have not heard that most regain significant before.0 -
The statistics show that MOST people gain back the weight they lost and many of them gain even more than they lost back. The statistics show that this is true no matter how the weight is lost. To be so judgmental is sickening. Surgery is not the easy way out. There simply is no easy way. It takes hard work, dedication, commitment and perseverance, and to keep it off takes even more of these qualities, no matter how you lose the weight. Kudos to everyone that makes it, no matter which route you choose.0
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Statistics are that 80% of people who have wls are successful.0
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It's a cop-out that could cost you your life if you get complications. Anyone can do it naturally. I personally know 2 people that did the surgery 6 months ago. Guess what? They loss some weight (around 40-50 lbs), but now they're back at Popeyes and McDonalds and they're wondering why they're no longer losing.
Fat loss is a psychological issue, not a physiological one.
Obviously the two people that you know weren't ready for the surgery if they are back to their old ways. WLS is not a cure, it's a tool. You still need to work hard, you still need to watch what you eat and you still need to exercise.0 -
I've seen friends/family have major success with it and also, major failure with it. I think it is like anything else in life. I say research your options (the programs and type of surgery, etc etc) and if you decide to take the dive, go into it with everything you got. Lots of people don't stick to the plan and don't get down to the root of why you got here in the first place.
I went with my best friend to her doctors visits (across the other end of our state). I wasn't totally supportive of surgery for her, but I supported her autonomy to decide. I liked her program because it encourages us to learn other people's battles and challenges. She had to attend 10 weeks of seminar-classes before she was approved for her surgery date. They taught nutrition and understanding your future limitations, but also some of the deeper mental/emotional issues. It was very interesting. Her doctors seemed to actually want them to succeed. A program like that, in my opinion, sets those who really take it seriously up for success.
Okay, my ramblings over now.0 -
grimendale wrote: »It comes with a host of pretty severe side effects and high risk of complications, including a fairly high risk of death on the operating table. It's not an easy route by any means. It's an option for some, but just make sure you're aware of all the risks so that you go in with your eyes open.
This is not accurate. The sleeve procedure has no higher death rate than having your appendix out. It has a smaller rate than having a hysterectomy. If you are considering having surgery, which I did, go to an informational seminar and find out the truth about the surgery. Ask questions. Find out what the life post-surgery is like. Then, decide if you want to proceed or not. Losing weight is the same with or without surgery. You have to be committed to eating the right foods in the right portions and you have to move. Surgery gives you some help in your portion control at any single meal, but it doesn't stop you from eating all day if you want. It is a tool, not a magic fix. What you don't want to do is rule it out based on inaccurate information or because of people's negative opinion of the surgery. People who talk negatively about the surgery are generally feeling inadequate or unhappy with themselves. Otherwise, why would they not be supportive of whatever allowed you to be your healthiest and happiest self?0 -
I had the vertical sleeve surgery done in early February of this year. My GI surgeon recommended it because I have other GI problems, which are exacerbated by my weight in the belly region. The surgery was fine, I had no complications. I was hurting for a couple of weeks from the deep incisions, but now, five weeks out, I feel back to normal.
The main thing is that the hunger beast is now tamed.
It is a very individual thing, the idea of deciding if you need this kind of help or not. One thing that really surprised me was that after my surgery, they did pathology on the removed stomach and found a GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor) tumor in the stomach. I am praying that there are no more anywhere and thanking God that that one is gone.
I am so glad I had the surgery and not just because of the tumor. I feel better than I did before. My belly no longer knocks into my thighs when I walk.0 -
You have to do what works for you, each individual is different in how they diet and how they maintain weight loss. There is no right or wrong if you are successfully in losing and maintaining the weight loss.
For me it was yoyo dieting, lose 50, gain 50, over and over, which lead me to have sleeve surgery this year. I didn't do it to lose the weight I can successfully diet but I needed the surgery to help me maintain the wight loss. I lost and gained the same 50 lbs at least 12 times over the past 20 years.
Visit a good surgeon that has time to talk with you and answer your questions. Ask them for recommended books that will explain the procedure from start to finish and give you a realistic view of what life is like after surgery.
Ultimately you will make the best decision for you. Good luck with your journey.0 -
... it’s a personal decision based on degree of obesity, medical input, risks/benefits etc. I would never judge anyone that had surgery after considering everything.lookingforskinny69 wrote: »I am considering weight loss surgery, I am sure the bashing will happen, any comments for or against?
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So kudos to those that lost weight, changed lifestyles for the long-term with or without surgery.
There was a time when I thought, How could anyone consider surgery? Why don't they lose the weight naturally?
But as I get older, and weight loss is harder, I'm more understanding. If I'm not even technically overweight, and losing a few pounds is a struggle for me, what must it be like for someone with a serious amount of weight to lose? But it is still major surgery.
If you've consistently tried and failed, analyzed the pros and cons and are willing to change your life I suggest you speak to your doctor.
As the person I quoted said, weight loss and maintenance by any method are admirable.
I don't know why this comment was flagged. There was nothing abusive about it.
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