Weight loss surgery: Yes or No?

evilfairies
evilfairies Posts: 98 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I joined MFP several years ago and did really well for a while. I lost 75 lbs over one year and never felt better in my life. But then I fell off the wagon and gained back all of that weight and then some. For reference, I am 300+ lbs.

Over the same time frame, I have had three different primary doctors (due to moving, not because I'm picky!) tell me the day I met them that I should have weight loss surgery. While I was losing weight in my own I said no to surgery, but now that I'm back where I started, I am beginning to reconsider.

My family of all normal-weighted people do not support me having surgery and I don't know if I can do it without their support.

What do you guys think?
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Replies

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    With weight loss surgery you need to be able to do what you'd need to do without as well: manage your weight. You can easily cheat by for example constantly eating chocolate paste. Plus you'd need to be on vitamins and minerals for the rest of your life, including vitamin B12 shots.
  • veggie16mfp
    veggie16mfp Posts: 114 Member
    Why not try the healthy eating approach for a period of time, see how it goes and then decide?
  • gabriellejayde
    gabriellejayde Posts: 607 Member
    You do need to stay on vitamins after surgery but you don't NEED shots. Just take vitamins.
    It won't solve a real eating disorder. If you're obsessed with eating ice cream, you'll still eat it, but...with gastric bypass, it may make you sick, which kind of takes the fun out of it.
    You'll get really full, super fast. Which means that if you fill up on protein, there's not a lot of time to eat garbage.
    I have a close friend who lost a lot of weight after surgery. She still has more to go but she indulges in a glass of alcohol once in a while (maybe once a day) and likes a frozen coffee drink a little too often. She still grabs some fast food, but doesn't eat a lot of it.
    So basically, she's not restricting herself at all and probably eating at maintenance because of it. However, she's lost almost 100 lbs and feels great.
    You do whatever you think will help you live longer and happier.
  • arrghmatey1
    arrghmatey1 Posts: 91 Member
    no
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
    You have lost the weight before, you can do it again. MFP works. However, you have to do what is best for you. I just think you can save money by not having the surgery and use that money to buy yourself new clothes, you're going to need them. :smiley:
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    edited August 2017
    evilfairies wrote: »
    I joined MFP several years ago and did really well for a while. I lost 75 lbs over one year and never felt better in my life. But then I fell off the wagon and gained back all of that weight and then some. For reference, I am 300+ lbs.

    Over the same time frame, I have had three different primary doctors (due to moving, not because I'm picky!) tell me the day I met them that I should have weight loss surgery. While I was losing weight in my own I said no to surgery, but now that I'm back where I started, I am beginning to reconsider.

    My family of all normal-weighted people do not support me having surgery and I don't know if I can do it without their support.

    What do you guys think?

    Weight loss surgery alters your body but you still have to do the work to eat fewer calories and maintain that. The surgery has risks and side effects. I think you should use MFP and try losing with it for a year again and then see if you are ready for surgery or not. Either way you go you have to make changes for life and make an effort to maintain your loss.

    Some things to think about:
    Why do you think you failed to maintain your weight after losing? You say you fell off the wagon. What was "the wagon"?
    Was your diet too restrictive and unsustainable? I think this happens a lot when people diet. This time don't change what you eat so much just portion sizes.
    Did you stop weighing yourself regularly?
    Did you stop logging?
    Did your lifestyle change? Did you start a more sedentary job or stop exercising?
    Are you an emotional eater? Work on developing new coping tools. Seek out therapy if you need to.
    Did you develop a medical problem or start a medication that changed things?
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Always no, unless there is an immediate health risk.

    Whether you do it or not, you'll have to learn to manage your food intake. It's a fact. If you do surgery and can't get a handle on that, you'll not only have wasted a lot of money, but you might end up with more health issues because of the surgery.

    So either way... you're going to have to learn to eat better. Why waste all that money when you'll have to put in the same effort either way?

    This.

    Surgery does nothing to address the reasons why you struggle with your weight. I know several people who had various wls procedures done and they've regained all their weight back, plus some.
  • Cynt214
    Cynt214 Posts: 11 Member
    I agree that if there isn’t an immediate need then don’t do it. Achieving a healthy weight and lifestyle require developing the proper balance between food, rest, exercise, and hydration. It takes time to develop these skills. Quick weight loss methods do not equal effective weight loss methods. Even the weight loss doctor would require that you lose a certain amount of weight before the surgery in order to be able to maintain structure after the surgery if you want to be successful in the long run. After all is said and done you will still need to learn the proper methods to lose and maintain. So why not just do it on your own?
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
    edited August 2017
    This is anecdotal evidence, so take it with a grain of salt. I've personally known three people who have had the surgery. Of those three, two of them are as big or bigger than they were before. And all three of them have a whole host of other health issues, that were either a direct result of, or were at least aggravated by the surgery. The two that gained it back gained because they could not handle the new dietary restrictions and reverted back to their old poor diet as soon as they were able. The third one hasn't gained, but she is miserable anyway, losing the weight was supposed to fix her health issues, but she still has a lot of them and more besides.

    I would love to see actual numbers on long term (7-10+ years later) success rates and patient satisfaction.

    I would not do it. As others have said, maybe it's time to speak to a therapist.
  • KelGen02
    KelGen02 Posts: 668 Member
    Having surgery is a personal choice and differs for many. I know of several friends and family members who have gone through the surgery. Out of the 5 people I know 4 have gained all the weight back plus some because they did not get their mind right with food. They used the surgery as a way to get thin in a hurry but never changed their relationships with food. The one person who had the surgery who has kept is off completely changed his lifestyle the year before having the surgery and he has been able to sustain that loss for over 3 years now. You say you lost 75lb once before and fell off the wagon. You obviously put the work into losing the weight so you need to figure out why you failed in keeping it off. Was it your relationship with food, was it because you were stressed out? are you an emotional eater? Like the above poster said I would ask myself those questions and take a deep look into what you really want. Surgery is no easy fix, its brutal on your body and to put yourself through it when you are not mentally ready to make a change in your lifestyle for GOOD is only going to end in failure as the surgery is not going to change any of the things that caused you to gain the back this time around. I am a lifer in yo you diets, gain lose, gain again until I took a step back and asked myself the hard questions and decided I couldn't continue this destructive cycle. If it was me, I wouldn't do the surgery... but as I said when i started this post, it is a personal choice and differs for many. Good luck!
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
    edited August 2017
    evilfairies wrote: »
    Thanks guys! I guess the general consensus is for me to spend time trying to lose weight on my own again for now and see where it goes from there. My current primary doctor basically told me that "there is no other alternative" than to have surgery but I think he's wrong. I can lose the weight on my own. (And KEEP it off, preferably!).

    This was the issue one of my bariatric acquaintances ran into. Both she and the Drs who talked her into it fell pray to the erroneous belief that health=slim. It does not. Yes there are health issues associated with higher body fat percentages, but not everyone who is overweight is otherwise unhealthy and not everyone who is slim is necessarily healthy.

    She didn't change much other than the surgery, and while she is indeed smaller, and before she ate too many calories, comparatively she was much much healthier before the surgery. She wasn't making very many smart healthy food choices before and neither she nor the "professionals" who claimed to be helping her put much effort into helping her learn otherwise. And now that it's too late to go back the surgery has complicated her ability to actually be healthy. She's dealing with malabsorption issues and will likely always struggle to get proper nutrition.

    I had to get healthy to lose weight, I didn't lose weight to get healthy.

    I think so many Drs push the surgery because they believe it will mean they will be less likely to deal with any weight related health issues you may already have or might eventually develop. Basically he's trying to make you someone else's problem. He's looking at you as a set of numbers and stats on a chart. Not as a person. You don't have to put up with that. If he won't see YOU, then try to find someone who will.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    evilfairies wrote: »
    I joined MFP several years ago and did really well for a while. I lost 75 lbs over one year and never felt better in my life. But then I fell off the wagon and gained back all of that weight and then some. For reference, I am 300+ lbs.

    Over the same time frame, I have had three different primary doctors (due to moving, not because I'm picky!) tell me the day I met them that I should have weight loss surgery. While I was losing weight in my own I said no to surgery, but now that I'm back where I started, I am beginning to reconsider.

    My family of all normal-weighted people do not support me having surgery and I don't know if I can do it without their support.

    What do you guys think?
    If you gained the weight back, it's because of eating behavior. Weight loss surgery DOESN'T address your mental eating behavior, which it's why it's NOT UNCOMMON for people to have had it done, to slowly regain weight again after an initial big weight loss.
    And remember, it's surgery. Once you get it done, there's nothing you can do to reverse it. Think long and hard about future about it.
    Weight loss is about calories in and out and if you can address why you overeat, then you can learn a behavior to learn how to eat less.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Lgcoulter33
    Lgcoulter33 Posts: 54 Member
    What i don't understand is why everyone seems to think that just because a person is overweight they must have a horrible emotional relationship with food. I can tell you that I for one get totally turned off to food in emotional situations. Like it makes me want to throw up turned off and I just really want nothing to do with it while I'm upset. I was starved by my ex husband for two years. Kept locked in a closet and sleep deprived and beaten on a daily basis. I was forced to cook dinner and lunch for him and his son and watch them eat.

    I at one point in my life lost 140 pounds over a few years and kept it off for years. But just recently I gained 120 back, and it wasn't from overeating or changes in how I was eating, it was because of a disease called polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance. Triggered by the depo shot for birth control.

    I am now at 327 down from 339.9. I have a lot of weight to lose as I am only 5'4. I am currently in the process of a 6 month doctor supervised weight loss plan to qualify for either gastric sleeve surgery or gastric bypass. Not sure which one yet. I'm already on vitamins because my body doesn't absorb them right. I'm at 1250 calories a day using 2 fitness apps to cross check calorie counts and drink nothing but water. You want to know who referred me to the bariatric department? I did. Because of 7 months of research that says that my pcos can be put into permanent remission as long as I do what I'm supposed to be doing. Well I'm stubborn so I will succeed.

    The only reason I have support from my doctor and friends and family is because they see how serious I am about all of this and that I can make the changes necessary to be successful. I go to counseling and I'm going to be in a fitness group at the counseling place I go to called InShape. This is a full lifestyle change not a quick fix. And any doctor or person who sees it as one is just setting themselves up for failure.

    I'm not saying that I am for this for everyone because not everyone can handle it, but if you do the research and think you can do it, then go for it. It's not right for everyone. I wish you good luck.

    P.s. feel free to add me.
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    I looked into it while doing research with someone else several months ago (we both were contemplating it) and after reviewing a ton of clinics and all the statistics I could find during that time, I came to the conclusion that bariatric surgery was not a choice I could recommend in good conscience to that person or myself.

    Maybe it is the best choice for others due to corresponding health conditions like PCOS and Type II diabetes, but I genuinely believe it is not the best choice for most people. The permanent health issues relating to these surgeries is far too risky and the outcomes for people without comorbidities aren't as great as the clinics lead you to believe.

    For a satisfactory outcome a person has to make the mental changes regardless of surgery or not, so why not skip surgery and just make the health changes. If you have to go on a 1200 calorie a day diet to earn the right to get the surgery, why not just stick with the diet? You will lose weight! If you can't commit to the calorie limits then surgery won't magically solve your problem. Instead it often leads to nutrition malabsorption, surgerical complications, failure to lose the estimated amount, and regain of all or a substantial amount of loss.

    And finally, at my highest weight I would have qualified for bariatric surgery due to my BMI and risks for certain diseases. I am now 2/3 of the way down to my healthy weight using just a calorie deficit via portion control and occasional exercise. It can be done.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I have had a friend that had weight loss surgery. She has had so many complications and pain since, requiring an extra 3 operations. While being mych skinnier she is still morbidly obese almost 3 years later. From her experience I'd say no, unless the weight could cause serious problems in the near future. Try to keep losing as you are because you have obviously been doing something right.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    If that's something you are considering, I recommend reading as much as possible about it. First, you need to understand that you will have to develop weight maintenance strategies, and that's the case whether or not you opt for the surgery. Nothing can help you avoid regain but real lifelong food management. Second, you will need to consider if you are willing to give up some of the foods you might really love, which you can still consume on a typical weight management plan but can get painful physical side effects if you do after surgery. Do you think the expenses and recovery times are worth it? Do you think the ongoing medical attention you will need afterwards with supplementation and the like is something you are willing to live with? Do you think the risks of surgery and after surgery complications are an acceptable compromise? Do you have conditions that are known to improve with surgery independent of weight or food intake, like diabetes? Obviously, people are getting results both with the surgery and with classical weight loss approaches. Both are successful tools if used right. Only you get to decide which one would be a better fit for you.

    For me (formerly 300+ pounds) the answer was a no-brainer. I was not willing to give up starchy things like rice, pasta, and chewy bread, carbonated drinks, fibrous vegetables, the possibility of having to quit dairy products...etc. One look through the "foods to avoid" list here made the decision for me. I love food too much to be making these sacrifices, so I didn't even need to consider any other factors in my decision making process.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    edited August 2017
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    evilfairies wrote: »
    Thanks guys! I guess the general consensus is for me to spend time trying to lose weight on my own again for now and see where it goes from there. My current primary doctor basically told me that "there is no other alternative" than to have surgery but I think he's wrong. I can lose the weight on my own. (And KEEP it off, preferably!).

    When I went to see my GP (in the UK) for help with losing weight I was quite bluntly told the only way I'd lose weight is by surgery. I was 290lb at the time, barely able to walk across the room and on track for an early death. 22 months later I'm 152lb, extremely active, able to complete a half marathon (and starting to train for a full next year), with a resting heart rate of 40 (apparently comparable to a athlete).

    I did not have surgery, I simply joined this site and started logging my food, eating below maintenance (aiming for 1lb/week loss) and slowly but steadily increasing my activity level. On returning to my GP he was amazed at the difference and couldn't quite get his head round that I had succeeded despite his lack of help.

    Very well done! That's fantastic <3

    TO: It's been mentioned a few times already, but just to make it clearer: you might need life-long medical attention with this surgery (I'm not saying that you will). I don't know where you life but do you trust the healthcare system in your country to be there for you not only the few months after surgery but for the years to come, regarless of how much money you have, pay for health insurance and the likes? I'm in the UK at the moment and I would do very thorough research on an elective procedure as I don't think the NHS will survive well enough to take care of any potential future needs. In the US I would wonder if a health insurace would accept me at normal rates if it is clear that I have to see a doctor regularly, and with Trump blundering around who knows what will happen to that.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I had the surgery. My comorbidities made me a good candidate. Before surgery I had T2 diabetes and high blood pressure. I was sedentary.

    The surgery helped me get my life back. The rest was my hard work. You are no stranger to hard work.

    Deciding to have the surgery is a highly personal choice as this is your body, your life.
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