Gastric bypass vs traditional weightloss

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  • SublimelyMe
    SublimelyMe Posts: 42
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    I am so overwhelmed at the support for this post and for my decision to not go with the flow of my family.

    Thank you ALL.

    This morning I felt so confused and even though I know the deal, it's hard not to feel the pressure sometimes and wonder 'maybe I'm not doing the right thing, maybe I should just follow suit' but you've all helped me reaffirm my passion for losing weight the way that it should always happen and that is the natural way (though I accept this is not always an option).

    Thank you all, once again. You've made me so happy.
  • dawnwest1975
    dawnwest1975 Posts: 1
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    The Gastric Bypass can be a great tool if it is used as such. I am pro-weightloss surgery for people who really need it and who use it as a part of the weightloss regime and not as a easy way. Because people who don't actually do the work and who don't follow the program will eventually gain the weight back. Weightloss surgery is not right for everyone but it was right for me and it was not an easy way out. I lost 100 pounds on my own before I had the surgery and have lost an additional 127 pounds since haing the surgery 9 months ago. I can tell you from experience that I am working a lot harder now, putting in a lot more time at the gym, than I did pre-op. I am using mine as the tool it was desgined to be. I eat right and exercise, this is no easy way out. I still have 80 pounds left to lose and it is going to take a lot more hard work to get that remaining weight off. For me the surgery hasn't changed my life....I have. Do I have issues with head hunger? Absolutely! I am going to counseling for that for help. We all have our own weightloss journey to follow. What is most important is that we choose to follow that works best for each individual. Don't ever let anyone influence you against what you feel is the best path for you to follow.
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
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    I think, as dawnwest1975 has shown, gastric bypass (or lap band or whatever) can work if it's viewed as part of an overall lifestyle change. My dear friend had the lap band done at 350 and then began researching nutrition, working out and changing her life for the better. (She also had a full-body tuck, too, which was needed a lot, too after a huge weight loss.) She's very happy with it and I can't say that it was a bad decision for her. She's now hovering around 130-135 six years later.

    However, I also know of people who basically regained all their weight because they didn't view it as an overall lifestyle change. There's also been research that it also doubles your rate of alcoholism -- personally, I think this is because compulsive overeating was a way (albeit unhealthy) to deal with stress. Without that, they turn to alcohol -- also an unhealthy way to cope --as a way to deal with life's stress.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is that whatever you choose, you can't skip past the realization of how you got here/there/this weight and a severe lifestyle change. You have to be emotionally and psychologically ready. You're there already and it's working.

    I'd just tell my family that it's great it worked for them, but you've decided to do it differently. Not going through elective surgery is actually a fairly wise decision. Surgery should only be a last-ditch effort -- there's a lot of things that can go wrong, so I'd hope your family could understand that!

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