Not trying to be so negitive but..

RMinVA

Congrats on your weight loss. I know 4 people that have had the surgery. And while initially it might seem to be the "easy way out," here is what I know about those 4 people. What I don't know is if there were medical reasons for their initial surgeries.

#1. I never would have know if he had not had medical complications. It did not seem to work for him at all.
#2. A co-worker that I initially met a few years post surgery. He has been packing on the weight for the past couple of years. I see what he eats...if he initially changed his habits he has reverted to the old ones.
#3. Friend's mom...probably a bit of 1 and 2 combined.
#4. Very good friend that I must say looks fabulous, but her journey was not without issues as she had some "addiction" tranfserence and struggled with alcohol addiction. She has since quit drinking.

I understand that bariatric surgery can be a lifesaver for some people and I get that. But IMO, 25% is not a very good success rate.

jamr1019

Congratulations on your weight loss......looks like you are on the right track to reaching your goal.
I don't believe you are being negative, you are just simply stating what you think and there's nothing wrong with that. Keep up the good work.

HW: 201
SW: 183
CW: 153
GW: 150

xraylady33

Stand tall for the courage and commitment it takes to ungergo a body revamp. Loosing weight is not easy for anyone, but it is especially difficult when it takes twice the amount of time it does for surgery patients. I see patients daily who have had the surgery and the weight comes back!~ Now this does not imply that my weight or your weight will not return, but when you work so hard to accompllish a goal, you often think twice.

The mental anguish, and the pain that is associated with weight is horrid! The brain will always function the same, but when you dramaticaly cut caloric intake after bypass, your brain goes hay-wire...You have adjusted yourself through milestones and hard days, and good! Remember we all choose what works for us, and you will BE healthiere in the long run because of moderation and not extreme.

I am not bashing any weight loss surgeries! I realize the year of tests and pain to get to this point must be strenuous! There is both positive and negative! Neither situation is ideal nor easy! The obstructions, mental anguish and nutrient deprivation is nothing to play with!

With whatever path we choose, hopefully the same result will be yielded!

Be proud of your accomplishment, and be proud of your Mom! When we begin to understand that others take pride in our difficulties, we tend to look at their reactions different.

Keep up the amazing work, and remember your body thanks you!

epj78

#4. Very good friend that I must say looks fabulous, but her journey was not without issues as she had some "addiction" tranfserence and struggled with alcohol addiction. She has since quit drinking.

The one person I know who had the surgery, had this issue as well. Evidently, it's quite common to have addiction transference to alcohol or drugs or smoking.

lemonadem

Honestly, I feel the same way with my friends who are doing HCG. At the end of the day, though, I can only focus on myself and what I'm doing. When I hear them talking about how hard they worked to lose weight, I just smile. They are doing what they feel is best for them, just like I'm doing what I feel is best for me.

I like this Doing what is best for you-- congrats on your weight loss so far!

markeeley

Wow what a response. Trying to read all the post and respond would be difficult.

I saw one comment about how some people cant lose no matter what. I want to respond to that.

I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO TRIED EVERYTHING. I KEPT TELLING MYSELF THAT AND THAT GOT ME NOWHERE!!!
Spent money on diet pills, gym memberships and etc. At the end of the day, I was cheating myself. I was making the choice to eat bad carbs, bad sugars.

If you want to lose weight you have to eat food to fuel your body, not because it taste good. I am still way overweight, but now I finally understand this concept.

I am the worlds most picky eater. I will not eat fruit. Somehow I have lost 100 pounds. I just try to make the better choice now! Currently I am 3 week without fast food!! wooot!

iAMaPhoenix

I think you are amazing to do it this way. People will have so much more respect for you.

Anytime someone starts a sentence with this statement, they know that they are being exactly what they say they do not intend to be. "I don't mean to insult you, but..." "I don't mean to be a bother, but...", "I hate to sound like an azzhole, but..." Just come straight out and say what you mean without hiding behind a disclaimer. As a close personal friend of a Bariatric Surgeon, I know of many people who have regained weight after having bypass. I also know of countless success stories associated with it. Just because this was not your choice does not make it wrong. And I am sure that in the past, you have lost and gained weight just like your friend has who had the surgery. And as far as someone having so much more respect for you because you did it the "hard way", child please. I feel no lest respectful of my friend Andrea who lost 135 pounds after her lap band several years ago and has kept it off, than I do for my brother who lost 100#s the hard way and now has regained it all back and more. Just do you and let others do what they feel is best for them. Step off your high horse and applaud success in any way, shape, or form. Surgery is never easy...unless you are an officer of the Starship Enterprise.

markeeley

I think you are awesome but....


I am happy with anyone who is healthier. I know that I have more self satisfaction doing it on my own without any help from a doc.

Shouldn't there be a site created just for people who work hard and don't cheat for weight loss?

krash999

OK so as a person who had family try to talk me into having the lap band surgery and even going to a hospital to get information on it, i am totally against the surgery route to lose weight. for one the risks are really high that there might be a problem during or even later. i was a big guy at 535 pounds when i started losing weight and wanted to take the easy route, but i was way to scared to actually follow through with it. and on top of that i have a coworker who had the surgery and it worked for her, but she started eating too much again afterward and ended up worse than she was when she started. yes losing weight is hard work and no one wants to put the effort in anymore, but i have lost 90 pounds in 9 months, with most of it being lost since i started on this site. the support of other people with the same battle is so amazing. the bad thing is i have friends where i work that make fun of me for one of the things i do. i go to zumba 3 times a week and love it, but they continuously are making fun of me and laughing at me, but yet have i seen any of them doing much to better themselves. 2 of them were strength training with me, but one of them dropped out and it is just me and another guy. but lifting weights is not enough. OK i am gonna shut up now...

epj78

Someone once told me, anything before the "but" doesn't matter I tend to agree. Everyone just braces themselves whenever the hear the "but....."

spicy618

I think you are awesome but....


I am happy with anyone who is healthier. I know that I have more self satisfaction doing it on my own without any help from a doc.

Shouldn't there be a site created just for people who work hard and don't cheat for weight loss?

Not nice. :noway:

nuttyfamily

Be proud of yourself! You are doing it the healthy route.

I have a good friend and also my SIL who had gastric. The good friend has a lot of issues surrounding the surgery two years later. SIL has gained some weight back...she didn't learn to eat healthy afterwards. She still ate 'junk' food, just smaller portions since that was all she could handle. She is now following WW.

Some are successful but your way is much healthier. Your body hasn't been altered and in the long run, you will feel better.

Slow and steady wins the race!

sunkisses

*shrug* I don't worry a whole lot about what other people are doing or what they think.

MissMaryMac33

Gastric Bypass/Lap band are temporary TOOLs -- and it anyone who thinks major surgery is the easy way out is just not very educated on the subject..

If you have surgery and you don't change your lifestyle, and your habits and your eating --- and your HEAD - it isn't going to work. changing these habits and lifestyle after surgery is just as hard as doing them without surgery --- and just as hard to keep going.

You are at just as much risk of gaining it all back as anyone else....

If people could lose 100 pounds and never gain it back -- but only if they did it a certain way --- that would be the only "diet" out there!

I congratulate anyone who takes control of their personal situation and gets themselves healthy again --- there is no "right" way or "easy" way ....

brit49

Congrats on you weight loss, Slow and steady is best but If you have to lose alot of weight I'm all for weight loss surgery too people have to do what best for them, and most people put weight right back on regardless of the way they lost the weight. So either way, Its a hard journey

whatwentwrong

i'm baffled by people who think that bariatric surgery is the "easy way out." it's not liposuction. i looked into it under kaiser (i realize not all health providers have the same rules), and i would have had to lose at least 10% of my bodymass BEFORE surgery, and follow a pretty strict diet. after surgery, it's not like you magically drop weight- you become full more easily and therefore eat more. you still have to stick to a healthy diet however, it's not like you can go and eat ice cream sandwiches all day and lose weight with bariatric surgery, just as you can't with regular dieting.

congratulations on losing weight, and i'm glad you're proud of your effort, but i'm a little disappointed that you think people who lose weight with a different method don't deserve as much credit.

odusgolp

One was a girl who was very heavy all thru school. I saw her at our 20 year reunion - she looked beautiful - had a handsome man on her arm - he took me aside & told me he was going to propose to her the next month, at Xmas. He did, they got married, she got pregnant - and then complications from the surgery - she and the baby died. So, no - I don't think she took the easy way out either.

How incredibly sad. Her poor husband.

fbmandy55

I have known 3 people who have had gastric surgeries. One passed away from complications, the other two have gained back at least half of their weight.

If we put our bodies in starvation mode here and stall and gain back, how is it any different for those people who are extremely limited in what they can eat for awhile after the surgery?

brit49

I think you are amazing to do it this way. People will have so much more respect for you.

Anytime someone starts a sentence with this statement, they know that they are being exactly what they say they do not intend to be. "I don't mean to insult you, but..." "I don't mean to be a bother, but...", "I hate to sound like an azzhole, but..." Just come straight out and say what you mean without hiding behind a disclaimer. As a close personal friend of a Bariatric Surgeon, I know of many people who have regained weight after having bypass. I also know of countless success stories associated with it. Just because this was not your choice does not make it wrong. And I am sure that in the past, you have lost and gained weight just like your friend has who had the surgery. And as far as someone having so much more respect for you because you did it the "hard way", child please. I feel no lest respectful of my friend Andrea who lost 135 pounds after her lap band several years ago and has kept it off, than I do for my brother who lost 100#s the hard way and now has regained it all back and more. Just do you and let others do what they feel is best for them. Step off your high horse and applaud success in any way, shape, or form. Surgery is never easy...unless you are an officer of the Starship Enterprise.

Like!!!

hikeout470

In my circle of friends, I know of one who has had this surgery. She is one of those people who needs to be the center of attention. At first she told everyone that another friend in the circle "called her obese, and this hurt her feelings", so she was "having the surgery because of her". Of course this completely screwed up the circle of friends, and the obese center of attention girl used the surgery as her new agenda in her quest for attention. She had this infection, and that problem, etc. Well, in the grand scheme of things, it has been at least 3 years and she is still obese! She did appear to lose weight at first, but after a while, it all came back. I am gathering either she didn't really have the surgery, or found some way to sabotage it.

Namaste1983

I'VE DONE BOTH. GASTRIC BYPASS AND STRETCHED IT OUT GOT BACK UP TO 350-380 AND THEN HAD TO BUST MY F***ING *kitten* TO GET HERE AND HAVE A CHANCE AT LIFE. MY ONLY HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY DEAL WITH THE EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL ISSUES THAT DON'T GO AWAY AFTER WEIGHT LOSS. THERE WAS NO QUICK FIX FOR ME. I REVERSED A MAJOR SURGERY... GRANTED I'M STILL WITHOUT MY FIRST 5 FEET OF INTESTINES. THE EFFECTS ARE STILL HERE. THINGS ARE SO MUCH EASIER NOW. I HAD MINE IN 2000 AND WAS A CASE STUDY. THEY CAN PUT A LITTLE BAND ON IT AN HOPEFULLY SPARK A PASSION TO LEAD A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. I'M ON THE FENCE ON THIS ONE

TMcBooty

I think you are amazing to do it this way. People will have so much more respect for you.

Agreed and well said.

I agree too!

bevskiwolf

EASY????????

I've never worked so hard in my life.

Note to self: stay of gastric threads!!!! This is like day in and day out around here.

ninerbuff

Respect is earned.

Amysgetnfit

Congratulations on your weight loss!
My opinion is that there are no short cuts to a place worth going. You are building a strong foundation of knowledge &the strength, learning to live healthy & that will support you over the long term.I wish you continued success.

landorki

At 400 pounds I made the choice to skip gastric bypass and lap ban surgery. with hard work I have lost 100 pounds to date. But I kind of get upset when I hear people who had this surgery talk about how much weight they have lost, when they took the easy route.
No problem at all with people who had the surgery if it was vital for health and life.
I also had my own mother go through with this surgery. I had to hear her talk about how much she has lost and how fun shopping for clothes is now. Two years later, her weigh is climbing back up ..

What does everyone else think?

Really? Ignorance is the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc. Until you know what it is like to have WLS... you should stick to what you know. It is in no way the "easy way out". I have never worked so hard in my life!

Good luck with your journey... I am sure your mother is very proud of herself... you should be proud of her too! I also bet she is proud of you!

markeeley

I am def not ignorant on the subject. I myself went and met with surgeons and etc.So you can say what you want.. When it came down to it, I told myself now is the time. Its all in the mind. If gastric bypass isn't the easy way out, then why do people get it? Because working out and eating better with a normal stomach is harder, right? I told myself leading up to surgery I couldn't do it on my own and needed the HELP of GB. So thankful that I have overcome my addiction and that I am working hard to get healthy without GB.

I have no problem with people getting it done. Getting the surgery does help. My mother is a smaller person and although she still makes poor decisions concern food intake i am still proud of her.

landorki

I am def not ignorant on the subject. I myself went and met with surgeons and etc.So you can say what you want.. When it came down to it, I told myself now is the time. Its all in the mind. If gastric bypass isn't the easy way out, then why do people get it? Because working out and eating better with a normal stomach is harder, right? I told myself leading up to surgery I couldn't do it on my own and needed the HELP of GB. So thankful that I have overcome my addiction and that I am working hard to get healthy without GB.

I have no problem with people getting it done. Getting the surgery does help. My mother is a smaller person and although she still makes poor decisions concern food intake i am still proud of her.

I really can't tell if you are serious or not.... Really?

"If it's not the easy way out, then why do people get it done?" This has to be a joke! At 400 pounds... I am sure you can attest that you were not healthy!!!

At 373 not only could I not walk with out my knees hurting and my feet swelling... but I was not well. Not physically able to do the exercises. The fast rate at which the weight comes off is not a luxury that lazy and impatient people look for... it is a necessity because we are soooo unhealthy and need the weight to come off as fast as possible to be as healthy as possible!

You say you are not ignorant to the facts... but you are contradicting yourself... If it was so easy, then why is your mother still struggling? It is not easy at all. Losing weight is not easy in and of itself. We are all here for the same reason... Why knock down other people? To make yourself feel better? Your right... that isn't ignorant.

Oh... and by the way... My husband lost over 100 pounds "the right way" like you. And now here he is 3 years later and has it all back again....and considering WLS. I guess it can happen to anyone... no matter how you lose it... no matter who you are.

markeeley

I wasn't knocking anyone down..

All the excuses you just made, I use to tell myself that too. I use to say, "dang this is so hard". Thank god I didn't keep telling myself that. Keep making excuses if that is what you want to do. I am going to keep being me and fighting everyday. When my feet hurt and were as sore as could be, I KEPT WALKING. I was tired of making excuses. My knees hurt and hurt and somehow I kept on going.


Don't be mad at me that you don't have the same level of desire to do it on your own as I do.

markeeley

This will be my last post and sorry to anyone who is upset or has their feelings hurt from any previous post.

I didn't go through with the surgery because I realized if I didn't change my ways before surgery, why would I change them after.
So I changed my ways. I busted my butt and pushed hard. I still have to do that everyday because I have many many many pounds to lose. The previous guy posted, "Respect is earned." I am going to do all I can to earn it!


Don't waste your time responding, because I am not going to waste my time reading your excuses.

If you don't have your mind right nothing is going to change.