Surgery or no surgery...that is the question!

MyaPapaya75

from watching a friend go through the whole process and gain all her weight back I will say this SKIP THE SURGERY..even with surgery you need will power afterwards and the know how to eat right...Sure have the surgery and 8months you will have lost some weight and I know significantly more than if you did it by calorie watching and working out...BUT the downfall is its VERY hard to keep it off without the basics of weight loss and healthy living under your belt...Try and committ to one year of healthy iving no excuses and if then you dont get anywhere by all means opt for number 2.....Ive seen two people go through the surgery with very minimal results 1yr later...Some have success but those that do committ to a basic healthy lifestyle after and arm themself with the know how

dmoisson

I don't hold anyone at fault for having the bands or bypass surgery, it is really a journey only you can decide if it is best for you. 32 months ago I could barely walk from room to room (had a computer chair I would roll myself around the house on to get to the bathroom and kitchen) and had not left the house much in over 2 years. I had ate myself to 560 lbs., had all the Super morbidly obese systems including Full blown Type 2 Diabetes... When I finally went to the doctor for help those was the first words out of his mouth and my Endo Dr. "You should consider weightloss surgery) Well for me, this Was Not an Option..... I believed if I couldn't fix what was broken in my head that led me to kill myself with food than no surgery would ever fix that. To me the surgery wouldn't fix my emotional addiction to food, sure it would cause me to not be able to eat it but I have several friends that have had the surgery and most of them have struggled and 3 of them have put all the weight back on.. They literally have stretched their stomach back to where they can eat like they use to.. They never fixed what was broken and even though they used the surgery as a tool they still failed. Again I don;t hold it against any of them for doing what they thought was right but In my case it just wasn't a choice, I told the Doctor I will lose this weight with diet and exercise or die trying... So I began in Aquatic therapy (had to because I could barely support my own weight) with the help of my doctors and dietician and therapists I began this long journey., It has not been easy by any means and has taken alot of dedication and willpower but I can tell you it has been worth every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears....... If you feel like the surgery will help you than go through with it but just remember when you wake up from surgery those feeling to eat (the food addiction part) with still be there and you will need to deal with them but if you are having second thoughts do some serious soul searching before your surgery date... Good luck to you..... All my health issues have completely reversed including my diabetes ( A1c now avg. 5.4 from 10.0 32 months ago when I was diagnosed.)

TRUTH!

bigdal77

Hi there I had gastric bypass on 9/01/11 no problems wot so ever I was 213kg and now. I'm 113 kg I only ever been sick once and that was when I tryed eating to much once you no your limets you should be fine and now food is a thing of the past I just have a protien shake in the morning and lunch and dinner. And some healthy snacks. I one thing you gotta watch is snacking all day on little things like crisps I still have crisp but I fit them in with my daily cals but I've had no problems with any thing else and the vits you gotta take is nothing how many tablets do you take for diabetes and that will probly stop anyway good luck with your choice its been the best thing I could of done

sylvuz323

I would definitely tell you to do it on your own without the surgery. When you eat right and exercise it makes a big difference in changing your life style. I know someone who had the Lap band surgery and doesn't want to go back to surgery because she knows once they make adjustments, she is going to eat foods she wasn't allowed to before. You would be much better off learning what foods are best for you, moderation and then allowing yourself treats on occassion.

I had abdominal surgery to remove uterine fibroids and just the effects on the anesthesia really can do a number on you. My ob/gyn doc told me it would be a year before I felt back to normal and he was right. Surgery of any kind is never fun, but if my fibroids could have been removed without surgery I would have chosen no surgery.

Best of luck to you.

Shannon023

I don't hold anyone at fault for having the bands or bypass surgery, it is really a journey only you can decide if it is best for you. 32 months ago I could barely walk from room to room (had a computer chair I would roll myself around the house on to get to the bathroom and kitchen) and had not left the house much in over 2 years. I had ate myself to 560 lbs., had all the Super morbidly obese systems including Full blown Type 2 Diabetes... When I finally went to the doctor for help those was the first words out of his mouth and my Endo Dr. "You should consider weightloss surgery) Well for me, this Was Not an Option..... I believed if I couldn't fix what was broken in my head that led me to kill myself with food than no surgery would ever fix that. To me the surgery wouldn't fix my emotional addiction to food, sure it would cause me to not be able to eat it but I have several friends that have had the surgery and most of them have struggled and 3 of them have put all the weight back on.. They literally have stretched their stomach back to where they can eat like they use to.. They never fixed what was broken and even though they used the surgery as a tool they still failed. Again I don;t hold it against any of them for doing what they thought was right but In my case it just wasn't a choice, I told the Doctor I will lose this weight with diet and exercise or die trying... So I began in Aquatic therapy (had to because I could barely support my own weight) with the help of my doctors and dietician and therapists I began this long journey., It has not been easy by any means and has taken alot of dedication and willpower but I can tell you it has been worth every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears....... If you feel like the surgery will help you than go through with it but just remember when you wake up from surgery those feeling to eat (the food addiction part) with still be there and you will need to deal with them but if you are having second thoughts do some serious soul searching before your surgery date... Good luck to you..... All my health issues have completely reversed including my diabetes ( A1c now avg. 5.4 from 10.0 32 months ago when I was diagnosed.)

You are amazing! Great job on your weight loss! :flowerforyou:

Donnacoach

I have a friend that was over 500 pounds that had the surgery. Yes, she lost loads of weight. Down into the 200 range now, however her life has changed dramatically, and not all for the better. Yes she looks better and feels better about the way she looks, but she cannot eat just anything. She has to maintain certain levels and if she eats to much she is sick right away. Of course she feels better about looking better, but she is still the same depressed person she was before the surgery. Often times, we don't realize that depression is what is holding us back from getting out of our own way. It's amazing what is out there today to help people lose weight, The Right Way. Gyms, trainers, and Weight Watchers are just a few. This surgery is costly in more ways then just the surgery itself. Once you lose the weight you have to go through numerous surgeries to get rid of the lose skin. She said it was very painful. She too, had diabetes and it ran in her family. If she had to do it all over again, I don't think she would. I wish you the best of luck in whichever it is that you choose to do. Either way, you know that you have a life changing decision in front of you. MFP is a great place to start because there is so much support. Good luck and Go get ummmm!!!

CorinthiaB

My vote is do what is going to save your life. If you can do it the natural way and live, by all mean go natural. However, if your doctor tell you that if you don't something soon you will diet. I think I will take my chances of doing something drastic and soon. I will you the best in whatever you decide.

sylvuz323

sorry posted twice

Shelby814

Hi. I am 45yo & had gastric bypass surgery, an open Roux-en-y, about 15 years ago. I was depressed, had high blood pressure & joint pain. I went down from 335# to 212# & have never regretted it. All of those preop health issues resolved. I did have a bowel obstruction & pancreatitis about 1 year later. I am on several vitamin & mineral supplements. The mistake I made was not exercising faithfully & not following some of the diet information, such as not drinking with meals. Not because I was being noncompliant, but because I don't think I had a full understanding & lost contact with my bariatric surgeon. Over the years my weight crept up to 260#. I lost 20# about 2 years ago & kept it off. I reestablished contact with a new bariatric surgeon & follow up with him once a year. Since August I have been serious about my diet, following all of my instructions & working out faithfully every day. I have lost 70# more & now weigh about 170#. I wish I would have done all of this 15 years ago before I had the surgery. It can be done without surgery IF YOU REALLY WANT IT AND ARE WILLING TO DO THE WORK. And it IS work, EVERY DAY. But oh so worth it. I now feel better than I have in 25 years. Like I said, I have NO REGRETS about having the surgery. It changed, & quite possibly saved, my life. Just make sure you really evaluate what you want & what you're willing to do, with or without surgery. Good luck!

hagamivida

whatever your decision, consider looking into psychotherapy just to talk about food and your relationship to it, what causes you do eat bad foods or eat in excess, if you haven't already.

best wishes

amaried621

I don't feel that I can really comment on this topic because I never had to ponder that question but I just want to say how absolutely inspiring it is hearing your stories of losing so much weight on your own. It's truly such a huge and amazing accomplishment!!! This is such a tough journey to be on and it is forever so I just want to congratulate everyone on the amazing job they have done!!

tatertotfishstick

the decision is yours... my sister in law had the surgery 6 years ago, she lost 100lbs, only to regain it all. No matter what you decided, we can be weightloss buddies!!

Nickwa76

Hi Becky,

I am currently weighting in at 370lbs (27stone to us UK-ers) and I have a gastric bypass surgery date a few days prior to your date....

I am ok with the skin problems after and I am psyching myself up for the liver shrinking diet (starts next week) and since joining MFP in Sept 2011 I haev lost 20lbs on my own, should have been 40lbs really but have lapsed and ate back too much, however the surgery is now looming and although I know it's gonna be hard and I know there are risks, for me PERSONALLY if I don't do this now I'll never do it. I have been overweight (and then some!) since I was a pre -teen, and I now in my mid 30's, I cant concieve naturally, and I am unable to do some of the things I loved, this I know is my fault, I choose to eat and I choose to ignore what my profession knowledge and common sense tells me!

I am hoping really the surgery is the kick start, to help me start to do more exercise and begin a healthier life. This probably sounds backwards and I wanna say that I know myself and I know what I can do, and I accept my pysical limitations AT THIS TIME...and that my hope is that whilst surgery is no cure, and I know I have some issues (!!) to work on, surgery is MY CHOICE OF TOOL.

All that said I am so inspired by our fellow MFP-ers, and I want to still use this site even after surgery. Here in the UK there is alot of predjudice against people who have gastric surgery from other OVERWEIGHT people- same in US?? Kinds like they see surgery as "easy option" or "cheating", I think soem of the above posts just go to prove how hard the journey is EVEN WITH surgery, ergo, how wrong they are.

All the very best for your decision-
xxx

fiveferrels

banded here, questions?? message me

sollyn

Hi Becky,
I have not had any surgery, but a close friend has and since having it done she is suffering from all sorts of anxieties and emotional trauma's. She has gone from being a wonderful bubbly life force to being periodically reclusive up until very recently when she has discovered Zumba which she loves and has lost a lot of weight.
I know that I would never have the surgery in either form as I dont think it deals with any of the emotional issues any better than the lighter life or cambridge diet etc does.
However, I am no expert and have only been dieting for a week myself. I am battling long term steroid use!
I wish you well with whichever journey you take, but make sure that you get real counselling before you make a decision. If you have any doubts for goodness sake don't do it. It isn't the easy option.
Just by the fact you are on this fabulous web site means you are thinking about your lifestyle. That is a big first step to taking control.

angelgutierrez

I have never had the surgery myself but there are several of my family members who have done it and seen amazing results. Here is what ive seen through their experiences. If you do go through with it follow a exercise plan otherwise you will have a lot of loose extra skin. Also see a counselor or therapist before you go, my cousin was a binge eater. After her surgery she ate nothing at all because she was never hungry. She got so sick that she became immobile, and had to have someone do everything for her. As she started eating and getting better she fell back in the habit of binge eating, which lead her to gain the weight back. Good luck in what ever you decide to do.

kiminikimkim

A friend did the gastric bypass. It worked for her, but she couldn't stop drinking coke which inhibited vitamin absorption. She gets full easily by eating better but she once confided that she is terrified to gain it all back. She recently plateaued and may have binged a couple of times.

By doing surgery, you will be watching your diet even more closely than you are doing now on MFP. So stick with MFP! You can do it!

Chagama

My wife had gastric bypass. On one hand she lost a lot of weight quickly. On the other, she has had a couple of complications from the surgery over the last couple of years and we've had some hospital visits and emergency surgeries. Lately she's been putting some weight back on due to poor eating habits and a lack of regular exercise. The surgery does nothing to change poor habits.

So, my opinion, as a concerned spouse, is that I wish she had not had any surgery and learned to modify her eating and exercise habits. She could have been in the same place by this time without all the complications and life-long restrictions that go with the surgery.

I fear it also sent a bad message to our kids, one of whom is very heavy and doesn't do much in terms of physical activity, that he doesn't need to get his eating and exercising under control, he can just have surgery someday.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

nehushtan

My sister in law had the surgery and my wife had it also. Both lost lots of weight and regained it all back in a few years, just as their surgeon said most people do. Another lady I know who had lap band has not lost a lot of weight, because as she says "it doesn't stop you from eating ice cream".

I think of my own weight issues as a persistent part of my life that are never going away. It's like an alcoholic -- even if he's been off the sauce for 12 years he still identifies himself as an alcoholic. I recommend that all of us who have been obese more than a decade think of themselves the same way.

I also recommend anyone considering the surgery to get on MFP (or sparkpeople, or livestrong, etc.) and track calories & exercise for at least one full year before having the surgery. If you are consistent you will have already lost a lot of weight and may decide to go the rest of the way on your own. If on the other hand you still want the surgery you will at least have accumulated the knowledge and habits that will make your surgery stick for the long term.

Surgery is a radical thing! My sister in law has permanent problems with digestion. My wife has intermitent digestion problems also. I'm glad you are re-considering it!

gailashton

Hi Becky, I do not claim to be an expert or anything of like. What I know is that if you don't change your habits, i.e. lifestyle with moderation when it comes to food and exercise, even this can fail. There are many people out there who initially lose weight, but not all of them keep it off. I do not think it is a quick fix either. If it's what you need to motivate you and get you started then so be it. Who is anyone to judge your choice. Yes there are risks involved, but there are risks involved with staying the way you are too. If you aren't going to do the work afterwards then don't waste your time or money on the surgery; it will only end up being like any diet. Lifestyle change, that is what this is all about.......

I began a biggest loser program and I have to tell you there was a girl there who had been obese her entire life at 5'2" and 329 pounds. She is now down to about 140 pounds through a healthy diet and exercise. That story amazed me that someone could go from that to a totally different person. There was a story I read a couple weeks ago on MFP of a guy who weighed over 500 pounds and he was down under 300 all through diet and exercise. Whatever you decide it has to be the choice for you. I hope for you that whatever you choose you can stick with it and achieve your goals. Good Luck and if you need a friend, here I am.