Is having surgery to lose weight hard work?

Crystal0827

I am just curious, I know several people who have had lap-band or bypass surgery and they say they have to work just as hard as someone who is changing their dieting habits and working out. Is this true? I am not saying that they don't but just wondering the point of the surgery? I am not trying to offend anyone, just educate myself.

angelialouise

havent done it myself, but have friends who have, and yes..HARD WORK

MaraDiaz

From what I've read on some of the bariatic forums, it's not only hard work, it's more painful by far than muscle soreness or hunger. And they have to lose quite a bit of weight just to qualify for the surgery. It really does seem like a last resort procedure.

Helloitsdan

Unless you have medical conditions that keep you from losing weight just diet.
Eat 20% below TDEE for 12 weeks then adjust numbers, rinse and repeat.
Lift weights for fat loss and lean mass retention.

HMD7703

At first it may be a bit easier but in the end it is just as hard. I think the appeal is that it helps get you to a point where you can take control of your life again. Many people that are obese feel like dieting and exercise wont work for them. Haven't we all tried fad diets and exercise plans a million times? Losing weight is not easy no matter what route you take. I don't think the struggle to get fit should be looked down on because of the avenue you took.

chachadiva150

All the surgery does is change your digestive system. It doesn't change your head or how the body works. They still have to maintain a calorie deficit (and exercise) in order to lose weight.

At one point gastric bypass was the hot new thing. Now that some time has passed, we are getting a better picture of the results. Yes, people can and will lose a lot of weight fast. However, we are also seeing people gain back 100 or 200 lbs because they haven't resolved their food issues.

vsay215

My aunt just recently had surgery done ( with in a yr) she has lost about 100 lbs and it is definitely a hard road. She eats as much as you would give a toddler. Certain food can upset the stomach. This was a choice for her but it is not for everyone.

cici1028

bump

DEEDLYNN

I had lapband and lost 25 lbs before it had to be removed. It was every bit as hard losing with the LAPBAND. It is still calories in and calories out. You still need to exercise. I wish I had my $17,000 back from the surgery.

WLS is a tool. I think it is a good and useful tool in some cases, but it still requires the effort to lose.

Just my humble opinion

FrenchMob

My opinion; it's a cop-out, an easier way out. No different than someone taking steroids to gain muscle. Not to mention the potential life altering complications of surgery even death.

breakthecycle

My Mom is 65 has been over 300 for my entire life. I myself hit 303 as my highest point. She got surgery a little over a four years ago. She now is at her goal of 140 and has stayed there for almost 3 years. She STILL has to work out 5 days a week. She calculates everything she eats and in the beginning she ate very TINY portions but now she eats the same amount I have on my plate. I'm now only at 188 and started the EXACT same day she did to lose myself and I did lose 115 kept it off for six month and gained it back. I think the most important thing is her head space has NOT changed but it gave her a jump start to get to where she has NEVER been and she feels so much better about herself that she REFUSES to go back. She is off ALL her meds. She can WALK again without looking like she's 105. I was actually angry with her at first for doing this because I had heard so many horror stories but to see her now it only makes me happy. She got a second chance at life. It is not for everyone. I could not do it personally but if 23 more years go by and I go up and down like a yo yo like she did my entire life who knows. I'm hoping this time around will be my LAST time and I can get to goal and STAY THERE!!

Crystal0827

All the surgery does is change your digestive system. It doesn't change your head or how the body works. They still have to maintain a calorie deficit (and exercise) in order to lose weight.

At one point gastric bypass was the hot new thing. Now that some time has passed, we are getting a better picture of the results. Yes, people can and will lose a lot of weight fast. However, we are also seeing people gain back 100 or 200 lbs because they haven't resolved their food issues.

I have seen some be very successful with the surgery but within 3 years they are right back where they started, weight wise. I don't want to look down on anyone for wanting to better themselves. I have a male friend who is 6'7 and 400 pounds, he wants to have the surgery but in order to have the surgery he has to lose some weight first. He lost about 40 pounds, then went right back to eating like he was and gained 1/2 of it back. I guess my whole point to him is....why have the surgery if he can't even stick to healthy eating habits for more then 3 months. I think some people get the idea that surgery is a short cut for weight loss. But from what I am seeing in this thread it isn't. I am trying to better educate myself so I can help him. Maybe he does need the surgery to boost his weight loss but as said above the person needs to mentally change as well. I know for myself, the HARDEST part of beginning healthy living was to train my brain.

TOMatoPASTE

I'm not an advocate of it however, it does have the best long term impact on weight loss by a large margin when compared to general diet/exercise/drug studies (this is in the research, not anecdotally). As others have mentioned, its not necessarily going to be the most comfortable journey, but you're kinda stuck on the road once you start (unless you go back under the knife). If you can stick to a better diet and lifestyle then it would be silly not to. Being healthy is about more than just weight!

Interestingly, these types of surgery DON'T JUST AFFECT THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. They actually alter the hormonal balance in the body, leading to reduced appetite and increased satiation (this can be seen in neuronal activity in the hypothalamus). The jury is still out on how this actually occurs.

Just some food for thought

Sl1ghtly

My opinion; it's a cop-out, an easier way out. No different than someone taking steroids to gain muscle. Not to mention the potential life altering complications of surgery even death.

I don't think its a cop out. I do think that the procedure is misrepresented as a cure all.

Robyn_T

I had RNY gastric bypass. Yes, it is hard. So many appointments, psychological changes, food restrictions, pain if you eat too much or something that isn't compatable with the changed stomach/bypassed intestine.

The surgery is generally done for multiple medical reasons--diabetes, morbid obesity, high blood pressure, etc. Losing weight is hard. Losing 200 lbs feels overwhelmingly difficult. Walking around with 200 extra pounds is also painful, limiting the ability to exercise.

People who have GBP can gain weight back if they don't follow their new diet and if they fall back on old habits, just like those who take a more "traditional"route for weight loss. As Deedlynn said, it's a tool. The point is to get someone to a healthy BMI and then keep them there, but, if the person isn't ready or have their head in the right place yet, it probably won't work permenantly. Thankfully, most trustworthy/reputable hospitals are requiring a big psych aspect in the pre- and post-op programs now.

shamr0ck

I lost my thyroid to cancer, and blew up. Then i got the lapband - and i still hit the gym for 12-14 hours a week, and struggle to lose weight. All the band does is help control your portion size - and you can still eat around it, if you choose to do so. You have to make the right food choices, and you have to move your *kitten*, or it isn't going to work.

And the side effects are hell. I'm probably going to have to get mine removed after having it less than 2 years, because it is destroying my esophagus. Just hoping i've learned enough good habits with it in to keep the weight off.

minimaggie

My opinion; it's a cop-out, an easier way out. No different than someone taking steroids to gain muscle. Not to mention the potential life altering complications of surgery even death.

I guess opinions are like a@@holes, everyone has one and they all stink!!! That being said....

I have a lapband. I had no choice in getting my band if I wanted to lose weight.

From 1994-1998 I lost over 90 pounds through diet and exercise, then in 1998, I was in a car accident and ended up with a PERMANENT fracture of my L3 vertebrae, 10 weeks flat on my back, 8 month in a back brace and no exercise involving the core for over a year....guess what the weight came back plus a whole lot more. I am cursed to gain unless I can exercise.

By 2000 I was over 300 lbs and could not exercise without extereme pain, legs going numb and back spasms. I also could not lose the weight without exercise, so in 2003 I made the life saving decision to have a lap band implanted. I dropped 172 lbs over a 3 year period, then in 2007 my band slipped and I had to have it replaced. Due to complications from the surgery, I gained almost 100 lbs back.

I work out 3-5 days per week, two of which are with a trainer, I eat right and am working to become lean and fit. A lapband is not a cop-out but tool to help those of us who are not physically able to at 300 lbs to exercise sufficiently. I have to work twice as hard to get my nutrients in to keep my body from feeling starved.

Next time you want to be rude and dismissive you may want to think about how your words may affect others.

chachadiva150

Due to complications from the surgery, I gained almost 100 lbs back.

I'm not being rude. Did the surgery cause you to gain the weight back or was it your eating that caused you to gain the weight back?

SewingLynx

I know a ton of people who have done this and oddly enough their doctors make them lose weight in order to get the surgery done. Low and behold these people up and lose 15 to 20 lbs just to be able to get the surgery.

My thought process is not very pro-surgery in this case, because if they can manage to lose 20 lbs to get the surgery done, why can't they just keep going with the weight loss and ignore the surgery? I think people look for the easier way out. I'm not so sure I believe it's "just as hard" for them to lose weight. Although, I'm sure recovery from the surgery sucks.

I have seen other cases where people get the surgery because they have to, for one reason or another, and that's okay. You just make the best choice for you. I just wish people wouldn't just run for the easiest/fastest option...

tiffastar

I must tell everyone my sister died from bypass surgery. She basically starved for the month after the surgery as she was not able to eat anything and losing almost 50lbs in a month. Her heart gave out.

dirtbikegirl5

I would do this as a last resort. Look up Carny Wilson. She had the surgery done, lost weight, gained weight and is having it done again. I think it is necessary for some people who have tried everything, but it is dangerous and is not a quick fix.

TheChocolatePrincess

Most of the people I know who have had the surgery are miserable. They hate the skin and most of them are smaller than they wanted to be and they have been struggling to gain weight.

Personally, I would only do the surgery if I weighed too much to excercise.

I have noticed that most of my friends who have had the surgey haven't changed their eating habits, they just eat less because their stomachs can't hold as much food, but they are still eating the same foods that they ate before, some of them actually eat worse than they ate before because they know they can't consume as much.

I have two good friends who were in and out of the hospital (after bypass) with kidney and liver and pancreas issue.

Surgery isn't a guarantee (as I also have a friend who put much of the weight back on years after the initial surgery); it isn't an easy fix (there can be many complications and medical issues such as malnutrition and other consequences as a result of the surgery); and it doesn't mean that you won't continue to struggle.

Getting over food "issues" and body image "issues" and learning to incorporate excercise into a daily rountine is the first step. Don't expect miracles, expect life changes (and the miracles may come...LOL). In any event, I am realistic about my weight loss expectations. Right now I do not have any medical issues or complications that prevent me from excercising and eating right. So I am trying my darndest to be disciplined. And I am far from a skinny minnie (very far). But I don't want to take the surgey route unless I find myself in a position where my quality (and quantity) of life is greatly affected by my weight. Right now, it isn't.

LorinaLynn

I have friends who've had/are having great success (like Robyn! :drinker: ), a friend who's had mediocre success, and a friend who died from complications. :frown:

The people who have great success work their *kitten* off. And they're people who've legitimately tried every traditional weight loss method. And it's ain't easy.

laurasimmons

It is definitely hard work! My mom had gastric bypass surgery and lost a whole lot of weight. Unfortunately she put most of it back on. I think its harder in the fact that it is such a drastic change instead of a gradual one.

minimaggie

Due to complications from the surgery, I gained almost 100 lbs back.

I'm not being rude. Did the surgery cause you to gain the weight back or was it your eating that caused you to gain the weight back?

Combination of the two. I developed a pocket in my digestive track and my body started trying to digest everything above my band, when my doctor put in a new band he would not tighten it until the pocket disappeared. However, my body was used to surviving off of less than 600 cal per day, with the new band and larger opening, I was eating between 1200 and 1500 calories a day, my body didn't know how to use the extra caloris, so here came the weight.

tammyopolin

People who have bypass or lap band surgery have to work just as hard to lose weight. Especially with the lap band. It's a tool. It will help you lose weight, but if the person doesn't change their eating and exercising habits, it won't do anything. Like someone mentioned, it is possible to eat around the restrictions of the lap band. Going through surgery and overhauling your entire lifestyle isn't "the easy way out". If someone took the steps to lose weight, get themselves healthy and change their life for the better, does it really matter which tools they used to do it? Applaud their effort and hard work, don't belittle them because you don't agree with their method.

wonderwomanwannaB

I would say I have worked just as hard post-op as I did pre-op. My reason for the surgery wasn't just about the weight (at 290 lbs, I was on the lower end of even being heavy enough) but also because of a genetic predisposition of insulin resistance related to PCOS. There have successes in regulating insulin through the bypass surgery that yes, is a result of wt. loss but also there are theories that it has to deal with the nerves being cut (or something along those lines)

Pre-op I was always extremely active and did make extreme efforts to keep a balanced, healthy diet.

Now for maintenance it IS easier post-op as compared to weight loss pre-op, but that is largely due to the fact that certain hormonal levels have balanced out and now I can normally work with my body rather than constantly battling my syndrome. I feel now I can follow the rules and the numbers and they WORK. I've also gotten to a point where you would not know from the way I eat that I had surgery. I have normal (and by normal I mean the amount someone should be eating) portions and appetites. I can drink with a meal. I see these as a blessing because I generally feel like I have a normal, healthy life now that I didn't have before. For many people this is the curse because if they didn't develop good habits pre-op they can fall back into wt. gain easily.

The downside: With everything else balancing out so well, my GLP-1 spiked and I have episodes of hypoglycemia if I go overboard on simple CHOs w/o combining them with fat and protein. Taking the vitamins is a MUST and a lot of people eventually let this go by the wayside. I always need to be careful about alcohol as it hits much more quickly. But that just makes my bar tab cheaper

4 years this May, 120 lbs lost, no regain, still working towards my 'ideal' weight but happy to be putting in the work towards it and maintaining all losses.

Crystal0827

People who have bypass or lap band surgery have to work just as hard to lose weight. Especially with the lap band. It's a tool. It will help you lose weight, but if the person doesn't change their eating and exercising habits, it won't do anything. Like someone mentioned, it is possible to eat around the restrictions of the lap band. Going through surgery and overhauling your entire lifestyle isn't "the easy way out". If someone took the steps to lose weight, get themselves healthy and change their life for the better, does it really matter which tools they used to do it? Applaud their effort and hard work, don't belittle them because you don't agree with their method.

I am sorry I didn't mean to offend anyone, I am not trying to belittle their efforts. I am just trying to learn more.

redmapleleaf

My opinion; it's a cop-out, an easier way out. No different than someone taking steroids to gain muscle. Not to mention the potential life altering complications of surgery even death.

I totally agree.

minkakross

my mother had the RNY done over 10 years ago, and while she has gained and lost and gained over the years she has never qualified as obese again and I hope for the sake of her health never does. The gastric bypass has been around for over 30 years, the sleeve and lapband, not as long so the longevity research isn't as complete, but they all work. The key is finding which is the best fit for the needs of the person seeking surgery. it is not the answer for every person just because they are overweight, but some people do not simply lose weight by following the rules. Diabetics, people like the previous poster who are insulin resistant due to PCOS, people with hypercholesterolemia, they all struggle to lose weight because their body doesn't cooperate. They can do everything right and where a normal person may lose 10 pounds they lose a fraction if anything at all.

Yes, almost anyone can lose weight and many doctors require them to before performing the surgery but it's not like winning the weight loss lottery. Diet and exercise will always play a part in reaching their goal and keeping the weight off. to say that it's a copout or compare it to using steroids is like saying it's a copout to put a cast on a broken bone. If changing someone's digestive track allows them to stop taking insulin, cholesterol meds, and god knows what else medication they may take and save kidney and liver functions while also helping them lose weight to prolong life and strain on the heart; I'd say good for them! If they become one of the minority that gained an unhealthy amount of weight back I would still be supportive because whether you lost the weight with surgery, diet drinks, calorie counting, or exercise alone you did a good thing for your body and you're more likely to get back on track with support than shame or criticism.

tcmay72

Still hard work! I had the lap band last aug. instead of just feeling guilty for over eating you will feel a physical reminder. It is a tool not a cure. It has helped me stick to this new eating life style. In the past i would have already given up. I knew the lap band would be more work on my part, than traditinal gastric bypass, but it was the right choice for me:0) Good luck the biggest thing learned for me has been how quikly i ate, not no more slow and chew chew chew is my new way of dinning.