Weight loss surgery...

Faye_Anderson

She's considering lying to physicians and faking tests to qualify for surgery. This is someone that's making excuses. We're not talking about you, or anyone else.

All you know about her is what she posted above. You do not know her struggles, her life and what has put her in the position where she would even consider such behaviour. It is completely wrong for her to do this but just to be told she doesn't need surgery is not helpful....what excuses is she making?

I bet I can guess though, eating too much rubbish, taking zero responsibility and expecting someone else to fix it. Truth hurts

ladyfingers73

You're honestly is ....welll...ummm...shocking. From what I know about surgery, it's not an easy way out. Sooner or later you have to deal with your demons. I have a good friend on here who had it it's a struggle. Losing weight is 90% Mental....yes, it's a head trip. Maybe you should seek counseling if you can't deal with your own issues alone.

domgirl85

I think before you try to get surgery, you should consider seeking therapy. No amount of weight loss is going to make you love yourself if you don't already. Also, weight loss surgery is not a "quick fix". If you have trouble sticking to a fitness plan now, it'll only be harder after surgery. Most weight loss surgeries require you to be on an extremely strict food regimen with exercise.

But more importantly, look for counseling in your area. You said you were depressed and if weight is stopping you from enjoying life. That's a big problem that should be handled FIRST! You also mentioned you were a cutter. Therapy will help you figure out why you feel how you do and help you figure out how to change your thinking. Once you do that, you may find that losing weight on your own is easier because you have a different outlook.

jporte

Some people may disagree with me on this but I have had 5 co-workers who have had the surgery (and I know there are probably different kinds and I have no idea which one had what) but not one of them is normal weight right now.
1 is in a nursing home after major complications from her surgery.
2 was diagnosed with MS within a year or 2 after and started losing her eyesight.
3 is the only one that looks kindoff ok but she's always cold (wears fleece coats in the summer too) so someting isn't right there.
4 and 5 (5 gained it back fairly quickly too) both gained their weight back...not sure about any other issues though.

And I'm sure that there are probably plenty of people who are perfectly fine after having the surgery but if you can try to do it on your own why risk your life?

You need to try to lose this weight a different way...give it some time....good luck!

melbot24

You know what surgery does for you? Forces you to eat cleaner and in small quantities with mild exercise or you get sick.
You know what losing weight naturally is? Eating cleaner and in small quantities with exercise lest you get fat.

I mean. It seems like a no-brainer. It's not magic. Save yourself the recovery, expense, and pain and stop making excuses.

This.

What I'm disgusted with is not your weight but your mindset.
Frankly, it really pisses me off when people think there's an easy way out.

Woman up and lose the weight. I started at 275, if I did it, you can do it.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

ShinyFuture

You might want to look into counseling - you sound like you are suffering from depression.

1200 calories a day seems very low for your weight. I'm your height and my starting weight is less and my calories are 1660 a day.

jen_bd6

You need to consider seeking therapy before considering a life changing surgery like that... My mom had lap band that went horribly wrong.... which meant I had to rush her to the emergency room to get checked out... turns out the Dr screwed up and 80% of her stomach was damaged... she now has a permanant stomach sleeve. She has went from 285 pounds to 115 (she is 5'1") but now has extreme difficulty eating at all most days and is struggling to gain weight... use the surgery as a FINAL effort...

corriewarren

I work at a sleep lab and I have also had lapband. First off, you do not want to "fail" a sleep study and pretend that you have sleep apnea. It is a very serious and can be a fatal problem if not treated. If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, it will follow you in your medical record forever. Your insurance can be affected by the diagnosis. I would not recommend this thought at all.

Second, I had lap band surgery and all was great. I lost 65 pounds. Then one day, I got food poisining and started throwing up. Now granted, throwing up before lap band and after lap band are two totally different things. It is like comparing an apple to a twinkie. I threw up as best I could all night long and thought I was throwing up the stuff I had eaten since it was brownish in color. That morning I got up, went to the restroom, threw up bright red blood, went to leave the restroom, and passed out in the hallway. My 15 yr old son had to drive me to the hospital with me throwing up blood in a bag. We got to the hospital and I was in such extreme pain, they considered it to be a trauma and rushed me through. I was immediately started on IV's and admitted into the hospital. After three days of being knocked out so that I would not be in constant pain, they gave me a barium swallow to test my lap band. I had had a barium swallow many times before with the lap band and there was never a problem. That day however, I did the swallow and then proceeded to throw up the barium. The doctor and nurses rushed into my room, and I was rushed to emergency surgery. They said that it was to the point that it was life threatening. My band had slipped down too far over my stomach since I had not eaten anything and then it had twisted. They removed my band. Seven days of hospital sleeping later, I was home for a week to recooperate.

Now, all that being said....would I do it again to lose weight? Yes, but I would be so much more cautious with my eating. I have not had Manwich meat and sauce ever since this instance. I know people who have gone through the surgery and others like it and have turned out 50-100 pounds less in the end and feel great. I would caution you to get a good physician (mine was rated in the top 10 in Texas for 12 years running - it was not his fault), get a good educator to help you with eating afterwards and have a plan of attack on what you will or will not be able to eat. They tell you soft foods. OK - ask yourself what soft foods WILL you eat? They say you can have soup? OK - what SOUP will you eat? and can you eat a lot of it? Also, find out BEFORE your surgery if you will be able to get PERSONAL insuarnce coverage afterwards. I didn't do this. Although I paid for the surgery out of my own pocket, unless my employer gives me insurance, I am not eligible for any private coverage. That and I owed the hospital over $250,000.00 after it was all said and done.\

Please be cautious about surgery and do not try to fake sleep study results. :noway:

kimjoan

Look people - let's get one thing out of the way here... WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY IS NOT A "QUICK FIX", nor is it the "EASY WAY OUT"! I am 8 1/2 years post-op and still have my weight off. Why - Because I have done everything that the doctors told me to, I work my butt off every day in an effort to keep the weight off, AND, I got my head on straight before having WLS and addressed the issues that caused me to be addicted to food.

To the original poster - Based on your comments here you ARE NOT yet a candidate for WLS. I would highly recommend that you go see a counselor for a few sessions. If there is not a physical reason you are overweight it is highly likely that you are addicted to food - in the same way that people are addicted to nicotine, alcohol, etc. The problem is that when you are addicted to food you can't just stop consuming it or you will die. So, you have to address the problems that have led to the food addiction. Until you do that you absoultely should not have weight loss surgery. While you are doing this use MFP, reach out to the community that is her to be support for you and talk to your doctor about a food and exercise program for yourself. Absoutely (as others have said) do not fake anything medically. Can you imagine what you would be doing to your body if you faked diabetes somehow and started treating something like that that you don't have? You would really mess up your body.

Hope this is helpful - good luck!

rustyguy

Have you tried seeing a nutritionist and a personal trainer? I began seeing a nutritionist and had no idea how badly I was eating. When you have a problem as serious as this it may require some professional help to get it under control. It took months for me to change the way I eat.

1200 calories may not be enough for you to not feel hungry. If you are not eating the right food you will constantly feel hungry no matter how many calories you consume. This leads to overeating. My nutritionist made sure I was eating a sufficient volume of food so that I felt full. This included so much chicken and vegetables that there were days I couldn't finish what he planned for me.

nataliexxxx

maybe you need to increase your calories from 1200, this number works for some people but not everyone but surely you must be losing some weight if you are eating 1200 calories and are 250pounds are you eating the right foods and logging everything

fabafter5

I'm not understanding why it is the responsibility of your insurance company to pay for a procedure that you want but medically don't need. Isn't this insurance fraud? Chances are if insurance won't cover it then you might not even qualify as a good candidate for the procedure in the first place.

If you want it so bad why not take out a loan and pay for it out of pocket instead of lie. If I were you I would save all of that money, time, recovery, pain and put it towards a trainer and a nutritionist and really work the program.

Take some time and read through some blogs from WLS patients. This is not an easy road to take.

astrampe

I want to get weight loss surgery since none of my efforts on my own are working. My insurance requires that you have so many co-morbid issues along with your weight problem. I unfortunately don't. I have PCOS but that doesn't qualify. Is it possible to purposefully fail a sleep study so that it looks like you have sleep apnea? Can I trick a diabetes test into saying I have diabetes?
.

Utterly disgusting that you "unfortunately" don't have other health issues and wants to LIE about it.... Get help with your lack of ethics - maybe that will make you realize that there is no easy way out....It's hard work......

kamakazeekim

She's considering lying to physicians and faking tests to qualify for surgery. This is someone that's making excuses. We're not talking about you, or anyone else.

All you know about her is what she posted above. You do not know her struggles, her life and what has put her in the position where she would even consider such behaviour. It is completely wrong for her to do this but just to be told she doesn't need surgery is not helpful....what excuses is she making?

I bet I can guess though, eating too much rubbish, taking zero responsibility and expecting someone else to fix it. Truth hurts

Just so you know I measure and weight everything. I feel sick with every bite of food. I have to force myself to reach the 1200 calorie goal. My family thinks I'm bordering on turning into an anorexic. Every bite of food I take makes me literally cry. The idea of having to eat back exercise calories makes me want to cut myself.

wlkumpf

losing weight is trial and error. If you are eating 1200 calories try 1300. Your body may be in starvation mode because the more weight you have the more it burns. If something isn't working try something new. Vary your workout routines. Push yourself harder. Losing weight is a long slow process if you do so healthy. What example do you want to set? You can't tell me you want to show your child to take the quick fix that will lead to a lifelong struggle to follow their post surgery guidelines? There are strict rules before and after surgery.

Pass on the prepackaged snacks and cut down on carbs. Add lean proteins more workouts and get some possitive attitude going. Maybe the scale isn't moving but you can job one more block than you could last week. Sometimes clothes fit differently at the exact same weight because of toning.

I would pay a professional to get things started if I had to. It sounds like you may be struggling, but my gosh, you just had a baby and need to give yourself some time. You will save yourself a lot of heartache in the future and a lot of back patting if you do this through hard work and dedication than a risky surgery that is short term because I have seen people gain the weight back and that is life threatening!

justal313

Seeing as how you have only been on MFP since July, i would probably say you need to give it more time. As for failing the tests intentionally i'm not sure how you would do it or WHY you would want to. Weight loss surgeries have their own set of complications and losing it yourself is much safer and healthier. My opinion is don't cheat...try harder.

Wait loss surgery is not a cheat, it's a tool. You still have to work at losing the weight, it just helps you. Sure getting a full gastric bypass will MELT off the weight but the other methods will only get you to maybe 1.5x of a loss rate as you could manage without.

I know people who have had Weight Loss Surgery and it's no miracle cure and not cheating.

However, you will have to learn to eat differently after your surgery, I see people with even lapbands who have to be very careful of what and HOW you eat and they suffer if they don't.

But there's a reason that insurance companies have conditions for any kind of weight loss surgery, it's invasive surgery and will change your body permanently. If you dont NEED it they don't want you having it.

The original poster should be thanking all that is holy that their aren't co-morbidities as they aren't just ticks on a checklist they are quality of life reducing medical conditions.

If all you are is overweight, make small changes, get the fitness ball rolling and you can get to the point where you can step up your efforts. It will be hard, but you still have to change your diet (note not go on a diet) and you still have to move more, you just have an extra tool to lose that comes with it's own baggage.

danne32339

Please seek immediate help for your depression. You have to get those feeling under control before worrying about weight loss.
This is the best advice I've seen on this board so far. I know you're feeling really bad about yourself. I was very small most of my life and then I began to gain weight. I tried everything for several years and could not get it off. I had gastric sleeve surgery in June. My BMI was not high enough for my insurance to pay for it so I paid for it out of my pocket. There is no one size fits all when it comes to weight loss. I too have noticed a tendency for people to look at having surgery as "taking the easy way out". Trust me there is nothing easy about it. Surgery is just a tool and you still have to exercise and follow a good nutrition plan. Whatever you decide to do my advice to you is to be honest with your doctor. i am not walking in your shoes and would never judge even if i had. Please, see your doctor about your depression. I would be happy if you would keep in touch and let me know how you're doing.
God bless,
Doni

jennielou75

You really need to get off here and get some counselling from somewhere. Your mind is not where it needs to be at the moment. People are trying to help but you are not in a place where you can realise that. You need to have a very honest talk with your gp about what is going on. I know medical services cost money in the US so hopefully someone out there may have better info on the support that is available for you.

Every bite you take up to your 1200 calories is keeping you alive for your children. Make every mouthful as good as it can be and visualise the good it is doing for your body as it goes down.

allnewellie

Take it from someone who had weight loss surgery....If you are truly eating 1200 cals per day, exercising, etc, weight loss surgery will not help you. You have to be completely honest with yourself.

It's not a magic pill....it's rough. Still the best decision that I have ever made, but it requires calorie tracking, exercise, EXTREME portion control, and mastering the demons of an eating disorder. You have to do alot of work psychologically.

I have known so many people who have gotten WLS without being really prepared for it. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a quick and easy fix. If you aren't prepared, you waste time and money on a tool that won't help you and only makes you far more unhealthy than when you started. If you are prepared to really use your WLS as a tool and a means to an end, it will be the best decision ever.

MSSG me if you have questions.

Heather

EXCELLENT post! :flowerforyou:

corriewarren

Along with my posting earlier, I would like to add this thought: I am saying a prayer for you and your depression. I have battled with it myself and know what it feels like. I pray for you to find the spirtual help and guidance you need. I pray that you find and surround yourself with positive people who are willing to help you. I lift you up to God to heal your mind and your body.

lrichardson2360

I don't think it's fair for people to call you disgusting. Everyone who's had to lose a signifigant amount of weight has felt desparate at one time or another. That being said, I agree with the majority that you should not have surgery. I have seen quite a few friends who were morbly obese do this and while the did lose weight in the beginning, they gained the majority of it back because they did not learn to eat healthy and exercise. They physically could not eat as much, but once thier body adjusted to the surgery, they were able to eat more and more until they gained it back. Not to mention all the side effects.

Please don't do this. In the end, it's not worth it. You just need to be patient and let it happen natually. It's taken me 3 1/2 years to lose 71 lbs, and while there have been stumbles and set backs along the way, I'm a much happier and healthier person than I have been in a long, long time.

RainHoward

She's considering lying to physicians and faking tests to qualify for surgery. This is someone that's making excuses. We're not talking about you, or anyone else.

All you know about her is what she posted above. You do not know her struggles, her life and what has put her in the position where she would even consider such behaviour. It is completely wrong for her to do this but just to be told she doesn't need surgery is not helpful....what excuses is she making?

I bet I can guess though, eating too much rubbish, taking zero responsibility and expecting someone else to fix it. Truth hurts

Just so you know I measure and weight everything. I feel sick with every bite of food. I have to force myself to reach the 1200 calorie goal. My family thinks I'm boarding on turning into an anorexic. Every bite of food I take makes me literally cry. The idea of having to eat back exerciser calories makes me want to cut myself.

You're really not gaining sympathy by posting this. What you are showing, however, is that you are in no way even close to being a viable candidate for surgery. You seriously need therapy, a lot of it. I'm saying that to be a mean person, I'm saying that because you need help the same way I needed help.

Either that or you're just a troll seeking attention.

Laurayinz

I have known so many people who have gotten WLS without being really prepared for it. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a quick and easy fix. If you aren't prepared, you waste time and money on a tool that won't help you and only makes you far more unhealthy than when you started. If you are prepared to really use your WLS as a tool and a means to an end, it will be the best decision ever.

My mother in law and a cousin in law both had it done, and while they ate the tiny bits afterward and were miserable, they didn't change enough of their habits and went back to their old ways and now are heavy again. The cousin even had plastic surgery to reduce her arms and thighs and she's big again. You have to change what's going on in your head, forever. I hope you reconsider and give yourself a chance.

astrampe

[/quote]

Just so you know I measure and weight everything. I feel sick with every bite of food. I have to force myself to reach the 1200 calorie goal. My family thinks I'm boarding on turning into an anorexic. Every bite of food I take makes me literally cry. The idea of having to eat back exerciser calories makes me want to cut myself.
[/quote]

Go get help - fast! You owe it to your loved ones...."cutting yourself" and crying will not fix anything - and you are responsible for your children, so start by taking responsibility for yourself first.....

moxiecowgirl

I am working toward surgery. It's far from easy and most certainly not an easy or quick fix to obesity. Speaking from personal experience it sounds like you have other issues you need to deal with before addressing the weight. Depression is a real b!tch when you're overweight. I've dealt with it, or rather lived with it, most of my life. I didn't start actually dealing with it until a couple years ago.

It is virtually impossible to lose weight until you deal with the reasons you are overweight to begin with. You have to deal with and understand what drives you to overeat, the real reasons you don't exercise. Not the excuses we make for ourselves, but the true, deep seated reasons for our behaviors.

If you try and get surgery as a quick fix without dealing with all the other issues first you will fail. And when you fail after bariatric surgery it's not a good thing, it can be fatal.

I was about to type all this myself, but it's already been said for me!

For those who think weight loss surgery is a "quick fix"...I'd like to see how "quick" you think it is to complete 6-9 months of supervised dieting, a grand total of 24 doctor visits, 2 psych evals, and an EGD, and that's just before surgery. Oh yeah, and that's also for someone with no comorbidities, on the "fast" track...you know, because I'm "really healthy".

Anyone doing it right isn't taking the easy way out, I promise you.

MrsB123111

You know what surgery does for you? Forces you to eat cleaner and in small quantities with mild exercise or you get sick.
You know what losing weight naturally is? Eating cleaner and in small quantities with exercise lest you get fat.

I mean. It seems like a no-brainer. It's not magic. Save yourself the recovery, expense, and pain and stop making excuses.

And it is comments like this that make people who have had wls feel really good about themselves. My surgeon is involved in reasearch which has found that in the morbidly obese or super orbidly obese group those who have tried and lost weight 'by themselves' in whatever manner they have over 90% regain all that weight and more. Being in that state is an illness it is not 'making excuses'.

WLS is a tool to support weight loss and after that has been achieved, a healthy life. I will be seeing counsellors to address my overeating and issues with food to ensure I never go back to the way I was. For every person that has regained since surgery there are those who have maintained a healthy weight through controlling food and getting in exercise.

Please do not belittle people who have chosen the surgery route, you do not know the effect your words may have.

AGREED! I had bypass in April 2011 and have lost 110 pounds. I have NO side effects from surgery, aside from the fact that I feel AMAZING! WLS is a TOOL, people!

To the OP: I feel for you. I was in the exact same situation as you 2 years ago; extremely overweight, depressed, feeling hopeless... See your general physician, tell them what's going on. At 5'3" and over 250, you are well within the limit of the surgery and your PCOS will be a factor as well, and so will your depression.

Here is my warning to you: Get your depression under control first because after having the surgery, it does NOT get easier right away. It's a complete change of your life and ALL your habits! It can be really difficult to get used to, not only for you, but EVERYONE around you.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions

astrampe

I am working toward surgery. It's far from easy and most certainly not an easy or quick fix to obesity. Speaking from personal experience it sounds like you have other issues you need to deal with before addressing the weight. Depression is a real b!tch when you're overweight. I've dealt with it, or rather lived with it, most of my life. I didn't start actually dealing with it until a couple years ago.

It is virtually impossible to lose weight until you deal with the reasons you are overweight to begin with. You have to deal with and understand what drives you to overeat, the real reasons you don't exercise. Not the excuses we make for ourselves, but the true, deep seated reasons for our behaviors.

If you try and get surgery as a quick fix without dealing with all the other issues first you will fail. And when you fail after bariatric surgery it's not a good thing, it can be fatal.

I was about to type all this myself, but it's already been said for me!

For those who think weight loss surgery is a "quick fix"...I'd like to see how "quick" you think it is to complete 6-9 months of supervised dieting, a grand total of 24 doctor visits, 2 psych evals, and an EGD, and that's just before surgery. Oh yeah, and that's also for someone with no comorbidities, on the "fast" track...you know, because I'm "really healthy".

Anyone doing it right isn't taking the easy way out, I promise you.

I don't think anybody here except the original poster see weight loss surgery as "the easy way out" - But people can pick up on the idea that the OP does - and that she will fail at that, because it is not easy....

drwgal

First off you don't have to eat back your exercise calories. I don't and I know many others don't either. I'm not quite as heavy as you are, but nonetheless I am still obese. You have one of two choices in this matter...put on your big girl panties and try harder, or live the way you have been living for the rest of your life. Faking medical problems is down right unethical and disgusting. Sure everyone wishes there was a quick fix to being healthy and skinny, but there isn't one. You NEED to eat to lose weight, but you also need to exercise. I eat 1600-1800 calories a day just so I can lose 30lbs. If I ate 1200 calories, I wouldn't be making much progress. I lost 0.8lbs in about a week...although it is likely just water weight, it is still encouraging. Measuring and weighing your food does absolutely no good if you are not eating and exercising properly. Losing weight is 80% eating and 20% moving. Get up and do something every hour or few hours, seek help for your depression, as it can lead to over eating. Don't think for two seconds that you are alone in this struggle, because there are MILLIONS of people in your shoes right now, some may be heavier than you, or not as heavy as you, but we are ALL struggling, or have struggled with our body image issues....if we didn't we would remain fat and not bothered by how we look or feel.

I used to be a cutter...It is merely a control thing. You cannot control your emotional pain, but you can control the physical when you slice your arms, legs, head and so forth, but it won't fix any of your issues, in fact it will make things worse for you. STOP making excuses, there is a reason why you are not losing weight, because weight loss, no matter how big you are, is not impossible if you try hard enough. It is only impossible if you make it impossible.

Weight loss surgery won't fix you, it seems to me that you have deeper issues than just being over weight. You seriously need to see a professional.

RainHoward

I am working toward surgery. It's far from easy and most certainly not an easy or quick fix to obesity. Speaking from personal experience it sounds like you have other issues you need to deal with before addressing the weight. Depression is a real b!tch when you're overweight. I've dealt with it, or rather lived with it, most of my life. I didn't start actually dealing with it until a couple years ago.

It is virtually impossible to lose weight until you deal with the reasons you are overweight to begin with. You have to deal with and understand what drives you to overeat, the real reasons you don't exercise. Not the excuses we make for ourselves, but the true, deep seated reasons for our behaviors.

If you try and get surgery as a quick fix without dealing with all the other issues first you will fail. And when you fail after bariatric surgery it's not a good thing, it can be fatal.

I was about to type all this myself, but it's already been said for me!

For those who think weight loss surgery is a "quick fix"...I'd like to see how "quick" you think it is to complete 6-9 months of supervised dieting, a grand total of 24 doctor visits, 2 psych evals, and an EGD, and that's just before surgery. Oh yeah, and that's also for someone with no comorbidities, on the "fast" track...you know, because I'm "really healthy".

Anyone doing it right isn't taking the easy way out, I promise you.

I've had multiple blood tests. A chemically induced stress test on my heart, required meetings with a nutritionist, a psychologist, the surgeon and my doctor. I've had to take a psychological exam. I have to get an endoscopy and complete multiple other tasks, as well as drop the 70 pounds. The surgeon wants my BMI at or below 70. It's not an easy thing to get and it takes a lot of work after the surgery. My S O had surgery about a year ago and has dropped over 200 pounds but she has to work for it.

WhatDoesLisa

You know what surgery does for you? Forces you to eat cleaner and in small quantities with mild exercise or you get sick.
You know what losing weight naturally is? Eating cleaner and in small quantities with exercise lest you get fat.

I mean. It seems like a no-brainer. It's not magic. Save yourself the recovery, expense, and pain and stop making excuses.

And it is comments like this that make people who have had wls feel really good about themselves. My surgeon is involved in reasearch which has found that in the morbidly obese or super orbidly obese group those who have tried and lost weight 'by themselves' in whatever manner they have over 90% regain all that weight and more. Being in that state is an illness it is not 'making excuses'.

WLS is a tool to support weight loss and after that has been achieved, a healthy life. I will be seeing counsellors to address my overeating and issues with food to ensure I never go back to the way I was. For every person that has regained since surgery there are those who have maintained a healthy weight through controlling food and getting in exercise.

Please do not belittle people who have chosen the surgery route, you do not know the effect your words may have.

AGREED! I had bypass in April 2011 and have lost 110 pounds. I have NO side effects from surgery, aside from the fact that I feel AMAZING! WLS is a TOOL, people!

My comment-OOPS for the editing! --->You are lucky but I think you are in the minority with no side effects. And I think we all seem to be overlooking the fact that a lot of bypass patients regain their weight.