Weight loss surgery...

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Replies

  • dkweathington
    dkweathington Posts: 69 Member
    Please seek immediate help for your depression. You have to get those feeling under control before worrying about weight loss.
    I know that sounds crazy but it's true. With help you can control your depression & begin to live a healther life. For you & your child.:heart:

    yes!!
  • dkweathington
    dkweathington Posts: 69 Member
    I'm not looking for sympathy or support and I'm not trolling. I just need to talk openly and honestly to people other than my family. I need real answers.

    I am just one of those people that have to be perfect at everything I do. School, work....everything. I was a three sport athlete in high school and was the captain of all 3 sports. I have always been a 4.0 student.

    My husband is in the process of getting gastric bypass thanks to his VA medical coverage. He has really bad sleep apnea so I know what a horrible condition it can be. My mother-in-law had gastric by pass 2 years ago and now looks like she can blow away in the wind. I am a research FREAK and know every single pro and con there is.

    No one takes me serious and my family tells me they love me no matter what I look like. I know weight loss surgery isn't a "magic bullet" and I know the work that goes in to it. I have had 5 abdominal surgeries over the past 3 years so surgery doesn't scare me. I saw a dietitian today who looked at my food journaling for the past 9 months ( I started long before joining MFP) and told me there is nothing they could recommend that I'm not doing or haven't already done. They told me I need to embrace my body and realize I'll never be my ideal weight. I've seen personal trainers and doctors about my excess testosterone levels which make my muscles unusually bulky and they said I need to avoid all weight bearing activities.

    I just can't accept defeat or not being the best. It's not who I am. There has to be an answer and if surgery isn't what is going to help me there has to be something out there that can.


    It makes me angry that doctors have told you that there is nothing to be done or you will never reach your ideal weight. I am coming from experience when I say to go get therapy. It helped me so much. It can change the way you think, and I believe, that is the biggest thing getting in your way. I would do a little more research on weight loss and use the tools MPF offers. I think you are eating too few calories.

    Did you let MPF set your goals or did you set them yourself!!! They say it is not recommended for a reason. They can set you at a much reasonable daily calorie goal and guide you as you lose weight by adjusting your goals accordingly.

    I think you have a lot more in you than you think. NOBODY is perfect and as long as you drive yourself crazy with that, you will probably fail. Believe me, I know!!!!!!!!!!! Plus you need the help for your kids too. You don't want the cycle to continue. If you had asked me five years ago what I thought of myself, it would have been a very negative answer. Today, I like me! I am not chained down with negative thoughts and actions anymore.

    Get the help. Change your thinking. It helps. I promise!!!
  • dkweathington
    dkweathington Posts: 69 Member
    Plus, have you thought of holistic medicine? This one of the thing that has helped!!! My hormones were all out of wak and now I feel great because they are "in check".
  • GabsMommy28
    GabsMommy28 Posts: 47 Member
    I was recommended for the surgery. I sat through the orientation but knew within 10 minutes I wouldn't do it. It is NOT safe to have children after. The child will not get the nutrition it needs if you have the surgery. Thank God I didn't do it or I wouldn't have my precious boy.
  • dkweathington
    dkweathington Posts: 69 Member
    I was recommended for the surgery. I sat through the orientation but knew within 10 minutes I wouldn't do it. It is NOT safe to have children after. The child will not get the nutrition it needs if you have the surgery. Thank God I didn't do it or I wouldn't have my precious boy.

    :heart: :flowerforyou: :smile:
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    Double post..sorry :)
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    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.

    Don't forget the

    EKG
    Stress Test
    Physical Therapy
    Counseling if you need it
    And all the other blood work

    *easy way out?*

    /snicker
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    I was recommended for the surgery. I sat through the orientation but knew within 10 minutes I wouldn't do it. It is NOT safe to have children after. The child will not get the nutrition it needs if you have the surgery. Thank God I didn't do it or I wouldn't have my precious boy.

    :heart: :flowerforyou: :smile:

    This is patently untrue. The only restrictions are to wait around 18 months to give your body a chance to heal. Many, MANY people have children after surgery. The fertility rates escalate enormously once obese people lose weight. You just need to give your own body time to adjust.
  • I am friends with someone on MFP who started in the high 500s and has lost 301 pounds. Don't say it is impossible and surgery is the answer, because MANY people with MUCH MORE to lose than you have done it the old fashioned way. And asking if you can fake a test so they will approve the surgery? Really? How about consistently sticking with eating well and exercising more? YOU have the power to change your life on your own. Will you???

    Here is another guy who started close to 500 and now runs marathons.

    http://500lbs2marathon.com/Home_Page.html
  • flatblade
    flatblade Posts: 224 Member
    I have seen both sides of the issue. My brother had bariatric surgery and it was very effective. He lost nearly 200 lbs. and reduced medications increased his mobility, and greatly enhanced his quality of life. He has suffered some side effects and has started to regain some of the weight. I believe he has gained back about 60 lb. I know of two people (co-workers with my wife) who were basically unsuccessful with the same surgery. Finally, my co-worker's husband has lost over 100 lbs. and greatly enhanced his quality of life. His wife is going to have the surgery next month. Everyone is different. Weight loss is probably impossible for some if they don't have surgery.

    I would have to be a lot more miserable and desperate before I had surgery. My LEARN group is a required precursor before Mayo patients can go under the knife. Most in my group are at least amenable to the idea and I am probably the most strongly opposed.
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
    The amount of misinformation regarding bariatric surgery that I have read on this thread is appalling.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    The amount of misinformation regarding bariatric surgery that I have read on this thread is appalling.

    Indeed.

    However, I don't even expect peeps on here to feel favorably towards this type of surgery. Peeps here want to feel that they are struggling to lose weight. It makes that journey SO much more satisfying, right? God forbid you take the 'easy way out'.

    Except..it isn't the 'easy way out' and anyone who did even a modicum of research that was legitimately interested in learning FACTS about this would learn that.

    It's a waste of breath. People see and hear what they want to. Anything else is just noise :(
  • if yu remove fat from your belly and thighs and other normal body fat storage spots your fat will start to grow in odd places that have smaller amounts of fat like the top of your knees.armpits and feet and you will look disfigured.do it the natural way :)
  • tothetide
    tothetide Posts: 21 Member
    Ok, first off, all the negativity and mean comment need to stop. It's rude and it's not productive.

    Now, to try and help with your question, all I can say is lying or trying to "cheat" your way into getting a surgery that probably won't be successful for you in the long run is not a good idea. A lot of people are in your shoes. Maybe for right now, you should just focus on loving yourself the way you are. And keep up with a positive lifestyle change (eating right, working out). Much peace and love! I hope you find your way to happiness. <3
  • I think you wrote your question for this community very openly and honestly, knowing that the vast vast majority of us would try to talk you out of surgery....esp cheating to get surgery.
    I hope all our answers have helped you.
    I can only suggest one more thing: make your food diary public, engage in transparency, be open to criticism of your food choices. It breeds accountability. It will help (may not be very easy but it will help)
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
    if yu remove fat from your belly and thighs and other normal body fat storage spots your fat will start to grow in odd places that have smaller amounts of fat like the top of your knees.armpits and feet and you will look disfigured.do it the natural way :)

    WTF you talkin bout?
  • if yu remove fat from your belly and thighs and other normal body fat storage spots your fat will start to grow in odd places that have smaller amounts of fat like the top of your knees.armpits and feet and you will look disfigured.do it the natural way :)

    WTF you talkin bout?

    I think this person confused lipo with WLS, LOL!!!
  • subcult
    subcult Posts: 262 Member
    I think the OP was mostly thinking out load thinking about something wrong and doing them are very different.
  • masirahmo
    masirahmo Posts: 30 Member
    Please forgive me if I'm way off base on this, but there are a lot of things about this post which simply don't add up, and I'm wondering if KamikazeeKim has got exactly what she wanted - i.e. being the centre of attention for a couple of hundred people.
    The diction, grammar and spelling of the original post are good - well above that of the average, which leads me to believe that this girl is not stupid; yet she expects us to believe that she didn't know that testing for diabetes is done by taking blood and therefore cannot be faked. A simple Google search would give her all the info she needed, and also dispel any thoughts of trying to fake it. I don't know enough about the sleep apnoea to comment, but it sounds very much as if the same criteria apply.
    I think a lot of people are fixating on the surgery, and maybe not looking closely enough at the rest of the information provided; which again, does not make sense. A 250lb person eating 1200 calories a day and exercising hard is going to lose weight - however unhealthy that level of intake is for a person her size. Even if she's hit a plateau, there is no way that the weight would be "piling on" at that calorific intake.
    In short, I believe that we are being treated to the same fairy story that she is feeding the doctors, in the vain hope that somebody will take pity on her and give her some tips on how to con the doctor into giving her the quick fix she wants.

    I'm sorry if this sounds harsh - but the facts provided simply do not add up!!
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    It makes me angry that doctors have told you that there is nothing to be done or you will never reach your ideal weight.

    Do you really believe doctors told her that? She is clearly delusional, possibly secondary to depression.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    It makes me angry that doctors have told you that there is nothing to be done or you will never reach your ideal weight.

    Do you really believe doctors told her that? She is clearly delusional, possibly secondary to depression.

    Actually, though I would not go as far to say she is delusional, I can agree that it is possible she was not told this. Like I said in my previous post, when my depression is not under control, I can essentially lie to myself. So I can see how if the doctors told her something like "Due to your medical history it may be more difficult to lose weight" or "For some reason it is slow for you, but it will happen" that all the OP did was focus on the negative and come out with "I can't lose weight and the doctors told me so" or "I can't lose weight and I am a failure". Depression can play a lot of evil tricks like that.
  • drwgal
    drwgal Posts: 66
    i'm with everyone else. its absolutely despicable that you would LIE in order to get weight loss surgery!!! There are so many other people out there with ligitimate reasons for getting the surgery. Suck it up, stop putting food in your mouth and move your body EVERY DAY!!!!!!!

    You are not with EVERYONE else. The girl admits that she is depressed. Don't make it worse.

    I have clinical depression, severe anxiety, and I used to be a cutter...You don't see me posting this stuff, I went and got help.

    ..... which simply means you're at a different stage of emotional, psychological, and physical healing than she is. So how can you judge her? You haven't lived her life, and you don't know everything she's going through. I'm not saying lie to her, but there's no need to be harsh and overbearing. Of all people, you should know better.
    Good for you that you went and got help. Clearly, then, there was a point where you needed help and didn't have it. Don't be so hard on her.

    I may not have lived her life, but pretty damn close. I was(still am) overweight. I suffered from severe depression, and even had myself admitted into a Psychiatric hospital because of it. I am an overweight woman who CHOSE this path for herself. I chose this. I chose to have 5 kids, I chose to over eat, I chose not to take action and responsibility for what I was doing to myself. I blamed my depression, my kids, my husband at the time, I never took accountability for ME, which did me absolutely no good. Until I could sit here and look at myself, and know that I did this to myself, I chose this path...I was not going to change. I didn't have anyone to pity me or feel bad for me, and I didn't expect them to because I chose to live that way. I'm not trying to be harsh, i'm being honest. I cannot feel sympathy or pity for someone who chooses to live a certain way, and then complains about it or even considers committing a crime. No one did this to her, and no one, no matter the encouragement or harsh truth will make her change her mind, only she can. I'm fat, but instead of sitting here and feeling sorry for myself, I'm getting up and doing something about it.
  • pittskaa
    pittskaa Posts: 319 Member
    if yu remove fat from your belly and thighs and other normal body fat storage spots your fat will start to grow in odd places that have smaller amounts of fat like the top of your knees.armpits and feet and you will look disfigured.do it the natural way :)

    WTF you talkin bout?

    I think this person confused lipo with WLS, LOL!!!

    lmfao!!!!!
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Don't have surgery! You can do this! Each time you conquer a challenge, you will become stronger. Trust me it happens!

    My sister had bypass surgery because she was too lazy to exercise and she wanted a quick fix. She lost weight fast, has saggy skin, has lost a lot of her hair and had 3 strokes, can no longer work as an RN and is now disabled. This doesn't happen to everyone but she didn't think it would either.
  • BringingSherriBack
    BringingSherriBack Posts: 607 Member
    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

    This. I had WLS too. WLS is only a tool. It does not do the work for you. You still have to eat right, exercise and take your supplements for the rest of your life. And it only "fixes" your digestive track. It doen't fix your head. Even with WLS, many people still require therapy for the emotional issues that go along with being a food addict.
  • The_New_Christina
    The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
    I read your profile. I started at 242 July 1st and am now down to 228. It can be done without surgery. But you need have patience. It will happen. And I do have hypothyroidism.
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
    There are many people here who have overcome bigger weight obsticles and chose to do it the right way. Eat less weigh less. This is My Fitness Pal not My Surgery Pal.
  • LNZimmer
    LNZimmer Posts: 94
    REALLY?????
    >>>>>"""""I had a baby in November 2011 and have packed on 50 pounds just since February of this year! I have worked hard in the gym and eating healthy since January. I just discovered mfp a little while ago to help me track my calories more accurately but I just keep gaining. I've had my thyroid tested and been tested for cushing syndrome but the doctors have no answer as to why I'm disgustingly fat. I can barely force myself to leave my house to go to work much less going out in public for anything fun. I'm 5'3 and have hit 250 pounds. I have been eating 1200 caloires and trying to stick to low carb eating although I have to be careful with that since I've already had ketoacidosis once and was warned that it could kill me if it happens again."""""
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Uhhh HELLO. Get off the couch and do something about it!!! The answer why you are fat is because you aren't being true to yourself. I used to HOPE for the doctors to give me a reason, but the reason is I would lie to myself saying I didn't eat those fries when I did. I would sit all day long, and DO NOTHING. I had a little girl 3 years ago, weigh 318 pounds right now. The reason I am disgustingly fat is because I let myself get this way. I didn't care, and it sounds like you are so down about yourself and don't care either. Eating healthy isn't going to be the answer. You have to get up and MOVE. Join a gym. It will do you a lot of good and get you some ME time!

    Surgery is NOT the answer. I have seen one person gain most of their weight back, and lose all of their hair. Another is now addicted to Xanax because she couldn't handle the weight loss.

    In order for the surgery to be successful, you have to know HOW TO EAT and HOW TO MAINTAN, as well as HOW TO BE ACTIVE. If you can't or don't know how to do any of those, then the surgery is just a waste.

    Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get up and move. I did it. You can too.
  • carrieo888
    carrieo888 Posts: 233 Member
    So, you've seen some really positive and some really negative comments here. I hope you have not gotten discouraged. I can only say to you that I would not recommend the surgery AT THIS TIME. I've taken the slow and steady approach to losing weight - 50-ish pounds in 6-ish years, and still going. There is no race to lose the weight. In fact, losing the weight is only a by-product of GETTING HEALTHY. Make small sustainable changes to your eating habits, and you will see pounds come off.

    My opinion is that you are eating too few calories (you said 1200?). Try 1500-1600, and see what happens. Be sure to eat plenty of complex carbs, fruits/veggies, lean meats. If you drink sodas, start eliminating them (even diet sodas). Just small tweaks here and there, and you'll be able to do this for life.

    Surgery is drastic and can have lots of complications. I'm not saying don't do it, just use it as your very, very last resort. Good luck!
  • weight loss surgery isnt really what its cracked up to be let me tell you. i have had weight loss sugery 4 years ago and lost 257 pounds but there is a down fall to this. one you can die from it due to complications, two you could end up like me never feel hungry and cant eat meats to get protein in and you will be on alot of vitamins. any thing i eat and if it dont agree with my stomach i end up duming. and let me tell you dumping hurts really bad it feels like your insides are comig out. im in so much pain that i have to lay down for a few hours. i cant eat normaly like yall can. i have to eat alot of gerber graduate foods only thing i can keep down or i have to eat bocca burges. my stomach cant handle ice cream, yogurts, milk products, rice, potatoes, pasta, breads, and if i eat i can only consume 1 cup of food if im lucky some things i eat for example beans i can only eat 3 bites and i feel like i ate a thanksgiving meal. so plz give this site a shot longer and key to loosing weight is watch your carb intake and exercise. i know some people that had weight loss surgery the same time i did and i see them now they are bigger then they started before the surgery. i dont agree on lieing to get the surgery because there is alot of people that really need it. like me for example if i didnt get it 4 yrs ago my doctors said i would die in6 months.