Diet and Exercise vs. Surgery. Thoughts?
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Is this any different than getting a facelift? Nose job? Tummy tuck?. All elective surgeries, all pose some risk to life, those others are not frowned upon, so why this one? If someone wants to eat ridiculously small portions the rest of their lives then so be it. I do agree though that being proud of your accomplishment using this surgery is a little bizarre, once you have the surgery you have no choice but to lose weight, you get physically sick if you eat too much, this would be like me being proud that my leg healed after being in a cast, I didn't do anything, the cast and the doctor did it.0
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Is this any different than getting a facelift? Nose job? Tummy tuck?. All elective surgeries, all pose some risk to life, those others are not frowned upon, so why this one? If someone wants to eat ridiculously small portions the rest of their lives then so be it. I do agree though that being proud of your accomplishment using this surgery is a little bizarre, once you have the surgery you have no choice but to lose weight, you get physically sick if you eat too much, this would be like me being proud that my leg healed after being in a cast, I didn't do anything, the cast and the doctor did it.
Not all surgeries are the same. Some do not do any of the work for you - some only help you to feel fuller If you eat the right foods. Ie plain chicken and veggies. If you choose to eat ice cream, chips, cookies, whatever, there is no problem and you can eat as much as you want. So you still have to make healthy food choices, deal with your eating issues, exercise, etc. I.e. you still have to do all the work! What some don't realize (sadly I was one) is that eating healthy doesn't mean you have to starve. Simply eat less of the HiGH calories food and fill up on veggies. You get better results, a healthier body, and, none of the complications. I think in the majority of these surgeries require a lot of hard work by the patients, even if they don't realize it to begin with, and the `honeymoon` phase right after surgery is where they get the most benefit. It jump starts their weight loss, but then you and your body start to adapt, and the further from surgery you are the harder it gets. Its no cake walk. There is only one surgery I can think of - the DS I think, where I would say the patient has no choice but to lose weight, but the complications are - never something I personally would want. Please don't make judgements on peoples decisions without knowing the details - surgery in most cases does not do all the work. In some I would say it makes it harder to lose weight because you have so many complications you end up eating junk that is high in calories and counterproductive,but that does not cause pain0 -
I have had weight loss surgery, it's a tool not a fix. I gained back 45 lbs and realized that I need to save my own life. I now workout and eat healthy. Many who have weight loss surgery think that they can now do whatever they want and that is just plain dumb. You still need to exercise and eat right to properly use the tool that you have been given.0
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weight loss surgery is the bomb diggity...and anyone who thinks otherwise SUCKS.
Carry on. lol 0 -
I'd happily have weight loss surgery if I could afford it, but I can't - so I'll carry on with exercising and trying to eat less and healthier (until I win the lottery at least :happy: )0
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It's really interesting that I came across your post. I have joined MFP having just CANCELLED a gastric Band with The Hospital Group. My BMI is 32 and considered low for surgery. It would be considered a 'lifestyle' procedure therefore. I had been using a brilliant website forum called Gastricsurgeryfriends, which has masses of information 'pre' and 'post' surgery - whether its a band, a sleeve or a bypass.
I was going for the band.....no question. I had a consultation with the surgeon tomorrow (1st Sept) booked, in Cambridge! I was really excited about it...answer to 30 years of struggling with greed, guilt and self loathing.
So what stopped me?
The band DOES NOT stop you snacking! My obesity is connected with the fact that I can graze.....all day.....and pile in the calories. I am not a 3 big meals a day sort of gal....more just hunking down whatever is around.
I am therefore now eating smaller portions...still following the 20,20,20 rule (look on the website). Eating higher protein, less carbs. Taken photos for the FIRST time ever. Feeling positive (as I always do in the early stages) and exercising more. Common sense.
Saved myself £6K, time off work etc. Makes perfect sense to me...at this point in my diet!!0 -
It really amazes me in this day n age how ignorance runs rampart but it is alive and well.
Anyone who has never been super/morbidly obese will never EVER begin to understand the whys of having weight loss surgery... yet here are some casting judgement on a person's life decision...amazing.... but that's life eh...suck it up... cuz life is life n God forbid anyone have a bit of compassion to try n understand.
I guess bullying does play a role for the bully...for in putting down someone else it puffs up their own knowledgeable self ..... kudos to you!!
I feel this ignorance will be a long time changing really, and that is sad. Because of this ignorance... much more shame and blatant bullying on super/morbidly obese people continues. Downing people and such comments read in this thread I shake my head.
As some have mentioned...Weight Loss Surgery is JUST a tool...IT DOES NOT lose the weight. Even with having WLS it is a lot of hard work, lifestyle changes, diet changing and exercising for life. Basing opinions on WLS on people who never understood that fact is unfair to those who do "get it"
Here in NS a person has to go through much learning and pass through a panel of professionals to make sure a person understands all of these things before getting WLS... not like many areas where its given without such...and this is where I feel such disasters happen.
Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom........ ignorance is bliss.0 -
I look at weight-loss surgery the same way I look at bankruptcy. Sure you can say “hey look at me I'm debt free!” but all you did was use a “tool” to get you there. And before you say “it's not the same” - yes, it's a great analogy:
- You get yourself in debt – so much so that it seems insurmountable
- lots of people who become that much in debt learned poor financial skills from their parents
- there are several kinds of bankruptcy
- It's not necessarily easy (there are lawyers, courts, counseling, hoops to jump through)
- after wards there are months and months if not years of recovering from it
- If you want to stay debt free you have to work at it and make sure you don't get back in the hole. I know plenty of people who have filed bankruptcy in the past only to be back in debt in 10 years.
In the end I have much more respect for the person who spent YEARS working towards paying off their debt than I do for the person who filed bankruptcy (and I'm one of those people). Does that mean that the person who went bankrupt is a bad person? Not at all, but I don't think it gives you bragging rights either. ← that's what the OP was about “the right to brag”0 -
It really amazes me in this day n age how ignorance runs rampart but it is alive and well.
Anyone who has never been super/morbidly obese will never EVER begin to understand the whys of having weight loss surgery... yet here are some casting judgement on a person's life decision...amazing.... but that's life eh...suck it up... cuz life is life n God forbid anyone have a bit of compassion to try n understand.
I guess bullying does play a role for the bully...for in putting down someone else it puffs up their own knowledgeable self ..... kudos to you!!
I feel this ignorance will be a long time changing really, and that is sad. Because of this ignorance... much more shame and blatant bullying on super/morbidly obese people continues. Downing people and such comments read in this thread I shake my head.
As some have mentioned...Weight Loss Surgery is JUST a tool...IT DOES NOT lose the weight. Even with having WLS it is a lot of hard work, lifestyle changes, diet changing and exercising for life. Basing opinions on WLS on people who never understood that fact is unfair to those who do "get it"
Here in NS a person has to go through much learning and pass through a panel of professionals to make sure a person understands all of these things before getting WLS... not like many areas where its given without such...and this is where I feel such disasters happen.
Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom........ ignorance is bliss.
You are absolutely right. I have thought about it, actually looked into getting the lapband surgery. Man does your insurance company put you through too much to get this approved. You have to get a psych evaluation and be to pass this first. I don't think it is a easy fix but rather hard sometimes. You have to be quite diligent in watching what you eat. My sister in law, who only weighed 230 pds but had other health issues, had the gastric bypass surgery. She did not exercise and now has all of this excess skin that looks kind of gross, Plus her body has not lost the weight in correct proportions. Her legs look like bean poles but she still has a double chin. I think exercising and cutting back on calories is the way to go for me. But too each his own.0 -
I went to the Dr's to see about my weight, thinking he would give me a magic pill that made me thin. I was 238lbs at the time and I am 5ft 3" my BMI was 42. He said he would refer me to the weight management clinic at the hospital and to think about gastric bypast surgery. I nearly died I knew I was FAT but not that FAT. I was determind to prove to myself that I could lose weight by exercising and eating less. Within 8 wks I had lost 21lb. ( I have lost 28lb up to now) started on MFP a week or 2 after starting dieting. I wanted to do this to proof to myself that it was my eating and lack of exercise than medical. When I went to the hospital the weight loss surgen was very impressed and advised that even at my biggest weight I was not heavy enough for surgery but my GP had done this to scare me and it did. However he did say if I would have done nothing about it and carried on gained weight I would off eventually.
My point is very few people actually need surgery, they just need to eat less and move more. It sounds easier than it is but if I can do this anyone can.0 -
It really amazes me in this day n age how ignorance runs rampart but it is alive and well.
Anyone who has never been super/morbidly obese will never EVER begin to understand the whys of having weight loss surgery... yet here are some casting judgement on a person's life decision...amazing.... but that's life eh...suck it up... cuz life is life n God forbid anyone have a bit of compassion to try n understand.
I guess bullying does play a role for the bully...for in putting down someone else it puffs up their own knowledgeable self ..... kudos to you!!
I feel this ignorance will be a long time changing really, and that is sad. Because of this ignorance... much more shame and blatant bullying on super/morbidly obese people continues. Downing people and such comments read in this thread I shake my head.
As some have mentioned...Weight Loss Surgery is JUST a tool...IT DOES NOT lose the weight. Even with having WLS it is a lot of hard work, lifestyle changes, diet changing and exercising for life. Basing opinions on WLS on people who never understood that fact is unfair to those who do "get it"
Here in NS a person has to go through much learning and pass through a panel of professionals to make sure a person understands all of these things before getting WLS... not like many areas where its given without such...and this is where I feel such disasters happen.
Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom........ ignorance is bliss.
very well said..:)0 -
:laugh: someone gives an opinion that somebody else doesn't like and the attempted attacks at their personality and what a horrible person they must be roll in.0
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I get that surgery is the only option for some folks. The problem that I have, and I've seen it, is when someone has the surgery, and in a public forum or social media, they are asked HOW they lost that weight...the answers that are given mystify me. "I just use my WII Fit"... "just yoga"... REALLY?? You lose over 100 lbs in a matter of months using WII Fit?? There shouldn't be a SINGLE WII gaming system sitting on store shelves!!
It comes across that the one who had the surgery wasn't honest with themselves from the beginning as to WHY they had to have surgery...and that behavior ISN'T changed AFTER surgery because they CAN'T be honest with others as to HOW they lost the weight. It's things like this, I feel, that take away from the true commitment, hard work, and perseverance of others who opted NOT to have surgery. It also gives someone else who may be struggling with weight loss some false hope that they can sit at home with their WII and have a "miraculous" weight loss...0 -
I get that surgery is the only option for some folks. The problem that I have, and I've seen it, is when someone has the surgery, and in a public forum or social media, they are asked HOW they lost that weight...the answers that are given mystify me. "I just use my WII Fit"... "just yoga"... REALLY?? You lose over 100 lbs in a matter of months using WII Fit?? There shouldn't be a SINGLE WII gaming system sitting on store shelves!!
It comes across that the one who had the surgery wasn't honest with themselves from the beginning as to WHY they had to have surgery...and that behavior ISN'T changed AFTER surgery because they CAN'T be honest with others as to HOW they lost the weight. It's things like this, I feel, that take away from the true commitment, hard work, and perseverance of others who opted NOT to have surgery. It also gives someone else who may be struggling with weight loss some false hope that they can sit at home with their WII and have a "miraculous" weight loss...
Like I said, some just cannot fathom why anyone would have WLS.... nor the negative stigma MANY people have against it so they remain quiet.... some will not tell the WHOLE truth...probablly due to issues they deal with....everyone has their story.... and not everyone is the same.... one or two stories does not make the truth.
FYI in Feb 2011 I seen a WL Surgeon...who put me into his weight loss program for WLS. I weighed 430lbs then and had lost 170 pounds on my own before seeing him. I continued to work hard...learning all about the program offered and changed my lifestyle. In dec 2011 i still had WLS...the "sleeve" where they removed 80% of my stomach. From feb to dec , in those 9 months... I lost 200 more lbs by following their program and changing my own life. ON MY OWN. I still went ahead and had WLS BECAUSE it is a TOOL to help me continue with my journey.... the surgery does not lose the weight...the person does. WLS is solely a tool of restriction.... the person still decides what goes past those lips and decides what effort they put into exercise..
Having WLS and losing weight IS STILL HARD WORK dont minimize this...one doesnt know until you live through it.... we atill have to change our lifestyle AND EXERCISE....AND DEAL WITH BEHAVIOURS that had gotten us there!!0 -
I get that surgery is the only option for some folks. The problem that I have, and I've seen it, is when someone has the surgery, and in a public forum or social media, they are asked HOW they lost that weight...the answers that are given mystify me. "I just use my WII Fit"... "just yoga"... REALLY?? You lose over 100 lbs in a matter of months using WII Fit?? There shouldn't be a SINGLE WII gaming system sitting on store shelves!!
It comes across that the one who had the surgery wasn't honest with themselves from the beginning as to WHY they had to have surgery...and that behavior ISN'T changed AFTER surgery because they CAN'T be honest with others as to HOW they lost the weight. It's things like this, I feel, that take away from the true commitment, hard work, and perseverance of others who opted NOT to have surgery. It also gives someone else who may be struggling with weight loss some false hope that they can sit at home with their WII and have a "miraculous" weight loss...
Like I said, some just cannot fathom why anyone would have WLS.... nor the negative stigma MANY people have against it so they remain quiet.... some will not tell the WHOLE truth...probablly due to issues they deal with....everyone has their story.... and not everyone is the same.... one or two stories does not make the truth.
FYI in Feb 2011 I seen a WL Surgeon...who put me into his weight loss program for WLS. I weighed 430lbs then and had lost 170 pounds on my own before seeing him. I continued to work hard...learning all about the program offered and changed my lifestyle. In dec 2011 i still had WLS...the "sleeve" where they removed 80% of my stomach. From feb to dec , in those 9 months... I lost 200 more lbs by following their program and changing my own life. ON MY OWN. I still went ahead and had WLS BECAUSE it is a TOOL to help me continue with my journey.... the surgery does not lose the weight...the person does. WLS is solely a tool of restriction.... the person still decides what goes past those lips and decides what effort they put into exercise..
Thats what I'v been trying to get across to these people, but they don't want to hear it, they just want to knock it down. There are so many things things in our life like computers or zip drives or microwaves, etc etc. That were created to make our lives easier, we appreciate someone creating these things so we can get through life easier. Im sure most of these people appreciate things that help them out without having to struggle and get frustrated. I was given the opportunity to have something that could help me get healthy again, get this weight off of me, without failing and getting so frustrated all the time. BUT I had to learn how to use this tool correctly or it wouldn't work. Just like a real tool that a carpenter would use to make his job easier, he has to learn how to use it. What they dont understand is if you dont use this tool right, it WONT WORK! I applaud those that work hard with out surgery, but I also applaud those that get surgery as well, because you still have to work at it! Ive been on both ends, I lost a bunch of weight without surgery only to gain it all back time and time again. Weather it be pregnancy, work, just pure tiredness from day to day responsibilities. But I also lost a bunch of weight with my surgery, But have also gained some back, because of the same thing. But I didn't gain as much back with the surgery, thank God because it does help me to get back on track. But If I wanted to I could just eat whatever i wanted and could gain all my weight back even with the surgery. This is what they dont understand and never will unless they were in our shoes.0 -
Just chiming in. I have been overweight since I was a small child. Morbidly obese my entire adult life. I am 31 and had gastric sleeve surgery three days ago. I feel hope for the first time ever. People who haven't been through all that I have could not possibly understand what it took for me to finally decide to have wls. And its true, it's not diet & exercise vs wls because weight loss surgery is a tool to aide with proper diet & exercise. I respect anyone who was brave and strong enough to make the decision to change their life for the better, whether on your own or with the use of tools. I am very happy with my decision and committed to making my life better, healthier and happier.0
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why do you care what other people do??? don't like it don't do it simple as that... have a wonderful day ;-)0
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I wouldn't do it myself, and I would try to dissuade anyone I cared about from doing it, but in the end people are responsible for their own selves so it's their call to make. I know people who have had success with surgery. I know people who have failed weight loss after surgery. I know people who have died from complications of weight loss surgery.0
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My thoughts are very similar with yours. A lot of people get the surgery not as a 'last resort' after giving exercise/eating right a GOOD try, but because it's an alternative to exercise and eating right. My dad had it and he fits into this category. He never really dealt with his problem, so eventually he gained almost 200 lbs of the 300 lbs he lost back.
My sister on the other hand, has tried for years to get rid of her extra weight provided by two pregnancies. She tried to do everything the healthy way. Eventually, she had the surgery and lost the weight. Currently she has gained a little weight, but with a third pregnancy that is to be expected. She learned the best ways to fuel her body and to keep the weight off.
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A close friend of mine had the surgery and lost a lot of weight and then regained about 1/2 of it. She is now trying to watch what she eats to lose more. It is a tough road no matter how you look at it. I agree with what one person said, that it doesn't solve the root of the problem about why we overeat. The surgery is a tough road with the healing and possible complications. My friend eventually had to get her esophagus stretched when it began to shrink 4 years later. It is also a tough road to use the old fashioned methods like diet and exercise. No matter what you do, I wish you luck. Godspeed.
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