Gastric Bypass/

pjavellana

I had gastric bypass a little over 2 years ago. it's not an easy way out - it's just a tool. If one fails at this, then it is them failing themselves, not the surgery. Head hunger is an everyday occurrence. Once out a few years or more, we become comfortable and start picking up bad habits again just like any other person. Quite a lot of people do not agree on surgery and that is fine with me.

I was over 300 lbs, had diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, high cholesterol, tiredness, my ankle hurt from just trying to carry all the weight, foot surgery that was caused by weight problems, no energy, not wanting to do anything cause it was too hard to carry the weight around or I was just too tired to do much of anything. Seat belts on planes don't fit and you have to ask for an extension - your fat hangs over onto the person beside of you and I was lucky enough not to have to pay for an extra seat. I couldn't tie my shoes and to put on my socks was even a struggle as well as yes, wiping your butt. To walk a flight of stairs was a challenge and walking even into a store, I had to hang on to a basket for support. :embarassed:

Why was I overweight to begin with? I weighed 135, then I was in an auto accident - then another one 5 years later with a semi truck. I have permanent injuries from both and I lost my job, couldn't pay my bills and just went into a deep depression that I just sat in my house and ate. When one can't walk from injuries, then one can't exercise due to pain. Yes, I became lazy and fat due to medical problems. :sick:

I had surgery as a life saver. if I didn't, then I probably would not be here today. I feel for overweight people cause I have been there. I lost 113 lbs, and gained back about 23 or so and I never reached my goal weight. It's a struggle everyday to keep on track. I use MFP and I use a FitBit.

I am healthier today - I have no more diabetes, no more high blood pressure, no more high cholesterol, lost a gallbladder to stones though, no more heart problems, no heart disease, have 20/20 vision back that I had lost due to diabetes blurring my eyes, no more medications to take, no more insulin, I walk between 1.5 - 3 miles per day, my ankles don't hurt, I have energy, I walk into stores with no basket holding, I can sit comfortably in a plane seat as well as regular chairs, and other than problems that comes with old age like arthritis, I'm healthy.

Yeah, I'm still overweight - but you know - I'm happy I am healthy.

And yeah, I would do it all over again if I had too.......surgery saved my life but definitely it's not the easy way out. Kudos to all that has had it to get healthy and Kudos to all that hasn't had it and is losing weight for their health! I applaud all! :bigsmile:

Anyone want to add me on MFP or my Fitbit, please do..we all need help of any kind....

Steph_Marie29

I had it done May 2011. It's not an easy fix, it's a tool to help aid you with a new healthy lifestyle. I know some people think it's the easy way out and that's not the case. There really hasn't been anything easy about it. Yes I've lost a lot of weight since my surgery,but now I am battling bowel issues and constant constitpation. I don't regret getting it done even though I have those issues because this surgery has helped me regain my life. I was over 500lbs once.

maxwel1ma

I need some help!! I cannot seem to be able to drink any protein shakes. I am 4 weeks out and have only lost 19lbs and I feel like if I were able to get the protein I need I would be losing faster. Is this normal?

Gerald_King

If you are getting the surgery, your mind has to be in the same place it has to be in to lose weight without surgery. You have to be mentally prepared for it, because with the surgery you have to change your diet so much anyway - why not just do it on your own? I know people that have had it done..... one of them died. others have gained weight back. Others have lost less weight than me, in a longer period of time - and I had NO surgery. I don't get why people think this will fix it. If you can change your eating because of getting a surgery and be successful, you can change your eating without the surgery. THIS is why all too many people are not successful with WLS - why put yourself through that when you CAN do it on your own?! I'm living proof.

SW 303.4 (1/1/11)
CW 188.8
30 y/o 5'6''
I did it just by eating right and working out. That's it.

Well said i totally agree i did all mine without surgery too

sebrantley25

To all the nay-sayers and those who say "just do it yourself." I wish that you could have lived a week in my shoes.....And I know several of you have. But i'm not you and your not me. Instead of downing us or trying to talk people that need the surgery out of it, why not support us and applaude us in the the effort to lose weight and be healthier? And yes several patients do gain weight back after surgery, but when YOU dont spend 3 hours on the treadmill or bicycling or whatever everyday to maintain YOUR weight, guess what YOUR gonna gain wieght too!
So please stop downing us for using the too we used! I dont down you for what you use!

Very well said sir. Spending 20 hours a week in a gym is not "the natural way", there's nothing natural about that. Taking exercise classes or watching videos at home? Nope, sorry, not natural. People need to quit judging others and worry more about their own selves.

Soo. wait. working out, getting active, and eating right isn't te natural way - but surgery is? Don't think so. sorry.

That isn't what they are saying. Being physically active in a natural way means to become and remain physically active over a long period of time , i.e. all day long. Not spending "30 minutes a day 3 days a week" in a gym or aerobics class. Have you ever noticed that as we (people in general) have "progressed" our jobs have become more sedentary? There is a higher percentage of people who sit for the majority of their job than ever before. 100 years ago, people in general were more active and therefore obesity wasn't as widespread. Doing the 30 and 3 thing is more about stroking one's ego than anything else.

sebrantley25

I need some help!! I cannot seem to be able to drink any protein shakes. I am 4 weeks out and have only lost 19lbs and I feel like if I were able to get the protein I need I would be losing faster. Is this normal?

It is normal. What shakes are you trying? Have you talked to your nutritionist about the issue?

TriciaAllen7251

For every horror story about weight loss surgery there are 100 success stories that you don't hear. You need to decide for yourself if this is your destiny. I did not have Gastric Bypass but had the Gastric Banding done in Aug 2011. I have lost 97# since then. No, it's not the "easy" way out. There are lots of ways to "eat around" the band. You can still saboutage yourself. If you don't get your head straight about your relationship with food no surgery is going to work. I would suggest attending several seminars, asking lots of questions and doing your research before you ever make your first appointment. It is definitely not for sissy's. I still have to count calories, exercise, and make the same life changes that someone without the band has to make. WLS should be looked at as a tool, just like an eliptical or a gym membership. It's another tool in your arsenry again the enemy, obesity. It doesn't work if you are committed. Alot of people go into this thinking that this is the answer. It's no more the answer than sitting an exercise bike in your living room and thinking that just because it is there you will lose weight. You have to use the bike, not as a clothes rack, just like you have to use your 'weight loss surgery tool". Feel free to friend me if you have other questions. And, please no haters. We are all on the same journey. I just decided to take it with a different tool than you did.

PDLUCKY

My father and my sister both have had gastric bypass and I must say I would not go down that path unless there was some physical attribute that keeps me from being active. My father vomits everyday of his life now and can only keep down certain foods. He lost a ton of weight but has slowly been gaining it back. As for my sister she lost some weight and then due to inactivity because of joint problems she gained it all back and then some and I think she may be considering doing it again. My father told me almost a year ago that I need to have the surgery and that if I didn't I would never loose the weight I had (not very supportive but that is the least of my issues with the man) I am proud to say that even with my severe arthritis in my left knee and my right ankle that I have lost 117 lbs all through being active and eating properly. Hell I ate pizza almost every week while I have been on this journey and let me tell you all it takes is dedication. I have tried to loose weight in the past and like a lot of others on here I was unsuccessful but now I have figured it out by making a lifestyle change. I would not reccomend this surgery to my worst enemy but everyone needs to make their own choice about how they want to live. I would do a lot of research and if you can find someone who was successful with it you should see what they live with now that they have had it done. To me being sick everyday is not a way I would want to live. Good luck I hope you find what you are looking for!

GrannySparkle

I had gastric bypass August 16, 2012. There are days I vomit what I eat but right now it is about trail and error. What I can eat and how much? My major issue is eating to much...and I would vomit it right back up. But so far I am excited about my losses.

lorihalsted

I had lapband 07.15.06 and have absolutely no regrets. I lost 85 lbs the first year after surgery. (I was over 200 lbs overweight....) I stopped losing after I lost the initial amount, gained about 15 lbs back. I found MFP and have lost 30 lbs so I am at my lowest since surgery.

As with any surgery it is just a tool. Lapband "reminds" me to eat slowly & helps me with portion control. Surgery isn't for everyone but I don't regret it a second.

needles85365

I was going to have the sleeve done, I had to have 6 mos of exercise and meet with nutritionist and go to a support group. I lost 50 lbs and decided not to do the surgery. Through the support group there were too many people who were going to have the surgery revised or were there to lose the weight they had regained since having the surgery. I'm no longer in the program but still losing the weight. The main thing I learned is that it is not "the answer", you still have to control what you put in your mouth.

dr2k12

I'm just about 3 months post-op, had no complications and feel amazing. I put a lot of energy into preparing for it though and it took almost two years from when first considered it until the surgery...

Things to consider if it's on your mind:

1. If you are not 150% prepared to get in the gym or adopt other forms of serious exercise you are wasting your time. The surgery alone will not keep your weight controlled for life...
2. Seriously look at your lifestyle, meaning career, family and other responsibilities. I am fortunate enough that I am in the perfect scenario on all fronts to allocate plenty of time to recovery and focusing on me. You want to try your best to do the same...
3. Find a surgeon that you can establish a rapport with, I loved my surgeon the minute I met him and it really made the pre-op/post-op interactions much less stressful not to mention he is an amazing surgeon...

The bottom line is the surgery is NO JOKE and you have to take a seriously active role in changing your life in conjunction with the it or else you will wind up like countless people that lose a ton of weight, look/feel great for a couple years and then sure enough start climbing back to where they started...

Best of luck with all that!

castlerobber

I know someone who had it done twice. The first time, more than 20 years ago, she out-ate the surgery and gained all her weight back. She decided to have another bypass done about 10 or 11 years ago. The risk was so great that she had trouble finding a surgeon to do it. Sure enough, there were complications. and she nearly died. There were ongoing problems with leakage of stomach contents into the abdominal cavity for months afterward before they finally got everything fixed. She seems to be doing OK now, maintaining a normal weight.

1swlg1948

Yes, I had the surgery 13 years ago because the doctors told me I had to loose 50 lbs. before they would fix my low back and I couldn't exercise or hardly walk as my facet joints went away. Thus I was the first person to experience this surgery with a major hospital here in Virginia. I lost 96-100 lbs. only to marry, my husband became terminally ill and a lot of other stressful issues. I didn't learn how to do the program 100 percent correctly. I had no support meeting to go to either. My younger sister just had this same surgery last week and I am back on the program. I dropped 5lbs. the first week and 1/4 the second. I feel after speaking with the Nutritionist next week, I will have a better understanding of what I am suppose to be doing. I have to keep a food diary. It is difficult to know what you put into your mouth without tracking it. I also am a compulsive eater, a stress eater and what can I say. I am now realizing food has been my enemy for a long time. I agree with others that this is a tool and not a cure all. It involves a great deal of structure in my book and it has to be a life time change. I have had on-going issues with assimilating carbs, fat & protein. That is because of the small intestines being rerouted. I have to take digestive enzymes at each meal or I am so constipated I cannot go. This has helped greatly. I am not real sure if the doctors even know the full extent of what occurs when this operation is performed as far as our vitamins/minerals. Too much calcium isn't good and we need magnesium also. All I can say is this......Do the program as written and see what happens. Don't kid yourself into thinking you can do it alone. I will try to be an encouragement to you as I see my own weight go down again. I feel confident with me and the good Lord I will meet my goal and learn how to stay on maintenance to keep this nasty old weight at bay. It isn't any fun being 80 lbs. overweight and I am looking forward to feeling like a real person. I have had much self-hatred towards myself for so long because I haven't been able to stick to any thing to be a true success at weight loss. It is one thing to loose, but another to keep it off. Food isn't going to be my enemy any longer. Be creative in your meal planning and make a game out of it. Buddy up with others and support in any way you can. Be honest with yourself. If you good up, just get back up and keep going. We can do this. Thanks for listening. Judy in Virginia

1swlg1948

Please share with me a little bit about your journey. I realize we all are different, but you had bypass like me and have had your own set of struggles. I thought that perhaps I couldn't loose because I got off the program a few years back and started eating the junk again. I have seen weight come off in two weeks. Maybe it isn't a lot but it has come off. My cloths are looser and I can fit into other cloths I haven't been wearing. Any suggestions? What are you doing now and how did you get the weight off after bypass? I really need a good success story so I can believe it is possible for me. Thanks, Judy in Virginia:happy:

GreyEyes21

I had the lap band. I lost 60lbs in the first 7ish months (including the first 2 months prior to the surgery to prove to the doctors that you really will do it) I took a 1.5 years off to maintain and am now losing again. I love the band because I know when I am full, In the beginning I didn't exercise, I just changed my eating habits. Now I'm exercising and eating differently.

katiebug1982

I am 30 years old and had gastric bypass a year ago september. Best decision of my life. I was 270 and right now I am teetering between 124-128. I really would like to be 120. The doctor said to expect to be about 135 for my size so i guess I am okay there. It is just hard to get out of the mindset that I need to loose weight (that's the mindset for the last year) and I eat a ton. I went on here and at 1 pm today according to fitnesspal I am over my calories recommended by 100. Since I only absorb half of what I eat (I had RNY with Hernia repair) I am wondering if I can even use that as a guideline or kinda feel my way through. I have been eating like I have and continue to loose weight. According to what they said I should only take in 1,500 calories. Mind you I do cheat every now and then with peanut butter m&m's (Fun size for portion control) so I am wondering if I should just watch what I eat and be happy where I am or do I push to be the 120lb person I want to be?

Guelf2000

I had gastric bypas on 9/11/121. I had no pain when i got home and have never had even one complication. I follow exactly what my surgeon tells me and I am doing very well. I have lost 30 lbs in theis short time, I am no longer diabetic with insulin several times a day and I no longer take an additional 14 medicines twice a day. My kidney failure has improved and my A1C is 5.1. I am now 60 yrs old and I had a massive heart attack at 42 and had triple bypass surgery and now have a biventricular pacer which includes a defibrillator. My weight never went over 240. I had the surgery to improve my health and losing a few pounds would help my heart disease. I didn't have a choice as most people think this is decision is chosen. For a few of us, our health problems are more serious and we are doing this as a last result. You must work in a health related field most likely a hospital and you see all the bad things that happen to people. That does not happen to most weight loss surgery patients. Maybe 1-2% have complications the rest of us 99-98% don't have any. For some of us it is a lifesaving surgery such as myself. I needed to put my diabetes in remission for as long as I could to help my kidneys recover from years of diabetes. I inherited my father's genes and all of his ailments. He died at 64 and I didn't want to follow suit. Anyone who has this surgery should do it knowing that they have to change their life and their mindset. If you are going to cheat and go back to eating the way you did before surgery then don't even think about having it, you are sabatoging yourself and will eventually fail. Someone mentioned drinking, well, some people drink their calories and then some become alcoholics. If you have addictions to food, the addiction can become one for alcohol. This surgery is not an easy fix as some people think. For me it was lifesaving duweto my other health issues and I felt it would be good for me because it might give me a few more good years here with my family. I can't stress enough to people wo are considering WL surgery to make sure you are taking the right vitamins daily and that you go to a surgeon who has a good reputation for success. I went to a Center for Excellence which is rated in the top three in USA. I've heard horror storied too but mostly from people who didn't check out their surgeon and who don't take their vitamins regularly on a daily basis.

maggiemay22467

I asked my GI doctor about it and he said if you have no will power it will not work for you. I have more will power on MFP than I ever have .