PLS POST SUCCESS WITH BARIATRIC SURGERY

FiveElevenClimb

I just wanted to wish you luck with your surgery. Ignore the negative people. I have no personal experience with weight loss surgery, but I am sure you have educated yourself on the topic before making such a big decision. I also don't think it's the "easy" way. It's a major surgery with risks and side effects. I hope your surgery goes well and you heal quickly. :flowerforyou:

Why is it considered negative? Just because we have a different opinion? If we were attacking her for getting the surgery that would be negativity, but highlighting alternatives is not negative.

lawandfitness

I'm just adding too, for those of you who think this is the "easy" way out, it's NOT. You have to be extra diligent with your food consumption and exercise. In addition, for those of you who don't "understand why if you'd already lost 10% of your body weight, you wouldn't finish on your own without surgery" it's easier said than done. I've lost 10% of my weight approximately 10 times for the last 20 years, I just gain it back. Being obese should be described as an illness. Until you've struggle with your weight and felt as hopeless as those of us who decided on surgery, as a last resort, I say, keep your negativity to yourself. If you don't like weight loss surgery, please don't reply to this post. Nobody reading this wants to hear "your opinion."

I have a right to express my opinion as I am someone who almost went all the way through with it.
Nothing is easy.
I think it is a cop out and a risky life threatening surgery.
If you CAN lose 10 lbs you CAN lose ten lb more.
Weather or not you have the surgery there is still discomfort and commitment.
I know one woman who had the surgery and put the weight right back on after 5 years.
The only TRUE gaurentee is making the decision to control what goes in your mouth and what you out put for calories in terms of excersize.
It is a nasty dangerous surgery.
I chose not to take the final step and have the surgery because I love my son and that love has pushed me through.

I agree with Billie....... Everyone has the rigght to write their opinion, if YOU don't want to read it then don't read/write on public forums, or carry on...


To touch on the weight loss surgery... I agree with Billie, yes it is a tool to aide you with weight loss but a very dangerous tool, that could cost you your life..

My hubby wanted to have it done and I was dead against it. First off, we have 2 boys at home to raise, which was his reasoning for wanting the surgery.... I thought to myself, yes the surgery may help you live longer to be with the boys, but if the surgery is not done properly or if there is a complication you will not get to be with the boys, why, because you will be dead....

He still wanted to have it done and called me unsupportive, I told him I am supportive but at the end of the day I wanted a husband to come home to! I explained that to me the risks outweighed the benefits and with proper diet and exercise we could start to revamp our lifestyle.... but I am not going to lie, I was angry with him.... angry because he claimed to have tried dieting, lost 10-20 pounds and then would regain it because he was proud of his success, and would let himself slip. So I began to question, what would make this cycle any different just because you had surgery? Why have the surgery to vomit over and over until you could find what food worked best for the results of your surgery... to me this is not NORMAL!
And last, flame me people if you want; but surgery should only be done if you have a medical reason to have it done, not just because you ruined your body from a life time of bad food choices! What lesson would I be teaching my boys if I went and got the surgery because of years of bad eating, that was MY CHOICE! In the end I let my hubby keep all his appointments but told him that from that day forward we would be eating healthy and making huge lifestyle changes…. We did, he is down 30 pounds I am down 35, no plans of stopping and he has cancelled the surgery…. It can be done without surgery….

Edited to add: waht I don't get the most is you have to change your eating before the surgery to have it done, why not just continue with this?? You will do it to have the surgey but not do it just for yourself , meaning, to do it with proper diet and exercise... this I can not wrap my head around

Knee2010

I had the VSG in Nov 2011. At my 1 year checkup, I had lost 90 pounds. I have reached my doctors goal. Every one has their own personal reasons as to "why" they do what they do. For those of you who lose the excess weight by diet and exercise-I commend you. It is hard to stay focused long enough to accomplish that. For those who choose to have surgery, VSG, Bypass or lapband-I commend you also. Having surgery is certainly not the easy way out. Surgery is a "tool" that helps you/forces you to make different choices than you have in the past. Mostly by either quantity restriction or by food selection. The Sleeve forced me to make "smaller" choices and that is what I needed. So for me, the sleeve was the best thing. Prior to my surgery, I had to see a nutrionist and have a psych evaluation. I also had to attend support group meetings (which I still go to, mostly to help newbies). Surgery is a life changing choice, but I also firmly believe that one way is not "more right" than anohter way, just that everybody needs to find "THEIR OWN" way and then do it.

Good luck to you on your VSG journey and friend me if you want to.

FiveElevenClimb

I had the VSG in Nov 2011. At my 1 year checkup, I had lost 90 pounds. I have reached my doctors goal. Every one has their own personal reasons as to "why" they do what they do. For those of you who lose the excess weight by diet and exercise-I commend you. It is hard to stay focused long enough to accomplish that. For those who choose to have surgery, VSG, Bypass or lapband-I commend you also. Having surgery is certainly not the easy way out. Surgery is a "tool" that helps you/forces you to make different choices than you have in the past. Mostly by either quantity restriction or by food selection. The Sleeve forced me to make "smaller" choices and that is what I needed. So for me, the sleeve was the best thing. Prior to my surgery, I had to see a nutrionist and have a psych evaluation. I also had to attend support group meetings (which I still go to, mostly to help newbies). Surgery is a life changing choice, but I also firmly believe that one way is not "more right" than anohter way, just that everybody needs to find "THEIR OWN" way and then do it.

Good luck to you on your VSG journey and friend me if you want to.

And I commend you!! Fantastic work. I am not here to judge as so many have tried to say. Just trying to give alternatives.

OneDimSim

A friend had the lapband and yes she has lost weight. However, she is no longer as much fun to be around she belches constantly, eats sweets all the time (cause they go down easy) and is FREQUENTLY throwing up because she ate too fast or didn't chew enough etc. She is much more short tempered and I would guess malnourished. I'm sorry if this wasn't what you wanted to hear and I know there are plenty of those that have had success but at what cost?

OP - MFP does not have a lot of folks that support the surgeries - much less know much about them - - sorry! Try Obesityhelp.com. Please only take advice from folks that have had YOUR SURGERY - this is different from LapBand, DDS, RnY.....

I will also share this - when you ask VSG patients if they miss their old stomach - almost all will say NO!

To the person quoted - PLEASE UNDERSTAND - all surgeries are VERY different - VSG gives you the most chance at a normal life - as my surgeon says - "it is you with a smaller stomach" - the lap band has proven to be one of the worst ones.

ChgingMe

If she's getting the surgery in two weeks, she's gone through all the testing and counseling and there are no other options for her.

Good luck, OP. Sorry, but I don't have any experience or advice.

I meant no disrespect to the op. But I disagree with you, there are always other options outside of an evasive surgery. I started at nearly 380 and I know others who were bigger than I am that did it the hard way with diet and exercise. I considered surgery but then realized it was a huge cop out. YES maybe if she has other issues it felt like the ONLY option but like the person said right above me, at what cost? I know a girl who had LOST A TON of weight with surgery 10 years ago, today she has more than half that weight back and has constant health issues and vitamin issues within her body to where she has a constant picc line at home for vitamin shots. I only asked because if surgery isn't a MUST, then I strongly urge her to explore other options. Thats all.

A huge "cop out" huh? How about a huge "life changing event that forces one to make healthy decisions." Cop out my @$$. This was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. And it's people like you that talk about stuff that you have NEVER experienced, that would turn someone off to it....and it might be the only thing that saves their life. Who the hell do you think you are? I fought for 25+ years to lose weight. And all I did was gain. I was dperessed several times to the point where I had a shotgun in my mouth. I tried to drink myself to death. Everytime I would lose 5 pounds I would gain 10. Who the hell do you think you are? a "Cop out"????? You should be ashamed.

For the first time I can ever remeber, I wake up, refreshed, I have slept all night. No back pain. And I am HAPPY. And it was because I had surgery that forced me to change the way I eat. It's not a magic wand and it doesn't make you skinny overnight. And I still bust my *kitten* in the gym every chance I get. So before you go judging people....take a second....and think.

I commented on another post about this and got slammed as well. But here is my opinion. One which you have to understand is going to happen when you post something openly.
I too feel that surgery is a cop out and here's why.. you say you are busting your butt at the gym.. Why didn't you do that before? Just wondering. Also diet and exercise will ALWAYS work if you do. I'm sorry that you got to the point of almost committing suicide. That is horrible. But you have to understand. you are on a weight loss site If you want only positive feedback then you should post your comments on a site that specializes in bariatric surgical ways to lose weight. Here most if not all do it the old fashion way. Exercise and dietary changes. Some have lost upwards of 300 pounds or more. It can be done. You chose your way and we are choosing our way. Don't get upset when you don't hear what you want!

chocl8girl

*sigh*

OP, you may be better off either sticking with the groups to discuss these specific issues (there are some VERY supportive WLS groups here! ) or going to other places like obesityhelp.com or thinnertimesforum.com or others I may not know about, and keeping this place for food/nutrition/exercise discussion only. Again, the best of luck to you!

FiveElevenClimb

I'm just adding too, for those of you who think this is the "easy" way out, it's NOT. You have to be extra diligent with your food consumption and exercise. In addition, for those of you who don't "understand why if you'd already lost 10% of your body weight, you wouldn't finish on your own without surgery" it's easier said than done. I've lost 10% of my weight approximately 10 times for the last 20 years, I just gain it back. Being obese should be described as an illness. Until you've struggle with your weight and felt as hopeless as those of us who decided on surgery, as a last resort, I say, keep your negativity to yourself. If you don't like weight loss surgery, please don't reply to this post. Nobody reading this wants to hear "your opinion."

I have a right to express my opinion as I am someone who almost went all the way through with it.
Nothing is easy.
I think it is a cop out and a risky life threatening surgery.
If you CAN lose 10 lbs you CAN lose ten lb more.
Weather or not you have the surgery there is still discomfort and commitment.
I know one woman who had the surgery and put the weight right back on after 5 years.
The only TRUE gaurentee is making the decision to control what goes in your mouth and what you out put for calories in terms of excersize.
It is a nasty dangerous surgery.
I chose not to take the final step and have the surgery because I love my son and that love has pushed me through.

I agree with Billie....... Everyone has the rigght to write their opinion, if YOU don't want to read it then don't read/write on public forums, or carry on...


To touch on the weight loss surgery... I agree with Billie, yes it is a tool to aide you with weight loss but a very dangerous tool, that could cost you your life..

My hubby wanted to have it done and I was dead against it. First off, we have 2 boys at home to raise, which was his reasoning for wanting the surgery.... I thought to myself, yes the surgery may help you live longer to be with the boys, but if the surgery is not done properly or if there is a complication you will not get to be with the boys, why, because you will be dead....

He still wanted to have it done and called me unsupportive, I told him I am supportive but at the end of the day I wanted a husband to come home to! I explained that to me the risks outweighed the benefits and with proper diet and exercise we could start to revamp our lifestyle.... but I am not going to lie, I was angry with him.... angry because he claimed to have tried dieting, lost 10-20 pounds and then would regain it because he was proud of his success, and would let himself slip. So I began to question, what would make this cycle any different just because you had surgery? Why have the surgery to vomit over and over until you could find what food worked best for the results of your surgery... to me this is not NORMAL!
And last, flame me people if you want; but surgery should only be done if you have a medical reason to have it done, not just because you ruined your body from a life time of bad food choices! What lesson would I be teaching my boys if I went and got the surgery because of years of bad eating, that was MY CHOICE! In the end I let my hubby keep all his appointments but told him that from that day forward we would be eating healthy and making huge lifestyle changes…. We did, he is down 30 pounds I am down 35, no plans of stopping and he has cancelled the surgery…. It can be done without surgery….

Edited to add: waht I don't get the most is you have to change your eating before the surgery to have it done, why not just continue with this?? You will do it to have the surgey but not do it just for yourself , meaning, to do it with proper diet and exercise... this I can not wrap my head around

You made the right choice in MHO

When Iwas going through all the pre op stuff
the surgery video alone scarred the crap out of me
no way

I do not know ONE person who has ever said "i put on all this weight eating veggies and working out"

And to the person who blamed obesity on restaurant portion sizes shame on you!

Just because it is supersized doesnt mean you have to eat it!

I think obesity is OUR fault, condemnation for the choices we made and what we put in our mouths. Maybe as kids we had no choice but as adults we do.

The problem is we as americans want it all want it big and want it easy. It is easy to eat out becuase we dont have to cook so we eat out more than we should. We want to be passified and serviced.

Dont blame portions sizes, in reality eating out is a LUXURY not a life style! If we didnt overindulge on a daily basis and tip the scales we could afford to indulge on occasion a big portion of yummy restuaraunt food!


Obesity may or may not be a disease but we all have a choice what we do to our bodies!!! We did this to ourselves, you can blame the restuarants and society, etc.... ut at the end of the day it was you who made you what you were.

I ate myself over 200 lbs, nobody forced me. I made bad choices, not the restaurant. i indulged, i wasn't disciplined or motivated. I was weak and lazy.

I decided that wasnt going to be me. if I got some surgery that could end my life, I would STILL be weak and lazy just (maybe) a skinnier version.

You can lose this weight the right way.

Have you given MFP a chance?

Have you REALLY given moderation and healthy living a chance?
And I mean have you REALLY REALLY given it i chance? A long term chance?

I just wish you would change your mind about this but if you dont I wish you luck. i hope to see you back in the forums and on MFP making more healthy changes for yourself after the surgery.

And I am not trying to be mean, this is coming from my heart and I am very very passionate about being anti gastric of any form.

Sorry for the bad spelling.

I was the one talking about portion sizes and if you read it I said exactly what you did. That it is our fault for eating it. I was saying the same thing so could you please take the shame off me? pretty pretty please?

borom44

Live and let live, if you want to post on a forum that is fine, however people are entitled to offer an opposing opinion.

May be the threads should have a special option button to state “only post, if you are a toady, lacky, sycophant who will agree with everything I say”. That way all you sensitive soles who post without thought to others opinions or even look to provoke response and then act all injured the first time somebody chooses to express an opinion that differs from yours will be save the trauma of adult debate.

If you want surgery go for it, it will be you who has to deal with the success or failure of it, in the end only you can loose the weight be it from surgery or otherwise.

Multifacet

bump

Multifacet

A friend had the lapband and yes she has lost weight. However, she is no longer as much fun to be around she belches constantly, eats sweets all the time (cause they go down easy) and is FREQUENTLY throwing up because she ate too fast or didn't chew enough etc. She is much more short tempered and I would guess malnourished. I'm sorry if this wasn't what you wanted to hear and I know there are plenty of those that have had success but at what cost?

Forgive me for replying with the obvious. Your friend is not following the instruction most likely given to her by her bariatric center. Such a shame because the band does work otherwise. See my ticker.... I will never understand going through the required steps to get the surgery approved, the pre-op diet, the psych evaluation and the possible expense and then the surgery itself and not follow the guidelines. It is only a tool. It is not magic. I only hope she will get a grip soon and let it help her to use it properly. So many times when I mention that I've had it done, I hear how it has failed so many people. The person has failed, not the band. Some are never ready to do the work.

SaraATL

First Good LUCK! I had the sleeve 8/31/12 and have lost 68 lbs in the past six months. It's a great tool and do not let anyone talk you out of it. It's up to you and only you know why you are doing it. I am one of those that tell EVERYONE that asks about the sleeve, I want it to seem normal and a great option if anyone else is curious. If they don't like it they can do THEIR weight loss THEIR way. This is my battle. FYI, I've been on a diet since I was 7, and am 43 now. I wish I had done this 10 years earlier and saved the heartache associated with following what other people thought I should do.
I am so thankful for this option every single morning.

Multifacet

If she's getting the surgery in two weeks, she's gone through all the testing and counseling and there are no other options for her.

Good luck, OP. Sorry, but I don't have any experience or advice.

I meant no disrespect to the op. But I disagree with you, there are always other options outside of an evasive surgery. I started at nearly 380 and I know others who were bigger than I am that did it the hard way with diet and exercise. I considered surgery but then realized it was a huge cop out. YES maybe if she has other issues it felt like the ONLY option but like the person said right above me, at what cost? I know a girl who had LOST A TON of weight with surgery 10 years ago, today she has more than half that weight back and has constant health issues and vitamin issues within her body to where she has a constant picc line at home for vitamin shots. I only asked because if surgery isn't a MUST, then I strongly urge her to explore other options. Thats all.

A huge "cop out" huh? How about a huge "life changing event that forces one to make healthy decisions." Cop out my @$$. This was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. And it's people like you that talk about stuff that you have NEVER experienced, that would turn someone off to it....and it might be the only thing that saves their life. Who the hell do you think you are? I fought for 25+ years to lose weight. And all I did was gain. I was dperessed several times to the point where I had a shotgun in my mouth. I tried to drink myself to death. Everytime I would lose 5 pounds I would gain 10. Who the hell do you think you are? a "Cop out"????? You should be ashamed.

For the first time I can ever remeber, I wake up, refreshed, I have slept all night. No back pain. And I am HAPPY. And it was because I had surgery that forced me to change the way I eat. It's not a magic wand and it doesn't make you skinny overnight. And I still bust my *kitten* in the gym every chance I get. So before you go judging people....take a second....and think.

^^This^^

Surgery also saved my life!! I was on a revolving situation that I could not get out of....insulin to cover food (diabetic diet, mind you) and gaining weight from the insulin. My full history is on my profile. Unable to exercise in my condition. I am off the insulin and you can see my ticker..... I agree, people should not comment on things they know nothing about.

momburntdinner

Hi, OP! I had RNY on 07/26/2012 and have lost 94 pounds so far. My surgery was very complicated and it fixed a lot of other internal issues I had (hernias, etc.) as well. I had a long recovery time and a dificult beginning. But those 94 pounds have been a Godsend. I had a lot of health problems related to my obesity. Severe Sleep Apnea, Diabetes, Hernias, Reflux...etc. To those who think it's a cop out, it's not. It's hard work. My friend had the sleeve and has lost well over 130 pounds. I chose the RNY because I wanted the malabsorbtion that came with it.

People truly don't understand this surgery, and some people *eyes relies* are just completely ignorant. You wouldn't tell an alcoholic "oh, just don't pick up a drink" or a crack addict "hey! just don't do crack" It's an honest addiction, and what makes it worse is that you NEED food to live. You don't need alcohol or crack.

Good luck with your surgery. Feel free to add me as a friend. I will be as supportive as possible

emmalousmom1

If a person has the roux en y, then it is not just a calorie deficit, they also have malabsorption, so they are NOT absorbing all the calories they eat.

Multifacet

I would like to amend my previous statement. I wouldn't necessarily call it a cop out but I will say that it is never necessary when the reasoning behind the surgery is solely done as a mode of weight loss. It is not the surgery that causes you to lose weight, it is the fact that it forces you to eat in a caloric deficit. Nobody is a special snowflake. If you have the motivation to lose weight it is possible for everyone by simply choosing to eat less and move more. The surgery can force you to eat less or you can get a healthy relationship with food and simply decide enough is enough, you've had it and achieve the exact same thing by eating at a deficit of your own accord. People may say they have tried everything but the fact is they haven't. Why not buy a cheap food scale and actually measure what you are eating and make sure that is less than your TDEE. Then try incorporating more exercise into your day. I can say with 100% surety that if you eat below your TDEE you will lose weight. It may not be as fast as you hoped but it will happen. The upside to this is you are then forced to gain a healthy relationship with food, learn moderation, and gain some restraint when it comes to food. Thus you get to the root cause of why you eat more than you body needs. To those of you who say the surgery saved your life, I am so glad that you were indeed saved, but the surgery didn't do it, the calorie deficit did. Best of luck.

One thing that you are not aware of is....the surgeries take away hunger, for the most part. Eating a calorie deficit is fine, if you can handle the hunger, some cannot. I could lose the weight, just not keep it off. The band will also be a tool in keeping the weight off. Like every other method, its only a tool, but a tool that is sometimes necessary.