Diet and Exercise vs. Surgery. Thoughts?
Replies
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I think in some cases it is the easy way out. Unfortunately you look at high profile examples like Carnie Wilson...proves it doesn't work as you don't learn to change.
My vote is for diet and exercise. Learning what works for you, what sets you off on a binge, what can take you right back to your old habits in a second, what you can do to avoid falling off the wagon are all important in learning how to make a lifelong change.0 -
It's a long term vs short term solution. Surgery will remove the unwanted pounds, but if you haven't changed your activity level or your eating habits, chances are great that you'll just end up gaining that weight all over again, whereas learning to eat well and be active are much more likely to lead to a lifetime of a better physique and the ability to do the things you want to do without impairment.0
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I know of two people who have had the surgery, my high school band director and my best friend. Both were obese before their surgeries, and in the case of my best friend, nothing worked for her. She's been dieting for years and exercising to the best of her ability, but nothing was helping her. She had the surgery, and while she hasn't lost all her weight right away, she still has to make lifestyle changes to be able to lose the weight. On the other hand, my band director lost all his weight right away. Despite having lost it all right away, he still changed his habits and went from being lazy and unhealthy to running marathons for fun. Are they bad people for having surgery? I don't think so, I think they finally found something that worked for them, and they're healthier now than they've ever been, and healthier than me. Who am I to judge them?0
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If someone does not have the mental ability to save themselves, then surgery is probably the only option left for those people. We've no rite to judge anyone. No one is perfect.
I agree, I'm doing it the natural way but I'm sure not everyone is able to do it, especially when you have more than 100 lbs to lose. It's certainly an extreme solution and I hope everyone thinks long and hard before permanently changing their insides.0 -
I work on a bariatric surgery floor, so we had to go to the information session that all prospective patients have to go to. I was surprised at how mentally tough surgery and the post op period is. Scratch that, how mentally tough the rest of your life is. I didn't want to have the option of eating a big meal taken away. I didn't want to have caffeine taken away. I wanted to do it without surgery, but to know I could still have a feast once in awhile. So I don't think it's a cop out. Physically, the anatomy of it might make it easier. But mentally, I think it's a whole lot tougher.0
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I have had surgery - but it takes a whole lot more than one might think. I had to deal with my psychological relationship with food, and to be honest it is just a TOOL - it will not "cure" anything. Those who gain it back - didnt change something in their life or their relationship with food, or thought surgery would fix it and they would not have to work at it. . I work my butt off exercising, and I eat in moderation and log everything I do. It is all about the mindset of the person who does choose to have surgery.
I do agree some make it an easy way out which annoys the heck out of me which leads many to the misconception that it is a cop out. And some docs use it as a quick fix as do some patients and that surgery will cure it by itself, but it really is not as easy as one might think.
It is not a cop out - I still have to work for what I have achieved, it did not come easy.
ETA: How many "regular" dieters have lost their weight to have it come back. It is the same thing as having surgery, changing your lifestyle and your relationship with food. I see many posts - lost the weight , gained it back and here I am on MFP again. So really one can not say it just happens to surgical patients0 -
With a successful surgery you modify your diet and exercise. Call it a cop out if you want but to be successful at either you have to dedicate yourself to change.
Don't try to dicate someone else's choices based on your own preconceived notions.0 -
There is no "vs". You still have to diet and exercise after having surgery. The surgery is just another tool.0
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The main difference is effort. Yes, absolutely - weight loss surgery can literally save a person's life. For a while. My personal experience has been that people who have the surgery do not make the necessary life style changes to maintain the new lower weight. For those who struggle with the diet and exercise route to massive weight loss, they have had the ups and downs, learned what they can and cannot do, made their mistakes and learned from them.... over the course of months and years.
The restrictive diet of a post-surgical patient is a radical change, to be sure --- but it's being enforced by health care providers and monitored constantly until that individual has reached a certain point. Then, they are turned loose on their old life with little or no hard-won experience to fall back on - and end up gaining a considerable amount (or all) of their weight back.
Of course, this is all anecdotal - I have never been at such high risk, have never had surgery and have only ever used diet and exercise. Considering I've gain and lost the same 25 pounds (after a lot of hard work and effort), I would venture to say any significant weight loss cannot be obtained and maintained by surgery alone.0 -
Just for those that keep repeating that "my friends had the surgery and have gained all the weight back" I hate to tell you but so do a lot of "natural" dieters gain all the weight back. I say if it gets you to where you need to be, go for it. I think the benefits from carrying around less weight out weigh the so called "cop out" factor.
By the way I'm doing it naturally, if I could have afforded it, I'd have done it. I do half marathons and am a very active person, but I can tell you that it would be much easier to be active if I didn't weight this much!
Cut people some slack, you don't know what they've gone through or what their battle is like. Support people, and if you see someone slipping back, don't rag on them, ask them to go for a walk, it will do you both some good!0 -
Support people, and if you see someone slipping back, don't rag on them, ask them to go for a walk, it will do you both some good!
Well said!0 -
Stirring the pot a little.
My cousin had the surgery, lost a ton of weight, and posted his before and after pics. immediately, the "Congrats", "Well Done" and "Great Work" comments started rolling in.
Congrats and Great Work for what?!?!? Going to your doctor and letting him force you into losing weight because you couldn't do it yourself? Granted, he needed to lose the weight, and he looks great now. But now he's like a recovering drug addict with his constant updates about eating right.
I'm thinking: "Who are you to preach about weight loss?"
I'm not opposed to surgery if needed, and again, I'm not judging anyone who has had it. I agree with multiple points made here already. But it seems you don't have the same bragging rights and the "great work" comments are not earned.
Alright...take it away.
They were being nice. Would you prefer people mock his before and after pics with "you cheated, you're lazy, you suck"? It's the societal norm to congratulate weight loss.
I was heavy enough for the surgery but decided against it. I had never given diet and exercise a fair shot before, and believe the surgery should be a last resort. I knew I had to give other avenues a chance. Reading up on the surgery and all the complications made me realize it's anything but an easy quick fix. I would argue that my weight loss was much easier than what many gastric bypass patients go through.0 -
The ones I find impressive are people who find a way to eat through their surgery and put back on 300lb.
There was a man on the today show that I just saw profiled. He had the surgery, had a plastic surgeon remove all the excess skin. And gained every last bit of the weight back. I cried watching him. But was also thinking what fool goes through all of that and gains it all back. The plastic surgery to remove the skin should be enough to NEVER EVER put the weight back on. The body is but so resilent.0 -
After reading all these comments, I will without question get flamed by answering. However, I had surgery, and there are some serious misconceptions being perpetuated here.
I am almost one year out from surgery. I have lost 120 pounds so far. I monitor my diet and exercise. ANY surgery can be eaten around, and any surgeon worth his or her salt will tell you that. I have had to commit to eating right and on plan. No cheat days for me.
Why didn't I do it "the right way" or the "old fashioned way"? Because I tried many, many times and it didn't work. My surgery works in two ways: by restricting the amount of food I eat and also by causing unpleasant physical symptoms if I stray off plan, which is seldom.
To all of those who see surgery as wrong headed and hopeless, I ask " Do you chop your own firewood to heat your house? Did you hitch up the buggy to go into town today? Do you sew your own clothing and weave your own cloth?" No? I didn't suppose you did.
There is nothing wrong with surgical treatment of obesity. Nothing else worked for me, and I gave it my all.
Flame away.0 -
Cut people some slack, you don't know what they've gone through or what their battle is like. Support people, and if you see someone slipping back, don't rag on them, ask them to go for a walk, it will do you both some good!
Cheers to you!!!0 -
Just for those that keep repeating that "my friends had the surgery and have gained all the weight back" I hate to tell you but so do a lot of "natural" dieters gain all the weight back. I say if it gets you to where you need to be, go for it. I think the benefits from carrying around less weight out weigh the so called "cop out" factor.
By the way I'm doing it naturally, if I could have afforded it, I'd have done it. I do half marathons and am a very active person, but I can tell you that it would be much easier to be active if I didn't weight this much!
Cut people some slack, you don't know what they've gone through or what their battle is like. Support people, and if you see someone slipping back, don't rag on them, ask them to go for a walk, it will do you both some good!
:flowerforyou:0 -
I think weight loss surgery is a cop-out for individuals who still have mobility and the means to exercise/diet the weight off. I surely wouldn't brag if my success was a byproduct of a medical advancement (as opposed to my own willpower, hard work, and determination). That's just me. Sorry if I've offended anyone who has had surgery.
I agree with all of this and I add that more than a few of my co workers/family/friends have had the weight loss surgery and they have now begun to gain all that weight back.
They didn't deal with WHY and learn HOW they got fat so they are just doing it all over again. Why have a VERY invasive and possibly dangerous surgery if you can do it on your own? (Yes, I realize natural dieters can gain it back as well if they don't learn the same lesson of how and why.)0 -
So far, 2 of the 3 people I know that had it are gaining the weight back....the 3rd one hasn't had it long enough yet. It corrects the symptoms but not the problem. Unless you can change your eating habits along with it, its not going to help in the long term.0
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I personally don't know that much about weight loss surgery, I am still figuring out what my body wants and how my eating habits work etc. so it's not an area I've really looked at, but I personally think that surgery should be a last resort. I know for some that weight loss surgery is the only way they can realistically lose weight and for those people, why not?
But wouldn't it feel better if you can lose it without surgery and keep it off?
Sure it's a little harder but if you want it enough to consider surgery, it should be worth all the hard times, surely?0 -
I agree with the surgeons that make their patients lose a significant amount of weight on their own before the surgery. Theoretically, their patients will know how to eat right after the surgery to keep the weight off, or at least have some willpower.0
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Even with weight loss surgery you still have to eat healthy and exercise because it's only a tool.0
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I generally tend to look like an *kitten* when I get involved in these discussions.
My thoughts on the matter: Surgery is cheating. Diet changes are always a possibility, even for people who can't exercise - and let's be honest, what person can do absolutely zero exercising, forever?
I got myself into this fatness, it's my responsibility to work my *kitten* off to get out of it. Simple as that.0 -
Everyone I know (all two of them) who have had the surgery have gained all of the weight (and, in one case, even more) back. IMO, it's a waste of money and dangerous to one's health if the person isn't willing to make the necessary mental and emotional changes. No surgery can do that part.
Same here. At least two guys from work have had surgery to lose weight and now they are bigger than ever. I'm a firm believer that you won't appreciate something that you didn't earn. And having surgery to lose weight is not earning it.0 -
surgery isn't an easy 'out', people don't realize that. I personally would never consider it. I don't want to put myself through it. It just FORCES you to eat less, why not just get the willpower to tell yourself to do it and save yourself the time, money, pain etc, that comes along with surgery?0
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When I was bigger, I thought about having a consolation .. I even made the phone call just never went..
Instead I decided that I can get off my own *kitten* and begin learning and eating right.. The Results not only have transformed my body but also my mind, and that in my opinion is worth the time and effort....
Those who have yo yo before they decided to drop the cash and have the procedure just didn't want it bad enough in my opinion ..
That same old way of thinking will be there long after the surgery is done, and while I know there are exceptions, the 4 people who I know personally have rebounded back to their old ways..
So essentially they bought the ability to become obese again .. Its sad really..
I am sure many who have had the procedure have been able to keep it off, but I vaguely remember reading a article that said the numbers are climbing in those who had the surgery are becoming obese once again ...
Weight loss is a journey, and part of that journey is also changing your mind. With out changing your mind there can never be lasting change in your body ..
Beautifully said. I couldn't agree more! Not to mention, fast weight loss = loose skin. If you lose it slowly and strength train, your skin has more time to adjust to the changes and bounce back as you progress. Not in all cases, but I have seen far fewer loose skin problems on people who did it by their own means than that with surgery.
I have heard of it being done to people only needing to loose about 70 pounds...... REALLY???!!! WTH. That is just a copout there. Just my opinion though.
I do think it is good for the MORBIDLY obese to help save them, but as said before, the mental aspect of it needs help as well. 0 -
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that generally people who have gastric bypass/lap band are put on a high protein/low carb/low fat diet, therefore they end up burning a lot of their own body fat. If this type of diet was first recommended to the patient and the protocol was strictly followed, then couldn't it save lots of people from thousands of dollars worth of surgery, not to mention the irreversible effects?
Second point: type II diabetes is reversed almost instantly (within a week give or take) after gastric bypass, again, mostly due to reduction of carbohydrate intake and fasting.
Either way I think a diet intervention would be much preferable. I haven't had it and hope to never have it, nor do I judge people who have. I just wish patients were more informed of the diet intervention previous to making the decision.0 -
diet and excercise 0
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I generally tend to look like an *kitten* when I get involved in these discussions.
My thoughts on the matter: Surgery is cheating. Diet changes are always a possibility, even for people who can't exercise - and let's be honest, what person can do absolutely zero exercising, forever?
I got myself into this fatness, it's my responsibility to work my *kitten* off to get out of it. Simple as that.
Just wanted to say cheers to you as I feel the same way about myself. I got myself into it I will get myself out of it!!!0 -
My wife had gastric bypass 2 years ago at age 48.
She's down 100 lbs. Her asthma is gone. Her back issues are gone. Her feet issues are gone. She's a regular gym goer now.
She wen't from napping as her favorite part of camping to backpacking for 3 days on the Appalachian trail.
She exercised, dieted and fought her way through a lifetime of obesity. In the end, it was winning and it was killing her.
Now I get to have my wife in to my old age and my kids get to have a mother that doesn't have to go to bed each evening after work because she's too sick/tired to be a mother.
Second best decision she ever made...after marrying me, of course.
If you're in your 20s and think it's a cop out, I suggest you give it another couple of decades.
Kudos to your wife. It isn't always as easy or as much a cop out as people think. If people follow the prescribed diet before hand and go through with ALL of the counseling and nutrition classes, it can literally be a life saver. I have not, nor do I intend to have surgery, but I do know people that would be dead if not for the decision. If you do it correctly and for the right reasons it can be the best decision.0 -
In my opinion, and it`s only my opinion, and you can certainly agree or disagree with it, but any surgery I`ve heard of requires the patient or person to lose so much weight before the doctor will even do the surgery. With that being the case, I personally would not do weight loss surgery because if you`re making a life-style change before the surgery and have lost weight, you might as well continue with the life-style change. I know people who the weight loss surgery has worked for, and I am happy for them, that they`ve lost the weight. I just don`t want to put my body under needless surgery if I can lose weight by eating healthy, and with portion control, as well as exercise.0
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