Diet and Exercise vs. Surgery. Thoughts?

First, the surgery doesn't fail, the patient does. If you aren't willing or able to make the required changes, it won't do you any good. Surgery is a tool, not a cure.

http://rainhoward.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-im-opting-for-bariatric-surgery.html

If you don't care for surgery that obviously is your personal choice, but it gives you no right what so ever to ridicule someone who does. Nor does it make you in any way better than that person.

Nicely said!! Judgement needs to be set aside in all aspects.

I think that for some people, surgery IS an "easy way out". Other people need immediate help getting to where they can be active and eat in a healthy manner.

Here's my story:

At age 32 I weighed 265 lbs. I had tried every diet program from Jenny Craig to Weight watchers to shakes. All of them led to some weight loss, but over time the weight came back and I ended up weighing more and more. I started having health problems - diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol - and was taking a medication for each of these things in addition to anti-depression meds becuase I was depressed. When I talked to my Doctor about weight loss, he recommended diet and exercise changes. After several months of trying to make changes in my life I returned to the Doctor and we had a LONG discussion about what I was going through and what my options really were as far as surgery vs. "doing it on my own". I was enrolled (through my Kaiser Permante insurance) in a weight loss program designed to get a person ready for weight loss surgery. If I was successful with this program I could be eligible for surgery.

To qualify for the surgery I had to lose 10% of my body weight and attend 6 months of weekly 4 hour classes on nutrition, lifestyle changes, and informational seminars on what the long and short term effects of a weight loss surgery would be.

I was the lowest weight person in the class and everyone kept telling me "You're not that fat. You don't need surgery." I came to the weekly sessions and did everything I was supposed to because I wanted to be healthy. Part of the requirement of the program was to keep a food log - I did it. Another part was to exercise in some way during each week - I did. 6 months later the program ended. I had lost 30+ lbs and although I was eligible for surgery right away, I decided that I would wait and see if I could maintain the weight loss. As per the program rules I had one year to opt in for a surgery (bypass, sleeve, or band) and if I chose not to at that point I would have to do the program again to be eligible.

Fast forward to a year later. I had managed to keep off 5 lbs of the original 30+ I had lost. I visited my Doctor again and after increasing several medications because my medical issues were worse, not better, he finally agreed that surgery *might* be a good option for me.

I chose the gastric sleeve surgery and it was a very short wait to get that done. I spent about 4 days in the hospital post surgery and then was sent home. The first month post surgery was horrible. I was tired, the things I could drink (no eating yet) were nasty tasting and I had to drink them constantly to get enough nutrition in my body to function even partly normally. On top of this I was walking at least 2 miles a day. People who didn't know I had had surgery would ask me if I was "feeling okay" becuase I looked sick all the time. I was losing weight, so none of my clothes fit and I knew I would lose more very soon so no sense in buying anything just yet. Total weight loss this month- about 15 lbs.

Month two progressed to blended foods (milkshake thickness of soups and mashed potato consistency foods), which still tasted nasty but in a different way than the liquid diet did. I was still taking ALL my original medications plus a grip of liquid vitamins/supplements. I'd lost a bunch of weight so I finally had to buy some new pants. Still going for my daily walks. Total weigh tloss this month - about 20 lbs. My Doctor takes me off the diabetes medications becuase my blood sugar is already at a normal level.

Month three you get to try nibbling different foods, but you don't ever "eat" becuase the amount of food you can put into your new "stomach" is so miniscule that you can't really call that eating. Many things that I used to enjoy upset my stomach terribly such as milk products and anything even slightly acidic. I finally am not feeling constantly tired and the daily walks increased to about 4 miles. Total weigh tloss this month - about 10 lbs. I am now off the cholesterol meidcations and my asthma problems are only present when I am exercising.

Not a lot different happens between months 3 to 6. The amount of food and types of food that I could eat have increased slightly, but I still have a very restricted diet to ensure I am getting enough protein for my body to function correctly. I continue daily walks. Total weight loss during this time - about 15 lbs. Month six you are supposed to have lost about 1/2 to 2/3 of the total weight you wanted to lose. No more medications prescribed. I am exercising 3 times a week and have a new wardrobe that fits pretty well.

Months 6 to one year. Restricted diet - no pasta, no bread, no rice, low fat, high protein foods only supplemented with vegetables and protein shakes. Exercise 3 times per week most weeks. I am now at 169 lbs. I feel good, I look good, things in my life are good. The amount of food I eat in a single sitting is about equal to half a sandwich but isn't enough to sustain me for more than about 4 hours so I eat every four hours still and even more frequently if i choose a food that is high in carbs becuase my body will use those up within a couple of hours and I will get shakey and nauseated if i don't put in protein.

Another year passes and things in my life aren't so great. My wife leaves and I have to work more and then start taking classes at the college. I don't have time for exercise and my food choices aren't always the best. My weight creeps up a bit, I struggle to eat better and it creeps down. I continue this cycle for the next two years and although I am eating less quantity and better quality foods than when I was at 265 lbs my weight is increasing becuase I am not exercising. I move houses, twice. I change jobs. I am back at 199 lbs and wondering if I am just meant to be fat. Time passes with me struggling at the 199 lb weight telling myself it's OK and not to worry I can lose it.

I met a new girl who also wanted to live healthier and we start using MFP to track food and exercise and to keep each other on track. We try new foods and exercise as often as possible. I have food restirctions (becuase of my surgery) and she has a number of food allergies so we tend to eat freshly prepared home cooked meals most of the time. I log faithfully and keep to my calorie and exercise goals (for the most part) from January to June of this year. During that time I lost 30 lbs and get back down to about 170. I'm comfortable at this weight and it's where I am today.

I dont feel that weight loss surgery was an "easy way out" because it changes your life in many wys forever. The first six month were atrocious and hard. It gets better over time, but you never get to be "normal" again after that type of surgery. I am still taking vitamin and iron supplements and will have to do so for the remainder of my life. I still eat about every 4 hours and keep track of how much protein I am eating so that I don't get the shakes and feel nauseated.

I might have been able to lose the total amount of wieght I lost through diet and exercise if I hadn't been so far overweight and had so many complications. I know it was a LOT easier to lose the most recent ~30 lbs than it was the frist 30+ I lost prior to surgery becuase I was able to exercise and didn't feel like I was starving myself.

Both ways of losing weight are hard both mentally and physically. Congratulate the people that are losing weight, regardless of whether it's through surgery or through simple diet and exercise. It takes determination and hard work no matter which option you choose.

My doctor has suggested the sugery and sent through all the paperwork to get it started. That was back in June. I am here because I don't want the surgery. It doesn't fix the problem, if you don't change your eating habits then the surgery will be a temporary fix because your lifestyle hasn't changed.
I have seen so many people get the surgery, lose a bunch of weight and then put it back on a couple years later because once everything healed they were able to start eating more and more of the wrong foods, and of course they didn't do any exercise because they were losing weight without it so why bother.
The weight loss surgery is a useful tool if you use it correctly, for the morbidly obese it may be the only way to get the ball rolling because mobility is limited when you are extrememly heavy.
For those here who were overweight because of inactivity and overeating.........Was it difficult to cut back on calories, to stop eating your favorite foods, and to start exercising more? Well imagine if you didn't have the will power to do it. The surgery can give some people the time they need to make those changes without feeling starved because it does cause you to feel full most of the time, but like I said, once it gets better, you have to be commited to the changes.
I don't think anyone has a right to throw stones in this case. Congratulations to those who have made the changes necessary without surgery but don't look down on those who cannot.

bump

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.

I know at least 6 of the ten people that work in my office that have gained every bit of the weight they lost "naturally" back plus pounds................

You can make the same arguement for both sides, just change the words..losing wieght is just a small part of the battle, keeping it off is the WAR...lets face it, if it were easy...we would all be at our goal weight...If you do not go into this fight with the right attitudes, support, tools, thought process, etc, then regardless of surgery or "natural" ways success is limited and short lived......

If people didnt rag on the ones that have gone the surgery path,then what ever will they harp on to make them feel like they are better than somebody else?

It's always about how people feel about themselves, not what is right or wrong for someone else.
Scratch the surface of someone who says someone else is coping-out and you find someone deathly afraid that they will fail. Putting someone else's choice down is an age old way of reassuring ourselves that our decisions are correct.

i am currently 1 month post op. i had the gastric sleeve(for those of you who dont know, it is not a band, and it is not quite as intrusive as the bypass. they remove 85% of the stomach) i am not ashamed of this, and for anyone who says this is any easy way out has no idea the mental, physical or emotional toll it takes on a person. i have had 28 years of nothing but southern cooking, my family is overweight, unhealthy, and wouldn't be able to steer me in the right direction if they had to. i have tried every diet i could think of and failed miserably at all of them. i learned thru this surgery, that i depended on food for comfort. This surgery is merely a tool for me. it is not a magic bullet, nor fool proof. i still have to exercise, eat healthy and most of all, i have to break my relationship with food because i can only eat 1/.4 to 1/2 c of food in one sitting. i HAVE to make smart choices to keep my body healthy. i am not lazy and never have been....i baled hay with the boys, played baseball and volleyball and worked outside in the barn and with my horse everyday......my eating habits are what hurt me. i didn't know any better! this surgery has HELPED me come to terms with WHY i was overweight in the first place....and for that, i will never regret making this decision for myself. and anyone who wants to call me lazy can....... : ) and PS as for bragging rights...anyone who has taken that step(no matter what it may be) to become a healthier and happier person can brag as much as they damn well please.....all you people who think surgery is easy have no clue how hard this "easy way out" really is!

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.

^ Couldn't have said it better myself! KUDOS

My thoughts exactly, with one addendum, if it is a matter of immediate life and death as in a grossly obese person then I am all for it, my issue is with perfectly otherwise healthy people getting surgery for a simple weight issue.

My problem with the surgery is it doesn't get to the root of why the person gained all that weight to begin with. I have two friends who have had gastic bypass and another who has a lap band.

All three lost a tremendous amount of weight...initially. But all three gained back their weight over time. Because their reasons for overeating never changed.

I don't necessarily think there's a "better" way to lose weight...everyone has their own journey to walk...but the only way to acheive lasting weight loss is to find out WHY we gained all that weight to begin with. If we don't permanently change those habits, the weight will slowly creep back on.

All of this. I have some family members who have had the surgery, and I just don't understand their mentality. One had the lap band, and since that didn't work they proceeded with the sleeve. Every facebook check in is another diner, restraunt, or a picture of them eating. Seriously? It frustrates me because I feel like they're getting a second (and THIRD!) chance to do things right and be healthy, yet they're blowing it.

If a person can truly make lifestyle changes after a surgery, that is wonderful...but if you continue to eat the same crap I really don't have any respect for you and that is taking the "easy way" out in my eyes. (I'm not saying surgery is easy, I know there are many risks, I just can't wrap my head around going through all that to not do the simple things in life that can exponentially improve everything else and make the most of that experience.)

Exactly! I know four people that have had the surgery and it seems like all they do is eat junk. One girl is posting pictures of a Ding Dong Twinkie cake that she ate on her birthday, one is posting pictures of the junk she's constantly eating, and the other is constantly being tagged at various eating spots with pics of her eating food and enjoying alcoholic drinks. It seems to me that they are not making the changes that are necessary to live a healthy lifestyle. And had they made those changes they wouldn't have needed the surgery.

For those of you who are all "But so-and-so in my life had the surgery and they're not even trying!!", have you realized how many people in this thread have had the surgery? And yet we're here, because we *know* we're not finished with our journey and that we still have a lot of hard work to put in. So maybe you should remember that the next time you want to start using anecdotal evidence of why surgery is just so awful.

Are we perfect? Of course not. I still eat like crap some days (and I've been really horrible this last month or so due to an insane amount of traveling), but I'm still here, just like all of you.