Why is surgery considered so wrong???
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I think it's funny because I think of my ex-step mother. She got the surgery and her body got smaller but her head was still huge so she looked like a bobblehead. Also the more weight she lost, the more self absorbed and mean she got so the big head fit her personality. :laugh:0
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So tell me again how in the 355 days that I have logged on here, recorded every single bite I have eaten, every single mile I have walked, run, swam and biked I have shown less determination then others who have a whole stomach? Less dedication to the process? Less blood, sweat and tears? Truth be told, most of the non-surgery people on my friends list don't work near as hard at the life changes as I have, and most of them don't do half as much as I do physically.
You clearly are focused on the larger picture. I applaud you for the hard work that you are putting in...that's fantastic. Sadly, not everyone who has had surgery has this same drive and focus. My perspective on WLS is based on my own research and the dozen or so individuals I know who have had the surgery. I realize that my view is based on a small microcosm of all of WLS patients, but in that view of 15+ people, almost all did not hit goal (which most of us who exercise and eat healthfully do not either) and almost all have gained a significant amount of weight back (especially after the 2-3 year mark).
As I shared in an earlier post, WLS is not right for me. My point is that someone with WLS can lose weight more easily than someone of a similar profile who did not have the surgery done. WLS is a major, elective adaptation of the body that, for at least the first few years, makes weight loss much, much easier. My prior posts and those of others who are in a similar thought camp, wanted to highlight that fact. No animosity for simply having WLS, but declaring losing weight with WLS is as hard as losing weight by only eating healthy and working out is inaccurate.0 -
As I shared in an earlier post, WLS is not right for me. My point is that someone with WLS can lose weight more easily than someone of a similar profile who did not have the surgery done. WLS is a major, elective adaptation of the body that, for at least the first few years, makes weight loss much, much easier. My prior posts and those of others who are in a similar thought camp, wanted to highlight that fact. No animosity for simply having WLS, but declaring losing weight with WLS is as hard as losing weight by only eating healthy and working out is inaccurate.
You are wrong, but that's cool. Truth is people who don't understand how the four most popular surgeries work believe that it's much, much easier and it isn't. And while a surgery like RNY might make it eaiser for the first 18 months, the playing field is leveled after that when the body adapts and starts to absorb calories again. Mostly I blame surgeons for the high failure rates (and if you know 15 people who failed and they are local to you, chances are it's the surgeons and the programs they run in your area that are failing, not the patients), many people go into it thinking it's magic (like you do) and are SHOCKED when they find out it isn't, they come out unprepared for the changes that are required to make it work long term.0 -
As I shared in an earlier post, WLS is not right for me. My point is that someone with WLS can lose weight more easily than someone of a similar profile who did not have the surgery done. WLS is a major, elective adaptation of the body that, for at least the first few years, makes weight loss much, much easier. My prior posts and those of others who are in a similar thought camp, wanted to highlight that fact. No animosity for simply having WLS, but declaring losing weight with WLS is as hard as losing weight by only eating healthy and working out is inaccurate.
You are wrong, but that's cool. Truth is people who don't understand how the four most popular surgeries work believe that it's much, much easier and it isn't. And while a surgery like RNY might make it eaiser for the first 18 months, the playing field is leveled after that when the body adapts and starts to absorb calories again. Mostly I blame surgeons for the high failure rates (and if you know 15 people who failed and they are local to you, chances are it's the surgeons and the programs they run in your area that are failing, not the patients), many people go into it thinking it's magic (like you do) and are SHOCKED when they find out it isn't, they come out unprepared for the changes that are required to make it work long term.
Ironically, the individuals I know who have had surgery span 4 different states, and multiple different cities.
We agree on the point that many folks go into surgery thinking it's the "solve" versus an advantage to take a chunk of weight off, build confidence, ability to move, etc., so when it becomes challenging (you noted 18 months; I've read 2-3 years), a person has gotten used to eat less and will be able to move/exercise more easily.
We'll agree to disagree on the rest.0 -
Eh, ya know... people will judge you for anything. Because of your gender, race, size, sexual orientation, hair color, eye color.... let 'em. At the end of the day... who cares?
I'm open about my surgery. I looked into for 10 years, but knew I didn't want the band or RNY, which was all that was really out there. I had the sleeve in June 2011 and have lost 185 pounds.
I work my butt off. I'm in therapy. I'm at the gym. I had emergency neck fusion surgery in the middle of all of it (six months later I'm finally fully recovered). My surgeon requires you to work your butt off. He makes sure of it.
I also paid cash for my surgery because insurance didn't cover it, but they are sure happy that I don't take blood pressure meds, need sleep apnea supplies or have all the medical issues I was starting to have 15 months ago.
It's not easy. It's not easy to decide to let some one slice you open and cut out your stomach. It's not easy to recover from it. It's not easy to get your head around it later. It's not easy to get my butt up every single morning and go to the gym or whatever the workout of the day might be. It's not easy to answer questions about my weight loss. It's not easy to have lost friends because of the changes I made in my life. I'm 37 years old and after 30+ years of obesity, I'm winning.
But I've gained a lot:
I can fit in an airplane seat
I can play with my kids without getting winded
I can cross my legs
I don't feel self conscious at my kid's school like "the fat mom"
I can walk up stairs
Size 34 pants to Size 16
Size 6X shirt to Size L
Size 13 underwear to Size 7
I can ride a bike
Hubby and I went on a Segway tour
I can drive go karts
And, yes, I can fit in a restaurant booth.
There are MANY reasons why people get obese. I was 375 pounds because of a craptastic childhood, genetics, an addiction to food and 30 years of losing 2000 pounds (20 pounds at a time, over and over and over again).
And I'm not done yet. I still have 15 to reach my goal of losing 200 pounds and I'll likely revise my goal a little at a time until I'm comfortable with myself. Then I'll go for plastic surgery. I owe it to myself to fully not only my body but my soul a well.
Was it wrong? I dunno, as I sit here in my size 16 jeans with my feet tucked under me at 189 pounds... no, I don't think it was wrong. I think it was the best gift I could have given myself. I am worth it. Don't let the naysayers get to you. We all have our own path. I have a friend that is losing hers with weight watchers and is doing an amazing job. The surgery doesn't fail, people fail. It's a cliche, but it truly is a tool. I could totally screw this whole thing up and gain back 50-100 pounds, just like those that did it "naturally".
Hold your head high. You did what you needed to do for yourself. ((HUGS))
Note: I actually didn't tell anyone other than close friends/family about my surgery until I hit 100 pounds lost (if you are curious as to what I said to those folks, beauchampfamily.com - look for a post in December 2011). HUGS0 -
Eh, ya know... people will judge you for anything. Because of your gender, race, size, sexual orientation, hair color, eye color.... let 'em. At the end of the day... who cares?
I'm open about my surgery. I looked into for 10 years, but knew I didn't want the band or RNY, which was all that was really out there. I had the sleeve in June 2011 and have lost 185 pounds.
I work my butt off. I'm in therapy. I'm at the gym. I had emergency neck fusion surgery in the middle of all of it (six months later I'm finally fully recovered). My surgeon requires you to work your butt off. He makes sure of it.
I also paid cash for my surgery because insurance didn't cover it, but they are sure happy that I don't take blood pressure meds, need sleep apnea supplies or have all the medical issues I was starting to have 15 months ago.
It's not easy. It's not easy to decide to let some one slice you open and cut out your stomach. It's not easy to recover from it. It's not easy to get your head around it later. It's not easy to get my butt up every single morning and go to the gym or whatever the workout of the day might be. It's not easy to answer questions about my weight loss. It's not easy to have lost friends because of the changes I made in my life. I'm 37 years old and after 30+ years of obesity, I'm winning.
But I've gained a lot:
I can fit in an airplane seat
I can play with my kids without getting winded
I can cross my legs
I don't feel self conscious at my kid's school like "the fat mom"
I can walk up stairs
Size 34 pants to Size 16
Size 6X shirt to Size L
Size 13 underwear to Size 7
I can ride a bike
Hubby and I went on a Segway tour
I can drive go karts
And, yes, I can fit in a restaurant booth.
There are MANY reasons why people get obese. I was 375 pounds because of a craptastic childhood, genetics, an addiction to food and 30 years of losing 2000 pounds (20 pounds at a time, over and over and over again).
And I'm not done yet. I still have 15 to reach my goal of losing 200 pounds and I'll likely revise my goal a little at a time until I'm comfortable with myself. Then I'll go for plastic surgery. I owe it to myself to fully not only my body but my soul a well.
Was it wrong? I dunno, as I sit here in my size 16 jeans with my feet tucked under me at 189 pounds... no, I don't think it was wrong. I think it was the best gift I could have given myself. I am worth it. Don't let the naysayers get to you. We all have our own path. I have a friend that is losing hers with weight watchers and is doing an amazing job. The surgery doesn't fail, people fail. It's a cliche, but it truly is a tool. I could totally screw this whole thing up and gain back 50-100 pounds, just like those that did it "naturally".
Hold your head high. You did what you needed to do for yourself. ((HUGS))
Note: I actually didn't tell anyone other than close friends/family about my surgery until I hit 100 pounds lost (if you are curious as to what I said to those folks, beauchampfamily.com - look for a post in December 2011). HUGS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ AWESOME!!
Congrats on your continued success and to the newfound lifestyle!0 -
I lost all my weight without surgery but for some people it's not possible to do that so surgery is the best option to help save their life ,many people have gained too much weight to lose on their own so they need help .I don't think surgery is a bad thing at all some people need help to quit smoking and some people need help to lose weight it's that simple .We are all here to lose weight which is the best thing so please don't judge others for the way they do it . At the end of the day there are many different ways to lose weight and sugery is just one of them . :happy:0
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I have a dear friend who had lapband done. She's a lovely person and I'm very happy for her -- but oh I do get jealous and resentful. Thankfully, I keep that **** to myself. Who wants to hurt someone else because they're jealous? Insecure *kitten*, that's who.
I go to the gym five or six days a week. I rarely have a drink. I log every calorie I eat. She has been to the gym five or six times in as many months. She drinks a lot of her calories via alcohol and doesn't pay as much attention to her diet as one might hope. We signed up to do a 5k and she didn't train for it at all. I walked most of it with her although I trained for months before.
She started off at a higher weight than I did, but she had her surgery five months before I started trying to lose weight. I'm about ten pounds ahead of her right now and I'm probably going to be pissed when she passes me by... but that's something I'll never say to her and it's not just sake of our friendship. I know every unkind thing her mother said, every plane trip she was terrified before, and every guy who treated her poorly.
I know that this was the best option for her and part of the reason she's not working at it is the baggage of 100s of failed diets before now. She doesn't trust her success and she doesn't trust herself. I'm hoping that when her weight loss stops or starts going in reverse that she realizes she can do it.0 -
I wanted to add that I don't think the surgery is an easier path. It is definitely not easy to go under the knife, to go through recovery, to have everything changed forever. It's a different kind of hard, one I'm sometimes grateful I haven't had to experience and sometimes jealous that I didn't get.0
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It's definitely seen as a quick fix. As someone else said...It may fix the body but it doesn't fix the head. I've known 5 individuals who have had the surgery and they all ended up gaining a lot back or having other complication. My grandmother died after from complications of having the lap-band REVERSED (removed) because it gave her problems later in life. That device is not a part of your body...It doesn't belong there. What I don't get is why someone is willing to go through surgery and do something that invasive that involves not the greatest recovery and doesn't fix the core of the issue but can't put in the hard work to lose weight the natural way. Sorry not a fan of the surgery...Insurance premiums are high enough and before you know it they'll be approving it for people on Medicaid because it's "medically necessary" etc...I feel the same way towards diabetics and people who use the motorized wheelchairs in Wal-Mart because they don't want to walk...Being fat or unhealthy doesn't entitle someone to a disability or special treatment let alone some special surgery to fix it.
Obviously...This is my PERSONAL opinion and we're all entitled to one. I am overweight but am taking responsibility for my poor choices. I work in healthcare and I'm sick of seeing people come to the ER and get admitted over something THEY have control over especially if the funds are coming form my paycheck. I think money would be better spent on education. It has served as an inspiration for me to lose the weight...I don't want to be one of those people. Putting that control in someone else's hands is WRONG whether it's your doctor or some surgery.0 -
Our ex step-mothers could be sisters
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My mother had gastric bypass surgery and worked out amazing for her! She was a yoyo dieter for years and finally said yes to the surgery, shes a better person because of it. Personally I think surgery is the way to go if you are at the end of your rope and your doctor is saying its a good idea. There are forum sites for gastric bypass and LAPband support, my mom uses it and researched the surgery to death before she said yes.Let me give a bit of info. I have been overweight my entire life. I have not been a reall overeater until I moved in with my OH. I have always tried to eat healthily especially since I got IBS 15 years ago.
I tried WW when I was 10, doctors have put me on diets including the legendary cabbage soup diet. 4 years ago I spent my six weeks summer holidays going to the gym for 1/2 hours a day and was on a 1500 calorie diet set by my doc. In 6 weeks I lost 3 pounds!
The weight continued to pile on. I used to put most on during the autumn winter then lose most of it during the sprong summer. This stopped after I moved in with my OH and ate more and more processed.
I decided enough was enough when I reached 23 stone and I am only 5 ft 3.
I went to see my doc who reccoemended me for surgery. I saw a member of the bariatric team who told me I had 5/10 years to live if I carried on....I was 37 years old. Once I stopped crying he talked about my history and my diet. I changed to no processed food at all and max 1200 calories a day. I bought a fit bit, joined here and worked hard and gave all my time and energy to losing as much weight as I could to be safe in the op. Towards the end bad eating habits started to creep in and I know I could not have done this over the long term. I lost 3.5 stone over the 5 months
I have had a gastric sleeve done and have lost 3 stone since my op. I now cannot over eat and am eating 800/1000 calories a day. Don't get me wrong this is not easy. I can still eat rubbish if I choose to. I still have to watch nutition and calories. I struggle to get my protein in and get my fruit and veggies. This is not an easy option, I have to watch every bite that goes into my mouth.
It does upset me when I read the posts on here about surgery. Surgery can be successful if you are ready to work at it. The difference is you have a tool that helps you. I read the forums to get food ideas but unfortunately I cannot share hints and tips with others who have had surgery because we are not encouraged to post that info here.
I am a lower weight now than I can ever remember being, I am able to move more, I get 10,000 steps in every day and am over 6 and a half stone lighter than I was in January. For me this is a success story. I have a life I never knew I could have and I am going to live to a good old age!!!
In the end its all on you and your mentality!0 -
Everyone must make their own choice!0
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because surgery can kill you! exercise, eating well, being healthier don't have the risks that going under the knife have.
enough things in life can kill me. i will avoid surgery i don't absolutely need.0 -
I think the sx is great. My cousin had it done and lost a bunch of weight...but she eats until she pukes which is unhealthy...and I'm sure she will gain the weight back. I think she wasn't ready mentally.0
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It's crazy that many times they require you to lose weight BEFORE getting the surgery, people do this and lose some of their weight and still proceed with the surgery anyway. Blows my mind. You are clearly capable of doing it on your own.. why get an unnecessary surgery and risk your life?0
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Congratulations on your sucsess0
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In regards to surgery, the approval process long and demanding; for example, candidiates must demonstrate the ability to correct behaviors prior to the surgery as a safeguard against failure.
Sometimes genetics and medical issues prevent people form losing weight consistently, hence the need for surgery.0 -
You did what you had to do for you. I personally don"t have a problem with the surgery, and I am not saying this because I have done it. I stronly believe that it is the best option for some people. Plus, the work isn"t over after the surgery, you still have to work just as hard or even harder
Congrats on allowing the surgerys progress to take full effect by sticking to a healthy diet
Goodluck0 -
I am 100% supportive of anyone who gets the surgery! It is a huge step and I think you have to be a very brave person to do it. I myself am a chicken~too much of a chicken to consider it~but that is just me. Congratulations on your procedure and your success so far! I congratulate you and wish you the very best!0
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