Weight Loss Surgery?

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bka3601
bka3601 Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I just joined yesterday as a suggestion from a Nutritionist that I am seeing prior to Weight Loss Surgery........Has anyone else had a surgery to aid them losing weight on here? I am going in on 12/19 and have started a preop diet to shrink my liver prior to surgery. Some may think it is the easy way out but I have tried so many other things I feel as though this is a last resort. Just looking for feedback.
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  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    I have an online friend who has had WLS, but she is not a member here. She was able to document the whole journey, though, and that help develop healthy habits. She says it was one of the best decisions she'd ever made and she's never looked back! She has been able to exercise much, much more now that the original weight is off. And she was able to learn how to eat and be healthy so that she could carry it after her surgery into her life.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
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    I just had some deja vu... thought that was my old gut in your picture... I started at 425 less than 5 months ago and I'm down 101 as of last Saturday. I personally chose not to do the surgery, but each person has to make those kinds of choices themselves. The risk/reward assessment seems to be the only thing that matters about the surgery... If you can make it work with or without surgery is what must be determined. If you feel that you can't do it without the surgery then do the surgery because you need to lose the weight for your health and your family.
  • HarleyJo13
    HarleyJo13 Posts: 1
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    I had weight loss surgery just over a year ago. I had a MGB (Mini-Gastric Bypass) performed by Dr. David E Hargroder in Joplin, Missouri. I am a nurse in Texas and had ample opportunity to have wt loss surgery done locally, but am EXTREMELY happy with my choice to go with Dr. Hargroder and his procedure! He is the most compassionate surgeon I have ever in my life met! (and that is after meeting a LOT of MD's over 28 years of nursing). His procedure is the first that I have seem people have great long term success (maintained wt loss over 10 years). My primary care MD was shocked....he was amazed at how successful this surgery is. In the year since my surgery, I have lost 140 pounds. I have gone from a size 24 to a size 8. I started using the My Fitness Pal site to track my food intake, and expecially my nutritional intake. I have a Fitbit as well and like how it syncs up with it and how I can enter in my gym workouts.

    Biggest decision I ever in my life made.....best thing I ever in my life did for myself! :smooched:
  • stacylperry
    stacylperry Posts: 66 Member
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    :smile: Hi welcome to the weightloss surgery page !! I had the vertical sleeve on 10/24 and I'm so glad I did:happy: Prior to the surgery I lost 70 pounds in eight months, on my own with diet and exercize. Since the sugery I've lost 14 pounds with smaller portions and exercize. Like you said, this isn't the 'easy way out'... :indifferent: this is a personal decision~ it's not an easy one to make it's like changing and a little painful. I've told only the closest people to me, but will share with people going through it :flowerforyou: please friend me ... I'd be happy to go through this journey with you... especially the liquid diet to shrink your liver before surgery- I'll be happy to support you through this :) thats what we are here for :wink:
  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
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    I had lapband surgery in Oct 2010. It has still been a struggle losing weight (as it is still just a tool and I am still figuring out how to use this tool). Feel free to add me as a friend!
  • fusion777
    fusion777 Posts: 197
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    I chose the same as lew, I considered weight loss surgery (my doctor suggested it) but then decided against it. It's no easier than dieting and eating right (please know, I do not judge anyone who has the surgery, it just wasn't right for me).

    Once I knew I was in huge trouble (no pun intended), I got my act together and so far I'm down 65lbs since the summer. It hasn't been easy for one minute but the rewards of being healthier, skinnier, etc. are totally worth it. I'm not sure the surgery could have helped me more.

    I wish you good luck in your search for the right answer for you. This is the hardest thing I have ever done for myself and MFP has been such a blessing.
  • pawoodhull
    pawoodhull Posts: 1,759 Member
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    I had the gastric sleeve done July 2011. Go ahead and add me as a friend if you want. There are two groups I'm part of that are people who've had the sleeve. I'm sure there are groups specific to all the different weight loss surgeries on here as well.

    Losing weight through surgery isn't the "esy way out" and it's no magic bullet. You will lose weight right after without much effort, but after a few months, to continue to lose and keep off what you did lose you have to count calories and exercise. The reality is, these surgeries just give you a chance. You have to change your eating habits and your exercise habits and the change needs to be for life. Beacuse if you go back to your old ways, you will regain your weight. I have 2 sisters and 2 cousins who had gastric bypass and 3 of them have regained some if not all their weight. They didn't change their eating habits and stopped exercising.

    Good luck and agin, feel free to add me. The support through your doctor's office and here is important.
  • latchington
    latchington Posts: 12
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    I would have weight loss surgery in a heart beat if I had the money - which is why I have joined this site, so I can do it myself! I think the fact that people who are overweight are stigmatized to the point where they consider being cut open to be a socially 'normal' weight is a little bit upsetting though. But you gotta do these things for yourself and no-one else I guess!
  • Cupcakehippiemommy
    Cupcakehippiemommy Posts: 457 Member
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    I think only YOU know what will work for you,personally I could never do surgery unless it was to save my life, but that is because I HATE hospitals and have a phobia about getting cut open for anything.Best of luck to you and I hope it all ends well!
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Have you ever attempted managing your macros (calories/fats/carbs) on a site like this before for weight loss? If this is your first attempt, I would highly suggest looking through some of the success stories at the amazing people who have done this without a surgery. The surgery won't fix you, it will just keep you from eating which is something that you're capable of changing yourself without an expensive, risky surgery. Instead of having a surgery and THEN learning about maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, it'd be so much safer to just work on the diet/exercise aspect right now and avoid unnecessary surgery.

    Either way, good luck :flowerforyou:
  • glamis_dust_bunny
    glamis_dust_bunny Posts: 9 Member
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    I'm almost into my 3rd month of 6 month pre-op appointments. My surgery should be sometime in March. I just made my appointment to meet with the surgeon, that will be next month. I met with the psychologist last night and thats where I learned for the first time about the liver shrinking liquid diet a week prior to surgery. I'm trying to use MFP to help me keep to 1200 cals per day to lose approx 30lbs prior to surgery. I'm down 5 in about a week (shows only 1 on my profile because I screwed up when I was entering my current weight) I'm hoping to be down the 30 by my Jan 11th appointment with the nutritionist.
  • mandyabraio
    mandyabraio Posts: 112 Member
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    I had the sleeve on 11/5/12 AND NO this is NOT the easy way out!!!! People who don't understand this surgery and what it can do are well...just ignorant! I am only 3 weeks post op and I can already tell you it is the BEST thing I have EVER done for myself. Congrats on you getting it done. I'll add you as a friend.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
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    I have tried so many other things I feel as though this is a last resort. Just looking for feedback.

    But...
    I just joined yesterday

    My feedback would be to give ONE last thing - MyFitnessPal - a try before your last resort of surgery. What can it hurt? You may find, like many others, that it's the one thing that works, and avoid surgery entirely. You have nothing to lose... Except weight.
  • stubbseyt
    stubbseyt Posts: 84 Member
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    my friend had a gastric bypass, i think that was quite drastic as she is only in her 20s, she failed at every diet and was very very big. she found a doctor who agreed to do it. she looks fabulous now she is glowing, but has a lot of loose skin which her dad says he will pay for the op to get rid of.

    i asked her once how she would STOP dieting because it is not a reversable operation, she said you just eat higher calorific food. so i then worried that at the end of her diet, she would have to eat really unhealthilly for the rest of her life... didnt seem right. But, she might not have known all the ins and outs of the maintainance plan herself really.

    good luck with it
  • Gwynhyffar
    Gwynhyffar Posts: 24 Member
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    I had a verticle sleeve gastrectomy last December. It's been a long road this year, but so far I have lost 110 pounds. You didn't say which surgery you are having. This site has been great for me for tracking my food and exercise and has realy helped me stay on track post-op. Good luck to you and I would be happy to help support your journey. You should also look into surgery specific support forums. I'm a member at www.gastricsleeve.com

    Good luck!
  • PeekABooGirl
    PeekABooGirl Posts: 218 Member
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    I had Roux en Y gastric bypass in 1997 and lost about 125lbs. It's most certainly not an "easy" route to choose. I've had 2 babies and managed to keep off 100 of those pounds. But having the surgery, in and of itself, isn't a guarantee it'll stay off and you'll still struggle with the love of food that you once had. I'm struggling now to loose the 25 I gained, plus another 25 more. I don't regret the surgery at all. It's changed my life for the better. But just wanted to make clear that it's not at all a guarantee of being skinny and it still takes commitment and effort to loose the weight and keep it off.
  • bka3601
    bka3601 Posts: 8 Member
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    WOW! Thank you all for your response to my post I really appreciate the feedback. This is such a wonderful community to lean on during such an important time in my life. I look forward to interacting with all of you when I have the chance.....

    Thank you again, it is truly helpful
  • missmidge84
    missmidge84 Posts: 100 Member
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    I started using this site when I was in the early phase of the intake procedure for lap band surgery. I decided to commit to using the meal tracker for 90 days and then reevaluate where I'm at before deciding to proceed with the surgery. I'm at day 56 and I'm down almost 22 pounds. I've decided surgery isn't for me at this point in my life and I'll be sticking with MFP.
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    WOW! Thank you all for your response to my post I really appreciate the feedback. This is such a wonderful community to lean on during such an important time in my life. I look forward to interacting with all of you when I have the chance.....

    Thank you again, it is truly helpful
    Absolutely, just please do not give up on yourself. You can 100% do this without an invasive surgery if that's the route you choose. The surgery will only limit your ability to eat as much, but eventually you will have to dive into learning everything about nutrition, macros and fitness regardless, so why not just do it now without the risks? I'd highly suggest saving yourself the pain and giving MFP a try instead before completely giving up. You can definitely do it.
  • REDI4CHANGE60
    REDI4CHANGE60 Posts: 170
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    I had the RNY Gastric Bypass back in 2002 (I think ... maybe 2001) ... anyway, I lost over 100 pounds. I didn't work my 'tool' - the pouch - properly and slowly gained back 50 pounds. Well, those pounds are gone now, plus a few more, and I am still losing. The beautiful thing is that once you have the surgery ... according to which surgery you have ... you always have the tool at your disposal.

    Which surgery are you having? IMHO the gastric bypass, according to the amount of weight you have to lose, is the best way to go. Yes, you have to change your lifestyle (that is with all of the surgeries) ... and that was something I didn't get at first (my bad) ... to a certain extent, but if you work your pouch you will lose the weight. So what if you can't sit down and eat a entire ribeye ... you can eat a portion of it and be STUFFED and satiated. Satiated ... I never really knew how that felt before the surgery ... to be completely full and not want another bite ... it's incredible because it makes me feel like a 'normal' person that can eat and not always be hungry.

    Do I regret going under the knife ... and suffering some complications due to the surgery in the hospital ... ??? Hell NO! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Best of luck to you!!

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