Tell me again why I should NOT have gastric bypass surgery

You should not have the surgery if you are not 100% sure that you will stick to the diet and aquire the self dicipline needed to see it through the end.

Gastric bypass is a life changing operation and it will work if you change your lifestyle permanently. There can be no diet for 3 or 4 years and then you go back to how you used to be.

My friend had it and she weighed 260 now a year later she is at 170 but it has been an uphill battle that she had to run up to not have to deal with the skin issues she had to workout like crazy. She was never allowed a cheat day, never allowed just a taste or maybe just a bite won't do any harm. It was complete dicipline and move forward or suffer the consequences.

She wanted to convince me to do it and I will admit that I am one those that sees it as an easy way out.
At my heaviest I was 505 pounds the hole that I had dug with horrible eating habits, no exercise and a bit of hypothyroid was so deep I thought I would never see the light of losing the weight.

Now at nearly 150 lbs loss with hard work, exercise, a properly balanced diet my lifestyle is completely different. But it was a success because I found that reason inside myself to truly commit for life. I started December 2011 by the way.

It can be done the old fashioned way it is harder and won't cost you as much as gastric bypass does.

Hi, My Dad, many years ago had the surgery. I do not recommed it to any1. If you cannot stop your over eating/bad eating hadits ect now without the surgery then surgery is not going to help. Sorry. I watched my dad sturggle for so many years. Foods he wanted to eat and could not. He was sick, lack of nutrients for so long. We thought at one point he was going to die because of this surgery.; / He had the stable stomache and the ring around the tummy. The ring did not let him hold down food! He could not enjoy food for 15 years until he had the ring removed. Then because he did not address the reasons why he loves food so much he has gained all of his weight back. I also had a cousin that did not watch what she ate and stretched the ring out and there went all the hard work and pain out the window. I think diet and exersice is the best way to go. If you want to eat something out of your diet then just exercise more.

Actually, gastric bypass done by a good surgeon is in most cases reversible. That was one of the questions I asked specifically and had explained in detail last spring prior to having gastric bypass. There are a number of people who have successfully carried babies post bypass surgery. For me, that wasn't an issue. I waited until after I had my children to have bypass surgery. I investigated it thoroughly, did my research, asked all of my questions and kept asking until I understood all the answers. I had surgery in March of 2012 and as of Christmas day 2012 I've lost 110lbs. I've had no negative side effects at all. My blood and body composition is tested very regularly by my surgeon and by my primary care physician and I follow the rules that were outlined post op. I'm 45 years old and able to be active with my 4 & 6 year old sons and my husband. I'd like to lose another 100lbs and continue to change my lifestyle to do so. Bypass was not a cure, just a tool.

Here would be MY reasons:

1. It is ,MAJOR surgery.

2. It does not FIX what caused you to be overweight to start with.

3. It CAN be done without surgery. My starting BMI was closer to 66.

4. If you put your blood, sweat and tears into it, you have SWEAT EQUITY and will fight harder to keep it off and maintain it.

5. If you have the surgery, the loss will be soooo fast and you will have a tremendous amount of skin just hanging there.

Since you have stated that you are already doing the 6 month diet pre-op for surgery and that you are really reaching out more for motivation, that is what I will attempt to give you. I had gastric bypass 8 months ago, so I'm no pro, but I do have some experience and while it is still hard, I can't imagine having succeeded (this is just me personally) without the surgery.
Of course surgery isn't right for everyone. Of course you could continue trying to lose the weight with diet and exercise alone. So many people do just that. However, the reason so many people do turn to wls is not because they are looking to not have to diet or exercise (though some people do have that fantasy), but rather because they need something that will keep them encouraged.
Before, when I only dieted and exercised, I would lose around 15-20 lbs and then I would plateau for a long time and maybe lose a lb every couple weeks. Having over 150 lbs to lose and losing the weight so slowly (and sometimes not at all), I got discouraged after only a few weeks or months and reverted to old ways. With surgery, I still diet and exercise, but the weight comes off faster in the beginning which is a major encouragement for me to keep going and working even harder. I don't take it for granted because I know on weeks that I don't exercise as hard (hello Christmas break), I don't lose as much or I may even gain.
When it comes to food, I no longer struggle with what is right and what is wrong. It has become habit to choose healthier substitutions in my diet, and I feel it is true that your taste buds change and (for me at least), the healthier foods taste better now than they had before surgery. Also, simply eating healthy foods more frequently, you get used to the taste, so your body learns to crave those things. In the beginning, I thought of my new, smaller, picky pouch as my personal trainer in what I should and shouldn't eat. I followed the diet, but there were times when I thought something like 'maybe I could allow myself a second glass of orange juice in the morning'. In reality, even though orange juice isn't usually thought of as unhealthy, it is full of sugars, and while it is fine to drink it sparingly, I didn't need that second glass. And my pouch taught me that right away.
One of the reasons many people eat sweets and don't diet/workout is because they crave that instant gratification. The food is rewarding right then, the moment they taste it, whereas results from diet/exercise take longer. While wls obviously doesn't 'instantly' give you the health you desire, it does aid you in getting there faster. And on top of that, when you eat something that is very wrong or too much, you will instantly feel sorry for it. (Not everyone experiences dumping syndrome, but it is very real and I am thankful for it as it makes me view 'bad' foods as something hurtful and well... bad as opposed to desirable).
Remember though, there are also MANY negative aspects of surgery that can come up as well. Vitamin/mineral deficiencies CAN happen. You will have to take supplements the rest of your life. You can refrain from using your 'honeymoon period' (the first year or so in which you will lose weight quickest) to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle and not lose as much weight as expected and easily gain ALL of it back.
Basically what I am saying is just that you will still have to diet and exercise, but if encouragement is truly the only issue that holds you back from sticking to a diet/exercise routine long-term, surgery may help you in that if you continue following the diet and exercise plan, you will see the weight come off faster than before. If you have other issues (depression, etc) that may be causing you to overeat, this surgery will not fix that, and you may find it more beneficial to first work on those problems and go back to trying to stick to a regimen without surgery.

Ultimately this choice is up to you. I do know that my sister had this procedure about 8 years ago, and has had many complications since. The problem was that it didn't teach her better eating habits so the first several years were trial and error. Figuring out what she can and cannot eat. This often resulted in her over eating or eating the wrong foods and having to vomit. All of this vomiting for her equaled bad rotting teeth, many of which have had to be pulled, chronic heartburn, sinus issues and an even more terrifying relationship with food. This is not a cure all, you still need to practice self control and handle your diet carefully. If you do decide to go ahead just do so with much caution.

I had the exact same experience. I would be rocking along, doing well on the diet the nut put me on... then I would fall off the wagon and every time it reminded me... I need the surgery. Hope this helps.