Why do people consider weight loss surgery cheating?
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This is just my opinion, and I'm not trying to be a jerk. But I'm going to be honest. I regard weight loss surgery with suspicion for all but the most extreme cases.
"I have followed a doctor supervised diet and exercise regiment for over a year. My PCOS is making it impossible for me to lose weight. I've seen and endocrinologist and several other specialists and all are agreeing that it is a good idea if I have weight loss surgery because it will change my hormone composition. "
I don't mean to question a doctor, but just how is stapling a person's stomach, removing their small intestine (god forbid), or attaching a plastic band to the stomach going to help someone lose weight when the desired effect is the same as being on a diet - a reduction in calories? How is this surgery going to change your hormones? I assume that it doesn't, and the hormonal improvement occurs from a reduction in body mass.
A lot of people go to their doctors, get a general diet plan, follow it limply and don't see the desired effect.
IF you are not losing weight on your doctor supervised diet, monitor your calories as close as you can and cut them further.
Exhaust every option. Your body does not violate the laws of thermodynamics, and eventually you must hit a deficit.
IF your body is comfortable with what you are feeding it, you have to make it uncomfortable by eating less or buffering those days with exercise - more intense if you can safely do it. Lots of people have genetic disorders that hinder weight loss. Patients with Prader - Willi syndrome require about 600 - 800 calories per day to maintain their weight. They must follow a monitored eating plan for their entire life. But they CAN maintain a healthy weight or lose weight. And they don't get stomach stapling as a therapy.
My view is that the surgery is excessive, expensive, invasive, and unnecessary. What you are trying to do can be done without the surgery and it's not harder to do. People go to all sorts of drastic lengths to lose weight, feeling that they need it - and 99% of the time they do not.
As for the effects of surgery, do you know about the 5% of patients who experience serious complications? I don't know what type of weight loss surgery you are considering, but do you think it is going to be sustainable if the intestines can't digest the same amount of nutrients as before? Do you think it's going to stay off if a person loses weight extremely fast, resulting in huge losses to lean muscle mass? Are you willing to do heavy weight sets two or three times weekly to hold onto muscle tissue, assuming you are not too weak to do the exercise (drastic calorie cuts will affect your lifts) ?
IMO you have everything in your power to change your life and it doesn't cost anything. You can do this, but only if you want it. ~ Advice end ~
This is probably the best post on MFP to date. :drinker:0 -
I always had that mindset until I recently saw what my friend had to go through to prep for the surgery & what she had to give up eating/drinking for the rest of her life. It's a rough process!! I no longer consider it a cheat or easy way out!!!
I came in here to say almost that exact thing. Until someone close to me did it I had no clue the effort and work they went through in addition to the surgery. MY opinion is that some people feel it's a cheat because it's a tool that they themselves can not or will not use. That has always been MY issue. Surgery isn't an option for me, for my own reasons. So for someone else to have access to a tool that I don't have is sometimes difficult to process.
But in the end, it's just another means to an end. Good luck to you!
^^^DITTO!!^^^ Its far from easy, its just as much work and commitment. Road A or Road B arrive at the same point. It is most definitely not cheating and I'm frankly appalled at some of the venom on this thread. "I'm doing it the hard way" ... deluded about how hard the whole WLS thing and follow up is. If you don't agree with WLS then don't do it.
Yes some people don't apply the same/right commitment after WLS, but how many people are on MFP after losing bucket loads of weight and then gaining it back?
For those that are concerned about the dangers of WLS (or ANY surgery), that's completely fair and all patients are always educated about that beforehand.0 -
That's harsh to say don't you think???? Let me tell you something.... I support her decision if that's what she chooses to do. I myself am a gastric band patient for last 8 years. Prior to that, I spent YEARS attempting to lose weight by trying all diets, excercise, gyms, nutritionists, countless dr's appointments to no avail. I would lose 10-15 and gain it back and them some.
Dr's finally discovered I had a thyroid problem that impacted my body's ability to lose weight. After surgery, I moved to have the gastric band because I had developed secondary symptoms due to being overweight. And NO, I wasn't overweight all of my life, ate unhealthy, or was lazy. I spent 8 years in the military and was fit and trim.
Before you judge someone as being lazy and cheating, consider what other issues they could be having that's attributing to their weight issue.
Shame on you.
There is clearly more going on than just a thyroid issue for you. You could have lost the weight without surgery. I'd be willing to bet you have mild food allergies or intolerance contributing to your thyroid problem which is VERY common for those of us with thyroid issues that contributed to your struggle with losing weight. I have the autoimmune version of hypothyroidism and am losing weight...no surgery required. It's harder than those without thyroid trouble but it is do-able. Nobody is judging anyone here, OP ASKED people a question and people are giving their honest opinions.
Why is everyone getting so high and mighty here? Everyone can have an opinion, especially when it's asked for. For people to be saying those with differing opinions are being judgemental and rude..or whatever...is in itself judgemental and rude. Opinions can't be wrong, OR uneducated. That's the beauty of them.0 -
I consider weight loss surgery as cheating simply because your weight loss is based off a procedure. There is no hard work and dedication put into transforming your body. Although I see absolutely nothing wrong with the surgery, I do become a bit irriated when I see success stories of people "claiming" to have lost 130 lbs of hard work and dedication. As long as you're honest about your journey, then go for it. On the other hand, you owe no one any explanations, so you in essence, don't really have to be honest if you don't want to. This is just my take on the Gastric Bypass Cheating. I support you for your BRAVERY to go under the knife....something I would never have the guts to do ;-).0
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This is just my opinion, and I'm not trying to be a jerk. But I'm going to be honest. I regard weight loss surgery with suspicion for all but the most extreme cases.
"I have followed a doctor supervised diet and exercise regiment for over a year. My PCOS is making it impossible for me to lose weight. I've seen and endocrinologist and several other specialists and all are agreeing that it is a good idea if I have weight loss surgery because it will change my hormone composition. "
I don't mean to question a doctor, but just how is stapling a person's stomach, removing their small intestine (god forbid), or attaching a plastic band to the stomach going to help someone lose weight when the desired effect is the same as being on a diet - a reduction in calories? How is this surgery going to change your hormones? I assume that it doesn't, and the hormonal improvement occurs from a reduction in body mass.
A lot of people go to their doctors, get a general diet plan, follow it limply and don't see the desired effect.
IF you are not losing weight on your doctor supervised diet, monitor your calories as close as you can and cut them further.
Exhaust every option. Your body does not violate the laws of thermodynamics, and eventually you must hit a deficit.
IF your body is comfortable with what you are feeding it, you have to make it uncomfortable by eating less or buffering those days with exercise - more intense if you can safely do it. Lots of people have genetic disorders that hinder weight loss. Patients with Prader - Willi syndrome require about 600 - 800 calories per day to maintain their weight. They must follow a monitored eating plan for their entire life. But they CAN maintain a healthy weight or lose weight. And they don't get stomach stapling as a therapy.
My view is that the surgery is excessive, expensive, invasive, and unnecessary. What you are trying to do can be done without the surgery and it's not harder to do. People go to all sorts of drastic lengths to lose weight, feeling that they need it - and 99% of the time they do not.
As for the effects of surgery, do you know about the 5% of patients who experience serious complications? I don't know what type of weight loss surgery you are considering, but do you think it is going to be sustainable if the intestines can't digest the same amount of nutrients as before? Do you think it's going to stay off if a person loses weight extremely fast, resulting in huge losses to lean muscle mass? Are you willing to do heavy weight sets two or three times weekly to hold onto muscle tissue, assuming you are not too weak to do the exercise (drastic calorie cuts will affect your lifts) ?
IMO you have everything in your power to change your life and it doesn't cost anything. You can do this, but only if you want it. ~ Advice end ~
what a beautiful post. you summed it up very nicely. Thank you.0 -
Opinions are like *kitten* everyone has one... And just because you use some anal whitening cream doesn't mean we don't know your full of ****!
It's okay to laugh its gods way of letting you know you're Alive!
^^ This!!
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I think WLS is an option and it's not a easy choice as their is high risk. I think it's a good option for extremely obese people and/or people would have exhausted every other effort to lose weight. There is nothing easy about surgery. The only difference between surgery and the natural method of weight loss is when/how you want to do the work. The natural you do the exercise and restrict calories to lose the weight in which you learn the skills required to maintain. With WLS the real work follows the surgery, by relearning how to eat, counselling, healing, and maintaining the loss.
However, I do think the medical community uses it as a cash cow. I think the medical community should promote health not surgeries. Unfortunately there is no money in health.
Good luck with your surgery. I hope to read about you in the success forum!0 -
Wow! People feel really strongly about this topic. I had no idea. I think losing the weight is becoming more healthy, period. Unless the health risk of the surgery is worse than the morbid obesity....then I think its a tool. Good luck to you.0
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This is just my opinion, and I'm not trying to be a jerk. But I'm going to be honest. I regard weight loss surgery with suspicion for all but the most extreme cases.
"I have followed a doctor supervised diet and exercise regiment for over a year. My PCOS is making it impossible for me to lose weight. I've seen and endocrinologist and several other specialists and all are agreeing that it is a good idea if I have weight loss surgery because it will change my hormone composition. "
I don't mean to question a doctor, but just how is stapling a person's stomach, removing their small intestine (god forbid), or attaching a plastic band to the stomach going to help someone lose weight when the desired effect is the same as being on a diet - a reduction in calories? How is this surgery going to change your hormones? I assume that it doesn't, and the hormonal improvement occurs from a reduction in body mass.
A lot of people go to their doctors, get a general diet plan, follow it limply and don't see the desired effect.
IF you are not losing weight on your doctor supervised diet, monitor your calories as close as you can and cut them further.
Exhaust every option. Your body does not violate the laws of thermodynamics, and eventually you must hit a deficit.
IF your body is comfortable with what you are feeding it, you have to make it uncomfortable by eating less or buffering those days with exercise - more intense if you can safely do it. Lots of people have genetic disorders that hinder weight loss. Patients with Prader - Willi syndrome require about 600 - 800 calories per day to maintain their weight. They must follow a monitored eating plan for their entire life. But they CAN maintain a healthy weight or lose weight. And they don't get stomach stapling as a therapy.
My view is that the surgery is excessive, expensive, invasive, and unnecessary. What you are trying to do can be done without the surgery and it's not harder to do. People go to all sorts of drastic lengths to lose weight, feeling that they need it - and 99% of the time they do not.
As for the effects of surgery, do you know about the 5% of patients who experience serious complications? I don't know what type of weight loss surgery you are considering, but do you think it is going to be sustainable if the intestines can't digest the same amount of nutrients as before? Do you think it's going to stay off if a person loses weight extremely fast, resulting in huge losses to lean muscle mass? Are you willing to do heavy weight sets two or three times weekly to hold onto muscle tissue, assuming you are not too weak to do the exercise (drastic calorie cuts will affect your lifts) ?
IMO you have everything in your power to change your life and it doesn't cost anything. You can do this, but only if you want it. ~ Advice end ~
what a beautiful post. you summed it up very nicely. Thank you.
I second this.0 -
I know people who have had the surgery, lost 100+ lbs.....and gain it alllll back....just saying0
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bump0
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Surgery isn't cheating... is wearing eye glasses cheating? What about a knee brace? If you dont do what you are supposed to do with these other "cheats", then your ailment won;t get better. Just like with bypass, if you dont do what you are supposed to, you will gain all the weight back. Surgery isnt cheating, its a personal decision. Honestly, when you get to your goal weight, when someone asks how you did it you can say "hard work and exercise" because that is the truth. Surgery is hard work, and you must exercise. Be happy in your decision to change!0
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I consider weight loss surgery as cheating simply because your weight loss is based off a procedure. There is no hard work and dedication put into transforming your body. Although I see absolutely nothing wrong with the surgery, I do become a bit irriated when I see success stories of people "claiming" to have lost 130 lbs of hard work and dedication. As long as you're honest about your journey, then go for it. On the other hand, you owe no one any explanations, so you in essence, don't really have to be honest if you don't want to. This is just my take on the Gastric Bypass Cheating. I support you for your BRAVERY to go under the knife....something I would never have the guts to do ;-).
I have to say that I am a little offended about you saying that surgery doesn't take hard work and dedication. I have a hormone imbalance that made it near impossible for me to lose weight, and instead of waiting for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and who knows what else, I decided to have gastric bypass. I have thought about and and gone back and forth for 5 years now. With bypass you are making the commitment that you will take vitamins and supplements FOREVER. Yes, the weight comes off easily at the beginning, but that by no means is an indicator for future success. Just like every other person trying to maintain or achieve a healthy weight we must diet and exercise. Do you have the dedication to never eat a cheeseburger or ice cream sundae again? We have to. For instance, I will never again be able to eat more than 10g of sugar or 6g of fat in a meal. That means on the really bad "I just want a burger day" I have to find a substitute.
I understand bypass isnt for everyone, and it doesn't have to be put on public display either. Thats like asking a couple who used IVF to announce it when speaking about their child. Sometimes people need medical help to reach their goals and there simply is nothing wrong with that.
If someone goes into surgery thinking it will be a quick fix, they will have no long term success, but if they think of it as a tool (like glasses, or a knee replacement) then the chances of long term success sky rocket.
You by no means have to agree with my opinion, but please dont undermine all of the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful no matter the means you choose.0 -
Having surgery on a stomach to make it smaller? Why not just eat what the docs would have you eat IF you had your tummy made into the size of a walnut?
Having fat sucked out of your body? It will just accumulate in other places where you still have fat cells unless you change the way you eat/exercise.
Pcos, thyroid, chronic pain, etc. it's all just excuses and I have them too. But I see a lot of people that insist they can't lose weight get put in a hospital where they monitor their food and don't allow cheating and they do lose weight, and quite fast.
I don't necessarily call surgery cheating, but it is not the cure to being overweight.0 -
Its not cheating... but if you didnt have the band or staples or stitches or whatever it may be, and only ate 4oz of food a day or whatever you are restricted to once you have the surgery, that will give you the same results. But like everyone else says surgery is easy, and has the risk of alot alot of complications, so even if you have it done, you have to change your life style as well, because i dont think a big mac will fit in the new pouch they staple for you.0
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I consider weight loss surgery as cheating simply because your weight loss is based off a procedure. There is no hard work and dedication put into transforming your body. Although I see absolutely nothing wrong with the surgery, I do become a bit irriated when I see success stories of people "claiming" to have lost 130 lbs of hard work and dedication. As long as you're honest about your journey, then go for it. On the other hand, you owe no one any explanations, so you in essence, don't really have to be honest if you don't want to. This is just my take on the Gastric Bypass Cheating. I support you for your BRAVERY to go under the knife....something I would never have the guts to do ;-).
Saying that something is "cheating" implies a lower level of effort or skill are required - and that you are possibly violating some rule - to attain the same results. That. Is. Not. The. Case. with gastric bypass. It requires an incredible level of effort, bravery and will to be successful. It requires a life-long level of commitment. I'd put it right up there with Marriage on the scale of major life changes.
I have been obese all my life - I mean that literally. I was obese even as a small child. My bad eating habits were as ingrained into my mind as my speech patterns are - and just like you'd need serious treatment or therapy to change your speech patterns, I needed serious treatment to change my eating patterns. Gastric Bypass was what I needed; it changed my perception of food and exercise on a level I didn't even understand was possible.
Having an RNY Gastric Bypass was the best decision I'd ever made in my life.0 -
I don't think there is anything wrong with the surgery.
BUT (and yes, I know what using but here means)
I'm disappointed that too many doctors recommend it to patients that SHOULD NOT get it. I have only one case and it hits close to home. My niece, she weighed 280 lbs and was 20 years old when the doctor recommended it. She jumped on it, got the surgery and now, three years later, is gaining the 100 lbs she lost back! She was not ready (mentally) to employ the lifestyle change needed to be successful after the surgery and any idiot who spent five minutes talking to her would have been able to see it.
So for those that get it and then keep the weight off... there's nothing wrong with it.
In cases like my niece... grrr.
This is the problem in many cases, I have worked with many of Doctors (was a hospital Director) and its like anything else in the world you have some people who are really in it to help others but a lot people just want to get paid. be weary of any surgery unless there is really no other option0 -
Well, here's the thing: What will change once you get the lap band? If you're following what your doctor says, then you probably aren't overeating. All the lap band does is force you to not eat. But if you're already eating less, then why would you need something to force that on you?
I'd say get tested a few more times and see if something besides PCOS is up with your body.0 -
Its your health any nobody else's. Screw anyone that has anyone negative to say about you taking care of yourself. Its not a magic fix, its not easy, its just a different kind of work.0
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