Why do people consider weight loss surgery cheating?

Cheating? For some maybe but let me tell you about myself. In short I developed kidney failure 5 years ago. Due to bad eating habits and steroids and inactivity my weight ballooned to 150Kg. Huge, Actually super huge. 150Kg how could my weight and body be so big without me noticing.

At dialysis i had to stand on the scales twice a day, before my session and after. It was soul destroying. I needed to do something and with the help of a dietician my healthy life style began. For the first time in my life my mind was in the zone as they say.

The hospital staff were so supportive, even though i was losing weight they told me that i had to warn my children and close friends that one day i might die. How do you tell a 22,15 and 10 year old that you might not be around. I struggled with this, surley my life would be spared now that i knew how to look after my health, well eating and light exercising at least. It made me more determined/obsessive to lose more weight.

I worked so hard but one day my transplant surgeon came to see me. Su he said you have done a great job, but you need to lose more weight. I know says i, and thats just what i'm planning to do. Great says he but you need to do it quicker. Quicker says me, I've lost 30 Kgs in 3 months,. You havent got enough time to lose weight at this rate, you need a transplant yesterday. We can get you help but its a big step. He talked to me for ages but the only words i heard were gastric surgery.

It was like my worst nightmare. I could die in surgery, It was to drastic, healthy eating was the way surely. All of this was true but i would be dead sooner rather than later if i didn't have a transplant and i was still 20 Kgs to heavy for the kidney surgery. Having already told my girls i love them, having made a will and planned my funeral i guess i had to give myself the hope of still being around for my girls.

On the 4th of July 2012 i had a kidney transplant at 93 Kgs. Instantly my colour change, how had i not seen how gray i looked. The 4 hour sessions at dialysis stopped and i was well enough to take care of my children again properly.

As for cheating, not me. I've worked dam hard to get here. I weigh 78Kg now. I only ever had my band blown up by 4 mls of fluid, most people have 10mls every 3 months. I havent needed it. I'm in the zone. I'm eating 1200 cals a day, keep my protein high. I am to do an hours exercise 3 times a week minimum. there no 6oz meals for me. My band was just the start. It got my weight where it needed to be, the rest i have done myself. My gastric band surgeon only ever expected me to lose half of the weight i have and i'm apparently one of the few to have kept it off. I've still got a bit more to lose but i'm much more healthy now in all ways.

Good luck. You CAN do it. Its not cheating just a step in your journey. Cant wait to hear from a healthier and happier you soon. Add me if it will help. Negativity comes from people who have never stood in your shoes. Su x x

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.

Actually I'm not replying tothe question but just have a honest curious question of my own - if the surgery inables you to eat a lot and the wrong stuff (i.e. a cheeseburger) how is it that people gain the weight back. I'm not trying to be funny just uneducated as to how that works. I only know of 2 people second hand that had the surgery and I'm pretty sure they eat junk now well I know one of them does just cause I happen to be around when they're eating it. Just curious?

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!

Are you really trying to compare WLS to needing glasses? Do you see how you can't compare these two things? One is within our control, the other is not.

Here are some stats:

95 percent of people regain weight lost within 5 years

70 percent of weight loss surgery folks keep off at least 50 percent of weight lost after 5 years.

Just saying, which stats do you like? For me, it was the second one, and I have been maintaining a 100 lb weight loss for almost 3 years. It takes constant awareness, change in lifestyle, exercise, including weight training to be successful. People who regain weight, whether they had weight loss surgery or not, is because they have not made the needed changes in lifestyle to be successful. Obesity is a chronic illness and is obviously, very difficult to deal with. It has multifactorial reasons and causes.

For many, many people weight loss surgery helps to resolve diabetes, PCOS, joint problems, and has given them a second chance at a healthier and more active lifestyle. Losing weight is the easier part. Maintenance is where the rubber meets the road. For me, it has been a precious gift and has given me a second chance at a healthier and more active lifestyle. I thrive on exercise, including weight training and appreciate being able to complete a Spin or TRX class. I would do it again, to feel as good as I do now.

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!

Great post!

please dont undermine all of the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful no matter the means you choose.
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Here here

I raise my hat to everyone who wants good health and happiness for themselves no matter what tools they use to get there. knowledge, friendship and support help, lets keep negative thought to ourselves. Su x

To answer all of you "well if you can lose weight on your own for the preop why can't you just keep doing that" or "if all it takes is to eat 4 ounces of food a meal, then do that and you don't need surgery" people....THESE ARE THE MOST IDIOTIC STATEMENTS I HAVE HEARD ON THIS FORUM.. (other than the people who think they're in starvation mode because they missed lunch, but that's another topic entirely)

OBVIOUSLY eating these low amounts of calories isn't sustainable for most people and that's why they gain the weight back... That's why 98% of morbidly obese people who attempt to lose weight with diet and exercise alone will fail. I HAVE lost weight before MANY TIMES.. I simply cannot sustain the calorie deficit I need to .. even with a healthy diet. It is ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE to feel hungry all the freaking time. I was able to lose 70 pounds SEVENTY POUNDS!!!! before my surgery through diet and exercise alone.. The only thing that kept me going was the light at the end of the tunnel.. and that light for me was surgery day. Since my surgery, I still have to battle the mental aspects of eating, I still have to choose eat broccoli instead of french fries. I still have to choose to drown my sorrows in a brisk walk rather than in ice cream... but with the surgery, it's possible for me to more consistently make the right choices because I don't have the constant discomfort of the physical hunger. It's still not easy, I WANT the freaking french fries, but now I'm able to better resist.

"If it didn't work, it wouldn't be approved by insurance companies and THE GOVERNMENT. Obviously, there is enough success to justify a radical procedure."
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This is part of what bothers me.My neighbor had WLS,paid for by the state, after she was admitted to the hospital due to
gangrene.She had to have a portion of her intestine removed due to her weight.She was over 500 pounds,a single mom of three kids.

She gained back every pound she lost.

Obviously,the psychology didn't change and she was willing to risk her life again despite her children.

If you're not in the right mindset to make the change it's not going to work.

I know people who have had the surgery, lost 100+ lbs.....and gain it alllll back....just saying

My mother, father, and sister all had this surgery and have successfully kept their weight off for 2-5 years. My sister and mother now run half marathons. All three do triathlons. Just saying.

I said I know people.... I did not say everyone.

"If it didn't work, it wouldn't be approved by insurance companies and THE GOVERNMENT. Obviously, there is enough success to justify a radical procedure."

This is part of what bothers me.My neighbor had WLS,paid for by the state, after she was admitted to the hospital due to
gangrene.She had to have a portion of her intestine removed due to her weight.She was over 500 pounds,a single mom of three kids.

She gained back every pound she lost.

Obviously,the psychology didn't change and she was willing to risk her life again despite her children.

If you're not in the right mindset to make the change it's not going to work.

You're absolutely right.. if you don't have the right mindset, it WON'T WORK. The fact is, there are MANY people who DO have the right mindset.. and for them it DOES work... as evidenced by the fact that WLS have a 50-70% success rate while diet and exercise alone among morbidly obese people have a 2-5% success rate. That's a HUGE difference. Still a lot of failures with the surgery.. but exponentially more successes than diet and exercise alone.

I don't think it's cheating at all. I think it has to be the most painful way possible to lose weight. I could never see myself choosing a major surgical procedure that will affect the quantity/timing of food I can eat for my entire life over diet and exercise, but I've never had to lose more than 15 pounds and even then I was within a healthy weight.

I think someone who is at the point of surgery probably has some pretty compelling reasons to go through with it.

Best of luck to you.

actually no . . . . I manage my PCOS and weight loss through DIET and EXERCISE- a strict diet and a whole hell of a lot of exercise- I work my a** off each and every day (literally and figuratively)- hence why I said it is a harder and longer journey than someone without PCOS. My point was stop making excuses- if someone wants surgery, then get the damn surgery but don't say "its because of PCOS- I can't lose weight :sad: "

but everybody is different. my caloric intake and exercise may not produce the same results for someone else who has my general size and dimensions.

This is what irritates me. I worked for many years as a server in a restaurant. You would not believe how many people say......I have had WLS or I have a lapband and I can not eat as much. I do not want to pay for a whole meal since I can't eat it all, will you discount the meal? Ummm NO! That gets me every time. I have 3 friends who have had weight loss surgery, and 1 that had lap band. They have all gained their weight back. I think if you lose weight, either by surgery, or diet and exercise, you will gain it back if your mind set has not been changed. The bottom line is if you can lose weight, it will improve your health. If you will keep it off, is completely up to you.

I only think it's cheating when people hoop and holler about how great it is that they lost a big chunk of weight without acknowleging the surgery being the main reason. Similar to me taking credit for walking 37 miles into work when I drove a car. I know people I work with that have lost 150 lbs after surgery, but act like they did it on a treadmill.


Own it. If it's part of your process at getting healthy, then who cares what they think.

You work just as HARD, if not HARDER, after weight loss surgery than anyone does to lose the weight. It is only a TOOL. You still have to do the work. The weight doesn't just fall off. It means completely changing your life--immediately. ANYONE WHO THINKS THAT WE DON'T WORK AS HARD HAS NO CLUE.

I don't think it's cheating. It's so far beyond my range of experience that I really have no business placing any kind of judgement on it. From what I have heard some people do all the right things and it's very effective, some people do not change their lifestyle and it becomes unhealthy, so it's not the method, it's the follow through. I have to admit when I first heard about it (and I was in my early 20's) the whole thing kind of freaked me out a little and seemed worrisome to me for young people. I've learned a little bit more since then.