Introducing ME! Dieting like mad b4 GASTRIC SURGERY

Why don't you carry on losing the weight through diet instead of surgery.

You are doing really well and your illnesses will get better the more you lose without all the side affects of gastric surgery?

This is what I wonder too. So many people have to lose weight before surgery. During this time, they're proving to themselves and everyone else they can do it on their own without surgery, so ultimately, why get surgery unless there's a pressing medical reason? I don't get it. To each his or her own.

I can't speak for everyone, but before my lap band surgery, I lost and gained the same 30-40 lbs over and over again. When I decided on surgery I was 120 lbs overweight and I was terrified.

I just posted this the other day:

I had lap band surgery two years ago and I'm happy to share my experience. Keep in mind that everyone is different, though, and surgery may not be the best route for your sister.

I tried many diets over the years, including severe calorie restriction, weight watchers, and Meridia. They all worked to a point, but eventually the weight always came back plus more. Eventually I realized my overeating had little to do with my love of good food. I still love good food. I'm a pretty good cook and I love going to good restaurants. I've never been a junk food junkie. My overeating was directly related to depression. I was on antidepressants for years, but was still unable to control the emotional overeating. Finally, I started to understand that I needed to learn new coping mechanisms to deal with stress, depression, life, that didn't involve food. I've been working with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders for over two years now, and I've made great progress.

NONE of this is thanks to my bariatric surgeon. He's a nice guy, but he's a surgeon, not a therapist. The reason I decided to go with the surgery...well, several reasons, and they're complicated. I had tried and failed so many times before, I didn't think I could face failing again. I was terrified of trying and failing, and my weight kept going up. I was fortunate not to have any other health issues, largely because of my active lifestyle and the fact that I never ate much junk (and genetics), but I knew it was just a matter of time before the weight would catch up to me. When I finally sat down and face reality I was about 120 lbs overweight and the thought of losing all that with no help was just so daunting I wanted to give up completely. If not for my kids, I might have ended it all at that point. How in the world do you lose 120 lbs???? It was just too much...I couldn't face it. My husband is a physician and read up on the medical literature, and weight loss surgery has a great success rate. Yes, people can and do re-gain weight after surgery. Everyone knows someone who has. But a meta analysis of the literature shows that *statistically* it's more successful than any other method of weight loss.

I decided on the lap band vs gastric bypass or sleeve or the other methods because it's the least invasive and can be reversed. My band is pretty loose these days, so I can *almost* eat like "normal." The other surgeries can cause malabsorption issues and you can't drink alcohol or sweets, and I wasn't about to give up any one type of food (or wine!). For six months to a year leading up to the surgery, I had to undergo a whole battery of tests (cardiac ultrasound, endoscopy, blood work, sleep study...can't remember what else) to make sure I was healthy enough to take the surgery. I was also required to lose a certain amount of weight (10% of my weight I think...can't remember now) to prove that I could make healthy choices. I also had a fitness test, treadmill stress test...can't remember what else. Anyway, my point is, you can't decide one day to have the surgery and then go and do it the following week. They put you through so much, that you have plenty of time to think it through and educate yourself before you actually go through with it.

Finally, and MOST IMPORTANT, I would not have had the success I've had if not for my therapist and a LOT of hard work on my mental and emotional relationship to food. I'm happy to say I've been off antidepressants since last summer and I "manage" my depression with exercise.

I still want to lose a lot more weight, but I can honestly say that I've reached my "goal" of having a healthy relationship with food and I'm no longer terrified of failing.

That's my story. smile