Bariatric surgery? Or not? I may be chickening out...

I had gastric bypass in 2003, I originally lost over one hundred pounds, I hope you all the best but, if you aren't at least one hundred pounds overweight, I think about it hard. I still have to fight to lose, and on top of that have a lot of health problems. I have kept 70 lbs off, but it's a battle no matter how easy you think it is. Would I go through it again, probably, cause you think well if I can't eat, I'll be skinny. We all find a way, we find other ways. I can't eat ice cream, or a bag of cookies at one time, but I can eat 2 cookies every 10 minutes.
Good luck

I had a gastric band surgery 10 years ago.
If you want to ask any questions send me a PN.

There is also a comment from me about this in another thread.

I know you asked for thoughts from others who have been there. I have seen some of the complications that can occur with bypass surgery and would not consider it for myself because of these things. I am certain there are many more surgeries that go well without complications, so I recognize that my viewpoint is likely skewed. I am here simply to say that if you are having doubts of any kind, perhaps postponing the surgery for 6 months would be something to consider. You said you have taken 5 years to get to this point (making the decision and doing research), another 6 months is not that long in the grand scheme. If you would like to add me as a friend, I will support you regardless of the choice you make.

The Doctors tried to push gastric bypass surgery on me. I was 415 lbs (430 at my heaviest) and had just suffered a heart attack at 26 years old.

They told me it would be near impossible for me to lose the weight on my own.

They told me....

19 weeks later. I'm down 87 pounds. I jog 5km every second day, increasing it every two weeks in prep for my half marathon in September.

I've lost 58" around my entire body.

NOTHING feels as good as proving people wrong. NOTHING feels as good as losing the weight on your own with your own determination and dedication.

Best of luck in your decision. But I just thought you'd benefit from reading that.

I love my food and the thought of never being physically capable of having a blow out meal for birthdays or Christmas again after having surgery was enough to put me off the idea. It's taken me 2 years to lose 111lbs but it's come with a real sense of achievement from making the right choices (more often) rather than a potentially problematic surgery. I've also built a lot of activity into my life which vastly improved my shape and wellbeing - an op wouldn't have done that for me.

Statistically, 5% of people with 60 lbs or more to lose take it off AND KEEP IT OFF for 5 or more years. I don't qualify for surgery on my insurance plan, so I am busting my butt to be within that 5%. However, my mom had surgery two years ago - and is incredibly grateful for it. I watched her lose - and gain back - almost 100 lbs multiple times growing up. She is a strong, amazingly accomplished woman but she needed the tool of surgery to meet and keep to her goal.

I see weight loss surgery to the obese as a tool akin to Anabuse for alcoholics. (Albeit a much more involved tool.) Not everyone needs it, but I think those that do should not be judged for recognizing their need and taking hold of it.

I had gastric bypass 5 years ago and it saved my life. I am no longer diabetic, I no longer take statins, I joined a gym. I do the 3-Day (60 mile breast cancer walk) every year, I sign up for 5K's, most of my friends now are from the gym, eat healthy, are fitbit friends, or friends here too.

My diabetes was reversed immediately which was my motivating factor. (I don't know your situation, but if you are diabetic and have PCOS and you're over 40 it's pretty much impossible to lose weight)

5 year later -- I have kept 100 of the original 120 I lost off. I have ZERO complications from surgery - in fact I could eat just like anyone else and easily go back where I was. It is a lot of work Sugar doesn't affect me (darn!). The need to fix your emotional eating or mental health issues that got you there in the first place don't go away. Seeing the fat girl in the mirror doesn't go away. I have been tracking my food here for 1000+ days because it keeps me on track and I know I could go backwards so I work hard.

I would do it again in a heart beat. - BUT if you don't have a good support system, or you live with others who are overweight with no urge to change, you have a bigger battle on your hands. I have seen a few friends go completely backwards after because their husband liked them fat -- kept bringing pizza home for dinner, making fried crap for dinner etc...

I'm pretty sure most people here who tell you it shouldn't be an option, everyone can lost weight on their own if they try -- probably haven't ever been 100+ pounds overweight with co-morbidities If they were and they did it, more power to them. I'd love to hear how many women over 40 with two insulin resistant diseases managed to do it.

Only you can decide -- but remember if you're surfing around the internet -- people who aren't happy are the loudest talkers. (In every situation!) Hate a restaurant? Blast it all over the internet .. love the restaurant? Tell your friends. Not many take time to post when they are happy The vast majority of WLS patients never post a thing because guess what? it's much more common to have no issues

Sorry for the babble --- I get really annoyed by people who judge or think its the easy way it. It's anything BUT easy - but I know it saved my life.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck! You must decide what is best for you! I have someone I love very much who had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago. She was almost 500 at her top weight. She had a miscarriage and became very depressed. She made the decision to have the surgery after many failed attempts to lose on her own. Today she is healthy, happy and beautiful. She lost 300 pounds. She also had a beautiful son who will be 4 tomorrow. She did have a rough road to travel to get to this point, but I believe she would do it all again.

I agree with nutmegoreo. If you are having doubts, what at least six months.

I had the surgery in 2000. No complications. I lost 100 lbs. A few years later and due to some other medical situation that came up, (not related to the surgery) i was given three treatments that aided in me putting back on 40 lbs. I have been trying to take off those 40 lbs for the last five years but must also admit that I was taking it seriously until now.

However; I also have a girlfriend that had the same surgery and developed a little complication a few years later for which they can not fix so she have to be monitored constantly. She has lost all the weight she cared to but now have some health issues.

One will not know the outcome until you come out. All types of surgeries are a risk.

My encouragement to me is that I do have the 'tool' to help me with this but as others have stated and I concur, you must make the permanent changes in your life to lose and keep off the weight with the help of surgery or not.

WLS is a quick fix but if you don't understand how to make the permanent healthy changes you will be right back where you are now.

Even with the surgery you will still have to do what you are doing now. Maybe not for the first 50-80 lbs but to reach your goal you will.

So... what's waiting another six months to prove to yourself that you can go all the way and lose the weight... maybe without the surgery?

Just my two sense...

Good luck with whichever way you choose. Feel free to email me if you have questions.

Mary

I had gastric bypass 5 years ago and it saved my life. I am no longer diabetic, I no longer take statins, I joined a gym. I do the 3-Day (60 mile breast cancer walk) every year, I sign up for 5K's, most of my friends now are from the gym, eat healthy, are fitbit friends, or friends here too.

My diabetes was reversed immediately which was my motivating factor. (I don't know your situation, but if you are diabetic and have PCOS and you're over 40 it's pretty much impossible to lose weight)

5 year later -- I have kept 100 of the original 120 I lost off. I have ZERO complications from surgery - in fact I could eat just like anyone else and easily go back where I was. It is a lot of work Sugar doesn't affect me (darn!). The need to fix your emotional eating or mental health issues that got you there in the first place don't go away. Seeing the fat girl in the mirror doesn't go away. I have been tracking my food here for 1000+ days because it keeps me on track and I know I could go backwards so I work hard.

I would do it again in a heart beat. - BUT if you don't have a good support system, or you live with others who are overweight with no urge to change, you have a bigger battle on your hands. I have seen a few friends go completely backwards after because their husband liked them fat -- kept bringing pizza home for dinner, making fried crap for dinner etc...

I'm pretty sure most people here who tell you it shouldn't be an option, everyone can lost weight on their own if they try -- probably haven't ever been 100+ pounds overweight with co-morbidities If they were and they did it, more power to them. I'd love to hear how many women over 40 with two insulin resistant diseases managed to do it.

Only you can decide -- but remember if you're surfing around the internet -- people who aren't happy are the loudest talkers. (In every situation!) Hate a restaurant? Blast it all over the internet .. love the restaurant? Tell your friends. Not many take time to post when they are happy The vast majority of WLS patients never post a thing because guess what? it's much more common to have no issues

Sorry for the babble --- I get really annoyed by people who judge or think its the easy way it. It's anything BUT easy - but I know it saved my life.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

I'm tired of people knocking others for their method of losing weight. I for one am grateful for Herbalife Shakes for helping my sister save her life by assisting her to lose 145 lbs. I am grateful to my bariatric surgeon, dietitians, and psychologists for helping me to make the right decision for me. I had band surgery 2 years ago and I've lost 75 lbs so far. I'm doing well although I will continue to preach that the band is NOT a cure IT IS ONLY A TOOL! It takes just as much hard work to lose weight before the band as it has since I've had the band. I workout faithfully every day and I log all my food. I do struggle at times with wrong food choices, but I am able to see that with logging every day. Losing weight is the hardest job any obese human will ever have to do; regardless of the tools you use to assist you!!! By the way, MFP is a tool used to lose weight - any equipment used in a gym is a tool used to lose weight - surgery is a tool used to lose weight. YOU CANNOT MAKE A BLANKET STATEMENT THAT SURGERY IS NOT A VALID WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT! Yes, it is NOT the right decision for everyone - neither is NOT having surgery a right decision for everyone! In my opinion, obese people should be encouraging one another and celebrating with one another, NOT JUDGING ONE ANOTHER for the tools they are using to lose the weight!

To the original poster, good luck making the decision for YOU! I pray God gives you peace whatever your decision!

This. Absolutely this.

Until you have walked in my shoes, please don't tell me I could have done it differently.

Having said that, I would never encourage anyone else to have WLS of any kind. Unless a person and their medical advisors tell them it's necessary, it's none of my business. And once those advisors do say that, it's none of my business that they have surgery.

So here i am, 1 week from surgery and thinking I should give it 1 more go. One major thing that is sparking this is the pre-op diet...weight it coming off, how motivating...

Bariatric surgery is a last resort for extremely overweight people who have proven through time and multiple interventions that they can't lose weight and keep it off on their own. That involves, among other things, several successful weight loss attempts followed by eventual weight regain. If just losing a few pounds on a pre-op diet is making you rethink your decision to have surgery, you probably haven't tried hard enough to to change your habits in the past and should postpone your surgery until you have truly tried and failed with everything else, probably several times. Put another way, if the idea that just because you've lost a few pounds on some diet you may be able to lose all your excess weight and keep it off for the rest of your life doesn't strike you as delusional, you probably haven't been through this grind enough times to really know you need the surgery.

Best of luck to you.

my friend at work had it done. He was big, and he lost significant weight, but he is still a large man, and still somehow eats very large portions of food in one sitting.


i've watched 'my 600 lbs life' a lot. obviously that does not make me an expert lol. its about very overweight people gettting the surgery.

some succeeeded some did not. Basically all of them had some sort of issue, wether that be a tragedy or a short coming of thier personality, that they needed to work through to succeed.

it seemed as though that for some it clicked upstairs and some it did not. those that did a lot of true reflection found success, those who didn't really examine thier problem did not.

seemed like the surgery itself was superfluous. its certainly far from an automatic fix

I'm looking for individuals who have started down the path of Bariatric Surgery only to decide NOT to proceed and focus your effort on losing it without surgery.

I am currently on day 5 of my 2 week pre-op diet. Surgery is scheduled for May 19. I have not gotten this far without an immense amount of research and thought. In fact, I have been considering the surgery for 5 years. Earlier this year, I got to the point where I clearly am not losing it on my own (without the "tool" of the gastric sleeve) AND I am miserable in my skin. So here i am, 1 week from surgery and thinking I should give it 1 more go. One major thing that is sparking this is the pre-op diet...weight it coming off, how motivating...

I have to change my lifestyle either way (with or without the sleeve)...so why not do it without going through major surgery?

Anyone out there been at a similar crossroads?
yes! I had a bypass 1992 and I weighed 360 and I was 32 and 5 foot 4 inches and miserable. I had no support, family telling me not to had a super stressful job and 2 kids. the Boom moment for me was when I realized what I had done...I was walking 5 miles a day, swimming laps 1 hour a day (7 days a week) eating 1200 calories a day.....AND GAINING! for me, that was the incentive I needed to go thru with the surgery....regrets?....only that I didn't do it sooner! I also know someone who had the sleeve recently also just had this and the results are fantastic! I hope this helps! Good luck!
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I just had bariatric surgery 2 weeks ago. I am so happy I did and I have no regrets. The surgery was easy. I was off pain meds in less than 24 hours after and ready to go home. I felt so good I could have came back to work in less than a week but chose to take the time off anyway. I am losing a pound a day and am already in one size smaller pants. But you have to do what right for you but I would recomend it if you have a hard time losing weight.