I have noticed some saying weight loss surgery is a tool.

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The difference between anti WLS people and pro WLS people.... anit WLS dont care if you support it/had it. We arent going to do it and we arent going to give u flowers and tell you to do it.

Pro WLS surgery people cry in their cheerios over the pity of their lives, anti WLS people know their lives have been pitiful at times and move on with it.

Bottom line, you like it then do it. Good for you but dont expect the world to agree. Dont advertise you had it and you wont have to hear opposing views on it that may get you butt hurt.

I dont advertise I didnt have it......

For instance my sister had it done and she has NO IDEA how much I hate it, becasue she never asked me how I felt about it. Point is, when asked for opinions in the internet dont be surprised if you get some you may not like.


Go ahead and call me mean and whatever. I am the best friend you could ever have. Ask me if you look fat in those jeans and you do, geuss what my answer is YES. Will u LIKE it? NO. Will you walk around looking like an over stuffed sausage? NO

Appreciate the differences in people. Some will agree and some wont. Bash all u want I am old and u will not sway me on my opinion of this, then again I would consider why my opinion matters to you and bothers you so much? Perhaps the problem is you not me?

I guess I'm pro weight loss surgery if you need it. But I'm not crying in my Cheerios. I just have empathy for people's struggles regardless of whether or not they had weight loss surgery. I'm not a Dr. so I'm not planning on telling anyone whether or not or have WLS. I just don't think it's my right to judge people who do it.
You say you are old. You don't look it. You do look like you have worked really hard and you look fabulous for it. With sincerity I am impressed. I know that took hard work and dedication.
You are right no one's life is perfect but we don't all react to trauma or difficulty the same way.

And for those complaining about tax dollars, long term diabetes care would cost far more than weight loss surgery. I really have a hard time understanding why people care so much what other people are doing with their lives? If it doesn't hurt you let it go.

thats the point, we dont care

we have our opinions, go about our lives and let others do theirs

but when asked our opinions on the interwebs we express them.

Everyone judges, IRL a good judge keeps their opinions to themselves, the internet the gloves are off though..... just how it is

Point taken. There just seems to be a lot of anger about it and I don't understand it.

Until I walk a mile in the shoes of someone who's done it or seriously considered it I can't really know. But do I, personally, think it's an "easy way out"? Nope. But again, I've never been obese. I've never spent years trying to become healthy. I've never failed. I've never been told by the doctors that I have to improve my health "or else". I've never been told I have diabetes, or heart disease or or or or. So I can't really know the experiences of someone in that situation.

I only know my situation, really.

The difference between anti WLS people and pro WLS people.... anit WLS dont care if you support it/had it. We arent going to do it and we arent going to give u flowers and tell you to do it.

Pro WLS surgery people cry in their cheerios over the pity of their lives, anti WLS people know their lives have been pitiful at times and move on with it.

Bottom line, you like it then do it. Good for you but dont expect the world to agree. Dont advertise you had it and you wont have to hear opposing views on it that may get you butt hurt.

I dont advertise I didnt have it......

For instance my sister had it done and she has NO IDEA how much I hate it, becasue she never asked me how I felt about it. Point is, when asked for opinions in the internet dont be surprised if you get some you may not like.


Go ahead and call me mean and whatever. I am the best friend you could ever have. Ask me if you look fat in those jeans and you do, geuss what my answer is YES. Will u LIKE it? NO. Will you walk around looking like an over stuffed sausage? NO

Appreciate the differences in people. Some will agree and some wont. Bash all u want I am old and u will not sway me on my opinion of this, then again I would consider why my opinion matters to you and bothers you so much? Perhaps the problem is you not me?

It was when I stopped crying in my cheerios as you put it... and when I stopped caring what other people thought that I actually decided it was time to get the surgery. It's really quite freeing when you don't CARE how people will react to your personal health decision. I'm not losing weight to get accolades from people, I'm doing it for myself.. so frankly, I don't care what people think of my surgery. I don't care if you never change your mind. I have no desire to change your mind because your opinion on the topic has zero meaning to me.

^^^^^^ This!

I also consider it the easy way out. The lazy way to lose weight.

Unless a person is physically unable to move and is virtually bed ridden then there is no excuse.

Is it easy .. no probably not. But things worth doing .. are worth fighting for.

Why are the support or had surgery people so angry? Maybe some anger classes will help after surgery?

One word: Ignorance. I absolutely abhor ignorant people. In this day and age there is zero reason for anyone to be ignorant but yet, we have those who are willfully ignorant, which are the worst. With all of the education we have at our fingertips, why would anyone be so ignorant to something they have access educate themselves about? That, yes, that makes me angry. It's not only WSL, it's other important issues in our world. We won't get into those to derail the thread, but I'd wager if I asked about them, you wouldn't be able to give me a fact based answer, and THAT sir, that is what angers me.

I was totally going to hand slap for the whole "how much did that cost us tax payers" remark :noway: ... and then I went a few pages in an noticed some of you already got the situation handled. :drinker:

My thoughts... apart from whether it's the lazy way or not, it's elective, which means my health insurance (Medicare) won't cover it, and I'm on a fixed income (Sociial Security). If I had thousands of dollars, I'd use it to buy a round baler. I could never, ever justify spending the $$$ on myself.

I don't know... this is a touchy subject. I try not to judge, as a I know weight loss is a very personal issue. But, straight up, I do think it's the easy way out. There are morbidly obese people out there that have lost weight and kept it off simply by changing their lifestyle. I don't know what the statistics are, but it seems that most people who've had the surgery gain a considerable amount back because they didn't change anything.

Why risk your life taking on something as drastic as surgery?

I was totally going to hand slap for the whole "how much did that cost us tax payers" remark :noway: ... and then I went a few pages in an noticed some of you already got the situation handled. :drinker:

:drinker: Honey, I was already on that! I swear, I'm on fire this afternoon with the willfully ignorant! There's a lot roaming around. It's getting painful these days. They don't have remotely have any concept on how insurance works, they just pay for it, have it, then ***** about it.

**Footnote-- I'm quitting smoking-- been a little over 24 hours without a cigarette, probably gonna be a little meaner than usual, and the filter is at zero, so anything may come out of my mouth. Just puttin' that out there.**

State of Arkansas withdrew and rewrote bariatric surgery policies for teachers and other employees because it was costing the state millions of dollars (tax payers). Also causing an increase of premiums for all teachers (tax payers). Arthur Boorman made no excuses and I have yet to see anyone in his shape. Google the name and watch the video and let me know what you think.

I was able to find nothing about Arkansas removing bariatric surgery from their policies in 2014, but I will be asking my best friend, Shannon. She is a teacher in El Dorado about her insurance. As for Mr. Boorman, wonderful for him- let me get out the confetti and have a party. I have no doubt, and I mean that seriously that yoga helped him. I spent two years in physical therapy in agonizing pain after I gave birth to my daughter with little to no relief. Within three months of starting yoga, the pain that I had been suffering with was gone, and within a year, I was in better shape than I had ever been in, so yes, I fully believe him. I still take yoga to this day. There are a great many benefits to yoga, you'll never see me argue this. Ever.

But like I've said before, just because one person does, can and did, doesn't mean ALL people can. If that were the case, we wouldn't need anyone, every, for anything specialized. We'd all be able to do it ourselves, after all, if they can do it, surely we can too! Why, we don't need a brain surgeon! If someone else is smart enough to perform surgery on the brain, by golly, so am I! Let's save some money and operate on our loved one. And hairstylist. Why, who needs to go to school for that? Why, if they can cut hair, so can I! Let's just save some money, I'll pick up a pair of scissors and cut my own hair for free! If they can do it, why so can I! Do you see just how asinine and silly this sounds? Just because someone else has success with something DOESN'T mean that EVERYONE can, and will. Sure, there will be people who will have the same results. Sure, they'll do the same thing, and have great success, but there WILL be people who WILL try the same thing, and fail miserably. It's not their path in life, or their journey, they have a different road to travel. Trust me, I've taken many. That's why I've got an Insurance License in the State of TN, a Cosmetology License in the State of TN, and burned through several jobs. I had to find my niche, and what worked for ME. It's really a shame that you've got that, well, it worked for one person, it can work for everyone else attitude. No. It can't. It might work for some, and that's wonderful, but one size does NOT fit all. Everyone has their own journey, and they have to find their own niche in life. If one size fit all, we'd have a hella boring world.

I was totally going to hand slap for the whole "how much did that cost us tax payers" remark :noway: ... and then I went a few pages in an noticed some of you already got the situation handled. :drinker:

:drinker: Honey, I was already on that! I swear, I'm on fire this afternoon with the willfully ignorant! There's a lot roaming around. It's getting painful these days. They don't have remotely have any concept on how insurance works, they just pay for it, have it, then ***** about it.

**Footnote-- I'm quitting smoking-- been a little over 24 hours without a cigarette, probably gonna be a little meaner than usual, and the filter is at zero, so anything may come out of my mouth. Just puttin' that out there.**

State of Arkansas withdrew and rewrote bariatric surgery policies for teachers and other employees because it was costing the state millions of dollars (tax payers). Also causing an increase of premiums for all teachers (tax payers). Arthur Boorman made no excuses and I have yet to see anyone in his shape. Google the name and watch the video and let me know what you think.

I was able to find nothing about Arkansas removing bariatric surgery from their policies in 2014, but I will be asking my best friend, Shannon. She is a teacher in El Dorado about her insurance. As for Mr. Boorman, wonderful for him- let me get out the confetti and have a party. I have no doubt, and I mean that seriously that yoga helped him. I spent two years in physical therapy in agonizing pain after I gave birth to my daughter with little to no relief. Within three months of starting yoga, the pain that I had been suffering with was gone, and within a year, I was in better shape than I had ever been in, so yes, I fully believe him. I still take yoga to this day. There are a great many benefits to yoga, you'll never see me argue this. Ever.

But like I've said before, just because one person does, can and did, doesn't mean ALL people can. If that were the case, we wouldn't need anyone, every, for anything specialized. We'd all be able to do it ourselves, after all, if they can do it, surely we can too! Why, we don't need a brain surgeon! If someone else is smart enough to perform surgery on the brain, by golly, so am I! Let's save some money and operate on our loved one. And hairstylist. Why, who needs to go to school for that? Why, if they can cut hair, so can I! Let's just save some money, I'll pick up a pair of scissors and cut my own hair for free! If they can do it, why so can I! Do you see just how asinine and silly this sounds? Just because someone else has success with something DOESN'T mean that EVERYONE can, and will. Sure, there will be people who will have the same results. Sure, they'll do the same thing, and have great success, but there WILL be people who WILL try the same thing, and fail miserably. It's not their path in life, or their journey, they have a different road to travel. Trust me, I've taken many. That's why I've got an Insurance License in the State of TN, a Cosmetology License in the State of TN, and burned through several jobs. I had to find my niche, and what worked for ME. It's really a shame that you've got that, well, it worked for one person, it can work for everyone else attitude. No. It can't. It might work for some, and that's wonderful, but one size does NOT fit all. Everyone has their own journey, and they have to find their own niche in life. If one size fit all, we'd have a hella boring world.

No need I work for the system and I have their insurance and yes it was suspended and rewrote because of the abuse currently not offered.. Your reply about Arthur was much to what I expected. I stopped after the first to sentences because I see where you were going and the line of excuse coming. Have a good life and good luck with the smoking!

Of course you didn't read the rest, because it would've hit home a little too hard and been too much of the truth. Sometimes, the truth is a hard pill to swallow. Open your mind, it's not a bad thing, and thanks, hoping to make it another 24 hours. One day at a time!

Hi all, I've only just found this app (Tuesday this week!) and found it's been great for me to keep track of food/liquid intake. I had a gastric bypass done Feb 2011 and lost 140lbs in about 38 months, but have been struggling for the past few months, lose lbs one week and then it goes on, then lose and so on.....
We all have our opinions about wls being a tool, the easy way out and so on, but for me it has literally saved my life.
I've always been overweight, even as a child but had lost a lot of weight with a food replacement diet and got to be a size 12 UK from a 26 in about 10 months. After being assaulted violently, my mind associated being thin with being unsafe and I put a lot of weight back on quickly.... I was fit - walked 6 miles to work, did 12 hour shifts order picking in a warehouse then walked 6 miles back home, this was 6 days per week, also had 2 big newfoundland cross dogs needing 2 hour long walks daily - but fat and I was ok, no illnesses or anything from being heavy until I had a bad accident at work, cracked my spine in 4 places, plus tore muscles and ligaments around the same area and had to spend 15 weeks in hospital unable to do much apart from eat. I also lost my job that I loved and one of my dogs developed a severe illness and was put to sleep in this time. At my heaviest I weighed about 33 stone which is around 460lbs.. obviously at this weight doing exercise is just about impossible although I tried to get out walking for a short time each day, but when you face abuse due to weight there are many excuses not to go outside! I had a gastric balloon done in sept 2010 to assist my weightloss before I could have my bypass operation and with this and help from dieticians at the hospital as well as bariatric psychologists I lost 48lbs by feb 2011 when the bypass was performed. For anyone saying it's easy, please believe it really isn't... I now have to take vitamin, calcium and iron tablets everyday for life, ( no big hardship I do realise) can't eat in many restaurants as I eat from the children's menu and most places won't allow an adult to eat from children's menus, I can't tolerate alcohol and if I overeat I have severe pain in my pouch, dreadful heartburn and indigestion are daily consequences, fizzy soda and most fruit juices/smoothies are intolerable as the sugar gives me 'dumping syndrome' which is very unpleasant and most of what were my favourite foods are now banned for life!! Having said all this, if anyone asks me would I do it again - definitely yes or I'd be dead by now. I did have severe asthma (3 inhalers including steroid) high blood pressure, arthritis in my spine, and so many aches and pains it was ridiculous... I now have 1 inhaler for asthma, no high blood pressure, still have arthritis in spine plus hips and knees but it's much less painful now. I'm sorry for the length of the post, but I hope this may make some people understand that yes, while wls should be used as a tool it isn't something that anyone having any major surgery would do if it wasn't going to save our lives. Thanks for reading x :happy:

I guess I don't understand that logic. I find MFP and exercise programs to be tools. I find surgery as a last ditch effort for someone who cannot get their mind and body in sync. I have nothing against it if its your choice, but for all the people that have busted their butts doing it the healthy lifestyle way I consider surgery an easy out. You thoughts?

My thought: Da fuc do you care for?

English 101??

Ah, my bad. I got you.

Normally I reserve proper English for legit questions not steeped in condescension and a clear desire to look down on others for doing things the way you did, as if there is some manner of greatness or nobility in your chosen method/what you perceive as greater suffering. The truth is doing things what you think is the hard way and 'suffering' for you cause while someone else does it what you see as the 'easier' way doesn't make you a better person, it doesn't make you great or noble or place you above them. But shaming those who choose a different path is, much like someone who is paleo shaming someone who prefers to do 80/10/10, petty and reeks of bitterness. The fact you even care, that this question ever floated around in your head let alone was deemed worthy of being shared, exposes you as a small person. This same smallness, by the way, is shown again when you act as if 'Da' and 'Fuc' or the lack of 'What' at the front of my question keep you from understanding me, so instead you snidely demand 'English 101'.

Is there anything I could further clarify for you? Diagrams perhaps, as reading phonetically is clearly beyond you?

Diagrams may be useful.

Please provide.

I'm fairly certain you are beyond diagrams as a learning aid.

I just watched a show this morning on netflix called "My 600 pound life" or something like that. It followed someone who was over 600 pounds (she was 6 hundred seventy-something pounds...) who had weight loss surgery to lose the weight. From what I could see on the show, it was NOT easy, not at all. The surgery and recovery were painful, and after surgery she still HAD to deal with her food issues because her head was still telling her to eat even when her stomach capacity was so small that she would be sick if she ate the wrong stuff. The surgery took care of one part of the puzzle, that is her over stretched stomach was made smaller so she wasn't constantly getting physical hunger signals anymore... she still had to to do the work psychologically to keep from re-stretching her "pouch" again, like many people do after weight loss surgery.

Then later she needed several skin removal surgeries, one of which didn't heal properly and caused her to spend three months hospitalized.

She and her husband had to undergo counseling to save her marriage because the weight loss changed the dynamics of her whole whole life, including their relationship.

She still had to struggle to learn to eat healthy too, because when your stomach is the size of one or two walnuts, you HAVE to be smart about what you put in it in order to avoid malnourishment.

The show followed her for over six years after surgery, and she went through A LOT to remake her life, and YES, the surgery was a tool to help her, but was by no means "easy".

Now, I've thought about surgery myself because I've struggled for years to lose weight and always seem to lose and regain the same 60 pounds over and over, never getting past the 60 pound lost mark (I need to lose over 100). But I am not desperate enough for the surgery yet, I do see it as something of a last resort for those who have tried everything else and whose health is imminent danger if they don't lose weight, I don't feel that I am there yet. I will continue to try to make healthy eating and exercise a habit, and I wouldn't have surgery unless I truly felt it was my last hope.

So, yes, It is a tool, but it should be a tool of last resort after every other tool has been exhausted.