Why do people have weight loss surgery?
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Given some of the diet products that sell and the vast amounts of misinformation that I see, I'm not sure that's the case...So we all know that creating a calorie deficit leads to fat loss and consequently it becomes very easy to say that people who aren't able to do this are simply lazy slobs who can't manage to get off the couch and put the fork down. I think that's a presumptuous stance to take.
Agreed. And when I typed "so we all know" I thought about this, but for some reason I was still okay with that verbiage0 -
My husbands best friend was severely obese to the point he had deadly levels of high and low blood sugar w/ diabetes. He would pass out constantly ( or fall asleep) in the middle of work while welding, working on vehicles ect. He had become so big he could barely breath to walk and it was desperate he had to get the weight off quickly so they did gastric bypass to lose as much as fast as possible or frankly he was going to die. No scare tactics it had become that severe. He had/has a bad eating disorder. He worked HARD 2 or more jobs at a time, took care of his family and was always helping out friends and family but he couldn't just eat a little bit of food he was compelled to eat everything and keep eating.
Unfortunately he didn't get psychological help for his eating disorder post surgery and has since regained back everything he had lost
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Some people have tried everything else. They've counted calories but didn't have the willpower to do it long-term. They've tried doctor-mandated diets. Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig....done, done and done. Their options at that point are gastric bypass (at that time it was the only option as far as surgeries go) to lose the weight or die before they hit middle-age.
That person I used as an example was my father who I watched struggle with weight my entire life.
Then you have my fiancee's mother. Works out 6-7 days a week in some capacity (daily walks for sure, plus bike riding in better weather, treadmill/elliptical when not, weight training, bodyweight exercises, etc.) Wound up with a form of cancer that her doctor said her weight probably contributed to. Counted calories (including scales/measuring cups, etc. We're talking militant) - nothing working there. Doctor supervised 800 cal/day max diet. Lost some but not much. Thyroid is a little off but under medication for that and not to the level where this much hard work wouldn't pay off SOMEHOW. Finally got the gastric sleeve - hasn't really produced the results most get from it but it has done more than the other things she's tried.0 -
I agree.My saying is this: If it were easy to be skinny, everyone would be.
But it's not. It's not easy to lose and it's hard to maintain.
I want to lose 50 lbs, and that is a daunting task. I can't imagine needing to loose several hundred pounds. I think at that point, I would seek out the best options for my personal wieght loss. And if I felt the surgery would help for me, I would do it. It is an extremely personal decision that people make that they think would most benefit themselves.
What works for one, does not work for all.
I wouldn't wish morbid obesity on anyone. And I believe in not judging another's decision until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Karma has a way of biting you in the *kitten* when you do, I think.0 -
I so dislike auto correct....
turn it off? really gets to me, people always complaining about auto correct but refusing to turn it off lol.0 -
People who qualify for weight loss surgery usually have tried everything. A person who has 500 lbs of fat is kind of trapped. A lot of them cant exercise b/c of the weight on their knees and some cant even walk. It is not a picnic for sure. I've known of several people who have died afterwards.When I weighed 227 lbs @ 5'4¨ I considered it but that was just 97 lbs to lose not 300 plus!!I had almost given up but learned this time to stick with it. Some people have no control of what they eat. They are driven to eat b/c of psychological reasons. I battle that every day. My heatr goes out to people who have a lot of weight to lose. It must seem overwhelming. Ive lost 45 lbs and i have 25 more to go to be considered at a normal weight. Some days are easier than other but I must make the choice to control myself every meal!!! My heart goes out to anyone who feels so overwhelmed and trapped in their body that they feel like they have to take such a drastic step.0
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Statistically speaking... people that get bariatric surgery (without psychological intervention for underlying issues) gain back their weight within 5 yrs.
Its an easy way for people to lose weight fast. No exercise required.
I don't know the stats but my father lost 225 pounds (half of his starting bodyweight) and has kept it off for 20 years.0 -
After attaining a weight of 300 at the age of 13; after losing more than a hundred pounds on several occasions and always gaining it back; and whereupon my knees were going and my feet and hips were in constant pain, at the age of 35 I read the statistic that less than 10% of people who lose 100+ lbs with diet and exercise keep it off. I knew that I was not going to be one of those 10%. So I had gastric bypass. And yes, over the course of 9 years, I've gained back ~50 of the 175 I lost. So now I am trying to lose fifty pounds... which is much more manageable than 150 lbs. I really don't understand why this surgery, that I did in consultation with my doctor, to manage my disease, gets people's panties in such a knot.0
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I am sorry but coming from 315 lbs to 199, and failing several times prior (now its my life, I eat to get stronger or leaner, always with a purpose), I simply cannot buy into the whole it was my only option thing. If you want something bad enough, you will achieve it, and to insinuate that a 500 lb person would need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight is just absurd. A 500 lb person could cut weight on a ridiculously high number of calories. All the weight loss surgeries in the universe are not going to stop someone with no self control from stuffing their reduced stomach with super calorie dense food, and on the other end of the spectrum lets say they decide now that they have lost weight, they now want to build muscle..... well good luck doing that with food restrictions. If you want to lose weight, do it by changing your lifestyle, not by forced restrictions. But do what ever you wanna do.
THIS!! I AGREE0 -
I am sure there are many reasons that people choose the WLS route, just as i am sure that some do not understand that WLS is only a tool like MFP. It is an aid to help curtail your intake. Many who choose this path are super morbidly obese and have tried every diet under the sun and failed. They see surgery as their last chance to do something about their situation. With that being said, most people who reach the super morbidly obese category have eating issues which often relate to life long triggers.
It would be a strange world as they say if we were all the same. Personally it does not matter to me whether people choose the natural way or the WLS, both require commitment, dedication and education on nutrition to be successful.
Having been overweight for over 40 yrs,[since childhood], i have tried various "diets" over the years and failed. Putting back on the initial loss and then some. My journey only became successful when i had my light bulb moment and realised why I had turned to food most of my life for comfort. Only when i faced these issues and learned how to manage those triggers did my healthy lifestyle kick into place. I am almost at goal weight and the past 14 months has been a roller coaster to be honest but I was lucky to have found few tools like MFP,fitbit and have a support system that gave me strength.0 -
I'm sure a lot of people who get it have tired other ways and feel helpless, it probably is a good kick to the system. They may choose not to follow it, but I know someone who got it (after months of going through lots and lots of hoops to be approved), and she lost a lot of weight and is now keeping it off the tried and true 'working out and eating healthy' - she looks awesome and is happier and healthier.
I know I have PCOS, which makes it very difficult to lose weight, I have to take medicine to make my body less insulin resistant so I /can/ lose weight. I'm starting the MFP journey to try and lose as much weight independently as I can, but my endocrinologist and I are also going to look into some medicines that opened up to me now that I'm almost 21, and also discussed if nothing else works later in my life I may need to look into WLS - not to depend on it, but to kick my body into a losing weight mode until I'm at a healthy weight I'm happy with it.
This subject is much more complicated than is being led to believe I think.0 -
What is very interesting about surgery for weight loss, is that it is not a fix. A food addict will go back to food. We are wired that way. Weight is so complex, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Surgery is helpful, but unless those people also change their lives, the weight will come back. Many of us here, have had surgery, thinking all of our problems would be solved...magic surgery, magic wand...no. We are addicts. Accepting that is the beginning of understanding our addiction. Only an addict can ignore the obvious problems caused by addiction with complete denial and oblivion. Surgery won't cure the addiction.0
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My friend had the surgery after many years of struggling with her weight. I think it has something to do with it being a persons last resort. They tried everything else.0
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I honestly feel this thread was started in regards to the thread I started I believe Friday. And to be honest, some of the comments on here are really hurtful and bring me down. I do not find some of them supportive. I thought that is what this site was about. I know wls is contreversal. I've tried to lose weight. More than once. I suffer from depression. I may not even qualify for the surgery. But right now, I have two rods holding my spine straight. I have herniated disks. I have stenosis of the spine and arthritis. My muscles are in constant spasm. I have neuropathy and fibromyalgia. I get steroid injections every four months for pain-the ladt one didnt work. My breasts are so heavy i am developing humpback. THAT is why my doc thinks it is more important for me to have wls than to try to lose it on my own. I have a friend who lost weight the traditional way. Guess how long it took her to lose 70 pounds? THREE years. I have a cousin who had wls. Guess how long it took her to lose 70 pounds? Less than 6 months. Time is not on my side. Some of you said wls surgery is the easy way out. How is committing to a liquid diet when you smell a delicious cheese burger being cooked that everyone else in your house gets to eat was? When you have wls its the same thing as when you decide to lose weight-a life style change. So before ANY of you judge any one for getting weight loss because they are lazy, think about how you would feel if you needed a surgery that they couldn't do because the risks of complications increased by more than 50% because of your weight. Judge not lest you be judged.0
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Speaking from experience at my heaviest I was consuming close to 10,000 calories a day and had no problem doing that... I consumed foods very calorie dense (21 in. Pizza's, boxes (not individually wrapped) of swiss cakes, hoho's, Nutter butters, bags of chips like Doritos, tortilla chips smoothed in cheez wiz, etc, etc..... It really was not that difficult, my biggest problem at that point was guilt tripping my family or flat out verbally bashing them until they caved and gave me what I wanted.. the Last couple years getting close to my max weight I could barely get around the house, let alone leave the house.. I still managed to get to my truck on occasion and drive myself through the drive thru's when I really wanted something.... When you are in that vicious cycle of being hungry, stuffing your face til you feel like throwing up, then play the why do I do this to myself and saying I am going to change, and that only lasting til you have room in your belly to eat more so you start the cycle over again.... At that point (and I think I can speak for most) you are in a cycle that you can't see anyway out of so you refrain to the fact nothing will change and I would say alot of people view the surgery as an easy way to try and break that bond. If you can't eat all that food because your stomach is the size of an egg now then you'll just get skinny and that is that.
You can't see past that part of it to all the changes you are going to have to make to sustain any of it... Changing your eating habits, exercising for fitness, changing your mindset towards all that you have known to date, etc, etc.... At that size the easy way out is to take the easier road (or atleast what at that time you perceive to be the easy way out.) but in my case I still had enough common sense to know that no amount of Weight Loss Surgery was going to fix what caused me to get to 560 lbs. If I could not fix what was broken in my head then there was no chance in my mind that I would ever be able to lose the weight and keep it off.... So I was totally against WLS for me as an option.. When my doctor asked me if I wanted the surgery I told him HELL NO!! I would do every thing I was asked to do by him and the dietician and whoever else but I was doing this naturally or die trying.... You really have to be in the right mindset to do this.... I don't know the statistics but I would have to say it is in the single percentages of people that can lose 200-300-400 lbs, on their own and keep it off. And for the majority of those people the WLS in the beginning probably looks like the easier option... Little do they know it is NOT and is why alot of them fail because they never tackle the real reasons they got that big to begin with...
A life long friend that had Gastric bypass and lost 200 lbs. and I followed her journey on facebook a couple years ago and was doing so good at her weightloss and exercise had been distant the last year and I had not seen much posted from her until a few weeks ago she said she was moving back home (lived in Missouri the last 10 years) and didn't give a reason why... She called me Friday (knows I am an IT.Computer nerd) and asked if I could fix her laptop and she stopped over and to my horror she has put back on all of her 200lbs, lost and I would say another 50-60lbs. on top of that.. Seeing me she lost it in the driveway, She is so ashamed of failing and seeing my success (even though she is really happy for me and my success) and when I asked her what happened she said she never fixed the mental side of the journey. She never addressed her severe depression, her childhood issues that cause her to eat to hide her problems and even though she experienced so much success in the beginning it wasn't enough... I sat in this very recliner with a loaded handgun for 3 days back in 2009, trying to think of a way to blow my brains out and not leave a mess for my family to come home too, on the 3rd day I realized that was not going to be possible, I accepted I had a major problem, and had that AHA moment and put the gun down and start working to fix the problem...
I can tell you it was nothing short of climbing my own Mt. Everest but I went about it the right way getting to heart of my problems, working through them and taking my progress in steps and finally overcoming my weight issues... So when I say they use weight loss surgery as the easy way out I don't want you or anyone to think I mean that in the sense that it often gets taken out of context in other threads on here. I simply mean when you weigh 500+ lbs. that surgery is looked upon (atleast from my view) as a quick fix so that I would not have to put in all the effect it would take to lose 300+ lbs. but in the end there is NO EASY WAY OUT.... You will have to work your *kitten* off regardless end of story....... Best of Luck
I didn't even read the rest of the post so far, but wanted to thank you for sharing your experience and story. I, for one, am glad you shared something so personal with us, and something that someone out there may read and be able to relate to. Whether or not a person posts here, or just reads the forums, you may have just given someone hope that they, too, can do this.0 -
Gastric bypass patient here. People who get WLS generally do it because they need to lose weight, have tried everything else and for whatever reason it hasn't worked for them; the compulsion to overeat is stronger than the need/desire to lose weight.
As for the people binging before getting surgery, or actively working against themselves post-surgery... What surgeon is actually going ahead with these surgeries??? The process I had to go through was long and complicated and involved a lot of education, psych evals, nutritional guidance... These idiots wouldn't have made the cut.
I actually thought that many have to lose a certain amount before they will be allowed surgery (possibly due to the increased risks of being under anesthetics while morbidly obese). I could be wrong here though.
You are correct. Most have to go through substantial psychiatric evaluation. COMPLETE physicals and ultrasounds. EKG, Physical Therapy/Training for after,a 10 day liquid diet prior to surgery and usually losing 10% of their starting weight. Nutrition counseling for at least 6 months prior and a year after, full physcial including labs for 2 years after and every year subsequently, and group counseling after. Not to mention what INSURANCE requires you to do.0 -
Life is hard enough as it is. Do we really need to make it worse for people by judging them? We ALL have imperfections and struggles.0
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I've learned a lot about eating disorders over my Psychology degree, and a huge part of this unfortunate dance with extreme weight loss and regain is mental illness and an unhealthy relationship with food. Different regions and countries have different screening requirements for WLS and unfortunately prescribing counselling as part of recovery after surgery is totally underutilized.
One of my best girl friends is from Brazil, after a year of observation, counselling, and medical checkups, her older sister finally underwent WLS and has successfully lost over 100lbs. However, she has struggled with bipolar disorder since her early teens and the heavy doses of meds have wreaked havoc on her energy levels/food consumption, as psychotropic meds often do. Now that she is lighter, she is finding physical activity actually doable and has completely changed her lifestyle. Along with a first burst of weight loss and new lease on life before her wedding, she is required to see a therapist for at least 1 year after her surgery along with specifically targeted Dr. check-in's for years after her surgery. It's still early days but hopefully the positive changes continue for her.
Like any route to weight loss, it is what you put into it. Tackling her psychological issues gave her a door to change her life to help reduce her internal turmoil. Quite frankly, I think there is no such thing as normal and everyone should get the option to see a counsellor or therapist and alleviate some of their stress, anxiety, and insecurities like we would with a medical dr. over physical health. Alas, stigma around mental illness is still pretty ubiquitous in modern culture.0 -
Because some people think it's simpler to amputate parts of their body than put in actual effort to change how they eat.
You think WLS patients don't put in "actual" effort?
Most have to lose 100 pounds before a bariatric surgeon will operate on them. If you ask me, losing 100 pounds takes A LOT of effort.
You clearly know nothing about the surgery or what is needed to even qualify for the surgery. I suggest you research before making such ignorant and presumptuous comments.0 -
Exactly!There are many reasons why someone chooses to get WLS, none of which are any of mine or anyone else's business.
No one questions how you put your pants on every day, why are you infringing on what someone else chooses to do?
The candy bar that you eat may not be someone elses preference, 1 does not make the other 1 better...its simply YOUR choosing for whatever the reason may be for eating it...hunger, health etc.
I doubt that youre on here because you couldn't think of nothing better to do since youre all buffed up and in tip top shape...right :ohwell:
No one condescends you for the daily choices you make every day.0
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