General question - Weight loss surgeries

I personally have known four people who have had them done. One is my Mother-in-Law, and another one is my best friend. The other two I know through our church.

My BF has gained all but about 50 lbs of what she had lost originally after her surgery. And my MiL, while being lighter than she was, still struggles with weight gain.

They both post-surgery have foods -- very healthy ones -- that they cannot eat. My BF cannot eat raw or undercooked vegetables because they do not digest & make her sick. My MiL has the same trouble with most meats, unless it's coated in grease or mayo. Sugar makes my BF sick, but not my MiL who still has a sweet tooth.

Really what happens in a weight-loss surgery is that you are short-circuiting the body's ability to digest it's food the way it was designed. The result is trouble digesting many healthy foods, and now having to heavily supplement vitamins that the body can no longer properly absorb -- both my BF & MiL are deficient in some of their vitamins, which affects their overall health (I think iron was one, and B vitamins was another -- but I don't remember exactly). Also, if you are ever thinking about having children, doctors become concerned about the mother's body's ability to properly absorb enough vitamins for the growth of the baby. I know it was a concern with my BF in her first pregnancy.

As far as the other women I know at church, I know one mentioned that she HAD to eat at very frequent intervals because she went from being a little hungry to needing to eat, like NOW very quickly. The other said she still has to maintain a healthy diet (just like the rest of us trying to lose weight, anyway).

Bottom line: I've seen a lot with these surgeries, and I when I see people mention them, I try to discourage them from having the surgery. It is a permanent change that may not have permanent results, yet creates MANY unpleasant (and I would add, unhealthy) side-effects.

I personally have found success with logging everything on MFP and exercising for 1 hour a day, six days a week. It is just a matter of discipline (I am hypothyroid as well, so weight loss is difficult, anyway).

I hope this helps.

Do you log your food?

I know how you feel. I'm 24, and I had gastric bypass a year ago. It was a decision that changed my life, but I couldn't have made a better choice. I've had great success with my surgery. I was young and knew I needed to do something before it permanently effected my life. I felt like I had tried every diet out there. Yes, most eating habits are in your head, but the surgery completely changed my way of thinking. I was a very bad emotional eater, but after surgery I knew that was no longer an option. I had to find better resources as an outlet. It's something you have to be truly committed to or it won't work for you.

Hey Emma, I wanted to give you a first hand experience about weight loss surgery. There are several kinds of surgeries, lap band(being the least effective), bypass and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I can only speak about my experience. I had the sleeve almost 8 months ago. I am 5'5" and weighed 235 at the time of surgery. I currently weigh 153. So I have lost about 82 pounds in 8 months. Sleeve doesn't have some of the draw backs as bypass, like dumping syndrome and vitamin deficiencies. They don't cut your intestines and reroute them like bypass, they remove part of your stomach and the rest of your "inner workings" are the same. In sleeve they remove the lower stretchy portion of your stomach and that is the part that houses your hunger sensors as well so rarely did I feel hungry the first few months, and occasionally I feel hungry at night but not often. Everyone has unique experiences, mine has been really positive. I do what I am supposed to, I try to avoid things I know I shouldn't have and I haven't had a soda in over 9 months, or anything carbonated for that matter. The gas build up stretches out your stomach and you don't want that. I can eat any type of food I want and haven't had problems digesting fruits or veggies with the exception of raw broccoli and raw cucumbers since they both make me gassy, but they did before surgery as well.

I regret not doing the surgery earlier. I struggled through most of my 20's and 30's being overweight and yo yo dieting. I would suggest you talk to your doctor and get professional advice. Don't let anyone's secondhand experiences cloud your judgement, and don't think that just because someone had a great experience with surgery that your experience would be identical to theirs. Everyone's body is different. I make smart choices, I stay away from things I know I shouldn't have and I even went back to Weight Watchers to be proactive and make sure I stay on the right path.