Gastric ByPass/VSG/LapBand

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Could you have lost weight without surgery?

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  • JenaOnTrack74
    JenaOnTrack74 Posts: 443 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies.

    Reassuringly, it sounds like it's pretty common for people who've repeatedly failed to lose weight without surgery to succeed afterwards.

    I've read so much about people saying it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and will power after surgery to make this work that I started worrying that if I can't do those things beforehand, why will I be able to after surgery.

    If I'm honest, I still don't understand why that should be the case, but it seems to be. :)

    Thanks again

    I had my WLS 3 years ago. I am one of the few people who are not to goal at a year or two out. Some of it is that I lose slowly and stall often. Some of it is that I started out with 226 to lose. But anyway you look at it, I am successful because I've lost 163 pounds so far and am still actively losing.

    So why is this working when nothing else did? I'm not sure. What I do know is that I was terrified I would go through this whole thing and it wouldn't work either, I would fail again. I said that to my boss and her response was "But what if it does work? What if you are successfull? If not, you are no worse than you are right now, but if it does work, how much better will your life be? How can you not try this if you have the possibility of being a normal weight?".

    She was right! This really is the best thing I have ever done for myself. And I do know that I can be successfull. Even if I never lost another ounce, I am down 163 pounds! I am mobile again! I wear a size 16/18 now when just 3 years ago I wore a size 34! I can shop anywhere and I can do so much more than I ever did before!

    I understand your concern and even your skeptciisim. We all had that. But really, where will you be 3 years from now without the surgery? If you run true to the course you've run before, you will probably weigh what you do right now. But with the surgery? You have the potential to be a thinner, healthier you in 3 years.

    No I don't understand exactly why I no longer run to food when upset, depressed or angry. Nor do I understand why I no longer take comfort from food. I just know that I now have a healthy relationship with food and a healthier body to go with it.

    Pat

    LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR INSIGHT PAT!!
  • memtester
    memtester Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks again for all the great posts here, it's been very reassuring for me. I meet with my surgeon tomorrow and I'm going to make sure he understands I definitely want to go ahead. I'm hoping we'll be able to arrange the dates tomorrow too but that might be wishful thinking.

    I'm hoping to be finally on the journey in the next few weeks. I have a wedding planned for 1st August 2015, would love to have a substantial weight loss by then. Some of the weight loss by you lot on here is quite incredible, I just hope it works out the same for me :)

    Thanks again.
  • ericadouglas0412
    ericadouglas0412 Posts: 15
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    Before surgery, I could lose about 5 pounds over the course of 6 months of REALLY working at it. which is not nothing, but it's not the kind of weight loss I needed, and is certainly not enough to keep motivated. It just didn't feel like the effort I put in was worth what I got out of it.
    So yeah, I probably could have lost the weight, it would have just taken an insanely long time and more guidance and help than I had at the time.
    I had surgery 2 months ago, I lost 10 pounds with the help of my dietician and doctors over the course of a year before the surgery. the pre-surgery diet allowed me to lose another 20 over the course of 3 weeks, and I've lost 40 pounds over the 2 months since. I considered just doing the pre-surgery diet longer-term (optifast is boring but it does work), but I decided that I would miss the social aspects of food way too much to actually keep it up longer than the required time - I missed eating dinner with my husband!
    It is a TON of work as far as watching what you're eating and being very conscious of it all the time, but it's not much more work than what I was doing before to see such little results, personally. The hardest thing for me now is not even food, but just getting enough water!
  • Laura8603
    Laura8603 Posts: 590 Member
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    I had my RNY six years ago. Surgery was the tool I needed to let me lose 200 pounds while I learned healthy eating habits. Many people I know who had weight loss surgery the same time as me have already regained a ton. Sadly, it is easy to do. I give myself a 3 pound limit. If I reach 3 pounds above my goal weight, I cut back and lose them. I do not make excuses nor do I live in denial. I have realized that I am wonderful and deserve to be happy and healthy. I will fight the good fight everyday. Maintaining is hard work and I am worth it.
  • brendanewstart2014
    brendanewstart2014 Posts: 18 Member
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    I can lose some here and there, but always regained it. I was constantly hungry, and made bad choices because I was in a hurry with life stuff. I just had the sleeve last Wednesday, and I am excited because I am not hungry. Shakes and vitamins give me what I need, and I am not fighting temptation. I know I can't cheat or I will be sick, which is a huge demotivator for me. I know I couldn't lose weight without the surgery, and am happy I finally did it.

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