Bariatric Surgery or Natural Weight Loss

@syrus911 welcome to MFP forums. Per some at post on the subject say after the surgery one can be expected to eat very differently. You may want to google that. Best of success what ever way you choose.

I had to lie just to get my diary to close for the day, because I had only consumed just under 900 calories for the day. I don't understand! Anyway, I eat like this more often than not, and still can't lose weight. I'm in the program now to have the sleeve done! Can't wait! I have been miserable my entire life, 48 years old! I have been down for 2 years, recently diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis. Can't exercise like I would like to. I am looking forward to the day I go in that operating room! I say, if you are healthy enough to have the surgery, if you understand the lifestyle changes, and you are miserable....go for it! I'm ready!

at the end of the day, surgery carries risks and it sounds like you're not keen either!
weightloss through eating well isn't super quick but it's worth taking your time. As a classic over eater and comfort eater it's taken me quite a long time to get to a point where i have control of my eating habits. Personally I found great help from the Paul McKenna I can Make you Thin book-it's small but has so many tips that seem really obvious when you read them and are a good basis on how to cope with eating less-it's very empowering
I wish you the best of luck

I went in to see the doctor about a hernia. She sent me to a surgeon who specialised in those operations and when he saw me, he said he was more concerned with my obesity and asked me if I had considered a surgery. He then told me I couldn't lose weight on my own, I would always gain more than I lost.

What he said scared me. I realised then that I would always struggle with my weight if I didn't take control. I knew my problem was overeating so I started to use the MFP app, I still eat what I want but in much smaller portions. I have a scale by my bed for my night time snacks, I budget my meals for the day. If I need to eat more because I feel hungry, then I do, and I add fitness to help me burn the extra I consume. And if each week I am under my goal, I have a cheat day to enjoy a couple hundred extra calories. Really helps when you want to eat out or go to a friends for a meal. Otherwise I stick to the 1200 cals a day (not below so my body doesn't start to try and protect itself by storing everything). I also know I can't just stop the diet when I'm done, I will need a time to come off it or I will jump right back up and gain more than I lost (the body's way of making sure it doesn't starve if you have another crash diet). So I have planned a year to lose everything I want to, and a year to maintain it. Of course it's just a plan and maybe my body doesn't allow me to do it that way, but it's a start.

I am 5'1" too and was 215 lbs when I started and in only 7 weeks I have dropped 20 lbs.

I feel better. I wanted to join a gym but I haven't raised the money yet and I didn't want to add another monthly bill to my budge, and my husband suggested I find a workout buddy to go with before I commit to such a high cost and my old Cindy Crawford workout video is too advanced for me now, so I used youtube for workout ideas.

I like the 10 minute solutions dance mix. - teaches different hip hop choreography and doesn't raise the heart rate too much that your heart is pounding out of your chest. You could do just one 10 minute portion or do all five. 10 Minute Solution also has other workouts, pilates, kickboxing, ab attack... etc. I have other fun dance aerobic videos I like too. You can find a lot of free resources on the web if you want.

I also enjoy biking, my family goes with me and we bike to the mall. We live in a hilly area so it does get the heart going and it's fun family time.

I agree the surgery shouldn't be your first "go to". If you are serious about your problem and commit yourself to the work, you will be able to do it. I have friends who look good now but I never would have known they weighed more than me when they started getting in shape.

(Medications, thyroid problems, disabilities, or other medical issues may effect your weight as well, always consult a doctor especially if you are not seeing progress).

You can do it Syrus. I'm not an optimist or a cheerleader, and I don't say something without meaning it. You can do this. The first step is realising this isn't going to be easy, but it is going to feel so good. and it isn't going to be a quick fix either. If you want to keep off the weight, it's going to need time to maintain it after you lose it (I know a few people, myself included, who dropped over 20 lbs and then gained back more because they just gave up instead of continued to watch what they ate).

Best Wishes.

Natural all the way. I am not a big fan of surgery and the issues surrounding food afterwards. But it's really a personal choice. My sister did it years ago as have a few others I know. Some kept the weight off, 2 gained every bit back. Good luck either way.

Whether or not you decide for or against the surgery, you will have to change your eating habits.
A lot of people here have lost a lot of weight without the surgery, myself included. I lost over 160 pounds and have kept it off for over 2 years. Maintenance is definitely harder for me, but I have learned a lot along the way that has helped me in maintenance.
The statistics are against all of us though. Over 80% of the people that lose weight, no matter how they lose it, gain all of the weight (some gain even more) back within 5 years.
It is a personal choice, and only you can decide what is right for you. Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

I struggled with obesity my entire life -- I could take off some weight but never enough to get healthy, and then I would regain even more. I decided on sleeve gastrectomy almost three years ago. I have lost approx. 200 lbs. Losing and maintaining is still hard work! But I could never have done it without the surgery.
If you are scared of general anesthesia -- remember that morbid obesity is a lot more dangerous than anesthesia. There was a published study showing that getting bariatric surgery reduces your risk of dying by 90% over not having surgery, and that includes the very small risk of mortality that comes with any surgery.
Gastric sleeve surgery has fewer complications and a lower mortality rate than knee replacement or gall bladder removal. If you knew someone who was struggling to walk and in constant pain and needed a knee replacement, would you tell them not to do it because of the risks involved with anesthesia?
All that said, you need to be sure the decision is right for you, and that you are committed to a lifetime of healthy eating. Surgery will make it possible, but not easy. Good luck!

I'm 41 and one year ago, almost to the day, i downloaded MFP and bought a fitbit - i've lost 138 pounds since then and have been at my goal weight for the past month. You can do it on your own! Just move every day and watch your calories. Make filling food choices - 200 calories of cauliflower is going to fill you a lot more than 200 calories of cookies. Make a lifestyle change for the better!

On a side note, i know two people who have had some sort of weight loss surgery - both of them gained all the weight back. They never changed their eating habits - if you always eat what you always ate, you will always weigh what you always weighed.

a few quotes helped me along the way:
- moderation, not deprivation
- don't sacrifice what you want most for what you want right now
- you don't have to eat it all - it will be there tomorrow

good luck in whatever you decide

syrus911 wrote: »

Same here tammiann just so much pressure from mom & Doctor when I really want to just do it on my own plus I'm terrified of GENERAL ANESTHESIA

Sounds like you already know which way you want to give a try first. I would tell your mom it's not her business, and your doctor that you'd like to try it on your own first with their supervision. I know you have a lot to lose but if you start today to count cals and you succeed in losing 10% already, it'd do you a lot of good But if you do this, commit to it. Weigh everything, do your best, count everything (I am NOT saying to cut things out of your diet, just to weigh and count everything). Also, if you can't exercise at first, it's fine. Nutrition is the priority, also walking does wonders at first for your heart and weightloss. The best of luck to you!

SibylDiane wrote: »

I struggled with obesity my entire life -- I could take off some weight but never enough to get healthy, and then I would regain even more. I decided on sleeve gastrectomy almost three years ago. I have lost approx. 200 lbs. Losing and maintaining is still hard work! But I could never have done it without the surgery.
If you are scared of general anesthesia -- remember that morbid obesity is a lot more dangerous than anesthesia. There was a published study showing that getting bariatric surgery reduces your risk of dying by 90% over not having surgery, and that includes the very small risk of mortality that comes with any surgery.
Gastric sleeve surgery has fewer complications and a lower mortality rate than knee replacement or gall bladder removal. If you knew someone who was struggling to walk and in constant pain and needed a knee replacement, would you tell them not to do it because of the risks involved with anesthesia?
All that said, you need to be sure the decision is right for you, and that you are committed to a lifetime of healthy eating. Surgery will make it possible, but not easy. Good luck!

It's great that the surgery helped you change the way you eat. Knee surgery can not be fixed by the way I eat nor does it alter my total system from one end to the other. Medically I see few similarities between the two types of surgeries. Best of continued maintenance success and congratulations on losing 200 life saving pounds.

I knew someone who got it, and it didn't change their bad eating habits. They may have lost weight, but they never took the time to workout and actually get HEALTHY. Weight loss doesn't automatically equal healthiness, and I really feel that's what people should ultimately strive for. She said that she completely regretted it, because now she can't even enjoy a family BBQ or potluck or birthday without having to worry about how much she's ate. And then when she does overeat, she feels violently ill.
I know that there are some situations where it's better for the person, but I feel like those situations are few and far in-between.