Bypass Surgery Diet- Without the Surgery. Advice please?

Lots of good information here.

Last winter I was anemic, and my gastroenterologist discovered I have a hiatal hernia. The surgeon she sent me to see recommended that I get bariatric surgery, specifically a "gastric sleeve", which has fewer risks/side effects than gastric bypass. He suggested I have the bariatric procedure at the same time as the hernia repair.

His office recommends that you see a psychologist for a full evaluation, that you meet with a nutritionist, and that you demonstrate your ability to lose weight through diet and exercise before the procedure is done, so that you will more likely be compliant with the post surgical diet.

I've lost 45 pounds since March, first on WW Points Plus, and now here on MFP. Of course, once you start losing via diet and exercise, you start to question whether you need to surgery after all.

It's a bit different for me, I need to have the hernia repaired in any event. But I've been putting off the surgery because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do vis a vis the bariatric procedure.

After my experience with WW Smartpoints -- which is why I'm here -- I realized I love my carbs and wouldn't do well on a food plan that was too low carb.

Hernia repair is in, gastric sleeve is out.

judyvalentine512 wrote: »

I don't know how food stamps work, but do you use them to buy groceries at the grocery store, or do you have to use them at a food bank? Either way, there must be low fat/calorie choices out there you can make. You sound young, personally, I don't think surgery is the way to go. I would try the lifestyle changes first. And, keep in mind, you didn't gain the weight overnight, you can't expect to lose it overnight either. My niece had the surgery, and like the poster above she has had lots of health issues since.
Good luck!

Yes, you use them to purchase groceries at the store. A few things cannot be purchased with them like non-food items (even necessities like toilet paper), alcohol, cigarettes, and prepared hot foods like a rotisserie chicken (weird technicality IMHO).

It is all about learning about nutrition, planning, and budgeting. It can be done. I have lost 125 lb. so far while on food stamps.

Ask the food bank for cereal without sugar (cheerios or plain shredded wheat), canned produce, and unsweetened applesauce.
YMMV some may accommodate dietary needs others may not. Volunteers also vary, some will applaud you for trying to eat healthy and others will act like they are The Great One and you should grovel then rejoice for sugar filled food.

Ok, be warned - you are about to experience a WOT (wall of text) LOL* This is my personal experience with Gastric bypass surgery
I had Bariatric bypass surgery 11 years ago - i tried Every diet known to man (ok, maybe that is a BIT exagerated lol* but close) - nothing WORKED. I finally made the decision after reading on the NIH website that gastric bypass was the only known cure for Type2 diabetes, which i had, and which my older brother had already lost a foot to. I also had Joint issues and couldn't exercise, had numbness in 2 fingers, had become unbelievably depressed, and was completely terrified that diabetes would do to me what it had already done to my brother. Diabetes is a silent killer - you do not feel the effects until the damage is done - and THAT, is frightening. I thought about having this surgery for YEARS, but kept telling myself the next "diet" would work - and that, i could DO THIS with enough will power and discipline. After fighting this battle for most of my life -I finally said, enough of this! Life is too short and what i'm experiencing is NOT life! I began the long battle to get my bypass surgery approved by my medical insurance. Even my GPysician, - who i dearly loved, initially fought me until I sent her the links from NIH and other healthcare sites, and studies and she read them. For the next six months she and I worked hard to get approval and jump through all of the hoops required by my health insurance company. The first time, i was denied. BUT i was determined, fought them, got an attorney and threatened to sue them - because the surgery was medically mandated in my case. I finally won. I had already done a TON of research and knew a lot about the procedure and had even picked my surgeon. I would recommend to ANYONE who has this done to spend A LOT of time learning about it and researching every nuance of the procedure. This surgery is DANGEROUS - you need to understand that it is not 100% foolproof, and that is why you do not want to entrust yourself to just any hospital that performs this type of surgery. Your life is in the hands of that surgeon. Research, ask lots of questions - how many times has the surgeon in questioned performed the bariatric surgery. Find out what their mortality rate has been for that surgery - ask them point blank. Get as much information as you possibly can on the Surgeon, on the hospital, etc. I repeat again - IF you don't chose the right surgeon, and don't follow pre-op directions - you have placed yourself in a very dangerous position. I had a cousin who had bariatric surgery - she did NOT research it, and nor did she follow the surgeons orders pre-op. The night before her surgery, she decided to have a meal to end all meals with everything she loved and lots of it. She also just took whatever surgeon she found - even though i had recommended my surgeon who was one of the top 5 leading surgeons of this type in the world at that time. My cousin died the day of her surgery. There was a very small acid leak from her stomach and the acid leaked into her chest cavity - this is probably the biggest danger after this type of surgery. I don't mean to scare you - BUT i DO mean to make a point that this decision to do this is not to be taken lightly.
Having said that - I have not been sorry I had this surgery in any way. Not even for a minute. It dramatically improved my health and my life. The numbness in my hand disappeared, I could walk - and eventually jog - but the VERY BEST of all? My type2 Diabetes totally disappeared. I weighed 262 pounds at 5'3" - and within a year i had dropped to 148 which was actually too small (my doc said take off 15 pds for the excess skin - so that meant at 148, i actually weighed around 130. I was a size 5 petite. I decided i needed to gain a little back - and that was hard to do - believe it or not. I made LOTS of changes that i was finally able to make. I was never a junk food junkie, - so i just continued to eat a healthy diet, carefully making sure i was getting enough protein, etc. I did not return to eating breads and a lot of grains, etc. My life opened up. I began to do the things i'd always wanted to do - i took sailing classes, I took a scuba diving class, I traveled, and so many other things. I became more social and no longer felt awkward and so self concious. I'm NOT saying that losing weight will make your life 100% perfect - it won't. But I am saying you will feel 1000% better, and that's the honest truth.
I went back up to a size 8 - 10 and I felt i looked much healthier, and so did my family and friends. I want you to know that after my surgery, i continued to follow all of my surgeons directions for post op. The biggest things he stressed was to Eat at least 50 gms a day of protein, drink my water - have lab work done regularly and take oral Vitamin B-12. After bariatric surgery, your body will no longer be able to readily absorb some vitamins the way it did before - so stay on top of that. Jump ahead to present -- I have gained about 50 pds back in the last three years - and thats another story. My surgery did not fail me - I just experienced 3 back to back traumas - that I did not handle well, and became extremely depressed for about 3 yrs - i literally did not move, and the weight came back. But i'm fighting back now, and
Presently, I am on the Ketogenic Diet (for about 2.5 wks) and feeling GREAT. I am never hungry, my blood sugars are back down, I have tons of energy and i have lost 11 pounds - This will be my way of life from here on out and i'm super happy. I have not been trying to discourage you - I KNOW first hand how frustrating it is when you eat healthy and try to do everything your doctor tells you, or the weight loss plan directs you to do, and nothing works and you feel ashamed because you are sure that everyone thinks you're slacking, or you're just some kind of lazy slob. At least that's how i felt. I want to leave you with what my Bariatric surgeon told me on my first visit. He said, Listen - there is no need to feel guilty, or ashamed of having surgery. We know from our studies that some people have what i now call, a "primitive" metabolism. Their bodies are much more efficient at survival than others, and what they eat? they store. I feel certain that you know your own body better than everyone, and anyone else. If you know that you have tried everything out there and you have done your research, - I say go for it - and don't let anyone else make you feel bad about it. I actually got online today after reading your post and writing mine, and if you, or anyone else is interested in where I had my surgery, and what surgeon I used. Go to: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns_hopkins_bayview/medical_services/specialty_care/bariatrics, OR you can just look up smallscar.com My Dr's. name is: Dr. Michael Schweitzer. Please feel free to friend me - or ask questions- I will be glad to help in any way i can. God Bless you on your marvelous journey, and I hope you will let us know what you decide - we'll be here to support and encourage you in whatever you ultimately decide.
P.S. Sorry for the HUGE wall of Text LOL* - but i hope it helps someone

tomteboda wrote: »

Keep in mind that doctors get $$$ for referrals. Hospitals make $$$$ from the surgery. Dont' kid yourself. You can (you absolutely CAN!) bring down your weight without surgery, no matter what health challenges you are facing. It will take a serious commitment to yourself by yourself.

(1) Make 100% of your own food. Can you cook? If not, its time to learn.

If you don't have a stove, just a camp stove or hot plate can help a lot. Lots of high-nutrient foods are cheap; brown rice, lentils & beans, potatoes. Use meats as a "flavoring".. instead of eating a hamburger, you can put 6 oz of hamburger into a hotdish (casserole) that will feed you for 3-4 meals. A can of tuna can similarly feed you several times when in a salad. Shop sales, use coupons, etc. Concentrate on getting enough fiber and protein.

(2) Count your calories. If you can afford a kitchen scale (they're on sale all over right now), go for it. If not, use measuring cups and measure consistently (level them off). Be 100% honest with yourself. And for the love of everything, if you want to succeed, use MFP here and set a weight loss goal of no more than 1 lb / week. Follow the calorie limit. Because if you are too aggressive (2+ lbs/week) you're going to be hungry and set yourself up for failure.

(3) Because you're on a limited variety budget, make sure you take a one-daily-vitamin. Its really easy to miss your nutrients when dieting, or on a restricted budget. A bottle of vitamins is really cheap and will help protect you.

(4) Move! Even if its just a little a day, moving makes a big difference. First, you aren't eating (seriously!). Second, you're burning calories. Third, you're improving your overall physical condition. I could barely walk when I started because of serious health problems, but persistence has really paid off and now I walk several miles a day. Whether its dancing in your room and challenging yourself to go a little longer every week, or walking around the block, or going to your school's gym, it all counts.

Last year I was 270 lbs. Today I weighed in at 199. You can do it, too, and it doesn't take major surgery. It just takes a lot of dedication and honesty.

This! Food scale, protein, water, fiber-rich foods are your best friends. Everything else is "extra".