Bariatric Surgery

I think youtube is a great reference as well....I also like to follow people who've done extreme weightloss on instagram be it through VSG or other weightloss surgeries or through diet and exercise. It's a daily motivator for me to look at people who've succeeded and who still struggle daily with decisions, binge eating, lack of motivation, depression, or self esteem issues. It's not only a physical change but a mental and psychological change you're embarking on. Research, learn, imitate, and just keep going!! Each choice is one step towards your goal. You'll fall off track, you'll have a bad meal or a bad day or a bad week, but just keep going!!

Hello all. Next week, I will be finishing the bariatric program through SoCal Kaiser Permanente. Surgery will most likely be around March/April 2017. Ive learned a lot through their program and going to bariatric support groups. Even though I have learned so much throughout the program, I found it difficult to get my food addiction under control. I just started this past week giving 100% effort into my weight loss journey. Logging my food and exercising 5x/week. Really hoping that I will stick to it until I have surgery.

I think it is great that you and your husband are taking this journey together. You will support and encourage one another. Having support and encouragement is definitely needed. Find a bariatric support group in your area to hear from people who have already had WLS. I also like watching YouTube users who had WLS.

I had bariatric surgery in October of this year. There is nothing easy about it, nor is it a quick fix. You still have to diet and exercise for the rest of your life and the potential side effects (dumping, ulcers, hair loss, etc) are scary. I have been on one diet or another for nearly 40 years. I lost close to 100lbs through diet/exercise but couldnt maintain it and couldnt push past that plateau. What wls did for me that dieting alone couldnt do was "cure" my diabetes and high blood pressure. I literally went in for surgery and have not needed an injection or a pill since that day. I had continuous ulcers on both feet for two years and two months later they are completely healed. That alone made surgery worth it to me. Its a great tool and my only regret is I didnt do this years ago.

I went in for consultation in may or April. They told me I had 6 months but I didn't do it (then gained more weight!) So now I'm starting over. Even if I lose weight the next 6 months I'm still doing the wls. I'm tired of yo-yoing and I need help.

NewToKetoMama wrote: »

I had gastric bypass in June of 2015 and I can attest there is nothing easy about it. It is just a tool and it can be defeated if you don't work at it every day. I have lost 153 pounds so far through dedication to my nutrition and exercise. Every day is a struggle to eat correctly so that I am not sick. Don't ever ever downplay WLS because it is just as hard if not harder then losing it by exercise and nutrition alone. There are so many potential complications that come up. Malabsorption, strictures, vomiting, diarrhea. I unfortunately had to learn everything through my own research as my surgeon wasn't exactly helpful.

I wish the surgeons would make it more clear to people that this isn't a miracle cure but just a radical tool. Everyone who is contemplating this needs to be aware that it will fail if they don't take care to follow the diet -- just as if they didn't have the surgery really. I have had 3 relatives who have all gained back everything they lost because they just thought that the surgery would make everything work without having to do the work.

Hello and congratulations on taking this important step toward future health. I had gastric bypass on Nov 28, 2016 in order to fix other very serious and life threatening medical complications related to GERD. My surgeon recommended the bypass as the best way to fix the GERD and assist with my obesity at the same time. As someone who has struggled with weight since my late 20's, I was ready to make this decision. I could never figure out why I didn't have the "willpower" to JUST EAT LESS and EAT HEALTHY. I mean, what the heck was wrong with me? I was a successful, ambitions, competitive person in every other area of my life. Why couldn't I just follow a diet long term? Well, it turns out that is a more complicated question than it seems on the surface, but some of the information I learned in the pre op classes was SO reassuring to me. For example, a HUGE percentage (like, over 90%) of people who have large amounts of weight to lose gain it back on the long term when they do it with diet and exercise alone. And those people are not "weak" with no willpower. There are chemical reasons why we do what we do and this surgery changes that around. So it's not just that it makes your stomach smaller. It changes the chemical signals going from your stomach to your brain. In fact, some of those signals telling your brain to EAT are in the part of your stomach that has been "bypassed." That's why sometimes people who have had the surgery forget to eat.

I still have to work at this. I still have to think all the time about food, particularly ensuring I am getting enough protein, so I do not lose muscle mass instead of the fat. I will have to take vitamin supplements for the rest of my life, as malabsorption can be an issue for bypass patients. I have to plan my meals better and think about what I am buying at the grocery store. I have to pack a lunch and snacks for work. I was in pain for over 3 weeks after surgery and I HATED every minute of the liquid diet part of things. But so far it has been worth it. I have more energy and optimism for the future. I recommend the following sites for recipes that are bariatric friendly, particularly in those early liquid and soft food stages: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/
And http://www.bariatriceating.com/

Good luck!

As of Thursday this week I will be 2 weeks post op, I have read the past posts and they are right this is not the easy way out. I started April 2016 through this program we have here and I see a psychologist, a RN and a dietitian every month through the whole process I had lost 42 lbs through that process. I lost 5 lbs during the liquid protein phase prior to surgery. So far the hardest part for me was the liquid protein it is too sweet and it makes me gag I never was into sweets I liked the fatty savory foods, my next phase is the puree foods, I am looking forward to this so I can get my protein in I have had no trouble getting my liquids in I was ahead of my goals since surgery on the liquids. I have lost 9 lbs post op and will probably lose it faster once I get the correct amount of protein in. This is a every day thought process I need to plan out everything in my day because I have no real interest in eating well at this time I don't, since my surgery my sugar levels have been in the normal range so I am off of that med for now, and two other medications have been stopped, I have four others I am hoping to be off of very soon, I start my vitamins next week and that will be life time but I would much rather take vitamins then medication which I really never believed in, in the first place. If you need some one to talk to please feel free to ask me although I cannot give medical advice I can tell you what I have done. g'luck on your new journey's

I had a gastric band fitted 10 years ago and it was the single worst thing i've ever had in my life... Mines slipped and i'm now having to pay another load of money to have it removed... causes me food hell as i can't eat so many things that i would like to

bhdon wrote: »

This is a great website (American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons) for debunking the myths surrounding WLS. If it's something you'd like to explore, it's worth taking a look:
https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-misconceptions
No, it is not 'the easy way out'. And yes, there can be complications. But you have to balance out the odds of WLS complications with what you are personally facing re: your own personal health, (dis)abilities and current issues. Obesity is deadly too. For those of us who have spent decades working at it, with little long-term success, WLS is an option worth consideration.

This is like accepting the American "College" of Radiology as an unbiased source on how often you should have a mammogram.

I never had WLS, but my ex wife had DS almost ten years ago. It's not the easy way out, and its hardly a walk in the park, but it can be a very effective tool if used properly. To the OP, if you have any questions, PM me. Although from Canada, we ended up going to the US to have it done