Gastric bypass surgery

cassiefreiermuht · July 2017

I'm here cause I had to put my dog down 2 weeks before Christmas and gained a lot of weight and I need to lose 42 pounds to get the gastric bypass surgery plus I'm getting married and I don't want to die before I get married I'm only 27 years old.

kommodevaran · July 2017

I'm sorry you lost your friend. But you gained weight because you ate a little too much for a long time, and you'll lose weight when you eat a little less for a long time. Don't have barbaric surgery.

MoyMG · July 2017

@cassiefreiermuht, I am so glad that you've joined MFP and you are reaching out for help! Because there are many good people here, and we will help.

I am very sorry for the loss of your pet.

First, are you scheduled for the bypass and this is a req prior to surgery, or is this weght loss a requirement to be scheduled for surgery? I haven't heard previously of anyone being required to lose quite that much prior to bypass. (I had my bypass in 2012 and was supposed to lose 20 pounds prior to surgery; I only lost 16 in the two weeks prior to surgery and that was enough.)

Second, have you input your information into the Goals section of MFP, and received a daily calorie amount suggestion? If you have, great, you know what you need to know.

With that information, you can start tracking your daily calories. Also you should track your water too; you need to get in at least 64 ounces of water per day, and probably more, depending on your current weight. I weigh 285 pounds (down from 430) and I drink at least 88 ounces water each day.

You will also need to do some exercise, even walking for five minutes daily to start will help on your journey to health.

Don't panic; many others have done this, and you can too. Unless you have a lot of critical health issues, aside from obesity, you are very unlikely to die from obesity at 27.

Please stay in touch? I'd be glad to send you a friend request, if you like?

Heather4448 · July 2017

How much do you need to lose to get into the healthy BMI range?

rlarkin591 · July 2017

I have seen people required to lose as much as 50-60 pounds before a doctor will do the surgery. I have had doctors, nurses, family members, co-workers, and even strangers suggest that I get the surgery. I have been as heavy as 515 pounds but usually hang around 485. I do not want the surgery and I have always said I would lose it the "right way". Not to blow my own horn but, with the help of friends, a fitbit, and My Fitness Pal, (and the scare of a kidney problem) I have FINALLY started to do it the right way. In addition to being very fat, I have stage 3 renal deficiency. This meant I had to change my habits. Stopped drinking soda June 13 and have been watching calories very closely. Down 26 pounds (started at 486) and with one more pound I will see the 450's for first time in 7 years. Again, if I can do it so can you. I have never had will power and I have a desk job and can be lazy. But I still will not even consider the surgery. I hope you don't either.

Just make sure you try to do EVERYTHING else in your power BEFORE you go with something as permanent as weight loss surgery. Just an old fat man's opinion, lol.

MoyMG · July 2017

I have to jump in here again on this. True, if you do not want the surgery, you shouldn't have it; you are not ready for this tool. However, the decision to have this surgery is between you and your surgeon, with input from your family, if you choose!!! No one knows your medical history better than you and your surgeon, and you are the only one who can judge whether this surgery is right for you. A reputable surgeon will be surrounded with dieticians and a psychiatrist, who will help you decide a) if surgery is right for you, and b) which bariatric surgery would be best. If you are not a good candidate, because you haven't tried other lifestyle changes first, they will let you know.

Frankly, I'm fried that strangers on an Internet chat board are trying to tell you whether or not to have surgery. I wish I had had the surgery done in my youth, rather than at age 59.

HeidiCooksSupper · July 2017

A doctor who tells you to lose 42 pounds before the surgery is, perhaps inadvertently, giving you time to do the research necessary to decide if the surgery is right for you. It's also giving you time to develop the reduced eating habits you will need to maintain long term after the surgery.

Surgery is not the easy answer nor is not having surgery. In both cases, one is making a life long commitment if one wishes to keep the weight off long term and stay healthy.

Surgery is not for me but it may be for you. Only you can determine that but only decide after you have gathered and analyzed both the information available to you and how things fit your own lifestyle, personality, values, etc.

Why is surgery not for me? 1. I'm scared witless of surgery. Had it (other body parts). Don't want to do it again. 2. I'm cheap and insurance is unlikely to cover everything. 3. I enjoy food too much to maintain the strict diet required post surgery to avoid discomfort. These reasons may not resonate with you.

kbmnurse · July 2017

Gastric bypass comes with many risks. Really just a bandaid for what's really eat at you.

MoyMG · July 2017

kbmnurse wrote: »

Gastric bypass comes with many risks. Really just a bandaid for what's really eat at you.

Now I need to jump in again. Yes, any surgery comes with risks. NO, IT IS A NOT A BAND AID FOR WHAT'S REALLY EATING AT YOU!!! Some people never feel "sated" or full after eating; no matter how much I ate, to the point of discomfort, I didn't feel sated. This is due to the LACK of a certain chemical signal to my brain, NOT a lack of will-power or arrested feelings or anything else. Having a gastric bypass, with its removal of the first 6 feet of the small intestine - a hotbed for chemical production in the body, and NO ONE has figured them all out - all of a sudden my brain now gets the sated message, and I eat a certain amount, and feel no desire to eat any more. To me, this was the true miracle of gastric bypass. It is not a bandaid to me, it is a powerful tool that literally saved my life!

Unless Cassie gets back on this thread, I'm done here. There is too much ignorance. I no longer have HBP, but I can feel it climbing.

Lannie79 · July 2017

Cassie,
You will find that many on this board are not supportive of WLS. You may find a more supportive environment at WLS specific sites like bariatricpal.com

Researching the surgery is a big step to taking control of your health. As MoyMG stated surgery is a tool to assist in making lifelong changes. The changes you make pre-op will be important in starting to change habits that you will need to maintain post-op. Good luck

garber6th · July 2017

Cassie, I'd like to recommend this MFP group - https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/637-gastric-bypass-vsg-lapband

People in this group are at every stage, from people who are thinking about surgery to people who had it years ago. You will get lots of honest input and no judgment. The people who respond on the general MFP boards are typically judgmental and uninformed. Good luck whatever you decide to do to get healthy!

ccruz985 · July 2017

kommodevaran wrote: »

I'm sorry you lost your friend. But you gained weight because you ate a little too much for a long time, and you'll lose weight when you eat a little less for a long time. Don't have barbaric surgery.

Pretty sure she wasn't asking you to tell her that her choice is barbaric (it's not) and not to do it.

Sheisinlove109 · July 2017

I can't speak to anything about the surgery but I can tell you if you want to put in the hard work and need a friend to push and motivate you, I am here.

I wasn't interested in the surgery option so I got my big butt in the gym 7 days a week and work my tail off. My eating habits completely changed. My water intake increased. My sleep increased. I'm 100lbs down. No cleanse, no low carb, no pills, no surgery. Just sheer determination.

Whatever you choose, do your research.

Gastric bypass surgery

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