gastric bypass

perkymommy
perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
edited August 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
This is an honest question about gastric bypass. I'm not judging anyone who has had it done. I know someone who had this done some years ago and I'm not sure if it's the same as the gastric sleeve or not. But my friend who had this done can only eat a certain amount of food at a time or else he will get physically sick. So in my mind isn't that the same as doing MFP where we eat a certain amount of calories per day? A person could just not get gastric surgery of any kind and lose it on their own if they wanted to eat less just like they are forced to do once getting the surgery right? It doesn't make sense to me. Also, in order to get this surgery many people have to lose some weight beforehand and they are successful losing the pre-surgery weight. I may be missing something but based on what my friend has told me I'm not. He said if he could go back he wouldn't get surgery at all and could have done it on his own by simply choosing not to eat so much in each sitting like he used to do before the surgery. He just can't do it now or else he gets sick and throws up.
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Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    By the way, the smaller stomach does limit how much I can eat at a sitting, and I also cannot drink liquids with my meal (It's one or the other). For instance, I can eat a Big Mac except for the last bite. The last bite gets thrown out.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    There are some metabolic changes that come with the bypass. For instance, I had a near immediate cessation of T2 diabetes, which cannot be explained by weight loss alone. There are known malabsorption issues; folic acid, calcium, Vitamin D and Iron as a good part of the small intestine is bypassed. Ghrelin levels change as well.

    The weight loss clinic I was associated with, which has years of data, finds that people who lose by diet alone eventually gain all the weight back in the next year. With the surgery, the loss continues and remains for years longer.

    the last part I would love to see the studies on this...as I know for a fact that appx 20% of the people who lose weight keep it off (based on studies I have read and a thread in this section)

    and to say that WLS the loss remains is not correct either...50% put the weight back on...

    Weight regain was observed within 24 months after surgery in approximately 50% of patients. Both weight regain and surgical failure were higher in the superobese group. Studies in regard to metabolic and hormonal mechanisms underlying weight regain might elucidate the causes of this finding.


    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18392907
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    I am actually going through the steps to become a candidate for weight loss surgery. Not sure if I am going to do the sleeve or bypass yet, but I do believe that if the surgery is going to be successful you have to make a full lifestyle change before the surgery. I am in counseling due to a traumatic past, but that has not led to me over eating. I don't eat when I'm sad or depressed or angry, that actually takes my appetite away. I have a legitimate medical issue that has caused me to gain weight. From 2010-2012 I lost 100 pounds on mfp. I kept that off for two years and then lost an additional 40 pounds after I left my ex husband. I kept it all off until about 10 months ago when I started gaining back out of nowhere. Same eating habits. Nothing different. Except that I had just come off of depo for the second time. And for the second time it triggered pcos. I've been trying for over 7 months with my doctor to get it back in control. 7 months ago I started researching weight loss surgery. I have at this point cut calories from 1600 a day to 1250 a day. I dropped the two pops a week I used to drink. I've lost 12 pounds in the last month. I'm joining a fitness group at the counseling place I go to (community mental health). I take daily walks with my boyfriend or on my own when he's working. I'm getting an exercise bike from my parents basement and bringing it home. And everything is being supervised and supported by my doctor and friends and family because they see how serious I am about all of this.

    My disease I have? Polycystic ovarian syndrome. And this will put it into permanent remission. As long as I do what I'm supposed to be doing, I will be successful and stay successful. I'm also taking 25 mg of topamax for weight loss and headache control. I'm working my butt off.

    This surgery is not a quick fix. You have to commit to the changes for life. I'm a very stubborn and determined person though. The people who go through with the surgery and don't succeed, they just weren't committed to the changes they had to make for the rest of their lives.

    I know someone who went through the gastric sleeve surgery. She lost her weight and two years ago she had a baby. She has never lost the baby weight and has gained most of the weight back because she never changed the way she ate. She was complaining from the start that she couldn't eat what she wanted to anymore. I have done a week so far as trial for what it's going to be like after surgery. I didn't find it to be too hard. I have 28 more pounds to lose in the next 5 months to qualify for surgery. The requirement is 15% of your body weight so you can prove you're committed to making the changes necessary.

    The reason I posted this is to show that not everyone who is trying to get weight loss surgery has poor eating habits. Some have actual problems that caused them to gain massive amounts of weight in a short amount of time. I gained back 120 pounds in under 7 months. I had gotten down to 220 and gained back to 339.9 which was my weight on July 5th when I started.

    the bolded items don't match what you said in another thread...

    so what is it? 120 or 140lbs? 2 sodas or 1, 1400 or 1600 or 1250 or 1200 calories???

    and if you were researching WLS 7 months ago why? you weren't heavy then? in the other thread it was 9 months

    not to be whatever but when stories don't match people notice so perhaps you can explain the variances.....
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Gastric bypass surgery is the ONLY medically proven way to fight obesity long term. It is life changing AND necessary for some people. A lot of ppl with it end up having to supplement with ensure or other high calorie options and cannot eat 'real' food anymore. But this is the price some must pay for their lives and survival

    except when it isn't
    except when people lose the weight just being in a calorie deficit by eating less and/or moving more.
    except when it fails
  • ccruz985
    ccruz985 Posts: 646 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Gastric bypass surgery is the ONLY medically proven way to fight obesity long term. It is life changing AND necessary for some people. A lot of ppl with it end up having to supplement with ensure or other high calorie options and cannot eat 'real' food anymore. But this is the price some must pay for their lives and survival

    Nonsense! Please cite your sources.

    Cite me. Cite the people who have had it and successfully maintained their weight loss and their health.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    scarlett_k wrote: »
    ccruz985 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    Gastric bypass surgery is the ONLY medically proven way to fight obesity long term. It is life changing AND necessary for some people. A lot of ppl with it end up having to supplement with ensure or other high calorie options and cannot eat 'real' food anymore. But this is the price some must pay for their lives and survival

    Nonsense! Please cite your sources.

    Cite me. Cite the people who have had it and successfully maintained their weight loss and their health.

    The 'nonsense' I think was regarding the claim of it being the "ONLY medically proven way to fight obesity long term". I'm sure many people have success long term with surgery, but it is certainly not the only way. If it is, it would be great to see evidence (good quality medical studies) that support that claim.

    Yes, thank you. Many, many people have been successful losing weight and keeping it off using WLS, but it's emphatically not the only way to fight obesity long term.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    Thanks for the insight everyone and for keeping the conversation civil.