[Pookyl]

Has anybody had weight loss surgery? Are you happy you had it done? Any regrets?

I haven't, but my sister has and so has an online friend. Neither have ever expressed any regret that I know of, and their surgeries went well. Both lost a lot of weight. My sister's diabetes type 2 is now so well controlled that she no longer takes medication for it. She just monitors it. That's great!

I'm not sure about my online friend, but realize that though my sister lost a lot of weight that she is not skinny. In fact, she still weighs more than me and I'm about 14 lbs overweight. The issue, I think, is that though she changed her diet drastically just before and for a while after the surgery, she returned to some of her old eating habits eventually. She's therefore gained some weight back, though far from all of it. Maybe she doesn't eat as much as in the past, but it is now again what she eats. I've observed the same situation in some celebraties who had weight loss surgery.

I mention the above only to emphasize that though such procedures can be very beneficial in major ways, they aren't a way to lose weight and keep it off without long-term changes in one's diet. I think such surgeries should be very well thought out after having truly tried hard at losing weight through healthy traditional methods and learning what healthy eating is all about. Many people I've encountered over the years, including my mother, were able to lose large amounts of weight like 75 lbs and even well over 100 lbs without such surgeries. It is rarely ever easy. I know how difficult it can be to stick with a diet myself. But one should really process such a decision seriously. In addition to doctors, I believe my sister did need to have some therapy on the issue (and perhaps even see a dietitian) before her surgery.

I've been successful with dieting in the past, but when I've reached my goals have slipped back into excessive and unhealthy eating again. It's so common! I know this time around I must really commit to a new eating lifestyle (that will include work and mindfulness).

[SorryShaped]

I considered it, at 295 pounds. I actually considered a sleeve or band. I did nothing, but then started involving myself in "projects" to help relatives. This afforded me some activity, because people always break things, and repairing things usually breaks people. So, I fixed everything as needed. I had a sister in law that was moving and needed A LOT done to her house, so I jumped in and helped. It triggered a hypo rush, do things got done until the final crash, literally. We got her stuff done, but The motorcycle wreck finished me and I found me back in depression. I'm now years later and have since started going to the gym and have lost tremendously weight, and gained some good muscle tone. I'm stably at 178 lbs now and also stable, with -to overuse the word because I can- a stable environment and a stable gym life.

[Pookyl]

Thanks for your responses.
I’m not large by most people’s standards but I’m fighting a losing battle.
I’ve got so many pre existing medical conditions that prevent me from losing weight/exercising that it’s verging on the ridiculous. Eg a herniated brainstem means that I can only go for walks at nanna speed (which burns zero kcal)
I fight the feeling of impending doom, knowing that I’m going to just get bigger and bigger.

I’ve not had weight loss surgery myself, but I did spend a couple of months working with a bariatric surgeon and talking to patients who’d had some form of bariatric surgery.

IME, weight loss surgery does not treat the underlying psychological reasons for over-eating. It’s not what you eat, but what’s eating you, as they say. So people have the surgery, but can still gain back all of the weight sometimes, and then some, if they are ‘determined’ enough. I’ve heard of patients blending McDonald’s food, and chocolate bars etc to be able to eat them! So it’s really not a guaranteed form of weight loss.

The surgery does also have some massive adjustments at first. Some people get really distressed by only being able to eat liquid food, and then only a couple of bites of a meal for the rest of their lives. Food is a big part of our culture, and so people can feel that they miss out at family events where food is the main focus, like at Thanksgiving & Christmas etc. You would also have to take vitamin supplements because you won’t be able to meet your nutritional requirements purely through diet anymore.

All that being said, weight loss surgery can have a hugely positive effect on people’s lives. Often, by the time patients are leaving hospital after the surgery, they are no longer classed as having type 2 diabetes, or high blood pressure, and the meds to treat those have been stopped, which is fantastic! We don’t understand how/why that is the case because the patient hasn’t even really lost any more weight by that point, so there’s obviously a lot about gut hormones and bacteria that we have yet to understand.

Most patients lose weight and then gain a little back once stabilised. Most patients don’t maintain a ‘normal/healthy’ BMI, but usually stabilise in the overweight range. The morbidly obese patients often stabilise in the obese BMI range. So most people don’t end up slim after this kind of surgery. That would be an unrealistic expectation. But the benefits on health conditions and increased mobility of going from morbidly obese to obese, or obese to overweight is really important, both on an individual health and quality of life level, and at the level of overall cost effectiveness to the NHS and social care (as I’m in the UK).

Anyway, it is a really big decision that you would need to discuss with your doctors. There is usually a requirement for weight loss prior to being accepted as a way to demonstrate your commitment to the process. Right before the surgery, there is a very strict diet to follow that is really important because that gives the surgeon more room to work during the surgery, and minimises the risk of complications. Surgery is really not the ‘easy’ option that some people think it is! And for some people it is their only option to be able to lose enough weight to make a difference to their health.

I wish you all the best with whatever you decide.

*Willow*

Yep, I had it done. When I was diagnosed bipolar, I thought, I’ll be damned if I put all my weight back on with these psych meds (I had had many years of battling weight...at one point I had lost over 120 pounds, and I always seemed to bounce around and could really only keep 75 pounds off. All of this pre surgery on my own with my doc telling me do low carb Paleo.

The Zyprexa eating scared me.

While I was still manic, I flew off to Mexico to have a gastric sleeve. I picked the best surgeon, very experienced, and cost double what others were charging. He was skilled too—he could. Th do revision surgery from lap band to gastric sleeve.

It was stupid, with little thought into the decision.

Anyway it didn’t work. I lost maybe 20 pounds and put it back on. But I also had already starved off a lot of weight over many years to the point that a fat free vegan diet was all that worked anymore, or fasting.

I later watched a YouTube video lecture by a surgeon. He said when a gastric surgery doesn’t work, it is often...(list of things...) medications for mood disorder was on the list.

Sigh.

So, if you do it, realize that if your meds make you want to eat, you might find a way to do that (eating small amounts all day because you are hungry)

That kind of thing is hard to overcome.

That said, I have the gastric sleeve, not the gastric bypass. My surgery wasn’t extreme. I can eat a small meal (frozen dinner size).

What I hate is I can’t eat and drink at the same time. You have to do one or the other, then wait.

[Victoria'smom]

My husband is looking into it.

Yep....all my upper teeth were pulled a few weeks ago....and I lost 6 lbs.

There’s a lot I can’t eat anymore, like anything potato- like chewing a sponge, French fries just bounce around in the mouth, lol.

Hard stuff like chips, pickles, crispy things...

I gotta tear up sandwiches and burgers.

I don’t recommend this, but it has stopped me from snacking, lol.