Surgery seems like a good option for many people and over the years many of my clients have asked me about it. I have always given the same answer not because it loses me business but due to the risks and how good it is. If you can lose weight through excercise and nutrition then do this, surgery is no quick fix. When I first studied about surgery I was shocked to read how high complications are after surgery. When you see the surgeons they make it out to be alot simpler and safer than it is. Surgery should only be considered in extreme cases where people have had problems losing weight for years and having trained with personal trainers in the past have noticed no weight loss. If you want advice on losing weight then pm me by all means I would only be glad to offer help to save people from the dangers much of this modern surgery is causing.
Keep away from surgery if you can avoid it
- Thread starter rob37861
- Start date
Hi Rob
Many of us here who have opted for a surgical option have exhausted every other, the balloon for me was not as extreme as bypass or banding and temporary too, there is not much i dont know about nutrition diet or fitness after 10 years of being overweight and constantly trying to lose weight and it all boils down for me anyway to appetite and now i have a balloon that restricts that and hopefully i can re learn my eating habits without the hassle of being unsatisfied with my food intake all the time
I have looked at weight loss via surgery, but honestly I'm too afraid of surgery to do something like surgery. I dont want to die because of basically my laziness or lack of will power. I watched a special on HBO about a woman here in florida that had lipo back in like the mid 90's. She was someone that you could see obviously hit the gym everyday, lost a lot of weight, got in good shape, but had a small amount of belly chub below her navel. You wouldnt even be able to see it unless she was naked and it really wasnt that much to begin with.
She went to get lipo, and had her abdominal wall and intestines punctured. This made her septic and put her back in the hospital. She was there for so long she got bedsores on her legs that turned gangrenous. She ended up needing her legs amputated from the knees down due to the infection.
so basically because she didnt want to put in the work for that little bit of innocuous fat, she lost her legs.
She went to get lipo, and had her abdominal wall and intestines punctured. This made her septic and put her back in the hospital. She was there for so long she got bedsores on her legs that turned gangrenous. She ended up needing her legs amputated from the knees down due to the infection.
so basically because she didnt want to put in the work for that little bit of innocuous fat, she lost her legs.
I honestly believe that if you are constantly hungry while attempting to lose weight you are guilty of at least one of the following:
A: doing something wrong nutritionially
B: cutting your calories too low/ exercising too much with not enough energy intake.
C: dieting
I've lost 40 pounds easily as part of a lifestyle change with the help of a book about holistic weight loss. I can't even imagine getting cut up inside just to restrict an appetite. If you want more information on the book or how to get rid of hunger let me know or PM me. It sucks to see people suffer and turn to horrible and drastic means such as surgery when the answer is in your own body and what it can do for you.
A: doing something wrong nutritionially
B: cutting your calories too low/ exercising too much with not enough energy intake.
C: dieting
I've lost 40 pounds easily as part of a lifestyle change with the help of a book about holistic weight loss. I can't even imagine getting cut up inside just to restrict an appetite. If you want more information on the book or how to get rid of hunger let me know or PM me. It sucks to see people suffer and turn to horrible and drastic means such as surgery when the answer is in your own body and what it can do for you.
San2
Mod
Most of us here have spent tons of money and tried everything known to man; diets, shakes, pills, witch doctors etc before deciding on the gastric balloon. sometimes it takes more than will power and knowledge
Hmmm....everything known to man? How about changing eating habits, eating healthy and exercising?
And don't tell me it doesn't work....I've been sitting on my backside for 20 years, insisting that no diet, no pill and nothing else does work for me, 'no matter what I try'.
So I went and had weight loss surgery, a gastric band. It nearly killed me, but I lost 60 lbs in two month. Then they had to remove it. Guess what? I put nearly 100 lbs on afterwards, and claimed that since the surgery didn't work, nothing would.
Last year I finally got up from the couch. In 10 months, I lost 110 lbs. No pills, shakes, miracle cures, no doctors or stomach balloons. Just a lifestyle change. Healthy food, portion control, and exercise.
Believe me, it does work. And there is nothing else that you need other than willpower and knowledge.
KaraCooks
New member
Ok, this is an honest question ... I really do want to know how people who are having WLS feel about this. I'm not being snide at all.
I did a lot of research into surgery before I started my current track. I was one of those people who felt that I'd "tried everything" and that the only real answer for me was surgery. The more I researched it, the more I felt that the only thing that surgery really does is make it so that really bad things happen if you "cheat" - with the result that your body (digestive system, etc.) is compromised for the rest of your life.
The thing is that WLS (banding, stapling, balloons, whatever) all basically boils down to the same thing: it alters your digestive system to FORCE you to eat healthily and in smaller quantities or suffer some really dire consequences. In other words ... to do what you should be doing to begin with.
When I realized that, after all my research, I realized that I didn't want to permanently f-up my innards just to force myself to have self-control and eat healthily. Now .. please note that I'm NOT saying that anyone who has WLS doesn't have self control because I don't believe that's true. It's how I came to feel about the choice for ME.
For me, this decision was borne out when a friend of mine developed a really bad type of cancer and had to have a Whipple procedure. Part of the procedure involves cutting out part of his stomach and large intestine - in effect giving him the same thing as a WLS procedure. Now, nearly a year after his surgery, his ability to eat is still compromised. He has to take special vitamins and nutrients (not related to the cancer, but related to the fact that his body can't process the nutrients efficiently because of the missing stomach/intestine) and if he eats off of his plan he gets incredibly painful stomach cramps and very unpleasant bowel/bathroom results. It has changed his entire life in a very unpleasant way - he doesn't have the option to treat himself ever - because it's not worth the pain and suffering if he does.
So I guess my question is, for those of you who have done the research and made the decision ... I'd love to know why having WLS is different from eating healthily w/out the surgery? Or why you feel that this is the last option for you? Does it bother you to know that you will have made permanent changes to your body that could compromise your health in the future?
That's a fantastic question, Kara. Thanks for posing it.
In my experience it's this mentality of last resorts that's the biggest problem. Identifying what fuels this mindset is a majority of the battle, in my opinion.
I'm sure we could list numerous factors that fuel the mindset - undoubtedly the gimmicky push marketers cram down society's throats don't help. Consumers tend to bypass actual knowledge and education of the fundamentals in favor of the quick and simple that marketers promote.
You and I know that said marketers operate solely to separate consumers from their money... but they're also very good at tapping into the emotional desperation of their audience.
These gimmicks don't work but over the years of trying many of them... people truly believe they've tried everything. They believe they are genetically screwed and losing weight without medical intervention is an impossibility. Granted, and again this applies only to my limited experience with a few of my clients who were considering surgery... they never truly understood or had a firm grasp of consistently monitoring and controlling food quantity. Often times they had themselves fooled into believing they really weren't eating all that much... yet, when we'd analyze the diet, they'd be eating 5,000+ calories per day.
Instead of focusing on the obvious, they'd try the Next Best Diet Miracle. And they'd lose some weight. Only to gain it back. And frustration and desperation is accumulative when it comes to this stuff. By that, I mean diet letdowns seem to build on top of each other to a point where one finally throws their hands in the air and says... I can't do this on my own.
That's why I'm such a fan of forums like this... it takes a step back from all the bullshit and focuses on the fundamentals that are necessary if one is to change their weight and health for a lifetime.
I definitely think that if these people who are considering surgery completely understood the risk/reward ratio as well as the fundamentals (which includes ridding themselves of some preconceived misconceptions)... they'd opt out of it. I could be mistaken but that's been my experience with regards to the select few I've worked with who were considering it.
And if there are members here who have done the research and are still considering surgery... I too would be interested in your perspective.
In my experience it's this mentality of last resorts that's the biggest problem. Identifying what fuels this mindset is a majority of the battle, in my opinion.
I'm sure we could list numerous factors that fuel the mindset - undoubtedly the gimmicky push marketers cram down society's throats don't help. Consumers tend to bypass actual knowledge and education of the fundamentals in favor of the quick and simple that marketers promote.
You and I know that said marketers operate solely to separate consumers from their money... but they're also very good at tapping into the emotional desperation of their audience.
These gimmicks don't work but over the years of trying many of them... people truly believe they've tried everything. They believe they are genetically screwed and losing weight without medical intervention is an impossibility. Granted, and again this applies only to my limited experience with a few of my clients who were considering surgery... they never truly understood or had a firm grasp of consistently monitoring and controlling food quantity. Often times they had themselves fooled into believing they really weren't eating all that much... yet, when we'd analyze the diet, they'd be eating 5,000+ calories per day.
Instead of focusing on the obvious, they'd try the Next Best Diet Miracle. And they'd lose some weight. Only to gain it back. And frustration and desperation is accumulative when it comes to this stuff. By that, I mean diet letdowns seem to build on top of each other to a point where one finally throws their hands in the air and says... I can't do this on my own.
That's why I'm such a fan of forums like this... it takes a step back from all the bullshit and focuses on the fundamentals that are necessary if one is to change their weight and health for a lifetime.
I definitely think that if these people who are considering surgery completely understood the risk/reward ratio as well as the fundamentals (which includes ridding themselves of some preconceived misconceptions)... they'd opt out of it. I could be mistaken but that's been my experience with regards to the select few I've worked with who were considering it.
And if there are members here who have done the research and are still considering surgery... I too would be interested in your perspective.
San2
Mod
For me, the answer is very simple.
I thought it was the easy way out. I didn't think of the consequences or what it would do to my body. All I could think of was how easy it would be to get slim, and not having to do anything for it. Especially since that was the way this surgery was 'marketed'. Risk free and easy weight loss.
Yeah, right. If I had known back then what I know now, I would have never gotten anywhere close to it. I have since done extensive research into all kinds of WLS (which I should have done to start with, I know). The results were shocking to say the least.
Success rates are so low it is ridiculous. Side effects are too numerous to even list them all here. Mortality is high, and so are serious complications, even with 'just' the gastric balloon. The risks outweigh ANY benefits the procedures could possibly have.
But all of that didn't matter when I decided to go for it. Have money, get surgery, be slim, and nothing to do but sit on my backside. That's how I saw it. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening.......
And just for the record, the problems I had with the band were down to wrong placement and an allergic reaction to the material the band was made from. The same material that is being used for the balloons, just by the way. I was never told that allergic reactions could occur, was told it was '100% safe'.
I learned my lesson, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy to have to go through something like that. That's why I am so vehemently against any kind of WLS now. Well...that, and the fact that it is an absolutely unnecessary procedure 99% of the time. There are better, healthier ways to lose weight, I know that now.
I thought it was the easy way out. I didn't think of the consequences or what it would do to my body. All I could think of was how easy it would be to get slim, and not having to do anything for it. Especially since that was the way this surgery was 'marketed'. Risk free and easy weight loss.
Yeah, right. If I had known back then what I know now, I would have never gotten anywhere close to it. I have since done extensive research into all kinds of WLS (which I should have done to start with, I know). The results were shocking to say the least.
Success rates are so low it is ridiculous. Side effects are too numerous to even list them all here. Mortality is high, and so are serious complications, even with 'just' the gastric balloon. The risks outweigh ANY benefits the procedures could possibly have.
But all of that didn't matter when I decided to go for it. Have money, get surgery, be slim, and nothing to do but sit on my backside. That's how I saw it. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening.......
And just for the record, the problems I had with the band were down to wrong placement and an allergic reaction to the material the band was made from. The same material that is being used for the balloons, just by the way. I was never told that allergic reactions could occur, was told it was '100% safe'.
I learned my lesson, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy to have to go through something like that. That's why I am so vehemently against any kind of WLS now. Well...that, and the fact that it is an absolutely unnecessary procedure 99% of the time. There are better, healthier ways to lose weight, I know that now.
So in your case was it the desperation that overshadowed rationality?
By that, I mean most people question weather getting ACL surgery is wroth it before jumping right into it. What nowadays tends to be very "simplistic" procedures gets pondered and questioned beyond belief.
My cousin, for example, is a high school wrestling coach. A couple months back he tore his ACL on the mat with his heavy weight. He opted out of surgery after talking with people he respects, doing research and weighing the risk/reward ratio.
If you flipped his situation and he was the high school wrestler who needed to have a great season as his full scholarship was on the line... he most likely would've opted differently.
Why do most obese individuals jump past researching the surgery and searching out the statistics? What prompts them to make such a huge decision that will severely alter the body without much thought?
Granted, I should apologize for lumping everyone into this category... I know that's a blanket, inaccurate statement. But hopefully you get my point.
By that, I mean most people question weather getting ACL surgery is wroth it before jumping right into it. What nowadays tends to be very "simplistic" procedures gets pondered and questioned beyond belief.
My cousin, for example, is a high school wrestling coach. A couple months back he tore his ACL on the mat with his heavy weight. He opted out of surgery after talking with people he respects, doing research and weighing the risk/reward ratio.
If you flipped his situation and he was the high school wrestler who needed to have a great season as his full scholarship was on the line... he most likely would've opted differently.
Why do most obese individuals jump past researching the surgery and searching out the statistics? What prompts them to make such a huge decision that will severely alter the body without much thought?
Granted, I should apologize for lumping everyone into this category... I know that's a blanket, inaccurate statement. But hopefully you get my point.
Just going by my co-worker's very serious complications (such as an infection of the colon which required hospitalization), it is NOT worth it. And she's still upwards of 250 lbs, but granted not at 400 like she was before the surgery. She was able to eat LOADS after a time, so WHAT WAS THE POINT? The constant uncontrollable gas is the worst.
KaraCooks
New member
I think what bothers me most about the idea of surgery is exactly what you described, San. I know when I was researching it, none of the *doctors* I spoke to (or the clinics) actually never once talked to me about the reality of eating healthy. It was always presented as simply eating less by making your stomach smaller.
I was given all the usual paperwork and "info packets" but no one ever really sat me down and explained to me in detail that I would not be able to eat the fatty, salty, sugary foods that I was eating - in any quantity. No one told me that by decreasing the surface area of my stomach and intestine, it would impair my ability to properly digest food and derive nutrients from them. No one told me that I'd have to take meal supplements and nutritional supplements for the rest of my life. It was always just presented as this miraculous way to "eat less". Like you, I figured I could get my stomach size reduced somehow, not change my lifestyle, and lose weight. Or that as I lost weight, those things like exercise and so forth would somehow just happen.
If it weren't for the fact that I'm the type of person who HAS to research things exhaustively myself (some would say obsessively), many of these things would have been unknown to me and I probably would have gotten the surgery.
I think it's frightening that more people don't receive full counseling before they make this decision. I think that a person who is considering WLS should be REQUIRED to eat exactly as they would have to afterward (including meal supplements and so forth) for at least 90 days prior to getting the surgery. If they cannot eat that way w/out the surgery, then what makes them think they'll be able to eat that way with it?
I think that's what bothers me most about it ... is that I think most people REALLY don't know what it is they're agreeing to when they get this surgery. And not just for the short term or until the weight is gone .. but for the REST OF THEIR LIVES.
As I said above, having seen my friend deal with the results of having part of his stomach removed, it scares me how close I came to making the same decision for myself.
I was given all the usual paperwork and "info packets" but no one ever really sat me down and explained to me in detail that I would not be able to eat the fatty, salty, sugary foods that I was eating - in any quantity. No one told me that by decreasing the surface area of my stomach and intestine, it would impair my ability to properly digest food and derive nutrients from them. No one told me that I'd have to take meal supplements and nutritional supplements for the rest of my life. It was always just presented as this miraculous way to "eat less". Like you, I figured I could get my stomach size reduced somehow, not change my lifestyle, and lose weight. Or that as I lost weight, those things like exercise and so forth would somehow just happen.
If it weren't for the fact that I'm the type of person who HAS to research things exhaustively myself (some would say obsessively), many of these things would have been unknown to me and I probably would have gotten the surgery.
I think it's frightening that more people don't receive full counseling before they make this decision. I think that a person who is considering WLS should be REQUIRED to eat exactly as they would have to afterward (including meal supplements and so forth) for at least 90 days prior to getting the surgery. If they cannot eat that way w/out the surgery, then what makes them think they'll be able to eat that way with it?
I think that's what bothers me most about it ... is that I think most people REALLY don't know what it is they're agreeing to when they get this surgery. And not just for the short term or until the weight is gone .. but for the REST OF THEIR LIVES.
As I said above, having seen my friend deal with the results of having part of his stomach removed, it scares me how close I came to making the same decision for myself.
San2
Mod
I don't know if you could call it desperation really. To a certain degree, maybe. I was 24 when I had it done. I had tried 'everything', from my point of view. Diets, pills, shakes, you name it, I'd done it. Nothing worked. Simply because I didn't have an ounce of willpower. So changing all my habits and eating healthy, exercising and so on just seemed completely out of my league.
Somebody told me about the gastric band. I did 'some' research, but unfortunately based that on the information from the clinic where I had it done in the end. Which, of course, was somewhat biased, and incomplete, to put it nicely. It just sounded too good to be true - now I know why people say 'If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is'. I should have known better, even back then. But I was going through a very rough patch in my life at that time, and for some reason I was convinced that if I only managed to lose that weight, everything would be okay.
Those people in that clinic dangled a carrot in front of my nose, and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I'm not saying that it was all their fault - I made the decision in the end, and I should have known better. But they made it very easy for me to fall for it.
Somebody told me about the gastric band. I did 'some' research, but unfortunately based that on the information from the clinic where I had it done in the end. Which, of course, was somewhat biased, and incomplete, to put it nicely. It just sounded too good to be true - now I know why people say 'If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is'. I should have known better, even back then. But I was going through a very rough patch in my life at that time, and for some reason I was convinced that if I only managed to lose that weight, everything would be okay.
Those people in that clinic dangled a carrot in front of my nose, and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I'm not saying that it was all their fault - I made the decision in the end, and I should have known better. But they made it very easy for me to fall for it.
great tips. I enjoyed reading this
phoebe38
New member
I had the VBG WLS 11 years ago. I have been suffering the consequences of that for over 7 years, I cannot find a doctor that will remove the band, it is eating through my stomach and esophogus(sp). I am in constant pain, even though I have lost 80 pounds doing it the correct way, lifestyle change and exercise. I have lost more weight doing it the right way than I did as a result of the surgery. I do take a supplement made for weight loss, but, thats it. I still have to diet and exercise. I REFUSE to see myself go through the same thing my mom and sister went through because of Diabetes, I seen them both die at young ages because of their weight. Weight loss surgery is NOT the answer, finding out why you eat is. There are underlying reasons why we eat and gain weight, that is old news. If you feel that WLS is for you, do your research and do it for the right reasons. It is NOT a quick fix, you WILL gain the weight back, I did and 50 pound more. I know there are new and "safer" procedures, but, you can do it by just dieting and exercise, just believe in yourself. With that anything is possible! Just my 2 cents worth. Good Luck to all in your weight loss journey.
I am due a surgical gastric by pass in November i have to be honest i weigh about 480 lbs i can hardly walk my personal hygiene suffers and my wife has to assist me.I feel completly dehumanized by my life experiences and my whole personality and being has been shaped by this.Ido not seek sympathy and acknowledge it is felt to be something of a weak personality or makeup that causes me to be fat.That is a myth humang beings are multilayered individuals that are far more complex than just lazy or no will power that are openly judged because of their size.To encapsulate my point it is nearly time for my surgary yes im scared but complications or even dying is a price i feel i have to pay if necassary.My life now is unbearable and can only detiorate if i do not go through with this.I salute the people who accept the need for surgary and the bravery of their decision sitting here writing this beleive you me im scared but im having it.