billho

one thing that has improved as I have lost 30 lbs is that I can sleep on my side without my arm going numb.

one thing that has improved as I have lost 30 lbs is that I can sleep on my side without my arm going numb.

"Bariatric Surgery is probably one of the most effective interventions in health care."
- Laurie K. Twells, clinical epidemiologist at Memorial University of Newfoundland [2]
Are you lurking on these forums debating whether or not you should have surgery? Unsure about making a permanent change to your lifestyle and body, or thinking that since you lost x number of lbs before, you can do it again? Heard about all the horror stories of complications and regain? This was me, one year ago. I want to tell you about the study that changed my mind.
This study[1] looked at three groups: 418 patients who sought and underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (surgery group), 417 patients who sought but did not undergo surgery (primarily for insurance reasons) (nonsurgery group 1), and 321 patients who did not seek surgery (nonsurgery group 2). They performed clinical examinations at baseline and at 2 years, 6 years, and 12 years to ascertain the presence of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.
Let me highlight a couple images from their study. These charts graph the amount patients lost as a percentage of total weight (NOT excess weight) at 2, 6, and 12 years relative to their baseline. First, this graph is the individuals who did not seek surgery.

This group lost only 0.9% of their total weight 12 years after the study began. Those empty triangles? Those are people who ended up getting bariatric surgery anyways. Lets look at the second group, people tho sought out surgery but couldn't get it. So at least we are aware that this group is invested in losing weight.

This group fared slightly better, as patients lost a mean of 2% of their body weight at 12 years out. This excludes patients who got surgery (they lost an average of 10%). Lets look at patients who did get the surgery.


Patients lost an average of 26% of their total body weight even after 12 years. I found this difference absolutely remarkable. To reach that average 26% body weight loss without surgery, you would need to be in the top 5-10% of losers. Think about that.
I used to see getting the surgery as an admission of my own personal failure at willpower and dieting. But this study makes it clear that the probability of success for non-surgical options is astoundingly low relative to bariatric surgery. Studies [3], [4], [5] reinforce the positive impact on health that bariatric surgery has on patients who choose to go through with it. Reading these helped put my mind at ease. Bariatric surgery is one of the best decisions I could make for my health.
I encourage you to skim through the studies to see other benefits I didn't outline here. The NYT[2] article is also a great read for seeing why bariatric surgery is so effective. It distills a lot of the studies into facts that you can use to arm yourself when speaking with family and friends who aren't supportive.
Sources:
[1] https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1700459
[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/well/why-weight-loss-surgery-works-when-diets-dont.html
[3] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11695-012-0718-9
[4] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.21322
[5] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2546331#Introduction

This is cool. I put in my numbers when I started a 1200 cal diet back at the end of July and it nailed it down to the week where I am now.

I have also been trying to walk more and have struggled with foot and knee pain when I push too hard. I started with Saucony stability shoes, but they weren't all stable and didn't last long, as I too wear the outsides of my shoes. Then I moved to Brooks Ravenna and Adrenaline GTS shoes and they seemed to work fine for a while, but the wore out to fast and have been causing a lot of pain lately. So I broke down and went to "Fleet Feet", which is a fancy runner's chain store and they measured my feet. Turns out, I've been wearing normal D width shoes and I needed EE Wide shoes. I bought a pair of Hoka One One Arahi and I really like them. For the first time in a long while, I can walk for an hour without pain. I'm hoping as the weight comes off, I'll be able to transition to jogging eventually. They were a little more expensive than I wanted, but I think it was worth it. Maybe I can find a deal online when I need to replace them in 6 months.
This is what I got: https://www.hokaoneone.com/mens-road/arahi-4/1106473.html?dwvar_1106473_width=reg&dwvar_1106473_color=LLRC

So, as I said I would...I broke my rule and weighed myself this morning.

BOOYAH!!!!!

for what it is worth, I'll give my opinion. Like JConforti said, if the number of pills matches the number of encounters, then she probably should not bring it up. He may be very sensitive about this topic and probably hasn't felt comfortable discussing it with his wife. But, he is taking action on something he needs help with. However, maybe your friend could bring up the topic of performance and health in a less judgemental way, like asking him if he feels pressure to perform or if he has any concerns in that area- without mentioning anything about the pills. When he is ready, hopefully, he'll talk with her about it.

September 21st. Just got insurance approval today.

I won’t miss-
that fear in people’s eyes when I board a plane, or the fear I have that someone as big as me will sit next to me.
going to sporting events and have to wedge into the narrow seat and be uncomfortable the hole time
not being to find anything in my size that looks good.
TMI- the fat roll beneath my waist
not being able to keep my pants up without making my belt feel like a tourniquet
Hating going to the beach or a pool where I will need to take my shirt off
being the fattest guy in the room
not being able to go hiking with my son (or if we do, it is much slower than he wants to go)
not being able to jog
using a CPAP
feeling like a loser when I see friends or former classmates I haven’t seen in a few years
not getting the job after they see how fat I am
having boobs bigger than my wife’s

I won’t miss-
that fear in people’s eyes when I board a plane, or the fear I have that someone as big as me will sit next to me.
going to sporting events and have to wedge into the narrow seat and be uncomfortable the hole time
not being to find anything in my size that looks good.
TMI- the fat roll beneath my waist
not being able to keep my pants up without making my belt feel like a tourniquet
Hating going to the beach or a pool where I will need to take my shirt off
being the fattest guy in the room
not being able to go hiking with my son (or if we do, it is much slower than he wants to go)
not being able to jog
using a CPAP
feeling like a loser when I see friends or former classmates I haven’t seen in a few years
not getting the job after they see how fat I am
having boobs bigger than my wife’s

I won’t miss-
that fear in people’s eyes when I board a plane, or the fear I have that someone as big as me will sit next to me.
going to sporting events and have to wedge into the narrow seat and be uncomfortable the hole time
not being to find anything in my size that looks good.
TMI- the fat roll beneath my waist
not being able to keep my pants up without making my belt feel like a tourniquet
Hating going to the beach or a pool where I will need to take my shirt off
being the fattest guy in the room
not being able to go hiking with my son (or if we do, it is much slower than he wants to go)
not being able to jog
using a CPAP
feeling like a loser when I see friends or former classmates I haven’t seen in a few years
not getting the job after they see how fat I am
having boobs bigger than my wife’s

I won’t miss my extra chin(s).

I don't miss everyone looking at me when I board a plane and thinking, "I hope the fat guy doesn't sit next to me."