I don't think this surgery is by any means easy or the easy way out but I don't understand why it enrages people who do so much? You're entitled to you opinion but I just can't understand why it makes people so mad when they have no idea what your story is or what you are going through. Also, when someone is in the news for losing with the surgery they get tons of hateful comments about how they are lazy and the surgery was too easy and they should have to struggle with trying to lose it without.

People would be a lot better off if they would just let others live their lives and quit judging.

I don't think it's the easy way out either. But if it is, so what? What's wrong with taking advantage of scientific and technical advances?

I drove to work this morning instead of jogging all the way there. Or riding my nonexistent donkey. Easy way out?

One of my friends takes birth control pills to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Sounds like the easy way out . . . she should struggle with the rhythm method and hope for the best like her foremothers did.

Basically anyone who uses a power lawnmower, accepts anesthesia for getting a filling, or buys meat at the supermarket (instead of hunting, killing, butchering, and cleaning it themselves) has no moral high ground when it comes to taking the "easy way out."

Edited March 8, 201412 yr by Bufflehead

This made me laugh, I totally agree!

Booyah! Totally agree with that.

Oh so many easy ways out. I call it being smart and efficient. Those who say it's an easy way out are jealous they can't take the same measures or ignorant to the struggles of weightloss.

What do you call those that practice the rhythm method? Parents! :-P

she should struggle with the rhythm method and hope for the best like her foremothers did.

Many people have a very exaggerated view of themselves, cerebrally and physically. They're unaware of how different we all are. Genetics of our ancestors, environment past and current are huge factors in how each body reacts. But you'll never convince them of this.

I remember someone saying to me once, "I just walk every day and I lost 15 lbs, why don't you try that"?

Me, on the inside, "Holly F, I never thought of exercising, what a frickin concept".

Rant over.

Obesity is a progressive, life-threatening disease. Treatment for life-threatening disease is not, should not, and can not be a question of easy or hard. It's a question of effectiveness. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment known to medical science for obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity.

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning. But anybody can start today and make a new ending.

Maybe (big maybe) it is an easier way to loose weight and keep it off but it's also the only way that is statistically successful. 4 of my close friends who are significantly overweight have had this surgery. They've also had long term success even when they don't follow the diet as well as they should. 2 of my friends have opted for diet instead. One lost 150 lbs while she stayed home with her son. She lived in the middle of nowhere and didn't have access to unhealthy foods at a moments notice and she had time to work out. She still had to work her ass off every second of everyday. As soon as she went back to work, she started gaining. The other friend has followed a very strict diet for 18 months. She's lost 75lb and has been stuck for months even though she works really hard. But it's been all that time and she still has at least another 100 lbs to go. Both of these girls were/are obsessed (like in a clinical burgeoning on eating disorder way) with their diets every second of every day. I can't live like that. It's not my personality. I could not do what they did on my own and I admire them for it. And unfortunately it doesn't have the same long terms results WLS has. I know that RNY patients will face many of the same issues that they face, but we have one extra tool in our shed. Neither journey is easy, they are both long, difficult roads, and you have to pick the one that works best for you.

Edited March 8, 201412 yr by Wallflower7522

Having an epidural is the easy way out of labor..... End product is you still have a baby that becomes your child for the rest of your life. ( I had four epidurals. ) I had weight loss surgery..... basically so I could maintain the weight loss for the rest of my life. You see for me, DIETING was easy..... Losing weight was easy, but I NEVER ONCE WAS AE TO MASTER MAINTENANCE.... Let the naysayers say what they want. I live in THE BIG EASY ( New Orleans's nickname).....

Easy? I don't have to think about it. Having done it (VSG) my experience is that it was hard. Very hard at times. It forced me to eat less. To the outsider that might seem easy but when you make the big changes we all have made there are major physical and psychological hardships. Am i glad i did it? Hell yes. Was it easy? Hell no.

Everyone in my family including my mother, grandparents, brothers and sisters are/were (well they all still are) obese. It is those good English genes and well really not much else I could do about it. This has in no way been easy for me. It took me three years to lose all my weight and fight every step of the way. How about a boxing ring and put them in it to see how long they would last now that I am fit. I think not. I would show them how easy it is to get physical and then tell me that I am easy. lol People are the reason I collect animals they love you no matter what. They don't care if your fat, thin, white, black, have purple hair or wear spanx to them I am there friend and that is how I like it.

Work smarter not harder

Yes - I've also heard people say that before. But, I couldn't have done this on my own. I tried everything and it wasn't working for me. I needed help. A lot of the people that says it's the easy way out are not overweight. Someone who has not been overweight does not understand, because it's not their thing. Anyone that's had an addiction should understand because that's where most of the obesity comes from (is addiction). food is one of the hardest addictions to overcome because you still have to eat!

In the end, it's your life and you decided to do this / there was a doctor involved who actually agreed with you (lol)! No one knows your life and your personal journey and if it was like mine it was not as good as it is now!

i agree...its a tool we have..and with major health issues we have gone for this surgery accepting its risks.dieting and exercise never worked for me.I love my sleeve.I am just 6 weeks out.

I can eat only little and try for maximum Protein though i don't have much non veg...only fish which has Omega 3 and is good for my knees.

wish you luck all my friends here.

I'm still in the very beginning stages where I'm still making decisions, Doc visits, Waiting for approval, sampling these God awful shakes. There maybe once was a time that even I viewed it as an "easy way out." So far, nothing about this process has been easy. Quite challenging, and I really don't expect it to get easier.