Good Evening,

I have my first appointment with the doc this week and as I approach this change I'm really struggling with coming up with why I've failed to lose the weight myself... everyone's situation is unique but I'm beating myself up over all of my failed attempts to lose weight over the past 20+ years. Trying to lose weight has consumed my life... and has been a cycle of hope and failure that finally left me defeated and ashamed.

In my past I struggled with some medical challenges that were unrelated to my weight... however, they likely made all my weight loss attempts much more difficult. Earlier this year I decided to go to a weight loss retreat center that focused on mindful eating, stress management, and developing an exercise routine that I enjoy. I focused on some of the "issues" that drive my emotional overeating but learned that it's a journey of baby steps to see big change. It was a wonderful place and I am so thankful that I went before looking into surgery as an added tool.

So... back to the reason for my post... my biggest struggle is justifying the need for this surgery... I know it's not the easy way out... but I think it's the easier part of the HELL the last 20+ years have been. How do I quiet the bully in my head saying that I should try again to lose the weight without surgery?

Are there true physiological reasons that some of us just can't do it without surgery?

Thanks for reading my post and sharing your experience.

TxHappyDay,

Good questions…and it’s great that you’re asking the tough questions now! Like you said, everyone has an individual set of circumstances. Some people want the surgery to stop the yo-yo cycles that have been going on for years.

Sometimes the surgery reduces hunger so your belly isn’t always screaming for food. Sometimes it makes it so food doesn’t taste quite as good, so it’s not as tempting. For those reasons, surgery can make it so you’re not always fighting the urge to give in. And other people choose surgery because they feel like it’s an investment – with such a huge step, they feel more committed to a healthy diet.

I would ask you to ask yourself: did you lose weight when you were at the weight loss retreat?

And to answer your question: yes, there are physiological changes that can help, like changes in hormone levels after the gastric sleeve. Also, the gastric bypass and the other surgeries can help resolve diabetes, if you have it.

Good luck with your decision!

Weight gain is a trap, and surgery is often the only permanent way out. Set point theory is a really awful thing to think about, especially when it is suggested that set point in the human body can only go up. Asking a morbidly obese person to resist hunger and stay thin after being large is like telling somebody not to breathe. Your body is smarter than your brain, and it will find a way to return to obesity. The brightest, most determined dieter in the world could not truly defeat obesity for life with just diet and exercise. We may have made mistakes to get here, but we are not weak-willed because we couldn't escape without arresting our bodies' ability to defend obesity. For some people, surgery may not even do it. And even then it is not evidence of something wrong with our heads.