Old Timers-What is the point of WLS if many regain/have hunger/diet drama..

[Shrinkingmom 218]

At 4 years out (in July) I have a little different take. I was able to lose hundreds of pounds over the years, 50 -100 pounds at a time starting when I went over the 200 mark at about age 12. As my surgeon put it, I dieted myself right up to 321 pounds and he assured me that I would eventually diet myself to 400. He explained the addictions and the heredity and many other factors that lead to this in some of us. I was on depression medication and blood pressure medication, had severe sleep apnea and was a miserable human being who made many excuses to not go to events because (although I would have never admitted it to anyone) I was afraid of the sitting accomodations, how people would look at me, what I would wear, etc. My life was literally passing by while I sat on the sidelines too miserable to participate. For 10 years after my brother had successful surgery, I still said it was the "easy way out" and I had proved I could do it and I would do it again! HOW STUPID I WAS!! While I proclaimed this and damaged my body, I could have taken "the easy way out" (which I do not agree with by the way) and participated in 10 more years of my life than I did! This surgery changed my life!!! Think about it... when you are looking at needing to lose 100-150 pounds, you feel defeated right from the beginning and it makes you discouraged just thinking about it. Since I had the surgery and went from a size 26 to a size 6 I now go in 5 pound increments. It is a lot easier to look at losing that 5 pounds than it was 150! Don't get me wrong, there is nothing easy about this and at about 2 years out, the struggle is real! You better have learned a lot on the journey because all those old feelings and habits come back to haunt you and you find yourself battling all your old demons. My one saving grace is that I refuse to go back to that miserable person I was who couldn't do anything. I am very active now and I have to exercise DAILY to maintain my weight even though I rarely ever eat anything unhealthy. I will continue to do that because it is worth it!! As someone said, nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. I would do it all over and do it much sooner!

[Anna Nim 196]

@@Shrinkingmom

5 years ago I had a surgery date and cancelled two weeks ahead of time-Insurance Paid For! (small co-pay & diet plan).

I may have changed my mind back again, but I was losing my insurance.

Now, 5 years later my knee is jacked and my I totally get the dieting UP to 400 Lbs thing. I have lost-regained-lost for years up to my current lifetime high point on 285. You are totally correct in that looking at losing 125 is far more discouraging than needing to lose 5. I am only a little bit taller than you..so I see your struggle.

Now I am self-pay (or insurance which is as high as self-pay).

Reality is I know the risks of the path I am on and the likely outcome.

I don't know what is going to happen with surgery, but I think the statistics are on my side.

I am REALLY hoping that my hunger will be far less. I am convinced that I have a twice as large stomach as others, hence why there is a monster in my belly

But, YES, you do have to do into this with the right mind set. Showing up for surgery isn't the end of the path!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

@@Shrinkingmom ... what a great post!

You've come a long way. Congratulations to you.

[Shrinkingmom 218]

Anna Nim you will do great! You will be in my prayers! VSGAnn 2014 thank you!!

[FocusOnMeNow 599]

I am only 9 months out but may also have a healthy perspective. First of all, the surgery is on your stomach, not on your head or your heart. Many of us may not realize it but we have been stuffing our feelings with food. I have lost 91 lbs and still have about 40 more to go. It is coming off much more slowly now, but what am I doing to ensure that I NEVER GO BACK? I'm going to a therapist, going to Overeaters Anonymous, reading lots of very helpful self help books (don't have time to read? Listen on audible on your way to and from work or when running errands or cleaning house), I am journaling nearly daily while sipping on my morning coffee/protein shake. I still need to step up my exercise (if I want to make it to my personal goal, as far as my surgeon is concerned I'm already a big success). So if you have to do all that, then why do the surgery? Because it is a radical step to take care of yourself, which is something that most of us had not been doing very well pre-op, because let's be honest, if we had we never would have gotten to be morbidly obese. Also there is in fact a "honeymoon period" for the first 3-6 months. When you're losing a pound a day, you feel good about yourself. You are NOT hungry at all, and you actually start craving healthy foods. You feel like hey, I really CAN do this. During that time (ideally you start pre-op), you really start working on your issues, exercising, setting boundaries and taking care of yourself in many other ways. Here's a hint: it is NOT about the food. It's that you have to work on meeting your own needs in healthy ways. You have to make the changes in all areas of your life to set yourself up for long term success. That in my opinion is the difference between those who are successful long term and those who are not. At least that is what I've heard from those who have had "revisions" (aka second surgeries). Reading and participating in bariatric pal is also immensely helpful in learning to accept others and yourself. I was self pay and it was worth EVERY PENNY! Good luck and take care of you

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

^^^^ love it!

[Squeek2000 2]

Great insighgt hhhh

[Squeek2000 2]

Great insight! I have learned a lot from all of your posts.

[provenzee 262]

I will agree that surgery is not magic, and it still takes work and discipline especially as you move further and further out. No, with the surgery you cannot expect to go back to old habits and maintain your weight loss. Nothing will give you that. You will still have to log and track and watch what you eat forever. With the surgery, you will be prevented from eating more than a few ounces at a time. If you eat 4 ounces of potato chips every two hours when your sleeve empties, you will gain weight. If you eat lean Protein, you will be extremely full and will have no room for high calorie junk. You have to use the first few months when you are really restricted to start a new lifestyle. The first few months you will not be able to eat more than a few bites, and you'll be on liquids on for about a month. You will break your carb cravings and as long as you don't go back to old habits, it is a good jumpstart for a healthy lifestyle.

To say that someone will only lose 60-75% of excess weight is really undermining what that means. If a 300lb 5'4" woman "only" loses 60% of her excess weight, she will end up about 195lbs. Do you realize the difference in health between a woman who weighs 300lbs vs a woman who weighs 195lbs? That person's BMI goes from 52 to about 32. Just think for a second of how many health problems can be resolved by lowering your BMI that much! Not to mention how much different she will look. At 300lbs I was a size 22, had trouble breathing, couldn't walk up stairs or fit on rides at amusement parks, and my life revolved around food. Now that I am close to being under 200, I feel like a person again. I can shop at normal stores because I am a size 14. I can go on roller coasters and walk a mile without being out of breath. I would choose to have my life and health back at 195lbs, even if that's all I lose! (I do expect to lose more, though which is completely possible WITH EFFORT).

If you are expecting surgery to turn a 300lb woman into a 126lb model without effort and by magic, then you are asking for something that can only be done by the Nutty Professor in his laboratory. But if you are looking for something to change your life for the better, and give you a great tool to get healthy, and if you are willing to make a total change on how you view food, then the surgery is for you.