1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:
And now just go ahead and make that first post!
Hey, first post. That's surprising.
Most stuff about me is in my profile and journal (interpret that statement as "I'm too lazy to repeat myself here"). I'm actually considering the lap band procedure. I was looking for a group of people who have been through either procedure and will support my decision to pursue weight loss surgery and not judge me or accuse me of taking the "cheater's way out" (I've already encountered a couple of rude remarks to that effect on this site).
I'm somewhat conflicted about having surgery, but I've tried just about everything out there with no consistent or sustainable results, and just ended up more frustrated, depressed and fatter after each attempt. I'm attending a prerequisite seminar next week, before I can schedule a consultation with the surgeon. The surgeon may recommend gastric bypass, but that is not my preference.
May I suggest changing the Group name to Weight Loss Surgery to cover both lap band and gastric bypass procedures?
I understand about the rude comments of people that think weight loss surgery is "the easy way out" I have heard all the comments of people that are uneducated on the surgery, but I have had the Roux en Y bypass and all I have to say to people that call it the cheaters way out is "Until you have been where I have don't judge me!" I had the surgery 18 months ago on Sept.13 and it was by NO means easy, especially the first 8 or 9 months. But when asked how I feel about it I would do it again TOMORROW. If my Dr. called me right now and said this surgery wears off after 5 years and you have to have it done all over again I'd say go ahead and schedule my surgery date. I was 294 pounds on March 13,2007 and today I weigh 139 pounds. But the best part is 3 weeks after surgery I was totally off my blood pressure meds. and 5 weeks later I was off my sugar meds. Now I take 2 multi vitamins and a calcium supplement every day and thats it.I have more energy than I can ever remember having and now its my kids that have to work to keep up with me. I am not just happy because I am thin I am healthy and happy now.
Bariatric surgery is NOT a quick fix or a magic pill that lets you eat whatever you want and never exercise and still lose weight. It is just a tool that helps keep you on track and forces you to stick to the rules of healthy eating. I still have to work everyday on changing my old eating habits and force myself to exercise on the days I had rather lay in bed and eat chips and watch TV. I have tried every diet and work out program known to man but the weight never came off or what did come off came back plus 10 more. Surgery helps the weight come off faster without feeling like your starving to death! You stick to it better and feel more motivated when you see the results of your hard work sooner and aren't thinking about food 24/7 because you feel hungry all the time.
I had to learn alot about bypass and about the lap band before I could get approved for the surgery and bypass was the best choice for me because I had so much weight to lose. It was a scary decision to make but I don't regret it for a second. I have before and after pictures of me I need to get posted on here. I started this group because I hope to be able to answer questions and help people that are thinking about the surgery and to talk to others that have had the surgery and are going through some of the same things I am and also to try the best I can to educate those that have a negative view of bariatric surgery. Because it didn't just change my life, it saved it.
I think what bothers me the most when I hear or read negative comments about bariatric surgery is the undertone of prejudice and disdain towards the morbidly obese. Maybe I'm just being hypersensitive and reading between the lines too much, but to me, there's an apparent assumption in these comments that people who opt to have surgery are basically lazy, out of control, and lack commitment to maintain healthy eating habits. At least, that's what my dad always told me. I mean, when I hear these kinds of statements, I can actually hear my dad's voice in my head, telling me that I'm just lazy and lack self-control and willpower. I've been overweight since I was 5 years old, so I'm sure you can imagine what my childhood and teenage years were like. I was (and still am) the fat girl, who tried to be invisible.
Given my personality, I'm definitely NOT one of those people who drinks the Kool-Aid without question. I didn't just wake up one morning, step on the scale, and say "Screw this! I'm getting the surgery!". Deciding to pursue surgery to assist me in losing weight was not an easy decision for me because I finally had to admit to myself that I need help after years of trying to lose weight on my own. My decisions are based on careful and deliberate consideration of the available and relevant information. I consider bariatric surgery to be a tool, as you said, to losing weight which is why I prefer the lap band procedure as a temporary medical intervention over the permanent gastric bypass procedure.
Greetings. My name is Doris. I live in Maine. I found this page by accident, but glad to see you all here. I had lap band surgery in August 2006. I've had good success (down 54 lbs) but am still a long way from the "magic number". My goal is 160-165. I am 5'4" tall.
I have become discouraged over the past several weeks because my weight loss has plateaued. I have actually put on 10+ lbs in the past 3 months. We have started a Wellness Program at work which pays $15 for every 2 lbs lost. I am hoping the money will motivate me to get back on track. My problem is a don't like to exercise (who does?). I need to find an exercise buddy. The Wellness Program also includes a free Weight Watchers membership. I have followed the FlexPoints program for the past week and actually put on weight. That's not working for me. I am eating much more food than a "banded" dieter should. I'm going back to my banded diet tomorrow.
So, those are my notes for now. Since there is no group for LapBand patients, I hope you don't mind my posting here. Any encouragement will be helpful. Thanks and have a great day.
Doris
History with weight loss? Hummm Let's see. Obese most of my adult life. Could recite most diet plans - especially the ever-changing Weight Watchers - by memory. Took off a good chunk of weight several times only to put it all back on. I think you all know the story...
Gastric Bypass Surgery - December 2002. Yep, I'm waaay past the sweet spot! I lost 110 pounds in my 18-month period and hit a plateau. My weight started to creep back up during my separation and divorce which surprised me because I'm the one that wanted it so you'd expect me to be happy and not eat! Before I knew it, 50 pounds were back on. Yes, I had a difficult time after my surgery (and still do to some degree) and could slap anybody who says it's the easy way out.
Joined weight loss competition at employer's fitness center in February 2008 and signed up with Calorie Counter at that time. It is really important for me to keep track of what I eat since the surgery actually gave me BAD eating habits -i.e., (1) eat whatever will stay down and (2) eat little amounts often (which gradually increased in size). I lost 30 pounds in about 4 months through diet and exercise and took the summer off so to speak. Haven't gained or lost anything during that break. Just signed up for a new competition starting today!
Interesting facts? I have been very successful in my career but my true love is animal rescue. I'm the president of a spay-neuter organization and also on the board of a rescue-adoption organization. This is a source of great satisfaction in my life BUT it's also a bad place for me to become busy and not take care of myself. That matter will have to be addressed if I'm every going to be completely successful with my weight loss goal.
A lot has been happening over the past few weeks. At my last doctor's visit, I was referred to a bariatric surgeon, and I had my initial consultation with him last week. According to his scale, I weigh 325 pounds, which was a little depressing to see. I had initially wanted the lap band procedure, but after talking with Dr. Mo (short for Moazzez), and my husband, I'm going to pursue the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure. GB is riskier, but the success rate is higher for people with an extremely high BMI (mine is 59.5). Actually, my hypothyroidism was really the pivotal factor in deciding to have GB instead of lap band. I decided that a restrictive procedure (i.e., lap band), just wouldn't be as effective as a malabsorption procedure (i.e., GB).
I'm sure y'all know the drill. There are a lot of hoops that I need to jump through before I can actually be approved for gastric bypass surgery, but in the meantime, I'm still trying to lose weight on my own. I go back to the doctor next week to begin the process of being cleared for surgery, including 6 months of a physician-supervised diet program, which I'm guessing will be a standard 1200-calorie/day diet that most doctors are compelled to throw at their patients. Lovely. Well, I gotta do what I gotta do.
I have a friend who had open R-en-Y GB surgery a few years ago. Pre-surgery, she was about the same weight that I am now, and she lost over 100 pounds, but she reverted back to her old eating habits and started gaining back some of the weight she lost. I don't want the same thing to happen to me. I've already made significant changes to my eating lifestyle. I eat more fruits and vegetables, and have reduced my intake of diet sodas. I had to ween myself off of the caffeinated diet drinks, so I had to endure a few days of constant headaches. I have about 1 caffeine-free diet soda each day, and plan to cut them out completely very soon. I want to have healthy eating habits already in place before the surgery, so I'm not just simply starving myself after the surgery and being easily tempted to go back to my old habits.
This really cool that I found this site to read peoples thoughts who have or are going to have the GP..
I am scheduled on the first of December 2008 for surgery. I have been reading a lot of this procedure and some are happy some are not with results. I am pretty sure that I can so this for the rest of my life, I am 46 yrs old and at the highest for my age..with this weight (247) it has really got me depressed and to top it off I am an emotional eater. I have a wonderful support group (pre and post) with my doctor and hospital where I will be having the surgery.
My whole life I have been heavy and now its just not going down and I get worried because Diabetes runs in my family and so far I have not been diagnosed. But I feel that I am ready and with a lot of reading it can scare one to think about it twice and it not easy I already know that. But... I am ready after all that reading and talking to people what its like after GP..
So I will be adding on to this group and let you all who are curious to see how my yellow road to a healthier commitment 
Any questions ?? I would like to answer if anyone out there is thinking of having the procedure.
Hello
I started a Group here too! That was before I realized this one existed,
so I apologize in advance if it seems I am being pushy. There is room for
another group (I called mine Pre and Post Gastric Surgery Support or something
like that).
I am 51, male. I am mentally ill, and disabled, because of my mental issues which include suicide attempts, and long term (lifelong) depression as well as several personality disorders. I was the victim of childhood sexual abuse by both parents and many others their "friends" over several years. I survived, and I guess I should be happy about that, but honestly happy is not a state of mind I am familiar with.
I have been heavy all my life. No, I have been obese all my life. In high school I was big, so I played football, which was "acceptable" for my size (5' 9" 200 lbs), but then in the Army, they wanted me to be 185, so I dehydrated and starved for two weeks to make the grade and got accepted. Whenever medicals came due I did the same thing, until I realized they didn't really care about my weight, as long as I was doing a good job at my job.
After the military I went on to more sedentary work and my weight went from the 225 - 250 area to 275 - 300. It eventually got to 400 lbs about 5 years ago. I suffer from many of the diseases associated with being Morbidly obese, Sleep Apnea, hypertension, high cholesterol, severe arthritis in my legs, insulin dependant diabetes, prostate problems (BEP), and on and on. All of those are known to be resolved more than 80% of the time by gastric bypass surgery.
I have been recommended by my family doctor to have bypass surgery more than 5 years ago. Since then I was recommended by two of my psychiatrists, as well as two specialists I have seen about the diabetes. The trouble is here in Canada getting government funded Bariatric Surgery is nearly impossible, the waiting lists are incredibly long, and frankly most doctors have no idea who or where to refer you to. I actually found on of the specialist who told me he was referring me was simply placating me, and did nothing for a year, because in my follow up appointment a year later when I asked why I had heard nothing, he admitted he did not know who or where to refer me.
So to say I have been a long time waiting for surgery is an understatement. Back in September I finally was contacted, seemingly out of the blue by the ONLY hospital in our province doing the surgery, and told to meet with the surgeon who MIGHT be doing my surgery. I had the meeting and had a long very informative talk with him. I thought I knew a bit about the difference between RNY and Lap Band and the complications etc…but he went into a lot of detail. I was impressed. I was not as impressed when I left the office to find I had to wait another six months to meet with his “assessment” team. Then out of the blue I got called to attend a Weight Management Clinic. I was totally baffled by that, but later found that this surgeon is just now starting to ensure all his candidates go to this clinic and participate in learning about dietary needs, lifestyle changes, and other things that will be needed pre- and post- surgery. There is a lot more to getting the surgery than simply showing up and getting cut it seems.
I am in the process of reading a very good book called “The Real Skinny on Weight Loss Surgery” written by two women who had Roux n Y surgery, and their doctors write in the book. It is a bit scary to read all about the complications, and strict life changes. I wonder if I am able to be the candidate I thought I was for the past 5 years. I have come to realize the doctors who have been rooting for me to have the surgery have really no concept of the overall complexity of the things that surround the surgery. Yes I will be better off IF I am compliant and able to make the changes in my life to deal with the surgery and use it as the tool it is meant to be in losing weight (not the magic pill some people would have you believe it is).
Anyway, I am married, been that way for 30 years. I have three grown boys (all of whom are obese too .
Grumpy
Glad to see that there are people that I can relate to with RNY we know what that means if you had the surgery. I am having the surgery on Dec. 1, 2008. I can say that its not going to a quick weight loss it will be a long journey for the rest of my life. The eating habits, fitness but it will be all worth it when I will feel the energy to go that extra mile. People who are not educated in this matter right away think that its a quick fix but its not its a tool and I will have to totally live a healthier life and I am ready. Its not for everyone so make sure you do your research and what it will take to transfer your fats to muscle.
Well I am probably year or more away still. I have lost about 6% of my weight so far just dieting with the help of the Weight Management Clinic and the food plan and the coaching they have been giving. Finally finding doctors and people who don't just tell me to "eat less and exercise more". I mean if it were that easy to lose weight then any fool could do it. The facts are, that even diets supervised by doctors, rarely work! From my research so far the numbers vary from 5% at the highest end of the "success" scale reported, to a 0 - 2% at the low end of the numbers. Success being variously defined as reaching a target weight of losing 50% or more of the excess weight and keeping it off 3 or more years. So knowing that there is a whole lot more involved in the obesity cycle than just being weak willed and poorly motivated helps somewhat. I realize I am the one who ultimately shoves the food into my face, but...the fact is over the years, I have created a body that does not do the same things with food that thin people do, hence if I mimiced the diet of some skinny person, even completely (no cheating) I would not necessarily lose weight, because my metobolism is all screwed up. Hence the need for the surgical intervention, to help give me the tool to regain control, and a do over, a chance to make the change to the right way of eating, the right foods.
Some stories though are scary. Dumping syndrome, and the fact some of the other strange things that can affect people after the surgery, are a concern. I have to admit that, and decide if I can face those concerns and be OK with them. That I guess is what I am looking for in a support group. To hear about other's who have had the battles. Have had the hair fall out, had the cramping leg muscles, and the aversion to foods or intolerance to foods that up to now they loved.
I look forward to hearing what other people expect from the surgery. What lifestyle changes. I read in one book that Calorie drinks are a no - no after surgery... Then in another book I read that Protein Shakes are highly recommended? Sort of contradictory. I plan to ask the people at the clinic, but I wouldn't mind hearing some facts from people who have gone through it.
I like protein shakes as a sourse of high protein, low carb replacement. Will I have to find another sourse of protein substitute after surgery?
Grumpy
I have fought my weight since I started school at 5 years old. That slim down that was supposed to happen at puberty was non-existant for me. I have dieted all my life, and I am now 62. The only time I was successful for any length of time at loosing weight was when I was 40 and did Nurtisystems. It worked great and I maintained my weight loss for about 3 years and then started gaining it back.
I had Gastric Bypass surgery in August of 2006. I lost close to 100 lbs and then about 8 months ago I started gaining it back and am now back where I started. I am going in for a revision in two weeks. It seems that I developed an ulcer in the pouch that was created and the ulcer ate through to my original stomach. I also have a stricture at the end of the pouch so what I now eat is processed just as if I never had the surgery. In two weeks I am starting all over again, and that is a really scary though for me.
Isweari
That is scary. I have been waiting for a long time. In December, even though I had lost 14% of my body weight, and done all the other things asked of me in preparation for surgery I was told that because of my psychological profile I would not be a candidate. I was devastated, but because I had not yet seen the surgeon, and not been told officially the surgery was off I kept on the diet (and lost a few more pounds.) I am without doubt not going to be able to keep these pounds off, no diet has ever lasted long term for me, but I had hoped that showing I was willing to try, would get me the surgery.
Well now the surgery is back on, as the psychiatrist told the clinic doctors they have no grounds to assess my psychological character based on the limited time they have met me. I still don't have a date set, but I keep hoping to get this surgery done.
To have to face it a second time though I am not so sure I would be as calm as you seem to be. That said, at least you understand now why you "slipped" back. Did they say what caused the ulcer? Was it not adhering to diet?
Jame
Jame,
The ulcer was caused by anti-inflamatory medication for my arthritis. I was unaware that after bypass you are more apt to get an ulcer and therefore anti-inflamatories are a no-no. Apparently my primary physician did not know this either so we both learned something. I have now learned to check with my surgeon before I start any new medication. This is all a learning process.
Liz
Ah I read a book called "
The REAL Skinny On Weight Loss Surgery: An Indispensable Guide to What You Can REALLY Expect!!" by some ladies that had it done and their doctors. It does go into a lot of detail about what you can expect in the way of do's and don'ts. They say to ensure you tell your doctors, dentists, and more important your pharmacist you have had gastric bypass surgery and cannot tolerate those type of pills (I forget the term but I think it was NAISD or something like that) Even some things like ibuprofin are absolutely not OK.
This is why there is a huge push on in the bariatric community to ensure that all patients who are planning to have surgery are sent for a period of time to clinic to be educated prior to and then seen by the clinc after the surgery to ensure they are fully watched and aware of all sorts of things they can have happen. I was amazed. For more than 5 years I have had a hand full of doctors lobbying for me to have the surgery done and been waiting, and never realized that none of them had a clue what all the surgery intailed and if I was really a viable candidate or not.
Apparantly in the USA a lot of people are getting the surgery and not knowing at all what to expect beforehand, therefore they are totally upset afterward. I was very upset to be sent to a "weight loss clinic" prior to surgery, thinking it meant I was not going to get the surgery (and I was almost right) but I did learn a heck of a lot about the procedure, and think now I am a heck of a lot more prepared for it. I may still be a year from getting it, but I am a lot wiser about what to expect.
I wish you all the best. You might want to get that book at a library and read it. It is funny in many ways (they do try to make it light reading not a text book) yet full of serious stuff too!
James
Hi, I'm new to this entire site but I'm looking to lose about 85 lbs. I have had gastric bypass and it was quite successful. I weighed 350 at age 21, I underwent gastric bypass on 6/03/03 but they say my stomach "collapsed" so I underwent a 2nd surgery on 9/12/03. I was in excellent health but my recovery took a long time. I was seriously ill even after the 2nd surgery and had trouble keeping water down. I couldn't eat anything, and as a result, lost 160 in 6 months. I don't know exactly how but I managed to recover in Jan 04 and started eating more normally. The surgery limits how much you can consume at one time but if you are motivated (stupid) you can work around it and graze on fatty foods. That's exactly what I did and I managed to gain back 30 lbs in 2004. After that I felt I was more on my own when it came to controlling my appetite and willingness to eat nonstop. I was determined not to waste my gift and started watching what I ate. I got back to 206 and have fluctuated since. In my defense, I had a baby in 2006, 2007 and December 2008. So now after baby number 3 I sit at 231 and I am determined to make it back to my all time low of 190. I did manage that after baby number 2 so I am quite hopeful. I don't mean to scare anyone considering this surgery. Even with all my complications and hospitalizations, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I was miserable at 350, I could barely fit in to size 30-32 in Avenue and I was lucky to find 26-28 shirts at Lane Bryant that I could wear. I thought I knew everything when I was 21 and I thought I didn't need the counseling that is normally recommended before getting final approval from the surgeon. I succeeded in telling him what he wanted to hear (that i wasn't doing this for appearance and I was concerned for my health), but in the end it hurt me because I never dealt with my food addiction. I'm an open book so if anyone is considering this and would like to ask a question, let me know. I'll tell you how it really is.
Christina
Check out thinner times (google it) it is a forum for gastric bypass people and has a lot of activity on the forum. I read a study that many people stretch the "pouch" but that generally the new pouch stretches to between 6 and 10 OZ. They have a RULES of the Pouch (do a search at the site). It talks about helping people who have had the surgery, and either did not have proper support, or refused to use the support. (Face it back when you had the surgery it was a lot newer, and they did not know as much about it). Now there is a lot of help at that site. I am there as Grumpy_Old_Man (who else).
You will read a lot of success stories, a lot of complications, and see a lot of people supporting each other. This place has NADDA for support, sorry to say.
Thanks for the advice! I've never heard of that site but i've pretty much been on my own since the beginning. It's always hard to tell if how I feel or experiences I've had are normal or just me. I didn't even know someone who'd had surgery until recently and I'm amazed by how many things she experiences too.
Here is a link to the site...it is full of people who have just had the surgery, are waiting for, or ever some people like yourself who are long term post operative people.
http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/
grumpyoldman_51 Thank you for that link.
Hello everyone, I am scheduled to have my gastric on Dec 1st. I have been looking for a group like this for support and questions. I would love to know everyone's progress or if you have any advice to give please do.
thanks Brooke
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