Pros/cons of WLS

[Fat2ThinGirl]

Hi all,
WLS is something I have considered. I even went for an assessment and was offerred a gastric bypass but wanted to have a lst ditch attempt to do it on my own...and failed...and failed...and failed again. I'm now doing the Cambridge diet which is working and and I know it will work if I stick to it. Whilst the big losses are motivating it's very restrictive, not always enjoyable and i'm not sure I will be able to get all the way there doing it.

I also work in mental health so I do kind of feel that changing the way I use food and losing weight ought to be something that I can do myself. I know what foods are good/bad for me..but for me overeating has been for emotional reasons, bad habits and sheer addiction.

I have another appointment for an assessment coming up and I will go and see what my options are but I guess I would rather do it on my own. I just don't want to die trying as I'm not getting any younger. My mother had some success with the gastric bypass and I know it works for her but she has to take vitamins everyday for the rest of her life and it seems so drastic and risky so I wouldn't want to do that. I would consider the sleeve but my preference would be for the band. However, with so much weight to lose i'm not sure if it is something I would be offered. I was just wondering what people have had, what has worked and not worked and in heinsight would you have rather done it just through dieting...my problem is not so much the weight loss. I know I can lose weight. I just never seem to be able to maintain it as ld habits fall back hard each time i'm faced with life troubles. I don't know if medically restricitng what I eat will solve the problem as I have heard these surgeries although extreme still don't work for everyone...Does the operation always guarentee weight loss success and maintainence? Has anyone tried the gastric balloon with any success?

I'm 30 now and want this to be the last year I am fat as i'd like to meet someone, settle down and just generally have a more enjoyable life...I think I would have this with weight loss, just deciding how to get there is the prob...the problem is in my head I think, rather than my body and i'm not sure an operation would take this away...would appreciate people's thoughts...
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[penguina]

Hi Ya, I am surprised no one had come back on this thread, (or maybe they have and my computer is having a wobbly and not showing them) But if not WELCOME !

I am still pre op, so cannot say whether it will work or not. The only thing I can say is I am 47 but don't know where the 17 years have gone since I was 30. I wish I had 'lived' those 17 years instead of getting fatter and fatter and unhealthier.

I too have head food issues and again, cant say if it will work. I am having a bypass, as with my issues I think I would 'cheat' with the band when I am in a bad place. I don't want to die trying to get slimmer, but for the last few years I couldn't see myself living beyond my mid 50's. That is not a good place to be either.

you say

my problem is not so much the weight loss. I know I can lose weight. I just never seem to be able to maintain it as ld habits fall back hard each time i'm faced with life troubles

I was the same, and year on year out put on more weight after loosing a bit. After the age of 40 it got very hard to loose it too, and ever so easy to put it on.
No, an op won't cure your head problems, but using a weight loss tool - more so a bypass, if you are going to 'cheat a band' when you are in bad space with your life troubles - you won't be able to eat as much. Yes you can if you graze, but you can't go and buy a large fish and chips or family bargain bucket as it physically won't go down.

Only you can decide if WLS is for you, but I would say keep researching and read some of the diaries on here to help you with your studies. Oh and I wouldn't recommend the balloon from what I have read the weight is put back as soon as the restriction is removed. There is a lady on here at the moment who has just decided to ditch the balloon idea and go for Band surgery.

You say your Mum has had some success with WLS - a bypass - They say daughters turn into their mothers - do you want to have the next years following the path that led her to surgery?..

All the best for whatever you decide. Trisha xx

 

[Neen]

Seems like a sleeve or band would be good for you.
What we have to learn though, is nothing is 100% guaranteed to work purely by itself.
I have always been a complusive eater/emotional eater and through some trial and error I have learnt ways to get around and work through the comfort eating and I think my band has been just enough damage limitation to help me lose weight as well as solve my eating issues as I go.
I still have blips but I can now get back control a lot quicker.
A balloon is not going to be enough help if you have emotional eating ..if you check out posts by Weeble, she lost 8 stone with a balloon and put it all back on once the balloon was removed and is quite likely to persuade you not to waste your time and money with one.

 

[shelbell]

Hello, first of all I wanted to send you a big hug cos it sounds like you need one.

I posted the stuff below on another thread but thought it might be useful for you in understanding the surgeries. I haven't included sleeve though as the person who wanted info was looking at POSE, band or bypass.

Personally all my stats are on the left and my photos below speak for themselves. I was 28 when I had my bypass and i love it.

With any surgery there is an emphasis on you to follow the guidelines and eat a healthy balanced diet. With each surgery the degree of compliance required from the patient varies. With a bypass or duodenal switch you will likely suffer if you eat high fat or high sugar foods (this varies so much, you may not suffer at all but that's not common) and from the outset the volume you can eat is drastically reduced. For the first 6 months or so the majority of patients will lose weight regardless of how compliant they are, after that it is more dependent on effort. Some people struggle with certain foods, but generally so long as you chew properly and eat slowly no foods should be eliminated. You will need to take supplements for life due to the malabsorptive element.

With a band, it is purely restrictive, so no adverse affects caused by too much sugar or fats. It can take time to reach a good level if restriction after surgery, depending on a huge number of factors such as saline put in during surgery, length of time it takes for swelling to go down, band and stomach size etc. Generally you will have some restriction after surgery for a couple of weeks, then very little restriction until after your fills start. Some people do achieve good restriction immediately or after only one or two fills, but some need 4 or 5 fills to achieve good restriction. Once you have restriction then the volume you can eat is limited, and there are often some foods which cause discomfort and so have to be avoided, particularly starches such as bread, rice and pasta. Sometimes that extends to some meats, vegetables and salads, although some believe this is due to the band being too tight.

With bypass, band and POSE there are ways to 'cheat' the stomach and overeat. Grazing and drinking with meals can affect all surgeries, pushing food through faster. With band you can eat high sugar high calorie foods such as ice cream, chocolate, milkshakes etc which will pass through the pouch of the band quickly. With POSE you can make bad choices and eat high sugar high calorie foods which even at a reduced volume will add up and slow down or stop weight loss.

So really making a decision is about being honest with yourself about your willpower and weaknesses, and researching until you could enter mastermind.

Generally if you ask a post-opper which surgery you should have they will recommend their own, as no-one wants to believe they made the wrong decision! It's just like when you do slimming world, you think it's the best diet ever and others should do the same.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[Kevin1708]

Hi and welcome . . . . I think every last man jack on here has managed to lose the weight (or at least some of it) but it comes back with a vengeance – a virtuous circle. Good luck with your journey x