Have you had gastric surgery at all? Experiences appreciated.

[CindysFriend]

Ok, I used to be an athlete in high school. I only gained 18-20 pounds during each of my two pregnancies, then lost that weight before my 6-week check ups.

That was then this is now.

I’ve gained 150 pounds in the last 25 years. I’m currently 60.

I weight 300 pounds.

My doctor has been gently urging me to lose weight, and has mentioned gastric bypass surgery more than once. The most recent a few weeks ago.

Will those of you who’ve had this surgery please tell me everything, from start to finish.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thank you very much.

 

[sommergirl25]

I had the gastric sleeve surgery in Aug 2021. I am currently 91 pounds down and only 4 pounds from my goal weight. I can not recommend it enough. It has changed my life completely. It is hard work. You have to follow the recommendations from your surgeon and nutritionist. I have not had any complications or issues!

 

[RF536]

I had gastric sleeve in Aug 2021 and am at goal weight. I have not had any issues. I chose gastric sleeve because it is less invasive and I have ulcerative colitis, and didn't want to mess with my gi track.
Getting all your protein in will be hard at first. My Dr. Had us buy protein powder that only required 1 scoop per serving. The reason being you can only drink a little bit at a time, this allowed us to get the 20g of protein per serving but only mixing with 4 oz of water. Trying to mix 2 scoops with 4oz would have made a thick pudding like shake.
If you haven't already join a couple of Facebook or other type of group for people having it. You will get some good information and tips. Just don't let it scare you too much. Sometimes it seems like everyone is having issues.
Also the surgery is a tool as time goes by you can it more. You can also eat around the surgery and regain the weight.

 

[leebee]

I had sleeve surgery in September 2016. I lost 110 pounds and have managed to stay withing 5 pounds of that (both up and down... it's like my system has a set-point or something). I chose sleeve because even though you aren't targeted to lose quite as much, it doesn't mess around with your intestines the way the full bypass does. The thought of "dumping syndrome" gives me the willies! Anyhow... My full program included pre-surgical weight loss (10 pounds, so they see you can stick to a program), psych counseling, nutritional counseling. For 2 weeks before surgery I was on a full liquid diet, but I found that the syntrax brand of shake mix is pretty good- no funky heat-processed aftertaste or weird texture- and still drink one every morning to get a jump on my protein requirement. Post surgery the first two weeks were clear liquids, then 2 weeks of shakes, then on to soft foods and build up to a regular diet from there. I found I enjoy riding the exercise bike for an hour every morning (it's a "legal" excuse to sit and read, although I can't right now due to a knee injury) so the exercise portion wasn't too difficult. I can now eat about a cup of food at a time, maybe less, and although I can eat whatever I want, things like pasta, bread, rice, etc don't sit well. They just make me very full and it is pretty uncomfortable.

The hardest part for me was the mental aspect. This will change your whole relationship with food. I'll never again have that post-thanksgiving dinner feeling of overstuffed bliss, never be able to try all the dishes at a buffet, never gorge out on anything again. That's OK. I am so much happier and healthier than I have ever been in my adult life! However, it WAS an adjustment, and something I still have to be mindful of every single day. Mindful eating... pay attention to every bite, small bites, chew chew chew, no drinking while eating, only eat for 20 mins and then be done... is still my lifestyle, which I guess I didn't expect. I thought these were eating guidelines for post-surgery, but they are forever. It's OK. I can have a bit of rice, some of the edge of a slice of pizza (instead of a whole pizza), I have been to Boma several times post-surgery and did amazingly well so I CAN enjoy food holidays with my family. I just have to be selective, choosy, and attentive when I eat. I also had to learn that I'll never get a "bargain" when going out to dinner... except that one meal lasts through that dinner and a few lunches due to portion size and my small appetite!

I had some complications. My hair changed completely, going from being thick and incredibly wavy/fuzzy to thin and straight. This is a result of protein restriction and my age but it's OK. I have hair, I have learned to live with it. I also had a hiatal hernia about a year ago. That was a surgical repair and I thought that was more difficult than the bariatric surgery itself. I haven't experienced dumping syndrome but I also know that when my intestines say "it's time to go" there is no "holding on".. it's time to find a bathroom (sorry if TMI).

I'm not skinny, I'm still overweight (sigh... does anyone EVER lose their last 10 pounds on any diet, hahaha), but I'm not morbidly obese. I can do all kinds of things, like use the airplane seatbelt without extender, fit into a booth at a restaurant, reach the little lever on the floor of the car that opens the gas tank, buy clothes in a regular store. My blood pressure and blood sugar counts are amazing! I can get around the eating restrictions enough to enjoy my food and dining experiences. Overall, this surgery was the very best thing I've ever done for myself, and I wish I'd done it a decade or two sooner!

 

[piccolopat]

I started Weight Watchers when I turned 60, started at just under 300 pounds, and lost over 100 pounds over 2 years. I gained some back during Covid but am getting back on track to get to goal. My doctor also kept pushing for surgery but although I was morbidly obese I enjoyed large salads, fruits and vegetables. I just ate too much overall and gained the weight a little at a time over 30 years. I didn't like the invasive nature of surgery and figured if I had to change my eating habits anyway I would try WW first. Glad I did. I joined Planet Fitness last fall to help build strength and after hating exercise all of my life I look forward to my twice a week hourly workout. Good luck with whatever method you choose but do it. The weight loss can be life changing.

 

[CynBeth]

I was very successful on WW but fell off the wagon lately and am trying to get back on track. It is a very good program and I would give it a chance. I know a few people who had the gastric bypass surgery and wish they did not get it. They barely eat anything and can never cheat if they try to have a little more it comes right back up. That is no way to live the key is to eat better and exercise even if it is just a walk in the neighborhood or little things at home if going to a gym does not work with your schedule. Do not deprive yourself of sweets knowing I could have them I ended up not craving them as much which I felt helped. Good luck!

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Maybe look into Keto diet before going the surgical route. It's working well for me. I'm not hungry and I get to eat foods I enjoy very much like steak and burgers. I bought an inexpensive magazine at the local grocery store which is how I got started on Keto. Do a little research, you may find this is a plan that could work for you. Bottom line is with the surgery you will be eating much, much less, you still need to exercise, and you can gain the weight back.

 

[kymom99]

I started Weight Watchers when I turned 60, started at just under 300 pounds, and lost over 100 pounds over 2 years. I gained some back during Covid but am getting back on track to get to goal. My doctor also kept pushing for surgery but although I was morbidly obese I enjoyed large salads, fruits and vegetables. I just ate too much overall and gained the weight a little at a time over 30 years. I didn't like the invasive nature of surgery and figured if I had to change my eating habits anyway I would try WW first. Glad I did. I joined Planet Fitness last fall to help build strength and after hating exercise all of my life I look forward to my twice a week hourly workout. Good luck with whatever method you choose but do it. The weight loss can be life changing.

I lost a lot on WW 20 years ago. Over time it has crept back up. I started again in November. I’ve lost 16 lbs. I have not been following the program the last few week. I’m trying to get back on that horse. I am going to meetings again. Online doesn’t work for me. I like the meetings now. They seem to have changed it up a bit. It’s a lifestyle.

I’ll add, my husband developed a wheat allergy late in life. He lost a lot of weight when he stopped eating bread. And he didn’t have a lot to lose.

 

[wenrob]

I have not had the surgery but have an Aunt, two cousins, a brother and a sister that have all had one variation or another. All still struggle with obesity. My advice would be to not think of the surgery as a cure but as a tool. Whether you lose weight traditionally or have surgery both are a lifetime commitment with programs that need to be worked. There’s just not getting around that. Also, don’t fudge the counseling portion (every single one of my family did). You will be making a permanent physical change and you need to wrap your head around that and its implications and your “why” for doing this. Really, really be sure. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Stratman50th]

My coworker had the sleeve and ended up with complications. She died 3 weeks after surgery. In my mind what was really sad, she had lost 60lbs pre-surgery. If she had just kept at it she could have lost the weight and still be here today. I'm not a believer. I wish you the best.

 

[Kirby]

I haven't had one but a friend of ours has and my sister. Our friend got it to help loose weight so he could have back surgery. He's lost quite a bit and did get the surgery. He eats whatever he wants, when he wants, in smaller portions and while he hasn't gained what he lost back, he is not losing weight which would help his back and knees.

My sister had inverted gastric sleeve and has lost about 50 pounds. She lost her appetite for awhile and had to force herself to eat. She does not watch what she eats and has gained about 15 - 20 pounds of her loss back.

As a previous poster, my husband knows someone that died from the operation and another that almost died.

 

[Pooh2]

More than a dozen of my friends and family members have had different variations of weight loss surgery over the last decade.

Most of them have gained about half back after very large losses the first year or two.

For those who are doing WW, are there many meetings left to go in person in your area?
I was just looking at their site this morning for info.
The nearest meeting is about 45 minutes away.
Pre-covid, there were about 6 meetings within 10-20 min.

 

[RogueX]

I had gastric bypass May 2022 and I've lost a little over 100 pounds. I had some pain control issues in the hospitals and a hard time meeting the nutrition and fluid goals that were set for me. Part of it was due to post-op swelling that took a little longer to go down, but for the last several months it's been a complete loss of appetite.

I don't regret getting the surgery as there has been improvements in other areas of my health. My sister lost 85 pounds from her bypass and had no issues.

 

[kymom99]

More than a dozen of my friends and family members have had different variations of weight loss surgery over the last decade.

Most of them have gained about half back after very large losses the first year or two.

For those who are doing WW, are there many meetings left to go in person in your area?
I was just looking at their site this morning for info.
The nearest meeting is about 45 minutes away.
Pre-covid, there were about 6 meetings within 10-20 min.

There are 2 studios, each about 20 minutes from me in opposite directions. As of now, the local, church basement type meetings have not been restarted post Covid. However, the lady whose meetings I attend said they are looking at closing some studios and going back to borrowed spaces. I think rent/overhead is too high. Right now the studio I attend is staying open and I’m glad. It’s a nice space in a convenient location.

 

[brockash]

I had the gastric sleeve surgery in Aug 2021. I am currently 91 pounds down and only 4 pounds from my goal weight. I can not recommend it enough. It has changed my life completely. It is hard work. You have to follow the recommendations from your surgeon and nutritionist. I have not had any complications or issues!

Can I ask why you think this was easier than just sticking to a strict diet without the surgery? This is coming from someone who really struggles with food/overeating. I guess I'm just not clear on what the difference is. If you have to follow the directions from your dr and nutritionist now, what was the difference before?

 

[wenrob]

Can I ask why you think this was easier than just sticking to a strict diet without the surgery? This is coming from someone who really struggles with food/overeating. I guess I'm just not clear on what the difference is. If you have to follow the directions from your dr and nutritionist now, what was the difference before?

So I can’t answer for this person but I can tell you what my sister said when I asked her. She had lost nearly 60lbs on her way up to the surgery and said she had to stop or they wouldn’t do the surgery because she would have lost too much. I couldn’t wrap my head around why she would go ahead with it and the possible complications when clearly she was capable of losing the weight when she set out to do it. She told me that she would get up in the middle of the night to eat and had been doing it her whole life. She felt this was the only way to stop it. She was also convinced that she *couldn’t* gain the weight back even though the evidence that you can was literally within our own family. It was also during this conversation that I learned she was not taking the counseling seriously. As someone who has been overweight only periodically and obese for only a couple of years before doing something about it I can’t even pretend to understand what a lifetime of struggling with obesity must be like and so I accepted her answer for what it was. My sister is obese again but I don’t think it was because the surgery failed but because she thought of it as a miracle cure and did not dig into why she would get up in the middle of the night to eat. This is why I stressed in my previous post for anyone considering surgery to please, please put in the work for the emotional/mental side of this. It’s especially important if addiction runs in your family.

 

[leebee]

It took me 3 months to lose the 10 pounds my program required. I followed the diet, the exercise regimen, the program, but my body held on to every single calorie I consumed. I was cranky and hungry the entire time, but determined to do it. I had been obese all my life; I weighed 150 pounds when I was 9 years old. I had tried following every diet you can imagine as an adult, and as long as I followed them religiously, I'd be semi-successful and miserable the whole time, miserable enough to just stop the diet. Even programs with counseling didn't help, and every time I dieted and failed, my metabolism dropped lower and the weight came back faster. Now? I physically cannot eat a lot. I don't have the space, and wiht a sleeve if you overeat, you aren't just overly stupidly full; i experience actual pain. Also, when the stomach is removed, so are some of the hormone producing cells and receptors that play a role in hunger. I cannot remember the last time I was actually hungry. Practicing mindful eating has helped me keep off over 100 pounds for seven years. That works for me. But you know what the best part of this is? I don't go to bed every night feeling like a failure, and I don't get up every morning hating myself. To me, that's success.

 

[CindysFriend]

Thank you everyone! You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about and consider.

 

[sommergirl25]

It took me 3 months to lose the 10 pounds my program required. I followed the diet, the exercise regimen, the program, but my body held on to every single calorie I consumed. I was cranky and hungry the entire time, but determined to do it. I had been obese all my life; I weighed 150 pounds when I was 9 years old. I had tried following every diet you can imagine as an adult, and as long as I followed them religiously, I'd be semi-successful and miserable the whole time, miserable enough to just stop the diet. Even programs with counseling didn't help, and every time I dieted and failed, my metabolism dropped lower and the weight came back faster. Now? I physically cannot eat a lot. I don't have the space, and wiht a sleeve if you overeat, you aren't just overly stupidly full; i experience actual pain. Also, when the stomach is removed, so are some of the hormone producing cells and receptors that play a role in hunger. I cannot remember the last time I was actually hungry. Practicing mindful eating has helped me keep off over 100 pounds for seven years. That works for me. But you know what the best part of this is? I don't go to bed every night feeling like a failure, and I don't get up every morning hating myself. To me, that's success.

Can I ask why you think this was easier than just sticking to a strict diet without the surgery? This is coming from someone who really struggles with food/overeating. I guess I'm just not clear on what the difference is. If you have to follow the directions from your dr and nutritionist now, what was the difference before?

The poster that answered you also is right on the money. I never said it was easier. There are so many different reasons that people can not lose the weight or keep it off. I tried so many different diets through the years. I was semi successful on a strict Paleo diet but never fully lost the weight. I was miserable on that diet and ended up gaining the weight back and then some. It is a lifetime of making sure you eat enough protein, drink enough water, get enough movement, and taking all the vitamins to make sure not to have a vitamin deficiency. I can only eat about 4-6 ounces of food at a time. I eat small meals throughout the day. I also am able to enjoy special meals and cakes and treats without feeling like a failure. I was 35 and missing out on life with my family because I was too big and exhausted to live life. I spent thousands of dollars on trying to lose weight for years. I sought help from doctors and therapist. Bariatric surgery is curing Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea within days of surgery.

 

[brockash]

The poster that answered you also is right on the money. I never said it was easier. There are so many different reasons that people can not lose the weight or keep it off. I tried so many different diets through the years. I was semi successful on a strict Paleo diet but never fully lost the weight. I was miserable on that diet and ended up gaining the weight back and then some. It is a lifetime of making sure you eat enough protein, drink enough water, get enough movement, and taking all the vitamins to make sure not to have a vitamin deficiency. I can only eat about 4-6 ounces of food at a time. I eat small meals throughout the day. I also am able to enjoy special meals and cakes and treats without feeling like a failure. I was 35 and missing out on life with my family because I was too big and exhausted to live life. I spent thousands of dollars on trying to lose weight for years. I sought help from doctors and therapist. Bariatric surgery is curing Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea within days of surgery.

So do you think it was just a switch to a different mindset for you once you knew you were having surgery? I guess for me I have serious concerns that if I don't do what I know I should now; I would assume there's a really good chance I won't if I surgery had surgery either, so I'm just curious if you felt like you had a mindset switch when you had surgery....For me it's such a mind game, which is really sad, but unfortunately true.