Ask the Bariatric (weight loss) surgery Guy.

In My Humble Opinion
21

OK, I’ve got a few–

Can you have alcohol?

Can you have anything with sugar in it (like chocolate, dessert, etc) or, is there anything you can’t have at all?

Are you allowed to smoke?

How much did it cost? Was any of it covered by insurance?

I ask because I have an acquaintance who had the surgery about a month ago and has told us she cannot have any alcohol whatsoever, nor can she have any sugar. She said she has been told that either of these things can kill her because of the way that they need to be processed, length of time in stomach/intestines–something like the sugar doesn’t get processed totally in the stomach and if it gets to the intestines that’s a very bad thing.
I don’t have the whole story and wondered what the deal was with that. What have you been told?

And also, about the smoking–she’s a pretty heavy smoker and they made her quit before they would do the surgery (or they wouldn’t do it) but she’s started up again.

In all, she is VERY unhappy with her choice and says she wouldn’t do it again. It was really expensive (used up her parents retirement money–nothing was paid for by insurance) and if she had any money left, she says she would consider having it reversed. I think she has some issues beyond her weight and thought it would be a sort of cure-all without realizing it is a total life change that would take effort on her part.

Anyway, glad to hear YOU are doing well (didn’t mean to be a Captain Bringdown on you, here!) and am interested to hear what you have to say about my friend.

22

Kittenblue: I have heard that men still lose the weight faster at first, but women usualy get down to their goal weight more often. Alot of it depends on the person and how much effort they put into it.

I haven’t gotten anything back saying what my final cost was, but I was told by the Dr. that the total cost (surgery, pharmacuetical & hospital stay) is about $19,000.00. I will be going back to work on monday the 15th. But I have felt well enough to go back for about a week or so.

SunShine: Alcohol, Yep, I can have it, and have had it. My otions have been reduced to hard liquor and wine. I can’t have beer right now because of the carbonation. The greatest thing about it is I get drunk much faster (cheeper) and I sober up much quicker.

Sugar. Some people can have it, some can’t. But I asure you it WILL NOT kill anyone. BUT, it will make you(some people) sick. Its called dumping syndrome. It was discribbed to me as flu like symptoms. Nausia, weakness, and fever. I was told that this happens because with the food/sugar not staying in your stomach as long, it reaches a part of the intestins that is not designed to handle sugar. Now I don’t know the reason that some people get sick and some don’t, but I think that it is that some people absorb it faster then others. On a personal note, I have not run into this as of yet. I have had sugar but in small amounts. I even got to have 3 bites of my son’s first birthday cake.

Smoking. They told me that it is not a good idea to smoke. (They say that to everyone) They said that I could swallow air and that it might be painfull. Ummm, I don’t swollow my smoke. So I have been smoking since I got out and haven’t had any problems. But I did decide to quit today when I bought a pack and it broke 4 bucks.

See above for price, And Insurance covered everything except my deductable.

I am sorry to hear about your friends problems. I have had nothing but good things so far. I seem to be doing better then most people. At this point in time, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would say to anyone that is thinking about it, This is not a cure-all. It is a tool. You will have to give up alot of things. Sometimes it is heard to watch others eat as much as they do and have to order from the kid’s menu.

Hope this gets all you’re questions.

23

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by lorinada *
…I have a 250 pound appetite on a 5’2" frame. I think if the world would stop laughing at us long enough to do some meaningful research, it would find out that it’s a chemical imbalance, a hormonal defect, etc etc and has nothing to do with emotions, willpower, etc.

There’s no secret to the cause of obesity. Too many calories going in, not enough going out. If you travel around different parts of the world - including wealthy, western countries like the US - you soon notice how few obese people there are outside the US, and how many there are in the US. It’s bad diet and low amounts of exercise. Norwegians, Australians, etc have the same chemicals and hormones as Americans. But they (mostly) aren’t constantly drinking soda, and they don’t take the car to go 200 yds.

Still, good luck to FunLvnCriminal and everyone else. I have a family member who is seriously obese (5’10" and 300 lb), and has been battling to get his weight down with minimum effect - I’m emailing the thread to him.

24

So, here I sit, back at home. I had my surgery on Wed., and I returned home Sat. evening.

The surgery in Canada is slightly different than the one that they do in the states. Mine was not done laproscopically, instead, an incision was made from breast bone to belli button! The only pain i seem to be having is from my abdominal muscles being cut through and left to heal. I know…i make this sound terrible, but in all honesty…its a small price to pay for a healthier me. I have no regrets, and although surgery was only 6 days ago, I have lots app 9lbs. I go to see my Dr on Wednesday to get my staples out, so i’ll weigh myself then. (I dont know exactly how accurate my scale at home is)

If you want to check out the surgery i had done…its cost…requirements etc. you can go to www.weightlossurgery.com I am also open to answering any questions.

For those of you who have had the surgery done…I say congrats! We of all people know that it is not a quick and easy fix, and we have to prove that to noone!

For those of you who struggle with your weight…and I dont just mean physical struggle…i mean…mental…emotional…psychological…all the other crap that goes along with bieng big…you are not alone! Every possible thing that has gone through your mind, when you’ve thought to yourself ‘i can’t believe i feel this way, or am thinking like this’, reality is, someone else has thought and felt the exact same thing. I never gave up and nor should you. I am 27 years old…and I have been overweight since i was 5! I don’t ever remember be ‘thin’. I have felt it all, tried it all, been called it all. The surgery was a last option for me. One that i did not jump into over night. I spent a year…thinking…researching…considering…and now…i’ve done it, and i have no regrets. Just don’t give up! When the world fills you with their pat answers and smart remarks of ‘just eat less’ or ‘all you have to do is eat healthier’, don’t let it get the best of you. We know that there is alot more to it than just an ‘easy fix’ of an eating/activity habit. BUT DON’T GIVE UP! I use to think that if I had to resort to having surgery to help correct my weight problem, it meant that I was weak, and not able to do it on my own. That is so not true, and we have to stop letting our minds be clouded with lies. If anything, this surgery is the hardest, most difficult, lifechanging and altering, demanding thing I had to do. But i got to the point where I HAD TO DO IT.
Find your source of strength…and do what YOU have to do. You will only be a better person for it in the end.
Anyways…enough of my soap box…I’m home…I’m healing…and now…I’m going down to walk on the treadmill! :smiley:

25

Thanks for starting this thread. I decided to start researching my options last week. I developed PCOS when I was 19 (11 years ago) and gained about 100 pounds in 8 months, without any change in diet or lifestyle.

Like Brynda, I have insulin issues, but for the first 8 years they didn’t know this, so the doctors kept telling me to stick to the pyramid diet. All the breads and pasta made my problem worse.

I’ve been doing a modified low carb thing for a while now, and it’s fairly painless for me. I lost a clothing size, from a tight 26 to a comfy 24 about 2 years ago and have maintained it without a problem by taking metformin to control my blood sugar, controlling diet, and a little bit of exercise.

My big problem is that I hurt my leg and foot hiking a couple of years ago, and because of my weight it has never healed right. I enjoy exercising, I really miss hiking and ballroom dancing. For a long time my goal hasn’t been a number of pounds, it’s to be able to climb Yosemite Falls again.

Unfortunately I’m stuck in this vicious cycle. My leg won’t heal (tendonitis, possible torn tendon, pinched nerves in hip, knee and ankle from limping for so long) because of my weight. I need to exercise to lose weight, and I want to, but I can’t because of my leg. I’m walking with a cane now. This is not how I pictured my life at 30.

Right now I’m hovering at 300, at 5’8 and 30 years old.

I think if I lost 50 pounds that would take enough pressure off my leg that it could finally heal. Then I would be able to exercise to maintain and continue the loss. But, I am terrified of the side effects I have read about. A lifetime of medically induced malnutrition doesn’t sound appealling either.

I guess I’ll have questions as I continue my research. Please keep us updated on how you’re doing, and please please please be honest about any discomfort you have. I really want to be as informed as possible before I do something drastic.

Thanks again, and good luck to you.

26

And admit up front that have had this surgery also.

I’ve not said anything because I’ve seen a very negative attitude both here on the boards and in life in general.

My entire family is stockily built. Most of my relatives were very large people - “Eastern European peasant stock”, as Baba used to say, “good solid people of the earth”. And most had the bad joints, overstressed hearts and microfunctioning lungs that went with bein overweight. I’ve always been heavy

And I’d head it all:

“Go on a diet.”
Tried them all - Atkins, Pritkin, Weight Watchers, TOPS, personal nutritionist, pills, starvation.

“Eat less, exercise more.”
I ate smaller portions. I gave up sodas. I tried all the above. But it’s hard to exercise more when you are gasping at every step. And still gaining weight when your body wasn’t burning it off.

“You wouldn’t be that way if you’d put down the fork/ push away from the table.”
See the two-ounce burger, no bread no condiments? See the three oz. salad greens, no dressing? See the glass of water (not soda)? How much less could I push away from?

And many others.

The worst?

“You’d be so pretty if only…”

At least I felt somewhat vindicated when after extensive testing, we found my thyroid was barely functioning at all. The fire in the metabolism furnace was out, so all the fuel would add up, no matter what I did.

It was a very tough decision. It was not something I took lightly. I knew it would be a permament rearranging of my internal organs. I knew it was a drastic measure. I knew there was the risk from invasive surgery. I knew it would be a complete change in lifestyle - no more chocolate, soft breads, pastas, popcorn.

Damn, no more Gummy Bears. Ever.

But my other choice was an early death, and dying from the complications from obesity was not in my plans.

My blood pressure was triple digits on both sides of the dividing line. My lungs were shot: I couldn’t hold a note longer than a few seconds (and I was a classicaly trained vocalist). My resting pulse was 98; unmeasureable when I tried to work out: just a straight buhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuh. Scared the nurse during my pre-physical check-up: she thought her stethoscope was malfunctioning. My knees and hips were achin every time I moved. Stairs? HA! Wait for me at the top landing for half-an-hour: that’s when I’d finally make it up there.

Add to that the social stigma: fat = lazy and stupid. I and my friends knew I wasn’t. But it’s hard to make new friends when all they see is the outside, not the inner me.

The big kicker was that I loved fencing. I wasn’t the greatest fencer, but I really, really enjoyed it. But I just couldn’t do it any more. Not with the bad knees, triphammer heart and diminished lung capacity. Imagine the Pillsbury doghboy sounding like Darth Vader. I could no longer do what i loved to do. And that’s what hurt the most.

Like I said, not a decision I made lightly. It was a long time coming, and I finally made the decision.

November 13th, 2001 - I went under the knife.
It is April 15, 2002.
I’ve just weighed myself.
I have lost a total of 98 lbs.

I can walk without sitting down every twenty feet.

I have a normal pulse rate and normal blood pressure.

I an sing again without gasping every two bars.

I can once again cross my legs at the knee without having to physically pick up my foot and hoist it over the other knee. hell, the biggest revelation was that I did this unconsciously, then realized, "day-yam! I did it!

I can jog without accidently setting my underwear on fire from my thighs rubbing and chafing.

I can wear clothes that I haven’t fit in for years. And I’ve saved money on the retro fashions: just pull pants and sweaters out of storage.

I can tie my own shoes while they are on my feet, not before then have to slip them on.

I can wipe my butt. Completely. (Trust me: this was rough when I was larger.)

I have hipbones.

I have a waistline.

I’m developing a backbone. [Confidence follows with all the small victories I’ve mentioned above and many more I haven’t.]

Okay, the breasts are a little sagging, but hell, I can finally buy the frilly lacy bras, not the “Commie-mama” industrial-strength, iron-clad underwire ones.

I’m a cheap date: two teaspoons of beer and I am almost under the table. That’s a once-in-a-GREAT while occasion. I don’t/can’t drink like I used to: this is another good thing

And I can fence without breaking into a sweat on the first thrust. Still not very good at it (yet), but I’m enjoying it like I used to.

It’s not something I would recommend to everyone. But I had an excellent experienced surgeon (he’s been doing this surgery for 30 years). And a great support group. And supportive friends and family. And the most important reason of all: my health. I haven’t felt this good in years.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the attention: clothes that fit properly, guys that take a second and a third look, people who “didn’t recognize” me. Trying on my old jeans from two months ago and having them end up around my ankles (and that’s WITH the belt on. And shucky darns, I just have to go clothes shopping again: all my clothes are loose on me. But at least the people at the thrift stores appreciate me: the stuff I donate has been barely worn. (Thank goodness for Ross and other discount chains! Nice clothes and not that expensive.)

Makes me wish I could figure out how to hook up this dad-blatted scanner. (I’ve lost fatness, but still don’t have computer know-how. Surgery doesn’t cover everything. Sigh.) Some of you have seen me before: I’d like y’all to see me before and after.

Yeah, I still get the occasional “cow/pig/Shamu” comments, but they are from the folks who don’t know me, or what I used to look like. Tough.

I like me. I am a thinner me. More importantly, I am a healthier me.

And I’ve found sugar-free Gummy Bears. An occasional treat.

27

FunLvnCriminal, I admire you for taking this big step. I wish you all the luck in the world. I’m fat myself, have been all my life. I’ve thought about surgery but never had the guts. I was about to do it four years ago but when I was at a spa in Tennessee I met a 400lb woman who had had the surgery 7 years ago and was afraid that would be me; I’d still be fat, plus, I’d be stuck with the permanent aftermath of the surgery. I just wasn’t ready to do anything at that time I guess.

Some people that have posted here seem to have problems exercising and I would like to recommend swimming. I started because I had both hips replaced and have a permanent ban on walking more than a mile a day, including shopping, etc. Although it takes longer, your muscles do get as strong as with gravity; plus you can still do weights for arms and upper body. A good strong crawl for 30 laps will give you a good cardio workout. It took me 6 months before I could even do the crawl! I swim for an hour, my one rule being that I am moving all that time, be it exercises, or laps of various strokes or leg kicks. It doesn’t help much in the weight loss department, but you feel like a million dollars after a swim with all those endorphins flowing.

I’m losing now on a low-calorie diet. My metabolism was low pre-exercise due to almost total inertia. I figured I was burning about 8 calories per lb., when the normal would be 12-15. I also have to watch I don’t eat too few calories or it has the same effect. I’m eating about 1400 a day and have lost about 65lbs in 8 months. I was going to ask you Fun, do you have to keep track of the calories you consume? Do they give you a strict food plan?

I’m a little worried about my skin as well. My arms look a little crinkly and the inside of my thighs have a few sags. I have a lot to go, so I’m hoping I won’t look like a deflated balloon at the end. If you are young, this won’t be a problem, as I once lost 130lbs at age 34 and my skin poped right back into place. Now I’m 59.

When you are really fat, becoming a normal weight is like being reincarnated with a gratefulness and joy for life that not a lot of people have the privilege to experience. I had it once many years ago and hope to have it again.

Oh, Brynda, your comment about emotional turmoil during and after weight loss hit home. It never happened. I keep a journal that I started in anticipation of having to go through issues and I end up writing about very different things, mostly of how to deal with things I ate over before. Whenever the low key anxiety sets in and I realize my teeth are unconsciously clenched I know the food thoughts are not far behind, so I get online and write and do a kind of internal pep talk. I also visualize the thin me waving at fat me from far down this winding path, smiling and cheering me on. Whatever works, huh? Oh, and I also write down a menu for the next day the night before, because if I have to make decisions, it’s much harder.

As far as losing weight, I say whatever method works is the right one. I laughed at pop psychologists, but Dr. Phil was the one that triggered this weight loss. He says that sometimes you just have to make up your mind and say I’m not going to do that anymore. I always thought that was crazy simplistic BS, but I started from that day and haven’t looked back, 8 months later. Not easy, but not impossible, as I believed for most of my life.

Good luck and good life to all of us fatties, ex and those on the downward path.

28

OK, I’ve been doing my homework and now I have questions. :slight_smile:

First, everybody still feeling well? Anybody gotten sick for any reason yet? I hope you are all still happy with your choices.

Second, it looks like everybody has had some version of RNY, did anybody consider banded gastroplasty? I’m curious because it doesn’t seem to have the same malabsorption problems as RNY, although it has a lower success rate for people who eat sugary diets. Since I’ve been eating low carb for a while now I wonder if that might be a better choice for me. Does anybody have an opinion, or a pointer to some reading material for me?

Third, one of the things that seems to scare a lot of people off is B.O., gas, and very stinky bowel movements. How bad is it? Is it all permanent, or does it go away over time as your body adjusts? I know that low carbing can produce some serious B.O. when you’re in ketosis. Drinking lots of water helps that, and I could live with that if I knew it was temporary. I’m not sure that I’d want to be unpleasant to be around forever.

Also, now that you’re into it, what do you miss, or are frustrated by that you didn’t expect? I know that everybody has to “give stuff up”, I’d just like to see some more specifics.

Thanks again to everyone who had the guts to share, I appreciate that.

29

Once in awhile I get queasy and vomit, but only when I forget and drink just a little too much water at once.

And the taste, smell and the very thought of chicken or beef broth makes my gorge rise involuntarily, having lived on it several days straight. Can’t even walk past them in the grocery store without having to turn away.

Gas/bowel movements: Once in a great while, like after I ate some Wendy’s chili (referenced in another thread somewhere - hoooowheeeee!! nasty stuff). Or too much sugar-free chocolate (dietic stuff - nasty tasting anyway). But I learn quickly what I can have limited amounts of and what I should run like hell from.

B.O.: seems okay (and my friends would tell me otherwise). I shower daily (just like before surgery) and keep myself clean. And I have a can of deodorant in the car and at work (just like before surgery), just in case.

Breath: seems okay. Just brush my teeth and tongue a lot more. And most mints are sugar-free.

Bloating once in a great while (yup, still retaining water pre-menstrual, but not as badly [but PMS seems to be much better, according to (former)Roommate]).

  1. Not being able to give blood or pheresis. REALLY miss doing this.

  2. Grilled cheese sandwiches (soft bread seems to turn into lead, no matter how long I wait to take a drink of water).

  3. Chocolate, once in awhile. Sugar intake is not likely to kill me, but it will make me very, very, very, very uncomfortable - vomiting, loose stools, very bad cramping. I would not be a good person to be around at that time.

3A) I have tried sugar-free chocolates and gummy bears, but there is usually a warning that “excessive consumption of this product may cause diarrhea”. They ain’t kidding. This is why I limit myself to far fewer than one serving (12 bears) during the day. At this point I am weaning myself from them: used to like them a lot, but I find that my sense of taste has changed, and I find that things I used to love now are nauseating, and vice versa.

  1. When friends want to go to an all-you-can-eat buffet when we dine out. Pretty pointless for me to pay $7.95 for a bowl of soup, although a lot more restaurants are understanding the needs of the bariatric patient - I have a little card from the doctor expaling the procedure, and requesting that I (the patient) be allowed to order from the child’s menu or a smaller (aka senior citizen’s) portion. [Problem there is most of the stuff on the child’s menu is fried (bad for me) or mac-n-cheese or hot dogs.] Pretty much, I am finding that more and more restaurants are being more understanding of my special needs, especially when I point out that I am saving them on food, since I can only eat a very small amount - most will sell me a bowl of soup or mashed potatoes for a couple of bucks.

And anytime I go to a restaurant, I do base my tip as if I had ordered a medium-priced full meal: I am taking up the space of a potentially better-tipping customer and the server is doing just as much work as a regular customer would require, sometimes more, such as getting my food to me early so I don’t pass out [happened once, but I hadn’t eaten in 7 hours {long story}. Besides, in ordering a smaller meal, I can leave a better tip.

And as of today, I am down another 8 lbs.

30

UPDATE TIME

I am now 8 weeks post op and I have lost (Drum Roll) 45 pounds. Thats right, 3-15 pound bowlingballs for a point of ref. I have lost 5 inches around my gut. I have gone from a tight 44 to a lose 38 (about to buy a pair of 36’s). I feel GREAT!!! I am happy, strong, and energetic. I have started to have people tell me how good I look, and have even gotten some complements from strangers. (WooHoo)

I know that I have been very lucky but I have not had any problems at all!! I have overeaten 3 times and yes, It hurts pretty badly. But it does pass pretty quick if you lay down at an angle. Of those 3 times I have only had to throw up once. I have not gotten sick from the surgery of felt weak or anything like that. As a matter of fact, I am quite a bit more active then I was before.

Congrats to Raini. I’m proud and happy for you. I know you’ll love it. I’ll keep everyone updated as time passes. I am so happy, I can almost see 200 on the scale.

p.s. Slackergirl, My mom had the Vertical band surgery 15 years ago and it has worked very well for her. We have talked about it alot and the surgery aftermath seems very similer. The only downside to that surgery is that it seems to have a lifespan.

31

Still curious as to how many calories you eat in a day…?

Based on your weight loss, my guess is that you are probably not eating more than 1200 calories per day.

Of your 45 pounds, it seems that about 35 are true pounds of body fat that is gone.

That means that at a minimum, you have eaten 122,500 less calories than you’ve burned! If you have actually lost 45 true pounds of body fat, that means you have eaten 157,500 less calories than you’ve burned!

That means that you have cut out 80 days worth of meals!

So, imagine this: If you never got the surgery, and you maintained your previous body weight, you would have consumed (unecessarily) 80 DAYS WORTH OF EXTRA MEALS in those 8 weeks, in addition to the regular meals you should habve eaten!!

I think it’s great that you are doing this, but let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks that they are somehow biologically programmed for this not to work.

If you are obese, and you restrict yourself to eating 1000-1200 calories a day, you too will see similar results as a surgery patient. (Hey - opt for surgery if the will power isn’t there. I’m not criticising, just pointing out facts…don’t be confused)

You can’t argue math. FLC lost this weight because his calorie intake was restricted. Period. If you limit your calorie intake, you will lose weight. Every deficit of 3500 calorioes = 1 pound of fat.

This guy cut out 80 extra meals and the weight came off. Genetics cannot put food in your mouth.

32

Philster wrote:

Y’know, I’m wondering about this point. (n.b. I didn’t see this thread before and I’m hoping I didn’t miss something reading through it!)

I remember reading a young woman’s account of this surgery - I can’t remember what magazine it was. One thing she said was that for the first time in her life, she understood what it meant to feel “full.” To me that suggests there’s something deepseated going on for a lot of obese people - some sort of malfunction in the satiety (is that a word?) mechanism.

Was that the case for the folks here who’ve had the surgery - FLC, ScreechOwl, others?

To expect people to have willpower when they really are always hungry strikes me as cruel (which is not what I think Philster is! :)). And yes, it may originate “in the head,” but that doesn’t make it a psychological problem - rather more physical, I think.

It seems very sad that the best we can offer for treatment is a pretty drastic surgical procedure that may well address only the symptoms (albeit with good results), rather than the underlying problem. But I wish you all the very best and all success possible given the options available.

33

:rolleyes:

Philster, nobody is denying that less calories/more exercise = weight loss.

The fact is that while the morbidly obese can lose weight with diet and exercise, it is almost impossible to maintain that loss long term.

Recidivism after 10 years for non-surgical weightloss of over 100 pounds is documented by major studies at 95% at best. Most studies show it to be over 99%.

“Less calories in” completely oversimplifies the problem.

I currently maintain my weight (297 lbs) on an average intake of 2000 calories a day. I’m aware that many people underestimate how much they eat. I keep a diary, and I weigh and measure everything. I, as well as my doctors (PCP, endocrinologist, nutritionist) are confident in my reckoning of intake, and like my diet overall.

At the moment my only exercise is yoga, because I’m unable to do anything else due to injury.

From past experience, when I have an exercise program in place, it starts out looking like this:

[ul]
[li]gym - full circuit of weight machines 45 minutes twice a week, plus 20 minutes of cardio on elliptical or treadmill. [/li][li]walking - 45 minutes at a moderate to brisk pace 3 - 4 days a week[/li][/ul]

My incidental exercise is normally higher when I can walk. I take public transit and walk several blocks to things, walk to friends houses, etc. for an additional 1-2 hours of walking per week.
So I do this, and I lose about 15 pounds. Then I plateau. At plateau my choices are to either increase exercise, or decrease food intake. I do, and I lose another 10-15 pounds before I plateau.

Lather, rinse, repeat.
There is only so much exercise a person can do. And there’s only so many calories you can cut voluntarily before you are ravenous.

If you look at typical profiles of people who have lost 30-50 pounds and kept it off for a few months, (ike they run in magazines like Shape, Fitness, Self, etc. ). Many of them are exercising 10+ hours per week, and still maintaining a fairly low calorie diet.

How many thin people do you know who exercise that much, and eat that little. Really? Be honest? Every day for their entire adult lives? They never get sick, or sprain an ankle, or spend a rainy week indoors?

Doesn’t happen.

I do know several people who do exercise that much. They are athletes and usually take in 5000 + calories per day.

Your statement:

“Genetics cannot put food in your mouth.”

is technically true, however the insinuation that follows, that we’re fat because we cannot stop putting food in our mouths, is completely ignorant and uninformed.

Ass.

P.S. FLC - I think I’m going to go for the lap-band. I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m glad you’re doing so well. :slight_smile:

34

My sister has always been a bit on the portly side. She was diagnosed with ADD last year and is now taking an amphetamine. She remarked that, for the first time in her life, she knew what it felt like to be full! I was surprised – that’s not something you necessarily think of when you think of ADD. She said that, at meals, she would look at everyone else to see when THEY stopped eating and take that as a good time to stop eating, too.

35

FunLuvnCriminal…i say congrats! It sounds like you are doing wonderful…and i wish you the best!

As for me…i too am doing well. It will be 5 weeks tomorrow since my surgery, and i feel great! I have lost 30lbs and just over 12 inches. I am down 2 sizes. A good friend of mine didnt recognize me when she saw me from a distance the other day…and let me tell ya…it feels great!

I can honestly say that I have no regrets to having my operation. However, i do want to say something as a ‘heads up’ to other people who are considering surgery. There are MANY different factors you need to consider, as to how your life will change, and how this will effect you, not only physically, but also psychologically! Having been abused (and yes…i actually do mean abused…not just teased) by other kids when i was growing up, because of my size, I have always had emotional scars and issues when it came to my weight problem. The one thing i did not consider was how i would be effected psychologically after surgery, and once the weight started to come off…something…i wish now…i would have considered!

Karny Willson (of willson phillips, who had the surgery done) was talking in a recent interview about how the surgery has affected her. She said she feels wonderful physically, but is now struggling emotionally. She, like many of us, use food as a coping mechanism. When we are happy, we eat. When we are sad, we eat. When we are mad, we eat. When we want to celebrate, we eat. When we are depressed, we eat. To take the ability to eat like that away from someone, and you leave them with a lack of coping mechanisms. Its not an easy spot to be in, and it makes falling into depression easier. People who do not know how to cope, or have lost the ability to cope are the ones who can easily fall into depression…a depression that they would usually eat their way out of…or deeper into…but when you cant do that…where do you go?

I am not saying all this to sound down…or to bring down the wonderful things that this surgery can do for a person. Like i stated earlier…i have no regrets! I am merely stating this so that for those of oyu who are considering surgery…KNOW that you will need to find other coping mechanisms BEFORE you go in for surgery. Do not go into it blind, and thinking that this will fix everything. Just be prepared for whatever may come your way, knowing food is no longer your option to be consoled!

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[Now that I have sufficiently calmed down after reading Philster’s post… I already addressed that attitude in my original post. It’s like telling a depressed person: “Gee, you’d feel better if you’d just smile.” Or better yet, “Snap out of it.” Physiology and genetics play a big deal, no matter what I eat or don’t eat.]

Nope. Didn’t have a problem with feeling ‘full’ (or lack of the feeling). The body just didn’t burn what I ate, even when I was as low as 1,000 calories/day (counting even the 3 calories in a single Tic-tac) and trying to exercise more. The body just decided, “Nope, just not gonna burn this off” no matter what I did.

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I know a few surgeons who do Roux-en-Y surgery as well as gastric stapling or banding. And it helps some people. But I have to agree with Stoid about you recommending it widely.

The good surgeons who do it do require a failure of a doctor-supervised diet over a period of years. Obesity (and, quite scarily, a change in weight since the age of 18 even in people who are not obese) are both associated with an increase in overall mortality. But someone with a BMI of 43 would be expected to benefit far more than someone with a BMI of 33. Even many of these people do not benefit since one can easily eat too many calories even following the operation. The complications of GI surgery are not trivial and includes bowel obstruction and strangluated hernias, both of which can be very dangerous.

I am glad you are doing well after your surgery and I hope you continue to lose weight. But this still should be near the bottom of the list people choose to fight obesity, and should also probably be reserved for more severe cases. Diet and exercise still is the best treatment for the majority of people, most of whom eat large portions of dubious foods and do not exercise sufficiently while dieting (only 20% of dieters exercise). Medical causes for obesity are very real and important, but insulinomas, Cushing’s disease, PCOD and Praeder-Willi are not the reason half of Americans are overweight. Being able to eat 1500 calories at Burger King by having two sausage biscuits for breakfast provides part of the explanation.

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You are fat because you cannot stop putting food in your mouth.

I am an ass for stating the truth? I’m not blaming anyone…as I stated that if you can’t stop putting food in your mouth, then opt for surgery if you’d like. Feel free to explore the reasons why people can’t stop. Hey, people with torrets can’t stop grunting, or yelling…it doesn’t make it wrong. People with poor ‘full’ receptors might not be able to stop eating. Whatever the reason, your body isn’t getting fat by absorbing calories through the air and skin like osmosis.

I am not ignorant and uninformed inasmuch as you are defensive. I am armed with knowledge.

If you lived a very sedintary lifestyle, you’d still burn 2000 calories a day, so your body would absolutley positively need 2000 calories from somewhere to sustain life…a heartbeat, breathing, blinking…etc.

If you only gave your body 1500 calories a day, and you burned 2000 per day, your body would have to burn a pound of body fat per week to keep you alive. It would HAVE to.

If you exercised and burned around 2500 per day, while your body only ingested 1500, you would lose 2 lbs per week.

That’s it.

No one has the genetics to allow themselves to eat fewer calories than they burn and gain weight (no one has abody that refutes the above math.). No one. No study…no evidence shows that anyone can absorb calories through osmosis.

You are not eating as few calories as you think.

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Yes, I am defensive.

Yes, your basic numbers are correct. A deficit of 3500 calories will produce a 1 pound weight loss.

What I object to is your condescending attitude.

Statements like “…but let this be a lesson to anyone…” and “Hey - opt for surgery if the will power isn’t there…” and “You are not eating as few calories as you think.” oversimplify the problem to a ridiculous degree and are not likely to win you any friends amoung people who have to live with this issue every day.

Additionally, while the calorie deficit math does apply to everyone, you cannot apply your numbers so broadly when it concerns metabolic rates.

They vary widely based on percentage of body fat and hormone levels, and other variables that haven’t been identified yet.

Your math does not take into account people with thyroid issues who gain or lose significant amounts of weight without a change in lifestyle when thyroid levels are adjusted, or diabetics who enter ketosis and lose weight quickly.

I am not saying that we all have serious diseases like those. I am saying that once any amount of food enters the body, there are many more variables involved than can be accounted for with A + B = C.

In my case, I do have an extremely efficient metabolism. I can maintain my weight on 2000 calories a day, based on my personal combination of adipose tissue, exercise, and hormonal issues being treated by an endocrinologist.

You made a huge assumption that FLC is taking in 1000-1200 calories post op, and then you ran with those numbers. He never actually answered that question, so I will, with facts.

Most bariatric patients take in closer to 300-400 calories per day in the first couple of months post-op.

In addition to that extremely low number, people who have had RNY, like FLC and Screech-Owl, now bypass a large portion of intestine (the actual amount bypassed depends on both the type of surgery, and the surgeon), so they do not absorb a large amount of those calories.

You are not as educated as you think.

If you’d like to remedy that on this particular topic, start here:

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First of all, This thread was not intended to debate why a person gets fat. And I could care less if some people THINK I have no will-power. I recommend the surgery because I know what its like to be obease and I now know what the surgery can do for you. People have their own minds, If I had that much power to control people I swear I wouldn’t spend it here.

I can understand your thinking on the subject Philster, but you can never know what its like until you have been there. It is a helpless feeling to be fat. You just can’t know. Yes, all the calories that go into your body go through the mouth. But their are other reasons that large people eat other then will-power, or lack there of. Have you ever been hungry right after you have just eaten. I doubt it. But a lot of obease poeple are. Try asking a pregnant woman about NEEDING to eat.

Try this for me. Skip lunch and dinner one day. Then try to only eat 1200 calories the next day. Then you MIGHT know what it feels like to diet when you are obese. And then when you fail, and you look down at the empty plate you just cleared, Imagine feeling like shit because you just couldn’t do it. You failed. You have no will power. Its not as cut and dry as you make it.

I can see that you feel that surgery is the easy way out. I can assure you that I have tried every diet out there that I could get my hands on. Including Dr supervised diets.
Now you can quote me on this…

You can call me weak, But you sure as hell can’t call me fat anymore.