Any regrets from weight loss surgery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My SIL had WL surgery (not sure which one) to lose around 80 pounds. She threw up after every meal and regained all the weight within 1-2 years. She never changed her eating habits (high carb, high fat, lots of sweets) or took up an exercise regimen.

I'm the pp who lost 83 lbs, and no judgment at all, just a little baffled. I have no clue how it's humanly possible to gain back the weight. Maybe some, but all seems physically impossible due to the structural restrictions of the reduced stomach. When I hear stories like your SIL's, I have so many questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it. Now that there are meds that do the exact same thing (make you eat less), why would you even consider surgery?

Because you stay on the dangerous drugs in perpetuity

What's dangerous about them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My SIL had WL surgery (not sure which one) to lose around 80 pounds. She threw up after every meal and regained all the weight within 1-2 years. She never changed her eating habits (high carb, high fat, lots of sweets) or took up an exercise regimen.

I'm the pp who lost 83 lbs, and no judgment at all, just a little baffled. I have no clue how it's humanly possible to gain back the weight. Maybe some, but all seems physically impossible due to the structural restrictions of the reduced stomach. When I hear stories like your SIL's, I have so many questions.

The stomach stretches back out thus allowing regain.

Patients can also drink their calories and eat what's called slider foods. These can both be in small amounts but done frequently can lead to regain.

[Anonymous]

I wish my spouse hadn't done it a few years ago. Absolutely insisted it would change life for the better.

I felt their doctor rushed them through the process and then almost no supervision after that once done.

Transfer addiction is real. Instead from food, now transferred to alcohol and marijuana. I also feel it changed brain chemistry and now spouse seems more mentally off and terrible mood swings, there is something about the connection between mind and gut we do not completely understand. Their eating habits are frustrating with how many times they have to eat during the day as opposed to having 2-3 meals.

I wish spouse had done more research, taken weight loss drugs, gotten therapy to address why they feel need to overeat, etc. first.

I see it can work well for some people but I honestly think divorce might be a likely outcome if spouse does not change and quit alcohol and marijuana.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np, I got the sleeve almost 6 years ago, and my life has improved in all aspects dramatically. I was 40, 5'6, 214 lbs. and ineligible for surgery in the States due to my low BMI.

I decided to have it done in Mexico; it was the best care I have ever received. It cost $5,500, and I returned to work after one week. Thankfully, I had no significant issues. However, for the first year or two, I had pretty bad heartburn and acid reflux, and I would vomit if I ate too much/quickly.

I lost 83 lbs and have managed to keep it off mainly through diet. One of the benefits is that my stomach can't hold much food; plus, I don't have hunger pains, so diet is relatively easy and second nature at this point. With the exception of eggs (my body won't digest them anymore for reasons unclear), I eat everything that I used to but in moderation.

The surgery was one of the best decisions I have made in my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Did you face reflux prior to surgery?

And it’s not as bad now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np, I got the sleeve almost 6 years ago, and my life has improved in all aspects dramatically. I was 40, 5'6, 214 lbs. and ineligible for surgery in the States due to my low BMI.

I decided to have it done in Mexico; it was the best care I have ever received. It cost $5,500, and I returned to work after one week. Thankfully, I had no significant issues. However, for the first year or two, I had pretty bad heartburn and acid reflux, and I would vomit if I ate too much/quickly.

I lost 83 lbs and have managed to keep it off mainly through diet. One of the benefits is that my stomach can't hold much food; plus, I don't have hunger pains, so diet is relatively easy and second nature at this point. With the exception of eggs (my body won't digest them anymore for reasons unclear), I eat everything that I used to but in moderation.

The surgery was one of the best decisions I have made in my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Did you face reflux prior to surgery?

And it’s not as bad now?

No, I never had reflux before surgery. I was honestly a healthy overweight person which is another reason I couldn't get approved here due to lack of cormibodties.

The only issue I have now is smelly gas. I wasn't gassy before surgery so I assume it's a result of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please encourage him to spend some time - weeks/months, not hours - reading in the bariatric forums and support pages on Facebook, Reddit, etc.

I was considering bariatric but was depressed at the time so my therapist wouldn’t initially clear me psychiatrically.

I used the time while my depression was resolving to do a deep dive into the research on rates of weight regain and rates of transfer addictions in bariatric patients. I was shocked, and remain disturbed by how little attention is paid to this in the surgeon’s presentation to patients - I met with the surgeon twice, the dietitian several times and did all the extensive pre-op screening testing to be approved for the surgery and the entire time risks and complications were downplayed and zero attention was given to regain and addiction until I raised it with the dietician who acknowledged it’s a reality.

The weight control program I went to is excellent, the surgeon is excellent and has a super low rate of complications etc. I don’t doubt that they are among the best bariatric centers going as I live in an area with some of the best healthcare in the world.

That said, there is little offered in terms of resources on food addiction as a behavior disorder. Patients are encouraged to get counseling if they feel they need it. From what I read about on the support pages and forums, this is a huge problem and the pun is intended.

Patients are posting about hacking their diets before they even get surgery and wanting to get back to their food favorites within days - those who experience the worst physical side effects (vomiting, nausea, chills, etc.) when they try to eat the old way are typically the ones who start up an alcohol or other addiction - and it’s easy to do because the altered gut metabolizes alcohol differently so bariatric patients have a totally different relationship with alcohol.

I would strenuously encourage the weight loss drugs first - they are largely reversible. Once you alter your gut through bariatric surgery yes it can stretch and you can gain all the weight back, but you will still have the same long term risk of obstruction and malnutrition if you aren’t religious about supplementing because you can never absorb nutrients from food again the same way.

As for me - not at all virtuous, still struggling with food urges and working all the time on the behavioral aspects of my disordered relationship to food which in my case is related to childhood trauma. But I have lost 35 of the 160 pounds I gained over the decades and am steadily losing weight- slowly, healthfully - by eating a much healthier diet with lots of plants, much less saturated fat, little to no processed foods and very, very minimal sugar. No alcohol, fizzy/sweetened drinks or fruit juices.

Honestly to lose 100 lbs I would recommend trying just about anything else before major gut resection. Therapy for what’s at the root of the eating, and significant dietary changes plus exercise for the mental health benefits and to boost metabolism and maintain muscle as he loses.

Great feedback. This surgery isn’t a cure because it does not address the underlying food addiction or compulsions. I would also suggest considering Overeaters Anonymous or Food Addicts Anonymous meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good luck getting the meds. I haven’t been able to get mine for three months now…

Is zepbound hard to get?

[Anonymous]

My SIL had bariatric surgery in her 50s to lose about 80 lbs. In the beginning, she was throwing up after every meal. She never lost the full amount--maybe just 20 lbs.--and within a year was back to her normal weight. I think it's because she didn't change the way she eats one bit. She ate less, but the type of the food was the same (sweets, high-fat foods, lots of carbs).

Bottom line: whether someone has bariatric surgery or takes weight-loss meds, they will not be successful in taking and keeping off the weight unless they change their diet and adopt a regular exercise program. And the changes have to be permanent--literally for the rest of their lives--otherwise the weight will come back.

[Anonymous]

No regrets.

Had the surgery about 5 years ago

No regain

And I did have complications post surgery - they resolved in the first 6 months

Almost every poster here is responding as someone who has not had surgery but instead are relying on myths and stories about my friends cousin had the surgery ….

[Anonymous]

A friend had the surgery a few years back and is skinny but has all sorts of health problems after. She developed some kind of infection in the stomach and had to have a few surgeries. She is also dealing with ancillary depression because she didn’t fix why she was eating to self sooth. My advice would be to work with a therapist specializing in eating disorders first . Also friend’s husband left her after she got skinny there is that. I am not judging as I would hate to be super heavy but try to figure out everything first in terms of why you overeat. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No regrets.

Had the surgery about 5 years ago

No regain

And I did have complications post surgery - they resolved in the first 6 months

Almost every poster here is responding as someone who has not had surgery but instead are relying on myths and stories about my friends cousin had the surgery ….

+100. I'm the person who lost 83 pounds, and it never ceases to amaze me how folks who have not been through it manage to talk people out of it with the "just diet" talk.

Diets. Don't Work.

If I had not gotten the surgery, I would have continued failing at diets and would likely be pushing 230+ pounds by now. That surgery saved me in so many ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No regrets.

Had the surgery about 5 years ago

No regain

And I did have complications post surgery - they resolved in the first 6 months

Almost every poster here is responding as someone who has not had surgery but instead are relying on myths and stories about my friends cousin had the surgery ….

Yes, thank you to posters who shared their own experiences.

What type of complications did you have? How did they resolve?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I both had the gastric sleeve after both loosing and gaining back 60 pounds several times. It's one of the best decisions we've ever made. No complaints in any way. We both look great and are healthier. Surgery was easy, recovery was easy after a few days. Neither of us ever gets very hungry but we do eat delicious healthy meals, just smaller portions. And slowing down means we really enjoy our food now. Some of the hearsay stories are clearly about older types of surgical procedures. The sleeve is very different from gastric bypass. Any good bariatric surgeon will go through all of the options with you, including medications. I've had several surgeries and the sleeve was by far the least painful and problematic. My c-section and having upper and lower bleph on eyes were substantially more painful and left permanent complications. The sleeve was a dream for both of us. My mother also had it done at 70 and also loves it. She's a major complainer and even she says this was easy.

[Anonymous]

Forgot to add, visit realself's forums. It's what you are looking for. Thousands of reviews about every type of surgery. I think gastric sleeve was ranked as the number surgery for patient happiness afterwards.