I am wanting to get some feedback from people who have had bariatric surgery. What procedure did you have? How successful was it? Have you kept the weight off? Do you think you are happier now, having lost the weight, but being restricted in what you can eat for the rest of your life? Any thing else that you can think that may be useful or relevant would also be great. I know with any large community you have your trolls and keyboard warriors, so I know I am going to get the diet and lifestyle advise, but I am just going to say up front, you have no idea of my circumstances and what I have done or why I am considering this, so don't bother. Those of you who have had the surgery, I can't wait to hear from you. The more advise the better. Cheers.
Have you had weight loss surgery?
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That's a lot of weight. Thanks for your reply.
He did for his children when they get bigger he could be still there.
So if he didn't have children he was OK to die from a heart-attack fairly early?
The things that we do for love…
He did for his children when they get bigger he could be still there
Bigger…
Then they get the surgery.
Like an ouroboros eating its own tail.
Get life rather then chewing old forum.
Won't make me a bigger person.
how much you weigh?
I know a client of mine did this. I dont know the details as much, but he stipulated that getting adjusted to new food portion, habits etc were tough for the first qtr. I think he lost about 100kg over two years?
Thanks, I will have a look at that.
I haven't had any sort of surgery for feel free to disregard this comment.
I have recently lost 29kg, 116kg to 87kg as of this morning and wanted to share some insights.
My family never really knew much about nutrition, had overly large portion sizes, weight or health wasn't really discussed either.
I thought I was eating healthy, I didn't drink soft drink, had salads, tried not to eat too much fat.The only things that have worked for me are the following, I would suggest atleast giving them a shot.
Fasting/Skipping a meal - I skip breakfast and have a coffee in the morning, I find I don't get hungry until around lunchtime and it helps me save on calories for snacks without feeling guilty
Lower carb consumption - You don't have to go to the extreme like keto but if you're having toast in the morning, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner, you'll need to be doing a tonne of exercise to use up that all energy.
Meal Prep - Everyday I have a seasoned chicken breast with a cup of Broccoli and Beans with Dijon, been doing that for a year and actually look forward to it now each day sad I know
Weighing Food - I did this for a month or so and I began to realize just how much I was eating, calories, macros, everything. It really woke me up to my eating choices.Ofcourse, everyone's body is different and some people can eat whatever they want and lose weight, while others have a burger and chips and put on a Kilo. So a big part of losing weight is figuring out what works for YOUR body and adjust your diet accordingly.
Regardless, I do truly hope you find a way to lose the weight to be more comfortable in your own skin, no-one deserves not to be. Some people would call Surgery an extreme but they might not truly understand the strain being overweight has on your mental health.
Best of luck, feel free to PM me if you have questions.
I think what you are doing is clever and works well for you. Its really about finding what works best for each person. Eating the same dinner isn't sad! lol I have the same breakfast each day & I love it (oats with berries and cooked banana). :)
Good write up mate thanks for sharing!
I've found the same thing. Seconded.
Very well put and very well done! Hope you can keep it up.
Thanks mate, been going since February and has become second nature now, temptations come and go, I've learnt that it's okay to indulge them every now and then. It makes me feel like I deserve treats when I have them without feeling guilty, even if it does put my progress back a couple days.
It's all about finding a balance, as with everything else in life.
It was 17kg for me to go from 87kg to 70kg over 6 months. And I did exactly what you mentioned above, I continued working out as I've been doing for the past few years.
Hopping on the scales at the same time every morning helped me keep motivated.
I have a friend who did this surgery. I really thought it would help long term but some friends didn't think it will work and will just stretch and get big again
Not sure how much weight was lost but it was a lot, was super happy for him! However after many years 75% of it has come back and he's still getting bigger :/
In hind sight my friend didn't resolve the underlining issue of his depression and a healthy work and life balance (lots of work and pressure for high school teachers at seasonal times of the year)
Therefore didn't continue exercising and more importantly was not mindful of the foods he was eating (though eating half what he use to eat). Even after losing a ton of weight he didn't listen to the doctors advice with a life style change, said it was too hard :(Like others have said you can still eat out with friends on weekends and enjoy food but it's the other 5 days that have to be balanced
I feel this surgery option is an effective tool if used correctly. You will still have to change your life style, exercise and choose to eat more nutritious foods as the amount of food you eat (especially at the start) will be significantly less. More towards a more healthy range
Take this surgery option if you think the original cause of your weight gain is mostly resolved or managed and you can change your lifestyle with healthy foods and exercise. Otherwise I feel you'll be wasting tens of thousands of dollars
Probably better in the long term to put less stress on yourself with work and work on yourself through exercise and meal prep. Make less at work but get back your health and lower your stress. That's a real ozbargain!
Thank you, intermittent fasting works and it stops weight gain.
Not eating too much also stops weight gain.
Lower carb consumption - You don't have to go to the extreme like keto but if you're having toast in the morning, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner, you'll need to be doing a tonne of exercise to use up that all energy.
Yep, you can't exercise yourself out of a bad diet.
Exercise, while great for general health, has very little effect on weight loss compared to your diet. The reason we're not aware this is arguably because of a concerted marketing campaign from manufacturers of less healthy foods keen to convince us that consuming less of their product is not the solution.
Exercise may even increase your appetite and more than cancel out any fat loss. This may happen completely unknowingly or particularly if you engage in compensatory behaviors like say, rewarding yourself with ice cream after a workout.
https://www.vox.com/2018/1/3/16845438/exercise-weight-loss-m…
My sister had a gastric sleeve when she was roughly 150kgs, over the course of the next year she lost about 80 kgs, combined with the change in eating & regular exercise. She had previously struggled to lose any large amount of weight, and plateaued at about 20kg loss after years of trying lots of different diets & exercise. She is definitely happier now, but she struggles with excess skin that has come from such a rapid weight less & being overweight for such a long period of time. Even though she lost a significant amount of weight & to everyone around she looks quite a lot smaller, mentally she still feels large due to this excess skin, particularly around her mid section. She is due to have surgery to remove this excess skin in a month. She also had to go through some psychological evaluation to ensure this was the right option for her.
She has managed to keep the weight off through regular exercise & a healthy diet. Yes, she has had times where these things have lagged & she has gained some of the weight back, but at most 10kgs & she was able to get herself back on track to lose it again.
Over time your stomach does stretch back out to a larger size, but it won't go back to the same size as it was pre-surgery, so you can still enjoy the foods you love, just in moderation & smaller portions. For example, in the beginning post surgery she would order an entree as a meal & be very full. Now she will order a regular meal, but she can eat only about 1/2 of it (or 3/4 if she is really hungry). She also now seems to prefer eat a lot of small meals throughout the day, as then she can enjoy the foods she likes without overeating.
In comparison, her friend had the same procedure with the same results, but has not been as strict with the diet & exercise, and unfortunately gained back most of the weight that she lost over about a year. So in my eyes, it does seem worth it, but only if you can make a commitment to healthy eating & regular exercise to maintain the results. There is of course other less permanent options as well (like a gatric balloon), that are more for training yourself to eat smaller portions, but it seems like there could be some struggles when the balloon is removed & your stomach is back to its regular size.
I hope this has answered some of your questions, but feel free to PM if you have any more that I could potentially answer.
Thanks, that is exactly the information I am after, It sounds like she had done a great job, I would be interested to know how the excess skin removal goes, that is something I am also concerned about.
No problems, I think there is a lot of stigma around it & the more information available the better. Not everyone can easily lose weight through diet & exercise due a huge variety of factors. I know initially she had a lot of concerns she would be judged for having it, but at the end of the day it has drastically changed her life for the better & that is what matters the most!
My understanding is if you loose weight slowly, you do not have excessive skin hanging
I've lost 60kg over four years and I guarantee you, I definitely still have excess skin, maybe not quite as much as someone who has lost the weight over a faster period of time but the problem is still there. I would be two sizes smaller in jeans if I had skin removal surgery and I can pull up the skin on my thighs like socks (shame it doesn't stay up though lol), same with arms etc. There are options that are meant to improve the appearance of excess skin such as autophagy, fascia blasting, etc but when it's as a result of a very large weight loss, surgery is really the only thing that will fix it unfortunately.
@typistinahurry: Not so, I have lost 66kg in 9 months (163kg>97kg) at the age of 49 (with at least 15 years of obesity) without any sagging skin thanks to proactive autophagy ;)
I am a trained scientist (not working in that field currently, but have maintained the ability to read and critique scientific literature), so was able to read, interpret and implement the work of Professor Ohsumi (He won the Noble Biochemistry Prize in 2016 for his body of work on "Autophagy": https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2016/summary/)!
It boiled down to simply (well, not so simple when sugar addition and withdrawl is a real thing):
- zero carb eating to get well adapted and deep into the ketogenic state
- one meal a day, eat to satiety, to ramp up growth hormone (and knock out insulin) to maximize daily autophagy
- 3 day fast each month to supercharge autophagy (the process significantly ramps up after ~ 48 hours by up to 600%)My doctors can't believe it, I am no longer diabetic (HbA1c 8.2% > 5.3%, fasting BSG 6.9 > 4.6mmol/L), I no longer have fatty liver or dangerous viceral fat (Dexta scans), I no longer have stage 2 CKD, I no longer have depression, I am off all medications (I was on 7), my eye myopia has reduced (not completely gone, think I might have permanently damaged a few things). Autophagy is a powerful process that I fear we have lost sight of with so much available food :/
On a side note, I was considering surgery, as the science does point to short term success, but the main issue with gastro procedures is that studies are typically short term (< 2yr) and there is reasonable evidence that you can run into problems with vitamin and mineral uptake (particularly B12, copper, zinc and magnesium)
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@Rizzler: Yeah, in ketosis you need electrolytes in the water (water alone actually causes increased electrolyte loss because the body is forced to excrete the extra water with incidental loss of electrolytes).
I use a salt mix of Pink Salt (mainly NaCl, but trace other minerals), Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Citrate with about quarter to half a teaspoon in a cup of carbonated water (the carbonation made the salt taste "sweet" for some reason!).
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@7ekn00: Is this the 'Snake Juice' diet? I've got a mate who's doing it while on anti-depressants😑
Do you mind if I ask if you were doing it under medical supervision? How has being on this type of extreme diet affected your relationship with the people in your life? Is it a sustainable weight loss strategy? Do you think of food as the enemy now?
Concerned over my mate's welfare but also rather not interfere in his life unless I really have to. On the one hand, he's a biophysicist and would have a better understanding of biological processes than most but on the other hand, there's a reason why he's on anti-depressants :(
Is this the 'Snake Juice' diet?
Wasn't any preformed "diet" that I know about (but sure it might be)!
It was all based on my interpretation of the current scientific literature on "Autophagy" (see my link above) ;)
Looking at the "Snake Juice Diet", the goals are the same (to induce Autophagy via being in a state of ketosis)!Do you mind if I ask if you were doing it under medical supervision?
I was getting blood tests and checkups, but the GP had no clue what I was doing (medical professionals get less than 2 hours of nutrition training in their 6+ year degrees, so kinda pointless talking to them)
How has being on this type of extreme diet affected your relationship with the people in your life?
It's only extreme if you believe the eating guidelines which were developed in the 70s by the Seventh Day Adventis (you read that right, there was ZERO science behind the guidelines, just religious ideology) See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlhL-WQ_X2Y and for the science see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJEHiQKqfZM
As for loved ones, the results speak for themselves - but they have never doubted my scientific abilities and explanations, so many have actually switched to a similar lifestyle (keto/paleo/carnivore with intermittent fasting)!
Is it a sustainable weight loss strategy?
The best type of scientific evidence is "Randomised Controlled Trials", guess how many RCT's have been done comparing low carb vs low fat diets? Heaps (over 50!), guess how many showed more weight loss with "Low Fat"? - None! You can hear about the studies and sustainability here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsxG11p3XWw
Do you think of food as the enemy now?
Nope, you don't actually feel "hungry", so you are not constantly thinking about "What's for Dinner?", etc! It actually helps you realize food is just energy for your body and eat it when your body needs it ;)
Concerned over my mate's welfare but also rather not interfere in his life unless I really have to.
He is on the right path based on actual science and not propaganda/ideology :P
On the one hand, he's a biophysicist and would have a better understanding of biological processes than most but on the other hand, there's a reason why he's on anti-depressants :(
Yep, if you actually want to alleviate your concerns, have him explain the "Randall Cycle" to you ;) It's the energy production chemical pathway in the body that can only function on either Carbs or Fat! Have him explain chemically what happens when both Carbs and Fat are present for the Randall Cycle :P
Once you understand the Randall cycle you start to think "ok, zero fat, all carbs" - but guess what that way of eating results in - lack of fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids (Vitamin K2, D3, B12, bio-available retinol, DHA, EPA, etc)!
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@[Deactivated]: Also, if you want to hear two actual qualified and practicing doctors with thousands of patient experiences between them while being located in the US (where they would get sued for "bad/false advice" if said advice did not provide a positive outcome), check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sHgwxDHGYE7
@7ekn00: Inspirational. Well done!
When I started the ketogenic diet I noticed there was cream in our work fridge (I run a genetics company) and asked why was someone keeping cream in the fridge. Had always been some in there, but I’d never noticed it before. Turns out some of my scientists were keto way before I knew about it, due to their reading of the literature.
Yes, that is usually the case for people who have not been classified as morbidly obese for 10+ years of their life, unfortunately once the skin stretches that much, it will not go back to how it was before no matter what you do.
A similar situation to a friend of mine who always felt 'fat' even when she was down to her lowest weight since adolescence. She noticed a big difference in the way people treated her after she lost the weight - strangers were generally kinder and more generous. I remember being totally shocked by this!
She was about 120-130kg and dropped down to almost 80kg in a year or so. Had some excess skin but in my opinion it wasn't bad. She was 40 at the time.
About eight years later she has struggled to keep up with the lifestyle and her circumstances have changed (she's in love). She's nowhere near as big as before, but she is more aware of the fluctuations and is terrified of going back to the size she was earlier.
As above, stomach size has stretched out and she can eat normal sized meals again.
You just couldn't help yourself, could you? Well done, you know everything and I am fat, lazy overeating slob that can't loose weight without the advise and wisdom of people like you. Go give yourself a big pat on the back.
I understand your position of not wanting to be exposed to the 'trolling' that often happens when these uncomfortable and sensitive questions are asked in an internet forum.
However I think it is always worth considering (and if you have done so in the past, RE-considering the underlying issues).
Too often responses are too easily categorised as trolling or keyboard warriors when they aren't what you are looking for.
While there are evidence and examples (as we have seen above) of this type of medical intervention having success, to me it doesn't solve the underlying issue.
I know a girl who was severely overweight and had surgery done (don't know which one). She lost a lot of weight and she would consider the overall experience successful. However, what I see is she still wants to eat the same bad foods, she still wants to eat more of it (but physically can't).
They way I see it the underlying issue has not been addressed, which is what I hope Altonic is trying to suggest.
The uncomfortable truth remains, weight is a function of how much one eats and then burns off through physical activity, both are normally managed by the average person with self control.
While I respect your point of view, I made it very clear that I am interested only in hearing from people that have had the surgery and their experiences (or as some have replied with experiences or those close to them) I did not ask for, not appreciate people giving me dietary advice. I certainly do not think the above comment was anything other than condescending and pretentious.
Definitely trolling. See Room Temperature's comment above to see someone offering constructive advice, versus troll above.
Wait.
Altomic was being scientifically correct, however agreed it's not in the best methods of delivery.
People can be obese from varying factors, within and external to their control, e.g. prolonged depression, genetic disorder, mental disorder, lifestyle, etc.
We must not stereotype any, however we must encourage fitness in all forms.
The questions asked by OP was:
- Have you had weight loss surgery?
With the follow-up questions for those who could answer the first question being:
- What procedure did you have?
- How successful was it?
- Have you kept the weight off?
- Do you think you are happier now, having lost the weight, but being restricted in what you can eat for the rest of your life?
You have not only chosen not to answer the original question but then asked a series of rhetorical questions in response.
I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
My best mate at work was 130kg, 168cm & 40yrs. He had an adjustable band fitted which helped him loose 20kg quite quickly and then it broke (according to him).
He had the surgery re-done and not much happened. Then he had it removed.
He hovers around 115kg these days. His diet is poor (doesn't eat much fruit or vegetables) and at one point had 3 diet coke buddies per day. He doesn't drink alcohol. His exercise is a 2km walk to the train station daily and his job is fairly active.I haven't had surgery. I'm 77kg, 167cm and 57yo. My weight has yoyo'd all my life. 77kg is pretty good for me (it's still overweight) and takes a lot of work to keep at or slightly below. I was 92kg in 2015 and it wasn't a good look. I try and do 10k-15k steps per day and 1hour of elevated heart rate exercise weekly. I also try and do active things that require bending, moving, etc at home. I've done all the fad diets but what appears to work for me is I reduced my red meat consumption down to 1 serve per week and try and have 5 serves of vegetables daily. I have a great love of alcohol but try and have 3 AFDs a week.
What I found easiest to loose weight was to not have any "bad" food in the house. If my kids want chips, icecream, chocolate, etc I give them money and they go to the shop and buy it.
The other help was a food tracking app.
Good luck with it all. You'll find it's a multi-pronged solution.
There is Facebook groups Gastric Sleeve Australia too if you want to browse those and ask questions
Thanks, I will check that out.
Haven't had surgery, and don't mean to troll either. Just relating my own thoughts on weight loss.
Diets can be pretty enjoyable.
You can create a weight loss diet by modifying an unhealthy diet to make healthier versions of food you already like. I lost 10kg in a couple of months, and I was making burgers and pizzas as my regular dinner every single day. They weren't greasy but still absolutely delicious, and low calories and filling. And I did very little exercise, just a bit of walking after lunch. This made it all easy, and forced me to rethink my food, without feeling like I couldn't enjoy it.Point being, diet and exercise sounds awful, but by making it pleasant for myself I can now maintain my weight fairly well now, even with almost zero exercise.
I don't know too much about gastric banding, but it seems to be aimed at forcing you to do something awful. If that's all you are after, fair enough, starting a diet (even a pleasant one) is very difficult.But I think almost every conversation about weight loss makes it seem like this dramatic period of intense effort, when it should be about general eating habits. A couple of days ago I was eating with a guy who was having trouble gaining weight, and for whom the concept of continuing to eat after feeling full was completely alien. He could eat a couple of chips, but I'd eat the entire bowl. But it makes more sense for me to put something different in the bowl and happily eat all of that instead, than to try and eat like him and fail.
Simply cutting down how much bad food you eat might make it hard to adjust habits in a way that would be healthier in the long term. Especially since you would be preventing yourself from filling up even on healthy foods and developing a taste for them. eg you could eat about 10 entire iceberg lettuces today, feel disgustingly stuffed, and still lose weight. But if you started to enjoy it, you'd have no problem staying healthy and cutting back on other things.
Your way of making it pleasant for yourself is a simple but great idea!
I was 1 appointment away from getting the surgery but I just couldn't do it, the long term impacts of the procedure are relatively unknown & I just couldn't risk it. Plus I love food, the idea of not being able to eat the odd pizza made me depressed. Whilst every other attempt to lose weight was unsuccessful I just kept trying until I found one that worked.
I switch between portion control, Keto and intermittent fasting along with a decent F45 style gym session each day at work. Over 3 months I lost 25 kgs and still going strong. So whilst this doesnt really answer you questions, I just wanted to let you know that whatever you do, don't give up.
Side note, my mate did do the surgery. He lost about 60kg over 18 months, then as his stomach stretched he put a lot of it back on. During that 18 months he started drinking very heavily.
Thanks for that, it gives me some food for thought. Pardon the pun.
I am with you on this one. I have been contemplating having the surgery for the last year. If I could have gotten it free I would have done it. But it is very costly (up to $18,000.00) so I am trying everything else 1st. I have managed to drop 10K in 3 months but I needed to drop another 35K to be at my ideal weight. I plan to keep doing what I can for the next year and then readdress this option then.
I too worry about the skin/fat baggage which may be left behind after losing weight, so I am also thinking about tummy tuck surgery. Not sure how much weight the skin will carry but I am guessing it could be as much as 5K for me. And the cost may be around $10,000.00 give or take.
I am glad you asked and I also look forward to more responses to your actual question. (not dietary or weight loss advice!!!)
I will be in a much better financial position next year so at least I have that long to learn all I can.
Thanks for your reply. I hope we can get some good advice here. I just had a look at that Facebook page that was recommended a few comments back and their are some unbelievable before and after shots and some very encouraging comments.
keep up the good work Sunshine Moon. Your doing great. Like you im trying to lose weight as well and finally hit my 15kg goal. But i want to lose another 10kg which will get me to my so called healthy weight.
I find regular walks was one thing that has really helped me. I do around 40 to 50mins walk during my lunch time at work. I used to just sit there and read the news online so this was a much better way to spend my time
Hey I just want to say -10kg is a great result and I hope you keep it up. 35 is daunting but doable. You could consider finding a personal trainer and/or a nutritionist. They will keep you on track and accountable and will cost much less than $18k - worth a thought.
This might be an interesting read Lifestyle, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors 10 Years after Bariatric Surgery
Thanks I will take a look.
How long will I get banned for if I tell you to (profanity) off???
Hey, i am not having a go at you personally, but that is how it is. I have to do it i look at food and i put on weight :)
I'm not an expert but it's not that black or white. Well it is for like 99%+ of people but OP could be in that <1%
@MagicMushroom: It is black and white. If you eat more kcal than your TDEE the excess is stored as fat.
Yeah, you kinda are being condescending. Everyone knows that 1 person who is skinny as a rake and eats shit all day long. You can't tell me you seriously believe its just as basic as portion control. Recent studies into gut bacteria and other genetic factors are starting to debunk the myths that we are all the same. In saying that, there are a LOT of people who would get this surgery who really are just over-eating and need to take a good look at themselves. OP does not sound like one of those people, plus they specifically asked for posts like this to NOT be made, but I guess you couldn't help yourself.
@[Deactivated]: i agree not everyone is same but if you look at the trend of obesity the ones who can eat non stop and not put on weight are clearly the minority. obviously age is also extremely important.
procedures for weight loss only work if the patient make permanent changes. if you look at the studies majority put weight back on despite being in an tightly controlled encouraging and highly motivated environment. why is that? because any procedure is only a tool to help you lose weight initially. it not a replacement for ongoing personal efforts to eat less and have a healthier lifestyle.
i do these procedures and this is my opinion hence evaluation is important and anyone who is in the mindset of rushing into getting this done or needing a quick fix in general do worse. it is a definite negative prognostic factor.
hope this helps
happy to accept pm if needed
I lost 45kg. (so not just some naturally skinny (profanity) talking hear)
As much as you don't want to hear it, yeah, just stop eating.
Now, when I say stop eating I mean literally stop. Don't eat for days or weeks at a time.
Fasting is the best thing you can do for your mental and physical heath.
Under eating or 'calorie restriction' is a complete scam. There's a reason why weight loss is a billion dollar a year industry.
They has spent millions on brain washing the masses into (almost) guaranteed failure following their BS scam diets.
Do some research on fasting, the more the better. Then give it a try before going under the knife. You have nothing to loose.
An operation 'may' cause you to loose some weight. But will do little/nothing in regards to helping fix the mental issues that cause you to put weight on.Thanks for you totally useless contribution to this thread. I know it’s a bit hard to understand if you reading skills, but I did clearly say that I just want to hear from people that have had the surgery. I don’t know, maybe you’re bored, got nothing better to do than give your unwanted opinion.
Wow. You're a real piece of work. Your attitude is a window to your fatness.
My attitude is a window to the fact that I asked for peoples experiences. I don’t need self righteous people telling me what I should do. I really did make it clear that I did it want to hear from the likes of you, but you decided to give your opinion anyway. You know nothing about what I have done, what I have tried, my circumstances or my reasons for wanting this info. But you seem to think that you know best. I really, really don’t need to hear it, this is hard enough without know all’s telling me what I should do.
@[Deactivated]: Unless you know the OP and can verify your comment, you are just being a troll, move along.
That's also called an eating disorder, specifically sounds like anorexia, starving yourself for weeks at a time is not 'fasting', it's just plain unhealthy.
Ridiculous post. Fasting is literally "under eating"
"calorie restriction" is literally the only way to lose weight. Energy in-Energy out.
If you're consuming more calories than you burn, you will put on weight.
I had gastric sleeve surgery in May 2016 as a 62 year old. I had tried to reduce weight using all the usual methods for years, but after surgery went from 150kg to 95kg and have bounced back a bit to 112kg. Prior to the surgery I was always hungry, and never felt full or sated. I was very active and swam 2km weekdays in 50 minutes, so was essentially healthy under all the weight.
The biggest single benefit is that it stopped my Type 2 diabetes in its tracks. I have no regrets at all, my restricted eating was all part of the lifestyle change I needed and wanted, and miss nothing at all as I can pretty well eat and drink anything I want, just in far less quantity.
Now at 3 years out the only issue I have is the continuing need to take Nexium type drugs (PPIs)to keep stomach acid issues at bay. I've retired to central coastal Qld and my GP is refusing to prescribe them, contending I'm habituated to them rather than need them and I'm planning to write to my surgeon in Sydney and ask what he thinks I should do to resolve the issue.
If you are at the end of your tether, have access to funds or are insured and feel it is the solution talk it over with confidantes and not anyone who is judgemental or dismissive, or join some of the many Aussie online groups that help with experience. It is not an insignificant move but has worked for many people I know that have done "The Sleeve" :-) Cheerz Wabster
Thanks for your comment. That’s very interesting to know. Cheers
Your GP is out of touch, PPIs are in the safest drug categories.
I too am contemplating weight loss surgery and have been for about 5 years after meeting my wife's old boss. He weighed around 160KG at 6'2" within 6 months he was down to 90KG and still losing weight. The last time we met he landed around 80KG. He warns of the dangers of high calorie liquids and things like icecream since you can have as much of those after the surgery as you could before.
In my circumstance if I'm able to regularly exercise I can lose weight at a good rate, however it seems I'm very prone to chronic leg issues that have me limping for months at a time.
For me I need the exercise to support the mental strength around managing my eating habits. I'm a stress eater and exercise keeps the stress at bay.
I'm still seriously contemplating the surgery, but to be honest it terrifies me and I've definitely given myself every excuse not to go for it.
I had a gastric sleeve in December 2017. For me it was the best thing I did. You need to remember that the operation is not a quick fix to lose weight, it is a tool to help you. I have so far lost 36kg and are now on a slow progress to hopefully losing another 10kg. Started at 126kg currently 90kg. It has not restricted my lifestyle like lots of people think. When we go out I would order entree meals or kids meals and still to this day don't finish the whole meal. There are heaps of Facebook support groups for the weight loss surgery and also for the skin removal surgery. These are good to read and bounce thoughts off each other. For my surgery i first needed to see a dietitian and also a psychologist to see if there were issues with my bring that weight that needed to be resolved prior to surgery. I am now at the point of skin surgery for my stomach but I did have 2 c-sections many years ago which have not helped the skin to naturally go back. Going to the gym when you are comfortable also helps with the skin tightening after surgery, but initially just walking helps alot. Hope this helps. Good luck. Research your surgeon as there are many good and bad stories out there about them so find one that you are comfortable with and has good after care service also. I used Darebin weight loss centre if you are in Melbourne.
Check out Robert Cywes. He is based in US so obvs could't do your surgery but he has some really interesting ideas on treating the causes of obesity before doing any surgery … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vatUsc0i6rc
Yes VSG 5 years ago left it too late in life, over 60, for huge impact, as my surgeon said at the time he would not make a model out of me but came down from 140+ to 110. Have bounced a little up to 113kg but just cannot eat large servings, quickly learned that if I tried it made me chuck.
Honestly it is the best thing I ever did, if you have problems taking off your weight also consider the affect it is having on your joints and general mobility, you will notice a huge difference after WLS.
Good luck in your journey, the exploration stage can be quite confusing.Thankyou. Yes I am feeling a bit confused, me as the post. But I am feeling better thanks to some of the great responses. Thanks again
I had lap band surgery 13 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did for myself. I was 139kgs 160cm. It took me 8 months to get to 100kgs. Then once I got a personal trainer the weight dropped quickly to 67kgs. Now I hover between 70-78kgs. I look sickly if I go under 60kgs. Food was a lot of trial and error in the beginning but now I know what to avoid. I usually only have one course when I go out to dinner and if u can’t finish it I take a doggy bag home. Exercise is the answer as I’ve seen others who have had the surgery put the weight back on as they think it’s like taking a magic pill and it will fix everything. A lot of surgeons these days don’t do the lap band but I preferred it as it’s adjustable and for women like myself it can be opened to allow more food when pregnant. I have a little bit of excess skin but I can live with it but the company I went through can remove o the excess skin at a much reduced price. My surgery only cost $6,500 as I had private health cover. I also got $1,500 back from Medicare.
A friend of mine had about 2/3 of her stomach removed 2 years ago. Over the first year she told me she developed gall stones & had them removed & which she was told was a sometimes cause of this surgery. Her once thick hair became very thin & she lost a lot of hair when brushing her hair. She had been warned this could be a side effect of the dramatic weight loss that occurs. For the first 2 weeks after surgery she felt sick & often vomited. She had been warned about all possible side effects before survey & had to see a psychologist before survey to ensure she was psychologically up to it. After about a month post surgery things settled down. She incorporated daily power walking which she has slacked off a bit over the 2 years (her words not mine) plus she eats about a fist full of food at anyone time. She hasn't let surgery stop her from eating anything since she is very careful about portions. So when a group of us went out for Chinese food she had 3 fried dim sims & that was all she ate for the entire meal. She also never has a beverage with any food since she says it fills her up & she'd rather have the food. She will have sweets but again, nothing more than a fist size since it fills her up & she doesn't want to stretch her stomach. Its been 2 years and she has lost a lot of weight & looks "normal" ie she is what anyone would judge as a normal size. She was grossly obese for most of her life & intense exercise (daily) & various diets were never maintained nor did she ever stick to them for more than a few weeks cos of deprivation. She is now pregnant & saw a dietitian to ensure she was getting the right amount of foods during this time. Since her op she has had to take a bunch of vitamins and minerals daily which her surgeon told her would be for life. A friend of hers, inspired by her, had the same surgery but did not find the best way to maintain it for herself & has put all the weight back on within the 1st year. I hope this is of help to you.
Thankyou. I am mindful of the chances of regaining, that is a concern. I have always struggled to keep it off.
I had a gastric sleeve done mid January this year (2019). At my very heaviest I was about 133kg a couple of years ago. I then went off gluten and dairy foods and got down to late 120s in September 2018. I also had a accident at work 18months ago and tore my meniscus (sp) in my knee. The surgeon indicated that for every 1kg of extra weight being carried 4kg of weight was being placed on the knees and I already had bad arthritis and shit knees (currently 45yrs old female). I decided I needed to take my life back under control and made the decision to have surgery late last year. I then proceeded to lose more weight with careful diet until I had the surgery at 114kg. Since this time I have got down to 83kg. I'm not going to lie the mental part of it is not easy with not being able to eat much at main meals, and especially difficult when eating out socially with people. The important thing is to have good supportive people around you. My partner is excellent and my three kids have been supportive. I needed to make this decision or my long term health and happiness. So far it hasn't been too difficult and I have to say it is so much easier to be moving (now attending the gym 5x a week), sleeping better. It has reduced my co-morbidities substantially. I hope it continues but as I said you have to be in a good mental place for this. Don't listen to the haters you have to do this for yourself and some people need to assistance the sleeve/bypass provides. No matter what I have done in the past or eating plans, diets etc could I lose this amount of weight. Some people, whether genetics or not, just can't manage to lose it. There are a number of facebook sites (Australian) that have people joined up still contemplating it and asking questions etc - join one and follow along to help you decide. I would do it all over again and you will find most people would if it helps their health in the long term. Best of luck on your journey
Thanks. I promised myself I would ignore the haters, but they got the better of me. Your reply is really what I needed to hear. Thanks
I haven't told that many people about the surgery, as I was worried about this, but everyone who does know is only positive for me and the impact it has had so far on my life.
In terms of loose skin, I've been big most of my life (not from eating shit, takeaways, fizzy drink etc, just probably genetics and portion size, and lack of exercise probably too, although they say that's no more than 20% of weight loss), but at 45, I do have loose skin - stomach, thighs, bum, arms, bust. I either come to terms with it or deal with it through plastic surgery, which to me looks quite painful and bad scarring.
They say the loose skin depends on how old you are and how long you have been overweight. It's like an elastic band, once its lost its elasticity from being stretched too much it won't go back to normal.Just a note here about finding out more in forums on Facebook and other social media sites. Most are full of very helpful people and well worth being in. Sometimes it is possible for Facebook Friends to see that you are in certain Groups, and interestingly you will find Friends and Friends of Friends who are "Secret Sleevers" in such Groups. If you are concerned about showing your hand while researching it could be worthwhile creating a separate Facebook ID and an alternative email address etc to maintain your privacy. In my case as an old bloke I didn't give a rats who knew, but I encountered a few women, especially younger ones who were devastated their identities and memberships of Groups were made public. A personal example was when I joined https://www.facebook.com/groups/AussieGastricSleeveSupportGr… a few friends of friends appeared as members including a work colleague of my wife who was a secret sleever and was very grateful we mentioned that we could see her membership of the Group. I think that one has been altered to hide membership but others haven't. Cheerz Wabster
Please make sure that the surgeon who does the procedure is a good one. We had a couple of presentations to our hospital who developed serious complications post procedure and they were all done by the same person
Yes I have read up on her and she is apparently good. Are you in a Melbourne?
No regional NSW. Hope everything goes well for you.
I really appreciate hearing from everyone who has had the surgery. Please stop commenting if you haven’t and telling me I should do this and that, I made this post to hear about people experiences. If I wanted diet advice, I would have made post titled “diet advice needed”
Eating healthy and dieting are most certainly not the same thing. Polar opposites in fact.
I got sleeved Dec 2016 so a bit over 2 1/2yrs now. Short arse 40yo dude who is only like 162cm tall, but was BMI ~41 with ~115kg when I started the process, up to 120kg max before that.
Now I'm BMI 25ish, so that's a success so far I guess.
I don't have any trouble keeping the weight off, if anything for me it worked too well & I have other health probs complicating it which is part of why I went the surgery way to start with. I'd lost more but have worked to gain some back because of the other health probs, being too light is problematic for me. I figured I had to lose the weight looking at all my older male relatives with their T2 diabetes symptoms, but my disabilities made the old fashioned way pretty impossible so it was op or die young/get even sicker than I already am.
I second what DBBROS said about selecting your surgeon - from the FB group also mentioned above there's heaps of people ranging from not losing weight to horror story complications, but everyone still focuses on getting it done as cheap as possible. smh No point saving a couple of grand if it screws the rest of your life, eh?
Dunno if you already have or not, but ask for PMs if you sus the surgeon out on social media, cause people are often afraid of telling the bad stories publicly for fear of being sued so you only hear the good stuff.
The biggest pattern I could see for success/failure other than surgeon selection is self-preparation for the fact that it does change your life and relationship with food forever.
The ops are just tools to help, you still need to do the work so if you expect them to do it for you, it'll likely not work or at best not last.
Keeping in touch with whatever part of your medical team works best for you to keep you in check is a good idea, especially if they're supportive rather than putting you down. If you relapse and gain weight again you want support to get on track, not someone kicking you while you're already down on yourself. My surgeon is a great as a surgeon but he's a bit of a simple arsehole with the "weight loss good, weight gain bad" and doesn't even seem to comprehend muscle vs fat weight, typical doctor over obsessed with BMI. My dietician clicks for me so she's working with me on gaining more muscle mass as I've lost too much of that which is why I'm even weaker & more lethargic than pre-op making my existing condition even worse, so the plan is to gain another 5kg in the next 6mths & see if my muscle mass plateaus & my symptoms change, then focus on stripping fat only.
Before the op I was worried about never having steak again & that has kinda come true - it isn't like a band where I literally can't eat it, more like I can eat so little its pointless so I CBFed. I don't actually miss it now though, often people find the op changes your tastes & it has been that way for me. I mean, if something you used to like makes you spew or get the squirts, I guess it will program you into not liking it, hey?
I'd also previously considered getting banded about 5yrs before I got sleeved, but jebus the horror stories with that! They should be illegal IMO as they all seem to fail in one way or another & need another op to take them out/replace them within about a decade, but people even with the probs still love them? "oh, my stomach is eroded and I can't get another band and a sleeve is impossible cause of the scarring but I'm getting a bypass now" is very common. Reversible sounds good in theory but it turns out that method at least is shit in practice, so ATM the only "safe" set and forget ops where you shouldn't need more surgeries are the sleeve or the bypass variations if they are done right and you aren't unlucky. Which op is better for you depends on your circumstances, how much weight you want to lose, any other probs you have eg: sleeves make reflux worse where bypasses can cure it.
Good luck! Don't let the negativity of arseholes get you down - this is NOT the easy way out! There's a lot of stigma with getting these ops but who cares? For me, being around for my wife & kid are more important.
Oh, I only have a little loose skin even with the pretty rapid by the book for the op weight loss. Being younger & less overweight to start with apparently makes that less of a problem, but it would be something to keep in mind if you're likely to worry about that, but still, one problem at a time I guess?
I am looking into this myself?
Nothing to add, but just wanted wish you the best with your decisions.
Know a bloke that had a gastric bypass he was about 150-160kg he dropped to about 90kg - he did change his life style a bit exercised everyday at the gym and due to the bypass was only eating a tenth of what he was eating pre-op. He has a good looking misses now and his stomach is starting to stretch and isnt exercising as much is he says he is starting to put it back on….
How much you weigh is the result of a very, very simple mathematical formula: energy you consume - energy you burn. If there is surplus energy you gain weight. If the formula roughly results in zero then you maintain weight. If the result is negative then you lose weight.
If you want to loose weight then you need to eat less energy, burn more energy or do both. It's that simple. Its doesn't matter what hereditary or physical disadvantages you may have. If you don't eat for a month you die from starvation, no matter who you are.
Eat less food. Eat less processed and fatty foods. Don't eat sugar. Go for walks. And most importantly, don't expect results overnight. What you're doing is making a lifestyle change, not a temporary extreme deviation which isn't sustainable. It will take months, even years depending on how overweight you are. But you will be healthy, feel better and it will be sustainable.
The people I know that have had weight loss surgery, can now barely eat anything (not enjoyable when going out to dinner), and some of them are still obese, as the little they do eat is absolute trash. There is no silver bullet, same as wealth.
Goodluck!
Responses like this make my blood boil. You may mean well but you have NO idea, none. You may think you are educated on the subject but you are not. Body weight is much, much more than an energy in, energy out formula. Despite the OP requesting input only from those that have had bariatric surgery experience and explicitly requested no diet advice you felt it necessary to lecture on a subject of which you are clearly not educated.
I've given up now. I got upset and let them get the better of me, now I am ignoring it and just responding to the legit replies. Thanks for having my back by the way.
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My bother in law had this surgery, main reason he did for family not for himself. Yes it's hard for him can not enjoy meal like others, struggles to eat even but he loose a lot weight so can avoid heart attack and many other weight related problems. He did for his children when they get bigger he could be still there.
He was 170 kg now he is 110 kg.
He was struggling at start but afterward he adopt it, its human body something new always hard to find deal with.