Can our WLS diet work as a diet for people who have not had weight loss surgery?

I got asked that question yesterday by a friend... can the weight loss surgery diet, or the way we eat, work as a diet for people who have not had the surgery? Is it healthy or can it be adjusted to be healthy and used as a diet for everyone? I would like to hear everyone's comments or suggestions on these ideas. Does anyone know someone (who did not have WLS) who has lost a good bit of weight eating the same as their spouse or friend who did have WLS? I would like to hear from these people, too. Thanks, Bill

I believe that the general diet plan can work for a non post op (food wise) but amount wise it won't work. We eat so little as a post op that the non post op person would have an extremely difficult time with it. Personally I don't know any one who isn't post op who is able to follow the post op diet. Kristy

I could never have done it without the surgery. I am 16 months out and If I didn't get that satisfied feeling (you know when to stop feeling) I would pig out like I used too. With the surgery it is easy for me to stop, but before it wasn't. And I never stopped at 1 small slice of pizza, like I do now. I thank God for the surgery. I think it could work for someone, but they would have to be very determined to do it. I didn't have that kind of will power.

Many years ago (I think it was over 18 years now), I joined a diet plan called, "Physicians' Weight Loss." You may have heard of it---Oprah did something like it about the same time. The diet and all the supplements cost me over $2000!!! It was a "ketosis" diet, where you had to eat less than 700 calories a day and drink a special protein shake two or three times a day to burn more calories. The patient went to the center for weekly follow-ups and urine testing to see if they were in ketosis (a state of the body burning stored fat.) Blood work was occasionally done, but it was never as extensive as what my WLS surgeon's office has done for me, medically. All in all, it took a LOT of willpower to do that diet. But, it really took off the weight. I lost about 70 pounds, and within 7 months, got within 10 pounds of my goal weight of 160 pounds. I was thrilled---and thought I never looked better. Unfortunately, I had no energy on the diet. We were encouraged NOT to exercise, and rightly so....with only 700 calories a day of intake, you never would have enough energy to put down the kick stand on your bike, much less peddle a few blocks around the neighborhood! Then another difference with this kind of diet vs. WLS would be the amount of food I could eat. I mean that with WLS, my pouch limits my intake. Before, I had to depend on my willpower. That was hard. Now, it's easy. My pouch (stomach) tells me I am full, and I stop. Pretty simple. Like every diet I tried before WLS, when I went off of the Physician's Weight Loss diet, I gained all my weight back, plus more. (sigh) It was that way most of my adult life. Today after surgery, I continue to watch what I eat and the amount and quality of the food I put in my body, but I don't worry so much about gaining all the weight back. In fact, I continue to lose a tiny bit more every month. I figure for someone who is not horribly overweight---perhaps less than 80 pounds overweight, the WLS-type diet might work for them, but like the person said in the post before mine, it would take some amazing willpower to stick to it. I wish them luck! ~Laura