Surgery as a Tool for Weight Loss

It's taken a while for me to understand what is meant by Surgery is a 'tool' for weight loss. I think I understand it now, but can some of the people who have been through this, please comment on what this is has meant for you? I have not had my surgery yet and trying my best to prepare ...

It is easier to eat properly when you are not hungry and cannot consume much when you do eat. With RNY for a while the food you do eat does not all get absorbed.

Surgery is a tool for weight loss just like a shovel is a tool for digging a hole. The shovel won't dig unless you put in the work.

For the first year or so it is very easy (relatively) to stay on track and follow the plan. You have a lot of restriction, you need to focus on protein and water, and you feel full/stuffed very quickly. Then your pouch heals and it gets more pliable. Your feelings of hunger may return, and you can fit a bit more in your pouch. If you eat good foods you will feel full faster and for longer, your blood sugar will stay relatively level, and you will keep the weight off. If creepy-carbs start sneaking back in, you drink your calories, or eat too many slider foods then you can get a lot of calories throughout the day and you will put the weight back on. If you use your tool properly and follow the rules you can be very successful -- more so than trying to diet and exercise with a normal sized stomach and metabolism.

My aunt had lap-band several years before my RNY and one of the things she said that always stuck with me is that with any WLS you could sit and drink McDonald's milkshakes all day (there is minimal restriction with fluids). Doing so would allow you to consume thousands of calories even with a pouch or sleeve. You could gain weight very quickly. If you eat chicken, pork, fish, etc. you will feel full, but it will also take a longer time to move out of your pouch. They are dense proteins. They are also lower in calories per gram (generally speaking). So you have to decide - milkshakes or protein? That's what helps keep me on track.

Meg~

This is so true. When I eat approved healthy carbs like Melba and the vegetable rice cakes, I don't feel any restriction when the portion is done. But when I eat chicken and fish and eggs I can barely get a portion down. I totally need to limit the carbs as that is a slippery slope for me.

thanks for sharing that, its good for the rest of us to know what things may be trouble

This makes so much sense. Thanks for taking the time to share this. It is very helpful and I will keep this story in the back of my mind for those times I may be tempted!!

When I think of "tool", I think that rny is one factor in your weight loss bag of tricks. It most definately helps get off a huge amt of weight in a short time.....allowing you to be more active and possibly gain many health benifits like reduced medications etc.

"Tool" is a much different word than "miracle" or "sure thing" because we all have slightly different experiences and the "tool" doesn't guarantee you success.....only your choices do!

First year Malabsorption is great but I didn't have a whole lot of restriction or foods I had trouble eating(which i wrongly assumed I would ) I often felt that I was just on yet another super low calorie diet relying on my own will power and weighing and measuring just like I had always done in years past. I expected it to be different somehow and much easier than it is. It been great for me, don't get me wrong....but it's still ALL YOU!!!

"the 'tool' doesn't guarantee you success.....only your choices do!" - I love this. Thanks for your input.

Tool... yes a lot of people confuse the surgery with a "new diet"... we are given a gift.. a tool.. and it HELPS us lose weight.. it's not THE answer to losing weight. If we don't treat it as a TOOL all those bad habits come right back and poof.. so can all that weight we lose! It's a lifestyle tool... and we have to remember that!

good luck! and that's just my take on it!