VSG versus Dieting

I have a feeling I'm going to get a mixed reaction to this question but here it goes. What is the difference in simply going on a 600-800 cal/day high protein diet and losing weight & getting VSG surgery to lose weight? I understand that with VSG your stomach size is greatly reduced and the hormone that makes you feel hungry is removed, but other than that why wouldn't just a serious diet work? I mean, if you're still getting all your nutrients and vitamins in your diet, shouldn't just dieting & eating in high moderation work the same as the surgery? If I'm missing something here, please inform me. I want to know absolutely everything I can about this surgery that I'm going to be getting.

thanks!!!

Yes and no. IMO.

They are a lot of people who can diet their way done to a size, ... Only to regain it back once they relax.

I had RnY - and beside hormonal changes my WLS provides restrictions.

On days that I have more appetite - I can't eat too much even I want too or chose to. It is not happening even at 9 years out. I learned the hard lesson even yesterday. I was hungry and ate too much. My body was not able to process it fast enough, so I ended up getting bit sick when I tried to drink tea app an hour after my meal. Things came up. Not a great thing, but a great reminder that even that far out- I still need to measure my food.

Some people learn to eat around the surgery. Any surgery is just a tool. But like with anything else - if you used your tool - really use it - be mindful - you have better changes not only to lose the weight but to keep it off.

In the past - I never had problem losing. Keeping it off - maintenance - that was my issues.

I can only speak for me but In all honesty I think if someone had the self control to eat with the same restrictions without the surgery then they could lose the weight. The problem would be to maintain that for life without the help the surgery gives. I know for me I needed the surgery to give me first the restriction to be able to be satisfied with such small portions and to remove a lot of the hunger producing hormone area of my stomach. Before surgery I was one that could eat giant portions of food and that was a big part of my problem. For a few years pre surgery I made modifications to my eating habits like quitting soda, reducing fried foods, and not eating fast food and with that I lost around 50 pounds but I still needed the extra permanent help that the surgery gave to be successful and get to a healthy weight.

To lose weight, sure, a serious diet would work. The problem is that people tend to view diets as something they do until the reach goal and then they can go back to eating "normally." This pattern leads to endless yo-yo ing that most people who end up getting surgery have experienced. You lose, you gain back to a bit higher, you diet and lose again, you gain back to a bit higher. Etc, etc. Your morbidity and mortality both getting slightly worse each time. And you'll never really feel sated when eating because your stomach is much larger than 600-800 calories a day.

Where WLS really shines, in my opinion, is in the "forever" portion of the equation. You will always have the mechanical benefit of the sleeve and that restriction will make it easier to maintain instead of reverting to "normal" eating habits. Diets will help you lose weight, but the surgery will help you to actually maintain that weight loss.

Oh - and the hormone that makes you feel hungry (gherlin) can and is produced elsewhere in the body. So you're still going to have it eventually post-op and, likely, those other locations will increase production to compensate. Since that's how the body works.

For me also, where the surgery helped, is that it let me stop thinking about being weight loss failure long enough to actually address the mental side of the equation. The surgery only changes your stomach, it does nothing for your brain. Immediately post-op I had a sense of breathing space where I could stop stressing all the time about my physical self - because surgery had that under control - and this let me really work on my mental self with therapy and a number of other self-care changes to my lifestyle.

P.S. Variations of this question get posted from time to time and I think it's a really great question to ask. We always see "eat less and move more!! That's all you need to do!!!" It can be easy to believe that. Clearly some of us need more and it's important to think about/talk about/understand why.

Thanks for all the great responses! This helps a lot!!

I assume you have tried dieting without the help of surgery? How did that work for you? For me, it didn't work, long term, not any of the hundreds of diets I tried pre wls.

How has having wls worked for me? I have lost and maintained the loss of 122# for over 7 years.

Yea, that's the trouble. I've lost 50lbs in the past by just dieting and exercising alone, but gained it all back and then some over the course of like 2 years. I did maintain that 50lb weight loss for a while though, so kudos to me haha. Now I'm at the point where I need to lose about 100lbs & obviously need to keep it off. It helps a lot that there are other people in my shoes/were in my shoes!!

then that answers you question and I knew that would be your answer.

first of all, without surgery, we can't eat only 600-700 cals a day and do it long term , like the rest of our lives, which is what it amounts to. Wls makes it possible to do that.

Why? That answer is different for everyone. I'm not sure even medical science has a clear answer to that. What matters is it DOES work, for those who choose to work it.

wls is not a magic billet. There is work to be done and it is often hard, but the results can be amazing.

My reply when I'm asked this... http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2015/09/life- after-weight-loss-surgery-q-a_7.html

But basically... Bariatric Surgery (VSG, RNY) are both restrictive so when the size of the stomach is reduced your feeling of satiety happens with a smaller portion... feeling full vs. feeling like you are starving/suffering on a diet makes a BIG difference.

Plus most of us had major health issues (medications that cause weight gain, illnesses that make exercise difficult/dangerous) and the rapid weight loss and resolution of those obesity associated illnesses allows for lifestyle changes to take place that increase our activity and health. Not having GERD (acid coming up into my nose & mouth when I slept or bent over) and resolution of sleep apnea (stopping breathing multiple times in night) definitely made for a more active me ;)

WW & JC are the 2 most popular/successful long term weight loss programs and result in 3% to 5% sustained weight loss after 1 year. Weight loss surgery will lead to 60 to 80% of excess weight loss. If you are 100+ pounds overweight and have any health issues, it's just not feasible, not impossible... but we are talking "results not typical" sort of situation.

Health is not a game, we don't get bonus points or medals for struggling (or suffering) longer... we just get less quality of life. WLS offers a helping hand, a reset button, no shame in asking for that help... we teach kids to ask for help when they need it and not be ashamed... a lifelong lesson we need to remember!

Best wishes in your research,