Surgery or Not!

My pcp has told me she believes I need to have the gastric sleeve. I have an appointment set up, next month to attend a meeting on what it's all about. I've talked to family members who've had the surgery, have done lots of reading and watching youtube testimonials.

I've seen lots of links to this website so thought I would join and try to gain more information before I make a decision.

I have fibromyalgia, Lyme arthritis, high blood pressure (that is controlled with a very low does of medication) and I have Non alcohol related fatty liver disease. My pcp suspects that I may have cushing disease. These conditions make it very hard for me to exercise. My bmi is at 40.

My pcp believes many of my health issues will be helped by having the surgery.

There are questions I have which I can't seem to find the answers to. I consider myself a fairly healthy eater. Rarely eat fast or fried food and try to eat mostly organics and don't have problems with portion control.

One thing I keep seeing or reading about is portions The reading I have done leads me to believe when you are at a certain stage of the post surgery diet, you are only able to eat 2 ounces for each meal, which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons. My question is this; Do you have to maintain those portions for the rest of your life? It seems like so little food. Is there a stage when you can increase the portion size within limits?

The other thing I have heard and read about is that you need to eliminate sugar from your diet, again, is this a forever thing? I am not diabetic and think I have pretty good control over not eating excess sugar, but the information I've found has left me feeling discouraged. In all honesty, there will be times when I want to eat sugar. Who doesn't want a small piece of pie at the holidays, or a piece of cake at a wedding?

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone will share information about this. I don't want to say no to something that could significantly improve my life based on things that are not true. One person shared that they feel these restrictions compromise free will.

Thanks in advance!

With all due respect, if you eat healthy, don't have a problem with portion size and don't eat sugar -- then why are you heavy?  

If I were you, I'd answer my own questions by seriously logging every single thing that you eat for at least two weeks.  I would weigh and measure everything to get a very honest look at your intake.  When we are obese, we really have a skewed idea of what a portion is, how much we are really eating.  I know I did -- I considered myself a "healthy" eater and I wasn't a dessert fiend -- but when I got really honest -- and logged correctly -- I was eating WAY more than I realized.  

Also, 2 ounces weighed is different than 2 ounces by volume.  It's not necessarily 2 tbs.  

Consider using MyFitnessPal to log -- I have over 570 days in  -- 

I hope this helps you.

Kat W is providing advice that can only come from someone who has done the same thing.

Exercise is only 20% of the solution to obesity - what you eat is the greater contributor.  When you journal - you may find where your excess calories are coming from.  They are sneaking in somewhere to maintain a BMI of 40.  You may not be eating 6000 cal a day - you are just eating to many calories for you.  I found out that for me to not to gain weight, I can have (only) 1350 cal/day (1450 if I am on the ellipicylce 50 min a day).  1350 is not a lot of calories.  Journaling will help you determine this for you and help you make a sound decision on WLS. 

What Kat said is so true.  

Not being able to exercise is not going to make a difference in your weight - It helps tone you and makes you more agile - but you're not going to get down to a healthy BMI by exercise alone.

Weight Loss Surgery itself will not do it either.  It's merely a tool you have to use properly in order to lose the weight and then maintain your weight loss.  If you don't use the tool properly, you may lose some weight, but you won't reach your goal and you won't maintain your loss.  Even with surgery, you have to track protein (usually 65 grams), calories (usually under 800) and carbohydrates (usually under 40); you have to drink at least 64 oz. of water/liquids daily.  You would be most successful if you pre-plan your menus, weigh and measure everything, and track your food in something like myfitnesspal.  You have to avoid potatoes/pasta/rice/flour/cake, etc.  It's a full-time job!!

Kat made an excellent suggestion -- weigh and measure everything for two weeks and enter it in myfitnesspal -- then you'll be able to see just how many protein/calorie/carbs you are consuming.

It's good that you are doing research now.  If you're honest with yourself, you'll be able to make an informed decision as to whether or not you are willing to commit to the program.

Good Luck to you.

Mary

I think you need to be honest to yourself about how much you eat now or you will not be successful losing weight even after surgery.

Most of us are able to eat pretty normal sized portions after the first year or so which is why we need to learn good habits before then. Sadly, many people gain a lot back by year 3.

"Who doesn't want a small piece of pie at the holidays, or a piece of cake at a wedding?"

Um, well I don't.  I should clarify that.  I don't want a small piece of pie or cake at special occasions.  I want the whole damn thing, and then yours.  That is how I got fat.  If I could have just been satisfied me small tastes of those things I never would have gotten morbidly obese.

I'm not saying you are in denial.  You may be one of those rare people who can gain weight eating small, healthy portions.  If that is the case then the sleeve really can't help you if you are already eating small amounts.  There are malabsorptive procedures that will cause you not to absorb all the calories you eat but keep in mind that those procedures will help you malabsorb fats and protein, and some complex carbohydrates but there is no procedure in the world that will help you with simple carbs like sugar.  They will always be absorbed 100% no matter what procedure you have.

I like the advice to track every bite you take.  Try to do it with your regular diet, what you would normally eat on any given day.  Don't try to change what you eat, just note it down.  That way you can get an honest picture of what you are eating and how much.

If you do find that you have problems with eating I really suggest you address those before you consider WLS.  I wish I had the first time or I would never had needed a second surgery.

My pcp has told me she believes I need to have the gastric sleeve. I have an appointment set up, next month to attend a meeting on what it's all about. I've talked to family members who've had the surgery, have done lots of reading and watching youtube testimonials.

I've seen lots of links to this website so thought I would join and try to gain more information before I make a decision.

I have fibromyalgia, Lyme arthritis, high blood pressure (that is controlled with a very low does of medication) and I have Non alcohol related fatty liver disease. My pcp suspects that I may have cushing disease. These conditions make it very hard for me to exercise. My bmi is at 40.

My pcp believes many of my health issues will be helped by having the surgery.

There are questions I have which I can't seem to find the answers to. I consider myself a fairly healthy eater. Rarely eat fast or fried food and try to eat mostly organics and don't have problems with portion control.

One thing I keep seeing or reading about is portions The reading I have done leads me to believe when you are at a certain stage of the post surgery diet, you are only able to eat 2 ounces for each meal, which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons. My question is this; Do you have to maintain those portions for the rest of your life? It seems like so little food. Is there a stage when you can increase the portion size within limits?

The other thing I have heard and read about is that you need to eliminate sugar from your diet, again, is this a forever thing? I am not diabetic and think I have pretty good control over not eating excess sugar, but the information I've found has left me feeling discouraged. In all honesty, there will be times when I want to eat sugar. Who doesn't want a small piece of pie at the holidays, or a piece of cake at a wedding?

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone will share information about this. I don't want to say no to something that could significantly improve my life based on things that are not true. One person shared that they feel these restrictions compromise free will.

Thanks in advance!

I agree with your other posters. I can't imagine how you got to have a BMI of 40 . If you will post a typical days menu including amounts,we can help you better. 

If interested, please see my profile page where I detail my experience with RNY.

Checked out your Profile page -- Discipline and Dedication -- That says it all!  WLS is not for the weak-hearted, that's for sure.  Your Before and After pictures are an inspiration.  Thanks for sharing.

Mary

Serving sizes listed on packaging are shockingly small so most of us are eating at least a double portion if not more. A serving of ice cream is 1/2 c., that is one small scoop of ice cream. Now I don't know anyone who eats just 1 scoop of ice cream most eat at least 2 and may way more than that. I was only eating 1000 cal. a day before my surgery and I didn't lose anymore after surgery than I was losing before surgery. I lost 20 lbs the year before and 20 the year after so there obviously wasn't much more I could change except cut calories lower and I had to drop down to 800 to lose again.

I was unable to exercise because I have a lung disease so even if I could move I couldn't breath so had to rely on diet alone and let me tell you it isn't easy at all. It also sounds like you may have bypass and sleeve surgery confused they require 2 rather different eating plans and one involves malabsorbtion and the other doesn't/ So you need to make sure you understand the eating[plans for each of the 3 successful weight loss surgeries. I'm hoping you are too smart to even consider a lap band since they are just a joke and very rarely successful.

You ask who doesn't want cake or pie? I can honestly say I rarely have any desire for sweets. I do and often have turned down dessert and in fact didn't even buy pie for Thanksgiving last year. So as you can see we are all very different but we all have to learn to eat differently to be successful with our chosen surgery. Many things can be healthy but are loaded with carbs and carbs are the kiss of death in weight loss surgery.