New Here - Informal Survey for Long-Timers

I'm about 3-1/2 years post surgery, and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I've lost all my excess weight, and at each of my last three yearly physicals, I have weighed within one pound of the previous year's weight.

There are a lot of different experiences before and after surgery, but some common denominators as well. The vast majority of us put surgery off for several years, for a variety of reasons. Usually, we go to several seminars given by the bariatric surgeons, to look into things. Some are just afraid of the surgery itself. Some are afraid of a drastic lifestyle change, and giving up our old comfort -- food. Some are afraid we'll fail. But most people are convinced that we can "do it on our own," without surgery. Maybe we start yet another diet, even a preop diet, and lose a bunch of weight. In my lifetime, I've lost about 3 trillion pounds on diets, but always gained it back, and more.

Eventually, we admit to ourselves that surgery is our last, best chance, so we go ahead. And after the initial unpleasantness of the surgery itself, and confronting our various demons, we end up saying that surgery was the best choice we ever made. I think that's what you'll end up deciding too.

Well said Grim.

I dieted most of my teenage to adult years... suffered through every diet imaginable... I can pretty much suffer through most anything for a time... but long term, sustainable, only about 5% of people keep the weight off with non-surgical methods... those "results not typical" before and afters are actually that not typical. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired... I needed a helping hand to get some of the obesity related health issues under control... and thankfully having surgery did that: 

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2015/09/life- after-weight-loss-surgery-q-a_7.html

Best wishes to you in whatever you decide. 

What surgery did for me is let me get on a level playing field with people who have never been obese.  I have maintained within about five pounds for the last eight years.  I go up during the holidays and diet it back off starting January 1 - just like a "normal" person.

I had diabetes for 19 years before surgery.  I followed the diet, did the exercise and still gained weight.  The only difference for me is that now the diet and exercise works.

I went on my first doctor-supervised diet at age 9, my first diet pills at age 11. I spent the following 30+ years on one diet or another. Finally, at 45, I acknowledged that there was no diet that was going to work long-term for me.

That was 12 years ago. I chose the Duodenal Switch, for several reasons. Today I am 57, and healthier than I was at 27---and thinner, too. (*grin*) I'm living a more 'normal' life than I have since childhood. The only thing that I would change would be to have had my DS several years earlier.

I had lost 100lbs 5 x in my life and close to a 100 several other times, yet I still weighed 383lbs when I went to the surgeon's office. I too went on my first diet at 9 years old. It will always be a struggle, but I would much rather struggle thinner than struggle Morbidly obese and all that goes along with it.

I would choose the RNY/gastric bypass again because I was at a point in my life even when I was restricting my calories I wasn't losing. I wanted the advantage of malabsorption to get me on the road, and didn't trust restriction would be enough.

I am nearly 6 years post op ad if I could have lost and maintained it without surgery, I would have done it a long time ago.I couldn't. 

I have lost and maintained 122# with little to no exercise. 

I would have surgery every month of that is what it took to keep my weight off. 

I am 20 years post op... surgery I had is no longer done, but has been modified by other surgeons into the procedures mostly done today..My surgeon told me never to take  NSAIDS, but over the past few years I have found them necessary, but I have to use them sparingly and with meds to protect my remaining intestinal tract..so I do have pain, often that I can't treat..i had to make the decision, what was  more important. Living or hurting some..Losing weight did help my other physical limitations substantially..

     If your PCP has followed you for 20 years, and suggests it is time...you need to seriously consider it. What you are doing is not working for the long term. It won't be long before this surgery will only be reserved for the young and obese, the elderly will be expendable.  Do the research as to what procedure you wish to do, look at the common side effects of each one and the outcomes...You need to pair these beside your health issues. If you have arthritis and need Nsaids,then you may not want an RNY...for instance...  What ever surgery you choose, If you choose surgery, Is a TOOL to assist you. You will have to respect that TOOl for the rest of your life.

  Like H.a.l.a B, I also have some problems from my surgery, I have a chronic anemia and use natural products to combat it. I have a very small esophagus at the pouch, so large vitamins are not possible. There has been much information learned, by the following  the people who had gastric surgery 10 and more years,   for example,there is now a call for  gastric bypass procedures to take a calcium citrate after they found it is better absorbed and utilized.

   Hope these responses help you to think your own situation thru and come to a decision that is right for you...

Hello Hello

I am 7 years out from my RNY and I will tell you...... It takes commitment to change your diet for long term success.  The procedure is a launching pad that forces you to have to adapt your lifestyle.... but it will only work for a short time if you try slip up.  As for me - I will be completely honest - I don't feel restriction anymore.  I do feel like crap if I've eaten way too much sugar - Not at the time - but about a half hour later my blood sugar crashes.  That helps to keep me in line but it's not enough.  I started at 300 pre-op.... and got down to 190 and started stalling out.  (Still not eating what I should have been all the while - Stupid).  It's only when I started cleaning up my diet and being accountable for my calories I was able to lose another 30 pounds and I have struggled since then to keep my weight down there.  I have in the last year or so learned about WHY I struggle so much with the carbs.... they're an addiction for me and I am personally extremely sensitive to them.  

The surgery works for a period of time.  The PLAN works long term if you can stick to it.  I think the long term plan AFTER the surgery is what you need to ask if you can handle.  Otherwise you'll go through all of this just to end up regaining. I know plenty of people who have had WLS and you'd never know it... they're as overweight and miserably furious with themselves and feeling hopeless.  Unfortunately for me, it was not an end to dieting.  It's a lifetime of dieting with help.... and that's actually just fine because I'm happy with my results but it's not a get out of jail free card.  It just gives you a fighting chance to get it right. 

2 years post-op here! I was 30 and had sleep apnea and high blood pressure that meds were barely keeping in check. I'd gained a lot of weight after years on meds for bipolar, but I absolutely had food problems and didn't exercise.

It was actually my psychiatrist who convinced me to look into surgery. He knew I'd been struggling-- I'd seen him for 8 years-- and thought it would be a good tool. Hearing it from a doctor was what finally helped me get up the guts to attend a seminar and take the first step.

I will be the first to admit that surgery has not "cured" my food problems. I recently had a baby, and all of the craziness that comes with pregnancy has shown that I will still eat an entire box of cookies over a few days, if given the chance. I'm pretty sure it'll be a lifelong struggle. But my surgery still works, and if I screw up, I can eat two slices of pizza instead of an entire one, and even after post-pregnancy gain I'm able to exercise-- something I certainly couldn't do at 290lb.

Losing and maintaining after surgery takes work. It's absolutely a lifestyle change, and a really drastic one at first, but it does get easier, and I feel like it's absolutely sustainable for a lifetime. That's not at all true for all of the diets I tried pre-op.