Is WLS successful in the long run?

I know some people IRL who had the same surgery I had - done by the same doc, app the same time I had mine. or after me. 

I often see what and how much they eat.  And drink. drink with food. I was doing that for a year or so... and gained 35 lbs...But I was still eating relatively low calories..

I become MO because my body is not normal.  app 4 years post op I was eating and drinking like normal people would. just smaller portions. I regains 25 lbs.. I can't eat or drink what normal people eat or drink and not gain weight. Even if I eat smaller portion.   My body is designed to store calories as long as I eat starches.  or carbs. Or drink alcohol.  Even not much alcohol.

6 years postop I realized that I can eat and maintain only if I change what, when and how much I eat.  The moment I add carbs like starches and fruits - even if I eat relatively low calories diet - I stop losing and either maintain or start gaining... 

some people can eat oatmeal or bread or wraps and either maintain or lose weight.  they can eat protein bars and yogurt, drink milk.  I can't if i want to lose or maintain.   I can't drink alcohol.  I am not an alcoholic - though I had time that I medicated myself with wine or other drinks every day... the alcohol "was helping my gut..." That was my line.. The alcohol was helping me to eat more...because who wants to go out to nice dinner, and be able to eat 4 oz of steak 2 bites of veggies and watch everyone eat appetizers and sides.... no wonder I gained the weight. 

Hala, you are my hero. You are a prime example of someone whose body responded differently to weight loss surgery, but you never gave up and figured out what works for you to lose the weight and keep it off.

Thank you for sharing your story. Keep sharing it!!

I am 10 years out from my LapBand and still 110lbs down. The most I ever lost was around 125, bring me to 175, two kids, mastectomy later I am still doing well and consider myself a success. But I would never say it is easy or that I am comfortable. I wear a size 6/8 small or medium tops (unless I go to Juniors then sometimes a large), but honestly I beat myself up about weight and how I look way too much. I have tried to fix it and I know I am in a good stop just wish I gave myself a break once in a while.  Good luck! Oh and my BMI is 30 technically obese as I was recently told! I would need to loose I think 40lbs to be at a normal, which I do not want to do. I would like to get the last 15 off and that is my new goal!

I'm 16 years out from a Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) -- a kind of surgery that isn't even done any more.  I have attained, and maintained, a 150-pound weight loss during that time.  I bounce up and down maybe 5 pounds depending on what I've been doing (or not doing), but I've had no what I would call "significant" regain.

Nobody would confuse me for a thin person.  I'm not a thin person.  Tried that once -- after a particularly damaging crash diet in the early 1980's -- and was so physically sick and so emotionally crazed there's no way I would do that again ever, even if I could fit into size 8 pants.

What I am is an average-sized person.  I shop in "normal" clothing stores and am still astounded, from time to time, that items purchased there actually fit me correctly.  Or, from time to time, are too big.

I'm also 59 years old, and my days of trying to dazzle anybody with my looks are long past.  I've been with the same man for 40 years so he's pretty much immune to what I look like and thinks I'm beautiful anyway.  What the hell - I still think of him as having a full head of hair.

What I am is comfortable in my own body for probably the first time in my life.  I don't know what my BMI is and I really don't care.  I know what my weight is -- because I have to know --   and I'm very careful not to let the scale rule my life, because for a long time (see above-noted damaging crash diet) it did. 

As for my "secret" of maintaining?  Being grateful every day for this tool that has allowed me to regain my health and see my sons grow up.  That has fixed the symptom -- morbid obesity -- so that I could work diligently on the cause of my illness.  That has opened doors to learning about myself that I had pretty much bricked over throughout my life.  Not wanting to blow what I believed then and believe now to be the very last chance to get my life back.

I've had one significant complication in the 16 years since my surgery -- and I didn't even have that until last year about this time.  It was fixed with some iron shots.

There are probably those who would not consider me a "success" because I'm not a size 8 or whatever.  I know I'm a success because I'm still on the right side of the dirt.

Numbers -- whether in your BMI or on your scale -- are just numbers, after all.

Statistician chiming in!

What you see on this forum is not necessarily a representative sample of WLS patients. What you see is a picture of people who are inclined to seek out support for one reason or another, and even then only the people who have some reason-- whatever it may be-- to stick around.

If you want legit info, start looking at medical research, not support groups or forums. For example:

One study of ~450 patients found 77% EWL at one year post-op, and 56% EWL at five years (19% regain). This jives with other research showing a 58% EWL at 5 years out.

The ASMBS points out that "success" (defined as 50%+ EWL) is far far FAR more likely with WLS than without, which is a very important point to remember.

I went and pulled all of my replies on this thread but because the original was quoted, in a response, so be it. 

It's not that I don't stand by what I say on here or that it can't help. But if it doesn't have any value to the OP and others feel the need to take pot shots at me, so be it. I've been on here for a long time, this ain't my first rodeo. 

I don't get it though, the only point if one tried hard enough to give me the benefit of the doubt in my original response was to get the point across that there are certain things that happen to wls peeps that aren't fair. 

But that it's possible to keep some weight off when as a long term post op, one can do so if they aren't eligible for revision. 

I just find it ironic that I'm pretty transparent on here, with what I weigh look like and all over the internet. I don't monetize my time and I end up dealing with wls peeps and non wls peeps in medical and mental health crisis (making it clear it can't replace evaluation and treatment by clinically trained providers) as an advocate. 

I just don't get how others who are long termers in this thread, chimed in and were respectfully taken into consideration, whether or not they kept off all their excess weight and are applauded and I get kind of unfairly judged. 

I will say this, both to the OP and others who disagreed with me. It's pretty easy to find fault with someone you aren't trying to give the benefit of the doubt to, behind a digital device. 

It ain't going to break me. I can eat what I want within some moderation but still obviously have to "diet" to keep a good portion of my weight off. I had to survive some horrible cir****tances and I'm not on here for support or validation, just to give support.I still take up one seat on the bus, fit in a booth comfortably and after being a size 24 both before and after a rny with now being a size 12 on average, with horrible cir****tances that be grateful you hopefully will NEVER understand, survived them and choose to help others. Without monetizing myself in any way.   

But be careful of how you respond to the next poster you may find who writes something in a place of caring and you judge harshly. There is always going to be drama in ANY community, the wls communities are NO exception. 

But you may terribly hurt someone if you can't be respectful and open mnded when people share things on here. Especially if they're cir****tances you've NEVER had to deal with. 

I hope you find what you need Tri, both on and on here to be in your best health. And I wish the same for all of my wls peers. 

Whether or not they like me or what I have to say and how I say it. Peace, Lisa 

You're right, there IS always going to be drama when you tell other people what to say and how to say it :)

I did not see anyone unfair or harsh toward you. And you shouldn't have deleted all your posts. Everyone should share their experience.

YES!  It may sound like a sound bite but the tool works even after 12 years, I just have to work the tool.  I weighed in at my highest of 330 lost over 200 pounds and my lowest was 114 pounds. I maintained 118-125 for 11 years.  When I had a personal loss I turned to carbs and did not pay any attention to my eating and I gained weight.  Once I started back to the basics again I started losing again.

When I had surgery this was a BIG ? Not only does it work long term but what are any side effects long term. There was no data.  We are now seeing patterns and data for long term results.