Why do I post on this forum, when I am NOT a failure?

I was asked by someone why I post on this forum?  Do I enjoy their pain and misery?  Do I gloat, because i am not a failure at weight loss?  Am I just over here to put people down?

No, I am here because I truly believe that the vast majority of people that are failing at weight loss after surgery, are fully capable of getting their excess weight off. 

I WANT to see everyone make it.  I want to see people get rid of their type II diabetes, like I did.  I WANT to see people get rid of high cholesterol, high tri-glycerides, and all of the other co-morbidities that plague us when we are overweight.

I know that if people will control their portions, get even a bit of regular exercise, and maintain some self-control, they can and will succeed.

I CAN eat more than i do, I choose not to.  I choose to measure out everything I eat, rather than eat till I am absolutely full.

I cheat (we all do).  BUT, when I cheat, I do it one time and i make myself stop.  That means, if I am going to eat a cookie, I eat one and walk away.  Is that hard to do sometimes?  Sure it is, but I will never reach goal if I don't do that.

I absolutely HATE to exercise.  I got enough exercise in my 10 years in the Army to last a lifetime.  So, in September 2008, I huffed and puffed to walk the 300 steps to my mailbox.  I had to rest about 5 minutes, and by the time I got back to the house, I was exhausted.  But, I made myself do it, every day, and slowly it became easier and easier to do.

Then, I began to walk for exercise.   1/4 of a mile at first, and that was all that I could do.  I gradually increased it, and now I can walk, at a brisk pace, 2-3 miles without a problem.  That's all the exercise I do, I walk.  No gym, no weights, nothing but walk.

I am also 66 years old and I have severe psoriatic arthritis.  I have to take Motrin 800mg, three times every day, just to function.  I also have two compression fractures in my spine, and there is not a day that goes by that I am now in severe pain. 

If I can lose 165.5 pounds in 14 months, at my age and with my physical problems, so can you.

I want to see all of you succeed.  Don't give up!  Get back into your program, and try, try, try.  You can do this, I know you can.

I have more faith in most of you that you have in yourself. 

YOU CAN DO THIS.

My surgery was screwed from the beginning. I almost died from the dumbass mistakes the surgeon made on me.  NOW, after having surgery reversed in 2005, exercising to the point of exhaustion and dieting, I am 50 pounds heavier than my lowest weight.  I work out 6 days a week. I am hungry ALL the time. I can't lose weight to save my soul. Either my metabolism is so out of whack from when I had that stupid lapband in my body and couldn't eat solid foods (for TWO years!) or I'm simply meant to be this weight. I haven't given up, but it's certainly discouraging.

I rarely post on this board unless I see someone who is experiencing complications that I might know something about. I can appreciate your enthusiasm for helping others, but it's kind of hard to take sometimes from someone who doesn't truly know what "FAILED WLS" is, you know?  It's kind of like someone going onto a cancer board and saying, "I haven't HAD cancer, but I can imagine what it's like for you and THIS is what you should do." Sometimes it's not as cut and dried as people think it is. 

Hi,

If it was this simple, all surgeons would be bragging about the "100%" success rate of all their procedures.  They don't.  They are very realistic in saying, about 60% weight loss.  Even the professionals know this is optimistic.  Read the statistics and you will see this number across the board on most all procedures. Knowledge and understanding is important when posting on this board.  There are so many variables in a person's weight loss journey.  There is no way they can all be put into one basket and say one size fits all.  

Nobody is putting all of the people in "one basket".  I am well aware that people are different.

I am also aware that some surgeons screw up (which is what malpractice laws are there for). 

Nobody is responsible for their own choices anymore.  It's all someone elses fault.  The surgeon screwed up; my family makes me eat; it's all because of my horrible marriage or childhood; I just can't help myself.

And the more that attitude is encouraged, the more the person accepts failure as OK.  "I was programmed to fail" is their mantra.

Then you wonder wy so many give up so easily, and don't lose even close to the 60% average across all forms of wls (some are much higher in average than that, others are much lower by the way).

OK, I can see that this is the pity party, where everyone sings Kumbuya to each other and tells each other that it's so sad that they failed and it is never their own fault. 

I get the message.  Reality need not intrude, nobody should encourage people to get off their duffs and really try, try again. 

Nobody can blame them for giving up, that's exactly what they are encouraged to do.

Wow, I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, but it's true... you are kinda judgmental and holier-than-thou, aren't you? 

Why do you have seven tickers in your signature line if you know the best way to do everything?

By the way, maybe someday you'll be "lucky" enough to have to try to sue a doctor for malpractice. Once again, it's not nearly as easy as people think. The doctors have more protection than the patient can even dream of having.

He doesn't have enough self control to stop posting tickers. It's 8 at last count...

OMG...................JILL

YOUR POST IS THE FUNNIEST THING I HAVE READ IN A LONG LONG TIME........THANKS


IRISH4EVER

It's currently up to 11, inexplicably.

Hey dumbass I don't usually read your mumble-jumble and now I know why.  This might be the most asinine thing I've seen on OH.  Yes surgeons do **** up SOMETIMES, they aren't perfect.

Some people do fail their surgeries, I agree but not everyone.  WLS is not a cure, it's there to help those of us with food addictions, health issues that trigger weight gain, etc.  Complications happen early out and even later, IT HAPPENS.

Good for you for losing 160+ lbs, I've done well myself and I'm thankful.  I'd NEVER tell someone they failed, they are programmed to fail, don't have a pity party.

Not all surgeries are created equal, nor is the percentage of success long-term the same.

Get a grip dude........you never know where you'll be in 4-5 years.  Don't spit up in the air too quickly, it might fall back on your head. 

Cripes the newer post-ops that think they'll never do XYZ again, # lbs gone forever, telling others to stop eating.......SHOULD really read more and take some information from those 5+ years out that might have said the same darn thing and are now struggling with regain.

You rock!

Old Medic is a doofus. He is always blabbing on and on about how successful he is, but he is just a year out. What hubris!

He disses other surgeries based on all this "research" he allegedly has done "in university libraries" on for example, the DS, yet he cannot produce even ONE peer-reviewed scientific journal article to back his crazy rants up.

He's on THIS board because people are tired of him on the other boards.

(BTW, I'm here today because someone told me there was a question posted today about the DS.)

Nicolle