is it even possible to lose 165 pounds without surgery?
Quite a few folks on here have, and even more than that! It is a different journey than surgery, it will take longer and take a complete change of mind and lifestyle to accompli**** But I think it is worth it, it's a very personal decision, I would just encourage you to make sure you are 100% sure before you make your decision which ever road you choose to take, best wishes!
Michelle Hendrickson Holistic Health Coach http://www.gracioushealth.net
(deactivated member)
on 4/24/10 2:59 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
on 4/24/10 2:59 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
Yes it is.
I've lost 191 lbs and have maintained my lose for close to a year now.
It takes a lot of determination and sweat but it can absolutely be done.
If you are having doubts about surgery maybe you should postpone it a couple of months until you are sure. Once you have surgery there is no turning back. It's not like a bad haircut which will grow back......WLS is 100% permanent and so are the life long changes you must make. You need to be 100% you are ready for that. Don't misunderstand, I'm not anti WLS, I want my niece to do it, but she is not ready... anyhow I'm just trying to say you have to be positive this is what you want.
Best wishes on your decision!
I've lost 191 lbs and have maintained my lose for close to a year now.
It takes a lot of determination and sweat but it can absolutely be done.
If you are having doubts about surgery maybe you should postpone it a couple of months until you are sure. Once you have surgery there is no turning back. It's not like a bad haircut which will grow back......WLS is 100% permanent and so are the life long changes you must make. You need to be 100% you are ready for that. Don't misunderstand, I'm not anti WLS, I want my niece to do it, but she is not ready... anyhow I'm just trying to say you have to be positive this is what you want.
Best wishes on your decision!
(deactivated member)
on 4/24/10 4:59 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
on 4/24/10 4:59 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
If you have any questions or want to chat about how I lost it send me a PM. I'll be on-line again later tonight and sometime tomorrow.
Best wishes to you!
Best wishes to you!
(deactivated member)
on 4/24/10 5:18 am
on 4/24/10 5:18 am
I've lost that much weight - I was too scared to have surgery and I realized that there was nothing wrong with my digestive tract - it was the choices of food I was eating. I knew that I could lose weight after having WLS but the foods I liked to eat are what are called slider foods in that they can go down any pouch or sleeve - things like ice cream, cookies, chips, KFC and basically any industrial processed foods etc. I've been a member here a long time but I lurked even longer and it was sad seeing people I remember having surgery and losing great amounts of weight coming back a few years later having gained back significant amount of weight and/or having serious physical problems due to surgery. Early on, this place was not supportive for people who came back having gained their weight back - the newbies who were waiting for surgery or just had it kept blaming them for failing their surgery. Problem is the surgery isn't always the right fix.
With a lot of soul searching I've realized that I had to make permanent changes if I want the weight to remain off - and these are changes that I would have to make with or without surgery. I had to come to terms with the fact that I am addicted to the heavily processed junk foods - I eat them mindlessly, I NEED THEM to fill an endless hole in me etc. I have found the only way that I can deal with this is to not eat these foods - there is nothing healthy in them and no nutrition in them that I can find eating better food. On my diet I can eat anything I want on a handful of feast days - those are the days I can eat junk food, but the rest of the time I only eat whole foods. What I discovered is that after a week or two on my new diet that my cravings disappeared and my taste buds had completely changed so food I once thought was boring is now very tasty. I taste things in veggies that I never knew existed and make them so much more flavorful. I had some junk food a couple of months later and was shocked that they had no flavor but were way too salty and yucky. If I were to continue to eat junk food my taste buds would change again and I'd be addicted so I just don't eat that stuff.
I'm glad of the choice I made and I know I won't regain my shed weight because this part of a permanent lifestyle change whi*****ludes regular exercise. I'm not tempted anymore by junk. I have learned a whole new way to eat, changed the way I order food in restaurants and when I travel - it has been quite the learning curve but now it's a way of life.
I agree with Moosie (Ruth) - postpone your surgery to give yourself plenty of time to think this through. Yes, you can lose a lot of weight quickly after surgery and that is exciting, but what does this WLS mean for the rest of your life. Can you live with some of the potential complications? Can you take tons of vitamin pills? Can you afford the follow-up care and supplements for life? Have you tried eating food like someone who had WLS? I tried to eat as if I had the RNY following the instructions of my potential WLS and I was crying - I could never eat like that and enjoy food. Write out the pros and cons and spend time going through the various forums here at OH and on other websites (OH is mostly newbies who are thrilled about their weight loss, but other websites have people who are farther out and are more honest about the good, the bad and the ugly) - this is part of research - find out how other people are living with WLS 5 years out. Only after you have sorted out all of these issues will you be in a better place to decide if you should have WLS and which one is the right one for you. Now you may have done some of this research already and if you have that's good. And whatever you chose to do, remember you need to do it for life, so chose something that you can live with and enjoy.
And no matter what you chose, all of us here will support you. Good luck.
With a lot of soul searching I've realized that I had to make permanent changes if I want the weight to remain off - and these are changes that I would have to make with or without surgery. I had to come to terms with the fact that I am addicted to the heavily processed junk foods - I eat them mindlessly, I NEED THEM to fill an endless hole in me etc. I have found the only way that I can deal with this is to not eat these foods - there is nothing healthy in them and no nutrition in them that I can find eating better food. On my diet I can eat anything I want on a handful of feast days - those are the days I can eat junk food, but the rest of the time I only eat whole foods. What I discovered is that after a week or two on my new diet that my cravings disappeared and my taste buds had completely changed so food I once thought was boring is now very tasty. I taste things in veggies that I never knew existed and make them so much more flavorful. I had some junk food a couple of months later and was shocked that they had no flavor but were way too salty and yucky. If I were to continue to eat junk food my taste buds would change again and I'd be addicted so I just don't eat that stuff.
I'm glad of the choice I made and I know I won't regain my shed weight because this part of a permanent lifestyle change whi*****ludes regular exercise. I'm not tempted anymore by junk. I have learned a whole new way to eat, changed the way I order food in restaurants and when I travel - it has been quite the learning curve but now it's a way of life.
I agree with Moosie (Ruth) - postpone your surgery to give yourself plenty of time to think this through. Yes, you can lose a lot of weight quickly after surgery and that is exciting, but what does this WLS mean for the rest of your life. Can you live with some of the potential complications? Can you take tons of vitamin pills? Can you afford the follow-up care and supplements for life? Have you tried eating food like someone who had WLS? I tried to eat as if I had the RNY following the instructions of my potential WLS and I was crying - I could never eat like that and enjoy food. Write out the pros and cons and spend time going through the various forums here at OH and on other websites (OH is mostly newbies who are thrilled about their weight loss, but other websites have people who are farther out and are more honest about the good, the bad and the ugly) - this is part of research - find out how other people are living with WLS 5 years out. Only after you have sorted out all of these issues will you be in a better place to decide if you should have WLS and which one is the right one for you. Now you may have done some of this research already and if you have that's good. And whatever you chose to do, remember you need to do it for life, so chose something that you can live with and enjoy.
And no matter what you chose, all of us here will support you. Good luck.
I cannot speak for the masses, but I wonder if there is any research out there on KEEPING weight off from surgery YEARS later????
Because I had the Lap Band, it didn't work for me
so I had it removed two years later. 
My sister had gastric bypass 11 years ago, and has gained nearly all her weight back.
I am now losing weight through a program supervised by a hospital, and I LOVE it! I am finally getting my HEAD fixed, not just the scale. It feels GREAT!
I completely understand if you have your surgery, and support you through your journey. We will NOT be disappointed if you have WLS. Please keep us posted.
Hugs & Best wishes,
Because I had the Lap Band, it didn't work for me
so I had it removed two years later. My sister had gastric bypass 11 years ago, and has gained nearly all her weight back.
I am now losing weight through a program supervised by a hospital, and I LOVE it! I am finally getting my HEAD fixed, not just the scale. It feels GREAT!
I completely understand if you have your surgery, and support you through your journey. We will NOT be disappointed if you have WLS. Please keep us posted.
Hugs & Best wishes,
(deactivated member)
on 4/28/10 8:16 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
on 4/28/10 8:16 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
Been thinking of you.....how's it going?
Remember it's not an easy road to travel but so worth the journey. You may hit a few bumps in the road but don't let it derail you. Take it one meal at a time. Keep your eyes on the prize and YOU CAN DO IT! Slow and steady wins the race.
Looking forward to hearing how you are doing.
Remember it's not an easy road to travel but so worth the journey. You may hit a few bumps in the road but don't let it derail you. Take it one meal at a time. Keep your eyes on the prize and YOU CAN DO IT! Slow and steady wins the race.
Looking forward to hearing how you are doing.
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