Is there ANYONE here who is NOT getting surgery?

The point is (and this is the reason I opted out) that you CAN still regain weight. You have to maintain a special diet, not just immediately post-surgically, but for life. If you don't, you regain the weight.

So I asked myself: "If I have to eat that way even after the surgery, for the rest of my life, why do I need the surgery? I could just eat that way anyways without it." If, after surgery, I could eat all the great stuff I eat now and STILL lose weight, it might be a consideration for me. But I'd never be able to eat the way I eat now (which is not the way I used to eat, to be sure) if I had WLS. And I like enjoying food. I just do it differently, and a lot smarter now. I don't feel deprived when I'm fasting because I know I will be able to eat delicious stuff again soon. Knowing that I would never be able to eat whatever I want again, and was stuck for life with the miserable diet WLS requires, I'd be really unhappy. Now I get the best of both worlds, yay - eating what I want AND getting super healthy.

The fact is that if you ate the exact post-surgical diet even without having the surgery, you would see the same results. The fact is that WLS still requires you to have lots of discipline in your eating even afterwards. The only actual difference is that, post-surgery, it's actually painful/unpleasant to eat too much.

We all agree that in ALL cases, life changes are required to be successful. I find the life changes required by fasting to be far, far easier and better than the ones required by WLS.

The post-WLS diet is "miserable?" News to me.

I think it is. At least the examples I was given

But you would know more about it than I do. After WLS, can you eat whatever you want, however much you want, any time you want, with no restrictions?

I can (I just often choose not to for varying periods).

You're telling me that post-WLS people can just go right back to eating the same things as always?

>> You're telling me that post-WLS people can just go right back to eating the same things as always?

I said no such thing. :)

Check the "What's on your menu" threads in the VSG and RNY sections of the forums, if you're so inclined. People are eating all sorts of tasty things after surgery!

Ah, I see SparkleKitty gave up, took her ball, and went home. She clearly couldn't handle the truth, so she banned me from replying to her. It's sad when people are so wrapped up emotionally in a mistake that they refuse to admit they made it.

I have maintained a normal BMI for over 7 years. Something that I could not do in the previous 50 plus years, even after having WLS. I guarantee you that your BMI will not be normal in 2 years, much less 7. Aside from the fact that the odds are against you, your attitude guarantees it.

WLS is not a magic cure all or anything to be taken lightly. However the fact remains that of all the weight loss options out there bariatric surgery has produced the highest success rates out there. There is not one other method of losing weight (and keeping it off) that even comes close.

WLS is not perfect but it is the best treatment we have at this point in time. If I thought for even a second that I had any other options for keeping the weight off believe me I would have done it. I tried every diet or method out there and nothing worked long term. Yes the answer is to eat in a healthy way. But unfortunately I did not have that ability long term no matter how much I tried. I needed the big guns in order to be able to stop eating destructively.

I don't know how old you are or how long you have been dealing with obesity (other than at least 4 years) but I can bet that like me nothing you have done has produced any long term results that are even remotely satisfactory. I don't want to burst your bubble but your fasting attempts are as doomed as all your other attempts. But if that is what you want to hang your hopes onto than good luck. At least it's free. And not permanent so you can always choose to go back to your previous ways of eating. And you will.

Good job on your success. But why do you say "I couldn't maintain a low BMI even after having WLS"? are you saying that it works, or doesn't work?

The odds aren't against me. I am proving it every day. And yes, my attitude does guarantee it - guarantee my success, that is.

WLS is effective at losing weight, I never disagreed with that. But, sorry to tell you, there IS a method that not only comes close but gets EXACTLY the same results, and WITHOUT surgery. So, sorry, but you're wrong about that. Nor is it the best treatment we have - it's second-best. Unless you're tried Intermittent Fasting, then you have not tried "every method out there".

I've been dealing with obesity my whole life, and I'm about the same age as you. And, yes, like you I thought I had tried everything. And yes, nothing had succeeded long term. I was very close to getting surgery myself. But when I found out all the details, I decided it wasn't worth it.

Thanks for your concern, but "my fasting attempts" not only are not "doomed" but ave been incredibly successful - and WAY easier than I had feared. I thought I would be constantly hungry - I'm not. I worried that I would eat way too much when I stopped - I don't. Compared to something like quitting smoking or following a "diet", it's a cake walk. It's nice that you can pooh-pooh it when you haven't even tried it, though. So far it's been six months and I don't even have the SLIGHTEST, TEENIEST urge to go back to the old way of eating. In fact, I'm so powered up about all the weight that I've lost,. and how much better I feel, and how successful it is, that I not only am WAY healthier but I have energy to spend time doing pointless things like trying to prevent people from making a huge mistake like WLS even when they just ignorantly jump on anything that disagrees with them.

Look, I imagine it must totally suck to be in a position where you had drastic surgery only to find out that you didn't have to. There's no going back, unfortunately. Really I'm here to warn the people who haven't had it yet. People who have, all I can say is sorry you didn't get the good information before you were suckered into it by your greedy hospital.

I've lost 20% of my weight in 6 months. Not only have I not gained any of it back but I am mroe energized than ever and completely 100% never, ever will go back to the old way. I have NO craving for it and actively am repelled by the thought. So your condescending attitude is a waste of your time.

I had a long response all typed up and then I said "Why bother?" You have absolutely no credibility to me. None. You have managed to stick it out six months. That means nothing to me. Check back this time next year and I'll be impressed. Six months. Jeez. What a joke. I can't even believe you are boasting about that. I would be embarrassed to tell people that I have the magic answer after only six months. I could stick to most diets for six months. What I could never do without surgery is maintain a normal BMI for seven years. That impresses me.

Dial me up in seven years and I will be impressed. Hell, check in a year from now and you might have my attention. Until then I would just keep quiet until you have some long term success under your belt before you start telling people to forget surgery and jump on your bandwagon.

You should have posted your long rely, it might have contained some useful information instead of the stupid insult-filled rant you did post.

You can rant and pretend to be all smug and condescending all you want, but you are no more knowledgeable or experienced than I am. You're just mad that you got your body seriously modified when you didn't have to. Your hostility is amusing to me. So smug and superior. Hey, darlin'? You ain't the only one who's been dealing with obesity for a lifetime. You have no special skill or experience that everyone else here doesn't have, so spare me the absurd sneering.

You impress me not at all, either. You clearly don't know what the hell you're talking about. So you got some surgery that FORCES you to eat minuscule amounts and restricts you from many things you used to be able to eat - you want a medal? You didn't "stick to" anything, my dear. That's like someone who is in prison bragging that they didn't spend any money on travel or vacations. It gives you zero credibility in my eyes. So don't act like you're some kind of God Of Obesity Knowledge. All that had to have the knowledge to do was pay a lot of money to a surgeon - they did all the work. You had zero choice after that, you were stuck with it. So your vaunted "SEVEN YEARS!" means nada. I'm on the other hand, am doing it myself, and succeeding just as well as you with my guts intact.

"You can rant and pretend to be all smug and condescending all you want, but you are no more knowledgeable or experienced than I am. "

Seriously? I weigh 110 and have for about 7 years. That would indicate that I have far more experience and success then you have.

"You're just mad that you got your body seriously modified when you didn't have to."

Again, seriously? I'm not mad in the least, any more than a heart patient is mad that they needed heart surgery. I am glad there is a treatment out there that is successful and I was able to have it. I suspect that you would love to have WLS if your insurance would pay for it or you had the money. Your posts scream sour grapes.

"You impress me not at all, either. You clearly don't know what the hell you're talking about. So you got some surgery that FORCES you to eat minuscule amounts and restricts you from many things you used to be able to eat - you want a medal?"

No medal but if you think that I am thin because I am forced to eat minuscule amounts, think again. If that were the case then no one would regain after WLS. It takes commitment to eating healthy in order to lose weight and keep it off, no matter what route you go. You may not be impressed but I sure am. I have never in more than 50 years been able to be a normal weight for more than a nanosecond. I am very impressed when any formally MO person is able to lose weight and keep it off for a period of years. Not days or months but years. That is why your arguments don't impress me. Again, check in in about 5 years and I will be impressed. Six months, not so much.

Your absolute ignorance amuses me. For you to think that WLS makes it easy to lose weight and keep it off shows how little you know. If you ever are able to have surgery you will find out how much work it takes. I hope someday you do have the opportunity but if you do I hope you are better educated in the responsibilities involved in having surgery. It is a huge commitment and the more knowledge you have the better your chances are of succeeding. I wish you well.