Worried

Hi!   I haven't yet had surgery yet  - I'm hoping to in the next month or two. These forums are so helpful & I'm interested to find out about those who had surgery awhile ago. Are the experiences I've been reading here the norm?  After a year or more, is losing & keeping weight off the same struggle it was prior to surgery?  From what I've read, it doesn't sound like the surgery makes a lot of difference (as an overeating deterrent ), after a period of time. I'd appreciate your opinions.  Thanks! Lynette

Click here: Weight Gain After Short- and Long-Limb Gastric Bypass in Patients Followed for Longer Than 10 Years  This is the only study I have found that follows a good number of people 10 years or more. It includes Proximal RNY, Distal RNY, and DS. The ultimate answer to a 10 year study is that the regain, or maintance of weight loss is THE SAME! I expected to see DS maintain a higher loss, and Distal RNY to come in next, with Proximal to be the most regain, and found that all 3 regain ( or maintain their loss) the same. What this means is, over our lifetime, any of these can meet our needs, and all 3 can allow us to be fat again unless we follow the protocal, which is no, or low sugar, low carbs and high protein for life. 80% of those followed 10 years or more kept their BMI below 30 which is below OBESE. 20% regained above 35 BMI, and of those only a very few regained all their weight back. Good luck on any you choose, I hope you lose every excess pound and keep it off for life!

Thanks for your reply!  Seems encouraging to me - 80% w/BMI below 30 for 10 years.  I am a carb addict & desperately hope this works for me. Lynette

 

i agree with the above post. The surgery is a tool but if you don 't deal with the issues that cause you to overeat to begin with you will always have that struggle.

In the beginning its like a jumpstart b/c you lose weight so quickly. Obviously at some point things level off and we go into maintenance mode. The goal is to try to make permanent lifestyle changes during the first 12-18mths so that it becomes your new way of life and maintenance isn't so hard. Factoring in the mental/emotional side of weightloss and why we became obese in the first place isn't always easy. They do surgery on your stomach, not your brain. That's why I am currently seeing a therapist that specializes in eating disorders so I can try to get a handle on my eating disorders~emotional eating and food addiction. My best advice is do alot of research, plan ahead for any pitfalls that might come your way, keep a positive attitude and don't give up. This surgery gives you a tool that you can chose to use or to abuse. Every day is not perfect, but we all do the best that we can and making a few mistakes along the way (ie gaining weight) isn't the end of the world~even "normal" people do that. We just  need to get back on the wagon and use the tool that we've been given. Support is also a HUGE component~from local support groups, OH, etc. Good Luck to you!

Currently, I am also seeing an eating disorder therapist.  I definitely want to get into a support group after surgery. Tracy, how long do you think you'll continue seeing the therapist & is that helping you?

Lynette

 

Hi Lynette. I'm not sure how long I will see her~I would assume for awhile and then see how things go. She said we will probably both know when its time that I can "be on my own" again, but it does help knowing that I have her to bounce things off of. So far I am very greatful that I am able to go and seem to be getting  alot out of it. I do think its the missing link in wls b/c the surgeons only focus on rerouting our insides, not changing our mindset.

I'm sorta responding to all of these posts here.

I've seen studies, heard presentations and really, it depends on what point is trying to be proven what the study will say.

My own(13 yr) experience is (at their 5 yrs):
distal RNY (as in measure by common channel, not bypassed length) could expect 80-90% of Excess Weight Lost (EWL)
DS (with a good program) could expect 70-80%
Proximal (with a good program) 60-70%
Proximal (with most programs) 50%, tops

I know that seems harsh, but been doing this a long, long time. And those who are not armed with supplements, info and frequent labs are the ones with the most regain.

We are all carb addicts, as that is the nature of our physical disease. If you don't think you ever WANT to let go of your carbs, then I'd say it's basically a wase of scar. Oh sure, you can fly fine for a year or so, but then they start crawling back on your hips.

So, that is the DARK side. The bright side is that you might learn to manage your carb thing with foods you like, protein drinks, watching for hidden sugars (which cause cravings) and hanging out with others who eat likewise. And you can beat those stats. Many do!

The study I linked wasn't trying to prove any paticular point, it was presenting information gleaned from a 10 year follow-up. A true study with real results are only available when there's no agenda. I didn't see any agenda besides to have a result from following bariatric post-ops to see what their regain rate really is long term. I didn't see any reccomendation regarding distal RNY, Proximal RNY or DS. Usually a biased report will be geared towards a final reccomendation for one type proceedure over another.

The original excess loss for any bariatric surgery isn't the whole story, the loss maintained in the long term is the true story. Most people with RNY or DS can expect to maintain around a 65% EWL after 10 years. Some will do better and some will not do as well. Not what many people want to hear, but it beats the hell out of where I was before surgery.

You bring up a great concern that is not adequately adressed and that is the reason why we overeat in the first place. The surgery is only a tool, and there is not enough work on what the alternative coping strategies and psychological support that should be in place to take the place of what we do with food and the needs it meets for us.