Question:
NOT A BIG EATER, GRAZE DISEASE, SURGERY??

Hi my friend HAD Graze disease and is now in remission. She is not a big eater (HONESTLY) but she still has a weight problem. She only eats 1 or 2 meals a day, but does get up in the middle of the night and has a few cookies or a tastycake. I posted before, but everyone kept saying she was a closet eater. SHE IS NOT. She's really thinking about surgery but she hardly eats now, I wonder if this surgery will work for her.    — Kelly* P. (posted on December 30, 2002)

December 29, 2002
I would have to say 'no' it won't work at this point. If your friend's caloric intake is that low and she's not losing then something is wrong. Any surgeon would need to rule out any other medical issues before proceeding with surgery anyway. If she is a closet eater and is in denial over that she needs to come to grips with that before she is a candidate for the surgery too. She won't pass the psyche part of the approval process. She should keep a log of her meals and snacks and really see what she is eating. (Maybe too many carbs? I gained 100 lbs over 3 1/2 years when I was a vegetarian due to carbs.) The surgeon, psychologist and nutritionist will want this info anyway. My MIL has Graves disease but she can't get the surgery due to her heart condition and not the graves disease. Good Luck to your friend.
   — LisaTaz

December 29, 2002
She should be checked for "insulin resistance". It is a blood test. Many people with PCOD have this and it makes it very difficult to lose weight even with WLS. Some have to go on a drug called Glucophage. These people need to stay away from carbs as much as possible.
   — ZZ S.

December 30, 2002
A couple of questions: If she has Grave's disease why isn't she on medication to control the symptoms? Also, I thought that Grave's (hyperthyroidism) caused weight LOSS, not gain? Hypothyroidism does cause weight gain but is the opposite problem. (I know about this cuz they have tried to peg my weight problems on hypothyroidism for years. No cigar--thyroid was fine I just ate too much.)
   — ctyst

December 30, 2002
As a PCOS/PCOD sufferer- I too was labeled as "eating too much"- however that just wasn't the case. WLS still worked for me (perhaps not as well as others) but it still allowed me to lose a substatial amount of weight, and helped my condition. Now I don't know squat about Graves- and she may only eat two meals, but it all comes down to caloric intake. With WLS your caloric intake is reduced and you will lose weight.
   — Karen R.

December 31, 2002
presurgery I usually only at one meal a day (except weekends when everyone was home and then I'd have lunch too) but my meals were high carbs: bread, rice, potatoes, gravies, corn, carrots, pasta, etc. and in large amounts. Ok not large by my skinny-minnie husband's or brother's standards, but HUGE for what "I" need to eat to not keep gaining. Surgery worked for me in a few different ways. One, I learned to cut out starchy carbs by 90% of pre-surgery. I couldn't consume a lot of food at one sitting. I learned I HAD to eat more than once a day to get in my needed nutrients AND to keep my metabolism going. Eating only once day leaves your body in starvation mode and slows your metabolism down to a crawl! I learned that sugar was basically an evil I can enjoy on "rare" occasions but basically need to stay away from...no middle of the night tasty cakes or cookies for me anymore. Lastly, this surgery alters your body in a way that no diet can do. It stops the production of an enzyme that encourages weight-gain and helps by malabsorbing some of the fats, sugars and calories that we do take in. Can this surgery work for her? Based on what you've said, I'd guess so...but her doctor can determine that way better than anyone here can.
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