Question:
Is this surgery for people who eat too much?
Stupid question,butI have to ask. Is this surgery for people who eat to much and are obese, or what if a person doesn't eat much at all but is still obese?I know about the surgery and why it is done-but could I have a problem with how I digest my food-you know holding on to every calorie and gaining weight? — Jan S. (posted on October 2, 2002)
October 2, 2002
Not a stupid question...I did not think that I ate alot, so I thought it
must be something else....I can tell you that being obese did not just
happen. I know there are a few that are obese because of medications...or a
disease, but basically it is a food issue. I went a few days at a time not
eating..some days only ate one meal, but every once in a while I ate the
whole bag of fritos, or the whole pint of ice cream, or went on a chocolate
binge, but for the most part did not eat "junk" all the time, but
it was still a food issue that made me obese, when we become obese and
start the diet thing going up and down in weight, we cause things to go
crazy internally and we actually lose the ability to successfully lose AND
maintain a large weight loss. So, Yes you are holding onto every calorie
and surgery can help you..I do not know what kind of surgery you are
looking into, but when you talk to your surgeon he should ask all about
your eating issues and from that you can decide which surgery will work
best for you. Best wishes on your journey!
— Patricia R.
October 2, 2002
I never thought I ate "that" much. I was mostly a muncher -
never ate "real" food - just kinda' munched all day at work - you
know, animal crackers and such. I'm 8 weeks post-op today and have lost 31
pounds. That's kinda' slow compared to some - but I had given up long ago
on dieting until last year when I began researching this surgery, so I am
just thrilled with whatever I lose. You may not lose as fast as some - but
you will definately lose. I just couldn't understand it when people kept
telling me that - but it is true. Now I eat just a few bites and I am
full. As a matter of fact, I believe one reason I am losing so slow is
because I don't eat near enough - a scrambled egg for breakfast, 3 oz
chicken for lunch and maybe 3 oz of chicken or similar for dinner - that's
all I eat all day. Good luck.
— Margaret G.
October 2, 2002
this surgery adresses both eating too much, and "holding on to every
calorie". Remember, part of your bowel is bypassed, so you absorb less
calories and fat too. And your stomach is smaller, so you eat less. I too
thoguht I ate very little, but now I look around, I seem to now eat what
most normal people eat- volume wise that is. I know I ate lots more of this
pre-op. I think I was in la-la land about that whole issue.
— Vicki L.
October 2, 2002
I was never a binge eater. And I never ate huge portions, just more than
what my body needed, and therefore gained weight. I do have to keep my
cals at 800 or lower to lose weight. My body just uses less than most. I
have found that if I eat 1000 cals a day, I maintain. I did that for 6
weeks, until I dropped back down to 800 a day. Some here say that with 800
or less a day, then your body goes into starvation mode. Not mine, my body
loves that! But what you are probably wanting to know is if this surgery
will work for someone where the body holds on to the cals...I am amazed
that it has worked so well for me. At 11 months out it is a challenge to
keep my cals at 800 or less, but this tool definitely helps tremendously!
— Cheri M.
October 2, 2002
I think the fact that this surgery works it shows that the less people eat
they will lose weight. I admit I ate a lot and sometimes I still want to
eat a lot. I'll probably have to fight that all my life, but I hope there
is a difference. I know this surgery doesn't operate on our brains, but
now I really feel that nothing tastes as good as being thin does. It took
me a while until I could honestly say that and mean it. I don't think that
I have my problem licked though. I went over 20 years obsessed by food,
that's not going to disappear in a matter of months. I still have to make
the smart food choices and limit my eating. I'll have to do that the rest
of my life.
— Lisa N M.
October 3, 2002
I found your question very interesting. You know, there's been a lot of
studies done that prove that obese people underestimate how much they eat.
I'm sure that is true. Before my surgery I thought I "ate like a
bird," but I truly learned about eating like a bird after my surgery
when I was only eating 300-400 calories/day for a while. Even now, at 18
months post-op, I only eat about 1200 calories/day, which is less than I
normally ate pre-op, even when I was dieting. Will this surgery work for
moderate eaters who have stubborn weight to lose? YES. It may mean a
slower rate of loss, but you cannot really fail at WLS, because you are
just no longer capable of overeating.
— Terissa R.
October 3, 2002
This surgery is for both those who eat too much and are obese and those who
don't eat alot and are still obese. I was one of those that ate too much
and ate the wrong things, and unless I ate alot, I was hungry. At 8 months
post-op, my eyes are still bigger than my stomach (literally? LOL). Its
hard to believe that 1/2 a sandwich fills me up or just 1 scrambled egg. I
had always seen skinny people eating tiny amounts and marveled that so
little could satisfy them...as I ate my HUGE amounts. This surgery helps
you to be satisfied with small amounts of food, and by doing so, helps you
to lose weight and maintain the loss.
— Cindy R.
October 3, 2002
Hi. I'm 10 weeks post today; and I wondered about this same thing before I
had my surgery. Although I made some bad choices and developed some bad
habits along the way, I was never a massive over-eater--not enough to make
me as fat as I was. I am one of those who "hold onto" fat cells,
or whose metabolism just doesn't use as much as it should. Of course, I
haven't lost anywhere near all my weight (today's weigh-in made it 1/3 of
where I want to get); but I have been pleasantly surprised with 67 pounds
of success. Even if I never lose a lot more, the surgery was well worth
every struggle, just for the improvement in how I feel.
— AmyL
October 3, 2002
I'm 22 months post op. I was not obese most of my life, but I gained over
120 pounds from long term use of high doses of steroids. I've lost about
108 pounds now and have been able to dramatically decrease the amount of
steroids I have to take, which in turn prevents me from gaining weight.
This surgery helped me break the cycle, and I DO eat noticably less than I
ever did. BTW, I had the RNY. Good luck!
— Maria H.
October 3, 2002
I agree this surgery is for both kinds of eaters. BUT what I have found is
that the BIG pre-surgery eaters loose weight the fastest post-op due to
their even more dramatic calorie intake loss post-op then us lighter
eaters. For example, if you eat 4000 calories pre-op you are going to loose
faster then someone the same size that eats 3000 calories. I always
wondered why such a dramatic difference in weight loss even for people the
same size and weight and what I have noticed (I know there are exceptions)
is that the big eaters lose faster then the lighter eaters. I was a lighter
eater - still way too many calories each day but not nearly what it should
take to to gain on my 320 pound body. I am a slow looser post-op but it
sure is worth it! Worth it for every pound :-)
— crishsapig
October 3, 2002
I actually asked myself the same question! I didn't eat much at all before
surgery, so I was wondering if it would work. That's why I went for the
RNY and not the restriction-only type procedures. I am eating a little
less quantity and MUCH better quality now! I've lost 65 pounds in 4 months
and couldn't be happier. I thought surgery wouldn't work because I didn't
eat much to begin with and dieted many times, but it does! I think the
malabsorption part of the process is the only way to fight a slow or
conservative metabolism.
— emilyfink
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