Question:
I eat 2000 calories a day now and weigh 450lbs will surgery work?
Does surgery work on those with slow metabolisms? I once got really sick and was throwing up for a month and didnt lose one pound. Today I have been maintaning 450lbs on 2000 calories a day. I am not making this up. I have kept food journals for years and am on this food plan not to gain. I average 2000-2300 daily. Now for normal 6 feet tall active woman this would be bad, but I know I have difficulty sinking the calories lower because I have tried. Can people here related to these metabolic issues and does surgery work on people who already eat healthy--yesterdays meals were breakfast turkey sandwich, leek soup with tofu patties for lunch, and chicken breast, rice and peas for dinner but for whatever reason just dont have bodies that dont work right. Does it work for people who dont overeat? I know one reason I have metabolic problems is breathing issues. — Sarah H. (posted on May 29, 2003)
May 29, 2003
It might work for you. Most WLS not only make the stomach smaller, but
remove some of the intestine, so there is malabsorption involved. Best
thing to do is ask your doctor or talk to a surgeon who does WLS.
Good luck to you!
— JoSyrNY
May 29, 2003
YES IT DOES. I weighed 472 pounds when I had my surgery and I know my
metabolism was out of whack I'm also Hypothyroid. I have lost 230 pounds in
17 months. Just abide by the doctors eating direction, stay away from
sugar,stay away from bread (as much as possible), do the water and
exercise(I didn't exercise as I should so my weight loss could have been
better.)
— bbjnay
May 29, 2003
For many of us, calories were not the issue, but carbohydrates. I'm
talking about simple carbs... bread, white potatos, white rice, corn which
turn to sugar as soon as they hit the blood stream. Sugar is burned first
before body or dietary fat. I use to eat so many low fat carbs thinking I
was doing myself a favor staying away from meat and fat. What was happening
is my insulin levels were rising (insulin is a fat storing hormone) because
of the carbs, and I was not burning fat. This surgery, which requires you
to eat your protien first, and stay away from a lot of simple carbs. You
will simply not have room to put a lot more than your protien in your
pouch. When you do have room, it's saved for veggies and fresh fruit.
This sort of changes the way our bodies respond metabolically. This is why
the Atkins diet works so well (until you go off of it). I believe your
body will respond well to the surgery and it is possible to change your
body's metabolizm by tricking it with protien first. God bless.
— Happy I.
May 29, 2003
I had a start out weight of 863 pounds with a BMI of 113.9. I had been big
all of my life even as a child. I lost over 560 pounds within the first 10
months after surgery. If this surgery can work for me it can work for
anyone!!!
— Peter H.
May 29, 2003
Sarah,
Actually a 2000 calorie diet is fine for a normal person of height and
weight you said 6 foot tall gall, if you figure anormal matolbic rate it
would be right there, in the 2000-2300 range to maintain. I'm 5'9 -
5"10 I started at 5 10 but I think I shrunk, starting weight of 303
pounds, I'm 12 months post op and am down to 170 pounds, I average about
1800-2000 calories a day, I too have thyroid problem before surgery,
how-ever now being post op, I no longer have thyroid problems, no longer
take any meds for it,... I think that with the weight loss it'll clear up
allot of the health issues (Thyroid, breathing problems and what not) and
in turn our metabolic rate will increase, also allong with the weight loss
we'll become more active thus speeding it up and allowing us to eat a
little more, I know I could never eat what I was eating pre-op, no way !
not even close. Last month I was averaging about 1600-1900 calories and
lost 6 pounds, I'm still about 10 pounds away from my goal.
Hope this info helps.
— tannedtigress
May 29, 2003
Sarah- Before surgery, I weighed 500 pounds (but, I was 6'3") and
probably consumed at least 3000 calories a day. I dropped 215 pounds in my
first 235 days be greatly limiting carbs. The beauty of the post-op
program is that you are no longer plagued by constant hunger so it does
make it a little easier to stick to a program. Also, with a rous-en-y, you
will have difficulty with simple carbs so you have a great motivation to
avoid them.
I think that I was like most people whose metabolisms have been perpetually
messed up by decades of yo-yo dieting-- but surgery does work.
— SteveColarossi
May 29, 2003
I would think it will work for you. I did not weigh that much to begin
with, but BELIEVE ME, if I had continued to diet I would have been right
there with you! I also had a "damaged" metabolism and would
actually gain weight when I dieted. I know this sounds weird but the key
after WLS is to EAT ENOUGH. After surgery you need to keep your calories
above the starvation level (about 800 calories) so that your body won't
panic and hold onto the fat. Also, it helps if you eat small frequent meals
to stabilize your metabolism. Lastly, as others have mentioned, we are
encouraged to eat plenty of protein and stay away from carbs. It all adds
up to weight loss, even if those things in isolation didn't work before.
WLS helps you in other ways, too, by limiting the amount you CAN eat and in
most cases the amount and types of food you WANT. I think the only factor
you really ought to be concerned about (other than fitness for surgery and
your dr will tell you that) is whether you are ready to commit to the
changes you'll need to make to be healthy after surgery (eating high
protein/low carb, taking supplements, staying active, etc.). Don't worry.
You can do it! Good luck!
— ctyst
May 29, 2003
Skinny people dont know how good they got it right? Without all this
trouble just from wanting to eat normally. Im glad you all answered this. I
am probably going to have to make sure I do not have a pituitary tumor or
other tumor. I have worsening tics that are worrying me. I lost hearing
almost immediately so some scary stuff going on. I have been trying to get
MRI for a year. Health has been very extreme. See question: Am I too sick
for WLS? I would actually consider the DS surgery if I get WLS, becuase I
want the one that keeps the most fat off. Ive heard for the superobese,
remember Ive been as much as 630lbs at one time in life, that DS is better.
I dont want to lose weight and have it come back because my metabolism is
shot. Looks like many of you have suffered like me metabolically. I notice
somone here wrote they were 800 and something lbs and had this surgery
done. I may email you tommorow.
— Sarah H.
May 29, 2003
Short answer for you: Yes! This surgery will work for you, as long as you
do your part. You sound determined and competant. I would continue to do
research and start the ball rolling. Best of luck to you!
— Linda B.
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