It was a message from the Options dept. at Kaiser. When I first re-joined this forum I was in the process of deciding whether or not to have weight loss surgery. Friends and acquaintances had recently had various forms of the surgery and looked and felt great. It was tempting! So, I signed up and took the required classes and was even fast-tracked in front of other people in the class because I was in fairly good health and didn't have other obstacles keeping me from getting the surgery sooner. I went as far as meeting the surgeon and it was just plain weird (for me). Someone was having a procedure done in one of the rooms and the doctor was doing a lot of whispering with the nurse, etc and the smell that came from the room was horrific. Horrific.
Honestly, even before I started the class not one bit of me felt like it was realistic for me. Everything they said didn't make sense, for me. They outright didn't want you to eat certain foods or drinks ...some of them, ever again. It was drastic in so many ways. I had lost 80 pnds before by simply counting calories and walking. I could do this. I know whether or not I have the surgery it would still be a lot of head work. My friend had the surgery and still struggles with wanting sweets, etc. I might as well keep my stomach and have the same struggle.
I missed 2 of the classes and never followed through with the lab work (I would've had the surgery last August). So, they called today to check on me and see where I'm at in the process.
Where am I....I'm down about 40pnds. Slow, yes, but I feel good that I did that on my own. I know what works for me. I know what I need to do to feel good about myself and set a good example for my kids. I'm confident in my decision to go about this is a far less riskier way which will result in greater rewards. I'm still determined and even more so after surviving Christmas break! LOL! Where am I? I am on a slow, but steady journey to greatness!
I know some people must need that jump start with the surgery, but the more I read about the more I realized that if I could do all that, then why have the surgery? if I had to stop certain foods and needed to exercise, isn't that what I needed to do anyway? Without the permanent surgery results? I'm glad you came to that conclusion too.
My mom and uncle had surgery for weight loss when I was 10 and 12 years old. It's nearly killed them twice and while they have lost weight, they gained it all back when they learned how to cheat the diet. And that happens a lot.
good for you. There seems to be so many people who gain back the weight after surgery and there seems to be so many life long issues that I don't understand what the appeal is.
I remember you! Wow, and congrats on the 40lb loss, that's beyond belief amazing and I'd hardly call that slow!!! Shoot, I lost 30lbs in the past YEAR, not since this summer.
It sounds like you made the right decision for yourself and it's really inspiring to hear such a good success story. Keep up the good work and I hope you stick around!
congratulations! I'm a firm opponent of the surgery, I just feel that mutilating an otherwise healthy organ is pointless when the real organ in trouble is in our skulls. I've seen countless people earn back every pound and then some, with 4 oz of food at a time. The mental problems were never fixed, so the physical can't be no matter how much you cut into it. If the mental issues are dealt with and you learn to eat all over again, yes it's slow but it can be done without the WLS.
the only time I think it's appropriate is if death is the only outcome if you don't. I know it's a definite opinion, and things are usually couched in "for me at least" but this is one thing I'm adamant about and that's my 2 cents LOL agree or don't, makes no never mind
I'm thrilled to see you losing weight on your own terms, in your own time, in your own way. Good for you
I'm glad you came to a decision that's right for you. I think your 40 pound loss is fantastic, and holding over the holidays is even better. I am opposed to surgery in most cases for all the reasons most people stated. I think this is a mental game - even more than the physical part - and surgery doesn't even begin to fix that. Taking a slow, deliberate approach gets results. Keep up the great work. We're all in this together. Be proud of yourself.
I am glad you turned away from the surgery too.
i know of folks who were successful initially with the stomach re-positioning but because the underlying weight issues were not addressed the weight crept back on.
It is really sad because now this person has digestive issues, can not go out away from home because he needs to use the bathroom all the time and he is very much over weight.
I agree with everyone that, for most people, the biggest obstacle to weight loss is their heads, not their stomachs. 40 pounds in 4 months is great and, as the OP said, a much better example for her children than taking the drastic measure of surgery.
Thanks everyone! It hasn't been 40pnds in 4 months. More like 6 -7 months! I was losing while I was taking the classes, all the while doing it the way that worked for me, not what the instructors were telling people to do. So easy, yet so hard.
It's a day to day thing for me. I get overwhelmed when I think about how much I have to lose, so one day at a time (or a week) works for me.
6-7 months, a year, two years, doesn't matter! you've LOST 40 freakin' pounds, it's GONE! woot! Better slow and steady and forever, than overnight and it comes back over and over and brings friends
Wow! So proud of you. I don't know much about the surgery but it seems to me that it is the easy way out that might not stick. I wonder what the % of people who have it and then regain is? I think that dieting is better because you learn about what foods do and then hopefully learn healthier eating habits and stick with it. Good job on the 40 lbs!
First off, Curvaliscious, on your successes so far!
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I wonder what the % of people who have it and then regain is?
The percentage of people who have gastric bypass and then regain all the weight they've lost is pretty low (much lower than for non-surgical weight loss). At 5 years, patients average 55% to 65% of their excess weight still gone. For non-surgical weight loss, at 5 years, somewhere between 5-40% of people maintain even a 5% loss from initial body weight (the 5-40% range depends on which study you're looking at and how participants are selected). And even those numbers probably are a bit optimistic when it comes to non-surgical loss, since most of the studies of WLS patients include all of the patients who had the surgery including those that may not have lost much or any weight, while most studies of weight maintenance include only those who had some significant losses to begin with. For example, Weight Watchers funded a study that found that 42.6% of people maintained at least a 5% weight loss after 5 years, but that study included only members who achieved Lifetime member status, meaning that they reached their goal AND maintained there for several months, which is a really small percentage of Weight Watchers members overall.
That doesn't mean that surgery is the "right" choice, but it does mean that, in terms of long term maintenance rates, those who lose via surgery are statistically more likely to maintain those losses 5 years later than those who lose without surgery.
A quick reminder - it's fine to make decisions for yourself about surgery, and fine to have an opinion, even a strong one. But do remember that we have many posters here who have had weight loss surgery, because they decided that it was the right decision for them, and criticizing that choice or questioning whether it is necessary or right for THEM violates the 3FC spirit of being supportive to other members.
Wow what a rewarding accomplishment for you to have lost the 40 lbs on your terms! You knew what you wanted and how you wanted to achieve it. Kuddos to you!
So I got a call from the doctor today....
Shoot, I lost 30lbs in the past YEAR, not since this summer. 
on your successes so far!
