Let me preface by saying I am not a WLS'er, but I am a liquid dieter. I've been accused of "taking the easy way out" because of the method I am using. I know people who have had weight loss surgery are accused of the same thing.

What people don't understand is that, while WLS and liquid dieting provide fast results, NEITHER of them are easy, especially WLS!!

I just wish people would think before they start saying negative things about someone else's journey. People can be so judgemental!

Just wanted to say I understand a little more about what you WLS'ers go through when people judge you. I'm sorry people do that to you. It sucks.

Jen - you're right that neither way is easy by any means! and both the liquid diet and WLS are NOT free rides, and we still have to cope with making sensible food and exercise choices, during both the losing phase and the so-called maintenance phase.

best of luck to you... and we're here to cheer you on!!!!

While I may understand why someone would call WLS surgery the "easy way"-- DEFINETLY DONT AGREE, but I can see how they got there, but I can NEVER understand how can anyone think that liquid dieting is anywhere near easy! I am on a liquid diet now in preparation for OR and honestly it sucks! I actually do crave now the single slice of bread and half a grapefruit breakfast I once considered the worst diet on earth!

I think this comes from people who are 30- 40 pounds overweight, they don't really understand what we bigger people have to go through..

Best of luck Jen! You're going to do great.. and besides.. if there was an easy way, it would be stupid not to take it

D.

You raise a VERY interesting point. And we substitute the word 'easy' for 'certain' it illustrates the point too.

It often strikes me how the obese are judged as being fat, gross, lazy, ugly, lacking willpower, and any other derogatory judgement yet if they take radical steps to overcome the obesity they are looking for an easy out. As if they must somehow PAY for their shortcomings by making the weight loss as long suffering and martyr like as possible.

Very interesting. I understand the justification for this view comes from the position that if you don't do it slowly, the 'right' way, there are long term issues both in terms of health and maintenance. But I don't believe for a moment that this is the only thing behind it. We all know that fat people are the last acceptable group to 'hate'. I also believe that gets internalized in the same way some gay people have internalized homophobia.

I had invasive abdominal surgery over ten years ago. I have adhesions and my recovery was extremely painful. I am terrified of WLS. I would rather see my friend diet with my full love and support than get WLS. I'll do cardio for two hours a day and eat one cup of crappy broth a day right along side him before I'll think this is a good idea. I keep hearing about depression and medical complications.

Do you guys have any advice for me? I want to be supportive of weight loss regardless of method but damn! My stomach turns with fear just considering it and it's not even my body!

Neither road is an easy one to take. I think by "easy," many people mean that it seems like a quick fix. In either case, you're not really learning to deal with the emotions tied to your overeating, nor are you really fixing your bad habits by ignoring them. With WLS, it's true that you have to be VERY careful about what and how much you eat, but at the same time, I have still sen lots of folks have the surgery only to gain back all of the wieght again later on. I'm a million percent positive that you can't be successful without conquering the issues that lead you to obesity in the first place.

That said, those who have WLS or do liquid diets (or any other extremely restrictive diet) and can KEEP the weight off for years afterwards are the truly successful ones in my eyes because obviously, somewhere along their journey, they DID really learn how to cope with food for life and not just for weight loss. I know there are lots of these types of success stories here at 3FC, and to those people, I would never say they took the easy way out because they've had to face the same demons as anyone else taking the longer road. I hope that makes sense

So Jen, may I ask what you're drinking that you can actually stand to drink every day? I haven't tried many diet drinks, but the ones I have had weren't exactly to die for I have this bad habit of not eating anything all day and then going home and having dinner during the week, so I'm thinking meal replacement drinks might actually be good for me during the day so I at least have something, ya know?

Not that I've done liquid diets, but I've done liquid fasting and things similar to slimfast for short periods of time and I really give it up to anyone that can do that for a sustained period of time.

I hope this isn't insulting because it isn't meant to be I kind of compare the first stages of WLS to a roller coaster ride. You can look at the roller coaster, you can evaluate the roller coaster and you can decide to get on it or not to but once you are on it, you have to deal with all the twists and turns until it is over because there is no way off. Once the ride is over (where you are healed from the surgery, eating normally, lost quite a bit of weight but not all), it is up to you what to do.

I'm terrified of roller coasters so its a good analogy for me

Jill: Right now, I am using EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control Shakes. They are 100 calories each, with 15 grams of protein. I have 7 of them a day, plus a meal of 8 oz lean meat and some green veggies (a/k/a a "lean and green" meal).

However, I've ordered a product called New Lifestyle, which not only has shakes, but soups, puddings, meal bars and other snacks. The program is designed to give you about 1000-1100 calories a day. Not only do you get the food product, but they provide you with a pedometer, and some course materials by e-mail that will help you transistion back to regular food and address emotional eating issues and other obstacles to keeping the weight off. I've heard good things about the product, so I got a two-week trial. I'll let you know how it goes!

BTW Jill, the EAS AdvantEdge drinks can be found at Wal-Mart for $4.97 for 4 ready to drink shakes. If you need to replace a meal or two, it might be a good thing.

Hmmm, very interesting thread!

Nelie - I think your roller coaster analogy is pretty good. You're right, once you commit to having WLS, you better be committed all the way. Of course, in my case, since I had LapBand, my ride is more like the kiddie train instead of the roller coaster. The ride is much slower (there are still twists and turns to deal with), but in the end you still have to be able to get off the train and know how to keep up the new lifestyle.

Jillybean - I know you're right that with WLS you have to fix the bad habits that lead you to obesity in the first place. My main problem was (and still is!) that I just plain ol' like food. I like the smell, the taste, cooking it, everything about it. I could eat a whole lot of it. It is/was a comforting, accessible, non-judgemental friend.

That's one of the main reasons I like my band. I can still enjoy whatever food I want, I just have to be very careful how much I eat because there is a physical stopping point. I physically cannot overeat most food without it hurting like ****. Been there, done that, will probably do it again, but not very often! Of course, the band doesn't stop me from thinking about how good a cookie or something comforting might be, but it makes it easier to resist. And best of all, it probably won't turn into six cookies if I do indulge.

Lafayette - My advice to you is to do lots of research. If your friend chooses to have WLS, encourage him to investigate all the surgery types. Truly, my WLS was a piece of cake (probably a bad analogy here). I've read lots of RNY & DS stories where people had no troubles either, so surgery isn't necessarily horrible for everyone, especially since so many are done laproscopically. I have never regretted mine for a second.

Jen - to this day, I tell very few people about my surgery, because I just don't want to hear their comments. I'm the one who's done the research. I'm the one who works out 6 days a week. I'm the one who has to make good food choices day in and day out. I'm the one who must live with my decision, not them. Easy way my ***. Smart way, you bet!

Later,
Chickadee

Well said, Chickadee! Whose business is it anyway??

Chickadee, thanks for the "piece of cake" reference. I needed the smile!

Good luck to all! I'm on Atkins and I'm sucking my fair share of wind at the local gym...

Jen, I was just thinking about something that might interest you, unless you really like premixed liquid formulas. I believe Mel told me about this a while back but there is a website where you can mix your own protein powder with various flavors. It is www.proteinfactory.com. I did it once and bought 2 formulations and I was quite happy with them. They provide a lot of info on each ingredient you put in your formula which I liked. I used to mix them in a blender with either fruit, yogurt or just ice and water. Since you drink them more often, you can probably just mix in a cup.

Admittedly, I didn't lose weight using the protein powders but was in maintenance. I had also tried the EAS juice like things. I mainly lost weight when eating small portions of chicken breast and lean veggies 5-6 times a day. I think I might've used protein shakes for breakfast though sometimes when I was losing.

Thanks Nelie...I'll check it out!

Hello! My stapling was done almost 20 years ago. My success came less than 10 years ago, and there have been many bumps in the road. Bottom line, as you know, to lose weight you have to eat less and move your body more. To keep it off, you have to balance your intake of food with your output of energy, and consistant exercise is a wonderful way to boost your output.

Probably the best way to get to a healthy weight is to eat nutritious foods and exercise your butt off. If you can do that, wonderful! If you have tried and failed again and again, you can either remain at an unhealthy weight and watch your health deteriorate, or you can try something else. Liquid diets? They don't work for a lot of people, so many point fingers. "Not good for you! Doesn't teach you good habits!" Surgery? It's scary and drastic. "Oh, no -- I wouldn't mutilate my body!!"

I believe people should try the "healthy" way first. I think they should keep trying again and again. But, once the overall health begins to be impacted, then they need to look at other options. WhatEVER will work -- because you have to take your life back! You should do whatever you have to do to keep from being imprisoned in a cell of fat that will slowly kill you. If you think you may have success with liquid diets, then go for it. If surgery is your last best hope, then grab it.

Whatever method you choose, know that in order to maintain that healthy weight, you will have to consciously balance eating and exercise. That may seem harsh, but it can be lots of fun as well! It means getting to know your body, listening to it and treating it as it deserves to be treated.

Maybe that's not an "easy way", but in the end it's the only way.