Hey everyone, i just had a question, it seems that every doctor that i talk to...insists that when u are 300 + the best way to lose weight is surgery. Surgery isn't really the road that i am personally wanting to go down, and everytime i tell the doctors and nurses "No thank you this is something i want to do on my own" ...well they kinda blow me off and still want me to think about my surgery options. Sooo..my question is, Does anyone else have this problem....annnd am i crazy for trying to do this on my own without the help of surgery???

Thanks!!

-Christina

Christina:

Not only are you not crazy, I think your doctors are doing their patients a MAJOR disservice by just assuming they need surgery. Of course sugery works. If you ate nothing but a couple of tablespoons of nutritional suppliment every few hours for several months you'd lose weight too. Surgery has significant risks and the fact is, if you don't change your lifesyle, even after surgery, you can gain all that weight back. Don't get me wrong, I believe surgery is the right option for some people, but if it isn't necessary I won't let anyone cut me open. People CAN do this without surgery. It isn't fast and it isn't easy, but it is absolutely possible.

To my knowlege not a single woman on this board has had surgery. Take a look at some of the stat's in the threads.

I have lost 78 pounds - (actually 79, but I changed scales) - since last February. I'm following Weight Watchers.

Julee has lost 86 pounds in the same amount of time. I believe she's on WW as well.

Sharon has lost 51 pounds since August.

Zelma has lost 180 pounds!

Catherine has lost 268 pounds!

I also frequent a 100+ board on the official WW website. There are a number of women there who have lost significantly more than 100 lbs and are keeping it off.

I haven't had any doctors suggest surgery to me, although I have a friend who has. I know that some doctors seem to think that their patients are weak minded people who simply won't ever be able to do it without their help. They're wrong.

Hello Christina...

I am in the same boat as you. I am just starting out on this weight loss journey...and I have had some of the same situations you have. My doctors started saying you know you could just have this taken care of now...etc. And then my mom who is skinny...keeps saying things like I know so and so and they got the surgery and they look great. And if you don't get the surgery you will die! She has not been that supportive ( but thats another story) But it seems like at least in my life that WLS is being pushed on everyone. And I for sure do not want WLS. The people on here are great with giving adivce and support. They are wonderful inspirations. Good luck in trying to lose weight.. you can do it! Hope everyone has a great day!

michelle

You're not alone. My doctor brings it up everytime I see him. The last time I saw him, in October, I had been on a medically supervised fast for two months and had lost about 30 lbs. He said, good, but if that fails there's always WLS! That really p---ed me off. Why do they think destroying a perfectly good organ, going through life threatening surgery with the possibility of complications is an easy solution? And the worst is that once you lose the weight you still have to be very vigilant and change your habits so that you don't gain it back. Any way you do it, losing weight is easy compared to the struggle to maintain the loss. This is not intended to criticize the people who have had the surgery, it all comes down to personal choice. Read the WLS threads as well as the posts of people who have lost by other methods. Next time you go to the doctor be very clear with him/her where you stand. Much success on your weight loss journey.

Hi Christine~~

I agree with Michelle and with Lilion-youdo not0 need to have weight loss surgery just because you're over 300 lbs.! What the heck is wrong with that doctor that he/she is telling you that? I'll tell you what, since August 9, 2005, I have lost 84 lbs.--(I've lost 94 since last May but I kept going up and down with the same 10 lbs. until August ) I now weigh 264.4 lb.s and I've been consistent with that weight for the past week. (It's driving me a little crazy, but that's another story. ) Anyway--you keep coming here and talk to all of us and we'll help you through it. The ladies who come here are supportive, kind and you know what? We're in the same boat as you are so we actually do know what we're talking about--unlike this stupid doctor of yours. It burns me up when I hear that someone is basically being told that they HAVE to have WLS in order to lose a large amount of weight. It's not fair to the person who needs to lose the weight either. It's like saying that just because you let yourself get that big that you are too weak willed to get yourself healthy. It's not true and I don't want you to beleive it at all!!

Like I said--you keep coming here and you'll do okay.

If I can put my two cents worth in I agree too. My doctor kept stressing to me how I needed to lose weight. His theory was to just cut back on the simple carbs that weren't good for you (potatoes, breads, cookies, cakes, rice, etc.), eat more veggies and exercise. Never did he mention surgery to me. Somedays I wonder if I'll ever lose the weight I need to. I came here looking for someone to talk to...someone to listen to me when I have bad days. Now that I've been here for a week or so I've not only found people that I can talk to, but something I never saw before...HOPE! Hope that I will lose the weight I need to. All you have to do is look at the weight trackers of our friends on this site and see that it can be done without surgery.

Good luck to you and remember YOU CAN DO IT!

Sarah

Often times people, including doctors, feel that it is a doctor's job to tell us what is wrong with us and what to do about it. I think really, a doctor's job is to be a parter in health and work with us to come to the best solution for us personally. A doctor should be able to lay out the information - i.e you are overweight, and here is why medically you might want to do something about it, and then offer options - nutrition, exercise, pills, surgery - whatever options are available, and then should talk about what would work best for you. Unless you are on a restricted medical plan or live somewhere where there are not many choices, if you don't like the way your doctor treats you - change doctors.

Just to add my $.02

I think surgery is a valid option for many people, but I agree that the medical community (and perhaps society as a whole) have a bunch of issues about it. My feeling is that if I CAN lose weight without the surgery then I am better off. And I can.

I have made a lot of lifestyle changes in the last 7 months, sheedding nearly 60 pounds in the process. I am learning how to eat healthy and exercise for the rest of my life.

There are no guarantees from any approach, surgery or on your own. So, I think you should go with the option you are most comfortable with. There are MANY of us here who can help you on your journey!

I would think your doctor would only say that after you exhausted all of your options. WLS is the LAST resort in losing weight. I think the doctors and nurses have heard how hard it is to lose weight at 300+ and they think everyone would prefer to do it that way. I don't know about everyone else, but I know I'll need reconstructive surgey after this is done with, so I feel I'm saving myself one surgery by doing it on my own.

Tell our doctor he should pay a visit to 3FC and see ALL of the people who have been 300+ and haven't had WLS. I think it would broaden his perspective a bit.

Okay--I have to add to the rant that I posted earlier--I agree with Wyllen that for some people it's a valid option--my problem is that it seems to me that the doctors are pushing for that option before trying other avenues. That's where I was coming from with my rant.

I know 4 people who've had that surgery and 1 of them did it because it was "the easy way". The other 3 needed it, but I know that one of them told me she looks like she needs the surgery again. Without making the lifestyle changes that are necessary, the surgery is a quick fix that won't work for good. That's where I'm coming from.

Talk to you later.

Vicki

Of the two people I personally know who had WLS, one never came out of the hospital. It was a horrible, tragic loss of a dear man. The other lost the weight, but has already put a bunch back on. She DIDN'T make enough of a change of lifestyle after the surgery, and is now learning to do it "the long, hard way" that we're already doing - changing our way of life to include healthier diet and exercize! I agree with Ammi and others - doctors go for the quick - and PROFITABLE - fix, when they should be addressing the health issue from whatever angle best suits the patient. Personally I wasn't pushed towards surgery, but the two docs I asked for help just blew me off. One told me to lose 30 pounds and prove I was serious before she'd help me, and the other said "there's only one way to do it - eat less and burn more." Duh.

My personal opinion (for whatever it's worth) is to A) find your trigger(s), whether it's emotional or chemical. In my case wheat products - bread & all the other white stuff prompted cravings & binges. For other people it's other things - family stress, sugar, etc. Then it's easier to find a permanant path back to better health & a richer life. B) Keep surrounding yourself with the people who only see your success. Those who choose to see failure can go bring someone else down - not you! C) And of course, look daily at your successes and your goals, never dwell on your mistakes. We all have them, and we need to forgive ourselves as we would the people we love, and then move forward, learn and take the opportunity to make each day better as we can.

Oh yeah - and tell the doc's with the big Mercedes in the "No Parking" zone to go find another sucker.... And yes, I'm KEEPING MY GALL BLADDER TOO!!!! (Two years ago after my first GB attack, they said it would explode without immediate surgery. I've changed my diet, done a couple flushes, and NEVER had another attack. Where's the smiley with the pthhhhht! tongue when you need it?))

I just want to say thank you for all the great responses.
I really appreciate each and every one of them.
THANKS !!!!!!

Christina, I considered WLS briefly... VERY, VERY briefly, before choosing to change my lifestyle and lose the weight in a healthy way and in the right way for me. I needed to take control of food, not have something or someone control the food for me. (Aside from the fact that I am NOT into pain of any kind ) That is what I am most proud of about my weight loss - I now have so much more control over what goes into my mouth. I'm not saying I have 'total' control, because I'm not sure I'll ever have that, but I am happy with where I am.

Weight loss surgery is needed for some people, but I'm sure there are WAY too many people being operated on than really have to be. I was talking to another teacher at work today who had weight loss surgery just over 6 weeks ago. She has recovered beautifully and is thrilled with the results so far, but I still can't help wishing that she had tried harder to lose the weight in another way. She is talking about the small amounts of food she can eat and how she isn't hungry and doesn't feel like eating. I am worried that she won't get the nutrients she needs if she listens to these signals and just doesn't eat. Still... I will keep my nose out of things and just be there for her if she needs me.

If you want any more information about what I have done to lose my weight (180lbs in 2 years so far) I have a Word document that I have written up about my journey. It may get a little boring at times, as I tend to go on and on about things, but there may be some info in there that could interest you. I am happy to email it to you if you want. Just PM me with your email address.

I have a link under my tracker for an Internet page that shows some pics of me, including 'before' ones. I am VERY pleased with where I am at now and always want to show off - vain huh? You may want to look though, just to see that everyday people CAN do this without surgery.

Good luck with your journey.

Take care,

Zelma

I have never had a doctor suggest surgery to me. Perhaps it is simply because I have never asked, though. I don't ask my doctors for weight loss advice or suggestions because I seem to always get the same responses (eat less, move more--duh!). Last year, at my gyn check-up, the doctor did ask me, "So, why aren't you on Weight Watchers?" At my gyn appointment yesterday, I was about 30 pounds lighter than last year--which isn't a lot, but it is improvement--and she didn't say anything about my weight at all.

I agree that surgery is an option for some people, but I tend to think that many (not all, but some) people think of it as a quick fix and don't realize they still have to exercise and eat right for their entire life. One woman I worked with had the surgery and was taking fistfulls of supplements with every meal once she lost the weight, and her hair was still falling out. I don't ever want to have to take that many pills every day (I have a hard enough time remembering to take 1 pill every morning!).