Yes, I had WLS and YES, I *AM* doing this on my own.

[McButterpants 2,846]

I had to listen to tapes - I was usually so relaxed that I fell asleep. When I explained this to the hypnotist she said, "It's fine, you're still getting something out of them anyway." Uh huh and you're getting something out of me coming here every week...a check!

[dreamscometrue 262]

I've seen quite a few people around these parts talking about people they know who have lost weight "on their own" while they personally had WLS and I must say, this mindset makes me a bit pissy. Before having VSG, I tried every freaking diet out there. I exercised like a maniac. I tried drugs I knew were potentially harmful to my long term health. I resigned myself to being fat every single time I failed before slapping myself around and trying something new or trying something old again and again. I saw nutritionists, I saw gastro specialists. I considered a hypnotist, but I waved that off as hogwash. (No offense to anyone who tried it, just not my cup of tea.) I lost weight, I gained weight, I lost weight, I gained weight, I lost, I gained, I yo-yo'd myself right into a flucked up metabolism and mass frustration for myself and my family. I finally decided that I had no other options and settled on the Vertical Sleeve after researching my WLS options for almost a year. I went through 4 months with one surgeon before realizing there was no way in H E double hockey sticks could I let him cut me open before starting the process over with another surgeon that I felt comfortable with. I did all the pre-op work with a nutritionist (whack job!!) figuring that if I could concentrate on losing for those 6 months, maybe I wouldn't need surgery after all. I saw the counselor (WHACK JOB!!!) and never got to the root of my troubles other than the fact that I am a greedy piglet. (She swears I am repressing sexual abuse in a past life -- no REALLY, a PAST life, not just in my past. Uhmmm...) I did my pre-op diet for a month instead of the required two weeks because I wanted to. I exercised my fanny off (literally) over the last 7 months. I weigh, measure and log my food. I read labels. I make good choices putting my Protein needs first. I make sure to get in my 10k steps every single day even if that means running in place for an hour at 10pm when I know I have to be up, bright eyed and bushy tailed in 7 hours. I look for recipes that are healthier for my family that I can eat as well but I often cook two meals so they can eat what they like and I can eat what I need to eat. I put the fork down before I want to so that I don't spend the next 30 minutes bent over the toilet even when it took me an hour to prepare a meal and I've only had two or three bites because ,my tiny tummy isn't tolerating more than an ounce instead of it's usual 3 or 4. I read menus days in advance if I know I am going out so that I can order seamlessly with everyone else. I attend parties and conferences and work functions and eat mindfully so I can enjoy the event without calling attention to myself. I suffer through stalls in my head so that my family doesn't have to hear my incessant whining because I know they've suffered enough of my nonsense over the years. I appreciate everything my changing body has allowed me to do over the years despite the abuse I put it through and I appreciate how much it's thanking me as I am relieving it of all the excess weight. I went to kickboxing even when I don't feel like it and now I teach it so I don't have a choice but to go. I joined a high dollar gym and hired a high dollar trainer, not because I am a high dollar girl but because I am now forced to go. I look at my saggy skin and my floppy boobs and my melty thighs and my squishy bum and my hangy arms and while I regret that I didn't do this 5, 10, 15 years ago, I smile that I did do it seven months ago. I am losing this weight ON MY OWN. If you honestly think I'm not, please tell me who is doing it for me. They owe me a whole bunch of money, time and heartache for all the things I've put myself through over the last year+ and I owe them a HUGE amount of thanks for getting me where I am today.

I can relate SO MUCH to everything you have written! THANK YOU for literally taking the words right out of my mouth. Although you are much further along post op, the years of dieting/frustration/anxiety/yo-yo dieting for 3 months only to gain it all back (plus some)... I've never read anyone on here address the issue of the bitching and complaining our friends and family has had to hear over the years of us talking about our weight, but that is one reason I chose not to tell people. For once, I want to live my life and have the things I do and say not have to revolve around my weight! I'm sick of talking about it to people and I'm SURE they are sick of me saying for the thousandth time, "I'm going to lose this weight and keep it off this time!" Instead of talking the talk, it's time for me to walk the walk!

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

Oh my God, hypnosis. I've done both the tapes and the office visits. The tapes wanted you to visualize whatever food you were eating as a ball of hair. The hypnotist wanted to know about my sex life. He didn't last long.

[M2G 1,836]

Preach on sister!

I still get irked every Jan. when People mag puts out their "Half Their Size" issue and it screams, NO SURGERY, NO GIMMICKS, NO pills, yet features every single "DIET TRICK" known to mankind. Pretty sure everyone who has ever lost a significant amount of weight did *something* to help them get there. Count cals, do box food, hit the gym, reduce their food intake, change what food they eat, quit eating certain things, etc. I just see surgery as one of those TOOLS, along WITH everything else to help me get to where I am today.

No shame in using a tool that helps me. But I gotta put in the hard work or it's all coming back on, just like the people who preach to "eat less, work more" ...takes work to get it off and even MORE work to keep it off. Doesn't matter HOW you get there, we are all in the same boat!

Edited December 23, 2013 by M2G

[Jenny12 361]

I'm almost a year out now (within days!), have lost I believe over 110% of my excess weight, and am actually quite tiny and petite now. This journey I chose was NOT easy. In fact, I only started to feel healthy again within the past 6 weeks. I finally got my period back after not having one for 8 months because come on, let's face it, we are practically starving our bodies through this (can't speak for everyone, but my surgeons plan is VERY strict). My digestive system seems to be coming back to life after a year of SEVERE Constipation. I finally feel healthy again. The journey wasn't easy, but you better bet your britches it was easier than it would of been if I had actually done this WITHOUT my sleeve and STUCK to it (no way could I have stuck to this and been this successful without my sleeve). So while I don't believe this is the "easy way out," I certainly DO believe it is much much easier than doing it without the sleeve. When people act like they are doing this "all on their own," sure, I guess we kind of are. I still don't have anyone smacking Cookies out of my hand. But we have a great advantage in the game, so we're also kind of not. That's just how I see it.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

This surgery is no more the easy way out than chemotherapy for cancer patients.

[Jenny12 361]

Wow, my mind is officially blown. Comparing the sleeve to chemotherapy. I've heard it all now. To say I disagree with that is an intense understatement, but I guess it's interesting to see how others' minds work.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

When people act like they are doing this "all on their own," sure, I guess we kind of are. I still don't have anyone smacking Cookies out of my hand. But we have a great advantage in the game, so we're also kind of not. That's just how I see it.

Forgive my confusion, but I don't understand how we are not doing this 100% on our own.

Would you say that someone who can afford a personal trainer/personal chef/complete medical supervision and/or who can spend 100% of their time on their body isn't doing it on their own? These are great advantages that most people do not have access to.

My "advantage" isn't a cheat or something that other people can not choose to do. I'm not lucky or special in regards to having WLS. .

Please help me understand your point of view.

[Jenny12 361]

My point of view is that we now have built in Portion Control. It forces us to stop. I'm not pushing my plate away because I don't want to take another bite. I'm pushing my plate away because I have a surgically altered stomach that forces me to stop or else see it come back up. We can snack all day long, and that's on us, and I AM doing it on my own when I choose not to snack all day. But I just think we have built in "help" now and we wouldn't be able to do what we are doing without it. Don't get too hung up on the "doing it on your own" wording. Of course you're doing it on your own, you just have an enormous helper.

[Jenny12 361]

And I never said you are "cheating" by having WLS. I had WLS as well, and I don't feel as if I am "cheating." What we did isn't wrong.

[krazzierebel 17]

I've had two surgeries. Lap band and now sleeve. It is HARD work!! U go girl!!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Wow, my mind is officially blown. Comparing the sleeve to chemotherapy. I've heard it all now. To say I disagree with that is an intense understatement, but I guess it's interesting to see how others' minds work.

My comparison was to say that WLS saves lives just like chemotherapy. And that neither are the easy way out, they are often times the only cure. Do you disagree?

[LipstickLady 25,682]

My point of view is that we now have built in Portion Control. It forces us to stop. I'm not pushing my plate away because I don't want to take another bite. I'm pushing my plate away because I have a surgically altered stomach that forces me to stop or else see it come back up. We can snack all day long, and that's on us, and I AM doing it on my own when I choose not to snack all day. But I just think we have built in "help" now and we wouldn't be able to do what we are doing without it. Don't get too hung up on the "doing it on your own" wording. Of course you're doing it on your own, you just have an enormous helper.

So why do so many people regain?

[McButterpants 2,846]

Interesting discussion...

My dad was initially really worried about my decision to have VSG. He didn't understand the procedure. He didn't understand what happens before, during or after the surgery. He was scared for me. He made a statement the other day that I thought was profound when he asked me to tell my brothers about the surgery (I have only told 5 people and my brothers were not part of that group). I feel my brothers will not understand why I did this - they are both skinny and have never ever worried about their weight.

He said, "You had a medical procedure to better your health and increase your quality of life. There's nothing to hide. It's no different than a knee replacement." I thought coming from a 79 year old man who works out every day and doesn't have a weight problem, that was a great way to think about it. (Although it didn't change my mind to tell them!)

I agree with Lipstick...I had to go thru the pain and risk of the surgery. I had to figure out how to sip 64 ounces of Water a day while trying to get in shakes as well. I had to figure out how to eat a scrambled egg again and chew it into a paste (blah) so it sits well in my stomach. I'm the one that had to endure the pre-op diet and the post op shakes that now make me want to puke. I'm still going to have to control myself because I will have the ability to eat around my sleeve. I am the one that is going to have to drag my fat ass to the gym and sweat. I will have to live with the fear of gaining the weight back and becoming that bloated fat chick again. And if anyone says that's the easy way out, then so be it. I know the truth - this isn't easy (and I can honestly say, I wasn't prepared for it.)

Edited December 24, 2013 by McButterpants

[Jenny12 361]

Probably because they are snacking and grazing throughout the day outside of meal times.