Why does weight loss surgery work where diets fail?

[Banderbird]

Discuss.

I'm sure it's been discussed before, but let's have new opinions.

 

[slaz]

I was banded in March and so far have no physical restriction but I have lost weight. But there are psychological forces involved as well, partly because having tried every diet under the sun ( I am 65 and have been overweight for over 40 years) this is my last chance and I'm determined to make it work, and partly because I've spent a chunk of money that my wife,I'm sure, could have found many other uses for. For NHI funded patients instead of the money there are the innumerable hoops that have to be jumped through before arriving on the operating table. I hope to find restriction soon but whatever happens I am not going to give up the control over my eating and my body that I have gained through WLS.

 

[flutterby1966]

Mmmm, not sure if it the actual surgery itself, or what it does to us psychologically. I have a band, and am not tight @ 10.5mils in my 14mil band. It does kick in if I eat far far too much ... But I still have to watch my diet as consuming the wrong things too often, can easily result in weight regain, or if I eat too much could result in slippage or some other medical problem. So for me personally the £6k investment, plus the fear of things going backwards/wrong is what has work for me ... I will always have to be on a healthy eating diet even though I have had surgery

 

[Smallerme]

For me it's teaching me to eat like a normal weight person. If I mess up I can't mess up by binging as restriction won't let me. Normal diets I've had to battle every day with still feeling hungry after eating loads. I now am easily sated so if I'm hungry a mini meal or snack fills me.

Plus I'm not going to go through all that pain and fear to fail.

 

[femfrankie]

Interesting thread
Ok I suppose I'm a bit different here in that I was 27 & a half stone with a BMI of over 68, 51 yrs old at the start of my journey and have been a big girl since birth and the classic successful yoyo dieter.
I had to lose 8st before I would be considered for surgery. I was too big a risk. I was to do this with the help of a gastric balloon but had to show willing and lose a bit of weight before that too :sigh:. However just knowing that there was light at the end of the tunnel for me was a major motivation for me. I was 16st away from a healthy BMI and as someone who could not walk far or do anything in the way of exercise that was a HUGE mountain to climb. Whenever I thought about dieting I would look up at that mountain cry and give up before even starting. This time last year I was flung a life line when I was told I had funding but I had to put in a bit of effort to get it. So this time last year I started my weight loss. I lost over 4 stone by the time I got by gastric balloon in place (feb13). I did this under my own steam in 2 months. I was asked by the surgeon how it managed it when I couldn't before. In my mind It was simple. The mountain, although still huge, now had an easy path that I could take and it came with places where i could stop a bit and contemplate my achievements (my little targets). Best of all I had hope & an amazing support network to help get me there. I'm bypassed now and just a smidgen short of a 12st loss

 

[Val]

Im 61
Have dieted all my life and got heavier and heavier
in July this year I was 24 and a half stone
I was so unhappy
I have a long way to go I am still 21.3 pounds

For me, I was a successful dieter, I can loose weight but I am unable to keep it off..
both my daughters had bands and have lost huge amounts of weigh and they told me, it was the right thing to do
So now when I loose my weight..I have no fear that it will come back

In all the diets I have ever done I have always kept my big clothes, but I don't now as soon as they are too big I give them away..
I have to believe this time is for keeps

 

[ceecie74]

Interesting thread
Ok I suppose I'm a bit different here in that I was 27 & a half stone with a BMI of over 68, 51 yrs old at the start of my journey and have been a big girl since birth and the classic successful yoyo dieter.
I had to lose 8st before I would be considered for surgery. I was too big a risk. I was to do this with the help of a gastric balloon but had to show willing and lose a bit of weight before that too :sigh:. However just knowing that there was light at the end of the tunnel for me was a major motivation for me. I was 16st away from a healthy BMI and as someone who could not walk far or do anything in the way of exercise that was a HUGE mountain to climb. Whenever I thought about dieting I would look up at that mountain cry and give up before even starting. This time last year I was flung a life line when I was told I had funding but I had to put in a bit of effort to get it. So this time last year I started my weight loss. I lost over 4 stone by the time I got by gastric balloon in place (feb13). I did this under my own steam in 2 months. I was asked by the surgeon how it managed it when I couldn't before. In my mind It was simple. The mountain, although still huge, now had an easy path that I could take and it came with places where i could stop a bit and contemplate my achievements (my little targets). Best of all I had hope & an amazing support network to help get me there. I'm bypassed now and just a smidgen short of a 12st loss

I love this Frankie!! It's amazing what we can achieve with the new hope surgery offers us!!! I was BMI 74 and dropped to 68 pre-op but would never have been able to maintain the weight loss without surgery.

So pleased for you xxx

 

[A.Positive]

For me it's teaching me to eat like a normal weight person. If I mess up I can't mess up by binging as restriction won't let me. Normal diets I've had to battle every day with still feeling hungry after eating loads. I now am easily sated so if I'm hungry a mini meal or snack fills me.

Plus I'm not going to go through all that pain and fear to fail.

This is just how I feel. I was so tired of being hungry all the time and suffering! No one should have to live like that even if there health is at risk.

 

[Yvessa]

Fear is a big one. And the fact that initially it is easy to lose the weight. (Bit controversial that one but what I mean is that the weight actually comes off) it's a bit like pressing the fast forward button. And then that massive loss an the fear of regain helps to keep me in line along with all the positives - the way my body moves, the clothes I wear, the compliments I get and the confidence I feel.

It's also the act of hitting rock bottom. I can remember how that felt. And I look after my well being in a way that I never did before. Even if I have a bad day like yesterday I start again the next day - and I can do that which I never could before.

And the last is the amount of support I have. Everyone I know is rooting for me. And while that comes with its own frightening fear of failure and pressure it keeps me going.

 

[sarahrob]

Like Val I'm a relatively good dieter. No matter how restrictive the diet I can stick to it for a while. Sadly I have an all-or-nothing mentality, so as soon as I get sick of feeling hungry I end up eating my entire body weight in meat and put on more than I could ever lose. It's disheartening to diet for 6 months, lose three or four stone, then realise I have another ten stone to lose - it feels insurmountable. I was too heavy to do much exercise, so it all came down to restricting my eating.

The band has loads of beneficial effects, but the only thing I REALLY want from it is to have a smaller volume of food keep the hunger at bay for longer. That's the biggest reason every diet I've been on has failed.

 

[Val]

Like Val I'm a relatively good dieter. No matter how restrictive the diet I can stick to it for a while. Sadly I have an all-or-nothing mentality, so as soon as I get sick of feeling hungry I end up eating my entire body weight in meat and put on more than I could ever lose. It's disheartening to diet for 6 months, lose three or four stone, then realise I have another ten stone to lose - it feels insurmountable. I was too heavy to do much exercise, so it all came down to restricting my eating.

The band has loads of beneficial effects, but the only thing I REALLY want from it is to have a smaller volume of food keep the hunger at bay for longer. That's the biggest reason every diet I've been on has failed.

Sarah
The more you write and say the more its like listening to myself..we are so similar in many way
I too would hate it when I had lost a lot of weight and step back and think, well that's great but what about all the rest you have to loose :/
It seemed an impossible task..Now I feel I have some support to keep me going especially this time of year

 

[WeightlossDreamer]

as a child i was very runty and had no problems with weight until well into my teens. I joined slimming world at 16 so have effectively been on a diet for 10 years, getting heavier and heavier.

As yve has said for me definately the process of hitting absolute rock bottom was the turn around for me. My father in law had been offering myself and my husband the money to have the surgery for years. Previously i had always been a bit offended until i finally realised hes just trying to help!

For me surgery rather than dieting works because of the huge commitment made financially, emotionally, psychologically. It encompasses everything for me where diets did not. As sarah said i too am an all or nothing girl, a bad day and that was it sianora diet full box of french fancies, a vat of diet coke and a bag of midget gems and a kfc hello my new best friend all over again.

I CANNOT DO THIS WITH A BAND.......

more to the point,

I DONT WANT TO DO THAT ANYMORE, MY HEALTH MEANS MORE THAN THAT.

My band is the physical presence keeping me in line everyday.

 

[borogirl]

Hi I have to add restriction and a change in attitude and taste. I still think about food, but a little of something is now enough whereas before, I was a secret eater and could not rest until chocolate was eaten if it was in the house. Now I have a bit, but don't enjoy the taste.
I can't put it all down to mindset as I needed the physical support my bypass gives.
I had the fast weightloss on lighter life but put it all, and more back on. But this time it feels forever. X