Weight Loss Surgery:
Is It An Answer?

Tell about your weight loss surgery and results Read about others' experiences

I'm a registered dietitian, and that used to make me pretty resistant to the notion of weight loss surgery. I'd been taught to believe that weight loss is about behavioral change, not surgical modification!

But I've also been around long enough to know that losing weight is tough, and not everybody manages it. I know that obesity is a real health issue, and that we're all quite wrapped up in our appearance.

Also, I know that people are having weight loss surgery whether I like it or not! I want to be informed. I want you to be informed too.

That's why I'm creating this section of the site. It makes my blood boil when I see doctors advertising surgery as a permanent "solution" to weight issues. That's the problem with advertising! You only hear one side of the story.

After corresponding with blogger Jen Olski, I knew what I needed to do. I needed to create a forum on this site where people who have had the surgery could share their experience with people who are considering it.

Won't that be more helpful than hearing from some cheeseburger-deprived doctor about how happy you're going to be when you look like him? You can decide for yourself whether the costs (and risks) outweigh the benefits.

One other thing: I struggled long and hard thinking about whether I should post advertising on these pages. (Allowing ads is part of how I can afford to spend so much time writing this free site!)

After all, if I let Google place ads on these pages, inevitably they're going to be about gastric bypass, lap band, bariatric surgery, etc. Here's what I decided...

You have to live in a world where these surgeries are being promoted to you, so I'm not doing you any favors by creating an artificial world where they aren't. But please remember...

If you see any blocks that say "Ads by Google," they are advertisements, just like the ones on TV and in magazines. They're placed by people who want to make money off of you. Take them with a very large grain of salt. Or at least a salt substitute ;-)

Anyone who has had weight loss surgery has had their own unique experience with it. You're a pioneer! Could you please share the benefit of your experience with people who are considering similar surgery??? They're wondering...

How you made your decision, whether you're happy with that decision, and what life is like now, post-surgery.

Click below to read each person's story

Becoming skinny biddy  Gastric Banding, 12th March 2008 (almost 3 months ago)
BMI before: 45 / Current BMI: 40 (I've lost 15 kilos in three months!)

In the last few days ...

Fooseberry's return  RNY, February 7, 2007.
Starting weight: Normally 306 lbs but down to 288 lbs day of surgery.
Current weight: 178ish.

I am an impulse kind of gal. I ...

Working On Freedom  Lap RNY, April 16, 2007.Starting wt./BMI: 277lbs/50 Current wt./BMI: 150lbs/27.

I still struggle w/ head hunger and wanting to binge, but my small pouch ...

Awesome's Weight Loss Journey  RNY gastric bypass, January 3, 2008, 4 weeks ago. My highest weight was 340# more than 18 months before surgery and 263# on December 20th just prior to ...

Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures  Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, Feb. 24, 2005, 2 yrs. 10 mos. ago
Starting weight: 335/BMI: 58 Current weight: 135-145/BMI: 24-25

Bariatric ...

Hot Fat 4 Sale...CLEARANCE!  Laproscopic RNY, August 26, 2005 (2 yrs, 4 mos, 2 days)
Before: 317lbs/51 BMI After: 159lbs/26 BMI

At the age of 37, I had raging blood sugars, rising ...

My Journey  Written 12/27/07. Surgery 7/29/03.

I had always been chunky since I was little. I was even given a case of Metracal as a 14 yr old one X-mas. Talk about ...

Penny's Weight Loss Story  Date: 12/27/07

How long since surgery? 8 weeks

Type of surgery: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

I am 34 years old. I've been looking into WLS (weight ...

New-be  I had a Roux-en-Y on Dec. 12th, 2007. (Nine days ago!) The surgery went well. I made it a point to get up and walk every 2 hours. Friday Dec. 14th I came ...

The Awful Truth  Hi, I had weight loss surgery on April 16, 2002.

I started my complications from day one. Two weeks ago I just had my 10th surgery due from complications ...

Too bad I had to lose so much, to lose so much....  I had my WLS on 11/16/2005. Before that I was running a very profitable in-home daycare and my husband and I together made around 70k that year. Life ...

BEWARE!!! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  In 1999, I had an open rny (non-laparascopic Roux-en-Y surgery). The place I had it done was basically a "snip, clip and ship" business. Before surgery,...

Sometimes A Person Does The Right Things and Still Fails  I have been super morbidly obese (SMO) for 47 of my 58 years. Over the years my doctors have put me on water diets, balanced diets, protein sparing fasts,...

Elinor's MGB Journey  I was not an overweight child until I reached puberty. When I started putting on weight, I started getting teased by my brothers and sisters. My nickname ...

Melting Mama  My stats:
Highest weight: 320 lbs.
Lowest post-op: 147 lbs.
Highest regain: 210 lbs.
Current weight: 159-162 lbs.
The spouse's stats:
Highest ...

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