Gastric Bypass Surgery Support Group
Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight in the form of fatty tissue, and the health problems ("co-morbidities") which result. If you are considering gastric bypass or have had it, join the community where we share our experiences and find support.
I wanted to share something that has been on my mind a lot lately.
When I had my surgery, my friend, who already had GBS told me...
"YOU WILL NEVER BE ON A DIET AGAIN"
Now that I have had my own surgery I have come to believe that nothing could be further from the truth.
This is a diet folks, albeit a palatable one.
When you commit yourself to this surgery you must be able to follow the rules, eat what you are told, when you are told and how you are told.
You won't deal with hunger on the scale you have experienced it in the past but you will have to make an effort to lose the weight.
I am one of those who little to nothing bothers not even deep fried or sugar.
So now it is up to me to follow the rules and stay away from those bad things that I was not supposed to be able to eat but actually can.
I am not in anyway unhappy about having had this surgery.
I just want people to be aware that everyone has a different experience.
GBS is only a tool.
You will need to really do this yourself.
This is why the people on here who have lost so much weight are to be respected and admired.
The GBS is a wonderful tool but in the end it's all up to you.
When I had my surgery, my friend, who already had GBS told me...
"YOU WILL NEVER BE ON A DIET AGAIN"
Now that I have had my own surgery I have come to believe that nothing could be further from the truth.
This is a diet folks, albeit a palatable one.
When you commit yourself to this surgery you must be able to follow the rules, eat what you are told, when you are told and how you are told.
You won't deal with hunger on the scale you have experienced it in the past but you will have to make an effort to lose the weight.
I am one of those who little to nothing bothers not even deep fried or sugar.
So now it is up to me to follow the rules and stay away from those bad things that I was not supposed to be able to eat but actually can.
I am not in anyway unhappy about having had this surgery.
I just want people to be aware that everyone has a different experience.
GBS is only a tool.
You will need to really do this yourself.
This is why the people on here who have lost so much weight are to be respected and admired.
The GBS is a wonderful tool but in the end it's all up to you.
The problem with the word "diet" is that it is largely equated with "project" - i.e. something with a beginning and an end; something you do over a finite amount of time in order to achieve a specific goal. Many people go 'on diets' to loose weight. If the desired weight is lost (or more often even when it is not) people then 'go off the diet'. When they do, the weight returns; often with compounded interest. The science here is very clear - "diets" as projects do not work. It really is that simple.
Dieticians use the word "diet" in a much different sense - not as a project or program, but rather as description of what foods (& how much) you eat normally; day after day; over months and years; for your entire life.
For any "diet" to be successful at maintaining a stable and healthier weight over the long haul, it must not be a "project", but a permanent and sustainable change to what we eat, when we eat, how much we eat, and in what proportions. Clearly, one of the most dangerous thing a weight loss surgery patient can is to view their weight loss as a "project" - with a beginning and an end.
It's true that the surgery gives you one hell of a kick start. But long term success at weight management always REQUIRES a PERMANENT and SUSTAINABLE CHANGE in our approach to eating. Hope81026 is absolutely correct when applying the term "diet" in this sense. It is also true that if you are to maintain a stable, healthier weight, you will never again approach weight loss from the "project" perspective again.
It is critically important not to underestimate the size of this task - this is not something where you can "just do it and be done with it". Instead, it is largely an attitude; an attitude that will be your constant companion across the years this journey requires.
I'd also like to emphasize another important point that Hope81026 raises here. In a nutshell, 'dumping syndrome" should NEVER be the gauge you use as a weight loss surgery patient to determine what you should or should not eat.
Sometimes, I think WLS surgery patients would be better off if their programs never mentioned 'dumping syndrome' to them. That's not true, of course - WLS patients do need to be aware of what dumping syndome is so that they can easily avoid the behaviors that cause it if the need arises.
The problem comes when WLS patients mistakenly come to believe that this surgery somehow causes a 'dumping syndrome' reaction to all foods they should not eat. This is simply not the case. Some WLS patients NEVER experience dumping syndrome with ANY foods. Others experience it to varying degrees or only when consuming something too quickly.
But in no case should dumping syndrome ever be used as a 'barometer' of what you should or should not be eating. The foods you eat, the quantities you consume, when you consume them - all these things should be determined by what is healthy and sustainable for you individually. This is why a trained dietician is generally viewed as an essential component to any weight loss surgery program and why, as weight loss surgery patients, we should utilize that resource to guide us in food choices.
Good post, Hope81026!
This takes a lot of honesty and a change from the inside out.
People can't depend on any outside solution, even a surgery, to stop behavior that has served a purpose in avoiding recognition of dysfunctional thinking, feelings and the denial it creates.
I, personall,y will be on a "diet" for the rest of my life, counting calories and logging my food, exercising and sharing with others. That's my winning solution.
I use the word diet as something that is thought out and purposeful, not something that will end but rather something that must be adhered to always, in order to maintain weight loss.
This is not the free ride which some folks might envision.
The struggle, as I see it, has been identified and addressed with all the importance it deserves through GBS.
The fight has been brought to a new level.
However, make no mistake...
The fight is not over.