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I just found out that my niece's husband is having gastric bypass surgery in eleven days. Immediately I felt sick to my stomach, this can't be good.

What information would you present to someone who's about to have this surgery?

He can lose all of the weight he wants to lose and eat as much as he wants to eat if he will omit foods that are high in calorie density. That is what I do. See
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26307

Isn't that better in every way than surgery???

See

http://www.drmcdougall.com/free.html

Thinking about that surgery is disgusting since I am quite familiar with it.

See

http://www.1gastricbypass.com/gastric-b ... ations.htm

Thank you for replying pinkrose. I had the same idea of sending him the link to the free program, now I will.

If he goes ahead with the surgery anyway, will the McDougall WOE still work for him, or are there other dietary considerations?

It would still work... but some people have difficulties with dumping syndrone while attempting to eat some carbs such as potatoes or rice etc.

Everyone responds to Gastric Bypass differently.

I think that it can be a useful proceedure for certain people in specific instances... though not as a panacea and as common place as it has become. I was a phone call away from obtaining one myself.

Much simpler and healthier for people to eat vegan sans added oil and fats...

If he has the surgery, it will probably be very difficult/impossible for him to get the nutrients he needs from food regardless of what he eats! However, if he opts for the surgery, he could probably still learn some things here that would help him.

I wish my best friend could talk with him. She would present a very strong case for him to ponder. She had so much trouble after her surgery. She did lose a fair amount of weight in the beginning, but she was so sick – don’t know if it was really the surgery or her being so ill that was the real reason for the weight loss.

Before the surgery, she talked about all the nice clothes she would be able to fit into after she lost the weight, but her medical bills ate up all the money she thought she would be spending on clothes. After she had the surgery, she started having trouble with other organs that depend on the proper functioning of the stomach/digestive system.

I wish my best friend could talk with him, but sadly, she passed away a year ago last month.

Lynn
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." W. Dyer

That is true - my friend had to take a large collection of supplements to ensure she was getting "proper nutrion".

I wish you success in trying to help him. I wish I could have pursuaded my friend to not go through with it. But she was determined. There was a group of people here that actually made it seem like it was "the thing" to do. Woman were purpusley gaining weight so they could qualify for the surgery. Everyone that had the surgery put up a good front and acted happy about their surgeries (perhaps they didn't/couldn't admit they had been duped). My friend told me about the support group that she went to (they only allow you after the surgery). By her accounts, it was not a happy place and there was much pain, sorrow and regret.

Lynn
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." W. Dyer

Ordinarily I wouldn't have looked for a list like this.

http://www.lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgery-risks-and-complications.php

It looks like a list to discourage the faint of heart on one hand, and a reason to go and try an alternative way to lose weight other than surgery on the other. Mostly not much of a sales pitch.

Excerpt:
40. Failure to lose an adequate amount of weight
41. Loss of too much weight

How will my eating habits change after weight-loss surgery?
You will be restricted to liquids for 2 weeks and then slowly progress to regular foods over 3 months. Total daily calories range from 500 calories/day early on to 1000-1200 at one year after surgery. Specific nutritional guidelines for each procedure are available in over postoperative diet guides.

It sickens me too, that someone is considering gastric bypass. The willingness to go through that is a sign of desperation and hopelessness.

But there IS hope!! I am but one example of proof! I peaked out at 486 pounds and have had gastric bypass surgery crammed down my throat by more than one doctor, and I am so glad I never went through with it.

You don't get into the position of needing something that drastic without having a love of food and a love of eating. Tell him that he can kiss all that goodbye. He'll never eat a normal meal again, after bypass. He'll never have a normal bowel movement again, for that matter
.
I've known several people who have gone that route. All of them lost a lot of weight. None of them looked healthy. Some of them gained most, or all of their weight back. It's drastic, and it's bad.

There is an alternative. There is the McDougall Program. This diet is PERFECT for someone large enough to need gastric bypass. The larger you are, the easier it is to lose weight on this program.

Tell him Big Norm has lost 144 pounds so far, and eats as much food as he wants, never goes to bed hungry, never wakes up dreading having to face another day, and is the happiest he's been in years!! If he thinks he can't give up certain foods, tell him he's wrong. We only THINK we can't give up certain foods because we don't know how to satisfy our appetite without them, and that learning to do so is far more painless than he can imagine. I am actually more satisfied with food than I have ever been, because this is how our bodies want to eat.

He has nothing to lose by trying this, except all the weight he needs to. If it doesn't work, he can always go ahead with his bypass.

He can do this!! We can help!

-Norm

Good reply Norm!

VeganJen, I hope you are able to convince him against it. So many bad things have happened to people that do that. My friend never could keep the weight off but she still won't try this way of eating, doesn't want to give up certain foods...stubborn.

My daughter did this surgery about a year ago, today she is not able to eat much of anything. I agree to attempt to join in here for a better chance of health.

dachakee

This website might be useful: http://gastricbypasstruth.com/82/7-reas ... y-way-out/

Sharon

Send him stories of star McDougallers who have lost over 100 pounds! Send him Norm's story. Tell him to at least TRY this. He can always have the surgery later, but he can't UNDO it!

I hope he listens.

My friend had bariatric surgery 18 months ago. Before the surgery she ate lots of fruit and veg and although very overweight was relatively healthy. After the surgery all she eats is milky coffee and cheese and says she cannot eat fruit or veg. She never eats out at restaurants any more because eating more than a very tiny amount makes her sick (I think this is what people refer to as dumping?) and gets her vitamins from tablets. She has lost weight but has plateaued and is still over weight. She does not look good either, it has aged her. I can't say she has a healthy life infront of her. Last year she nearly died of complications from a gall stone operation. I believe her cancer risk to be increased from her poor diet. I have tried talking to her to no avail.

Sue

If someone I knew was considering having gastric bypass surgery - I would recommend OA (overeaters anonymous) at least to try before resorting to surgery.
I have read success stories in the newspaper etc but personally I know several people for whom the long term success has been poor. The band/bypass never sorted their psychology around eating.