Is Sw not enough?

Pickle87

Full Member
Well... last year I spoke to my Doctor about having the gastric band fitted. I really desperately want to lose weight and low cal diets etc were not working for me.

However, since then I have joined slimming world and lost weight. I'm still losing. I've just received my referral to the weight management clinic to discuss the surgery. I mentioned that i had lost over 3 stone now and it kind of felt shrugged off. I still have a long long way to go (10 stone) but I am proud of how I am doing and would have thought they would rather I lose weight this way than go through surgery but it doesn't seem that way itms.

Now I am in a quandry as to whether i should still go through with the surgery or not. If you were offered the gastric band would you say yes and use it along side with slimming world or would you say no slimming world is working for me thanks very much.

Ahh!
 
Personally Id stick with SW - the idea of any surgery scares the hell out of me and Im not sure that youll really learn anything about changing your eating habits with it. From what I understand the weight loss with a band isnt particularly quick so you might not lose much more.

Why not have a look at Minimins other site WLSurgery.com - Weight Loss Surgery Support for the other side of the story though
 
thanks hun, when I first asked about it I went on that board (although a diff username).

I'm like you in that I can't see what I will gain from it as I am doing well already without putting myself through surgery. Then part of me thinks maybe I am throwing away a great opportunity.

I think maybe I need to really tell the weight clinic how I feel, take my slimming world book with me and go through it all in detail.
 
I agree. At the end of the day, if you have the surgery, and unfortunately there are side-effects/complications, you might end up thinking 'oh jeez, why didn't I just go it with SW?'

Plus, think of how great you'll feel when you get to target and know it was 100% your own success :)

just my two pence ;) You've done brillant so far!
 
Personally I could never go through surgery. I'd like to still be able to go into a restaurant and have a meal with friends, rather than just something tiny. Granted it would mean hitting the gym and back to plan straight after.

People have had the surgery and gone to put the weight back on unfortunately. It may be a means to an end but chances are it'll won't fix what made you eat and gain weight in the first place.

Do SW, work hard and identify what caused you to get to this place to start with and you will enjoy a healthy, fit and happy life.
 
I think loosing 3 stone is amazing - you have done extreamly well & should be very very proud of yourself!!

I am really shocked that the doctors wern't more inclined to encourage you to continue in what you are doing - it is obviously working for you & you are obviously doing it right.

I am not against surgry, but do feel that if the patient is able to loose the weight themselves, like you are doing, then that is a much better alternative as it is a life style change that you are in control of. You are learning how to eat things in the correct way, so therefore can correct things if they go off track in the future. I think that the gastric opperations can be very benificial & really help people who can genuinally not shift the excess lb's, but if you are able to loose the weight for yourself, then that in my opinion if a far better solution.

I would have the referal & have a really good chat with the surgons/nurses etc & explain how your feeling. At the end of the day - they might look into your weight loss & see that you are changing your eating habbits for the better & are better off doing what you are doing anyway!

What ever happens, good luck x
 
Well done on the fab start. I'm in the same position as you so understand a bit. I was offered a GB a couple of years ago, did all the meeting with the surgeon etc who sent me away to lose atleast 3 stone before they'd do it. I was sooooo annoyed because if I thought I could lose 3 stone then I'd be able to lose it all. It felt like there were a lot of barriers put up, they wanted to make sure I was ready emotionally to handle not being able to eat like I was used to, all that sort of thing.

Anyway, the last time I saw them I left quite upset because I was making all sorts of changes and it didn't seem enough for them. Eventually I figured I'd lose the 3 stone with SW and then go back but now I've lost enough I'm not inclined to go and see them again. At the moment I know I can lose weight doing what I am. If I start to struggle then I might consider it but the danger of the op isn't worth it for me at the moment. It sounds like you have similar thoughts. Do whatever you're comfortable with. If you've weighed up the pro's and con's of the surgery and still feel you need it then there's no harm going along to see them to discuss it. For me I'm not sure I'd cope very well with it but then maybe in the future I will change and feel I need that extra help. Good luck with your decision.:)
 
Firstly well done on your losses so far hun.

I have had a gastric band fitted. I had it done 2 years ago. The reason why I went through with it (and believe me a lot of sleepless nights went with that decision as well as a lot of tears!) was because I have tried everything to shift the weight. Yes, all the diets work for a while, but then life gets in the way and it all goes belly up. I had got to the stage where I waddled rather than walked after my Daughter and couldnt move a few feet without breaking out in a sweat and having chest pains. My problem wasnt quality of food, but quantity. SW tells you that you can have something as a free food, but there should still be an eliment of portion control. I would eat 2 whole chickens in a sitting...its free right and a speed food and still couldnt work out why I was loosing weight!
Then the opportunity to have the gb came along. I had mine done privately (not that it makes any difference, the proceedure is still the same!). I cried the morning that Hubby left in the hospital to take little one home..I was alone and scared.
Since then, I had a year of free sessions with my consultant and he told me that as long as I ate healthily the weight would come off. You can still cheat. Things like icecream, chocolate and crisps melt quickly in the mouth and so go through the band easily. Its too easy to eat these things knowing that if you ate "normal" stuff you could be sick.
This is why along with my gb I chose SW again. I can follow the plan knowing that I am eating a varied nutritious "diet" and still loose weight. The only difference is that I can only eat the portion size that I can eat. I cant snack between meals so much on free foods, as Im usually too full, but I still eat plenty of fruit and veg a day!
There is no direct yes or no answer to your question, but I wanted to give you my side of the story.
Would I go through with it again?? Yes I would. Only because I have no cut off switch that tells me when Im full. I used to gorge to excess and end up being sick and suffering with bloating. Now I know that literally my eyes are bigger than my belly in more ways than one! Lol.
PM me if you want some more information Hun. Im more than happy to share.

xxx
 
My mother has a gastric band they are so restrictive and she has only lost the same amount of weight in the same time that I have ,and I eat much more than 2 tsp !!!
You can do it without life risking surgery ,you've already lost 3 stone.
 
Hi Pickle!

I'm kind of in the same quandary...went docs yesterday because of leg pain, and he straight up told me that GP's are vehemently encouraged to deal with weight issues first...so, since he believes my leg pain is a direct result of my obesity (it isn't, but being heavy exacerbates it), he offered to book me into the obesity clinic.

I told him that I really wanted to have a serious go at losing this myself with SW. He told me that I should "be realistic" as I am by far his heaviest patient. He seems like a lovely doctor, (much better than my last) and I know he's trying to help, but I think that him saying that more than anything, put me off even considering the surgery for now.

The fact that he thinks me taking this on isn't "realistic"...irks me. However, he didn't push when I made my stand, and instead offered me Xenical/Orlistat to take alongside doing SW as a comprimise; he said he needs to show that he's offered me the full extent of medical help for my my obesity. His scale couldn't weigh me, (I can't even weigh myself at home, but I'm guessing I'm 450lbs) but he said he wants me to come back mid-June 10kg (22lbs) lighter.

I'm not knocking the surgery, I don't think it's an easy way out because you still have to work, you just have some extra help...but I do think some docs are over-eager in offering drugs and surgery, before nutritional advice. They really do believe that ALL people over a certain weight simply CAN'T do it. He told me his heaviest patient before me was about 250lbs when they had a gastric bypass and I couldn't help thinking what I wouldn't give to be that weight again!

And still, to date, I have never had a doctor offer me a diet or exercise plan. The fact that you've lost not one, but three stones on your own really proves you can do it. I haven't lost anything yet, but I have to believe I can do this. I put it on, I'm taking it off.
:)
 
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