VLCD versus Surgery Rant

[MissAma]

A friend that got a gastric bypass last year in April posted her results. She lost 23 kg and is very happy and proud. Now I want her to be happy, proud and so on but just between us -sic!- one year and 23 kg?!?! Only that after this long, 8000 Euro and all the pain?!?! Is it really worth it?

I think not showing people there are alternatives before surgery is nearly criminal.

If people know there are diet alternatives -food replacement VLCDs- and still go for the surgery, it's their choice, but most people have no clue and that enrages me!

End of rant -lol-

 

[jh1986]

i totally agree with you, i dont understand why people choose to have surgery before giving a diet like cambridge a chance first, i mean some people say that the cambridge diet is lazy and i just think well what does that make people who have surgery, for me that is an easy way out!! xx

 

[DappyMare]

i totally agree there, i'd rather do cambridge than have surgery, but some people just can't control themselves when it comes to food..cos as we all know you can cheat on cambridge if you choose to so surgery may seem an easier option for some people.

 

[Chief Dragon]

Hi, I'm up there with you! I dare not say what I started at, but I will say this, there is NO WAY I would consider surgery when there are alternatives, I have lost 4 1/4 stone in 10 weeks and have LOADS more to go, but would sooner do the Cambridge diet now, than live on a spoonful of yoghurt for every meal for the rest of my life! You just have to be dedicated and want to lose the weight and with a bit of help from your friends............. hopefully reach your goal.

 

[eyeontheprize]

I would never have considered surgery to be honest, I think it's invasive and too risky. I think it should only be an option for people who are too big to really excercise much and all other options like a vlcd have been exhausted.

 

[Lexie_dog]

I think people make the options based on their mindset at the time. I know a few years ago I really struggled to get my head around the idea of CD and thinking it was a faddy diet did seriously contemplate the gastric band.

Not because I was "looking for an easy way out" just desperate enough to consider it heavily as one of my only options.

But if the gastric band works for them,albeit a bit slower than we are used to on CD, then fine. I'm sure that theres many people who wouldn't ever consider CD as I'm sure we can all testify to with people running it down, examining your shakes and questioning your every day on the diet.

 

[YummyMummy04]

I agree too.

I personally would never have the gastric band. I think any operation is risky and i am sure i read the more overweight you are the more risk.

I know in some cases the following doesnt apply but i also think the surgery option is the easier and lazier option whilst dieting is a lot more hard work. Just my opinion and not meant to offend anyone.

 

[Goingforgold]

Hi
I really feel i must reply to this thread and i dont want it to seem nasty in any way and im sorry if it does cause some offence.
2 years ago I decided to give cambridge diet a shot as i was so desperate to lose weight, i was knocking on 26 stone. I had tried every diet going and always lost but never maintained. When i started CD i lost 4 stone in about 10 weeks, but of course you can't live on these shakes for ever. I stopped and started for another 3 months but in the end i had put all the weight back on.
At this time i was desperate and looked in to weightloss surgery, it was literally my final chance. I took ALL my savings, £10,000, and had a gastric bypass. I know it is risky, i read and researched like mad on it. anyway, i had the surgery last march and have lost 12 stone to date and it is still coming off. I wouldn't say it is the lazy persons way out and definatly not the easy way out.
I am pretty sure that in 12 months time people will be sitting here saying "oh why cant i lose this weight" when they can not stick to a diet plan, like i sed to!!!
I eat the same as everyone else, albeit much much smaller quantities. My body does not like fats or sugar so i stay clear of them. I am not malnourished and all my bloods vitamin, calcium everything is perfect. I was diabetic, but am not now, my blood pressure has come down and i am much much fitter and happier than i have ever been.
The cambridge diet is a brilliant diet, but realistically, it is only a short term fix. At least i know for sure that i can never get back to 26 stone and if i had the choice to do it again, i would definatly do it.

Good luck to you all on your VLCDs......you need it!!!

 

[Starlight]

i also think the surgery option is the easier and lazier option whilst dieting is a lot more hard work. Just my opinion and not meant to offend anyone.

I think thats a bit harsh. I dont think anyone undergoes WLS as an easy option. For most surgery is an absolute last option and not something undertaken lightly.

In fact the weight loss with a gastric band isnt particularly fast, and it still takes a lot of work and discipline

 

[Lexie_dog]

Hi
I really feel i must reply to this thread and i dont want it to seem nasty in any way and im sorry if it does cause some offence.
2 years ago I decided to give cambridge diet a shot as i was so desperate to lose weight, i was knocking on 26 stone. I had tried every diet going and always lost but never maintained. When i started CD i lost 4 stone in about 10 weeks, but of course you can't live on these shakes for ever. I stopped and started for another 3 months but in the end i had put all the weight back on.
At this time i was desperate and looked in to weightloss surgery, it was literally my final chance. I took ALL my savings, £10,000, and had a gastric bypass. I know it is risky, i read and researched like mad on it. anyway, i had the surgery last march and have lost 12 stone to date and it is still coming off. I wouldn't say it is the lazy persons way out and definatly not the easy way out.
I am pretty sure that in 12 months time people will be sitting here saying "oh why cant i lose this weight" when they can not stick to a diet plan, like i sed to!!!
I eat the same as everyone else, albeit much much smaller quantities. My body does not like fats or sugar so i stay clear of them. I am not malnourished and all my bloods vitamin, calcium everything is perfect. I was diabetic, but am not now, my blood pressure has come down and i am much much fitter and happier than i have ever been.
The cambridge diet is a brilliant diet, but realistically, it is only a short term fix. At least i know for sure that i can never get back to 26 stone and if i had the choice to do it again, i would definatly do it.

Good luck to you all on your VLCDs......you need it!!!

Just wanted to say well done! You're obviously doing really well.

 

[KD]

i had the surgery last march and have lost 12 stone to date and it is still coming off. I wouldn't say it is the lazy persons way out and definatly not the easy way out.

Well done for the 12 stone. That's fab :clap: I agree, it's not the lazy persons way out...far from it.

The cambridge diet is a brilliant diet, but realistically, it is only a short term fix.

Totally agree with this too.

Very good post, and thankyou for sharing

 

[YummyMummy04]

Just thought i would reply back to posts above. I did state this was just my opinion and not the case for everyone or every case.

I totally agree Cambridge diet is a quick fix but also feel a gastric band is too.

The real treatment is addressing why we over eat and eat unhealthily in the 1st place. Until those emotional issue are addressed diets, surgery etc are pointless and wont work as ultimately whenever we stop the diet or the band is removed we will go back to eating as we did that got us into the overweight situation in the 1st place.

Well done to all who have lose whether it be by surgery or diet and a big well done to those who maintain.

 

[abz]

i don't think the surgery option is a lazy option. far from it. i think it requires the same amount of desperation as cd does. i don't think cd is a lazy option either. in fact i think they are both rather desperate decisions. i couldn't go for surgery myself, but i chose the cd route. if i couldn't have done that then i can see why some people would prefer to eat small amounts of normal food and have the surgery. horses for courses.

at the end of the day we are all here because we love shoving food in our mouths. any way we can retrain ourselves to be happy and healthy is a fantastic option in my book.

saying that, i do think people considering surgery should be given a vlcd as an option first as it is less invasive. if they decide it isn't for them then no worries, but not to be given the option is terrible.

abz xx

 

[MissAma]

saying that, i do think people considering surgery should be given a vlcd as an option first as it is less invasive. if they decide it isn't for them then no worries, but not to be given the option is terrible.

Completely agree and the only point I was making. This was not a stab at those undergoing a diet or s surgical procedure, not a comment to the character of those choosing one or the other.

If that would have been the purpose I would have ranted about people choosing to sabotage their chances (VLCDers by cheating or falling off the maintenance wagon for too long, SWLers by getting the worst possible things into their bodies, etc.) This was not about who has more will power, it was a stab at the medical practices that have embraced the surgical arternative and let it flourish into an industry that offers no information on the alternatives, that's all.

If you want to talk will power that's a whole different can of worms and while I congratulate anyone who lost weight no matter how, the only ones that REALLY deserve the congrats are the reduced obese (like KD, Jim and others on this forum) that stood the test of time in keeping it off. The proportion of long term maintenants (sp?) is, if I'm not mistaken nearly the same with surgery or vlcd and then, once the weight is off it has ZERO to do with how you got it off and everything to do with whether or not your mind is in a place where you can sustain it off.

A band around one's stomach is not going to empower anyone with will power and long haul staunch determination needed to stay slim and healthy. Neither will drinking your weight in shakes and getting your fat off. They are but vechicles.