I thought, “Your stomach gets smaller, you eat less, and ‘Voila!’
you’re skinny!”
Little did I know this idea was simplistic and false.
What exactly is weight loss surgery?
Two of the more commonly known procedures are gastric bypass, and gastric banding.
This will cause you to eat less and absorb fewer calories."
Prior to having this surgery, my mom struggled with her weight.
Being overweight damaged her knees and continues to cause her pain to this day.
“Even if I dieted, I had a really hard time exercising because of my knee pain.
I felt very stuck.”
Shiehsays there is an extensive screening process associated with surgery.
She was also prescribed a high-protein shake, meant to aid her in pre-surgery weight loss.
Shiehnotes, “It can be very difficult to lose large amounts of weight without surgery.”
Los Angeles plastic surgeonDr.
And if you’re unsure about anything, or you have concerns ask!
Weight loss surgeries aren’t always effective
So let’s say you’ve had the surgery.
The assumption might be that from here, it’s smooth and the pounds just melt away.
However, he says that this isn’t a guarantee.
“Weight loss, whether or not it is surgically-assisted, differs from person-to-person.”
After several weeks and multiple sessions, her curiosity got the best of her, so she asked.
“He told me, ‘Actually, I’ve already had the surgery.’
I managed to stretch my stomach and go back to the way I used to eat.'
It was definitely an eye-opener.”
“Malabsorption may discourage you from eating greasy or sugary food,” says Nayyar.
“Bypassing part of the small intestine prevents some fat from being digested, causing severe diarrhea.
My mom can’t eat certain types of fish, excessively greasy food, and most pasta or noodles.
She vomiteda lotduring the first year after her surgery.
For her, that was the toughest part of the process.
“The pain was terrible,” she said.
Even now, I can’t gulp water.
It fills me up too fast, and I throw up.”
She got a membership at the localYMCAshortly after getting the surgery seven years ago.
She tries to workout two to three times a week, and doesAquaFitgroup classes to maintain her weight.
“The skin often has stretch marks and hangs in saggy folds on the body,” he says.
“Think of it like a balloon, when the patient is obese, the balloon is full.
When they lose the weight, the balloon deflates.”
I really believe that the surgery has significantly improved my life."
She also said having gastric bypass surgery wasn’t, and isn’t without its challenges.
