co-worker dropped 200 lbs in 1 year

[newmoon]

a female co-worker went for "surgery" one day and came back 4 months later about 50 pounds lighter. she never owned up to any weight reduction surgery but we all know it happened. i am not sure what he starting weight was, but maybe about 325, and now she's down to about 130, in 1 year and 2 months. i don't know anything about weight reduction procedures but was curious whether these procedures are temporary or permanent? do the people who lose all the weight eventually gain it back or do they maintain a smaller size forever?

[michellew]

a female co-worker went for "surgery" one day and came back 4 months later about 50 pounds lighter. she never owned up to any weight reduction surgery but we all know it happened. i am not sure what he starting weight was, but maybe about 325, and now she's down to about 130, in 1 year and 2 months. i don't know anything about weight reduction procedures but was curious whether these procedures are temporary or permanent? do the people who lose all the weight eventually gain it back or do they maintain a smaller size forever?

 

Good question. I know 3 people that have undergone this surgery and they all gained a lot of the lost weight back within a few years. They aren't back to the presurgery weight, but they the weight gain is definitely noticeable.

[eye of the storm]

Depends. If the person uses the surgery as a kick start for a healthier lifestyle then no they probably will not gain the weight back. However, if they use it just to lose weight and make no changes in how they live...they will probably gain it back.

[evanescentworld]

It's possible she had her stomach stapled, in which case she will also have drastically changed her eating habits; what she eats, in what form, and in very small amounts...

 

Have you noticed what she does at meal-times?

[Methodical]

Lap band surgery has become a more popular and supposedly safer surgery to help people with weight issues. Without researching the subject, I think the band is removable. I know two people who have had this procedure done, and both lost a ton of weight in a relatively short amount of time. They look amazing. That said, in order to maintain their weight, a lifestyle change is imperative because after losing the weight, you can't go back to eating huge meals, a bunch of sugar and carbs, and think the weight will magically stay off.

 

**I have no idea if there is any correlation, but one guy who had the procedure done and looks amazing has become a major a**hole. He is a supervisor and several times lately has become enraged to the point of screaming, cursing, getting in peoples faces...he done just about everything except for actually throwing a punch. (I don't work with him, but I've witnessed these outbursts.) One of the employees sent an anonymous letter to home office and they came to check it out. He's ticked about that as well, but he's been such an a-hole to so many people, it's literally impossible to narrow down who may have squealed. At the rate he is going, it wouldn't surprise me if home office receives another anonymous letter OR one of the guys gets fed up and knocks him out. Most guys aren't going to tolerate a man getting two inches from their face, screaming, and having his arm cocked as though he's going to throw a punch. I've added this because this man was NEVER like this before. He was an AWESOME supervisor and now his personality and demeanor has totally flip-flopped.

[newmoon]

It's possible she had her stomach stapled, in which case she will also have drastically changed her eating habits; what she eats, in what form, and in very small amounts...

 

Have you noticed what she does at meal-times?

 

yes, she only eats small pre-portioned microwave meals, like lean cuisine, WW, etc. and drinks nothing but water. her meals at work at very small. she goes to the gym 7x a week, and etc. but i just wondered if it's forever. i imagined it's like any thin person, if we go to bad eating habits the weight will creep back on.

[newmoon]

Lap band surgery has become a more popular and supposedly safer surgery to help people with weight issues. Without researching the subject, I think the band is removable. I know two people who have had this procedure done, and both lost a ton of weight in a relatively short amount of time. They look amazing. That said, in order to maintain their weight, a lifestyle change is imperative because after losing the weight, you can't go back to eating huge meals, a bunch of sugar and carbs, and think the weight will magically stay off.

 

**I have no idea if there is any correlation, but one guy who had the procedure done and looks amazing has become a major a**hole. He is a supervisor and several times lately has become enraged to the point of screaming, cursing, getting in peoples faces...he done just about everything except for actually throwing a punch. (I don't work with him, but I've witnessed these outbursts.) One of the employees sent an anonymous letter to home office and they came to check it out. He's ticked about that as well, but he's been such an a-hole to so many people, it's literally impossible to narrow down who may have squealed. At the rate he is going, it wouldn't surprise me if home office receives another anonymous letter OR one of the guys gets fed up and knocks him out. Most guys aren't going to tolerate a man getting two inches from their face, screaming, and having his arm cocked as though he's going to throw a punch. I've added this because this man was NEVER like this before. He was an AWESOME supervisor and now his personality and demeanor has totally flip-flopped.

 

i think the weight loss - that dramatic anyway - it still doesn't change the person and mentality, imo. people who are extremely obese (due to bad eating, low self-esteem) will still suffer emotional/mental issues. it's a package, right? you have to have the healthy body in-tune with the healthy mind. in my case the girl went from really angry and mean to a much happier co-worker. completely different as well, but in a better way.

[AVarma]

I personally think that surgery is the easy way out. I'm also obese and I've started to adjust my diet and start exercising and I have to say it's really helped my self-esteem. The fact is doing surgery means you don't have to go through the adjustment which is why so many people eventually gain the weight. It's just a waste of money.

 

Nah cross out surgery for me.

[Ninjainpajamas]

I think it's obvious they had the surgery, your average everyday person doesn't just drop weight like that out of nowhere or necessarily should.

 

That guys going to have a lot of extra skin and scars from that procedure as well...it is in a way the "easy way" out of carrying around that fat...but they sacrificed their bodies in order to do so. But the fact is they let their bodies get so bad on their own they probably needed the surgery to avoid other major health issues...kind of a catch-22. Of course they could lose the weight on their own, but you know how that goes.

 

He will also likely regain some of the weight back almost guaranteed, they may be on a high now but most people with weight issues seem to have some major emotional/psychological issues as well as difficulty sticking to that regiment. But that coping mechanism that they used to have with food can turn to alcohol, smoking or some other kind of erratic behavior to replace the previous habit/coping mechanism. But the could even turn into a gym rat in an unhealthy way...one extreme to another.

 

So in a way it's not really an "easy way out" overall...they may think getting a new body will make them happy again but it's really not about that, it's about so much more. Not only that if they had some kind of major internal surgery/reconstruction, it's going to have side affects and consequences to their health and body...but again, letting your body get to that point is a catch 22...if you don't lose the weight then you get sick, if you lose the weight you'll likely get sick in other ways and suffer from other health issues but likely later down the road...i just don't think your body is like "oh you want to change around something with your internal organs from one day to the next? oh ok, we're cool with that".

 

I'm no expert or doctor but this is what I gather from what I know. But I think people issues are far beyond what people like to complain about on the surface...and that should be obvious by now.

 

I saw a lady however in the gym today, easily more than 300 pounds. She was working out with a personal trainer, pushing herself and I could see her dying of exhaustion and struggling, it must have felt like torture for her but she kept pushing herself through everything.

 

The personal trainer was kind of your typical obnoxious grunting muscle head, barking out orders to keep going and such, but he seemed like a nice enough guy during the rest periods, I just hope he knows how hard to push her.

 

Anyway, the point is...if this woman gets herself going and earns those pounds off in the gym, that would be a cataclysmic accomplishment for her. It would increase her self-image, self-confidence along with many other things...she could actually believe in herself that she can do this, and that's irreplaceable and something you can't get going and getting a surgery that knocks off the pounds...that's a whole different psychological victory, you've got to work, learn and be consistent and dedicated and fight so many battles to get there when doing it yourself...when it's given to you, I'm not sure how much you can really appreciate that and take into value within yourself even though there's still work to be done in that respect as well.

 

I wanted to give her a high five, but unfortunately I don't speak the native tongue and I didn't want to do something cultural freakish that would cause her to never want to go back to the gym again...but it takes balls for her to be there. The gym is full of in-shape women and men, and the gym has a vibe of hard work and everyone is using proper technique...people aren't just slamming weights around, texting on their phone, groaning over nothing, or flexing in the mirror, everyone is pretty much in the zone and focused on their own thing then moving on with a purpose.

 

So she's got some guts stepping into this particular gym, she could have chosen many others...and although there are women that are in there not in the best of shape, most women are, some in "perfect" shape...so whatever insecurity they may feel, she's got to feel it 100 times harder, because she's extremely overweight, and the other women are just average people at worst.

 

But anyway, I wish more people had her guts, and I hope she accomplishes her goals.

[Ruby Slippers]

I have a client who works in this area, so I've learned a fair amount about weight loss surgery in the past year.

 

There are many surgery types, and with some of them, the size of your stomach is physically reduced, either temporarily or semi-permanently (reversible). In these cases, the person can't eat more than their stomach's capacity or they'll get sick and probably throw up. So it forces the person to exercise portion control and limit each meal to only a certain volume of food.

 

Unless they remove the band or sleeve that's reduced their stomach size, they will not be able to overeat, and hence should stay at their lower weight.

 

I don't judge anybody for doing it. Sure, it would be great if everybody could be trim and fit and have a healthy relationship with food. But as evidenced by the soaring obesity rates, that's clearly not the case.

 

For most people who choose weight loss surgery, it's a last resort. Most have tried every diet and exercise regimen under the sun, probably lost weight and then gained it back and then some, but nothing has worked for them long-term.

[AVarma]

 

For most people who choose weight loss surgery, it's a last resort. Most have tried every diet and exercise regimen under the sun, probably lost weight and then gained it back and then some, but nothing has worked for them long-term.

 

It's cute that you actually believe this. The fact that most of them end up gaining weight after the surgery shows that most of them never tried that hard in the first place and were looking for an easy way out. It's their choice of course, they can do whatever they want but I do think many of them are not being honest with themselves.

[newmoon]

I personally think that surgery is the easy way out. I'm also obese and I've started to adjust my diet and start exercising and I have to say it's really helped my self-esteem. The fact is doing surgery means you don't have to go through the adjustment which is why so many people eventually gain the weight. It's just a waste of money.

 

Nah cross out surgery for me.

 

i really respect this. it's the hard way for you, i'm sure, but the best way because you're changing your lifestyle and diet and mindset, all as a package. i think when you work for it, instead of pay for it, the change is more significant and lasting.

[Ruby Slippers]

It's cute that you actually believe this. The fact that most of them end up gaining weight after the surgery shows that most of them never tried that hard in the first place and were looking for an easy way out. It's their choice of course, they can do whatever they want but I do think many of them are not being honest with themselves.

I used to view it the same way most people here do: easy way out, why don't they just lose weight the normal way. But after studying the matter in more detail, I've changed my mind.

 

Through my work with this client, I interviewed about a dozen people who had been through the surgery. The stories were very similar, and it opened my eyes and cured me of being judgmental about weight loss surgery.

 

Most of them were obese or morbidly obese. Most had struggled with their weight for many years, since childhood, decades even, and were very ashamed that they hadn't been able to solve the problem. Most had tried for years to lose weight the "right way", and once that failed or they eventually fell off the wagon and gained the weight back, they resorted to more desperate measures, such as various diets, diet pills, purging, near starvation, crazy exercise regimens, all kinds of disordered eating. Most admitted they were emotional eaters, food was the drug they were addicted to, and they were tortured by their relationship with food. Most also viewed surgery as the easy way out and felt guilty about it, but eventually concluded it would be better to admit they were powerless and try it as a last resort.

 

Afterward, all of them were happy about their decision and said the procedure had dramatically improved their quality of life. They went from obese and miserable, to a healthy weight and much happier and healthier.

 

Though it may seem to be an extreme solution, for those who could not succeed any other way, it can be the only solution. In the group of people I was working with, all of them had kept the weight off from anywhere from a year to 10+ years.

[newmoon]

I used to view it the same way most people here do: easy way out, why don't they just lose weight the normal way. But after studying the matter in more detail, I've changed my mind.

 

Through my work with this client, I interviewed about a dozen people who had been through the surgery. The stories were very similar, and it opened my eyes and cured me of being judgmental about weight loss surgery.

 

Most of them were obese or morbidly obese. Most had struggled with their weight for many years, since childhood, decades even, and were very ashamed that they hadn't been able to solve the problem. Most had tried for years to lose weight the "right way", and once that failed or they eventually fell off the wagon and gained the weight back, they resorted to more desperate measures, such as various diets, diet pills, purging, near starvation, crazy exercise regimens, all kinds of disordered eating. Most admitted they were emotional eaters, food was the drug they were addicted to, and they were tortured by their relationship with food. Most also viewed surgery as the easy way out and felt guilty about it, but eventually concluded it would be better to admit they were powerless and try it as a last resort.

 

Afterward, all of them were happy about their decision and said the procedure had dramatically improved their quality of life. They went from obese and miserable, to a healthy weight and much happier and healthier.

 

Though it may seem to be an extreme solution, for those who could not succeed any other way, it can be the only solution. In the group of people I was working with, all of them had kept the weight off from anywhere from a year to 10+ years.

 

i wonder how many were genetically pre-disposed to weight issues as opposed to just being emotional eaters? my assumption has always been that people from obese families will eventually regress because - genetically and as a matter of upbringing - they are that way. the people who just get obese because of emotional issues or etc. have a better chance of success in keeping weight off?

[Ruby Slippers]

I don't know much about obesity and genetics. No one that I spoke with attributed their weight to genetics - rather to their own habits, often going back to the diet they were raised on from childhood. Of course, this was only about a dozen people, so hardly a representative sample of all the people who've opted for weight loss surgery. Most of them said they just ate too much and could not get their overeating under control.

[ascendotum]

......

 

So in a way it's not really an "easy way out" overall...they may think getting a new body will make them happy again but it's really not about that, it's about so much more. Not only that if they had some kind of major internal surgery/reconstruction, it's going to have side affects and consequences to their health and body...but again, letting your body get to that point is a catch 22...if you don't lose the weight then you get sick, if you lose the weight you'll likely get sick in other ways and suffer from other health issues but likely later down the road...i just don't think your body is like "oh you want to change around something with your internal organs from one day to the next? oh ok, we're cool with that".

 

I'm no expert or doctor but this is what I gather from what I know. But I think people issues are far beyond what people like to complain about on the surface...and that should be obvious by now.

 

I saw a lady however in the gym today, easily more than 300 pounds. She was working out with a personal trainer, pushing herself and I could see her dying of exhaustion and struggling, it must have felt like torture for her but she kept pushing herself through everything.

 

The personal trainer was kind of your typical obnoxious grunting muscle head, barking out orders to keep going and such, but he seemed like a nice enough guy during the rest periods, I just hope he knows how hard to push her.

 

Anyway, the point is...if this woman gets herself going and earns those pounds off in the gym, that would be a cataclysmic accomplishment for her. It would increase her self-image, self-confidence along with many other things...she could actually believe in herself that she can do this, and that's irreplaceable and something you can't get going and getting a surgery that knocks off the pounds...that's a whole different psychological victory, you've got to work, learn and be consistent and dedicated and fight so many battles to get there when doing it yourself...when it's given to you, I'm not sure how much you can really appreciate that and take into value within yourself even though there's still work to be done in that respect as well.

 

I wanted to give her a high five, but unfortunately I don't speak the native tongue and I didn't want to do something cultural freakish that would cause her to never want to go back to the gym again...but it takes balls for her to be there. The gym is full of in-shape women and men, and the gym has a vibe of hard work and everyone is using proper technique...people aren't just slamming weights around, texting on their phone, groaning over nothing, or flexing in the mirror, everyone is pretty much in the zone and focused on their own thing then moving on with a purpose.

 

So she's got some guts stepping into this particular gym, she could have chosen many others...and although there are women that are in there not in the best of shape, most women are, some in "perfect" shape...so whatever insecurity they may feel, she's got to feel it 100 times harder, because she's extremely overweight, and the other women are just average people at worst.

 

But anyway, I wish more people had her guts, and I hope she accomplishes her goals.

 

If a very obese person I knew went and got lapband surgery I am not going to give them shyte for taking the easy way out. I probably would have over the years give them a bit of a hard time in terms of losing it though. I'd be a little bit jealous that that they were able to transform themselves over night, where as I have had to slug it out in the gym for years. For most I would say it would make a big difference to their self esteem like it seems to for the many of the biggest loser contestants I gather. I don't buy it when people say it wont make any difference to their psychological well being or confidence. For some yes, but for many I would think it can be a new lease on life. Unlike a very restricted diet & exercise regime this actually curbs their appetite, so they don't need to have the ongoing willpower.

 

From reading a few stories of people who had this surgery though (yep for sure this person had it) its not quite the magic operation however as they have a lot of loose skin left hanging and that actually cancels out a lot of good from the massive weight loss. They look better when dressed but can look worse when naked, and they soon realize that. To fully deliver on self esteem, they need follow up operations to cut away the loose skin. I also read an interesting article in New Scientist on some doctors picking up subtle trends in terms of side effects in some people who have had lapband/gastric bypass surgery. I cant properly remember what the changes were, but it was things like, loss of sense of smell or people who were creative before (art/music) lose the talent after surgery. The doctors seemed to think it might be related to changes in neurotransmitters or guy bacteria.

 

I also have a lot of respect for any fatties who work out in the free weights gym, especially the women as its a little bit more intimidating for them. The few that were there last year though seem to have stopped coming though.

Edited January 27, 2015 by ascendotum

[newmoon]

If a very obese person I knew went and got lapband surgery I am not going to give them shyte for taking the easy way out. I probably would have over the years give them a bit of a hard time in terms of losing it though. I'd be a little bit jealous that that they were able to transform themselves over night, where as I have had to slug it out in the gym for years. For most I would say it would make a big difference to their self esteem like it seems to for the many of the biggest loser contestants I gather. I don't buy it when people say it wont make any difference to their psychological well being or confidence. For some yes, but for many I would think it can be a new lease on life. Unlike a very restricted diet & exercise regime this actually curbs their appetite, so they don't need to have the ongoing willpower.

 

From reading a few stories of people who had this surgery though (yep for sure this person had it) its not quite the magic operation however as they have a lot of loose skin left hanging and that actually cancels out a lot of good from the massive weight loss. They look better when dressed but can look worse when naked, and they soon realize that. To fully deliver on self esteem, they need follow up operations to cut away the loose skin. I also read an interesting article in New Scientist on some doctors picking up subtle trends in terms of side effects in some people who have had lapband/gastric bypass surgery. I cant properly remember what the changes were, but it was things like, loss of sense of smell or people who were creative before (art/music) lose the talent after surgery. The doctors seemed to think it might be related to changes in neurotransmitters or guy bacteria.

 

I also have a lot of respect for any fatties who work out in the free weights gym, especially the women as its a little bit more intimidating for them. The few that were there last year though seem to have stopped coming though.

 

two things from this. i think you're right, in that the self-esteem jumps, but i think it only jumps for a while. it's that whole concept of 'set happy point' and the fact that you pretty much are who you are, changes or not. the increased benefit will only last as long as the person is capable. someone who was a great person before will have the self-esteem improved and someone who was miserable before would see improvement, but likely revert to who they were before the weight loss.

 

the second thing you're right on too. i noticed with my co-worker that (in her face, as i can't see under her clothes) that her face is in really bad shape from all the weight loss in the face itself. she has prematurely aged in the sense that her face is very deeply lined and creased. i know they can tighten abs and flab with more surgery, but i suspect the face is just going to remain that way. so, oddly, her face now looks aged.

[Mizz Layta]

basically a gastric bypass just cuts out a large portion of your stomach. this means you feel full faster since there is less room in your new stomach for food. however, over time, the new stomach will stll stretch, just never as much as the original. the real key to the weight loss in these surgeries, is the fact that people are forced to eat more often than all at once.

 

 

Just like any weight loss program, it has to be a life style change. If he goes back to his old eating bahits and become sedentary he would gain it back