Question:
Is there a quick weight loss regiment if surgery is not an option?
There use to be liquid diets monitered by health care professionals. Is surgery still now the only option? — Janet D. (posted on August 7, 2005)
August 7, 2005
Janet, don't go down that road...if it does work, it's only temporary.
Just as a side note---My MIL and her sister joined weight watchers the day
I had surgery. They both lost 100lbs before I did. Food for thought.
— RebeccaP
August 7, 2005
Janet, my clinic offers a non-surgical option, which is a supervised diet.
I'm not sure if it is all liquids, but I know liquids are involved. I'd
call around to the clinics and programs in your area and see if anyone
offers something like this.
— Jeanie
August 7, 2005
If you can do it without surgery, GO FOR IT!!! The trick will be
maintenance once you lose the weight... it's always the difficult, BUT NOT
IMPOSSIBLE, part. Maintenace is hard for everyone, surgery or no surgery.
But there are success stories of folks who lost the weight without surgery
and have kept it off. It's mind over matter :-) Go to the nutritionist, or
a doctor and start a monitored lifestyle change... GOOD LUCK!!!
— [Deactivated Member]
August 7, 2005
There still is the OPTIFAST program which is the liquid program, talk to
your PCP and see if he has the name of a dr in your area that provides this
service and support
— afs720
August 7, 2005
I did several liquid diets many years ago, then a thousand other diets
before succombing to surgery. I've had numerous complications because of
the surgery (6 hour surgery for a scheduled 1 1/2 hour procedure because my
stomach was adhered to my diaphram, low blood sugar possibly because too
much intestines were bypassed, an intestinal ulcer landing me in the
hospital 5 days, lots of nausea for reasons I'm still not sure of, and many
others), but I'd still do the surgery all over again, even KNOWING the
complications up front. This might not be everyone's answer, but it's mine.
I don't have the same concerns I had before the surgery. I don't have to
work to keep off that 5 pounds that took me a month to lose, I feel
incredibly sexy (a big change for me...I never knew how to feel sexy
before), I feel accepted more by the general public, etc. (I could go on
along that strand). The liquid diets made me weak and became the biggest
problem if I "slipped". With the surgery, the only
"slipping" I do is when I eat a bite or two too much. The
consequences of my "slipping" post surgery last 10 minutes max.
The consequences of eating something I shouldn't have with the liquid diets
last a week. It throws everything in your body off. Also, with the liquid
programs you really need to go to the support groups. I'm not a support
group person. I hated the groups personally. No groups for post op. I
didn't go to any groups for surgery, though they were available if I had
wanted to.
The liquid diets cost me a fortune, too. Insurance wouldn't pay anything.
The surgery was covered by my insurance. I don't regret ANY of the surgery.
I DO regret the TONS of money I spent and the time & energy & worry
I spent on the liquids.
I can't say DON'T do the liquids....I had to learn for myself the hard way.
It's your money, your time, your investment of energy and your decision.
By the way, on the liquids, the first time I was 25 years old, I was 180
and went to 140 in about 4 months but went up to 200 in about 3-4 months as
soon as I stopped. That doesn't mean you will do that...as I said, I hated
the groups, which are crucial to the success of the liquid diets. On the
other liquids, I never lost more than 15 pounds because I didn't stay 100%
to them, since I was so sick with the first one. I guess you could say with
the second, third and fourth ones, I "cheated" (if you can call
it that). I didn't eat chocolate or whatever..but I did eat. I ate what is
considered "smart" food (low cal, low fat, etc). On the liquids,
it's all or nothing (at least in my experience). Good luck to you.
— Amy M.
August 8, 2005
— Kasey
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