VSG is a Tool - Just for you Noobz

It was suggested that I post my response to a frightened pre-op as a new post, so here it is:

If you think VSG is going to make you lose weight, I think you are looking at this the wrong way. Lets say all of your life you have had a small hammer and you have been using it to drive nails and it works but i takes you a very long time and some times you bend the nail. Now you have the money and opportunity to buy a new hammer that lets you drive the nails in half the time and they are always straight. Now lets say you buy the hammer but you use the wrong end of the hammer and the nails don't get driven quite as well. Is it the hammer's fault or yours?

VSG is not a way to lose weight. It is a tool. If you get it and continue to eat the foods that caused you to get to the weight you are at now then you are using your hammer incorrectly. If you follow the plan then you will succeed. Some people lose slower than others. If you have had a slow metabolism all of your life then you will still have a slow metabolism until you speed it up.

I don't know what your pre-op diet is like but the pre-op diet is designed more to shrink your liver than to reduce your weight. Your post-op diet will likely be much different. You will be eating mostly protein with a small amount of vegetables. My pre-op diet called for cottage cheese, fat free yogurt and protein shakes. The fat free yogurt I was eating had 23 grams of sugar in it. I wouldn't even consider eating that now. You have to use the tool to change your lifestyle. It makes it easy but at the end of the day it is ALL UP TO YOU, not your doctor, not your VSG, you. If you don't lose weight it is something you are doing/not doing.

Brilliant analogy! Love it.

I thought this was great the first time you posted it!  I think I am going to print it out and paste it in my journal for future reference!

U hit the nail on the head :) and I wanna get HAMMERED lol couldn't help myself. I'm making lifestyle changes now and its tough not having my Pcp that's not up on vsg. But that's ok he is learning. I'm so looking forward to be on the loosers bench.

Find a new PCP. It is important to have them up to speed and open to the idea.

Right? But I'm just waiting for his referral to my surgeon my ins says its a go. My Pcp I kinda think he is one of those 'u can do this w/o surgery ' uhhh he has seen my weight yo-yo soooo. Yeah if I don't get my referral on Jan 4 appt. I'm going to talk to ins about a new Pcp. Besides I agree w u I felt like I knew more than him! Not a good feeling. I know it will all work out :)

So true! This is great. Thanks for posting it!

Right on time Keith!

This is true...work is still work...It isn't magic!  Still if you are doing everything right and losing slow...don't despair   I'm a slow loser and still getting there.  You can do this.  It is easier with the sleeve but you better work! 

You know you rock!

~Deb