Sleeve vs WW

[sraebaer]

I think many of you know I'm sort of following Weight Watchers to get a handle on maintanance. I enjoy the simple app tracking, the people, and the accountability of weighing in and writing it in a book. I go for free as I made Lifetime back in the dark ages, too bad I gained it all back plus tons more. I still eat how I should with my sleeve, protein first, then veggies, then good carbs if room.

I also belong to one of their forums, and the stupidity regarding weight loss surgery is astounding! Everyone blabbers on and on about how dangerous surgery is, and how everyone should be able to diet and exercise. They say lots of people die. It's nuts.

I started looking up studies. One said that 2 out of 1,000 WW members reach their goal weight, but they were typically only "overweight" moving to "regular weight." I wish I could tell them that IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK! If you have 100 to lose, you're probably closer to less than 1 in 1,000. Look at our sleeve statistics, so much better.

Oh well, these people can keep wasting their money I guess. I know I did for years. And for those extreme few who actually lose over 100 pounds with diet and exercise alone, they are superstars for sure.

Probably the moral of this story is don't tell people about your surgery. People are often quite ignorant.

[JessNP]

Exactly right! The level of ignorance amongst people is astounding! Family/friends/coworkers are going to be on a "need-to-know" basis when I have my surgery.

[Dutchie]

*Like*!

[Sh5]

I share a common situation; first WW lifetime in 1993, regain plus, GS surgery 2013, slow partial weight re-gain after 5 years, back to WW enjoying a weekly weight loss until I reached my goal. I accepted the milestone trinkets, shared my experience of how to succeed but never mentioned my GS.

This last rejoin is almost like being a fly-on-the-wall observer. I see my pre-surgery self in the experiences of these current WW members: the join-skip-drop out-rejoin cycle, buying WW food products in hope that those would be the magic bullet for success, not realizing that those sugar substitutes in shared recipes, commercial "diet" foods, and diet sodas really only make me hungrier, etc.

The current WW program is by far the most honest and effective version of itself. Truly doubt I would be back below goal if not for the surgery AND the new WW program. Folks trying to follow the program without benefit of surgery should not measure their progress compared those who have. While I do hope my program success has not discouraged others, my choice to not discuss my GS continues to be the best for me. Surgery and keeping it to myself were the best physical and mental health decisions I ever made.

[Sandra3]

A French woman actually published a book last year about how she "embraced" her obesity, society doesn't like her, and she will never go for baraitric surgery because then you can't have dinners with friends. The whole thing was so stupid!!

Stats do show only diet will never work for morbid obesity. Stats do show bariatric surgery is the only "real help". People are just believers in all those dreams sold by companies (cream, diet, gym etc) who make money from they pain and suffering....and huge guilt all obese drag around (obesity has nothing to do with willpower period).

But I do agree than talking about those topics can starts big fights with ignorant people who just take for granted their stick figures they nurse with candies and high carbs.
I do believe most obese are sick and there's not enough good doctors to help them unfortunately...

[sraebaer]

I was in that "join-skip-drop out-rejoin" cycle for at least 30 years. I should have owned stock in Weight Watchers. And I know I am in the majority! But I agree Sh5 that the current program works and is basically how a sleeved person should eat.

[Sandra3]

Before the sleeve my main issue was portion control, I was starving all the time, and it was hard to eat veggies with my crazy IBS...I was struggling, finding something to eat was always a mission.... I did follow one "successful" diet from a French doctor took me like 14 months (2012/2013) to lose a little more than 60 pounds, I had nuts to help online and we were able to find out the 3 veggies I could eat safely without starting an attack...but kgs came back in a flash as soon as we started the move in 2014 and I was not cooking and eating out for 2 months...even if I was hungry all the time because I was trying to control my food intake ! so messy...and frustrating....

I guess the new WW is better than the one with points I tried years ago, because it was so confusing...that was a few years before I did the French doctor's diet. I tried WW around 2005 I think, right after I had 2 pneumonia and my weight ballooned quickly with my treatment.

[AnnieG]

I didn't struggle with weight for lots of years...it stayed normal. And then it didn't. I had great succes with The Diet Center, but it was expensive and as soon as was not going, up crept the pounds. Of course, some of it was medications, some depression and a lot of it was cheesy fries with a cherry coke. Often.

I have shared my VGS with most people, but then again, I have a limited audience of truly close women friends, a few long time (years and years) friends from church. So I guess I'm not "public" in sharing, but am blessed with supportive friends.

I think the biggest bariatric myth is that you are fixed by the surgery. We all know its a tool. But it truly limits my eating in terms of amount, and 18 months in, I don't very often even want anything from the past.

[WANAGL]

Not only often ignorant, often VERY judgmental. IE: easy way out, etc. I only told those closest to me that I knew I could trust.

[sraebaer]

I share a common situation; first WW lifetime in 1993, regain plus, GS surgery 2013, slow partial weight re-gain after 5 years, back to WW enjoying an weekly weight loss until I reached my goal. I accepted the milestone trinkets, shared my experience of how to succeed but never mentioned my GS.

This last rejoin is almost like being a fly-on-the-wall observer. I see my pre-surgery self in the experiences of these current WW members: the join-skip-drop out-rejoin cycle, buying WW food products in hope that those would be the magic bullet for success, not realizing that those sugar substitutes in shared recipes, commercial "diet" foods, and diet sodas really only make me hungrier, etc.

The current WW program is by far the most honest and effective version of itself. Truly doubt I would be back below goal if not for the surgery AND the new WW program. Folks trying to follow the program without benefit of surgery should not measure their progress compared those who have. While I do hope my program success has not discouraged others, my choice to not discuss my GS continues to be the best for me. Surgery and keeping it to myself were the best physical and mental health decisions I ever made for myself.

Wow, we are doing the exact same thing! It is helping me stay at goal, but I'm not talking about my surgery either. If you had mentioned WW to me 2 years ago I would have said you were crazy, but now, after 5 years, I love the accountability. Being self-pay I couldn't go back to my bariatric center after 3 months. And at 5 years that rule about protein first, then veggies, then good carbs if room doesn't always work, because there is more "room!"

[sraebaer]

Not only often ignorant, often VERY judgmental. IE: easy way out, etc. I only told those closest to me that I knew I could trust.

The judgmental part on their sites is killing me! Stupid people can be nasty. I guess I shouldn't call them stupid, but uninformed.

[kenson]

sraebaer,
Thank you for this post! I think I need to go back to WW just for the accountability factor. I am also a lifetime member, but 5 years out from sleeve surgery, I need a little help.

[WANAGL]

This is a great post! I’m 3+ years out and it’s interesting to me that in a short time things could change for me. Again y’all’s wisdom is INVALUABLE! Thank you! ;-)

[Stacey03]

People are stupid! Gosh! So judgemental :-(

[sraebaer]

sraebaer,
Thank you for this post! I think I need to go back to WW just for the accountability factor. I am also a lifetime member, but 5 years out from sleeve surgery, I need a little help.

Worked for me. If you are within 2 pounds of your lifetime goal you only have to pay for one meeting. $15.00 for me. Then it's free after that as long as you weigh in once a month. If you are over the 2 pounds, you pay till you get there. I really love the e-tools, I can take a photo of any bar code and get the points. That was fun at Costco looking for the lowest point protein bars. They ranged from about 5 to 18!!