Life After Weight Loss Surgery

Life After Weight Loss Surgery: Achieving and Maintaining Massive Weight Loss, John Simone, Three Pyramids Publishing, 2010

After trying every diet and weight-loss plan on the market, you are now considering weight loss surgery. This book looks at the things you need to know ahead of time.

If you need to lose only a few pounds, forget weight loss (bariatric) surgery. It is only for those who are morbidly obese. Find a doctor who specializes in bariatric surgery, not your regular family doctor. The book looks at the different types of bariatric operations; most are not reversible.

A common misconception is that, after surgery, you will be able to eat as much as you want of whatever you want, and still lose weight, and that you will eventually look like you did in high school, or before having your first child. The size of your stomach has just been greatly reduced, so the quantity of food you can eat at any one time is also greatly reduced. You may be able to reach your high scholl or pre-child weight, but Mother Nature has ways of letting you know that those days are gone forever.

You may become intolerant to food that you enjoyed pre-surgery. Digestion problems, along with sudden eating disorders, are very possible, so regular check-ups with your bariatric doctor are essential. With the greatly reduced amount of food you are eating, you may not be getting enough vitamins and minerals each day. Your bariatric doctor will then prescribe nutrition supplements to be taken daily for the rest of your life. It's stupid to go through weight loss surgery, and then end up back in the hospital with, for instance, a vitamin deficiency, because you didn't feel like taking your supplements.

Exercise is also required after surgery. Some people can join a health club, while others would rather exercise with a personal trainer. Make sure they know about your surgery. Your relationships with others will probably change. Your spouse may fear that once you become thin, you will look for companionship elsewhere. Friends and relatives may be jealous that you are actually doing something about your weight problem, while they are not. If you lose weight too quickly, your body may not be able to keep up with you and re-absorb all those fat cells. Therefore, be prepared for plastic surgery to get rid of all that excess skin.

The author, a veteran of weight loss surgery, has put together a very thorough book. For those considering such surgery, it does a fine job of answering your questions before you even have questions. This is very much worth reading.