Breaking The Stigma Around Bariatric Surgery - Gastric Bypass (RNY) and Gastric Sleeve (VSG) Surgery

“You are taking the easy way out.”

“Can’t you just do it without surgery?”

“You are going to have vitamin deficiencies!”

“What about all the extra skin you are going to have.”

“Why can’t you just do it the hard way like everyone else does?”

These are just a few of the things that I heard before surgery and that I have heard after having bariatric surgery. I had gastric bypass surgery on June 26, 2017. I have lost 180 pounds and maintained that weight loss for over three years.

Bariatric surgery is a tool. Yes, the surgery does make your stomach smaller. But if you put the wrong foods in your stomach after surgery, you can stretch it back out. Just like the stomach you were born with and stretched out.

Gastric bypass surgery was like a hammer for me. When a home builder is building a home, he needs a hammer. If the home builder stops working, the hammer doesn’t magically work on its on. It takes both of them to work together to build a house.

The stomach is a muscle and after years and decades of overeating, I stretched my stomach out to approximately the size of a football. Muscles are unable to shrink on their own (even with drastically limiting what you eat), contrary to popular belief. The only long term solution for me to permanently make my stomach smaller and effectively keep weight off was to surgically make it smaller. That is the way that I explained it to friends and family. I could not permanently shrink my stomach without surgery to effectively keep weight off. I had tried, FOR YEARS. And failed, FOR YEARS. Everyone who loved me and respected me, joined me on this exciting new journey. Which was 100% of everyone I told. Sometimes, it may take a little while for people to come around to the idea because they are afraid of the "what if's." If you give them adequate time to come around to the idea and they don't, you don't need them in your corner. Never forget that you are doing this FOR YOU!

After much research and speaking with my surgeon and personal prayer, I chose to have gastric bypass. This procedure rerouted my stomach and made my stomach the size of an egg. They used the bottom portion of my esophagus and left the remaining part of my stomach (for absorption purposes to avoid vitamin deficiencies), bypassing most of the stomach and then the food enters the small intestines. There are also other methods of bariatric surgery such as gastric sleeve gastrectomy, duodenal switch procedure, and they used to do procedure known as the gastric band procedure.

There is so much negative stigma around bariatric surgery, weight loss surgery, gastric bypass, gastric sleeve- whatever you want to refer to it as. It is time we break the stigma.

Many people look at this as a “quick fix.” You do lose weight fast with this. There is absolutely no denying that. The weight comes off quick. But the key is maintaining that weight loss. If you go back to eating foods high in carbohydrates, they will not keep you full. They are known as “slider foods.” They slide right down your new stomach and they do not produce the same fullness that high protein foods produce. They start to breakdown in your mouth and do not satisfy you and your hunger as long as high protein foods do. I promise you, you will gain weight back if you do not make this into a lifestyle.

This surgery and tool saved my life and gave me my life back!! Three and a half years after my surgery I still meal prep and am very cautious of almost everything that I eat. This is a new life for me; a second shot a life.

I stick with a diet high in protein, focus on moderate amounts of healthy fats, and keep it lower carb. I eat treats every now and then. It is a lifestyle. But I always eat my protein first. It helps to regulate my blood sugar and I feel overall better. This life is maintainable and absolutely achievable.

If you are willing and able to put in the work, this tool works. It takes a few months to get a routine and figure out your new stomach and how it is going to work for you. My new belly is my best friend. It works for me and I work for it. We are in this together for the long haul, at this new shot at life.

Thank you for being here and reading! You can find the most information on my Instagram - @Maddie5088

Love & hugs

Maddie