Many people complain that they cannot lose weight no matter what they do. They claim that they exercise like crazy, eat almost nothing for months and yet the extra weight seems never be reduced.
So they start to believe that they will be fat forever and the dream of becoming slim like the catwalk models is disappearing into the clouds.
Then one day they read somewhere about this wonderful procedure that could change their lives – the Gastric Bypass Surgery. It looks so safe and easy. The surgeon will only create a small stomach pouch and bypass part of the small intestine to make the digestive system shorter.
This would mean that they could only eat small meals because their body will absorb much less food.
So, the people who lost hope to shed the extra pounds are happy again because the solution is only a couple of hours away.
Some may have still a bit of reservation to go under the surgeon knife but after reading about a number of celebrities like: Sharon Osbourne, Maradona, Randy Jackson or Roseanne Barr, who have gone through the weight loss surgery, they convinced themselves that this is the right decision.
But the truth is that it is a serious surgery and should not be taken lightly as a trendy option. After the operation you may (a) experience pain, (b) bruising and (c) swelling of the skin around the wounds.
Other complications such as (d) infection, (e) excessive bleeding or (f) developing a blood clot, usually in a vein in the leg may occur. There is also (g) possibility of a damage to other organs in your abdomen, (h) bowel leak or (i) developing a gallstones.
However, the trickiest thing about the gastric bypass surgery is that after the operation you will have to go on a restrictive diet, take daily nutritional supplements and keep an exercise regime for the rest of your life to get the best results from the surgery.
So, what is the point of going through the surgery in the first place?
If you will make permanent changes to your lifestyle by exercising every day and be careful what you eat, there is no need for you to even think about the weight loss surgery. You will lose weight in a natural and healthy way anyway without putting your health in danger.
After the operation you will have to cut down sugary food like chocolate, puddings or sweets not to get the unpleasant sensation, called “dumping” which may make you feel sick, nauseating, weak, sweating or give you diarrhoea.
Do not believe that by making your stomach smaller you can indulge in food and sedentary lifestyle. The typical diet program after the gastric bypass surgery is very restrictive and many patients find it too difficult to follow it and they end up cheating and gain weight again over the years.
Our body is made the way it is for a good reason and we should only “bypass” what nature gave us if it is our only option.
Issued in the public interest by Barbara Tomasik yoga teacher based in London.
Ms Barbara is a certified yoga trainer and also a teacher in physical education. She is a member of REPs (Registrar of Exercise Professional in UK) as advance instructor level 3.
Ms Barbara has years of experience in the field of yoga, weight loss, nutrition, physical education and reiki.