Gastric bypass surgery is one of the original bariatric procedures, and is still highly popular in the USA. Many people choose to undergo gastric bypass surgery in order to lose a large amount of excess weight in a short period of time.
Some people find that diet and exercise don’t work. This is due to hard-learned behaviors that make reducing food intake very difficult. The result is yo-yo dieting, and if there’s anything that is certain, it’s that yo-yo dieting doesn’t work for anyone.
Gastric bypass surgery is a big decision, though. First, do you qualify, and second, what do you need to do in order to be a good candidate?
Qualifications for Gastric Bypass Surgery
There are three ways that surgeons determine who is a good candidate for gastric bypass surgery. Do any of the below apply to you?
You have a BMI over 35.
If you have a BMI over 35, you are considered severely obese. A 5’10” man with a BMI of 35 weighs 243 pounds. BMI does not factor in body fat percentage, so it’s not a perfect way to gauge obesity. However, for the vast majority of people, a high BMI indicates a higher propensity toward obesity-related illness.
You currently suffer from one or more obesity-related health conditions.
People who suffer from weight-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, or fatty liver disease are considered good candidates for weight loss surgery. This is because gastric bypass has been found to be particularly effective in reducing the effects of these conditions. Some have even stopped their medication; however, never plan on doing this without consulting your primary care physician!
You have tried diet and exercise with no results.
If you’ve tried to make healthier changes to your diet, but couldn’t get results from doing so, then it might be worth considering gastric bypass. If you’ve spent years trying diet and exercise to no avail, and you also meet the other qualifications, then gastric bypass might be right for you.
Requirements for Gastric Bypass Surgery
Consider the ramifications of gastric bypass
Weight loss surgery is a big decision. It is an involved procedure that does have risk of complications. What’s worse is that weight loss surgeries do not guarantee that a person will keep the weight off. In order to make sure the weight stays off, patients are urged to make the necessary diet and lifestyle changes.
Understand how gastric bypass works
Weight loss surgery is NOT like plastic surgery. The gastric bypass procedure makes a small pouch in your stomach, which is then connected to a lower part of the intestine. As a result, you’re not about to eat nearly as much food as before. Because the procedure bypasses part of the intestine, you are not absorbing as many calories either, producing a dual-pronged effect that produces rapid sustained weight loss.
Commit to the procedure and all that it takes to make it successful.
If you want to get a gastric bypass, and you meet the qualifications for gastric bypass, then you need complete and total buy-in. You need to make the changes 100%, otherwise you could put your weight loss in jeopardy.
Stick to the post-op diet your surgeon gives you. Eat small, frequent meals. Add exercise when it’s safe to do so. Ultimately, you should be eating small meals of whole unprocessed foods. If you follow the surgeon’s instructions, you will be able to lead a longer, healthier life after gastric bypass surgery.
