I've always been overweight. My entire family has always been overweight. I know that we always ate too much of solid, decent food; my parents never kept things like cookies, ice cream, chips, etc. on hand- but man, could we sock away large quantities of chicken, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, gravy, bread, etc. Trust me, NO 10 year old needs a bowl of cereal, 2 eggs, and 2 pieces of toast for breakfast! As an adult, I tried tracking, weight watchers, diet-n-exercise, Atkins, Jenny Craig, Slim Fast.... you name it, I tried it. As long as I stayed on the diet, I was fine. As soon as I fell off the diet, I gained weight. That's the thing about dieting: Once you find a diet that works, you have to stay on it. It brings into question the wisdom of dieting; what you really need to do is change your lifestyle.
When I hit 287 pounds (at 59 years old) and my always-low blood pressure was creeping up and up, I decided to investigate bariatric surgery, and 3 years ago I had gastric sleeve surgery. I participated in a pretty decent program that combined minimal trial weight loss, nutrition education, an exercise commitment, and eating re-education. I also had to commit to a full-liquid diet for the 2 weeks leading up to the surgery. I started the program in Dec 2015 and had my surgery in September 2016. I have been a "success story." I dropped 110 pounds! My back doesn't hurt anymore, my knees don't hurt anymore, my blood pressure is pretty steady at ~ 125/70. The surgery is the best thing I've ever done for myself and also the hardest thing I've ever undertaken.
Re-educating myself as to how to eat wasn't just something to do in the pre- and early post-surgery days. I still have to eat that way, and always will. I can tolerate between 1/2 cup and 3/4 of a cup of food at one sitting, depending on what the food-type is. I ALWAYS have to eat the protein first- Rule 1 is maintain the protein intake. Everything has to be cut up into tiny bites and chewed up like crazy, due to the reduced stomach capacity and reduced digestive enzymes my body produces now. If I haven't finished a meal within 30 minutes of starting, I stop eating. I can't eat anything I want, just in smaller portions, because my body won't tolerate certain foods (rice, bread, pasta, for example). Now when I get full, it's not the uncomfortable "full" feeling we all know after a huge, carb-heavy Thanksgiving meal. Now, it's pain. Just plain pain, and it's not always associated with the quantity consumed; type of food also can cause pain, even eaten in the right amount. I'll never again feel that "awful/amazing" feeling of being satisfied after eating a big meal. While it sounds gross, that's part of becoming, being, and living as an overweight person. Food=satisfaction... except it doesn't anymore. That is the hardest thing to accept; you are prepared for the physical limitations, but nothing can prepare you for the psychological adjustment. That is the hardest part of bariatric weight loss- accepting the psychological changes you MUST make to be successful at this.
I am 3+ years post surgery and still struggle. In addition to my eating challenges, my hair and nails will never be what they were. I still take a specific group of vitamin and mineral supplements, and always will. I sometimes have some pretty severe gastric reflux that is managed by proton pump inhibitors, but those can't be taken long-term, so it's a cyclic balance. I gained 4 pounds over the holidays this year- I was basically on vacation for 6 weeks, and while I still ate small portions, I snacked on all the holiday goodies (1/2 a bliss bar, a sliver of cake, a cookie, dip with my veggies- or chips with my dip- etc) and drank more than I should have. I am horrified/terrified. I didn't let them cut out my stomach to regain the weight!!! I am back to measuring portions, making meal plans (instead of pulling something out of the freezer/fridge), etc. I know the weight will come off, I know how to eat now, but I am STILL learning how to balance the dietary/physical restrictions with my psychological/emotional needs. I am not sure that this part will ever change. I am SO happy that I had the surgery, lost the weight, and am physically and mentally more healthy than ever before in my life, BUT it's not a magic bullet. There is no choosing to "not diet" anymore. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, and it changes your life forever.
Saying "I'll have this tool to help me and I'll have the last laugh" is nothing but a prescription and attitude that will bring about failure over time.