The Obstacle of Time

When explaining their motivations for selecting weight loss surgery, most patients will tell Dr. Michael Feiz that it is not the simple act of losing weight that they find incredibly difficult, but rather the feat of keeping the weight off over time. Dr. Feiz explains that many of his patients are able to successfully diet in relatively short bursts, losing 10, 20, or even 30 pounds when they can commit to a healthy regimen for several months.

Yet, what happens after those several months are over is a completely different story. Where all of us are with our weight in the present is rarely a fluke, but rather an indication of our innate relationships with diet and exercise. And while it is possible for a strong willpower to overcome these innate behaviors and adopt a healthy lifestyle in the short term, it is often impossible to permanently change who we are on our own. 

Dr. Feiz explains that this is where weight loss surgery comes in. By permanently changing the capacity of a patient’s stomach with the gastric sleeve, it becomes much more feasible that patients will continue to eat less for years to come.  This is how so many of Dr. Feiz’s patients have found tremendous success losing the weight, and why they continue to keep the weight off years after their surgery.