My Decision to Get Gastric Surgery to Treat Binge Eating Disorder

I wrote previously about my experience with gastric sleeve weight loss surgery for binge eating disorder. Now I'm going to go into a little more detail about my experience and how this changed my prognosis of binge eating disorder. Although gastric surgery is a huge decision and certainly not right for everyone, it can be an awesome tool used to treat this very serious eating disorder.

Using Gastric Sleeve Surgery to Treat My Binge Eating Disorder

It was not an easy choice, to say the least. I was well aware that people have died from even the most minor, routine surgeries. I was also aware that this surgery is not a miracle and does not work for anyone. My doctor informed me that there was one woman who had two different gastric surgeries and between the two, lost a total of 20 pounds. For all of the pain of surgery and the following recovery, I had to accept that this could happen to me.

But in the end, I felt like I was out of options. I had been on one failed diet after another for the last 20 years. No matter what I did, I couldn't get a handle on my eating disorder and I couldn't keep weight off. The only time I managed to lose a significant amount of weight was when I was starving myself and, in the end, I just gained all of the weight back, plus more.

Why Gastric Surgery is Not the "Easy Way Out" for Binge Eating Disorder

Once you get gastric surgery, you have to completely adjust your eating habits. Not only in terms of portions, but in terms of what you're actually eating. Post-gastric surgery diet is high-protein, low-carbohydrate. A lot of people, myself included, that are obese are sensitive to carbohydrates, so eating even what people consider a healthy amount of carbs can still prevent you from losing weight.

How Your Life Changes After Gastric Surgery

With all previous diets that I had been on, there had always been an option of going off of them. Once you have a part of your stomach removed, you're stuck. It's impossible to binge anymore because eating small quantities of food fills you up and will make you sick if you even try to push it.

You can also experience something called dumping syndrome, which, let me assure you, is not fun. It happens to me when I consume too much fried or sugary food. When I get it I feel a combination of intense nausea and get a sense that my death is imminent. Although it took me more times than I care to admit to learn what not to do, I did eventually stop making these poor food choices as I didn't want to go through that again.

Is Gastric Surgery Right For Your Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder?

This is a question that only you can answer with help from your doctor. If you are struggling to deal with your weight and your binge eating disorder, I highly recommend to look into other weight loss options, including surgery. Although it's not right for everyone and there are risks that go with it, the results can be amazing and it can really help you deal with your eating disorder and live a better, fuller life.

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