I’m asked every now and then if I think weight loss surgery (gastric bypass, gastric bands, etc) is a good option for people who just can’t seem to lose weight every other way. My answer here is the same answer I give to everyone who asks: It’s risky and just not worth it if you’re not going to make the effort to change your diet for the rest of your life. And, if you’re going to do that, then you won’t need the surgery anyway because you will lose the weight safely and naturally.

I know two people who died from gastric bypass. That’s two too many. I also know at least half a dozen people who had the surgery and had great results for a year or so but then slowly gained the weight back and became obese once again because they didn’t change the types of food they ate. Sure, when you have a gastric bypass, your stomach size is greatly reduced, so it becomes impossible to eat a lot of food, but if the food you continue to eat is rich in carbs and sugar, you’re still taking in a lot of calories. Also, these people have failed because eating the foods high in carbs and sugar kept them hungry, forcing them to eat more often due to cravings, which in turn stretched out their little stomach pouch back to original size.

Forget surgeries. Do a Whole30, commit to doing it right, and then transition into something. I transitioned into Paleo and I’m now 140 less than I was a few years ago. I am often asked if I had surgery and people are always surprised when I tell them that not only have I not, but that I lost over 110 lbs in 12 months through diet alone. They assume I suffered; they couldn’t be more wrong!