What Is Weight Loss Surgery?

Weight Loss Surgery Is a Procedure That Can Permanently or Temporarily Change Your Anatomy in a Way That Promotes Weight Loss. the Very First Bariatric Surgery Was Performed in 1954. It Was Referred to as an Jejuno-Ileal Bypass. This Surgical Procedure Removed a Large Portion of the Small Intestine. as a Result, People Lost Weight by Eating Less (To Accommodate the Smaller Size of Their Gut) and Absorbing Fewer Calories Along the Way.

Is Ozempic Making Weight-Loss Surgery Unnecessary?

With the Popularity of Glp-1 Drugs Like Ozempic, Which Is Prescribed for Diabetes and Obesity, People Are Naturally Wondering If Weight Loss Surgery Will Remain a Popular Option. “Weight Management Is Not One Size Fits All, ” Says Hans J. Schmidt, Md, Chief of Bariatric Surgery and Director of the Center for Weight Loss and Metabolic Health at Hackensack University Medical Center. He Adds, “Patients May Need a Program That Integrates More Than One Approach to Achieve the Best Results. ”

Is It Possible to Lose Major Weight Without Surgery?

If Surgery or Prescription Injections Aren’t Attractive Options, Is It Still Possible in This Day and Age to Lose a Life-Changing Amount of Weight Naturally. and It May Be More Common Than You Think. Dr. Levy Says, “My Advice to Women Who Qualify for Weight Loss Surgery, but Are Nervous About Trying Surgical Options: I Think These Women Should Try One More Diet If They Think Something About Their Situation Is Different That Might Lead to a Different Outcome. ”

About 30 Minutes into Her First Group Meeting to Learn About Undergoing Weight-Loss Surgery, Jaime Dellipizzi Heard a Comment from the Back of the Room. “I Lost 200 Pounds After Surgery, ” the Voice Said. “But I’ve Been Surviving on 2 Tablespoons of Applesauce a Day. ” That Was the Moment When Jaime Knew: Surgery Isn’t for Me. There Has to Be a Better Way.

#1. Jaime Did It by Changing up Mealtimes

About 30 Minutes into Her First Group Meeting to Learn About Undergoing Weight-Loss Surgery, Jaime Dellipizzi Heard a Comment from the Back of the Room. “I Lost 200 Pounds After Surgery, ” the Voice Said. “But I’ve Been Surviving on 2 Tablespoons of Applesauce a Day. ” That Was the Moment When Jaime Knew: Surgery Isn’t for Me. There Has to Be a Better Way.

How Intermittent Fasting Helped Jaime

After 3 Months, Jaime Finally Stepped On, Then Off, Then On, a Scale Again and Was Amazed to Discover She’d Ditched 50 Pounds. “I Ran Around the House Celebrating Like a Lunatic. I Couldn’t Believe It. ” Even More Amazing, over Time, She Lost an Astounding 187 Pounds Without Ever Regaining a Pound. “It Melted My Body from Head to Toe. ” She Adds, “Sure, I Still Have Some Loose Skin, but I Wear Shapewear. and I Feel Like a Million Bucks. ”

#2. Meredith Did It with Pool Exercises

Even Jogging for 5 Minutes Felt Like an Eternity to Meredith Volpe. Feeling Defeated, She Pushed the ‘Stop’ Button on Her Treadmill and Resigned to the Fact That She Was Fighting an Impossible Battle with My Broken Body. She Shares, “Over the Year's, I’d Visited Countless Doctors About My Pain. They All Said the Same Thing: Lose Weight and You’ll Feel Better. but How? Exercise Was Torture. and I’d Only Managed to Shed Ounces, Not Pounds, Despite Trying Every Diet Under the Sun. ”

How the Water Helped Meredith

Still, Meredith Became Curious When She Started Selling Special Tubs Called ‘Swim Spas’ That Were Meant for Exercise. and When a Company Offered to Let Her Test out a Unit at Home to Familiarize Myself with the Product, She Gave It a Try in the Privacy of Her Backyard. “The First Day, I Stood in the Corner of the Swim Spa, Absentmindedly Twisting My Waist in the Water. the Next Morning My Stomach Felt Sore. Never in a Million Year's Did It Dawn on Me That I Was Exercising! ”

#3. Gina Did It by Cleaning up Her Diet

With Blustery Weather Swirling out in the Night Air, Gina Canakis Stood in a Hospital Room and Watched Her Dad Take His Last Breath. as She Hugged Her Mother and Two Siblings Tightly, She Had One Thought Emerge from a Tangled Knot of Emotions: Watching Him Suffer Was Heartbreaking. I Don’t Want This to Happen to Me.

How Eating Whole Foods Helped Gina

When Gina Realized That “Pre-Boxed Diet Food” Made Her “Ravenous, ” She Began Eating Balsamic Chicken for Breakfast for a Hearty Protein-Packed Start to Each Day. “I Didn’t Deprive Myself, ” She Shares. “I Still Had Sips of Red Wine and Starbucks Coffee. I Felt Phenomenal. ”

#4. Theresa Did It with Lots of Water

Sitting in Her Mobility Chair at Home, Theresa Borawski Took Stock of Her Life. at 47, She Could No Longer Walk or Even Stand Long Enough to Brush Her Teeth Due to Her Weight and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I’m Going to Have to Move into Assisted Living, She Accepted. Being Obese and Disabled Is in My Genes…It’s My Fate.

How Extra Hydration and Fiber Helped Theresa

Theresa’s Body Responded. She Lost 5 Pounds the First Week. by the Sixth Week, Her Cravings Subsided and Her Body Got into a Healthy Rhythm of Waiting for Its Next Meal. “The Biggest Secret Was Not Allowing Myself a Cheat Day, ” She Says. “I Trained My Body to Live Without Junk Food Instead of Having to Start over Each Week. ”

#5. Melisa Did It by Eating More, Not Less

The Short Walk from Her Beach Towel to the Water’s Edge Seemed Like a Mile to Melisa Shackelford. I’m So Exposed — Everyone’s Probably Looking at My Butt, She Agonized, Until at Last She Could Plunge Her Body into the Chilly Water to Hide.

How Eating More, Not Less, Helped Melisa

Then Melisa Volunteered to Test the Doctors Diet. Instead of Feeling Deprived and Headachy as She Feared, Melisa Felt Energized and Fueled. Within Three Days, Her Sugar Cravings Were Gone and After 14 Days She Was Down 14 Pounds. by Week Seven, She Had Lost 45 Pounds. She Raves, “I Was Having the Same Fast Results as a Friend Who Had Gastric Bypass Surgery — Without the Risks. ”

#6. Paulette Did It by Taking Control of Stress

Paulette Szalay Sat on a Florida Beach Covered Shoulder-to-Shin with a Shawl, Trying to Hide Her Body. Looking at All the Happy Vacationers, She Realized She Was the Only One Stressing, Not Enjoying Herself. That’s It, She Decided. This Is the First Day of the Rest of My Life.

How Controlling Stress Helped Paulette

Although Paulette Was Eating More Than Before, She Found, “My Sweet Tooth Was Gone. ” She Also Practiced Mindfulness, Which Dropped Her Stress from “A 10 to a 2. ”

#7. Susie Did It by Walking

Susie Maines Leaned Against the Counter, Hoping to Take a Bit of Pressure off Her Aching Hips and Knees. but It Was No Use. at 325 Pounds, She Could Hardly Stand on Her Feet for 8 Hours a Day as a Clerk at the Us Postal Service. She Had to Accept a Hard Truth: I’m Going to Have to Retire. My Body Can’t Take This Anymore.

How Walking Helped Susie

The Walking Sticks Helped Counteract Pain, Stability and Balance Issues and Improve Confidence. with the Pain Gone, the Sisters’ Strolls Grew to a Couple Miles a Day. Susie Says, “It Just Got Easier and Easier and I Thought, ‘Oh Man, I Could Just Walk Away These Pounds. ’” and She Did! Susie Watched Her Weight Fall Like an Elevator. She Shed 186 Pounds and Becky Dropped 187 Pounds — All with the Help of Those Simple Walking Poles.

Avoid Weight Loss Surgery: How 7 Women Did It

By Maya Lin-Takahashi

• Oct 8, 2026 • 15 min read

Avoid Weight Loss Surgery: How 7 Women Did It

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

This Year Marks the 70Th Anniversary of Weight Loss Surgery. over the Year's, This Major Medical Intervention Has Helped Countless Women Lose Weight and Improve Their Cardiovascular Health. “Bariatric Surgery Is the Most Powerful Tool We Have to Treat the Disease of Obesity, and It Is Incredibly Successful, ” Says Shauna Levy, Md, Medical Director of Tulane Hospital’s Bariatric and Weight Loss Center. Yet the Decision to Go Under the Knife Isn’t One to Be Taken Lightly. So We Reached out to Weight-Loss Experts to Discuss the Future of Bariatric Surgery and Its Alternatives. We Also Went Through the Archives and Gathered Seven Amazing Stories from Women Who Considered Bariatric Surgery, but Were Able to Lose Weight Without It. Keep Reading to Learn How They Managed to Avoid Weight Loss Surgery Altogether.

Maya Lin-Takahashi

Consumer Tech & Gadget Reviewer

Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.

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