Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny
Written by Dr. Nick Nicholson and B.A. Blackwood
Weight loss surgery isn’t the easy way out. Successful weight loss surgery requires a fundamental life change. It’s not about your weight; it’s about your head.
I was asked to review a copy of one of the latest books about bariatric surgery, Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny. Written by Doctor Nick Nicholson, a weight loss surgeon, and B.A. Blackwood, an author and lawyer, this book is intended for people who are considering weight loss surgery, or are WLS post-ops looking for additional information.
98% of morbidly obese people fail at dieting, which only 2% are successful. For 20 years, I was in the diet boat, and felt trapped for so long. Most of the information I found about weight loss surgery was either a pamphlet at a doctor’s office or a website not detailed to give the whole story about bariatric surgery. I think there’s a real need in the marketplace for candid books about details about life before, during, and after weight loss surgery, and this book fits the bill nicely.
The chapters of the book are divided into the following topics:
- How Did I End Up in This Mess and Why Can’t I Get Out of It
- Talking to Your Surgeon: No Time to Practice Lying
- So What’s Really Eating You – Get Ready to Find Out
- What Have I Done to Myself? The Immediate Aftermath
- You Enlisted But Your Spouse Was Drafted: The Impact of Weight Loss Surgery on Your Marriage
- Get In the Game – Dating After Weight Loss Surgery
- My Weight Loss is About Me, So Why Does Everyone Act Like It’s About Them?
- Breaking the Three Food Commandments
- Breaking Up With Your Ex For Good: The Maintenance Grind
- I’m Doing Everything Right, So Why Doesn’t My Weight Show it?
- When to Declare Victory: Managing Expectations
- Revision Surgery – You Don’t Want To Go There
- How to Choose Your Bariatric Surgeon
- Things Your Mama Should Have Told You
As for my review of the book, I wish that it had existed when I was considering surgery. Most of what I read was directly from medical/hospital websites, and the information was quite clinical. This book was very realistic and user-friendly for a pre-op WLS patient looking for a more personalized information set than you’d find on a hospital website. However, for me personally as a 2 year post-op, it was a little simplistic. I have been active in the depths of some pretty gritty and realistic support groups where I’ve had my questions about surgery and post-op life answered, and this book just skims the surface of the heavy emotional stuff. Not everyone wants or needs the “heavy” information like I do, so this book would probably answer the questions of most people interested in surgery. If people were to ask me to recommend books, I personally would suggest this book and “Stranger Here” by Jen Larsen.
“Losing weight isn’t easy, but then nothing worth doing every is. This is your one and only life. Shape it into what you want it to be.”
Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of the book to review for my blog from The Cadence Group. All opinions are my own and I did not receive compensation for my review.