Five Signs that You’re Not Ready for Weight Loss Surgery
If you are on the fence about it, take your time coming to a decision. Even if you are theoretically eligible for it, you might have a funny feeling about it still. Here are five signs that might be saying that you are not yet ready for WLS.
1. You want to know how soon you can have …
Whatever “…” may be, if you are counting down the days until you can have it after your surgery, you might be missing the point. This is a lifetime commitment. It is not a 30-day period of abstinence from alcohol or from pizza. If your mindset is that this is a short-term race to goal weight, bariatric surgery might land you where other diets have: at goal weight and then back to starting weight, plus a few pounds.
2. You’re looking for any excuse to be found ineligible.
You may technically qualify for weight loss surgery based on your BMI and any obesity-related health conditions you may have, but are you ready? You might not be if you are grasping at straws to come with reasons you that you “should not” have surgery. For example, you practically ask a doctor to disqualify you because your great-grandfather (who was a smoker) died of a heart attack at age 92 and therefore you worry your heart is not strong enough to withstand surgery.
(Note: it is absolutely the right thing to do to explore all of your health history to be sure that the surgery is a relatively safe option for you. Just distinguish between real and imaginary reasons).
3. You are seeking fourth, fifth, and sixth-second opinions.
Let’s say your primary care doctor recommends that you have the surgery, and you found a surgeon who gave you the go-ahead. It’s one thing to ask another expert for a second opinion, just to be sure that you are making the right choice. It is quite another to ask several more experts for their opinions, hoping that one of them will advise against surgery. If that is the case, it might be a sign that you are not ready to commit to weight loss surgery and the lifestyle changes that are part of that commitment.
4. You are not sure how it would be different than dieting.
Bariatric surgery is worlds away from dieting. If you are thinking of bariatric surgery as a new diet that you will follow until you reach goal weight, you probably will not be prepared to sustain your new eating habits for life, and the weight will come back, just like it may have after countless diets. If you cannot explain to yourself why this is different than previous diet attempts, you might end up with the same results.
5. Your SO is doing more research than you.
It seems like every day, your significant other or your mom or your sister is telling you factoids about surgery that they discovered while researching online or talking to people. In the meantime, you have not seemed to be able to find the time to look things up. The fact may be that you are just not that engaged, which may be a sign that, deep down, you are not ready to take the plunge.
Alex Brecher
I am a native New Yorker who loves spending time with my children and working out at the gym.
I had struggled with my weight my whole life. Diets worked for me until I went off them and gained back more weight each time. Finally, a friend who used to be obese told me that he had gotten weight loss surgery. I could see how great he looked, and I got weight loss surgery in 2003. Thankfully, I can say that I have never looked back. It helped me lose more than 100 lbs. and keep the weight off since 2003.
I am the founder of BariatricPal and proud of everything that it means to the entire weight loss surgery community. Together, we can fight obesity and work toward living healthier lifestyles!
You can view The BIG Books on Weight Loss Surgery book series at the BariatricPal Store.
@Cindysmom (Ilene), I believe your testimony will be helping others who come across this article. Be blessed hon and congrats at looking to the truth in your journey.
So, so, so much of #1. Don't get me wrong - we all have a lot of what-ifs on whether we'll be able to enjoy certain things again. For me it was craft beer. Wasn't a big drinker by any means, but enjoyed a good beer every now and then and doing beer festivals. I think there is a happy medium of accepting that there are things you can enjoy in extreme moderation after surgery, but you have to also come to terms that certain things you may not be able to enjoy again. There are some foods that I've tried that don't like me anymore. I tried them once, didn't enjoy it, and honestly ever since I don't much care.
It is hard to see a lot of people post on the board with the "how soon can I..." comments. I think we all go through that to an extent but some obviously are way too concerned to returning to old habits. For me being a year out some things are easy, other's are still hard and will continue to be so.
I am hesitant to weigh in here but what does one do when they have an opposite reaction to #3? I was seeking surgery, jumped through all hoops my insurance and bariatric practice requested and/or required. Now I am told they no longer desire to perform my surgery. The excuse I was given sounds suspiciously like a professional version,of #3. Since I was given no input as to how this could be repaired or circumvented- I will seek enterance into another program.My ex-program was in a Center of Excellence hospital, my new one will be be also. I am still committed to a future WLS bottom line, I feel the ex program was a waste of my precious time. I am neither a troll nor a spammer, merely a person hurt by the turn of events.
Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app
Thank you
Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app
Some really good points hit upon in this article.
As a person who was 100% strict. I see that once I brought even 1 thing back to my body, I wanted more. After all, I thought, I gained a little weight back, what could I loose? What could happen if I let stuff in? Just a little gain? And after all. Wasn’t I upset when I ate and ate? And now, I am back- upset again with another bunch of problems. I will be 70 years old. I am falling apart. My body hurts just like an old lady And why shouldn’ I eat?
And then I think about my social worker who has a big body. How is she going to come through for me? After all, she’s not there for herself!. So maybe I’ll try a new one. But omg, she is so young and size 1. Xtra xtra small. Are there sizes like that? Did she really go to high school? And college?
At this time, right now, I am waiting to hear from 2 doctors, one that did the first surgery, and the other one is my primary. My primary doesn’t know what a Lapband is. Certainly the word SLIPPED must mean something! I sent him the report from my upper gi. I’m sorry for rattling on! It’s easier to write my feeling than searching for an ear that will listen.
Great article!!! Hope everyone reads it!
Cindysmom (Ilene) 130
Posted
I’ve had my lapband for 8 years already. I was mentally concerned about what I can eat, how much, when can I do it. I joined Facebook and friended someone who had a Lapband. I hoped that she would help me get thru the first weeks and months of my journey. After asking her many times the famous question what can I eat. She responded to me that I should stop focusing on food. And that I should put my focus on exercise and being active. I was so insulted by what she said to me that I immediately unfriended her.
In 15 months I let go of 96 lbs. and was healthy and thin and so proud of myself.
There was a death in my family and it hit me very badly. I went into a deep depression and didn’t care about me at all. I began to gain weight, I went to several Lapband Doctors for fills and unfills. It got to a point that I didn’t even have a Doctor to see me.
I threw up at almost every meal, and gained weight. Pound by pound. Well, after throwing up so much, I went to the Dr who did the surgery and he took some Fluid out.. I think he took out more than I wanted. He also gave me a script to have an Upper Gi series with contrast. And low and behold, my Lapband slipped.
As of this date. I am working on having my Lapband removed and getting a revision to a sleeve. I have a positive outlook on my live and a new journey for me.
Share this comment
Link to comment
Share on other sites