piper

I had these thoughts after reading the fat trap. However, what is the alternative? Giving VSG a shot seems like a better choice than staying on the yoyo train. Also, the Autralain researchers said the dieters metabolism has a lower set point which does not reset for six years....if ever. To me that speaks to the VSG being an especially meaningful tool in this unique circumstance. My metabolism is very low, thanks to multiple VLCDiets over the years, hence I need to consume very little to lose and tiny bit more to maintain. I am so unlikely to be able to do this without VSG or having my jaw wired shut. Hey, why don't doctors do that anymore?

Wow. What a challenging time for you, the complications on top of the nuts and bolts of the lifestyle changes not to mention the hormonal surges from the rapid weight loss. I hope you have a therapist or a solid support person, preferably both. Sounds like you are steadily improving in many ways. I imaging that with every pound you lose, in concert with the medical care you are receiving your body is more and more capable of healing. So wonderful that you are off so many meds. Lastly, have you considered proteinex? Liquid protein formula Llorenspharm.com one ounce = 15 grams of pre digested protein, can help aid healing.

When I lost 55 lbs on optifast 2.5 years ago my MIL said that I would gain it all back. I was so upset and vowed to prove her insensitive statement wrong. However, she was ultimately correct, I gained it all back plus 20 over the next 2 years, just like every other diet. From what I have read, the sleeve is a much more durable weight loss tool than conventional dieting so It would seem that such statements are much less likely to become true. That said, the negativity of such statements is appalling under all circumstances. I also detested the constant compliments about how great I looked because it seemed to be saying that I looked like moby d**k before. I wished that folks would just ask me how I am doing, how are the kids, you seem well....and never comment about weight. I never comment about a persons weight. Not even to say "wow you look great have you lost weight?' Folks have said that to me when I know I have gained and I just hate that. "No...actually I have gained weight, thanks though".

Hi there. What does "normal as possible" mean?

Being obese for seven years has put me as risk for osteoporosis, heart desease, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke...while I cannot say I am totally comfortable with my choice right now at three am, unable to sleep. I can say that driving a car is risky and being obese for years on end is risky. I am actually finding more difficulty in contemplating how my adjustment to "the sleeved life" (for the rest of my life) will go then the risk involved with SG as I do recognize the risk that my "present condition" carries. One way or another I must lose this 85 lbs in order to reduce my health risks.

I have been on welburtrin for several years. I am scheduled for VSG in a couple months. My thoughts were to remain on Welburtin for a year or so and then see if I can get off. I do not think that the first year after WLS is a great time to get of this type of medicine to all the transitions. Perhaps exercising patience and taking it one day at a time. One more thought, one can get off welbutrin cold turkey, however, more traditional SSRI's like prozac, Zoloft one must wean off perhaps your doc can talk to you about weaning off. I think you will know within a week if getting off the med. feels right at this time.

I love to read posts like this! So encouraging. I am scheduled for three weeks or so from today. Thanks for the good news. I am 45 and have been losing and gaining the same weight for 6-7 years, I need help! I threw 4 thousand at optifast and gained it back (plus 20) within a year. My greatest concern has been the psychological affects. However, I am having a lot of those with the extra weight. Thanks to all of you that responded. I have 85 to lose. I am especially concerned about the issue of feeding my large family of 5 kiddos. Need to stay in the kitchen and grocery shop for them, can't really limit the pantry all that much.

Hi. I live in NC, charlotte area. I am scheduled for surgery April 19TH. My BMI is 35. I presently weigh in at 240. I am going to start my pre-op optifast diet as soon as I finish this cheesecake, actually...I start two weeks prior to surgery so, April 5TH. It is my sincere hope that this surgery will assist me in losing...and keeping off (that would be first!) 80-90 pounds. I am pretty labile these days. A condition which seems to be increasing as the date of surgery draws closer. I would ask the surgeon for some an anxiety reducing med, like klonopin, but I passed the psych eval so I don't want to reveal too much crazy, at least not until after the surgery is competed. So, good luck and I am really looking forward to hearing the story of your remarkable journey.

Wow. Losing weight can really take years off one's appearance, just as gaining has the opposite effect. Many years ago my husband and I were looking at a home during an open house and my husband introduced himself. The owner turned to me and said "and this must be your mother". I am four years younger than my husband.

I do not think being honest was a mistake. I am absolutely not an extremely well informed person regarding the specifics of what the psych eval. is searching for. Your points are valid and I have thought about this in the past wondering about cross addiction as my relationship with food is obviously disordered and emotionally driven.This said, I felt the psych eval was looking for more debilitating issues like present substance abuse or bulimia, major untreated psychiatric disorders, suicidal ideation... Things that would be an impediment to following the post surgery guidelines, major issues that hold the potential to cause one to end unable to properly care for themselves. I would hope that any bariatric counselor is aware of the underlying issues with food that an obese person faces and be able to discern these from those that would truly prevent post surgical compliance. I also cried, I can't talk about my weight issue without crying. I am sure so many of us have family of origin issues that we have been medicating with food. The person that evaluated me shared hers with me. ( she had the surgery) This is not the what they are ruling out.

Last time I tried to ride a bike was unpleasant. I felt re-donkulous, little bike, big person. My husband had bought a "big girl seat" for me which made things slightly less uncomfortable. However, I noticed the bike tires looked flat. I got off to check and they were not flat, just flattened by my weight. Good times... I hope that I will once again be able to ride bikes with my kiddos after surgery (fast approaching). Anyhow, congratulations, guess this is an nsv, yes?

I don't think childhood trauma is a deal breaker, there would not be many folks getting wls if it were. I think the red flags are untreated addiction or eating disorder, untreated depression or really any untreated psychiatric issue. I am on welbutrin so, the depression is being treated and was therefore not an impediment. Again, if being on meds for depression were a deal breaker not many folks would be getting sleeved!

I hope you will change your mind and continue to help people, like myself, on this forum. I just read over some of your posts and don't understand why anyone would feel compelled to take issue with anything you have said. Don't let one bad apple ruin the bunch....or is this throwing out the baby with the bath water? Hmm, I don't know. Either way don't stop posting you have a lot to offer.

Glad to hear I am not committing to being a tea totaler for the rest of my days as this sounds like too much of a sacrifice. I enjoy having a few glasses of white wine with my hubby on some weekends and don't want to give this up. Thanks for the info.

Can't wait to: Not be winded by one flight of stairs No longer trip on items left on the floor by my kids because I cannot see my feet No longer nearly fall when descending stairs for same reason as above Decreased back pain from ruptured disc Get dressed to go out without tears and piles of clothing tossed onto floor of closet (to be tripped over later...) Tie shoe laces without struggle Kneel without feeling a crane would be nice in order to get back up

I don't think you should flog yourself for half a cookie. I believe that one of the benefits of surgery is that although one may have a hard day and reach for the cookie, the sleeve does not allow one to totally overeat. Sounds like given the circumstances things went really well.

"I say all that, but I also believe that the obese person contributes to this by behaving in a low confidence/ I am trying to be invisible way. I am a naturally outgoing person, and as I get thinner I notice myself engaging in a lot more pleasantries with complete strangers, but i think that is mostly because MY attitude is changing, I am feeling better physically and just feel more comfortable in my own skin. I was not embarrased to be seen when I was 300+ pounds, but I was physically uncomfortable and felt like an overstuffed sausage kinda thing and I am sure that uncomfortableness was visibible. That attitude shift shows up to the outside world, and i think people respond to that unconscious message" I don't know how to properly use a quote so I just copied and pasted. Anyhow, this observation about the confluence of factors that lead to an obese person being perceived as (and perhaps feeling) less capable rings so true to me. I myself have "tried to be invisible" at social occasions, mashed up against a wall, trying to blend in with the wallpaper. I have felt marginalized for years and can't imagine feeling anything but empathy toward a fellow obese person, even if I lost the weight. (I have not had surgery, I had an endoscopy today). So unfortunate to feel this vulnerable to social bigotry towards the overweight.

I don't want to deflect focus from the original poster but..(I think that is called hi-jacking a post, right?) can someone help me to understand this aspect of vertical sleeve surgery (or I guess any restrictive diet that one consistently follows for weeks and weeks). From what I understand one's body needs to periodically "rest" to gear up for another round of weight loss. So, a stall of several weeks during the post op. rapid weight loss period is to be expected and is normal, yes? One thing that perplexes me is that folks are apparently consuming so very little, like 500-900 calories, correct? So, how do they take something away from nothing. Do they not change their already low caloric intake but rather increase H2O and activity and therefore continue to lose? Kind of a silly question....

It is just so unfortunate that they want things to get so far before they will help out. The insurance companies are not looking at the long haul, the complications coming down the pipe if they don't allow a courageous person to intervene with this surgery. I wonder if it is because obesity is just so endemic in this country that they only want to open the door a crack for fear that they will be absolutely inundated with folks who want the surgery. Whatever the reason, it's just not right. I hope you can obtain the coverage you need. Appeal.

Hi. I am wondering what your starting bmi is? From what understand upon reaching a healthy weight ones weightloss will naturally level off. This process in combination with increasing to maintenance caloric consumption of 1200 to 1500 calories a day rather than the 500 to 900 calories one is consuming during the rapid loss phase should prevent too much loss. Can you discuss this with the dietitian at your surgeons office? I was given a binder with extensive examples of the reduction diet meals and the maintenance phase meals. The quantities of food are miniscule, like 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and so forth. Good luck. Btw, I have not had the surgery so I am not speaking from experience. I am sure a post op person will chime in with more helpful input too.

I am also wondering in what way it is relevant if one has not been obese their entire life? I concede that becoming obese was of my own making. However, I wonder if one patient has been obese since 2006 while another patient has been obese since childhood in what way does this impact their eligibility for vsg? Is it not true that both are in the same boat? Is the assertion that one should have the obesity gene in order to truly qualify for surgery? In which case, when the technology is available the medical community would screen candidates and only approve those with the gene? I am curious as to whether the assumption is that in the absence of lifelong obesity one is just more capable of dropping a massive amount of weight. I feel that my metabolism is just not functioning correctly and that this is impeding my ability to sustain weight loss. If I do not somehow lose the weight my future is negatively impacted and lifespan shortened, same as a person who has been obese their entire life. I am not trying to be a contrarian just wanted clarification. Thanks.

June, I really appreciate your thoughtful response. I will certainly consider your points regarding my ability to lose the weight without intervention. Thus far I have only managed to gain with each failed attempt over the last 6+ years. My weight lingers btwn 230-235 so I have about 80-85 lbs to lose if I were to shoot for 150-155. My "healthy' range is 128-168 however, I don't mind being 160, it is a whole lot better than 230.... Anyhow, based on your post I feel that you believe my BMI of 34+ is just too low for VSG and will potentially put me at risk of "losing too much". I wonder, has this been something that folks with "lower" BMIs have experienced? This concern is not one that my surgeon had expressed. In fact, he seemed to feel that it made a great deal of sense to intervene now rather than later as increased weight can increase potential for post surgical complications. I gathered that he had performed this surgery on folks with lower (than 40) bmi's and felt that the insurance companies were shortsided in their high bmi requirements. Do you know if folks have indeed experienced too much weight loss when starting with lower bmi's? It seems to me that one's body would begin to level off in terms of weight loss once they reached ahealthy weight that was supported by their caloric intake (equilibrium) rather than a specific time frame, like the six month time frame you suggested. Thanks again for clarifying.

linkybo, Thank you for your sunny reply. Your observations are so true. Although folks seem to go through an adjustment period that seems to be harder for some than others, it appears as though people are quite pleased in the long run as they have finally been able to attain and sustain meaningful weight loss. I have a tendency to over analyze things and get "stuck" when making difficult choices. I guess in some ways it's better than being impulsive. Off topic, love your golden puppy picture and envious that you live in seattle. I am very excited for your upcoming surgery and will have you in my thoughts, sending positive energy your way.

Thank you Rootman for the comprehensive reply regarding malnutrition, aging and decreased cognitive acuity. Your answers were very helpful. Wow, 173 pounds lost, amazing. Congrats. June, I am sorry if my reply seemed vague. When I stated that "things" had "changed" around 40 I merely meant from the standpoint of my metabolism and body weight "set point" and was not implying something more sinister in nature. I am not sure what your are referencing as "extreme behavior". I reread my posts and did not see evidence supporting that assumption. Anyhow, thanks for your input and congratulations on your remarkable weight loss.

No June, my weight snuck up insidiously. Before pregnancies my normal adult weight was 145. After pregnancies my weight seemed to settle around 160-180. As I approached 40 things changed and the scale crept upwards, it seemed my body settled on an astonishing new weight of 230. I understand that when our fat cells fill up to capacity they split. It's just conjecture, but a suppose that during the last 6 years or so my fat cells have been doing just that, filling-up and splitting. Now I have too many and they all want a full tank, hence the new set weight. Congratulations on losing 102 pounds, what a remarkable victory.