24601

People have strong opinions about this, but I will tell you my personal experience. I had a BMI of 29 and I had the surgery done almost a year and a half ago. I could not lose those 50 lbs, just like you mentioned. I remembered what it was like to live in a lighter body, and I was miserable every single day, battling my weight with yo-yo dieting. I was very active, but I couldn't seem to get my eating under control. I tried every diet, sought counseling, read self help books, meditated...everything. Finally, I felt I was at the end of my rope when I learned about the sleeve. I went to Mexico a month later and had it done. Now I feel so much healthier, it is so easy to exercise (and I love doing it!), I fit into a size 4, and I don't stress about food every second of the day. Yes, it is a challenge at first, but I would do it all over again. One of the best gifts I could ever give myself! So take from my story what you will, but I don't believe people need to wait until they are morbidly obese with comorbidities to benefit from the sleeve. Another great thing is that surgery was less risky and recovery was pretty breezy because I was in pretty decent health to begin with. Good luck with your decision!

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

I was BMI of 29 when I got my surgery in Mexico. I am a year and 4 months out, and it has been the biggest blessing. I am actually almost underweight now (I am 5'8.5" and average 125 lbs). I am extremely active. I just couldn't seem to lose those 50 lbs that were keeping me down physically and mentally. I was lucky and rarely stalled, probably because I was active very soon after surgery. Anyway, most people don't know I got it, because I know they would judge me harshly. I don't regret it for a second! Good luck to all of you with upcoming surgeries!

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

It's been a year!!! I can't believe how fast this time has passed. I started out low bmi (height 5'8.5", starting weight: 190 lbs.) I was always physically active, but my access weight was really holding me back from excelling at all I wanted to do and be as well as causing me great anxiety. I have three young kids, and the day of surgery I woke up and thought, what am I doing?!!! Once it was done, there was no turning back, so I ate what I was supposed to, walked all the time from the get go, and came to this forum for support!
This year has been one of the most amazing years of my life. As the weight melted off, I was able to be even more active, and the more active I became, the weight continued to come off. It was a cycle of health! My goal weight was 140, which I hit around 5 or 6 months post surgery. I hit my current weight about 8 months post surgery. I am now on the cusp of being underweight (124 lbs, I am guessing because I am so active), but I feel amazing! I have never felt so healthy. I do taekwondo twice a week and run a ton (this week I ran a total of 34 miles). I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I still love food, but it just doesn't have the pull it used to have. It doesn't hold my thoughts hostage anymore! My husband is stoked, clothes are so fun to shop for and wear (I went from a size 14/16 to a size 2/4). I wore a bikini for the first time ever this summer! I am not self conscious to meet new people, and I don't have to pull my shirt out of my belly fat when I sit down anymore. Having gastric sleeve surgery is the greatest gift I ever gave myself!

I had it done in Mexico as I was too low of a BMI to get it done in the states. I paid about $4900 when it was all said and done. I had it done by Dr. Kelly in his clinic. To have it done by him in the hospital it would have been at least a couple thousand more. Looking back, I should have paid the extra and done it in a safer environment. I had no major complications (other than finding out I didn't react well to general anesthesia and threw up for a day and a half every single hour.), but I had the feeling that if some emergency came up, I could very well die there. I speak some Spanish, which was a lifesaver, since none of the nurses spoke a lick of English (I was in Mexico, after all, but I guess I expected at least a little bit of English since most are English speakers who get the surgery done!). So, yeah, not the sanest decision to have it done in a little clinic, but I came out ok, and it changed my life in such a drastic way that I would still do it all over for the amazing results!
The cost included everything, the pick up at the San Diego airport to the clinic. The bloodwork, x-rays, etc, and the hotel stay for 3 nights (I stayed in the actual clinic 2 nights and the hotel for 3. They want you close in case of complications). I was desperate so I took a desperate measure. It took a while for my husband to be on board, but I did a lot of research and found who I thought was the best surgeon. I ended up hating the surgeon as a person, but he did great work!

Hello! I am visiting this board for the first time in quite a while, and I just came upon your post. I won't mince words or be apologetic for getting my surgery at such a "low" BMI (some can be judgy!). I was not quite a 30 bmi when I had my surgery (almost exactly 2 years ago). I had it done in Mexico. I had zero comorbidities. I got the surgery because I have always been very active, but struggled constantly with being overweight and binge eating. It cause a large amount of depression and anxiety. I was tired of dieting and not keeping it off. I was 37 years old with 3 young kids.
Getting the surgery was the very best thing I have ever done for myself! It is two years later and I have kept the weight off. I also don't believe people need to wait until they are super obese with failing health to get the surgery. I was only getting older, continuing to gain weight, and I wasn't going to wait any longer! Since the surgery I have become a black belt in Taekwondo, run more miles than I can count, changed my career, moved to a different state, and made lots of friends who like to be active too. The weight loss has helped me in these things by either just plain being physically smaller (exercise) or moving and making new friends and starting a new career (confidence).
I am a huge proponent of bariatric surgery, even at a "low" bmi. Good luck with your decision!

I had it done in Mexico as I was too low of a BMI to get it done in the states. I paid about $4900 when it was all said and done. I had it done by Dr. Kelly in his clinic. To have it done by him in the hospital it would have been at least a couple thousand more. Looking back, I should have paid the extra and done it in a safer environment. I had no major complications (other than finding out I didn't react well to general anesthesia and threw up for a day and a half every single hour.), but I had the feeling that if some emergency came up, I could very well die there. I speak some Spanish, which was a lifesaver, since none of the nurses spoke a lick of English (I was in Mexico, after all, but I guess I expected at least a little bit of English since most are English speakers who get the surgery done!). So, yeah, not the sanest decision to have it done in a little clinic, but I came out ok, and it changed my life in such a drastic way that I would still do it all over for the amazing results!
The cost included everything, the pick up at the San Diego airport to the clinic. The bloodwork, x-rays, etc, and the hotel stay for 3 nights (I stayed in the actual clinic 2 nights and the hotel for 3. They want you close in case of complications). I was desperate so I took a desperate measure. It took a while for my husband to be on board, but I did a lot of research and found who I thought was the best surgeon. I ended up hating the surgeon as a person, but he did great work!

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Hello! I am visiting this board for the first time in quite a while, and I just came upon your post. I won't mince words or be apologetic for getting my surgery at such a "low" BMI (some can be judgy!). I was not quite a 30 bmi when I had my surgery (almost exactly 2 years ago). I had it done in Mexico. I had zero comorbidities. I got the surgery because I have always been very active, but struggled constantly with being overweight and binge eating. It cause a large amount of depression and anxiety. I was tired of dieting and not keeping it off. I was 37 years old with 3 young kids.
Getting the surgery was the very best thing I have ever done for myself! It is two years later and I have kept the weight off. I also don't believe people need to wait until they are super obese with failing health to get the surgery. I was only getting older, continuing to gain weight, and I wasn't going to wait any longer! Since the surgery I have become a black belt in Taekwondo, run more miles than I can count, changed my career, moved to a different state, and made lots of friends who like to be active too. The weight loss has helped me in these things by either just plain being physically smaller (exercise) or moving and making new friends and starting a new career (confidence).
I am a huge proponent of bariatric surgery, even at a "low" bmi. Good luck with your decision!

you look amazing!!!

Sent from my SM-G930VL using BariatricPal mobile app

This is just so wonderful to see! Congrats on your successful journey. You look and obviously feel fantastic. Really great for a newbie such as myself to see. Well done!!! [emoji4][emoji106][emoji173]️


5' 5"
HW: 259
CW: 235
GOAL: Healthy and hard 140-ish?

Cogratulations! Awesome work, you look wonderful. So glad that you are loving your new life!

Good job woman.. very glad of your success

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

Next week marks my 2 years surgiversary, and I am happy to report that I have kept the weight off! In these two years I have become a black belt in taekwondo, run many, many miles (you can see my running shorts tan line in the bikini photo!), bought bikinis for the first time, and had the confidence to change careers. I also moved recently to a new state. Nobody here knows me as anything but "thin." I have people remark that I don't have to worry about my weight and that is comes "easy" for me. They have no idea! And I am not going to tell them, because this is me now and I am loving my new life! Getting gastric sleeve surgery is the best gift I ever gave myself.

@24601
happy 2nd surgiversary!!!
great pic!
i know i shouldn't compare
myself to you or OP but....
you are 5'"9' - 128 lbs
i am 5"3' and weigh about 10 lbs
more than you.
i will always look "up" to you LOL
keep up the great job.
kathy
congrats

Today I had an "ah-ha" moment. It took 4 years, but I think I get it! It was triggered by this before photo popping up in my Facebook memories from 5 years ago, (coupled with my most recent post-op photo taken last week, down 120 pounds since surgery in 2013). (attached below)
....And then reading the following quote on a friend's post:
"Maybe the journey isn't so much about becoming anything. Maybe it's about unbecoming everything that isn't you so you can be who you were in the first place."
I've struggled for years since losing the weight after surgery with questions of "is this the 'real' me, or am I just pretending and the 'real' 'fat' me will resurface sooner or later?" "Can people really change long-term?" It felt like the obese, sad, self-hating "me" was a monster waiting just below the surface to re-emerge. Give enough time and the right circumstances, the "real me" monster will rear it's head and I'll find myself back at nearly 300 pounds.
Guys! I get it now! It's not about change. It's not about the "sticking power" of change. It's not about willpower or determination. It's not even about counting carbs, Protein, calories, and ounces of Water. Sure those are tools that help. But it's not about that.
It's about doing the hard emotional work to figure out why I was hiding myself behind 150 excess pounds. It was about allowing myself to have a voice and using it. It was about demanding self-respect and respect from others. It was about leaving behind, painfully as it was in some cases, the toxic people in my life who emotionally damaged me. It was about processing the feelings that I didn't allow myself to feel for 18 years.
Once I realized this, once I did this work, I could little by little shed the layers that hid who I was. I don't hate myself anymore. I'm not even angry at myself for letting myself get to be 300 pounds like I was when my journey started. I realize now that I was coping. I was doing the best I knew how to do at the time. I look at that person in the "before" picture below and I feel compassion because I know she did her best.
I'm able now to let go the "fear" - and trust me, it's a literal fear - of that "real me" monster re-emerging from just below the surface. I can let it go because I realize, this is the real me. It was actually opposite. It was all the hiding I was doing under the emotional eating and the 150 excess pounds that was hiding the "real me."
So I have to on some level disagree with those who say this is a process of change. Sure, you have to change your behavioral choices with food and exercise or none of this will work. But for me it was not "becoming a new person" or "changing" who I am as a person. For me it was about simply allowing myself to feel and allowing myself to return home to who I was before I was hurt and who the universe intends me to be.
Feel free to check out my blog linked in my signature for more of my journey!

Hello! I am visiting this board for the first time in quite a while, and I just came upon your post. I won't mince words or be apologetic for getting my surgery at such a "low" BMI (some can be judgy!). I was not quite a 30 bmi when I had my surgery (almost exactly 2 years ago). I had it done in Mexico. I had zero comorbidities. I got the surgery because I have always been very active, but struggled constantly with being overweight and binge eating. It cause a large amount of depression and anxiety. I was tired of dieting and not keeping it off. I was 37 years old with 3 young kids.
Getting the surgery was the very best thing I have ever done for myself! It is two years later and I have kept the weight off. I also don't believe people need to wait until they are super obese with failing health to get the surgery. I was only getting older, continuing to gain weight, and I wasn't going to wait any longer! Since the surgery I have become a black belt in Taekwondo, run more miles than I can count, changed my career, moved to a different state, and made lots of friends who like to be active too. The weight loss has helped me in these things by either just plain being physically smaller (exercise) or moving and making new friends and starting a new career (confidence).
I am a huge proponent of bariatric surgery, even at a "low" bmi. Good luck with your decision!