biginjapan

I lost 99 pounds (from 397 to 298) during my six-month, insurance-required diet program. I still had the surgery. I've lost almost 75 more pounds since then (surgery was September 28). I have lost and gained 100+ pounds numerous times in my life. The sleeve is a tool that will help me stop that cycle. It was the best thing that I have done for myself. The pre-op fear is a powerful emotion. I'd suggest thinking long and hard about how you want to proceed.
Good luck.

If your self-esteem and self-worth are wrapped up in how you look then the appearance related results of this surgery (saggy skin, droopy boobs, etc) might make you feel worse. I had RNY last October because my knees and back were killing me and I was pre-diabetic with high blood pressure controlled by meds. It was either WLS or 2 knee replacements.
If I had been able to lose 60% of the weight on my own and only had 30% more to go I may have questioned my decision. The question you need to ask yourself is can you maintain your weight loss, not only to lose the 33 pounds you have left but to keep all of it off down the road. Most studies show that people who lose weight w/o surgery gain their weight back. I have a friend who is a kick-a$$ dieter - lost tons of weight and then over the next 2 years ended up gaining most of it back and has to start all over again. It has been proven our bodies fight us tooth and nail to put the weight back on.
All I can say is that I'm 54 and am so happy I had this surgery. 94 pounds total are gone and I'm no longer pre-diabetic and my knees and back thank me every day! Some saggy skin is a small price to pay for feeling 100% better. For years I had told myself there was no way I would have WLS surgery. Now I only wish I had this surgery sooner.

Your hair will grow back. Fat is an excellent scaffold and holds your skin taut, so your wrinkles are masked. Carrying most of your weight in your stomach is much more dangerous than if you were pear shaped. You don't mention better health as a motivation at all. I find that concerning. It's okay if you're not ready. This is a hard road especially at the beginning. And if you don't have solid motivations, the first few months are going to get you down.

Your statement of not being good enough as you are shows you might not be doing it for the right reasons. You are good enough irrespective of your weight. But if you qualify for the surgery, you're obese class II with comorbidities or heavier. That doesn't make you a bad person or bad mom or lazy or a food binger. But it does make you a ticking timebomb for worse health concerns, lesser quality of life and early death. Maybe if you find some motivation in that, the surgery will make more sense. Looking better is just frosting on the cake.

The question is not about losing weight - it's about keeping the weight off. I think everyone on this site has had plenty of experience in losing weight, but the fact is, most of us cannot keep the weight off permanently. If you try to lose weight through exercise and diet alone (diet is more effective) you have a less than 5% chance (in some studies it is less than 1% chance) of keeping the weight off permanently, whereas permanent weight loss is much higher (at least 85%) after bariatric surgery.
Here are some reasons why bariatric surgery works (in comparison to diet and exercise):
VSG/GP - removes the part of your stomach which produces the hunger hormone gherlin. Although some form of hunger will come back eventually for most bariatric patients, not having to deal with real hunger issues as you lose weight is very helpful in the first year after surgery. Also, removing this part of the stomach seems to have an impact on bile production and other hormones, which almost always positively affects other metabolic conditions like diabetes. Diabetes often goes into remission, and people have a reduction in meds for cholesterol or high blood pressure, etc. These improvements are not necessarily due to the weight loss (as first thought), but due to the surgery itself. Your metabolic rate will change as well. Trying to lose weight through diet and exercise alone can actually screw up your metabolism - look at what happened to the "Biggest Loser" contestants that they studied recently - their metabolisms (even for the ones who kept the weight off) were much worse after losing weight than before they started. Your body has a "set-point" that it likes to stay at. Basically, it likes where it is and will fight you tooth and nail to stay where it is. So if you start eating less, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. If you start exercising more, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. This is built into our bodies to prevent us from starving when times are lean; unfortunately most of us never really have to worry about not having food available to us 24 hours a day, so we are always well-fed. Weight loss surgery is not a quick fix. Basically, it takes away all the handicaps your body has set against you for losing weight. So you get about 1-2 years where you can diet and exercise AND lose weight AND keep it off without fighting your body every step of the way. But if you want to be successful, you still have to eat well and exercise. If you go back to your old habits, you will gain back the weight. The surgery acts like a 'reprieve', giving you a real chance to lose and keep the weight off. This surgery (especially sleeve) is not any worse than having your appendix or gall bladder removed. All you are doing is decreasing the size of your stomach with additional metabolic effects. I've learned a lot about this from many different resources, both online and in books. Unfortunately I can't find all of the resources online (I may not have bookmarked them all), but here are a few links:
Why You Shouldn't Exercise to Lose Weight
Why Weight Loss Surgery Works When Diets Don't
Bariatric Surgery Misconceptions
The Mechanism of Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery
Mechanisms Responsible for Excess Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery (this link just takes you to the abstract and resources, but the resources are very good, plus you can read the full article if you like)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Walter - when all is said and done, it's up to you. If you are not ready for the surgery, maybe you should wait. In the end, it should be something you do because you want to do it, and because you know it's the best option for you. If you can't say yes to either of those, then maybe you should talk to your doctor about other options.

This is a big issue here in Japan, as tourist numbers keep rising. A lot of people have tattoos, and want to experience certain aspects of Japanese culture, like onsens, where tattoos are usually a no-go. The government is suggesting that these places allow tourists with tattoos in, but I don't like this concept since it discriminates against the average Japanese person who does have tattoos and is not yakuza. If you live here, there are other concerns, like using swimming pools. I don't really use either, but after I lose weight, I may want to more, so getting a tattoo will be a big decision as it will impact me a bit living here.

Like others, I will be putting away money now for the next 1.5-2 years to get plastics done. However, I don't see that as a gift to myself, it's just the second part of the weight loss journey. I would also like to get a tattoo, but I would wait until after plastics are finished.
So, for hitting goal, I'd like to do something that I would never have been able to do at my current or highest weight, like climb Kilimanjaro, or hike to Everest base camp, or see the gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda (forgetting the fact that the hours+ hike through a humid jungle would have been a killer, apparently the silverback gorillas feel threatened by "large" (i.e. obese) humans and will sometimes show displays of aggression towards them). Or there are some great walks that I would like to do, such as the Camino de Santiago in France/Spain or the Machu Picchu trek in Peru. I'll probably need to keep a separate savings account for any of those trips as well.

The question is not about losing weight - it's about keeping the weight off. I think everyone on this site has had plenty of experience in losing weight, but the fact is, most of us cannot keep the weight off permanently. If you try to lose weight through exercise and diet alone (diet is more effective) you have a less than 5% chance (in some studies it is less than 1% chance) of keeping the weight off permanently, whereas permanent weight loss is much higher (at least 85%) after bariatric surgery.
Here are some reasons why bariatric surgery works (in comparison to diet and exercise):
VSG/GP - removes the part of your stomach which produces the hunger hormone gherlin. Although some form of hunger will come back eventually for most bariatric patients, not having to deal with real hunger issues as you lose weight is very helpful in the first year after surgery. Also, removing this part of the stomach seems to have an impact on bile production and other hormones, which almost always positively affects other metabolic conditions like diabetes. Diabetes often goes into remission, and people have a reduction in meds for cholesterol or high blood pressure, etc. These improvements are not necessarily due to the weight loss (as first thought), but due to the surgery itself. Your metabolic rate will change as well. Trying to lose weight through diet and exercise alone can actually screw up your metabolism - look at what happened to the "Biggest Loser" contestants that they studied recently - their metabolisms (even for the ones who kept the weight off) were much worse after losing weight than before they started. Your body has a "set-point" that it likes to stay at. Basically, it likes where it is and will fight you tooth and nail to stay where it is. So if you start eating less, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. If you start exercising more, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. This is built into our bodies to prevent us from starving when times are lean; unfortunately most of us never really have to worry about not having food available to us 24 hours a day, so we are always well-fed. Weight loss surgery is not a quick fix. Basically, it takes away all the handicaps your body has set against you for losing weight. So you get about 1-2 years where you can diet and exercise AND lose weight AND keep it off without fighting your body every step of the way. But if you want to be successful, you still have to eat well and exercise. If you go back to your old habits, you will gain back the weight. The surgery acts like a 'reprieve', giving you a real chance to lose and keep the weight off. This surgery (especially sleeve) is not any worse than having your appendix or gall bladder removed. All you are doing is decreasing the size of your stomach with additional metabolic effects. I've learned a lot about this from many different resources, both online and in books. Unfortunately I can't find all of the resources online (I may not have bookmarked them all), but here are a few links:
Why You Shouldn't Exercise to Lose Weight
Why Weight Loss Surgery Works When Diets Don't
Bariatric Surgery Misconceptions
The Mechanism of Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery
Mechanisms Responsible for Excess Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery (this link just takes you to the abstract and resources, but the resources are very good, plus you can read the full article if you like)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Walter - when all is said and done, it's up to you. If you are not ready for the surgery, maybe you should wait. In the end, it should be something you do because you want to do it, and because you know it's the best option for you. If you can't say yes to either of those, then maybe you should talk to your doctor about other options.

I've been pooping every day since about day 5 post-op. Usually 3 times a day. It's mostly liquidy, but sometimes (maybe once a day) I'll get something a little more substantial. I just started purees, so am not sure how that will affect things. I've started taking extra fibre, because the 'liquids' can be a problem when I cough or sneeze.

Holy crap! (Litterally!) I pooped without help today!

I'm not at my end goal, but I got my phoenix to Celebrate losing 100 lbs. I started the tat in January with the outline, and got the colouring done yesterday. I'm so in love with it! Not sure what my goal gift to myself will be yet. I don't know how to make the images just thumbnails, sorry!

Yes I did, on the 9th. I've been doing great so far. I lost 23 pounds on the pre-op diet (3 weeks) and I've lost 9 since surgery (2 weeks ago today) but the scale is holding steady at the moment. I just started purees and am doing fine. Surgery itself was a non-event for me. Got wheeled into a room where they gave me some medication through the IV -- that's all I remember before waking up in my room. Had no gas pains or nausea post-op, and until recently I was walking 10-20,000 steps a day (I now have a cold, possibly (mild) pneumonia, so I don't want to spend too much time outside where it's pretty cold).

The question is not about losing weight - it's about keeping the weight off. I think everyone on this site has had plenty of experience in losing weight, but the fact is, most of us cannot keep the weight off permanently. If you try to lose weight through exercise and diet alone (diet is more effective) you have a less than 5% chance (in some studies it is less than 1% chance) of keeping the weight off permanently, whereas permanent weight loss is much higher (at least 85%) after bariatric surgery.
Here are some reasons why bariatric surgery works (in comparison to diet and exercise):
VSG/GP - removes the part of your stomach which produces the hunger hormone gherlin. Although some form of hunger will come back eventually for most bariatric patients, not having to deal with real hunger issues as you lose weight is very helpful in the first year after surgery. Also, removing this part of the stomach seems to have an impact on bile production and other hormones, which almost always positively affects other metabolic conditions like diabetes. Diabetes often goes into remission, and people have a reduction in meds for cholesterol or high blood pressure, etc. These improvements are not necessarily due to the weight loss (as first thought), but due to the surgery itself. Your metabolic rate will change as well. Trying to lose weight through diet and exercise alone can actually screw up your metabolism - look at what happened to the "Biggest Loser" contestants that they studied recently - their metabolisms (even for the ones who kept the weight off) were much worse after losing weight than before they started. Your body has a "set-point" that it likes to stay at. Basically, it likes where it is and will fight you tooth and nail to stay where it is. So if you start eating less, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. If you start exercising more, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. This is built into our bodies to prevent us from starving when times are lean; unfortunately most of us never really have to worry about not having food available to us 24 hours a day, so we are always well-fed. Weight loss surgery is not a quick fix. Basically, it takes away all the handicaps your body has set against you for losing weight. So you get about 1-2 years where you can diet and exercise AND lose weight AND keep it off without fighting your body every step of the way. But if you want to be successful, you still have to eat well and exercise. If you go back to your old habits, you will gain back the weight. The surgery acts like a 'reprieve', giving you a real chance to lose and keep the weight off. This surgery (especially sleeve) is not any worse than having your appendix or gall bladder removed. All you are doing is decreasing the size of your stomach with additional metabolic effects. I've learned a lot about this from many different resources, both online and in books. Unfortunately I can't find all of the resources online (I may not have bookmarked them all), but here are a few links:
Why You Shouldn't Exercise to Lose Weight
Why Weight Loss Surgery Works When Diets Don't
Bariatric Surgery Misconceptions
The Mechanism of Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery
Mechanisms Responsible for Excess Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery (this link just takes you to the abstract and resources, but the resources are very good, plus you can read the full article if you like)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Walter - when all is said and done, it's up to you. If you are not ready for the surgery, maybe you should wait. In the end, it should be something you do because you want to do it, and because you know it's the best option for you. If you can't say yes to either of those, then maybe you should talk to your doctor about other options.

The question is not about losing weight - it's about keeping the weight off. I think everyone on this site has had plenty of experience in losing weight, but the fact is, most of us cannot keep the weight off permanently. If you try to lose weight through exercise and diet alone (diet is more effective) you have a less than 5% chance (in some studies it is less than 1% chance) of keeping the weight off permanently, whereas permanent weight loss is much higher (at least 85%) after bariatric surgery.
Here are some reasons why bariatric surgery works (in comparison to diet and exercise):
VSG/GP - removes the part of your stomach which produces the hunger hormone gherlin. Although some form of hunger will come back eventually for most bariatric patients, not having to deal with real hunger issues as you lose weight is very helpful in the first year after surgery. Also, removing this part of the stomach seems to have an impact on bile production and other hormones, which almost always positively affects other metabolic conditions like diabetes. Diabetes often goes into remission, and people have a reduction in meds for cholesterol or high blood pressure, etc. These improvements are not necessarily due to the weight loss (as first thought), but due to the surgery itself. Your metabolic rate will change as well. Trying to lose weight through diet and exercise alone can actually screw up your metabolism - look at what happened to the "Biggest Loser" contestants that they studied recently - their metabolisms (even for the ones who kept the weight off) were much worse after losing weight than before they started. Your body has a "set-point" that it likes to stay at. Basically, it likes where it is and will fight you tooth and nail to stay where it is. So if you start eating less, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. If you start exercising more, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. This is built into our bodies to prevent us from starving when times are lean; unfortunately most of us never really have to worry about not having food available to us 24 hours a day, so we are always well-fed. Weight loss surgery is not a quick fix. Basically, it takes away all the handicaps your body has set against you for losing weight. So you get about 1-2 years where you can diet and exercise AND lose weight AND keep it off without fighting your body every step of the way. But if you want to be successful, you still have to eat well and exercise. If you go back to your old habits, you will gain back the weight. The surgery acts like a 'reprieve', giving you a real chance to lose and keep the weight off. This surgery (especially sleeve) is not any worse than having your appendix or gall bladder removed. All you are doing is decreasing the size of your stomach with additional metabolic effects. I've learned a lot about this from many different resources, both online and in books. Unfortunately I can't find all of the resources online (I may not have bookmarked them all), but here are a few links:
Why You Shouldn't Exercise to Lose Weight
Why Weight Loss Surgery Works When Diets Don't
Bariatric Surgery Misconceptions
The Mechanism of Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery
Mechanisms Responsible for Excess Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery (this link just takes you to the abstract and resources, but the resources are very good, plus you can read the full article if you like)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Walter - when all is said and done, it's up to you. If you are not ready for the surgery, maybe you should wait. In the end, it should be something you do because you want to do it, and because you know it's the best option for you. If you can't say yes to either of those, then maybe you should talk to your doctor about other options.

I had my surgery on February 9th in Tijuana with Dr. C@brera and had no problems whatsoever. No nausea, no gas pain, nothing. I was in the hospital for 2 nights, and in a hotel for one night both pre and post-op, where liquids (SF popsicles, broth, etc) are available to you, plus a driver if you want a little tour of the city. It's almost been two weeks and all of my incisions are healed save one (which held the drain - but it's almost healed). I've had good support both pre- and post-op.
Like you, I had no problems other than my high BMI (mine is much higher than yours) but even within a week a week of starting the pre-op diet I started feeling better all around.

I had surgery on 1/13/17 with Dr. Illan, so almost 6 weeks out. It was an amazing experience and no complications. I've lost 24 pounds so far and enjoying food in a different way. I was lucky because I experienced very little pain or gas. It was a breeze. I was at the beach 2 days after being released from the hospital. I followed all the instructions and took the medicine given afterward. Best thing I ever did for myself

Like others, I will be putting away money now for the next 1.5-2 years to get plastics done. However, I don't see that as a gift to myself, it's just the second part of the weight loss journey. I would also like to get a tattoo, but I would wait until after plastics are finished.
So, for hitting goal, I'd like to do something that I would never have been able to do at my current or highest weight, like climb Kilimanjaro, or hike to Everest base camp, or see the gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda (forgetting the fact that the hours+ hike through a humid jungle would have been a killer, apparently the silverback gorillas feel threatened by "large" (i.e. obese) humans and will sometimes show displays of aggression towards them). Or there are some great walks that I would like to do, such as the Camino de Santiago in France/Spain or the Machu Picchu trek in Peru. I'll probably need to keep a separate savings account for any of those trips as well.

@Owl Party: I too do not need to take sips of Water. Ever since I started drinking liquids I haven't had any problems. I don't "swig" but often drink probably more than I should. I feel a little restriction at times, but it passes quickly enough. However, now that I am on full liquids, I find it harder to get everything in and I am slowing down and drinking less at a time, because the feeling of fullness afterwards is not that comfortable.

Had sleeve surgery 2/15. Doing GREAT and feeling GREAT!! Not having any pain and very little gas. No gas pains either. I'm very happy so far. Dr Cervantes was my doctor and it was a very good experience.

My resources come strictly from BP and RealSelf and educating myself through other websites. Reading the experiences of other members helps me to know what to expect, if any, when I get my WLS. As far as a surgeon goes, I just went with who my PCP referred me to and after looking him up, he's a great doctor; great reviews. I don't think I'll join any support groups outside of online communities simply because I get loads of information and motivation here.

Me too! (They're actually something that needed to be done before surgery, so they are first on my list regardless of whatever else I need).

Like others, I will be putting away money now for the next 1.5-2 years to get plastics done. However, I don't see that as a gift to myself, it's just the second part of the weight loss journey. I would also like to get a tattoo, but I would wait until after plastics are finished.
So, for hitting goal, I'd like to do something that I would never have been able to do at my current or highest weight, like climb Kilimanjaro, or hike to Everest base camp, or see the gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda (forgetting the fact that the hours+ hike through a humid jungle would have been a killer, apparently the silverback gorillas feel threatened by "large" (i.e. obese) humans and will sometimes show displays of aggression towards them). Or there are some great walks that I would like to do, such as the Camino de Santiago in France/Spain or the Machu Picchu trek in Peru. I'll probably need to keep a separate savings account for any of those trips as well.

I wanted to go with Dr. Valenzuela but she wasn't available for the dates I needed, so I went with Dr. Cabrera instead. He was very nice, as were the staff and nurses at Mi hospital. Others who were there with me had Dr. V. The hospital is small, so you end up doing a lot of laps of the same small hallways, but it was okay. Most of the rooms have a second bed that the companion can sleep in, and if not, a comfortable recliner. I went alone so had what was probably the worst room - a very small room right behind the nurses station with nothing extra in it. But it was okay. I was kind of in the center of all the action and got to know a lot of the patients and nurses there.
The hotel you stay at pre- and post-op is very nice - it has a fridge and a kitchenette (with microwave), not that you can use it for anything much. The hotel has chicken broth, popsicles, and Jello available for you. I used the stove in my room to heat up the broth because depending when you get it, it might be warm or cool. I also loaded up on jellos (you can get 3 a day) and kept them in the fridge. If you like herbal tea, you might want to bring some with you, as it is soothing for the stomach and something different than broth, Water, and sugar-free stuff that they give you. The hotel is near a large shopping center/cinema, which provides something to do for you and/or your companion. There is a driver that takes you to and from the hospital (Art), but I didn't like him much. He's kind of arrogant and touched me way too many times to be appropriate. He also failed to show up to give us a tour of the city as promised. So if that's something you are interested in post-op, I would organise it yourself.

Many years ago, when I was 18, I was in an inpatient eating disorder program in a hospital. My problem was straight compulsive overeating, not bulimia. My father, who has been very critical of my weight/ body since I was nine years old, visited one weekend and suggested that we go to the hospital cafeteria. I thought that was to get coffee, but no, he offered me chocolate pie. I thought this was my fault or something, but when I told hospital staff about it later they were outraged. The lesson I learned from it is that even someone who supports you one day may try to sabotage you the next and there's no knowing what really motivates them. Does my dad actually want me to be fat? Does it serve some purpose for him? Who knows?
From your stats it looks like you've done amazing work to get where you are. I say follow the instincts that got you this far and maybe look at your relationship dynamics a little bit. I'm sorry that he didn't just buy you some pretty flowers.

Me too! (They're actually something that needed to be done before surgery, so they are first on my list regardless of whatever else I need).

Oh, I'm definitely getting my boobs done first! :-)