It's amazing how confident about surgery I can be one day and then how much I can question it the next. My doctor likes his patients to lose 10% of their total body weight before VSG surgery. To help me with this, I've joined Weight Watchers. Ironically, when diets NEVER worked for me before, WW is suddenly working well. I've been losing about 2.5 pounds a week following the plan. Now I'm starting to question whether I do the surgery or not - which is VERY frustrating. Has anyone had this happen to them? My ego has sabotaged me before - I get cocky and then I think I can eat anything. At the same, my BMI is right on the border. I'm approved by insurance and my surgery date is in less than 2 weeks. Is this logical, or am I just trying to sabotage myself again?

I have been struggling with the preop weight loss so much. I lost about 14 pounds doing south beach phase 1, and gained a couple pounds just before my surgery and he cancelled it. It has really been very stressful and I'm doing all I can to keep positive. The doctors need the weight loss to shrink the liver so they can get behind it more easily during the procedure. Also, some insurances require it too. I have thoughts like, I'll never succeed so I better just quit, but then I remember how I always fail the other diets and my weight keeps going up. I can't live like this so I HAVE to do this.

Why did you want the surgery? If you are like most of us you have gained all the weight back that you have ever managed to lose PLUS. Really think about this- will this time be different?

If your issue is never being able to lose and now suddenly you can, then perhaps you do need to give this a try again. After all removing 85% of your stomach is not to be taken lightly!

Ask yourself the questions- only you know the core truth about this.

I too , in losing weight as I prepare, started thinking wow, I lost 15 pounds, maybe I can lose this without the surgery. Self sabotage. Then I hurt my back again and gained five pounds of the 15 I lost. Reality check! I need this surgery.

Self sabotage.

Yes - that's what I think I'm doing right now. With my weight loss, I tend to get cocky and then I sabotage myself by thinking I can eat *anything*. Clearly, if that was the case, I wouldn't be at the weight I am today. I was at a bridal shower today and caught a glimpse of myself in mirrors and thought maybe not... then I caught myself in pictures and quickly reminded myself that THIS is the reason I'm doing it. I HATE MYSELF in pictures - and because of this, I have two little kids who have no pictures with their mommy. I want to enjoy pictures. I want my kids to have me in their pictures. I want to focus 100% on my kids when we play at the pool this summer (and not keep distracting myself with negative self talk) and I want to be around until I'm good and old and see them become the amazing adults that I know they will be. And I want to be a good role model for them and not teach them to bury their issues in food. So, yes, I'm doing this surgery. Just needed that reminder! Thanks, guys! This time is going to be different - cause it's going to be forever.

I lost 200 lbs prior to surgery you should've heard all the people around me

why don't you keep doing what your doing....

why would you have surgery

you can keep losing it I know you can etc etc etc

and for a few moments I believed it but here's the kicker

at 13 I was 306 lbs at 19 I was 400+ and then got up over 500 lbs for a few years... during that time I bounced up and down yo-yo should've been my nickname....

I was always a great loser... lost 115 lbs in 2007 but I was never a good keeper offer...

I do not for one minute think this is the easy way out as i've made many changes and I proved that by losing 200 lbs beforehand... I look at the surgery as the cement that will keep all of my efforts together kind of like a wall that will never let me go back to where I was before

I know I needed it and I also knew I was getting it and that fueled the fire for me to have one last good run at losing weight on my own...

You have been very successful on your own and that's great, think of the sleeve as the reward for all your success... also realize as my doctor told me you made the surgery easier for yourself and also easier for the doctor as your liver is probably in great shape....

Congratulations!!!

Another thing I just thought of- it is not as if we get to STOP trying! This is just a tool- a great tool, probably the best we have ever had. If we are on a losing roll going into it- all the better!

I have always been able to lose weight when I dieted or worked out, or both at the same time, but the old habitats of binging die hard! I would lose 75 to 100 lbs by eating right and working out like a mad man, cardio, and weight training, with one cheat day a week. I would notice that the day after my cheat day of eating pizza, Friendly's five scoop ice creams, and a local favorite called the Garbage plate, I would not have gained weight, so I then stretch it to two cheat days a week, then three, then the hell with it I'm cured. I went through this process a number of times, and always gained the weight back! My thought process about getting the sleeve was that once I lose the weight this time, I wont be able to binge in large quantities, and from what I understand I wont get the craving to binge as often, so once the weight is off, as long as I follow the rules I will not gain it all back this time. I was sleeved on 3/1/11, and have lost 50 lbs since 2/23/11 when I went on the pre op liquid diet, and a total of 70 lbs since starting the whole WLS process. The week after being sleeved I went to weight watchers and joined, there is something about having someone else weigh you each week that I think will help me in the long run. I did not tell WW I had WLS, and I am insistent that they do not reward me with the stupid stickers, and group recognition. I am at WW because other than whole weigh in process, once I hit my goal its lifetime membership for free. I figure that it is once I reach my goal that is will need WW the most, ill just eat my points, work out 4 to 5 days a week, keep walking my dog 5 miles a day, and between WW and the sleeve I should be good to go.

I know for me, with out the WLS surgery I would not keep the weight off! I have proven it time and time again. My only regret is that I did not do it sooner, and talked my self in to more yo, yo dieting while trying to avoid WLS.

The sleeve may not be for everyone, but it is definitely for me!

The week after being sleeved I went to weight watchers and joined, there is something about having someone else weigh you each week that I think will help me in the long run. I did not tell WW I had WLS, and I am insistent that they do not reward me with the stupid stickers, and group recognition. I am at WW because other than whole weigh in process, once I hit my goal its lifetime membership for free. I figure that it is once I reach my goal that is will need WW the most, ill just eat my points, work out 4 to 5 days a week, keep walking my dog 5 miles a day, and between WW and the sleeve I should be good to go.

That's why I joined to lose the initial weight before surgery! I figured it would be an amazing support tool throughout my process and maintenance. I was feeling guilty about having surgery and going. Sounds like you are doing the same thing, but able to get past the guilt. Do you weigh in every week? I'm so glad you mentioned this, because this is something that I've been worried about.

Yes I do weigh in and go to a class every week, it only takes one hour out of my week, and some of the info shared in the classes is very useful. At first I felt like I was cheating with weight watchers, but like I said, from the 1st meeting I have always stated I did not want any recognition for my accomplishments, no stickers, or group recognition. Being that I do not accept recognition, and the fact that I am paying to get weighed in, and go to class, I have zero guilt about it.

While this time you ARE losing, will you be able to maintain that loss?

For me, I could NEVER maintain a loss for long. So I needed a more permanent solution.

Crazy how I was just thinking the same thing as I drank my shake this morning after seeing th scale move another pound. (Yay!) I too have had problems sticking to my diet because of really early stalls but this time, I am almost 4 weeks in and went from 330 lbs. to 307. I keep waiing for another stall but nothing is happening but weight loss. I was gonna do the WW thing but decided with my schedule, I would do shakes and 1 meal on my own for a month. It is working but yes, I do need the tool because at least once a week I will eat more than I should. I also know that any given moment something could happen to take me back to my usual habits and I feel with the sleeve, it will be less possible. But I do not think it is crazy to wonder if you need surgery. I am sure many people have lost so much during pre-op that they cancelled their surgery and even if only a few out of many went on to lose, they did it. So if you think you can, do it. But if you think like many of us that you may fail, stick to your plan of surgery. No need to work as hard as you have and to be so close only to start over later.

I am scheduled for 4/18 surgery. I, too, am a good weight loser--have lost the same 40 or 50 pounds over and over again, but have never found the key to keeping the weight off. I hope this surgery will help me through the times when it gets out of control and allow me to achieve a healthy weight and maintain it. As I told my doctor, (as blood sugar and blood pressure and other health issues beginning to creep in), "I'm trying to lose weight again, but fear I am going to die trying". I want to LIVE trying instead!

oh jeffrey, you took the words right out of my mouth!

i too, have lost and regained the same weight over and over 100lbs to be exact. i CAN lose weight and fast. I just CAN NOT keep it off for very long. It is like i sabbotage myself or something. I don't know why I lose control and binge on things that I should not eat. I know the sleeve is going to keep me from doing that. I physically will not be able to eat, therefore, I can not do the same thing to myself as before!

Good luck to you all!

Kelly

i too wondered the same thing....i have lost about 37 lbs pre-op...even today my co-worker was like u look great....u should stay this size...i was like are u kidding me...i am still over 300lbs

I want to be a healthy normal weight. I have NEVER not been overweight. I was already 200lbs in JHS. So i am looking forward to being normal, and healthier than I already am.

I joined WW a few weeks ago as well, figured I would get a jump on weight loss while going through the hoops - 1st week I lost 5 lbs wow I can do this! I did it before with them, lost 75 lbs, gained it back after a 2 year maintain. Here I am though, 2 weeks in to WW and following it to a T - gained back 2 lbs of last weeks loss. This is why I am so frustrated, I get a tease when I try and lose weight and think wow! Then boom, no more loss - in fact I usually gain back more. I am so afraid the sleeve will be the same although it really can't be, can it??

Well, sometimes it is such a mystery. I think the constant, 24/7 vigilance, having to swim against the tide of fast food, food as the center of social gatherings, food being so easy to obtain in such ridiculous quantities so easily and cheaply, well, it is exhausting.

I did lost some pre-op, but knew even in moments if slight weakness how hard it would be to maintain. I had the surgery 4/18. I will not kid you--I had a rough few days, but once off the nausea meds and hydrocodone, I felt so much more myself. Have the advantage of a really wonderful support system. But, by Saturday I went out with my husband for lunch! Sipped my broth and thoroughly enjoyed the time.

Now, I go back to get the staples out in the morning. I feel so, so good, and can really see how I will work back into a normal life, just eating small portions more thoughtfully. And no almost constant gnawing hunger! I enjoy the taste of what I am taking in now, but told my husband on the first trip to the very nice grocery store near by with all of my favorite takeout--"I think I see a more subdued relationship with food in my future".

Hang in there. I will be back with updates when I have wireless more regularly than I have this past week.