Really Early

[Confused 0]

Hello new friends,

I am probably on here super early. I don't have a doctor, surgery date, or any of that yet. I can only tell you that about 4 days ago, I got to a point where I was disgusted at the weight I've gotten to. I began crying to my mother (who by the way is 100 pounds and tried to tell me she understood) and I haven't been able to stop crying since. I hate that I can't bend over to tie my shoes, I hate that I can't keep a pair of jeans for longer than 4 months without getting holes in the crotch from the rubbing, I hate that I can't cross my legs, I hate having rashes and the way I smell, and most of all I hate that my poor kids are always bored because I never want to get up as I don't have the energy to do much more beyond getting myself to work every day. You would think that all of this would give me enough motivation to just take the weight off but it doesn't. Instead I get even more depressed, and I eat even more. I know it's wrong yet I keep eating and eating…3 helpings sometimes and then I proceed to eat what is leftover on the kids's plates because I can't bare to waste food. I'm sick. I don't know why I can't stop but it's really spiraling out of control and I need to do something.

I got to talking to a couple of friends both of whom I've known for many years. One has had a lap band with much success and the other has had gastric bypass with much success. They both recommended the sleeve ironically. I'm trying to read up on all the surgeries and I guess I feel it may be the right one as well. I've been reading non stop for 3 days now and my next step is to see a doctor. What are the opinions of others on the differences between the three surgeries?

My other dilemma, and I know I've read this already from others on here, is am I taking the easy way out or should I just do it with diet and exercise because I have done it before?

I've struggled with weight since I was a child. I come from an Italian family where everything revolves around food. I remember my grandmother would make ravioli and at the young age of 6 years old, she would encourage me to eat 10 of them. Then when I ate 10, she would encourage me to eat another 2. Then there was dessert…and never just one choice. It went on like this for years until finally I moved away from my family and decided to try and see what I could do to lose the weight now that food wasn't around every corner. I did everything from good old diet and exercise to fasting. I could never keep it off longer than a month or so. Finally, around the age of 25, after my first son was born, I took most of it off and got down to 125 pounds, which is still heavy for a 5 foot tall woman. It took so much effort that my life had to revolve around diet and exercise. I took Xenadrine, which is now off the shelves (hmmm, I wonder why), I walked to and from work, was on my feet at work teaching all day, ran 4 miles or more each day on top of that, ate absolutely no dairy and very few carbs, ate 5-6 tiny meals each day, and never ever ate after 4pm. I followed every diet tip known to man and was still considered overweight for my height and build. All that work and all it took was me taking a desk job for it to all go to crap. I had lost my teaching job and began working in an office that I couldn't walk to, sat all day, and immediately the weight gain started and I was back to 180 in a matter of months, even though I kept doing most of the other things. Xenadrine was taken off the shelves and there went another 20 pound increase. My lifestyle now would not even allow for part of that. I have three children, barely have time for myself, and I work at a desk for at least 10 hours each day. I get home at 7:00pm starved and just start shoveling the food in.

I am really just doing a lot of venting here and would love for someone to tell me I am looking in the right direction with the option of surgery. I plan to make an appointment here in the next few weeks with a doctor but it always helps to have the support of others who understand. If someone thinks I should just suck it up and get myself to diet the normal way again, please say so

Thanks for hearing me out and I will be around reading more and more and educating myself as much as possible. I will keep everyone up to date on what the doctor says once I get the appointment.

[Goofyspice 1]

I am not going to debate if Weight Loss Surgery is the easy way out or not. In the end who cares if it "might" be the easy way out or the hardest way out... as long as it WORKS!!!

Only you can decide for yourself what is best for you. Find and Go to as many seminars as you can. Better chance of getting all the info you need for your decision. Also its never too early... here we are 24/7 baby.

[Bandme1 12]

No one can tell you whether or not it is right for you. The best thing for you to do is check out some of the topics on here and decide if it is something you want to do and a commitment that you want to make. The reason that *I* personally decided to do it is that I am tired of my weight steadily going up. I get disgusted with myself and think "WHY!? Why can't my fat a$ just diet and exercise and get this weight off?" and sometimes I would even do it. I would lose some weight and then I would be right back up again a few months later. I decided to get this surgery because I want a long-term tool to help me get and keep this weight off. It is a big commitment though. You have to really work at forming new eating habits and a new lifestyle. That is the part that I am looking forward to most. I am getting sleeved next Monday and I am SOO excited about. I'm ready to change my life and be IN CONTROL. I feel so out of control. I feel like I'm at the point where I can't exercise as much as I would like to because my fat body just gives out. I want to be able to lose this weight, exercise and eat right and someday get to a point where I eat to live, not live to eat.

So far on my pre-op diet I have lost almost 20 pounds. I have had a few people ask me why I don't just stick with the diet I've been on until I lose the rest of my weight. The thing is... the ONLY thing keeping me accountable on this diet is knowing that I have to meet my goal weight in order to get my surgery. If I show up next Monday and I am over my goal weight, I have to postpone my surgery. If it weren't for that, I would TOTALLY be cheating on this diet. 4th of July BBQ's... oh man. I would have gone crazy and eaten everything. lol.

Take a look around on the website. Check out some of the pre-op and post-op forums. This website has been a FABULOUS resource and I feel like I have learned so much from all the great people here.

It CAN be done. This surgery is not some magic solution. It is a tool that you have to want and utilize and make it work for you. If you aren't at the point yet where you are ready for that kind of a commitment, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you are, then that is fabulous too. Good luck in making your decision and doing a little self-searching to really decide what is best for you. Please feel free to message me or anyone on here. Everyone I have talked to is so helpful and willing to help you out or answer any questions.

[jasleeve 440]

as the two above stated, no one can tell you what decision to make. we all have our own reasons and life. we are all different and choose different routes. let me tell you this.. diet and exercise works for everybody. what doesnt work for everybody is changing to that SEVERE lifestyle change FOREVER! i think the majority of us "sleevers" will agree to that. we can diet, diet, diet & exercise & lose the weight but once we decide to enjoy ourselves a little, JUST A LITTLE, hell breaks loose & by the time we realize, we put on all the weight and probably added a load more. my "ex boyfriend" (long story on why hes in " ") of 9yrs was 500+ lbs. fat his whole entire life & kept getting bigger & bigger. one day couldnt find a winter coat & decided he wanted to lose weight. it changed his life. now, hes a fitness director (manager to personal trainers in a gym), hes a certified trainer & is a known bodybuilder! who the hell wouldve thought? what sucks is, i was smaller when i got with him 9yrs ago but like a dummy, i picked up his eating habits so i blew up. then i lost some when he started dieting & slimmed down nicely but blew up again. so while hes all muscle with a 6 pack, im all fat with 6 stomachs!

now, i have horrible eating addictions. i know i can make this lifestyle change with this tool. a sleeve is a tool. not a quick fix! just like the diet meds (i forgot the name) that u were on that were taken off the shelf. the only difference is, this tool will benefit in the future & is permanent.

do lots of research. youtube is your best bet to figure out what happens, what can happen & what surgery is done how. also, google the longterm requirements & all the pros and cons.

that should help you make the best decision for YOU!

i will keep you in my prayers.

keep us updated.

you have all the support in the world from us.

ps, 125lbs @ 5ft may be considered overweight but its a good size. in my dreams will a scale that i stand on say 125. last time i was 125, i was in elementary school. lol. im 5'1