I'm being bombarded by a friend who is a fitness trainer and now selling weight loss supplements. He is REALLy trying to convince me not to do this surgery that he can have 80 lbs off of me by December. It's really frustrating me because he knows nothing about the surgery, has done ZERO research on it, and it sitting here telling me that I don't want to do it, it is a mistake! What does he know?! He just wants me to buy his stuff and hire him as a trainer! I'm starting to get ticked. Hate when friends bombard me like that.

all diets work, the problem is will you be taking his supplements and working out with him as your trainer for life? I highly doubt that!!

Good Luck on your surgery! don't let anyone change your mind.

Well, he's great at marketing, eh? Copy your post and show it to him. He's not the one who has had to deal with your struggles and his fad diet gimmick isn't what you think you need, so just tell him NO THANK YOU. If he continues, let him know to cease and desist or you'll have to put limits on the friendship.

Good luck!

I know you are no different from everyone else and have been on every "diet" out there and lost wt. countless times only to gain it back. That is the reason most people have this surgery is for permanent wt. loss. Of course this surgery is a tool, but I am almost certain it is a much more powerful tool than any supplement he is selling. I think the mistake would be to buy his product or his line at this time. LOL.

I've lost -80lbs before. And I gained it all back. I've lost -50lbs before, and gained it all back. -25lbs...yep you guessed it...it came back and it brought some friends. I knew I needed a permanent tool to help me fight the battle. You friend doesn't understand this and it's probably not your job to to teach him (nor will you be able to make him understand.) So be polite but firm that you know full well what you are getting into and that if he is your friend he will support your decision. Otherwise you might not have room for him on your journey. Good luck!

Don't discount wha he is saying though. This is a permanent step, there is no going back. I chose it because I was out of options and I needed to make permanent changes that only the surgery could do. If the diet, training and supplements can make the lifestyle changes you need to make your life better, then go that route. This is the tool that got me to make the changes I needed so ultimately it was my right choice.

I agree, if your friend the trainer wants to help you along with the sleeve, that's a good friend. Hire him? He's a friend, perhaps he can dedicate a few hours a week to help you before and after surgery.

If I felt I could do it and keep it off without surgery, I would. I lost almost 70 pounds pre-surgery so far. I've teetered with the idea that I can go ahead and just keep doing what I am doing and do it myself, but I've been there before 330-128 for 5 years. After than I've gone from 200-300 to 200 again.

I seriously almost decided to back out of the surgery and continue with healthy4life as a Dr. Supervised program to at least stay accountable.

Truth is I will probably lose the same amount of weight with or without the surgery if I continue with the way I have been in the six month pre-approval, but one day, perhaps a week or month a year from now, I will be back on steroids because my inflammation and Lupus will flair up beyond control. I'll end up cooking foods that are easy to prepare like casseroles and potato Soup and getting back to drinking juices and hard to exercise again.

I need a permanent solution that will still work when I inevitably end up dealing with a big flair up, so I am going through with the surgery Monday.

Good luck to you.

Surgery might be the best option, but it might not be. I feel it was right for me, but I've also said that if I could've done it without surgery I would have. If I had a friend who was a trainer & would work with me for free (or highly discounted rate) & work with me enough to get me to lose, then I would've done that in a heartbeat. Back in January, I joined Gold's gym & paid for se training sessions. The trainer I chose had a good nutrition background too. He got me eating healthier & working out more, but the pounds still were not coming off, which is why I started considering surgery again (I had considered it about 18 months ago too). He was baffled as to why I wasn't losing. When I told him about surgery, he said he thought I could have had more results with more work and consistency, which is probably true but I couldn't afford to have him train me 3-5 times a week! However, if I had a friend who would train me for free or for a price I could afford and who would work with me on nutrition too, I would go for it and see what happens!

Of course, I don't know what things you've tried already or what struggles you deal with and maybe surgery is the right choice for you. I know it was the right choice for me. If it is the right choice for you, maybe you can sit down and explain it to him and explain why you feel it is right. If he still doesn't respect your decision, then it's his problem & you've done your part to explain yourself.

Good luck no matter what you decide!! Hopefully he will understand either way.

I'll also add, that this friend hasn't really spoken to me in years until he started selling this stuff, and now he all the sudden wants to talk to me and try to sell it to me. (was probably trying to think of all his friends who were overweight!)

Anyway, if I thought there was a weight loss fad out there, trust me, I'd do it, and I might lose the weight, but give me a couple years, and it will be right back on. I feel that I need the surgery to help me keep it off for life. I do not want to be on pills/supplements for life, and I am not one that wants to go to the gym all the time, I work full time, and have two small children who want me at home when I'm not at work. Exersize will consist of what I can do with them at home, or around the block. I can't go to the gym that he works at 40 miles away.

This surgery is not a whim decision that I've made. I've been thinking about it for about 2 years now and feel that it is right for me.

I ignored him on FB and he seems to have gotten the hint. I did tell him though, that if I hit a stall, I would contact him and see if he could help me get over the stall.

Funny-- some chic went to my moms house this past weekend to offer diet supplement HerbalLife. She tried selling it to my mom which is kinda convinced but my mom is 180 lbs then she tried saying that if she would have met me sooner she could have made me lose weight without surgery. Yeah.. Right. I've seen my sister on that supplement as soon as age runs out she gains weight. The good part, she didn't try to convince my mom to get me to stop the surgery. She actually said it would be good for me. That so many that should have the surgery are just scared to do it. I didn't even know this woman. But I think in your case you should stand up to your friend and tell him that you've made up your mind and would like him to encourage you not want to stop you.