Hi. This is my first post. I have been considering WLS surgery for about 5 years now. I looked into the lapband first and lurked a ton on lapbandtalk.com. I was concerned at the long term results, the fills, the pb'ing, food getting stuck, and all other complications. After eliminating the LB, I continued dieting and exercising on my own. I was able to lose 25-30 pounds, but regained 30-35 several times just in the past 5 years. I am 5'2" and my highest weight was 206 (4 weeks ago). I am currently at 194. Weight loss and especially maintaining is extremely difficult for me. Once about 8 years ago I got down to 142. I was running 5 miles a day and eating maybe 1200 to maintain that and I was still in the "overweight" category according to my bmi. I just couldn't come close to maintaining it. I maybe stayed there for a couple of weeks and my weight started to creep up again.

My father was obese and his whole family struggled with weight problems and several died prematurely including my father. He was only 69. I am built just like my dad - short and I carry most of my weight in my legs. Even when I'm "thin" I need extensions on my ski boots when we've gone skiing. Oh how I'd love to rock knee high boots. I'm not sure that will ever be in my future. My thighs are also "thick". I am wearing size 16 jeans and xl tops.

I have been looking into Mexico and I am fairly certain I will go Dr. Alvarez. DH is super supportive. I have the best husband ever! He is good with me having the surgery and wants to be there with me. Because of schedules and finances he wants me to have the surgery next summer (2013). I am not about to argue with him. He gives in to me so much and I don't want to make our lives more difficult by pushing for the surgery sooner. Anyway, I am super motivated right now to start my WL. I have lost 12 pounds in the last 4 weeks (7 in week 1 and 5 in the last 3 weeks). I guess I just keep working on it and try to lose as much as I can? If I lose a bunch (it's doubtful I will get below 160), should I still have VSG? With my history, in all likelihood I'll gain it back. :-(

A little bit more about me. I am healthy otherwise. I have fairly low blood pressure. My resting heart rate is 60. I exercise a fair amount. I play a lot of tennis (I'd love to look cute in my tennis outfits and get out of the 1x and XL tennis skirts I wear. ). I have a great family and my biggest problem is hunger and over eating. I think I have an opposite body image where I think I'm thinner than I am. Then I'll try something on that won't come close to fitting or see a picture of myself and I'm in shock. To lose weight I am calorie counting and logging my food on MFP.

Thanks so much to all of you who have taken the time to read this. I have already learned so much lurking here for the past month. What a wealth of information!!

Welcome and good luck with your surgery. I think this surgery will be perfect for you. I also have been big all of my life and could never maintain any weight loss. The lowest I got was 202 in grad school and I was there maybe a whole week. I played tennis in high school and got smaller (I wouldn't say thin, I have never been thin). I'm not sure what I weighed though. I also like to eat healthy and workout but could never get under 200 lbs. This surgery is the best thing I have EVER done for myself! I also went to Mexico. I'm only 23 lbs. from ONEderland now. The fact that I know it's obtainable and I will be able to maintain the loss makes me so happy.

I was in the same boat as you with the weight up and down. This surgery is the best thing I've ever done for myself and I wish I could have done it years ago. It's so awesome to know I will never be that big again.

Hi lovetennis the dietician at my Bariatric office told me that even if I am able to get to my goal weight before surgery that I can and should still have the surgery because I have been yo yo dieting for years.

Thanks for the replies! It's so great to hear about all your successes! I live reading about how this surgery has changed so many of your lives for the better. I can't wait to be part of that.

I don't think I have to worry about getting to my goal weight on my own, unfortunately. I am a pretty slow loser. I will be very lucky to get down to 170 before surgery. I am not counting on that, though. I don't know if my metabolism is just jacked up from my yo-yo dieting for so many years. I even fasted in college to lose weight and didn't eat any solid food for about 30 days. Stupid. Now I am starving and taking in 1200 calories a day and either playing tennis or working out every day. When I work out, according to the machines at the gym, I burn between 500- 800 calories, so I am pushing myself. Anyway, I will be lucky to lose 1 to 1.5 pounds as long as i can stand to keep this up. This week I didn't lose any from last week.

As I am typing this, I am sooo hungry. I had a fiber one bar and yogurt for breakfast. I am drinking lots of water, but still hungry!! I can't wait until next summer! Oh, even though I work out, my eating habits are not good. I gravitate to the processed crap. I like easy. I will do eggs subway, mc chicken (no mayo) and lots of low calorie boxed dinners.