I'm 26, 5'7"-5'8", 251- Down 9 pounds. I've NEVER been slim, or in shape. REcently diagnosed as having high blood pressure at age 26 made me lean more toward this surgery.

I'm worried that i'm not the right candidate for this surgery, as i think i'm too young. Also i'm worried I just havent tried hard enough to lose without surgery.

I don't exercise often, but when I did.. I would be hungry afterwards so I would always grab something to eat.

I dont eat often now, but i guess when i do i can really put it away. Is this what the surgery helps with? Forcing me to NOT eat as much as i do when i do eat?

What changes did any of you have to make in your life after getting this surgery?

Hey Marc!

So I've yo-yo'd from as little as 187 and up to 350+ from about 15 yrs old until 44.

Like you, I was pretty sedentary and didn't feel like I ate too crazy, but my daily intake food would look something like this:

Breakfast: A diet coke

Lunch: A salad with chicken, drenched in Ranch with a diet coke

Dinner: 1/2-3/4 Little Caesar's Pepperoni pizza - or - a 1.5 pound carne asada burrito - or - Steak nachoes & a bean burrito (Taco Bell). I had to feel "full" in order to relax and sleep.

You get the picture, I think. Poor food choices and would just inhale pretty much anything in sight in the evening.

I was 350lbs, with no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no heart disease, could lose weight like crazy, but could never keep it off because I would just go nuts at night.

Post-op, I drink lots of Water, no caffeine, no sodas, Protein, etc... So surgery has provided me with a fantastic tool which requires portion control - but at the same time gives me a great feeling of fullness. I wish this surgery had been around or available 10-15 years ago!!!

Don't know if that answered your question - but that's my experience.

You hit the nail on the head. Lol. For Breakfast I have oatmeal. lunch maybe a salad if anything at all. And dinner I can put it away. I started getting salads from mcdonalds but I still feel hungry. It's like I'm not eating that much to me. So how much have you lost??

How do you eat now?

Since my initial consult in November 2012, I'm down 47 lbs!

I'm 5 weeks out so today looked something like this:

Breakfast: strawberry Greek Yogurt (3.4 oz) w/ granola sprinkled on top

Snack: Isopure Protein Drink, Alpine Punch (8 oz)

Lunch: 1/2 of a Lunchable (4 tiny rounds of ham, 4 crackers, 4 tiny pieces of cheese)

Snack: Isopure Protein Drink (again)

Dinner: 1 oz. sliced chicken breast & 1 cheese stick

Snack: 1/3c Chicken Chili

I had to force myself to eat this as I have yet to feel hunger. I am not queasy and I enjoy the taste of food, but I'm just so indifferent. I had 4 16.9 oz bottles of Water and may have a little more Isopure tonight to get more protein in.

I wouldn't let your age hold you back. In ten years you'll be 36 and you would hate to look back and wish you would have gone through with this at 26.

I'm 25 and pre op. My mom died at the age of 51 and what killed her was being overweight, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, the list can go on. I look at it as my life is either 1/4 or 1/2 of the way through and it's up to me to determine which one it is. I'm picking 1/4 so by the time I do settle down and have a family ill be healthy and not letting weight hold me back. I hope this helps its a big decision and trust me I'm looking at all the pros and cons. I'd be happy to talk sometime.

Yeah, I wish this had been a common procedure ten years ago. I'm not complaining about doing it at 36, but sooner would have been better

I think that anyone who is considering getting any weight loss surgery has probably tried to lose weight more than once, or twice, or ten times... For me, this was what I did after I had given up on ever doing another diet ever again. I knew unless I had help, I would never successfully lose weight. My whole life had proven it. The surgery completely changed my (very unhealthy) relationship with food.

I could eat like nobody's business before I had surgery. I'd go to the Chinese buffet for lunch and eat three plates full of food. I'd justify it by saying it was my only meal of the day. I'd still snack later on

I think the biggest change is that food doesn't have the power over me that it did before I had the sleeve. I can say no now. I'd even say that food has lost a lot of the appeal it had. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE delicious food, but I can kind of take it or leave it now. I don't have to have it. I'm not the person making a straight line to the donuts in the break room any more.

I never thought I would look at a "normal" plate of food and realize just how much food we eat. I go out to eat now and what would have been a normal meal is now three or four meals.

I'm happier, healthier... My high blood pressure is gone, I no longer take anti-inflammatory drugs to keep my joints from locking up, I sleep better, breathe better, and I have more energy.

Having said all that, this is a decision only you can make. You are the only one who can decide if it's right for you. If you're not certain, wait until you are.