Hi, my name is Julia, I am 30 years old and from the Buffalo, NY area. I have been contemplating WLS for a year or more but finally took the first steps a few months ago. I, at first, had settled on the lapband, but after going to my seminar and hearing about the gastric sleeve, my husband and I decided together that that was the better choice for me.

I have been struggling with my weight for over 10 years, dieting on and off for most of that time, losing the weight and gaining it back, but my weight gain escalated when I got pregnant with my daughter. I was already overweight, but then added an additional 40 lbs on top of my 175. I had complications with gestational diabetes that required insulin injections. I was told that if I want to have another child, I will have to lose a significant amount of weight to help my chances of not having it again. I would like one more child and I just don't feel that going through that again is an option!

I have not been able to successfully lose the weight for any extended period of time since then. I am now at 206 lbs and 5'0 with a BMI of 41. I just had my first appointment and have started the South Beach diet (have lost 6 lbs since my initial weigh in thanks to the stomach flu). I have my psych eval next week and have to have my EGD and sleep study. Once those are done I will be able to have my appointment with the surgeon.

I am very excited to finally have taken the first steps in my journey to being healthy and look forward to getting to know everyone!

Thanks!

i am a month and a half post op........down 52LB's from my highest and 18 since surgery. It has been a journey so far, and like you.......I am a newbie :-) trying to connect with others to see what things they struggle with after surgery and how they overcome. :-) Best wishes to you. I have not had any regrets.......and looking forward to what is in store over the next year. Anyone who comes to this decision because they think its easy.........should think again. LOL Still lots of hard work, but it gives you the tool you need to keep on track :-)

WELCOME!!!! I was "sleeved" March 6, 2013. I love it. I feel in control of my body & I've not had this feeling of control & accomplishment health-wise in a loooong time. I thank God for this opportunity & for the strength that he gives me to make good choices every day. This is a great community with a lot of help/support & good info. There are many personalitites here but they all mean well, I believe. I'm also 30. Feel free to inbox me if you need a WLS Buddy! Best Wishes!

i am a month and a half post op........down 52LB's from my highest and 18 since surgery. It has been a journey so far, and like you.......I am a newbie :-) trying to connect with others to see what things they struggle with after surgery and how they overcome. :-) Best wishes to you. I have not had any regrets.......and looking forward to what is in store over the next year. Anyone who comes to this decision because they think its easy.........should think again. LOL Still lots of hard work, but it gives you the tool you need to keep on track :-)

My current struggles would be not letting the scale control my mood if I see something that I don't "like". It takes patience. I don't let the scale get me "down" at all but it can get frustrating. Realize that if you work out, the scale may go up b/c it could be muscle gain. In this case, the scale can go up but the inches come down! :-) Now, getting in enough Protein is a task at times. OH, & getting in enough Water as well. It takes being mindful of the clock, planning, and being creative also. Be patient with this journey. It's awesome, in my opinion. You'll be fine if you don't quit! :-)

Hey Julia! I am also in the buffalo area? Do you happen to be with Dr. Posner?

Yes I am!! Have you already had the surgery?

I am scheduled for June 25th. I am nervous but excited for the future! It is nice to "meet" someone local. There are a lot of hoops to jump through, but I finally got a date!

I do not have a date yet, but I do have to admit that BGH has been very thorough so far! How long did it take you to get a date? I'm getting the egd done next week and still waiting for the sleep study place to contact me.

Hi Julia!

I'm new here, too. I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a surgery date scheduled for 06/04/13. There's a lot of great information on this site.

I had been doing Weight Watchers for awhile and lost 70lbs. I had gone to see my primary care Dr. for a routine check-up. 2 weeks later I went back for a follow-up. I was very excited because I had lost 10lbs in those 2 weeks. I had visions of my Dr. being very excited and proud. Well, not only did she not mention the 10lb weight loss, but she said that I should have WLS.

I'm with Kaiser and we have the options classes. I told her I would really like to continue trying on my own, but I would do the classes in the meantime. After a few months, I realized I was stuck at that weight loss. Even gained a few back. After much prayer and soul searching, I decided to go through with the surgery. I believe it's the best decision for me.

Best of luck to you on your journey and welcome to this wonderful, supportive site.

Hello all.

I'm overweight... well fat... well morbidly obese. At my highest 425# with a 52 BMI. I mean I am tall at 6'3" but I reckon I'd need to be 8'6" to carry rhat much weight. Have been going down the prep path since December -- been lurking here for a few months -- and have a surgery date here in Delaware for early June. I am an executive with SSA responsible for disability policy, and aside from a bum knee am pretty healthy for an old fat guy.

I have sucessfully lost weight a number of times, (MANY times) and have Very Successfully gained all the weight back. A familiar story I know. So why THIS irreversable path? The best analogy I can think of is the explorer Cortex; when he arrived in America, he burned his ships to eliminate ANY thought of retreat.

I am married to a loverly and supportive wife with a blended family of two grown boys, two grown girls two dogs and two cats (we appear to do everything twice). I play (at) guitars and make stained glass windows. So...

Hey all and here we go!

Art