As I am beginning my journey to getting the Gastric Sleeve I had someone ask me what the difference was from having a Gastric Sleeve verses taking an appetiate suppressant and just eating less. I know I was asked this because not long ago I did a medical weight loss program for 5 months and lost 50 pounds but ended gaining it back and then some. I had no idea how to reply except to repeat the information I learned in the seminars I went to. But this conversation really got me down and had me asking myself why can't I just loss the weight that way am I crazy to be on this journey to a gastric sleeve. I am 5'3 327 pounds and I know I need to lose the weight and I am committed to making my sleeve work but if I am committed to that why can't I do it without it.

Because you can't be on an appetite supressant forever right? If we could just eat less we wouldn't be here would we? I think you've answered your own questions and know what the right thing to do it..The sleeve is a tool that will help you forever but it is work and you have to be willing to put in the work as well..It's not a magic cure or a magic pill..good luck to you.

Well, if it were that easy, most of us would be a lot thinner. For me, my trouble is that I had no will power. Every meal time was like putting a feed bag over a horses head and I was going to town! I kept eating until I felt like I had a food coma. I am not sure why it happened, but it did. All of the diets I went on didn't work for a variety of reason, many of which lead me to go on a huge binge eating whatever it was that I couldn't allow. Weight Watcher's allowed me to have whatever I wanted but with my hectic schedule I couldn't always track my food and would end up eating over my points.

After the sleeve, I am physically forced to stop eating because I feel full much sooner... so in a sense I can still go to town eating, but I wont eat nearly as much as I used to. Additionally, Since some of the ghrelin has been removed and some is produced by the pancreas, so far I have better control and will power to stop when needed so I don't eat until stuffed.

Losing the weight is easy. Keeping it off is a whole different set of issues. Most people who end up getting sleeved have been successful at losing weight multiple times. Only to eventually gain it back. We are professional dieters.

The sleeve raises the chances of keeping it off forever.

Being 66 yrs old and obese since 5 yrs old I know diets. Any diet that came along I have tried. In my teens I got what was thin for me between 140-150 lbs. as soon as I got pregnant I ballooned up to 200 and has been a struggle my whole life. I am a CARBOHOLIC and continue to be one. I am 7 months sleeved and down 72 lbs. could I have done this without surgery, NO WAY! As a diabetic on mega amounts of insulin I gained another 25 lb in 2 yrs. I had to do something and the sleeve was it. I can eat anything at this point but I can not gorge myself. I can not eat a sleeve of cookies or a pint of ice cream anymore, thank God. I am still on insulin but only a 1/5 of what I was on. Only take it once a day instead of 4 times a day and my A1C is much improved. Sorry this is so long but I got carried away.

I am totally addicted to carbs. Any little taste of sugar and I crave carbs.....The sleeve for me is just a tool, if I wanted too, I could eat slider foods, a lot of it. But I know that I will gain weight if i don't stick to my plan. So i mostly eat proteins, proteins, veggies and seldom do I eat carbs now..... That's my diet and I have to stick to it to maintain this beautiful body of mine. Yep, it's all about me, not the food anymore.......

Thanks everyone. It's hard to explain to someone why I need to take this step in my life. They think "Why can't I just diet and do it" but I have tried numerous diets and have gotten nowhere. I appreciate all of you comments and just helps me feel more confident in my decision.

Hey, are you going to spend your life on diet pills? no! We have all lost weight, I have lost over 100 lbs at least 4 times, but I couldn't keep it off. The sleeve will help you do that.

Good Luck!

Before going for VSG I went to medical weightloss and felt that I was going to be paying money for what I already new how to do (eat low carbs small meals veggies and protein)but my will power was too weak I couldn't keep it up. So, I decided to save my money for the plane ticket instead to get the surgery very happy and satisfied with vsg surgery.

I am totally addicted to carbs. Any little taste of sugar and I crave carbs.....The sleeve for me is just a tool, if I wanted too, I could eat slider foods, a lot of it. But I know that I will gain weight if i don't stick to my plan. So i mostly eat proteins, proteins, veggies and seldom do I eat carbs now..... That's my diet and I have to stick to it to maintain this beautiful body of mine. Yep, it's all about me, not the food anymore.......

You are so cute

Just reading Mokee and Ms. skinniness are proof of success. Look at how much being sleeved has improved Mokee's health! That is so awesome!

Long term success? Just look at Ms. skinniness's ticker. Surgery nearly 3 years ago and keeping it off. Neither of them said it has been easy and obviously, they work on it every day. We all do.

If those two are not reasons enough, I don't know what is!

Thank you both for being an inspiration to us all!

Thanks everyone. It's hard to explain to someone why I need to take this step in my life. They think "Why can't I just diet and do it" but I have tried numerous diets and have gotten nowhere. I appreciate all of you comments and just helps me feel more confident in my decision.

I mean this with all due respect, you don't owe anyone an explanation. People don't have to approve your actions. If you are going to do this, you are going to have to own it. It will take work and at the end of the day, you need to be accountable to yourself, regardless of what other think. There will always be naysayers and people who think you took the easy way out. It's not the easy way. At all.

If someone is asking you to defend your decision, simply tell them, thank you for your concern but I wasn't looking for opinions, and change the subject.

Good luck to you, you know what is right for you.

For me the biggest difference is the change with vertical sleeve is permanent. I will always have a smaller stomach. Yes, I could eat enough junk to gain all my weight back, but I choose not to. It was a lot harder to make that choice with a stretched out stomach that demanded to be fed. And it's a lot easier to stay at a weight than lose.

I told everyone it was a choice my Dr. and I made for my health because it has the highest success rate for keeping the weight off.

Lynda