But not in the way you think!

Look I'm not one of these assholes that thinks this is the easy way out or there's a right way to lose weight but as my surgery looms on Monday I can't help but wonder if I tried hard enough to lose weight on my own.

Months ago, if you'd told me to go on a liquid diet I would have told you to go f**k ourself. No way on earth I thought I would be able to endure the liquid diet and yet I did and lost 25 pounds. I'm looking forward to the positive lifestyle changes And weight loss that VSG will bring but even at my goal weight I don't think I'll be able to get over the fact that it had to come this. Oddly also feel I will regret not having tackled this weight issue and thought of VSG earlier as my 20s were essentially lost battling my weight, feeling isolated and not having much of a social life. Youth wasted!

Maybe because there's a stigma about weight loss surgery I dunno. As much as I'm looking forward to being sleeved, I'm hating that I have to.

Anyone feel like this?

Here's how I dealt with / internalized it. If I had a tumor I would have it cut out because to not have it cut out would mean death. Well. My stomach is my tumor. To not have it cut out meant death. This surgery is no more cheating then having a tumor cut out is cheating.

Also the surgery changes your body chemistry and metabolism. Which if I had to guess your metabolism is non existent like mine was. Just my $.02.

Too busy losing weight to feel bad about losing weight. You lost it, you look good, and you feed better. The end greatly outweighs any means.

I would NOT have a surgery I was certain I would regret, unequivocally. I considered WLS for 20 years before I had it. I was pretty sure I could lose weight if only I just tried harder. I'm a registered nurse, brought up in the world of science, and thought I knew everything there was to know about dieting and weight loss. I even knew the statistics about the dismal failure rates, but I thought I could/should overcome that brutal reality. So, while I dieted, lost some weight, gained some more, I went to several surgeons over the years, even went so far as to have the pre-op testing completed, and always backed out. At the time, RNY was the only option, and I just couldn't get on board with the malabsorption thing (and still can't). So, I thought I might regret it, and I never went through with it. Once I learned of VSG, I KNEW it would be the right decision for me, and I have not regretted it. Lots of people say their only regret is not doing it sooner, and while I do wish I had this option 20 years ago, I do not regret having a surgery I knew I would regret.

Plus, you could do what I do and not tell anybody why you keep shrinking or why you can only eat small portions of food at a time.

Amen!

It's normal to feel that way.

I lost 120lbs on my own, to gain them back. And now am turning to surgery bc I learned I can't do it alone. Plus, when I lost weight, I was too strict and exercised way too much. Sometimes I get embarrassed that I'm going through with surgery, but thankfully I have so much support to help me through. I know a lot that lost it on their own and gained it back.

If you are having serious reservations about the surgery, then you shouldn't have it. This journey is difficult enough for folks who were motivated before going under the knife. I'm almost a year out, and I'm here to say that it is STILL difficult! This surgery will not solve all of your problems regarding overeating. So don't do it unless you feel you are truly ready to do it.

I remember when they wheeled me into the OR, helped me onto the operating table and were strapping me into place, I looked up at the nurse anesthetist and thought " I could say stop right now, and not go through with this." It took all I had to keep my mouth shut until they put me under! And I am glad that I kept my mouth shut, because I know this was the right decision for me, and I never could have been as successful without it. It is truly worth it and is the right decision for lots of people - only you can determine if it is the right decision for you.

I would NOT have a surgery I was certain I would regret, unequivocally. I considered WLS for 20 years before I had it. I was pretty sure I could lose weight if only I just tried harder. I'm a registered nurse, brought up in the world of science, and thought I knew everything there was to know about dieting and weight loss. I even knew the statistics about the dismal failure rates, but I thought I could/should overcome that brutal reality. So, while I dieted, lost some weight, gained some more, I went to several surgeons over the years, even went so far as to have the pre-op testing completed, and always backed out. At the time, RNY was the only option, and I just couldn't get on board with the malabsorption thing (and still can't). So, I thought I might regret it, and I never went through with it. Once I learned of VSG, I KNEW it would be the right decision for me, and I have not regretted it. Lots of people say their only regret is not doing it sooner, and while I do wish I had this option 20 years ago, I do not regret having a surgery I knew I would regret.

You're telling my story, too, including being a nurse. I first looked into WLS nearly 40 years ago when the only option was intestinal bypass. I'm certainly glad I did not have that. The majority of people who did have it died within 5-10 years, usually less. I've know about gastric bypass for many years but am not at all comfortable with the malabsorption issues. I had never heard of VSG until a year ago & when I did I, too, knew it was the right procedure for me. I do wish the VSG had been around 30-40 years ago, but we cannot change what was & can only go forward from here. Had I still been working, I probably would have learned about it sooner. My one regret is that I didn't hear about VSG 4 years ago when my current insurance started covering it.

My surgeon did tell me at my first consult that he thought the duodenal switch would give me better weight loss & increase the chance of my diabetes resolving. But I told him I don't want anything to do with malabsorption & he said "that's all I need to hear."