I am getting closer to becoming approved for my surgery.. in the mean time, I sit and let my mind go crazy.. Today's thought... I wonder if those that have had the surgery are really happy? Does your life really improve mentally as you are progressing?

I know that the sleeve is the choice for me, I just think that I am really starting to realize that this is really happening.. so I've got all of the emotions I know most of you had.. Thanks!!

I would have to say YES. I feel like I am finally free from being buried in fat and it is wonderful.

I would also say it is no walk in the park to go from being a BMI of over 50 to a slim, normal sized woman. It has had huge consequences on my life. However, I would reframe it a little... there were huge changes in my life that really really needed to happen but didn't until I lost some weight. It was like all the weight become in many ways an obstacle to living a full life.

I have just started this journey and I am really happy. I can start to think and plan and do things that I would not before, because I was in pain, tired, or just because i knew i could not with my weight.

It is not an easy path but i am so happy i did it. I can't wait to see what else it will bring. I also agree that as i shed the weight i am also shedding other parts of my life i see need changing. It is great.

Good luck, stay strong, you will doubt and worry but if you feel this is what you need trust yourself.

I am 3.5 weeks into the journey and its harder then I thought it would be. Its not an easy way out. BUT I am SO thrilled that I have done. Honestly I don't think there is any other way I was going to really lose all this weight and keep it off for the rest of my life. I know believe I can and will do it!!

I am 3.5 weeks into the journey and its harder then I thought it would be. Its not an easy way out. BUT I am SO thrilled that I have done. Honestly I don't think there is any other way I was going to really lose all this weight and keep it off for the rest of my life. I know believe I can and will do it!!

What have the hardest parts been for you StayingStrong?

yes I am happy. My weight loss is slow...as I have arthritis and dont move much.

But the fear of putting on is gone...that is if we eat sensibly all our life.I am a happier person,there are some hormonal changes...I enjoy many things in life now.

all the best to you all.

Replies to this are going to vary ALOT by what stage you are in. The first 6-8 weeks for many of us weren't alot of fun. It is hard to get Water in... transitioning to solid food is hard... all that, it was like a fulltime job!

Then, it is AMAZING.. the honeymoon period when the weight is coming off and you feel on top of the world. I can remember all those NSVs (non scale victories). Honestly, I was so happy that it made up for saying good by to my old friend "over eating"

Then, most of us face a cross roads... weight loss slows or stops and you need to decide how you will face that. I decided that while I was so much better off weighing under 200# rather than over 300# - I wanted to strive for a more normal size so I pushed hard to get to my goal. I didn't want to look matronly I guess - not really sure, but I wanted to be a normal size. Once you are past the rapid weight loss phase, it becomes alot more about your personal efforts to get the weight off.

Then, there is maintenance which is a whole nother headtrip in many ways.

Even so, I needed this surgery to get my health under control. Health improvements are the foundation for my life improvements and that is the track I am on.

I only wish I had done this sooner but I yes I am happy I made this choice. Good luck to you!

I agree with CowgirlJane.

You asked "Does your life really improve mentally as you are progressing?" Well, yes, mine did, but that part does not come automatically with the surgery - you have to WORK at it.

My life has improved, and my outlook has improved. I don't feel honeymoonish about it, but it's more like I have consistent little jolts of "I couldn't do that/wear that before" and I feel a lot younger than my 45 years.

There are other bizarre little changes that are hard to describe. I'm approaching my initial goals and everything is going very slowly; has gone a lot more slowly for the last few months. What I find with myself and others is that while I would have said a year ago that I would kill to be the weight I am now, now that I am at this weight it doesn't seem like I'm even close to goal. That's part of the many mind games that most of us go through.

Goddardgo,

The surgery was physically challenging--the mental part for me has been brutal.

Yes I'm happier but I don't want you to get the impression that it's ALL butterfly kisses and unicorn farts. For some of us, there is very hard mental work to be done after the physical healing has taken place.

There was nothing anyone could have said to me to prepare me for the mental part of the trip down the "loser's highway".

All that being said---I'm so much better off now than I was before December 11, 2013. If I had to undergo it again to keep the weight off, I'd be HAPPY to do it again---in a heartbeat.

Kathleen

I'm right at 6 months...Here's my perspective.

Am I really happy? Yes. Was it hard work? Yep. Did I wonder sometimes if this was the right decision? Absolutely.

I am happier, healthier, more active physically, more engaged in my own life. For me, this surgery was a life changer. I'm healthier (blood pressure down, no more threats of diabetes, joint pain gone, reflux gone, I sleep better). I'm happier (my mood is better, my temper is in check).

I waffled back and forth many times during the prep period before surgery - I even waffled the morning of surgery and wanted to back out when I was in admitting. I am so glad I went thru with it. Barring marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision I've made.

Best of luck to you!

I have to agree that you will have your good days and your bad days. But the good have out weighed the bad for me. Giving up old eating habits (such as eating too fast and portion sizes) has been tough but how I feel in comparison is worth it! I love getting on my treadmill now and not feeling as sluggish and having the same amount of exercise be easier for me then it was before. I LOVE LOVE digging into my closet with all the oodles and oodles of clothes I saved from when I was thin and having a new wardrobe! Every day I look at clothes and thin HEY I wonder if I can fit into this now.. and yep a lot of the times I do!

The physical part is EASY the mental part will be your biggest challenge but yes it is worth it!

As a whole, yes, I am happier, but as has been mentioned it wasn't easy. Sure, there was the tough first month. My guess would be 95% of the folks lament, "What the hell did I just do to myself!?" But then, I began to find my groove and learn new habits. That, in itself, was very satisfying. But once I learned how and what to eat, the mental challenges came at me. These were tough as I had to confront why I abused food to begin with. I found myself sated by my meal, but wanted to eat more. Why? I wasn't hungry. I enjoyed my meal, but I wanted more. What hole was I trying to fill? I knew I wasn't hungry, but was I angry, lonely or tired (The other aspects of H.A.L.T.)? It was unsettling discovering how often my mind turned to food when I was suffering from being in R.I.D. (restless, irritable, discontent) Before, I would stuff myself and my feelings. Now, I couldn't stuff myself so my feelings laid bare on my mind. Confronting them and working through them was uncomfortable, but as I have learned different coping methods, again, I have found joy in my ability to live life on life's terms.

So, long story longer ... yes, my life is happier, but it is a difficult row to hoe if I am truly committed to making a change in my life.

Edited May 16, 201412 yr by PdxMan
I'm a bad spelar.

I am happy and thankful that food no longer rules my life. Unhealthy food used to talk so loud to me. Now it is more of a whisper which I am able to answer with "nope not worth it". Pre Stevie the Sleevie it was "I will eat it eventually so might as well get it over with and eat it."

will losing weight make you automatically happy? NOPE. with a big fat N.

am i happy i had this surgery? yup. do i feel better physically after losing 80 pounds? yup. am i able to do more things that make me happy now? yup. am i more content? yup. do i like myself more? ummmmm, i dont beat myself up over constantly overeating anymore. do i like my life better? yes and no. i am thrilled that i am healthier. is my life fundamentally the same? sort of. some things are different. very very different. but am i the same person deep down? yup.

this surgery can radically change your life. it cant fix the parts of your life that are fucked up. only you can do that. only you can deal with the underlying reasons you overate and became obese. only you can make you happy. this surgery can help you lose weight, which can help make you happy, but losing weight will not make you happy without a lot of work on your part.

read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Here-Weight-Loss-Surgery-Transformed/dp/1580054463

Edited May 17, 201412 yr by moonlitestarbrite