You probably tried to lose weight through dieting and exercising for years before the idea of weight loss surgery ever occurred to you. Eventually, though, you started thinking about it. How did you first learn about weight loss surgery?

Mark your answer, and then tell us about it in the discussion below!

I can't remember a time when I didn't know about weight loss surgery. I've been overweight since grade school and have been researching different ways to lose weight since middle school. I can remember my parents taking me to the doctor and getting me a prescription for diet pills before I was 10.

The subject was suggested to me years ago by my doctor but I wasn't open to it at all.

I didn't really consider it until last year when someone I know had the sleeve done and was very successful that I thought it was time for me to do it.

I haven't regretted it since I had the gastric bypass last year.

I'm so much more healthier then I have been in many, many years.

I would recommend surgery to any one who wants it.

I considered the wls after my Neurologist closed the door and asked me how much I weighed. He is a caring doctor I greatly respect and when he offered such concern it worried me.He told me of another patient who had great success and gave me a referral. It took me some time and another failed attempt at losing weight before I went to a seminar. I'm do glad I had VSG

My oldest sister (who weighed nearly 400 pounds since she was a teenager) had a gastric bypass about ten years ago at the age of 52, with initial success then a couple of years ago started gaining it back. My next youngest sister (at age 54) had a lapband last year (over 300 pounds) and looks great - unrecognizable - now. My oldest brother died of a heart attack at age 47 and 420 pounds. My mother died at age 67 and weighed 320 pounds and was 5'2". She had an abdominal aortic anerysm.

In 2013, my own weight was creeping up on me to the point that I had gone from 150 to 235 in ten years. I was quickly becoming my mother. My spine is collapsing from the weight, as I am short like my mother was. At the end of my rope and looking at spending my near future in a wheel chair, I asked my PCP if he thought I was a good candidate for a lap band. He recommended me to the Bariatric Program at Loyola University Medical Center.

It was there that I learned about the gastric sleeve. I had never heard of it before, but believed that was the best option for me. I was sleeved 12/23/2013, and am right on schedule with the expected weight loss. Even my spine surgeon thinks that losing at least 100 pounds will make a significant difference in how my spine responds to current treatments without a full lumbar fusion.

My fellow college "fat friend" (we are now in our 40s) had Lapband several years ago with moderate results. When I saw her last winter she looked the best she had in years and I looked and felt worst. I knew I didn't want Lapband after all of her issues, so I researched online starting early spring 2013 and discovered VSG. Had it done in December and met my surgeon's goal weight 2 days ago!

I remember seeing the ads for lap band in ladies magizines, but just glanced at the ads in passing. It never even crossed my mind to consider surgery for my weight problem. It would have been like asking me if I wanted to fly to the moon ! Then my hubby casually mentioned one night in June of 2011 that his sister and her hubby were both having lap bands done very soon. A lightbulb went off ! I followed their progress all summer, doing my research, and was banded Dec, 2011. Wow ! Success ! So glad the weight problem is GONE !!

After I watched Family a couple of coworkers , for a few years , and noticed my health was not good and that I couldn't walk with out the assistance of a cane to hold up my weight to take some of it off y legs to hold me up so I could walk and other hygiene factors that would getting hard to do, by my self.

My Aunt had gastric bypass over 10 years ago. She did pretty good, but never got below a 16, and every time she ate she got hiccups for quite awhile. I had no desire for that.

A client of mine had bypass a few years ago and she was sick for 6 months. Another reason I didn't want bypass.

Then I had a friend who I checked in on that had VSG. She was doing amazing, loved it! I started doing more research and I loved it. I love that there isn't any rerouting of organs or adding things that could come off or mess up. Just a smaller stomach so my 1 main meal a day habit would be fixed! I would have loved to have surgery a few months ago, but I needed the 5 days off and that didn't happen until this week. Can't wait!

My wife.

A very heavy lady at church in Maryland back in early 2000's lost a lot of weight. I think she had gastric bypass, which was not for me. I later, after moving to Florida< met a young girl who went o Mexico to have lapband surgery and she looked fantastic. So, that enticed both my daughter and I to investigate lapband surgery. The rest is history!!

Edited May 26, 201412 yr by kll724

A friend of mine recommended it.

A co-worker had lapband surgery and I enviously watched her progress. I researched in having it only the NHS (I'm in UK) but did not meet the criteria (needed BMI of at least 50 (mine was 47)and there were other hoops to jump through) so I looked at going private. My research led me to VSG, I found a surgeon in Czech Rep and went in April 12, very limited people know and as my weight came off slowly people did not get suspicious plus they could see me eating less and exercising. I love my sleeve.

I was sitting here disgusted with myself watching daytime TV and a commercial for Soza weight loss clinics (I think that's the name). I went to their website and read about the "miracle cure"... blah blah blah and it looked like just another scam to get money. Somewhere in the Google search for that site was a bariatric clinic and I started reading about the surgery. I kind of put that out of my mind because I really didn't think I would qualify for the surgery.

Later, I heard about a weight loss program at my gym (affiliated with a local hospital). I went to the program ... it included doctor visits, a trainer for small group workouts and visits with a nutritionist. I set up an appointment with the surgeon to find out more about the non-surgical program but I did ask him about surgery, too. He told me that at my age and with my weight history, he felt like surgery would be the only thing that would really help me drop weight.

I was so happy to find out I qualified... I gained about 15 pounds in the last year and that's what pushed my BMI over into surgery range. I'm still a relative "lightweight" but I've been in the obese category (BMI>30) for 20 years now -- since the birth of my second child. And I've been steadily gaining for 2-3 ears, so I don't like the trend... want to stop NOW.

alex this page is not updating for me. i get a indication saying that there are new posts but they don't appear. it says there are 14 posts but im sure there are more.

My girlfriend told me about it and we decided to go through this adventure together. She is ahead of me because I spent the winter in FL and her surgery was in March. It helps to have a buddy and a supportive husband.