My insurance requires 6 months of appts with my PCP. I'm over 4 months in but I keep going back and forth on my decision. Did anyone else do that? One week I'm all excited and pumped up to get the sleeve and the next week I feel like maybe I should try to lose it on my own. Ugh....

Why don't you just keep up the good work and decide when the 6 months are up? I assume that you are losing weight now, so see how it goes. Have a long talk with your PCP and get a realistic idea of how long it will take to lose the weight without surgery and what your track record on diet and regaining is. That should help you decide one way or the other. Either way...congratulations on starting your journey and best of luck with attaining your goals!

Well I'm really not doing good...I've only lost 9 pounds in 4 months. My history of diet/exercise hasn't been a success. I don't know why I'm evening having second thoughts....I'm most likely not going to lose this weight on my own.

Yep, been there doing that! I have one month left to go on the supervised diet. Things were humming along, I was losing weight and really wasn't "suffering" too much and I started to think...hey maybe I could do this on my own. Then, ran into a particularly bad week at work, totally went back to habits I thought had conquered (as if 40 years of habits can be changed in 6 weeks)...anyway, for me...I proved to myself that I need a tool that I don't currently have to successfully reclaim my health. That tool is surgery.

Even though I was self-pay, I did waffle back and forth during my decision making process and even after I decided to have the surgery. I kept asking myself, "Have I tried hard enough?" "Can I lose this on my own?" "Should I give it one more try?" I think it's perfectly normal to go back and forth.

I almost backed out the night before surgery and in admitting on surgery day. While in admitting I said to myself, "You can walk out of here right now and only be out $500." I was so scared. I looked over at my husband and I knew this was the right thing for me. He didn't say anything to me, he didn't even look at me. I just knew I had to do this and I couldn't let fear get in the way.

That was 9 months ago. I can tell you, short of marrying my husband and having my son, this was the best decision of my life. This changed my life. When I think back to what my life was like a year ago, it's like I'm looking at a different person. I don't recognize the old me or the behaviors that made me that way! I'm an active mom and wife and I'm happy - so much happier and energetic than a year ago.

Only you will know when you're ready - be prepared, gather all your information, talk to you family or friends. This isn't easy - it's harder than I ever thought it would be. But, it's so worth it!

Best of luck to you!

I'm right there with you!!! I have 3 months left in my supervised diet and literally go back and forth everyday! On day I'm ready to go so into it, the next day I'm scared and worried I'm making the wrong decision!

Thanks for sharing! I'm a few months out and most days I'm excited. Days if doubt are creeping in though!

McButterpants....how much weight have you lost since surgery? Do you mind sharing your starting weight and where you are now? I appreciate everyone's responses. Thank you!

McButterpants....how much weight have you lost since surgery? Do you mind sharing your starting weight and where you are now? I appreciate everyone's responses. Thank you!

@@jessdawn37,

I had my surgery on 11/14/13. I'm down 73 pounds - I went into this wanting to lose 106, but I didn't give myself a deadline.

I can tell you the scale doesn't have the same hold over me now as it did. I don't get hung up on the numbers like I used to. I am following the plan and exercising - that's what I can control. I can't control when my body decides to release the weight. (I've lost one pound in 8 weeks - sometimes that gets me down, but I try to keep those negative thoughts out of my head.)

Another thing I try not to do anymore...compare my weight loss to anyone else's. It's hard - it's human nature. I've always said, if you compare yourself to someone else, one person is going to leave that conversation unhappy. It's not worth it. You got to your high weight or breaking point a different way than I did and we're going to lose at a different pace than each other.

I wish you the best of luck! This is truly an amazing journey!

I don't know...there was a moment when the light went on for me and I knew I would never give another penny to any "weight loss program" (e.g. weight watchers, slim fast, etc.) I have spent so much money, time and effort over many years with no success.For me, time to stop beating a dead horse. Or, you know, the definition of insanity--doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.