Hi, all. This is my first post and I'm just completing my first week post surgery. I may be a little unique in that I had sleeve surgery with a lower BMI--32. I've struggled with weight my entire life and always worked out...just can't keep it off. Always hungry and no diet ever seems to work. So I bit the bullet and paid for the surgery myself. It's been remarkably easy so far...I, candidly, am just not hungry. I'm losing about a lb a day, and I'm staying pretty strictly to the liquid diet. My general concern is that I really can't tell anything has happened to me except that I'm not hungry and I am losing weight (which I guess is the greatest outcome possible). I do fear the ease of this will make it very easy to go back to old habits. Anyone else out there with a similar experience?

hi there, i was low bmi pre -surgery as well. the weight is coming off very slowly but i am beyond happy! i was expecting the slow weight loss so no big deal... as of when i left the hosp i do not feel like i had any type of surgery. thankfully, i still feel great and no complications. i have no desire to eat or drink anything but i do what i know needs to be done and i am fine.

My bmi was 38.6 at the time of surgery. I am losing extremely slow! I was stalled for almost 3 months though.

How are the other low BMI sleevers doing on your loss.

I am at a total of 44 pounds with the past two months being minimal loss.

Not worried though. Just need to step up the exercise.

Others please check in ...

Hey everyone!

I was sleeved on 10/22/14 and I'm down 22lbs. CW 176.5

I've only lost 28 pounds since surgery 5/13/14. I was stalled for almost 3 months. No matter how you slice it. ... that's slow. This is about the rate I lost on Weight Watchers. The only thing that keeps me from going crazy is the hope that I can keep it off this time.

I started at 35BMI and am just about six months out and I have lost 66 pounds. Weight came off pretty fast and over the last couple months I am losing approx 6-7 pounds a month. I am 19 pounds from my doctors goal and 29 pounds from my goal but I will be happy at my doctors goal. I need to increase my activity at this point to continue to tighten everything up but feeling great!

Hi All,

Would love to hear more about your low-BMI journey.

Also, were all of you self pay? Just wondering when it says "must qualify" for surgery, does that mean to qualify for insurance or to qualify just to get the surgery (even if self pay)?

Thx

I was a self pay but my insurance is recent from affordable care act and the policy does not cover the procedure for anyone.

I did have a hernia repair, so my total out of pocket was $8200

The best thing about the self pay is that I got to schedule my surgery perfectly with my schedule. I did everything how I wanted to.

As for my doctor I think he would have done any of the procedures. I went in thinking I wanted the band, but after doing so much more research and seeing so many revisions from band, I chose sleeve and my doctor had no issue either way.

I plan on being self pay too. Just wondering how long from initial appointment until the surgery for self-pay people. I know it's typical to have a six-month wait when going through insurance, but what about us self-pay people?

So, my next question: if you were self pay, how much time between your initial appointment to your surgery date?

May 15 met with surgeon, June 17 surgery. I had an EDG too on June 9 to diagnose the hernia and then started pre-op liquid diet on 10th. I just had to pay in full before surgery would be scheduled.

I did do a psych exam and met with the nutritionist

Easy as can be. It was great to see on the diagnosis sheet it said "morbidly obese". I just chuckled and went on.

I went in Tuesday and our Wednesday and back to work Monday. No complications.

Hi I'm 4 days post and similar to you in as much as my BMI was 32 and I also self paid as I spent 40 years yo yo dieting. Drinking too much alcohol and generally over indulging.i am 61 and could no longer bare to see my 13 stone reflection so decided to use the sleeve to gain control of my body and mind.i am feeling surprisingly well for 4 days post and find the easiest way to get fluids down is with warm drinks ie broth. I'm thinking if all continues to improve at this rate I've done the right thing for me. I really hope every one is feeling good, well and better about themselves

Oh yes I will not weigh myself until my post op appointment with my lovely surgeon Mr Hamouda from Tunbridge Wells who uses a 34fr Bougie as standard. ????

Woooooops seemed to have replied to wrong post sorry!

This thread is exactly what I needed! My BMI is 34 and I will be self pay. I am in the early stages of this and currently do not yet have a surgery date. Because of my lower BMI, I initially felt some guilt for even considering wls. I'm so glad to hear there are others that share my story. Thank you!

Thanks everyone for you feedback/stories. Being a low BMI, I have just been wondering if there are others out there like me. There are; and it's good to know.

I am a 33 BMIer. I have struggled for ten years with yoyo dieting. Most recently I lost down to 155 and maintained it for about six months. Then ballooned back to 195. I had been prescribed phentermine by my endocrinologist, plus I was going to a boot camp at 5:30am M-F. After boot camp, I would come home and run 3+ miles. Then sometimes at night walk with my hubby. Some days I was exercising three hours a day! It's crazy to think about. I enjoy exercising, but should it really take three hours a day to maintain a normal BMI? And the phentermine gave me horrible headaches and kept me from sleeping at night. I know it was hard on my body. After gaining back the weight, I tried to do another round of phentermine, but I just hated taking the pill every day that gave me massive headaches and gave me horrible insomnia. I cried recently at the doctor because they now want me to do a sleep study... I snore horribly. I asked, "if the results are bad, where do we go from there?" The doctor said, "CPAP machine." I cried. I don't want to treat the symptoms of my problem. I want to treat the real underlying issue... the weight. So even though I am a low BMI, I feel it is worth the surgery to have a permanent solution for a real problem. I know if I am not proactive to get my weight under control, I will continue to balloon and become diabetic, on a CPAP machine, on blood pressure medicine, etc.

I have read some ridicule from those higher BMI folks aimed at low-BMIers for ever considering surgery. It seems odd that they are ridiculing because they have probably felt similar ridicule in their lifetimes from being an obese and/or morbidly obese person. I don't quite understand the judgment. That judgment has kept me from posting at times, but I am a lover, not a fighter. I certainly can look past it and find a "safe" place to continue my journey. Thanks for all the positive that I have found on these forums. I will say, the positive does outweigh (no pun intended) the negative; and that's what matters.

So low BMI people, continue to post and share! Thanks in advance!

Edited November 30, 201411 yr by JaneJaneDoe

Hey just do it. Worth spending the money to stop that never ending cycle of yo yo dieting. Plus having a wardrobe full of UK size 10 12 14 and 16 and then never having anything in the right size to wear.

4 days post op doing everything I should and just back from 1 hours walk. I may be posting silly talk but BMI start of 32 is potentially a BMI start of 42 1 year away. If all my health issues plus not drinking alcohol go to plan and I have no unforeseen complications, I have now taken responsibility for my own life health mobility confidence and happiness .

Go low BMI. Girls x