Two major issues -

#1 Having to eat a low calorie restricted diet for the rest of my life is daunting and overwhelming.

#2 - Loose skin.

How did you decide it was worth it?

Edited December 18, 201411 yr by islandsneezer

For me it wasn't just the weight. I have other health issues that were not co-morbs., but effected my quality of life. I was told the wls might help with that. So far it has.

I would say this; if you're biggest concern is eating low calorie you might want to question your relationship with food. So far I have been able to everything I ate pre-op but in smaller portions. I can't say I miss eating massive portions of food.

I'm exercising and wearing compression wear. I hope the slower wls of the sleeve will allow things to snap back. If I need to I will have skin removed.

Edited December 11, 201411 yr by BLERDgirl

Maybe you're not ready for the huge life change? There's nothing wrong with that if so. If you are still looking at it as "dieting" because you are nervous about having to restrict your calories the rest of your life instead if looking at it as a true lifestyle change to become healthier, then maybe you aren't ready for the surgery? As far as the skin issue goes, it's awesome that you feel good about yourself now, but quite frankly, you are not healthy at that weight. I'm assuming you're young, and have no health issues to speak of. As you get older, being obese has a way of taking a toll on your body. That's ultimately why I did it. High blood pressure, diabetes, aching knees...you name it. Now 45 lbs lighter, I am off all meds and exercise 5 days a week with no knee pain. But like I said, it's such a personal decision, it's okay if you're having second thoughts! Completely normal.

It's okay to like yourself and want to be better. I didn't have high blood pressure or diabetes. I always thought I was cute.


I agree with @@Babbs this is a lifestyle change. Make sure you are ready to commit.

Okay so I'm home now. Let me just say I don't eat low cal food ever. However, like @islandsneezer I am a vegetarian with multiple food and medicine allergies. Mine are:

Foods: seafood, stevia, most artificial sweeteners, MSG, food dyes, especially red dye. Medicine: toviaz, percocit, gabapantin, iodine, and latex.

I always had an active life style. Plenty of friends, traveled the world, and I love fashion. I have a bunch of minor, but chronic health issues. Now all of these issues individually or in a smaller sized body are completely manageable and tolerable. However the weight made them worse. To the point that I was unable to work. I was told that WLS might make them more manageable. Guess what? I've had 1 very minor episode of swollen lips since my surgery. I no longer get up all night peeing.

Back to low cal, restricted diet. I don't do that. One of the things I had to when trying to manage my allergies was keep a food diary. I started eating "clean" Basically no processed foods. I cook most things from scratch. Other than the Protein shakes I still do that. So I never went on a diet. I just started being more mindful of what I ate. I gave up sodas and only drink Water and occasionally fruit juices.

As I mentioned before the excess issue is an issue I'll deal with when/if it happens. A good friend of mine had bypass surgery. She lost 60% of her body weight and has no excess skin.

All I know is I was 51 and I plan to live another 40/50 years so I wanted to be able to enjoy it.

Edited December 12, 201411 yr by BLERDgirl

I'm five weeks out. I am feeling really good and looking pretty good (according to family). I was cleared to advance my diet to hard foods. I can't eat much at a time but I've had some tasty meals. Today I had hot pork from my favorite buffet restaurant. I ordered off the menu. I was totally satisfied with the 1/4 cup I was able to eat. I had it for my supper too. At times I feel a little sad that I can't pig out like I did before but I remember how miserable I was after I would eat like that. From what I understand after some time, I'll be able to enjoy just about any thing just in much smaller quantities. I questioned whether I should have the surgery after losing about 50 lbs on my pre op diet. I have always lost in the past but couldn't reach goal and would gain it back plus more. I really thought maybe this time I could do it on my own. I remember feeling the same way the last two times I was on a weight loss plan. That feeling reminded me that I probably wouldn't reach goal and keep it off without some help.

It is hard. I hated the products i had to eat in the pro op diet and the post op diet. I hated the Protein shakes, I hated the broth. I hate sugar free anything. I'm not getting in the required protein, calories or fluids yet (by a long shot) but I feel so much better. I was walking 70 minutes a day but my doc wants me to cut back till I get closer to 70 grams of protein and closer to 600-800 calories. It feels like it is a full time job trying to get everything in. I used to drink Coke or Water. Now water has a bad taste. But that too is getting better.

I cried when I fit into a size 10 jean. I started at a size 20w. I never knew it had a name until I heard it on Jimmy Fallon, but my "front butt" is slowly going away. I have excess skin but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

It is a major decision. Not every one has a successful surgery. not everyone will keep the weight off. My husband's Aunt is one year out and has gained

a considerable amount of her weight back. If we don't follow our plan we all can be like his Aunt. Right now I have a great restriction and I'm not very hungry. I could not eat all day and I wouldn't feel hungry. I'm sure that will go away someday. That's when I will have to be diligent in following the plan. I won't deprive myself but I will try to eat mainly healthy. I just don't want to go back to eating the whole bag of candy after eating three plates at the buffet and 3 or 4 cokes. It is actually a relief not having to worry about having enough junk food in the pantry to get me through a night.

So long story short, although I'm sometimes sad, the benefit of the surgery far outweighs the sadness for me.

Good luck with your decision.

Health issues. Looking older then my peers who didn't huff and puff after walking 20 feet. That is why I did it. Yea I worried about loose skin, always being restricted, all those things. And then I remembered or was reminded that being 250+lbs was ultimately a death sentence. And I have a very stressful high pace job, teenagers and at the time my social life was zilch. I needed to do something or something bad was around the corner.

...

Edited December 18, 201411 yr by islandsneezer

When I had a stroke at the age of 58, I knew I had to do something about my weight and blood pressure.

Follow this link to get a good idea of what the last straw was for many of us:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/219831-what-was-your-final-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back/?hl=%20straw

you are me. I'm 9 weeks out. I had no other issues outside of PCOS (on the verge of diabetes). I have impeccable eating habits as well. Any more weight gain could have pushed me into a whole different territory. I wanted to be around for my kids like my eating habits show. Surgery has helped me lose almost 50 lbs in just 9 weeks. You have to be ready though and their is no shame in changing your mind. It's such a personal decision. I can say for me I thought I was happy and confident prior to surgery, but my actual weightloss has revealed something completely different. I'm truly finding myself now.

Honestly, it just sounds like you are not ready. My head was where yours is. I have always considered myself to be a beautiful full figured healthy woman. I was an all American athlete even though I was heavier than the other athletes. I took the attitude of, "yeah, I may be big, but I'm still better than you, prettier than you, and healthier than you" from those years and applied it for the pas 20 years.

What a complete crock of ****. I believed my own lies. And in the process, lost years off my life, that I may never get back, because of my narcissism and truly unhealthy lifestyle. And guess what, I was once a vegetarian and actually believed that just because I didn't consume meat products, I was still healthier than other people....meanwhile I outweighed others by 100+ pounds.

looking back on things, I often ask myself, "how could I have been so stupid?" Why and when did I brainwash myself into thinking that being 100+ lbs overweight was healthy or sexy." I woke up after learning all the cancers and diseases obese people develop and through surviving thyroid cancer. You have yet to face your own "Come to Jesus" moment. And that is okay as all of us are on our own journeys. I just hope your moment is sooner rather than later.

I'll get real with you too ... and believe me, I'm being realistic, not mean.

PCOS makes it much harder to lose weight, but not impossible. I lost 70 lbs at one point through diet and exercise. It can be done. I went through early menopause so my symptoms are pretty much nonexistent now, but women with PCOS can lose weight. It's harder and slower than the average person, but I did it and I didn't have superpowers. Don't use PCOS as your catch-all excuse. Lots of women with PCOS have the surgery.

I've been a vegetarian for 30+ years and I have to tell you, as far as weight loss and real nutrition, your diet is crap. Bagel with butter? Skipping a meal? Chickpeas (btw, I love them) have 45 carbs in a cup and close to 300 calories. 1/4 cup of feta is loaded with sodium. A cup of quinoa has 39 carbs. Where's the Protein? You think you are eating a lot healthier than you are.

You're not in "great health". You're 5' 4" and almost 300 lbs. You are a morbidly obese woman who is used to walking. Not having a heart attack at this very moment doesn't mean you are in "great health". What you are is someone whose body hasn't started showing the signs of breaking down yet. The key phrase is started showing. It's breaking down. You can walk? Great. We're SUPPOSED to be able to walk without effort. You're not getting the Gold Star of Health because you can still walk and you don't have obesity hypoventilation syndrome ... yet.

I weighed 268 and was 52 when I decided to look into surgery, and I could actually sprint, touch my toes, run up the subway stairs, walk for miles, you name it. I also had a family history of people dying in their 40's and 50's, and if they made it to 60, it wasn't for long. I really didn't want to die. That was the tipping point for me. I was in my genetic "dead zone". I was 53 when I had the surgery, and I'm 54 now. I'm confident I'll live to see 74.

Have you seen any 5' 4" 300 lb women in their 70's and 80's walking around? No. Do you know why that is? It's because there are aren't any. They are all dead.

If you aren't ready for surgery or just plain don't want it, there is nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. If you want making it up the stairs to your house to be your personal best, go for it (and I'm not being sarcastic). Sometimes people are happy with the way things are and don't adapt well to change. I had this sort-of uncle who lived in his mother's basement his entire adult life. He had a pool table, a full bar, a dart board, state of the art (for the 1960's) stereo, color tv (a big deal back then), fridge, some type of velour sofa and a bed. The only time he would leave was to buy beer and Slim Jims. He was truly happy. His whole life was spent in that basement. He loved being down there until the day he died.

I personally am so grateful for my surgery. Every day I wake up and think about what I was this time last year. I ate clean before, but now proper nutrition is a priority. So is exercise and making the best possible choices for me at all times. What I put in my mouth, what I do with my time, what I will accept from myself. My personal standards for myself and my goals are a thousand times higher and it really shows.

Is there something you are afraid of? There are some downsides (like sagging skin), but it's small potatoes compared to all the health and personal benefits. I don't pray to not die in my sleep every night before I go to bed any more. I'm not jonesing for bagels any more. I get excited about working out. When stuff happens, I have to deal with it instead of eat. The happy switch has been turned on for me. I wish I had done this years ago.

You do it the same way toddlers do. They have a small stomach, don't eat a lot and stop when they are full. You aren't dieting, it's a complete lifestyle change. You have to learn about nutrition and log every bite that goes in your mouth. The cravings were rough at first, but I got through it. Now I'm not interested in certain foods I used to scarf down.

Seriously? If you had such a "healthy" relationship with your body, you wouldn't weigh close to 300 lbs. What you are is accepting of yourself and the way you look. Not being self-loathing doesn't mean you have a "healthy" relationship with your body. You are living in an abused body. Don't make your husband an excuse. It's extremely rare to find a mentally and emotionally healthy person who goes "ewww" when their partner gets in shape and healthy. What you think you look like in your head right now is not what the rest of the world is seeing. You can save up for plastic surgery. It will be a few years before you lose all the weight, work out to get as much muscle tone and definition as possible and stabilize so you have lots of time.

It was really hard, but I did it.

FYI, there were no video games in the 1960's and nowhere in my post did I mention cigarettes. What I was pointing out was that he was perfectly happy with a situation that most people would have been clawing their way out of. He had no desire to change or make things what most people would consider better for himself. He was just fine with the way things are. Maybe you are too. You don't have to have surgery if you don't want to .... just don't fool yourself about what your situation really is.

Whether you think so or not, you aren't eating for optimal nutrition and weight loss. Do you know how much sugar is in sundried tomatoes? How much sodium? For you to get in the proper amount of Protein with all those ingredients, your salad would have had to have been MUCH larger than you stated, and the calories would have been pretty high.

Skipping meals causes weight gain. For one, it slows down your metabolism. I could go on and on. You're just not eating the way you need to. If you want to have surgery, you are going to have to take a crash course in nutrition and really grasp what you are putting in your mouth.

You got some great advice and views from others. Most of us say we wished we had done this sooner! The longer you stay overweight the more problems will arise. Knees will hurt, blood pressure goes up and back will ache etc. 10 years ago the doc said my knees will need to replaced and recommended me to see the WLS surgeon and I backed out cause I did not want the RNY at the time. It was only that or the band. I decided to take the behavior path to learn to eat better etc. my knees got bad enough I can't work because of the kind of job I had. So will be having surgery on the 30th and anticipate knee surgery in 2015. I plan on going back to work when I am healed. I hope you find that time you will be ready. I am ready cause I want a better lifestyle! Good luck with whatever decision you make!

"They" say that many people won't or can't change their lives until they hit rock bottom.

You could be one of those people.

How to hit rock bottom? Keep doing exactly what you're doing now.

You'll get there soon enough.

Here's the thing. Every doctor and nutritionist have differing opinions just like everyone of us on this forum do. Some can be so set in their thoughts that they forget there are other perspectives, but I've found it all comes from the same heart. They just so badly want you to experience the great things they are.

HOWEVER, the truth is surgery isn't always the answer. There are plenty of people who fail on it. It's a very personal choice and I for one chose without hitting rock bottom.

Like I shared...I have PCOS and wasn't always overweight. I spent a year following doctors, nutritionists and personal trainers to only lose 15 lbs. All my hard work and honesty for so little was truly heartbreaking. I have a fantastic diet and exercise regularly - it took me 8 weeks after surgery not to regret it. I had severe nausea that was debilitating. I've had fellow patients go through severe negatives because of this surgery so the questioning is warranted. No one can tell you if its right for you. No one knows how your body will react. Co-morbities can present themselves differently in each patient which is why one can lose 70 lbs and I only lost 15 in a year.

I myself had to walk away from forums several times because things I've said were taken the wrong way. I hope you listen to yourself and your heart. I went back and forth for 3 years listening to all sides of the argument.

love,
deanna