Helloooo!

I'm J. I'm in my early 20's and the biggest I've been is 400lbs at the age of 18. I've lost 171lbs with diet and exercise in the last 2 years so everybody thinks I'm crazy that I want the WLS now. My mom thinks I look beautiful at 221lbs and if I want to look frail and sickly if I lose more. My sister is surprisingly quiet about it but I know she disapproves. My dad couldn't care less, I could shave my head and pretend I'm a puppy, and he would approve. And I'm afraid I'm letting them in my head. One day I want it then the next day I won't. It's just so frustrating and nerve wrecking. Does everything truly go back to normal after the surgery?

I have till next Wednesday to decide because believe it or not I have scheduled the surgery. The pre op diet isn't so bad(I'm not on a liquid diet, sorry!) I haven't really told anyone just my family and 2 friends (now you guys.) I told work I'm going on "vacation" so that could be adding to my conscious. I don't know what I'm looking for, maybe guidance or maybe just someone to tell me to shut the hell up and woman up.

I had my surgery on March 10th and it is the best decision I have ever made. This is for my health. i have struggled to lose weight all of my life and the scale has been used and abused. You have to decide this for yourself and not let anyone else influence your decision. I feel great and the only thing I have issues with are the mental aspects. Things are back to normal for me and it was not that traumatic for me at all. I dont even feel like I had surgery at all. I have more issue with wanting to eat and then being disappointed that it doesnt taste as good as I think its going to. It is so strange.

Shut the hell up and woman up.

You are doing this for YOU -- for your heart, your back, your knees, your kidneys. You deserve to live a long healthy, happy life, experiencing everything to its fullest.

Don't worry about what other people think, they aren't walking in your shoes. Losing the weight is the easy part, keeping it off is where the work comes in.

You're young. I wish I'd done this before I spent half my life being fat. Take control now before you lose any more years being overweight.

At 15 months out and I have a new normal. I can eat anything I want, but what I want has changed. I want natural food that will nourish this earthly container that I live in. My old normal was Twinkies and Dr. Pepper for Breakfast. My new normal is 21 grams of Protein. This morning, for example, I had 1 ounce of steak left over from supper yesterday, 1/2 cup of omelet with veggies, and 1 ounce of shredded cheddar, with a little salsa. I never had decadent steak and eggs for breakfast pre-op.

My midmorning snack was blended yogurt and ricotta with blackberries and strawberries. lunch today will be home-made ham and lentil Soup with carrots and celery. My late afternoon snack today will be a deviled egg, a 1ounce mozzerella string cheese, and a gherkin pickle. Supper tonight will be grilled chicken and green Beans.

I even made up a batch of my chocolate protein fudge today. I mix up Peanut Butter, cream cheese, melted dark chocolate, some of my Omega 3 sprinkles that I add to as many meals as possible (flax seed - wheat germ-chia), chocolate Protein powder, and some artificial sweetener. A one inch square is all I can eat at any one time. I don't measure this recipe. I just throw in what's on hand.

Overall, I eat a satisfying variety of fresh meats and garden veggies. I had to cut back on fruit because it was slowing my roll, but I do have my berries every day and usually one serving of some other fruit. This morning it was 1/2 of a small banana. Eating post-op does not have to be torture. Once your new tummy acclimates to its new condition, you can add a happy and welcome variety.

And don't waste time worrying about what other people think. Don't give away your power. I, too, wish I had done this sooner - before two knee replacements and a stroke. I call that negative back-talk "hampsters in my head". Do this for you, and let us know how it goes.

The thing is to realize this is not a "quick fix", it is a lifelong endeavor. If you read the posts on this site, you will read of many people regaining weight after the surgery. You WILL lose weight after the surgery, but you WILL have to work to keep it off. Not so easy. It is a very valuable tool you either use or ignore. And it IS permanent. But for me, it was a lifesaver. No regrets here. Take some time, read HUNDREDS of the posts so you know what is coming, the good, the bad, and the DOWNRIGHT ugly! It's all there! Good luck to you.

I don't think it's crazy to have the WLS after losing 170 pound on your own. Seems like you still have a ways to go and plus, you are looking ahead to the HARDEST part, which is maintenance. WLS is an excellent tool if you have the right mindset and if you've been able to lose 170 on your own, it really seems like you are willing to work hard and stick to the plan, so you should be able to be very successful with WLS. You need to make the right decision for YOU. Hopefully your family will come around eventually, but you can't let their reservations deter you from making your own decision.

You have been very successful on your own, so congrats. That's awesome. I assume your surgeon knows that you lost so much weight already. If that is the case and he still approved you for surgery, then I see no problem in having it. A lot of people think that surgery is just an easy way out or a quick fix, but its a lot of work. At the end of the day, its just a tool. You still have to use it.

I would ask yourself why you want the surgery and why you are doing it now. If you can honestly answer those questions, go for the surgery.

Don't let anyone else get in your head. If this is what YOU want, do it. You are worth it.