QUESTION

[MzStockton 182]

I'm trying to decide if having the sleeve surgery the direction I want to go. I want to loose 100lbs but feel surgery shouldn't be an option to loose such an small amount. Not the number itself small because by far it isn't and I've been struggling for years to loose it, but I've noticed many that did was very obese and lost way over that amount. I guess my question is can your weight lost be controlled?

[Miss Mac 6,261]

Losing a hundred pounds is making all the difference for me. At 100 pounds overweight, I have already had a stroke and my spine was collapsing under the excess weight. I have 17 herniated discs and several neuropathies (including sciatica) because of it.

You have not filled in a profile yet, so I will guess that you are probably in your thirties and have not suffered painful or life-shortening consequences yet. Believe me, it will catch up with you sooner than later.

By the time I lost the first thirty pounds, I was already feeling the difference. I can't imagine now that I could tape eighty pounds of potatoes around my waist and go through my day like I used to. By the time I reach goal and lose the entire 100 pounds, I will have lost the equivalent of wearing a newborn colt for belt.

If you are on the fence and still want to try something else before committing to surgery, go to
http://www.marksdailyapple.com. It is a website that embraces much of what we are doing with our bariatric programs, but without the surgery. Here is what we have in common with Mark's Daily Apple and his program of primal low carb / high Protein eating and exercise that makes sense:

Drink Water until your eyeballs float.

Track your carbs, Protein, fluids, and calories for at least a month. Be honest with yourself, so that you can effectively get a true picture of what you are consuming. Count everything, including the sample from the deli or bakery at the supermarket to licking the spoon after cooking something.

Try to find a nutritional balance between 80-100 ounces of non-caloric fluids, 60-100 grams of quality protein (baked chicken breast is better than Slim Jim's Jerky sticks). Many of us in our pre-op nutritionist - supervised three to six month diet have a limit of around 1200 calories. It is do-able if you eat your protein first, and then non-starchy veggies, and limited fruit (I was allowed one serving a day).

Dessert is an apple, not Grandma's apple pie with two scoops of Bryer's ice cream.

Keep in mind that starches and sugars make you hungry for more starches and sugars, and you will never fill up. It's like when I could eat a whole big bag of potato chips by myself, but when it comes to boiled eggs, I can eat two and I'm done.

Do not eat anything made in a factory. That is where a lot of the damaging sugar, starches, oils, and salts come from that derail our best efforts. Shop the perimeter of the market where the produce, meat, and dairy is.

Don't become part of the sofa. One thing that Mark encourages is finding exercise that is fun and does not feel like exercise. I was surprised to find that I like boxing. Go figure! Nobody better try to kidnap me. I'll punch them in the throat and be glad to do it.

When I am doing housework, I turn the TV to the Classic Rock Work-out station and crank up the volume. When I do that, I have a lot more pep in my step and burn a lot of extra calories.

Whatever you decide to do, losing weight permanently will take committment on your part. Trying to keep with our pre-op regimine will give you an idea of how badly you want to succeed. I wish you good luck and good health.

[Casey235 83]

My goal was to lose 80-90 lbs, so I don't think the surgery is only for people who want to lose over 100... I've seen many success stories with people losing 100 or less! Good luck to you whatever you decide! I just know I could lose 20, maybe 40 with diet pills, but each time I gained back plus some! With the sleeve I believe I will be able to keep it off because it's a wonderful tool to help you eat less!!!

[Bluesea71 698]

Only on Bariatric Pal will those of us with "only" 100 pounds to lose be considered tiny. ???? 100 pounds is a lot of weight to lose. Period.

I started this journey with a BMI of 39 (238 /5'7") and thanks to the sleeve reached my goal weight of 150 before a year's time. Never in my life have I been able to lose weight so easily and for the first time in my life, I'm really not worried about gaining it back. Maintenance will take some effort, but it is SO much easier not being hungry all of the time! The good news is those if us starting out with a lower BMI have a greater chance of losing 100% of our excess weight post surgery (compared to the 65% average). Good luck with whatever you decide. It's the best decision I ever made. I know I was really worried what it would be like to live with this surgery. I can tell you now 14 months post-op I can't really tell I've had it except I get full after eating a small quantity of food. Otherwise I feel normal.

Edited May 17, 2015 by Bluesea71

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

100# is alot to lose and more importantly keep off.

[wannaBthinsoon 1,634]

This is a first for me....to see it put like that. "Only" a 100 pounds. as @@CowgirlJane says above, 100 pounds is alot. I should know. I was 100 pounds overweight myself. Now I'm "only" 99 pounds overweight.

[mae7365 372]

I had less than 70 pounds to lose, but my health issues made that 70 pounds destructive. I'm in my late 50's, so losing 70 pounds and keeping it off was extremely difficult. Now my health has improved 150%, I exercise (including running on a treadmill) and I feel fantastic. Surgery was a blessing for me.

[Bluesea71 698]

I'm trying to decide if having the sleeve surgery the direction I want to go. I want to loose 100lbs but feel surgery shouldn't be an option to loose such an small amount. Not the number itself small because by far it isn't and I've been struggling for years to loose it, but I've noticed many that did was very obese and lost way over that amount. I guess my question is can your weight lost be controlled?

Sorry - I wanted to address your specific question about whether the weight loss can be controlled. The answer is YES! Everyone's journey is different, but people typically lose a rapid amount of weight at first. This begins to slow down as the weeks go on. Those starting out at a lower BMI won't lose as much as someone at a higher BMI. For example, the first month I lost about 20 pounds, month two 9 pounds, and averaged 2-3 pounds per week for the first 6 months. At some point I was lucky if I lost 2-3 pounds per month and now I really am not losing much of anything as my body seems to have found a place where it's comfortable.

[judyoz 240]

Please excuse me but........ having to lose 100# is considered "very Obese". There are many who did/do not need to lose that much on this site. Best of luck with your decision.

[MzStockton 182]

Thanks for all the replies, but not to say 100lbs isn't a lot of wt to loose because it is but I was saying that's my goal to loose and wasn't sure if that was to low of an wt amount to loose for surgery. But after reading other posts I've noticed several with different goals and different amounts lost. Therefore it's making it a lot easier to make an decision, thanks.

[livvsmum 2,368]

My goal for weight loss was 150 which would have been 138 pounds lost. My dream goal was 125, which I just recently reached and passed (by just a pound, but I'll take it....lol). So that puts me at 154 pounds lost. If you stick to the plan you will lose what you need to lose. At a certain point your body kind of settles into where it should be. I'm not sure if that answers your question.

[Hetera 44]

I had my surgery this spring at age 54. Tried to lose weight for 40 years, only to fail and continued to gain more and more weight. I wish I had done this in my thirties, as I would have LOVED to have been thinner and healthier in my thirties, forties and early fifties.

If you decide not to have weight loss surgery, don't try to "diet". CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE! Being healthy isn't about dieting, it's about healthy habits, exercise and small portions (very small portions at first).

Edited May 18, 2015 by Hetera

[miller1109 116]

How do you stop losing weight is a legitimate question and concern as many others had no problem stopping the weight loss. I have. My first goal was to lose 80 pounds I am very tall and wanted to be 160. I am now at 133, so I have lost 142 pounds. I kept lowering my goal, and it is a daily struggle to not continue the mindset of losing the weight but trying to maintain where I am. quite happy with the results. But I have to say that quit losing weight has been much harder than I would have imagined. Don't get me wrong, I would do it all over again. As this is a small problem compared to being overweight. I am a size 4 now the smallest I have ever been in my adult life. And buying clothes is quite simply just awesome.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Only 100? That's a lot of weight on ANY size frame.

Yes, you can control your weight loss. As you get closer to your ideal body size, your weight loss will become (frustratingly at times) slow. When you get where you want to be, eat more to maintain. You will figure it out. The statistics of people who can't stop losing are low from what I've seen.

Keep this in mind, and it may not be relevant to you or your question. The biggest boon to WLS is not the initial loss of the weight, IMO. I've done that a dozen times. It's all in how much easier it is to keep it off.

[tlemieux220 138]

I'm trying to decide if having the sleeve surgery the direction I want to go. I want to loose 100lbs but feel surgery shouldn't be an option to loose such an small amount. Not the number itself small because by far it isn't and I've been struggling for years to loose it, but I've noticed many that did was very obese and lost way over that amount. I guess my question is can your weight lost be controlled?

I was a 100 lbs over weight when I got the sleeve, I wish I wouldn't have struggled so long to make the decision. I am down 32 lbs right now at my second stall but I am okay with that. I have never lost 32 lbs before and I feel amazing, especially when I can fit into clothes that my teens were, not that I want to be a teen, but knowing that I can is amazing in it self.

Only you can make this decision, but even if I had only 50 lbs to lose I would still do it again.