My surgery is scheduled for March 28th. I am on day 5 of the 14 day optifast with 5 drinks and 1 shake a day. The more I think about the surgery the more I second guess my decision of doing this. I just keep thinking about how it's permanent. Losing weight comes fairly easy to me but then when I get to my goal weight I end up gaining it all back and then some. My main question is has anyone else had second thoughts and what did you do?

Honestly, I did not have second thoughts. I think it was because I was self pay and I saved for almost year for the surgery. Because of such I already knew what I wanted and had to work hard to get it. I think people who do insurance may have more of a struggle with it. What I can suggest is to really make sure you are in the right place mentally speaking. I think for most of us weight loss is easy but that keeping it off is nearly impossible. So once you accept that truth, that yes, you can lose the weight on your own but likely will not be able to keep it off then you may determine that surgery is best for you. Now, the surgery won't prevent weight gain but it will help slow it down if you do mess up or get off track because you won't be able to eat the same quantities as before. But as I mentioned, get into the right mental state as I personally feel many of the people who fail do so because they jumped into the surgery without truly being prepared for it.

I'm 8 months out. The preoperative diet is the worst part. Not eating after surgery is easy, almost too easy. In the beginning you have to really work hard to eat enough and meet your goals.

While it is a permanent thing. Barely eating really isn't. You will have a variety of options of things to eat, eventually you will be able to eat more.

I feel completely normal. I just eat less. That's about it. I make better choices but I don't feel deprived.

I didn't have 2nd thoughts, once I decided that I was going to this I worked really hard to make it happen as fast as possible. I went from visit to surgery in less than 8 weeks. I think people with a lot of lead of have too much time to over think it.

My surgery is scheduled for March 28th. I am on day 5 of the 14 day Optifast with 5 drinks and 1 shake a day. The more I think about the surgery the more I second guess my decision of doing this. I just keep thinking about how it's permanent. Losing weight comes fairly easy to me but then when I get to my goal weight I end up gaining it all back and then some. My main question is has anyone else had second thoughts and what did you do?

I am so happy to read this! I have been having serious doubts the last two days and was going to post something this morning. I am scared about regretting this, but it's more about what I think I will be missing.

I have surgery on the 28th too and am on the 2-week Optifast diet as well. So far, I have lost 7.4 pounds since I started the Optifast this Monday and that blows me away. But, as the day gets closer, the more worried I am. I love having wine with meals. I enjoy cooking for my family. And, I am worried that I will miss these little things (the things that have probably made me overweight too!). I am having second thoughts about the surgery, but I assume that this is also normal too. In a way, I feel like I am grieving if that makes any sense.

I keep holding on to the fact that I have lost weight already, and this is a permanent solution to get off the yo-yo dieting and gaining that I have been on for 20 years. On Monday, when I started Optifast, it occurred to me that my pants were the tightest they would ever be, and that was wonderful.

I wish you the best. There is a reason we chose to go through all of the appointments, testing, counseling, and clearances. There is logic behind our decision to change our lives; this is just a fear we can work through. We deserve to feel good about ourselves again.

Just remember this is not a magical fix. You have to stay committed to diet and exercise or you will gain your weight back. This surgery just speeds up the process. You still have to change your lifestyle! Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App