Has anyone had second thoughts about surgery after experiencing successful weight loss during the nutritional counseling phase. Two and a half months of following my nutritionist recommendations for diet and exercise I am down 18 lbs. Even though I know I have lost only to gain it back, I am having thoughts that I can do this without surgery

YES!! I am scheduled for surgery on Thursday, May 26, and am on day 10 of my 2 week pre-op, full liquid diet. I have lost 30 pounds since my initial weigh-in in January, and that includes a couple of weeks of full-out eat/drink whatever I want (with a 5 pound gain). While I know I can't do the liquids-only thing forever, I am pretty sure that I could do shakes for Breakfast and lunch, with a moderate dinner. I've also gotten back to regular exercise, something I was never very good about. In my nutrition appointments, my NUT anticipated that with the surgery, I would lose about 80lbs of the 110lbs that I am overweight- but I am already 30 pounds closer. SO… should I just try to stick it out through the summer and NOT have the surgery? What if this is the weight loss journey that works? Will I be able to stick to my diet and keep it off? I will be 60 this summer, so I am not looking for skinny-mini. I am hoping to weigh under 200 pounds and maintain that for however long I have. It's a dilemma...

Just remember that only 5% of morbidly obese people who lose weight on their own keep it off. If you can do it without surgery - more power to you! I believe many have the same thoughts.

Just remember that only 5% of morbidly obese people who lose weight on their own keep it off. If you can do it without surgery - more power to you! I believe many have the same thoughts.

I know… and that's the dilemma. I know the sleeve isn't magic; it simply forces you to eat minimal calories at each meal. If I am eating smartly and exercising, how is that different from having the sleeve? I don't know- maybe I am just delusional from hunger at the moment, LOL, but I am less sure now about having surgery than I've ever been. Is this common?

@@leebick The restriction helps to reduce how much you eat and the removal of most of the Ghrelin hormone helps so that you're not hungry. You still have to change your eating habits and get head hunger or emotional eating under control yourself. I don't think it's realistic to think you can go a lifetime of drinking only meal replacement shakes for 2 meals...but that's me. I know I've seen a few people back out of surgery for the same reason and a few that regretted it. It's common to have cold feet. Do you have a counselor at your Bariatric Program you could talk it out with? I don't know how sustainable the pre-op diet is long-term.

I know… and that's the dilemma. I know the sleeve isn't magic; it simply forces you to eat minimal calories at each meal. If I am eating smartly and exercising, how is that different from having the sleeve? I don't know- maybe I am just delusional from hunger at the moment, LOL, but I am less sure now about having surgery than I've ever been. Is this common?

It is completely different with the sleeve. This has been the easiest way ever to lose weight. You will be able to eat a lot less without struggling. If you have had a problem in the past with keeping weight off, this is the way to go.

Edited May 21, 201610 yr by PayItForward

Your odds aren't good of being successful with weight loss through diet and exercise alone.

And they're actually more like 2% odds of keeping it off.

And yes, of course, it's all up to you.

So knowing yourself as only you do -- how's diet / exercise worked for you before?

@@walkermy I can relate to what you have said. I also have lost weight at various times but it was didn't keep it off long term. I had band and lost weight - kept almost 80% off but had complications. My surgery for sleeve is 5/25 and I have lost 16 pounds so far on my pre-surgery diet. I flirt with idea of not taking drastic step of another WLS. For me - the sleeve will not only help me lose the weight but most of all keep it off. Good luck with your decision.

Yes, it is common to think "maybe I can do this" without WLS. I dropped 13 pounds on my 10 day liquid diet. My thinking turned as yours has. Then I remembered all of those MANY times I lost chunks of weight on Weight Watchers, Atkins, Slimfast shakes, Diet Center, Nutrisystem and fasting to only gain it back plus more! I checked into the hospital 2/9/16 and had the VSG wihout hiesitation or regret. You know yourself the best and what will work for you. Best wishes on whatever route you choose.

I lost 110 lbs during my 7-month process to get the sleeve (had to have 6 months with monthly meetings with a nutritionist). I very nearly canceled my surgery. Here's why I didn't:

- The chance of losing a significant amount of weight and KEEPING it off is really low. Within 5 years something like 95-98% of people who lost weight gained it back, usually with some extra on top. Even if I lost all the weight I needed to using diet/exercise, I have never maintained a loss. My sleeve is the tool that will help me do that.

- My years of overeating had really messed up my stomach. My portions of food were still too big. I completely overhauled my diet and started eating low-carb, high Protein. However, I still ate quite a lot. I would just fill up on salad or veggies, usually at least 3 normal-sized servings. If I tried smaller portions, the hunger got overwhelming and I would end up cheating.

I just didn't want to take the chance. Yeah, I MIGHT be able to do this without surgery, but with surgery my chances are much, much better. I NEVER want to be 400 lbs again. Also, both my surgeon and my nutritionist said that my loss prior to surgery is a really good sign that the sleeve will work wonderfully for me, especially over the long term.

I am 3 weeks post-op. I too though the same thing back in 2007 when I first wanted to do the lapband. I had to lose 10% of my worthy before surgery. Started the diet lost 44lbs and thought why do the surgery, I got this. 7 years later and several diets, thousands of dollars on trainers and all I do is yo-yo diet, why because I get hungry, stay hungry and over eat. I lose 60 to gain 50 back, lose 50 gain 40 I finally said enough is enough. I finally bit the bullet. Regret, none. Do I have bad days yes but nothing like before when I used to over eat and hated myself. Now my bad day is, I'm thirsty and can't get enough fluids in lol. The best part about the sleeve is I am no longer hungry. That is the best part. My family can sit and eat one of my favorite meal. I just drink a Protein drink or bottled Water and I'm good. I don't crave any more either. So it is definitely a good tool for those that fall off the wagon a lot. Good luck to u!

Sent from my iPhone

Just remember that only 5% of morbidly obese people who lose weight on their own keep it off. If you can do it without surgery - more power to you! I believe many have the same thoughts.

I know… and that's the dilemma. I know the sleeve isn't magic; it simply forces you to eat minimal calories at each meal. If I am eating smartly and exercising, how is that different from having the sleeve? I don't know- maybe I am just delusional from hunger at the moment, LOL, but I am less sure now about having surgery than I've ever been. Is this common?

Here's the magic. It is not so much as it forces you to eat less(it does that) it makes you not WANT to. So you're not running around hangry. Hopefully you learn better food workout habits so when your capacity increases you can maintain the loss.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The difference with the sleeve is after you are healed, eating less is effortless compared to dieting before surgery.

Sure people eat around their sleeves. You have to purposely try to do that, it doesn't happen by accident it is a choice.

WLS isn't the easy way out. It is still hard work, but having the sleeve as your tool makes it a lot easier.

The ability to eat very little and not feel like you are starving is something you can only understand once you have experienced it.

I cancelled surgery 5 years ago. I had lost weight in the pre-3 month phase and more at a strenuous job. I was afraid of surgery for various reasons. I did keep that weight off for about a year and a half. Then I gained it back, plus more, then lost it, then plateaued, then had a devastating break-up where I lost 40 pounds in four months. Got bone spurs from anger/crying hiking..another year and a half passed and this school year, I gained even a bit more and have 'life styled and dieted' myself up a good 25 lbs larger than before (285), plus my knee, which has a old ACL surgery, has now worn-out to near bone-on-bone, plus another planned ACL surgery. The weight has certainly made my knee far worse, far faster, so for the knee issues alone, I wish I'd done it 5 years ago.

Sound familiar?

My old insurance covered most of it, my current insurance has such poor coverage that I am essentially self-pay. I wanted to have surgery this summer, but my Dad (who is 50% loan/50% gifting me the money) is requiring a 3 month diet/exercise/supplement program for the money. So, I am looking at Thanksgiving..

Yes, I go round and round with the whole, if I can lose weight on my own, why surgery or if I can't keep it off, why bother with surgery.

But, I was here 5 years ago and did not succeed.

My two cents.

Thanks for all the comments and support. I'm going forward as planned.

Thanks for all the comments and support. I'm going forward as planned.

Yeah, me too. I think I had momentary brain fog from my pre-op diet!