Hello everyone. I'm writing to ask for much needed help and advice. I'm a 41 year old female with 4 boys. I weigh about 202 pounds and I'm 5'5" which puts me at a BMI of just over 33. My story is sadly what most of you have been through--- dieted all my life, tried every type of diet--extreme diets, fad diets, you name it. I've been on phentermine for appetite control on the highest dose for more than 10 years, since a few months after I had my youngest son, it has no effect anymore but I'm terrified to stop taking it for fear of gaining even more weight. I've been to numerous weight loss doctors who have prescribed different prescription pills and not one of them was able to get me to a weight I could maintain for very long. I even went so far as to get a new procedure done called the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty where they suture your stomach going in through the mouth without any incisions. It was an outpatient procedure, I was home the same day and I really thought this was the answer to my weight problem. It was the only procedure I qualified for because my BMI was too low for any invasive WLS and I don't have any comorbidities. Sadly, it has been three months now and I have only lost a mere 10 pounds total. I'm soooo depressed and angry with myself for spending so much $, ($10,000 to be exact-- self pay) for a procedure that only produced minimal weight loss. What is wrong with me? Why can't I lose this damn weight? I exercise 4-5 a week for over an hour each time, sometimes I do intense cardio and sometimes I take an intense gym class. Of course my eating habits could be better but I've gone through weeks of extreme dieting to only lose 5-10 pounds after killing myself. My attitude after another failed diet is always, why suffer when I never get results. My normal eating pattern is not horrible as I don't eat pasta, bread, rice, or sugar (I limit myself to only 30 grams of carbs a day). I have a green smoothie for breakfast everyday, a salad for lunch, and a sensible dinner without carbs. This wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't care about my appearance. I hate the way I look. I'm avoiding social outings because I believe I'm so hideous. I'm depressed and although I know my issues run deeper than my weight, I believe that a big part of my depression is my weight. I want a solution to this, once and for all which is what led me to this forum.

I have been researching getting a gastric sleeve done in Mexico and I think that I have finally decided on the right surgeon--- Dr. Ponce de Leon. He has agreed to perform it on me despite my previous endoscopic sleeve AND he believes he can do a single incision gastric sleeve as well which would be the best I could ask for. For those of you who are still kind enough to keep reading my long drawn out post, can you please help me to answer these questions:

1-- If you have used Dr. Ponce in Tijuana, Mexico please tell me about your experience with him. Is he as good as the reviews make him out to be? Is the fact that he doesn't speak English a big negative or does the translator suffice?

2- Is having gastric sleeve the answer to my weight problems? If there are any out there with a similar BMI and have had this WLS, what were your results?

3- Am I crazy to go to Mexico for this? I can't find a surgeon here who will touch me and I'm tired of false promises and wasting thousands without any meaningful weight loss. But is Mexico the way to go?

4- How do I convince my husband that this is the way to go? He thinks I don't need it and that Mexico is too risky and dangerous.

I would really like a candid and honest opinion from those who have had the experience. I'm scared of going and not achieving any meaningful weight loss yet again. This is my final hope as I think a bypass is too extreme and I'm not ready to reroute my organs, I am ready though to have a big chunk of one removed, lol. This may sound weird but I'm not afraid of the actual surgery and the pain and the "dangerous" Mexico scenario but I am terrified of failing once again.

Any help would be a godsend. Wishing those who have had the bravery and courage to do this, a continued successful journey!

That is of course great advice and I would agree but unfortunately I have pretty much exhausted all the other alternatives. I have taken saxenda before for about three to four months. It was incredibly expensive and I did not lose weight on it. I have tried every FDA approved weight loss drug out there—Qysmia, belviq, and phentermine. This leads me to my next response about the nutritionist— that is where I got the prescription to try these meds out. I have gone to various nutritionists and still see one every four weeks. Unfortunately, although I really do appreciate your help and advice, I’ve tried most nonsurgical methods and I’ve had limited if not no success. I totally see your point that I should definitely try to exhaust all options before turning to surgery—you make complete sense but I really have tried almost everything. At this point I need to see some initial weight loss to keep me motivated to keep on the plan. With every failed attempt I gain more and more and I have to put a stop to this. It really is affecting all aspects of my everyday life.
Thank you though for caring enough to post. It’s been a long, hard, and painful road that has led me to this. I did not come to this decision easily or by any means without years of trying and failing over and over again.

My bmi is 33. Weight 203. 5'6. I'm in the same boat you're in. Tried everything. Really need to get this 40 lb off. I feel I've made the right decision by having the sleeve. Will be doing it late May. YOU DO WHAT YOU FEEL IS BEST FOR YOU

Sent from my SM-J727V using BariatricPal mobile app

Have you worked with a Nutritionist re your diet? I'm scheduled for a Sleeve on 10/1/19. I, too have tried everything without success. However, I have to admit, my first 3 visits with a Nutritionist was eye opening. I'm Vegan and while you might think that veganism is a very healthy "plant based" option, I was surprised at just how wrong you can go eating vegan! I now think differently about my food choices. Still eat vegan, just some major adjustments to my shopping list in regards to my selections. Yes, I still see her even though we are at odds re my upcoming surgery.

I feel I am really ready for my surgery now. I have lost some weight, however, I have other issues at play that tend to make weight loss/gain difficult. Good luck on your quest.

On 4/22/2019 at 8:04 PM, nssmia said:

My bmi is 33. Weight 203. 5'6. I'm in the same boat you're in. Tried everything. Really need to get this 40 lb off. I feel I've made the right decision by having the sleeve. Will be doing it late May. YOU DO WHAT YOU FEEL IS BEST FOR YOU

Sent from my SM-J727V using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you for that encouragement. It is now almost one year since I’ve had my sleeve done and I can happily say it was the right decision for me. I started at 205 pounds the day of surgery (lost 7 pounds during the preop diet) and I’m now 165 pounds (only 10 pounds away from goal). That may not seem like a big weight loss but I’ve maintained it for like 6 months so far. I feel great, confident, and like I have my life back.

With all the adverse side effects of prescription weight loss meds, I’m really surprised a nutritionist would advocate for a client to use them.

My nutritionist never discussed them. She recommends all natural, vitamins and minerals no artificial ingredients. Don't know why a nutritionist would do that

You wonder at that, I wonder why a gastroenterologist would offer only a balloon to a 51 BMI as a bariatric solution? Was it just that he could do that here instead of travelling 50 miles to Columbus? Always felt in my ❤ I wanted and needed a RNY with the degree of GERD I had doubted a balloon would have bl8cked off reflux enough.

read this study on bariatric surgery performed on lower BMI patients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5803286/

opinions and anecdotes are good to form a support system but look to research to be fully informed re: low bmi barbaric surgery.