My BMI is lower than 40 but higher than 30. After yo-yo dieting all my life and menopause wreaking more havoc, I have decided to make a permanent change. I tried the gastric balloon and while initially successful, the weight returned. Change of life has meant even more weight gain. My sleeve is scheduled for 2/23. Looking for some similar life experiences for encouragement or lessons learned. Thanks in advance!

I had my surgery after menopause and had great success with it. I was VERY committed, though - I followed my program to a "T".

be aware that as a "light weight", your weight loss will likely be pretty slow. Many of us start off quite a bit heavier than you are, and generally, the heavier you are, the faster the weight will come off - at least at first. Just saying this because a lot of people expect to drop like 30 or 40 lbs the first month after surgery, which I think comes from watching shows like "My 600 lb Life". For most "normal" WLS patients, that's not a realistic expectation - and that goes doubly for you since you're much lighter than most of us are starting out. Not trying to discourage you - if you're committed, you'll lose the weight - but just don't get discouraged if you're not having the huge drops that you may see in other people.

good luck with it - I'm really glad I did it and would do it again in a heart beat!

Thanks so much. It’s important to have the right mindset and set expectations accordingly. Got it. :)

Just to add, as a fellow "lightweight" I was expecting slowish weightloss but was one of those who dropped big numbers very quickly. This gave me my own anxiety but this board & the advice of veterans put my mind at rest. Your body will do what it wants to

Good luck. I'm just over 3 months out now & it's the best thing I've done for myself in forever.