Hello

I have struggled with weight my entire life. It seems like every year I creep up and up. I'm about 5 ft. 7inches and about 220 lbs. My size 20/22 jeans have recently started getting tight and those were my jeans that were always going to be my 'loose' genes.

I am very knowledgeable about nutrition/exercise and I try over and over to take the weight off but it always comes back and worse. It makes me feel terrible about myself on a daily/hourly basis.

I know that my weight is just at the cut off for the surgery and I wonder about any of your thoughts of having the surgery if you are right at the cut off for bmi? I am guessing that I am at about a bmi of 34

Thank you for your thoughs

Sarah

The place I go, they call people in your situation "Low BMI Cases". They do exist. It depends on your insurance if they will cover weight loss surgery if your BMI is low. Like my insurance will only pay for surgery if your BMI is 40 or higher. You may end up having to pay out of pocket for your surgery but honestly it all depends on your insurance. Hope that helps!

I started with a BMI of 33, but had high BP, trouble with sleeping, snoring and some lower back pain forever! My cholesterol was also very high. Since surgery last Feb 07, I've only lost 45 lbs. but my cholesterol is down from 171 to 136 and my BP is lower as well. Still on meds though for both, but hoping to eliminate them or at least lower the doses. I'd say the hardest thing about being in the lower BMI group is that people think you should be able to get that extra 60-80 lbs. off all by yourself. Like you...I've carried it around for 35 years and it was driving me to anti-depressants!

I say go for it...as long as you're ready to have a new relationship with your most favorite foods...or say bye bye to them alltogether.

Good luck!

I barely made a BMI of 35. It was worth the extra 10 pounds to get there because my insurance would pay 7,000.00 (half) for the surgery. :huh2: I never had weight problems at all until after 2 children and my weight has just slowly been going up the last 10 years from there. :cool2:

I had the surgery 12/17/07 and had my first fill last week. I have lost 14 pounds so far. Most came off the couple of weeks right after surgery. I lost another 5 pounds over the next 4 weeks. I feel better after my first fill. I felt like I could eat 1/2 - 3/4 of what I used to but I definitely notice a difference after the first fill and not being able to eat near as much.

I'm so new in this experience myself that I don't have anything to reflect back for "experiences", but I have high cholesterol, trig. & high blood pressure and an old back injury. That is why my insurance easily agreed to pay for it with a BMI of 35. With these health risk & with a BMI of 35, I'm hoping to see improvement in these health areas so I don't have to take medication for a lifetime to control these things... Plus, being in a "normal, healthier" weight will be awesome! :tongue:

Do it do it DO IT!!!!

Its the best thing you'll ever do for yourself. I was in exactly that situation, fat is fat is fat no matter how much it is, BMI 35 or 45. You've still passed that statistical point of no return beyond which you're highly highly unlikely to lose the weight and keep it off.

But at a low BMI you're healthier and safer for surgery and you're much lighter and fitter and able to really throw yourself into some exercise. Contrary to popular belief about losing weight slowly when you dont have as much to lose, BMI 34 is plenty overweight but low BMIers often get great results becuase they havent descended so far into the mire of health problems and woes that obesity can cause and are able to pull themselves away from that brink pretty quickly.

Its common here, but I wish for the rest of the world it was seen as a sane, sensible, effective preventative measure for people who are obese, but not morbidly so.

thank you for all of your responses.

I talked to someone at my insurance and they said that they would pay for a BMI of 35 if there were other issues. My only co-morbid issue i have this is a result of my weight is chronic reflux which would count. The problem is that I would have to be on a doctor supervised diet for 6 months before hand. So I'm already starting below what they would pay for plus I'd have to go on a diet. Self pay is not really an option right now but maybe in the future. I went and pulled out my South Beach diet book and I think I will give that another try. That was the one 'diet' that worked well for me. The problem was that I went off it when I started trying to get pregnant. That was 6 stressful months and I gained the whole time and then of course put on a ton of weight during my actual pregnancy. If this doesn't work I will definitely revisit this surgery. I do wish they would lower the BMI that they would pay for. I would be healthy a good 60 pounds lighter and as one of you pointed out, that is no easy task for.

Ah well..

Sarah

Go For It. I Had A Bmi Of 34.5 And High Blood Pressure, Aching Joints, And Elevated Cholesterol. Jumped Thru All The Hoops And Was Approved In 1 Week By Bcbs (nevada). Let Them Tell You No, Don't Cut Yourself Short. I Am 44 Treid It All, Able To Lose Weight Just Can't Keep It Off. I Am Scheduled For Surgery 3/5 And I Am Never Gonna Look Back!!! Go Forth And Be Happy And Healthy!!girlie