New... any advice???

Hello everyone, I'm a 30 yr old mom of 2. Been over weight my whole life. Tried WW and personal trainers..every diet under the sun. atkins,south beach, suger busters, Jenny  Craig and Weigh****cher.... I feel hopeless. I lose some but eventually I gain it all back plus some. I'm now at  270lb and I feel stupid cause I can't figure it out. I've tried all those diet pills and powders. My  Dr. told me diet and excersise....It just isn't working for me. My feet and back hurt all the time. I do Aqua aerobic 2 times a week but it really doesn't do anything in the weight loss dept. 

So as I pledged to make the next 10 yrs of my life better then the last, I am looking into weight loss surgery. Just starting(thinking I may need a new Dr. too) any suggestions? I've printed off the form for a dr. to fill out. I live out side of Edmonton about an hour.  I have high bad cholesterol and I'm sure I will soon be a diabetic( it runs in the family...(Dad and uncles all have it) so whats the next step......see a bunch of Dr.s until I get a refferral? what if no one will..I live in a small town with only a number of Dr's. I am not looking for a quick fix... I'm looking for a healthy life that fits me and my needs.  Any help is really great.

Thanks

Don't beat yourself up over failed weight loss attempt, we have all been there with you and none of us are stupid.  Diets don't work for everyone! 
In Alberta getting the referal to see a surgeon isn't so much the issue as is the time it takes to actually see one.  You doc may refer you to one but then it gets deflected to the Weight clinics and then they determine where to go from there.  All in all you are looking at a very long process  I personally am looking to go to Mexico to have VSG.  I have no desire to jump through hoops and to wait for my health to deteriorate on some waiting list.  Paying myself is hard, but I think I'm worth it. .   OH is a great place to find info and inspritation, check out the various forums and see where they lead you! 
Good luck with your journey, remember you are worth it and you can do it!

Thanks Kim, those words mean alot to me.  I wish I could afford to go out of country but we r in the middle of a bankrupsty so I don't have anyother otpions but to get started and wait my turn I guess.

Sorry to hear that things are hard for you right now.  While you are waiting in line here in Alberta there are a few things you can do to move things along.  The most important is to be your own advocate and to fight to get the docs to listen.  Put alot of emphasis on your family health history and all that you have done to lose the weight without surgery.  Push, push, push and don't take no for an answer.  Fight to get the province to pick up the tab elsewhere if they can't get it done here, you never know, they might do it.   You would be amazed how much faster things can get done if you become the squeaky wheel!  (my mother in-law could offer classes LOL!)  I don't have any weight related health issues so far and I'm adopted so no family history to work with, thus the reason I'm not fighting here.  But you can do it!  Fight for the right to be skinny!!! 

Welcome to the AB board--we have all tried a million diets...and failed. Diets are meant to fail us. It is a huge industry.
You said:
and I feel stupid cause I can't figure it out.
It is a lifetime of learning...please don't be so hard on yourself. You are taking the right steps by investigating and starting your journey again. I have had a great experience at the weight wise clinic...even though the wait is forever. I have learned a lot along the way and finally get some of the missing pieces.

I love your new pledge...it is a new day and the next 10 years are going to be great for you. Take control...and don't do anything you cannot maintain for life...small changes are best.

On this forum I have posted a few links to the weight wise clinic and the forms...don't wait get the form in right away...then start thinking about the rest. You will have at least a year to wait. I live in a small town and I decided to go to a walk in clinic in Edmonton (anonymous). I will tell my doc...eventually, just not ready yet. The rumor mill is heavy in a small town. Make sure you call a few weeks after the referral to confirm they got it (my walk in doc didn't send it for 3 months).

You know what helped me a lot while I was waiting was tracking my intake...then going to a dietitian in my community. She pointed out some amazing things...that I was missing and it has helped (even though I didn't think they were good ideas at the time). Just when I thought I know it all...I found out that I don't, and I am -20 just by using her suggestions. My  first goal was to stop gaining...did that...then lose 1 pound...did that....and so somehow I am now feeling much better.


As suggested check out some of the surgery forums such as Sleeve, rny, lapband so you know the good bad and ugly. Before posting a question lurk a bit and go back several pages. Any questions you have have most likely been answered by another user.

By hanging out on a site it doesn't mean you have to have surgery...it is just about becoming aware and finding a support group.
There are 2 other places to try...red deer and medicine hat, but if travel is a problem you may want to stay local. The other thing I like about the Edm clinic is it is a holistic approach to fit your needs...need a dietitian...ok, psychologist, nurse, social worker...they have it all. If you are on meds...they try to sort those out for you also to make sure that your weight gain is not related to something else. It is not a fast process...but neither is the reasons that you have gained weight. I am in the process now and find it busy...tracking diet and exercise, appointments, etc. I do remember starting the process and feeling like it would be forever. I think it is like childbirth, you forget the pain and waiting when you arrive at the goal. Here is the bad news...your doc is right it is diet and exercise...however you may (or may not) need some extra help.

Best wishes to you...you have all of our support, keep us posted.



 

Check out my profile! I just had RNY surgery on March 16th and I've already lost near to 40 lbs ( 15 before surgery) And just like you and most of us on here we come from the same struggles with weight and WLS is the final line in the sand so to speak.

That being said you need to be really really honest with yourself ..to say that "you got to 270 and you feel like you can't figure it out" needs to be investigated. WE all are over weight for a reason, and many of us for more than one. Mine started with low self-worth ( eating for emotional reasons) then compounded with medication side-effects ( ashtma medication stimulated hunger feelings) and injury -knee issues at age 12 to age 20 ( lead to a seditary lifestyle) all equaling to 130 lbs over weight. Being able to put meaning behind the weight helps us over come and deal with our issues.

And like the others mention, be prepared for long wait times, having to jump through hurdles, kissing ass, making noise to be approved and all that. My story is different that I didn't go to a weight clinic in the cities. I have a regular doctor that I've had for over 10 years and every yearly phsysical she has asked me to try and try to lose weight and we have tried everything and finally she refered me to Dr. Carl Nohr in Medicine Hat in 2004 and 5 years later I got my RNY but with out doing anything special ..no programs....no weigh ins...no seminars..Just a long long long wait.

So, read, read and read, research and research and try all avenues to get someone to hear you. If that means going to every doctor in your home town and then some then do it. Maybe you have to contact the surgeons direclty by form of letter stating your own sob story.

But don't ever give up! Good Luck and I'll move over for ya on that losers bench.