So, is it worth it?

I'm so glad to hear these inspiring stories. No, I don't expect this to do all the work for me. However, I was wondering what benefits people saw from getting the surgery other than the initial weight loss. I mean, there is little incentive to have spend thousands of dollars for a surgical procedure if three years later you are struggling in exactly the same way you did before the surgery!

I have been obese all my life. Always. I don't recall a time when my weight wasn't the main issue in my life. I have had little issue with losing weight, but it never stays off because the hunger always comes back...bad habits, head hunger, and actual hunger. I have PCOS, have had heart failure due to the birth of one of my babies that was unrelated to my weight...but still, I am maintained on medications and I need to finally get this weight off to make things easier. My weight only goes up each year...and I am reaching an all-time high. I diet a little while, but lose heart and easily fall back to old habits. I simply get hungry and get tired of feeling miserable and sick at my stomach. So I eat, but always too much.

It sounds like even when you gain some of the weight back, it's nothing like it was previously unless you are eating slider foods and really working around the sleeve. So there is a long term benefit from what you all are saying.

I think, since it will be awhile before I can afford the surgery, I will work on learning what my triggers are, and what causes my head hunger. I was watching Dr. Phil the other day, and he was talking to a man who had gastric bypass. He said that some of the emotional problems the man was having since he'd lost weight were because he had used food all his life to make himself feel better and never dealt with the real issues behind it. Food let him mask it. Without the food to cover things over, a lot of emotional and psych issues were coming out that he was shocked about having uncovered. That's what I think I should do to prepare...figure out what food has been covering up for me. What has the pay off been? Maybe then it will cut back on my head hunger after I have the surgery if I deal with some of the issues right now.

That's the plan!

sounds like a plan!!   I had to wait 8 months from the time i decided to have surgery until i was able to do so (travel scheduled and had to fight insurance co).  I decided that during that time I could at least start on a few better habits to prepare myself.  so i didn't go on any big diet but I did start walking,  avoided french fries and tried not to eat sweets late at night (healthy stuff like skim milk or fruit is ok).   just some very small preparatory things.  i lost 17 lbs in that 8 months which was good for surgery.   you might keep a journal of eating habits and triggers to see what you can learn.  there is a good book "Diets Don't Work"   about a better approach to eating that you might read.  gl  diane

I've had my ups and downs, but from the day of surgery I've not regretted a moment even five weeks out.  It was vastly easier post-surgery than pre-surgery.  It's a huge physical and psychological shift.  No hunger is amazing.  I still have constant "hunger," but is definitely head hunger only.  I no longer have the insane drive to constantly consume with my stomach gnawing on itself. 

As for weighing and measuring, the weighing and measuring is more vital especially since you cannot feel restriction for a while.  So, you literally have to do it, whereas before it was "optional."  

You can definitely, absolutely, lose weight without surgery.  For me, the psychological and hormonal benefits have been invaluable, even just going on six weeks out.  I feel 100x better since June 22nd.  I was dubious myself, and the results have honestly shocked me.

I am 10 months out and down 115lbs. I would do this all over again if I could right now. I have never been happier. The VSG is a tool to get you on track. You have to want to do it. I wanted the VSG because it does not allow you to cheat! You go back on that diet you tried so many times before but now it is satisfying because those small portions of good food are all you can eat. Don't eat junk food. Eat Lots of protein. Drink tons and tons of water. Enjoy life. But remember you will only get out of this all that you put it. Don't expect this to just be the miracle surgery. IT is a tool to ensure success. Good luck!

I am only 7 month po so, I'm still in the honeymoon period I suppose, but I would say yes it's worth it. My insurane covered it, so I didn't have the huge cash outlay as those who are paying, so that was easier for me, but I had never had surgery before so it was really scary for me. Ontop of that, I didn't have any health issues other than being morbidly obese, so I struggled with feeling it was a cosmetic issue for me. BUt I was WRONG! I have reached my surgeons goal of 60% EWL and am now working toward my own goal which is yet to be determined. The wieght is crawling off now, I go weeks with no loss, then lose a pound or two,so it's getting harder. Before surgery, there was no way I could eat 900 Calories a day and feel ok. I would be so hungry I would binge then have to start over. Now if I eat right , 900 calories are ok, I can see how easily the calories add up, so I am always aware of what I am eating, no more mindless munching . I've lost the horrible cravings for sweets and pastries, hopefully for good.

I was just getting ready to post about my weekend on here and how grateful I am toh ave had this surgery. I went to the water park Friday with my boys and stayed 7 hours in the heat, stood in the lines, rode the slides WITH THEM, was in lazy river with them, so much fun for us both. Before I would have been tired 2 hours in and ready to go. This is one of the main reasons I had the surgery, I wanted to do things with my kids versus watching them from the sidelines, and I AM! So far, I have ridden the bike trail in VA (17 miles), waterpark, hiking and hopefully we will go whitewater rafting before summer is over. So yes, for me it has been worth it!

On August 1, 2015 at 10:54 PM Pacific Time, LadyCara wrote:

Firstly, I am NOT trying to be a brat with this post. I am looking for honest answers to help me along with my choices. I am reading about how hard it is to keep weight off after 6 months-1 year. If you are having to fight to keep the weight off, weight everything, measure everything, catalog everything, how is this different than what you would have had to do BEFORE surgery? In other words, was it worth having an expensive surgery with possibly complications if you are still having to do the same things post surgery you were doing pre surgery to lose weight? What has changed? How has the gastric sleeve helped you? Does it make the struggle somewhat easier than pre-surgery? I mean before I shell out thousands of dollars and get cut on, I need to know what the benefits of this tool will be. I know it will be work and I'm up for that...but how does the VSG help you in that process?

 

Thanks!

the difference is,after the sleeve,the efforts to watch what I ate, and stay on plan PAID OFF. The effort never paid off before surgery so why bother to continue? My efforts paying off made the difference for me. And my efforts paid off BECAUSE of the surgery.

I'm nearly five years out.  Was it worth it?  Ho, yes!  As others have said, I no longer weigh and measure or log my food, but I do watch what I eat.  Some people do continue to weigh, measure, and log, and others do it every so often, if weight creeps up a bit.  Depends on your comfort level with how to maintain, which I believe is the harder phase of this whole experience.  But even if you do those "diet-y" things for the rest of your life, you'll be doing them as a thin person - to maintain your loss as opposed to struggling to lose the weight in the first place.  A seriously minor price to pay for life as a normal-sized person who fits in everywhere and can do just about anything.

As someone else said, the main gift of VSG for me was the ability to lose the weight.  After several major periods of weight loss through my life, followed by gain, I had finally reached the point in the last 15 years or so where I couldn't even lose the weight.  The VSG tool took care of that, and it continues to help in maintenance, along with appropriate choices about what I eat.  I have pretty much eliminated sugar, grains, and starches from my life, what I call "paleo-with-dairy."  Works for me, keeps me happy and satisfied.

I have experienced bounceback due to increased capacity, which most people do.  Would I like to be back in the 135-137 range? You betcha.  But I have to sit down with myself every once in a while and have a little come-to-Jesus talk about my life now vs. my life at 268 lbs.  I don't want to spend my time obsessing about getting back to 137; I want to spend my life living it.  :-) 

Good luck with your decision!

VSG removed my hunger. I eat because I need to eat not to satisfy hunger. It was worth everything. I love the lifestyle changes.

Don't let my post scare you, but I am one of the ones who never made it to goal after my surgery.   But I was diabetic pre surgery, and thought I could go off my metformin.   I am still borderline diabetic now, insulin resistant, so it's really hard for me to lose weight.    But I am still 100% pleased with my Sleeve.  I have recently gone back on the metformin, and it's helping me to slowly lose weight again.   I had a very easy surgery and recovery, I went to Mexico and self-paid.   After 4 yrs, I still have lots of restriction, and most importantly, I have no hunger at all(due to the hunger hormone being removed with the sleeve).   I have to remind myself to eat and only do so because I need to.   I am logging my meals into myfitnesspal again, and have recently lost 20 lbs pretty easy.   I have also started swimming, because I have back/hip issues that make it hard for me to get exercise in any other way, plus I love to swim.   So yes, there is work you have to put into it, and some of us have to log our food daily to keep things in check.   But it is so worth it, I still am proud of the weight I have lost, and I am actually much more mobile now with my back issue, and that is because of the weight I have lost.   I plan on getting to goal, no matter how slow it takes me.   Being back on this board for support has helped me too.   It's very motivational and inspiring to see how well people are doing with their sleeve and how quickly some are making it to their goal afterwards.   I don't regret my sleeve at all, and I feel it has saved my life!   Just don't give up if you're weight loss slows or if you hit stalls, because that is all part of the journey!

I'll be 8 years out next week (yay me!). Yes, it's worth it--I've never been able to maintain a normal weight this long before. It's not magic and it doesn't give you a free pass to eat whatever you want, but it certainly is a powerful, long lasting tool. As others have said, it gives you a chance to reset, to get the weight off, to commit to changing your eating and exercise habits, to examining your emotional triggers, etc. I DO still live in fear that I will regain--I absolutely know that I could if I let myself fall into my old ways. And I think that is a very good thing--keeping my head in the game and being constantly mindful of my weight is part of my new strategy. The new habits I've formed ARE 2nd nature now, and I mostly don't even think about it. I only count calories, weigh/measure/log if I'm trying to take off a few pounds. My capacity is greater than it was when I was newly sleeved, but NOWHERE near what it was pre-surgery. My hunger has returned, too, but again, at a much more manageable level. I will say that if (when!) I do regain a few pounds, it IS very difficult at this point to get them back off, as difficult as it was pre surgery. That is probably partly because I am at a normal weight and also because of my age (61), so it is very important that I stay serious about maintaining. But, again, I AM maintaining, and I've never been able to do that before.

Hope that helps!

Lizanne