Confused!

My sleeve is scheduled for Sept 26. The surgeon requires a modified liquid diet four weeks pre operatively, which is 3-4 protein shakes plus a 4 oz lean protein and 1-2 cups of veggies. I started it a week ago. On the day of my first consultation with the bariatric center I was about 235 lbs. I am now 198 lbs. I have been watching what I eat and exercising regularly since my first visit a few months ago.

My cardiologist and GI doctor are not supportive of my going through with the procedure indicating that I have proved I can lose weight by proper diet and exercise. They think the risks outweigh the benefits in my BMI level.

As much as I was very eager to get approved and to ha evthe procedure, I am now having second thoughts. But it is now or never. I know it will ultimately be my decision but I thought I would get some guidance/opinions from you folks since you have been such a great resource for me for the past few months.

Thanks in advance.

I can't tell you medically or make the decision for you. But unless your GI doctor and cardiologist are bariatric trained, they should have less input than the surgeon. Most of us have lost weight through diet and exercise. I know I have lost and gained 50 lbs. multiple times. I had the surgery because I wanted a permanent solution and wanted to end the roller coaster. Only you know if you think you can get to goal without it or if you've done this before and you know it will come back on.

Studies and my own personal experience tell me that long term weight loss is not maintainable for most people without surgical intervention. I had my VSG in 2012 and a revision earlier this year. I would do it again if I needed to. I've struggled my entire life with weight, losing it and regaining it over and over. Surgery has been the only real "cure." My advice - since you asked? Don't doubt yourself. in your heart, you know the answer. It' s normal to feel nervous pre-surgery, but it will be worth it.

It's not uncommon for people to have doubts at this point.

So, here's the big question. You've lost weight on this pre-op diet, which is awesome. I'm sure you've lost weight on various diets before, right? Have you kept it off? If you'd been successful with dieting in the past, you wouldn't have pursued weight loss surgery. So it's great that two specialists think that you've "proven" something by what amounts to a short term fad diet, but if you had proven that, you wouldn't need WLS at this point in your life.

Focus on why you made this choice in the first place and keep your eyes on the "prize."

You don't say your current BMI or height - so its hard to determine if this is reasonable. However, your pre-op diet is barely 1000 calories a day, generally. Do you think you can keep that up to lose what you need to lose? Can you keep it off if you deviate from that diet?

The questions you have to look at (and I had some of the same doubts during that pre-op diet period) are - how much weight have I lost in the past and for how long was I able to keep it off? How many times did I re-gain all that I lost and then some?

You are the only one who can make that decision. I can tell you that Thursday night I put on two suits I had not worn in years -- the navy one was the one I was admitted to the bar in (1989) and the second was my jury selection suit (I have used it to select almost every jury I had picked in my first 100 trials) which was last worn in 1993 or 1994. The jackets on both are big. One of the skirts is a little snug, but I'm not at goal yet.

Only you can make that decision, but this was the best decision I made after deciding to marry my husband and have children.

My current weight is 198 lbs, height is 5'8" so BMI is about 30.1

When I saw the surgeon on my first visit I weighted about 235 lbs. He said he would consider the procedure a success if I get down to 180 lbs. I was hoping to lose more since I have had four (failed) back surgeries and this is the primary reason I am having the procedure done.

Your BMI to begin with was 35.7, and most surgeons won't even consider doing bariatric surgery unless you are BMI of 35 or higher with at least 2 comorbidities. I guess I'm wondering what motivated you to get surgery? You say failed back surgeries...how does that figure into having surgery? Have you been much heavier in the past? Have you lost and regained weight many times? Do you have comorbidities? I ask because it doesn't seem like you fit the requirements for WLS, at least on the surface of what little we know.