I am 24, obese, and afraid

I am a young 24 year old man who has struggled with my weight my whole life, but like alot of people I simply ignored it, I was always tall 6ft 5 in) so my being obese didn't really "show" as much as alot of people and even last year I was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension it didn't really get me thinking in any meaningful way. I was like "ok a pill will solve these Im fine with a pill" and that worked. This whole thing came crashing down today. Last night I drove to my apartment I am living in while I work as an engineering intern from my parents home. I was hungry so I stopped to eat...twice in one trip. At 9 last night I began to get heart palpitations and feeling odd. I took double doses of my pills and 4 asprins to calm my nerves so to speak. I was able to sleep but woke up feeling just as horrible and asked my roommate to drive me to the hospital to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack. I thankfully wasn't, but after seeing how obese I am (370 lb) and just how poor my overall cardiovascular health is I NEED to make a change. I don't want to die before I am 30. 

How did some of you start your weight loss journey, and any tips you could offer would be appreciated. I have tried times before but this just feels different. I need to get well and I want to first do some lifestyle changes before even looking at potentially going for a gastric sleeve procedure. 

Hi,

One of my best friends had had the surgery, so I talked to her a lot. Then there were 5 coworkers that I talked to who had the surgery. I watched their transformations. I asked them who, what, where, and then I visited the Bariatric Center and met the doctor at a Q and A seminar. When I met the dr. That was what convinced me to have surgery. 

Good Luck!!

I was 59.  I had a realization (well I had many actually) when I got the bills for the co-pays for the medications I was on only because I was fat!!!!!!  I remember saying "I've had enough of this sh&t, I'm doing something about it". 

Oh yeah, of course, I had been on many diets over the years and with some success.  But guess what?  Like others, I only gained it back.   And I knew I was a smart person and if I could have lost weight successfully on my own, I would have done it by now.

So I proceeded with fierce determination.

The process of getting the testing done, insurance approval, and scheduling surgery takes a while.  You can certainly start the process while you are researching.  A good therapist who can work with you on defining your current relationship with food is a really great start. 

So . . . . just how fiercely determined are YOU?

For severely overweight individuals that have failed to see results from diet and exercise alone, weight-loss surgery has become the safest and most effective means of achieving significant weight loss. In fact, studies have shown that with diet and exercise alone, nearly 95% of obese patients will gain all the lost weight back within 5 years.

It's a good & wise thing to look at lifestyle changes b4 considering wls cuz you pretty much can't go back once it's done., but think, would you want to?

After wls you have to adapt & change your lifestyle in order to make the surgery successful & more importantly you have to be ready for wls. If you're on the fence, do research, talk with other wls patients, go to seminars, & take a long hard look at yourself & figure out if you want to try diet & exercise alone, or if you want to try it with your "tool". That's what many of us call wls, it's a tool, because wls alone won't make or keep you successful.

You still have to do lifestyle changes, you still will need some type of support system, you might need some type of therapy to deal with the emotional/mental changes that you go thru., & tackle your relationship with food. It's really a multi faceted approach of which wls is just 1 part of.

Like people often say surgery works on your stomach, not your head. Good Luck in whatever decision you make.

January, 2005, I got a referral to an endocrinologist, who gave me two or three different names of bariatric surgeons, who had orientations, so I chose a bariatric surgeon who was a gastro-enterologist at Stanford University Med Center who had gone into private practice. While I waited I began eating a VERY low-or-no-carb diet, I had my first appointment with Dr. Vierra in March, 2005, then my surgery in June, 2005.

Never regretted taking my life in my own hands and taking the steps needed to making it happen.

You are a young man with your life ahead of you.  GO FOR IT.

You have come to a good place to start your process. I would start checking with your insurance company for what coverage you have. 

Best wishes to you. 

Hey kiljoy102,

First off I would like to applaud you in taking a first step and sharing your story. That is a tough thing to do and admit that you need help. I am a 23 year old woman who is going through the process of weight loss surgery. When I started this process, I weighed 320lbs in april. Now I weigh 278lbs. All I did was took my medication on time and consistantly. And then I started to get rid of all the unhealthy food in my house. If you live with someone else and need their support, just explain why you are doing all this and making these changes and hopefully they will understand and support you.

Then cut out soda. Start drinking lots of water and put crystal light or some sort of no calorie flavouring in it. Cutting out soda really does make a HUGE difference. Even try putting fruit in your water! It's not so bad :)

Then eat regular meals. That does mean BREAKFAST. It honestly is the most important meal of the day! Fruit, cereal, yogurt etc. Make sure you don't skip meals. Even if you don't have a lot of time, eat a snack or something quick and healthy to fill you.

Changing your lifestyle consists of two important things; time and money. Eating healthy is not the most cheapest, but it is definitely worth it :) And you do have to have the time to prep meals or snacks so you don't feel the need to stop at a fast food restaurant.

If you want to ever message me and talk, I'll always respond. I know what it feels like to feel scared and alone in this process, so I would love to hear back from you! Take care!

KellyAnnah

After the dieting-gaining cycle became unproductive for long term weight loss, my PCP finally pushed me to consider WLS.  He referred me to a surgical center.  

The first thing you should do is confirm if your insurance covers bariatric surgery.  Many plans purposely exclude it, so it's best to know from the beginning if you'll have some coverage or if you'll be self-pay.  Many insurance companies have waiting periods in which you have to show attempts to lose weight before you will get approved.  Mine was six months.  

If you can start to eliminate or reduce the amount of starchy carbs you're eating, you'll probably notice some fast weight loss now.  I don't know how active you are - you're 24 - but starting to increase your daily activity is a good idea.  Even short bursts of walking helps your body to move.  Trust me.  I started at 449 lbs and could barely walk to my car without huffing and puffing.  Start slowly and gradually increase what you can do.

Cut out all sodas containing sugar.  They are empty calories and increase your cravings for more.  Try to avoid fast foods as they are high in calories and sodium.  Eat proteins and vegetables with some fruit.  Drink lots of water.  

Small changes can yield results.  It all depends on how motivated YOU are.  Good luck 

My weight was killing me. I had insurance coverage for WLS, and all my self-directed efforts failed. I could never keep the weight off, and as time passed it was harder to lose.

At 38, I had high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. I could barely bend over to tie my shoes. I had sleep apnea. I watched my grandmother die from obesity-related complications and decided I'd better do something.

I booked an appointment with a top-notch surgeon and had surgery seven months later.