Hello all!

I stumbled across this site and I am excited to dive on in. So I'm 23 and I'm guessing I'm sitting around 245 lbs. I haven't weighed myself in months. I have never tried as hard as I could to lose weight mostly due to not seeing results even if others do. I also was diagnosed with PCOS a couple of years ago so weight loss is even more difficult.

I'm on here to seek advice. I am thinking of possibly looking into surgery but I'm nervous about it...my aunt had a bypass when I was young and she is still heavier and had problems with alcohol down the road. I just have had a negative view of it for so long but it's time for a change.

I would love some advice please :)

thank you!

-Karley

Hi & Welcome to the forum.

I'd start with researching as much as possible on the rny, vsg & ds surgeries, there are others but most have had varying degrees of success with them. First check if your insurance even covers weight loss surgery & what their criteria is. You can use the search feature on the top. I'm sure many questions you have, has been asked before.

I'm sure other people have been where you're at. Heard at 1 point or another of someone who had surgery, but gained it back, or developed a cross addiction to alcohol. These are definite & sad possibilities but it doesn't mean that you can't avoid these pitfalls, just know that it is out there.

This is a total change physically & mentally. You'll have to tackle both to achieve long lasting results. Mind you, I'm a newbie/journeywoman & there are other vets that can give you some good advice.

Good luck to you in your weight loss journey.

Welcome Karley!

I too had been diagnosed with PCOS and no matter how hard I tried, I could not lose a significant amount of weight. I ended up ballooning up to 308 and after a LOT of research (and many many hours reading other's experiences on this forum), months of discussions with my doctor and some soul-searching, I decided to take the plunge. I also had a negative view of the surgery, but I think it helped me. It showed me what I didn't want to do. It showed me that this is not a magic pill...it takes hard work and dedication. It showed me that it's a life-long lifestyle change...not a "one and done."

So 5.5 years ago I had RNY - BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE!!!!

Was it hard? Yeah. Was it worth it? HELL YEAH!!

I got down to 153 (goal was 150, but truthfully I looked awesome around 155, so not hitting that "goal" was okay)...for a moment (actually the past 2 years or so), I let myself believe I was "cured." I started eating like everyone else around me...like a "normal" person. Well, that got me to almost 174...not cool!

So I'm back to the basics...and I'm down almost 8 pounds :)

I share this with you because it's easy to see the bad...how people can regain all their weight. But if you've got the determination and the mindset, you can reverse poor choices and get back on track. The surgery does not fix our heads - the fat girl in me still wants to sit down with a pizza, chips and candy, but the 'new' me knows better. It's not easy...but I knew this wasn't going to be easy. And that's okay. My PCOS symptoms are totally gone, my pre-diabetes is no more, I sleep better, feel younger, have more energy and generally have a more positive outlook on life.

Use this forum as a way to learn about other's experiences, mistakes and triumphs...but remember, everyone is different and although it's easy to compare ourselves with others, our journey is our own.

Best of luck to you and feel free to ask any questions :)

" PCOS a couple of years ago so weight loss is even more difficult."

-I have PCOS too. WLS COMBINED with a low carb diet AND exercise was the ONLY diet/life plan that worked for me. I started near 300 lbs and within a year was 142 lbs and within 1 year 2 months, 139 lbs (my lowest ever). Today, I weigh 158 lbs. Not happy with it, and am working on getting it off. It is not going off as easily the second time around!

Welcome, Karley. I'm glad you found us here.

Not everyone regains the weight they lose, and much of that is due to learning how to take care of yourself as a post-op. That goes with nutritional aspects as well as maintaining your weight loss. We share a lot here around those areas.

Bypass (RNY) isn't the only surgical option. There are three major ones to choose from: RNY aka gastric bypass, VSG aka sleeve, or DS aka duodenal switch. There are also hybrid solutions that aren't very common, but some docs may do them, too. You want to learn all you can about each of them because they address obesity differently. Look online, read articles, medical studies, the surgery specific forums here on this site. Also on this site, there are forums specific to failed surgeries or those seeking revisions (due to failure or complications). All are great places to learn how people live with this choice. Compare what you learn to what you know about yourself, and you should come up with the perfect recipe for success, just for you.

My example: I started gaining weight during puberty and my mother and I tried each and every diet that circulated around her office or in magazines. I never saw results no matter how much of an effort I put into it. I was an athlete despite my obesity and obese despite my level of activity. Nothing worked. With this in mind, as I was researching surgical procedures, it was like the apple falling on Newton's head when I was reading about the duodenal switch. It was the scariest (most complicated) procedure of the three, but the after-effect of the metabolic change is exactly what my body needed. Is it the same for you? Only you can answer that, and better than a surgeon can in a 15 min consult.

Omg, we're on the same boat. I finally decided to attend a seminar at the local hospital as i have been dieting for the past year and a half. Even though I have followed a 1200 calorie diet, if i consume 200 calories more on the weekends i weigh in on Monday with a 4-6lbs gain. Its so frustrating.