Who Motivated You To Get Surgery?

Liz that will do it There is nothing so precious. I missed out on so much with my son being so big but I am not going to miss our with my grand babies! Enjoy your special gift!

it was definitely me! when i first started the process i was 345 lbs, sleep apnea, on oxygen 24/7, hypertension, lymphodema, cellulitis bad in both legs and i could hardly move. i was so overweight that i had burned out 2 motors in lift-chairs because they could not support my weight. things were so bad that i knew that if i waited any longer i would either be dead or in a nursing home within 6 months. i did not want that so i choose to have the surgery. it was a long process for me 15 months to be exact before i was able to have the surgery because i had to go thru so many medical clearances but having the surgery was the best decision i have ever had.

What a great question!!! For me, I started thinking about it when we went on a cruise to Alaska and I had trouble staying up with the group during a hike. This was especially distressing since I was worried about becoming bear food! haha! When we got back, I made an appointment with a dietitian basically thinking that was the last thing I would try before getting surgery. I ended up sticking with that for five years and lost some weight and learned some great skills. My dietitian would periodically bring up surgery. In the end, my motivations were health and being able to travel. I was definitely overeating, but I also felt that I had some additional challenges in losing weight such as post-menopausal, PCOS, and hypothyroid (not well-controlled with meds). I think very low cal is the only way that I could ever lose weight and there is no way that I could have ever stuck to this low cal over time, so I am glad that I finally pulled the trigger and moved forward.

Hi Roselane,

Yes, it's hard to admit we can't do it ourselves. I remember my first seminar for WLS. I came out and looked at my husband and said those people are nuts. Who would hack up your stomach and shorten your intestines. I CAN DO THIS! Well, I went on to lose 60 pounds and gained 80. I just could not get off that Merry Go Round.

I think it's wonderful while you still decided to get surgery the knowledge you gained during those 5 years I am sure has benefited you post op also! Great job!

ME! I motivated me to have WLS.

I also spent about 10 months pre-surgery on online WLS message boards trying to understand the process and the factors that could make a WLS patient successful long-term.

My version of "successful" is (and has always been) to lose all my excess weight and keep it off for the rest of my life. That doesn't mean my weight doesn't fluctuate sometimes, but my maintenance goal is to keep those fluctuations small and to lose any weight regained as soon and healthily as possible, because I'm done with yo-yo dieting.

Knowledge is power and your knowledge has empowered you to be successful. Thanks for sharing!

It was myself who decided I needed to do something. I knew several people who had bariatric surgery and they have lost so much weight and look great! I was having a hard time getting around. My back would hurt constantly and I'd be huffing and puffing after walking just a short distance. Not to mention I'd be drenched in sweat. It was embarrassing and I hated people staring and feeling like I was being judged. My blood pressure was also through the roof and diabetes runs in my family so I knew it was just a matter of time before I had it too.

But most of all I wanted a family. I've always wanted to have children and envied all of my friends who were having them. But it's probably a silly dream at my age wanting children. I was also always jealous of people I knew who were traveling the world, having an active lifestyle, going after their dream jobs, getting married etc. I just always felt like life was passing me by and that I'd never have that.

Good for you MadisonRose saying enough is enough and I am going to live life as it was meant to be lived!

No one. I actually heard about weight loss surgery in passing on the news or something. I was about 400 lbs at that time. I went to a consultation with a surgeron for a RNY. I decided to give myself 1year. I excercised 3 times a week, tired to eat better. I gained 50 lbs. I went back to the surgeon, did some research, got a second consult and go the DS. I was almost 500 lbs at that time.

I was at goal within 1 1/2 years and have stayed there for the most part for the last decade.

Scott