Hello :) I am new

Hello, I just would like to introduce myself. :) I am a new member here and I am in this category. It was not always easy but I have to confess that my weight never really was a big issue to me.. I sort of always felt pretty good about myself but now I want to change.. I want to try new things. And enjoy my life to new levels. And I am considering the sleeve gastrectomy.

I am a quiet person and tend to be an introvert and shy at first when I am new somewhere. I am looking for people who had a positive experience and also I am looking for some support I guess... This is an important decision to make and I feel a bit lost. And overwhelmed. So any for of encouragement will be gratefully appreciated.

Wishing you all a very good day :)

~Little_One_Within

Welcome  

This is a wonderful place to find support from people in all stages of weight loss/maintenance.  I have a VSG in December 2013 and could not be happier.  My reason to finally opt for surgery was that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I didn't want to live the rest of my life in a recliner.

Surgery was very easy for me and recovery was quick.  I took four weeks off from work, although I could have returned sooner.  The hardest part was the logistics of when/what to eat, get in my liquids and take all my vitamins and supplements.  Now it's second nature to me.

It took a substantial amount of weight loss before I could exercise vigorously.  I bought a recumbent bike to use in the beginning, but I find that I hate being stuck inside my house.  Last summer I spend hours in our pool swimming, working with water resistant barbells and loved it.  I can't wait until the weather heats up so I can start swimming again.

I'm now a big fan of walking late in the evenings.  I listen to music and it's almost therapeutic to drain all the tension and stress from my thoughts.  

My surgeon gave me the option of having either the RNY or the VSG, and I chose the sleeve.  For many years I was scared to death of having my intestines rearranged with the RNY.  The sleeve seemed a better fit for me.  He said that you will initially lose more weight with the RNY, but statistically weights will be comparable between the two surgeries at the two year mark.

This is the best thing I've ever done for myself.  I feel so much better physically and mentally.  Good luck with whatever surgery you choose, and always feel free to ask questions here.  Good luck!

Hello..! Thank you! Your story is so encouraging, this is really the kind of inspiration I need. It is so good to read you feel much better today. I do hope I will have a similarly positive experience. The VSG does seem like a better fit for me too..

I see you exercise a lot..! Is it something you always looked forward to? Or is it something that you found out you enjoyed after losing some weight..? It is a concern for me since I don't really enjoy exercising.. but I was wondering my mindset would change with time?

Thank you again! :) Have a great day!

Me?  Exercise?  

One of the reasons I had WLS is because my knees and back were in constant pain.  I couldn't walk 20 feet without needing to sit down.  I lived on anti-inflammatories and vicodin just to get through the day.  I started off very slowly on the recumbent bike a couple of months after surgery.  I didn't enjoy it - it was torture for me - but I tried to do it because I knew part of the entire commitment was to change my lifestyle.  Exercise isn't to lose weight.  It's to make your body healthier - your heart, your muscles, etc.

After I lost probably 100 lbs, I started walking.  Small distances at first.  Now I enjoy it tremendously and find it therapeutic for both my body and my mind.  Exercising at 300+ lbs isn't enjoyable at all.  It's torture.  But as you lose weight, you'll want to do the things you couldn't do before.

I no longer have back or knee pain.  I recently over exerted myself and strained a tendon in my knee.  Never thought I would have an injury from EXERCISE.  I think you will change your mindset over time.  Don't force too much on yourself when your weight is extremely high.  Do what you can.  Swimming was great for me since it caused no stress on my joints.

I wish you the very best of success with this surgery.   It really is life changing  

Thank you SO much..!!! Your messages were really inspiring and encouraging, thank you..! :) I feel so happy for you about your journey. I do feel ready to follow your example!

Hi Little One Within,

Welcome to Obesity Help and the BMI Over 50 Forum. I'm pretty new here myself, and I have to say that everyone is super supportive. You can learn so much from looking back through old posts, and anything you cant find feel free to ask someone will answer you. Everyone here has been int he exact same place you are right now so we all know how it feels, so most everyone is willing to offer support and advice.

Thank you very much Triksy! :) I will certainly have a look at older posts, I feel so curious..! I want to learn as much as possible before taking that big step. Hopefully it will also help me to get my anxiety under control.. :) Thank you again, have a great day!

Welcome!  I had VSG 13 months ago and my life has changed so incredibly in that time.  I'm still obese for 7 more pounds, but I feel like I fit so much better in the world now.  I can do so many things that I never wanted to do before because what was the point?  But now I'm doing those things and loving them.  It's simply amazing.  

It is a lot of hard work - I was never a dieter before and being SMO was a lot easier than being in this Obesity Recovery Program as I call my current life.  I used to sleep in, sit on the couch a lot and watch TV, and not do much.  But now I'm exercising 1-3 hours a day, spending time with friends, waking up early to run.. you name it, I do it.  And I love it so much.  

I've also had some trauma during this time.  My dad was diagnosed with cancer right before my initial consultation with my surgeon. He's suffering a relapse now and I know that there's no way I'd be able to help my parents out the way I've been able to if I hadn't done all the work I've done in the last 16 months.  I have such a stronger foundation than I've ever had in my life and that helps me to survive this heartache that I'm dealing with now.  

Totally worth it.  

Thank you very much Gwen and thank you for sharing your experience, it really touched my heart. I do understand what you mean about fitting in the world.. :) If I have never had major problems fitting into my clothes, I have had more concerns with fitting in my community... I mostly enjoy being quiet and alone at home, I love arts & crafts etc..But I don't know if this is really me..

About exercising.. wow serioulsy.. I am so impressed. I would like to ask you the same question I asked GeekMonster.. Is it something you always looked forward to? Or is it something that you found out you enjoyed after losing some weight..? For some reasons, it is really something that worries me a lot..

Thank you again for sharing your experience. Wishing you a lovely day :)

:D  

I seriously hated exercise.  I mean.. I did stuff as a little kid like soccer and tennis, and I loved those.  But never, as an adult, have I enjoyed exercise.  It was definitely not something I looked forward to doing post-op, but I knew that I was going to have to do it if I wanted to really change my lifestyle and have it stick.  I started walking as soon as I was allowed to post-op and everything else was sort of like... "well, if I try absolutely everything, eventually I'll find something that sticks."  VERY surprisingly to me, I've liked just about everything I've tried out.  This is something that surprises me every single day.  

I don't know if you saw my post the other day on the VSG board, but on Tuesday I actually decided that I'm going to pursue a degree in Exercise and Sport Science because of how much I've found I love exercise.  Maybe I can help to inspire other people like me :D