New

I had the same problems in the military. Always fighting with the "fat boy program". I'm now 56 years old with several health problems (high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea). Oh yea.. and I'm fat.  When my doctor recommended WLS to me I was very happy and hopeful. I started the research. Which one would be best for me?? Could I make the diet changes for the rest of my life?? 

I went with the RNY (8 days ago) because it would let me lose the most weight. I need to lose 150#. I wanted a surgery that would not allow me to cheat as easy. In just a few months I'll be going out to dinner and enjoying most of my favorite foods (except sweets), but just a lot less of it. So when I spend $15 for a steak dinner.. it will last for 3 meals.

I wish you the best in making your decision. If you ever have any questions just ask, The guys here have GREAT advice. It's always good to know your not alone.

Bill

Hi TPinTN and welcome to the board.  Honestly man, if you don't struggle with the decision then you probably shouldn't have the surgery.  It's not cosmetic, nor is it a quick fix or some newfangled cure for obesity.   Stuggling with the decision and preparing yourself mentally for the life change is what you absolutely need to do before deciding to do it.    As I'm sure any post-op can tell you it's by no means a walk-in-the-park and factor in the possible complications and it can be quite dangerous.

With that said...  I like you played football for 13 years and was in the Army for 12 years.   I was always in great shape and still to this day don't know how I let myself baloon out to 464 pounds.  Poor eating habits, not eating in moderation and total elimination of all exercise probaby had something to do with it.  Gastric Bypass was the BEST decision that I could have made for myself.  Was I scared?  Absolutely.   Did I struggle with the decision?  Yep.   In fact, I STILL struggle on a daily basis to maintain my weight loss by exercising and for the most part eating healthy.   I slip in an occasional 6oz Coke, a slice of pizza or a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.  **GASP**  Did I just type that I drink Coke, eat pizza and eat candy?   Yep.  Sure did.  I will never deny myself foods that I enjoy.  It's all about the MODERATION now for me.   Before surgery I didn't have the willpower to stop eating.  Now my pouch tells me when I HAVE to stop or I'll get sick.   It's the tool that allows me to eat less.   The moving around more part is totally up to me. 

The surgery WILL change your life.   How it changes your life is up to you. :)

Welcome again and if you have any questions post 'em!

I struggled for 3 years with the decision. Every time it came time to make a decision, I decided against RNY because I thought it was too extreme for me. I finally realized I wasn't going to be able to lose weight on my own, and decided to go the lap-band route. One thing to keep in mind about trying to lose weight through regular dieting is that I've seen the statistics posted on here that say only 5% of people can successfully maintain a significant weight loss. Those are terrible odds. No wonder there are so many yo-yo dieting failures. So if you try to do it on your own, just realize the odds are against you. But the success rate for bariatric patients is much higher than 5%. (It varies by procedure). Whatever surgery you choose (if you choose one), you will have better odds of losing the weight and keeping it off. My only regret so far is that I didn't seriously consider this much earlier, maybe even 10 years ago. It really would have made a big difference in my life so far. But better late than never

I am only a week post-op.  I can walk up and down the stairs, go to the grocery, walk in the neighborhood and I don't have any knee of ankle pain.  I have lost about 30 pounds this week.  I had an open RNY procedure.  If anyone thinks this is the easy way out they simply don't know what they are talking about. That said, I studied this for years.  One suggestion I have is to research here on the web, get second medical opinions, talk it over with your family, and when you decide you want WLS then search You Tube and other places on the web for failures, dissapointments and surgeries gone wrong.  You owe it to yourself to be aware of the full scope of possibilities. One thing I noticed about all the failures was an attitude difference.  What I have found here in the locker room is an attitude of success even in the face of significant adversity.  I think in the long run it is that atitude that will matter most. Best of luck with whatever you decide! Charlie