Thinking of Backing Out Again

As my sig says, I'm 38. 

The only diet I ever tried for more than a few days was body for life, I knew all the statistics on weight regain, so doing more than that always felt pointless so I didn't even bother. 

Hi all, 

I'm new to the forums, but I've been reading for some months.  I've been waffling on the idea of WLS for years and I'm finally sold on the idea.  I'm meeting with my (hopefully) surgeon for the first time on December 2nd.  My insurance (UHC) only requires a psych eval, no six months of nutritional oversight or anything, much to my happiness.  

I don't know how swiftly this process will move along, but I'm sort of hoping to have surgery early in January.  I'm opting for VSG due to all of the reasons I'm sure you all know - I hope it won't be too hard to convince my doctor to do the procedure I want.  

During the next week I've got to fill out a lot of paperwork for my first appointment.  Some of it seems overwhelming and I need to write a bit about why I want to have surgery.  I'm sure they're expecting something more detailed than "being obese sucks."  

And, as for stats - I'm 36, I've been fat all of my life, I've varied between 260 and 300 over the last 15 years.  And, of course, I've tried out many diets and exercise plans.  I currently belong to a great gym and elliptical on a regular basis - my main challenge will be (and is) the whole food thing.  Sigh

Yeah... I tried them for a day or two. Or I read about them. I definitely never dieted the way many do, since it always felt so pointless and hopeless!  I was much better at trying exercise. 

Thanks for for the copy paste!  That was cool to read. 

Hi all, 

I'm new to the forums, but I've been reading for some months.  I've been waffling on the idea of WLS for years and I'm finally sold on the idea.  I'm meeting with my (hopefully) surgeon for the first time on December 2nd.  My insurance (UHC) only requires a psych eval, no six months of nutritional oversight or anything, much to my happiness.  

I don't know how swiftly this process will move along, but I'm sort of hoping to have surgery early in January.  I'm opting for VSG due to all of the reasons I'm sure you all know - I hope it won't be too hard to convince my doctor to do the procedure I want.  

During the next week I've got to fill out a lot of paperwork for my first appointment.  Some of it seems overwhelming and I need to write a bit about why I want to have surgery.  I'm sure they're expecting something more detailed than "being obese sucks."  

And, as for stats - I'm 36, I've been fat all of my life, I've varied between 260 and 300 over the last 15 years.  And, of course, I've tried out many diets and exercise plans.  I currently belong to a great gym and elliptical on a regular basis - my main challenge will be (and is) the whole food thing.  Sigh

I am very afraid. I am in the process of jumping thru the hoops (tests tests and more tests, psych, etc.) but the closer I get the more afraid I am. In fact my husband said that I was talking, ranting and raving in my sleep the other night.

I think the process is going so fast. I almost died of pneumonia 9 years ago and I have been in the mode of just trying to get better. So much that I decided it didn't matter how much I weighed just as long as I was improving. I have a very bad back and cannot exercise and I am only comfortable while lying flat on my back in bed. But my family went to Disneyland and I had to rent a cart to get around and miss out on the fun because I had to go back to the hotel to rest. Then we went to a sporting event and I didn't fit in the seats. These things made me to decide to make the call. But now that I have started the ball rolling I have actually hoped that I would fail one of my tests. Like the cardio, that did a nuclear stress test, EKG and echo cardiogram. Isn't that crazy?. 

SO you are not alone. I have a Endoscopy pre procedure on Monday. Then Tues I have a  3 hour appointment whi*****ludes the psych, nut and physical fitness interview. I have started a long list of questions that I want answered. 

Thanks for listening to Me rant and rave.

Yes, you can lose the weight without surgery, as most of us have done BUT it is very hard to do and even harder to keep off.  My WLS Doctor told us that when every you restrict your food intake (Diet) your body actually fights to gain that weight back.

When you have the sleeve surgery, Ghrelin the "hunger hormone",  is reduced by 60% so you do not feel those "hunger pains" when you have not eaten, this added to the fact that your stomach will hold much less food makes it much easier to lose the weight.

My two cents: I don't know how old you are but it hit me one day that I'd been doing it my way for 46 years and clearly it wasn't working. I deferred to the experts and haven't looked back since.

You are not alone wondering if you've made the right decision or if you've tried hard enough without surgery. I am 4 days post op and the jury is still out for me. I just know that what made my mind up was my brother's untimely death. He died at the age of 37 of a disease that was treatable he just needed to seek out the treatment. Although it wasn't obesity that he died from, his children, wife, mother, siblings, friends are all here without him just the same. Like you said, obesity Is a disease, and surgery is a very sucessful treatment of that disease.  I, for one, after a lot of prayer,  had to take that leap of faith that it would also be successful for me. Good luck with you decision. 

Hello CynthiaFaith and butterfly 1956 I myself have been lurking in this forum for quite sometime gaining encouragement viewing decisions. Actually going on three years I have considered wls and I believe you have helped me make a final decision.

I'm going to renew the process of preparing for the surgery. Three times is a charm because I will renew the process with yet another doctor, one I feel very comfortable with. I sit here reading your responses swallowing a pint of Haagen-Dazs pistachio because I'm going to start a nother diet plan TOMORROW. And yet I continue to gain after each period.

My very fit sister asked what its like being like this (my super morbid obesity) and I told her its miserable and she gazed at me with concern. So now I will become smaller.

You sound like me in a way. A friend of mine had a bypass a year ago and she looks amazing. I decided to start the process. As the surgery came closer, I started to have doubts. I thought I was a failure because I should have been able to lose weight on my own. Instead, I was taking the extreme way out. Then, I thought I'd give it one more try. But if I could do it, why hadn't I?

My doctor made it very clear that I needed to lose weight or lose my life. So I went to a support group and learned something that changed my way of thinking.

Simply put, WLS is nothing more than a tool. YOU are the one who decides if you succeed or not by your lifestyle after surgery.

I had my surgery 4/13/2015 and I have no regrets. 

Just do whatever is right for you.