Considering sleeve gastrectomy

Hi - am new here and was hoping for a quick response as I have surgery tentatively booked for March 18th in Mexico.  I want to make sure I am doing the right thing.  My BMI is 31 and I have been struggling with my weight and putting on ++ weight every time I lose a little for 10 years.  Before that I struggled with the same 10-15 lbs my whole life.  

If I stick to a diet for more then a few days I feel hungry.  Otherwise, I rarely eat because of hunger and when I do eat it is not large meals.  Rather than eating a lot in one sitting, I have a compulsion to eat pretty well continuously.  I don't eat bread, pasta or heavy meals.  I eat "light weight" foods aren't aren't filling but pack a caloric punch - cookies, ice cream, Hershey's.  My fear is if I and the type who doesn't eat because of hunger and continues to eat when I am full will the gastric sleeve work for me.  Have any "grazers" out there had the sleeve and succeeded in reaching their weight loss goals?

Susan

I can tell you that grazing is the most dangerous habit and most likely to kill your chances of success. I had to deal with a substantial regain to learn that lesson. I highly suggest working on why you eat /graze - find an alternative way to comfort yourself. It's taken me years of therapy and eventually finding overeaters anonymous to find the solution to my grazing. Right now I plan my meals everyday the night before and do not deviate from that plan under any cir****tances. But more than that I have to constantly work on the causes and conditions that make me want to eat which is the most difficult part of my recovery. 

Thanks - before your surgery had you tried ha*****ange such as preplanning your meals and working on the causes of the grazing/binging? Did the surgery make do this work more possible for you?

I agree with the last poster.  I am a grazer who had the sleeve in October 2014.  I find myself at times still grazing and as a result, I am still trying to lose the last 14 lbs.  It is easy not to graze when you don't feel hungry in the first 6 months or so, but after you start feeling hungry again, it is much harder, although not impossible.  I have to work at it every day and some days are more successful than others for sure.  Good luck to you on whatever you chose.

Thanks SandraF - congratulations of the weight you have lost.  You mentioned your appetite coming back after six months.  What do you attribute that too/did they warn you that the change in appetite was only temporary?  

Forgot to say I had surgery in Mexico too, with Dr. Fernando Garcia.  Mexico is definitely a viable alternative for those of us that could not afford to self pay where we live.

I am considering surgery in Mexico.  Was your experience good?  My insurance won't pay for surgery.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Irene

I hadn't VSG surgery in Mexico 8/1/15 - I have not regretted my decision for one second. Great experience, great results! My insurance would not pay either. The whole deal - travel etc. was approx $5K  - worth every penny!  

Thanks silvergirl - I am sure that you are like me in that you have tried a bizillion times to lose the weight.  Have you found that you have been able to make actual ha*****anges, or is it strictly a question of not being able to stuff as much in - ie are you eating differently and do you feel in control of your relationship with food.

I had surgery two weeks ago in Tijuana through Tijuana Bariatrics and with Dr. Fernando Garcia. My experience was really great. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions; I don't mind sharing my experience.