BMI is 75

On May 29, 2019 at 1:15 AM Pacific Time, 1900brandon wrote:

Hello Group

New to the group just had a few questions maybe someone can help me with. My current weight is 460 lb and I was told that before I can have the surgery I would need to lose at least 50 lbs. Has anyone had the gastric sleeve surgery at my current weight? I'm not opposed to trying to lose the weight but having to lose 50 lb if it was that easy I don't believe that I would be wanting to have the surgery. I'm not an overeater I don't have a food addiction I've just been a fat kid all my life my family is full of obese people I really do feel like we have the fat Gene curse. Like I said at the beginning I'm not saying that I will not try to lose the weight.

Thanks everyone

Aisha

I hate to tell you, but if you can't lose weight by drastically limiting calories, you may not lose weight having a sleeve.

Sleeve is primarily a restrictive WLS surgery.

BTW: I have insulin resistance and I am post menopausal. So there are at least 2 factors for me that may prevent me to lose weight. And the third- I am 11 years post WLS. I practically can eat a lot if I chose to. And variety of foods. Last year - by not following proper diet and having an occasional drink with dinner, I gained 30 lbs. Once I was ready, i reset my mind, changed my diet to be proteins+ fat+ non starchy veggies, and lost the 30 lbs within less than 6 months. And I already had relatively low body fat %. But after I gave up alcohol (any) grains, dairy, starches, I lost the extra weight.

Unfortunately PCOS can cause insulin resistance, and that may make it difficult to lose weight if I get enough carbs. But limiting carbs, limiting what type of carbs I had - limited insulin that my body was producing, I lost the weight. I even lost an 10 extra pounds, that I am trying slowly to put back on - I got too thin for me, my age.

First month I gave up the high carbs foods - my body was still full of insulin, and my weight barely changed. That could be very frustrating, since I was doing all I needed to be doing and ...did not see results (maybe i lost 1lb?) But I know my body could be resistant, so was I. I just followed what I was doing and eventually the fat just melted. The second month I lost 10 lbs. And that over holidays, and with minimal to none exercise.

But - I did not take a break for holidays, or weekends. I was very consistent. Not only I lost the weight, but my eating helped my digestion, I felt less sluggish, tired after meals.

If you don't believe you can - you may not be able to lose.

Not only I limited the carbs, but I also limited the calories I had per day, from 1800- 2000, to 1000-1200 per day.

It is so easy to underestimate how much we are really eating. Before I "recommited" I would have a bite of my guy pizza, or 2-4 potstickers I made for him, or Tbs of mashed potatoes he likes (just tasting it).

There was more cheese, yogurt (has sugar) and apples. I could eat 2-3 apples per day. Large apples. I love apples. But the 3 apples were close to 1.5lbs (I liked nice big apples).

I could snack on 1 cup of nuts all day, not really counting the calories... to start -- I started journaling. For a close to a week I was mindful about my food but try not to limit the qty of "allowed food": proteins + fat + some veggies, + fruits + nuts. I recorded what I ate - every bite. Then added that on a weekend.

I discovered that I had days I had only 1400 calories, but I also had days I had over 2000 calories. Ouch. - eye openers. Often the 2000 calories day I did not think I had than many calories. But 2 apple, and handful of nuts, or a kind bar (low sugar Kind bar) - all added up.

Looking at my menus - I knew wha I can and should elimi

Yes, I had the surgery at 440lbs (when I started the process a year ago I was 389). My BMI was 60. Because it was so high I had to give myself shots in the abdomen daily to prevent blood clots until I got my BMI down to 55. Which took me a month, mind you. I have been a fat kid all my life, I DID overeat, I DO have a food addiction but the sleeve which sucks SO much is one of the best tools I have added to my arsenal. I am only 6 weeks out and down 60 lbs but it BLOWS. I would not recommend it, but my opinion means nothing. This is about you, your mindset, and what you're willing to do to reach your goal. Working 100 hrs a week is stressful as is, and adding the surgery and being off work and all the vitamins and the medications and the monitoring your liquids, your proteins, your exercise, and your mental state is all kinds of no bueno.

But hopefully that does answer the questions you were asking. Good luck in your process, whatever that process may be.

Why would you not recommend the sleeve?

I think I kind of know what he was saying because my brother who also got the sleeve(3 months after me) constantly makes comments like that. He is always saying to people "it sucks" because he wants to eat more but can't. I on the other hand think this surgery is a blessing. I honestly can't remember a time i was able to just feel fullness and say "I'm done" after eating. I feel normal now. I feel like a curse has been lifted.

I recommend cutting all liquid calories from your diet (Soda, Juice, Beer, Wine, etc.). Also start tracking your food intake so that you are aware of what you are eating. Do these two things and your weight should start coming off. Don't give up before you even try. A lot people have had success with the keto diet. If that's not good for you maybe weigh****chers would work. Bad genes suck but people have to work around it. Best of luck to you.

You should post what you eat in a typical day...what you eat and how mu*****lude beverages too. Perhaps you can get some feedback on your menu.

What meals/snacks, etc.? Are you skipping meals? What hours do you work? Maybe you'll get some comments/suggestions.

We're all here to get and give support. This is a great place to learn.

Thank you for responding I own three businesses that take up a lot of my time a typical day for me starts at 8:30 in the morning and I normally don't get home until 3 a.m. I was told by a nutritionalist that I should rest more that some of my weight gain is stress-related as well. I'm very bad at eating breakfast lunch and dinner and then snacks in between for me some days I only eat dinner some days I only will eat lunch I know one thing that is a craving for me is I'm a huge drinker of natural fruit juices and I eat a lot of fruit which the nutritional said that is not good for weight loss because of sugars. Since I've decided to start this journey I've noticed that portion control is a big key in this as well.

If you do go forward with the surgery, you'll have to make time for yourself. It takes time to plan your meals, shop, meal prep, etc.

It takes time and effort to be successful. You definitely have the drive. You'll have to put your health first. Right now you may not be suffering from chronic pain, etc. .... but you will if you don't take care of yourself now.

Again, wishing you success.

I'm going to be honest and blunt with you. First off you have gotten very good advice from others and what you do with that advice is up to you.

Now reading what you posted here concerns me and this is why. If you do not make the time for yourself after surgery you will fail. Yes there is a honeymoon period where most everyone will lose weight effortlessly, but if you do not come out of surgery with your mind set on doing what you have to do and make the time to do it things will not go well. You are going to need a minimum (and honestly I feel that is too low) of 64oz of fluid. WLS folks get dehydrated very easily and I have seen folks on here who have passed out and injured themselves because of it.

Get out of the habit of drinking huge amounts of fruit juice as that will do nothing, but cause weight gain down the road.

You really need to understand that planning and prepping your meals after WLS is a necessity not just something you wing. People regain their weight regardless of what WLS they had and 9 out of 10 times it is because they never fully grasped the post-op plan. They end up going back to their old ways and start looking for a revision.

Best of luck to you.

I used to be healthy obese person. I love fruits. Even now I love fruits. But when, among other things I added fruits to my diet, apples, as snacks, I gained weight. Could eat an apple as I was working, not realize that I ate close to 1/2 lb of apples. (Large apples - 10-11 in 5 lbs from Costco. That's a lot of sugar. Even with my restriction and some malabsorption (,fat and vitamins) adding just 2-3 apples per day was a lot for my body. My guy decided to add some fruit juice (diluted) instead of soda, and we both gained. He on little more juice, I on fruits, apples and grapefruits.