Starting to reconsider!

Hi Judi,
I can assure you not everyone has regain.  I'm almost 4 years out and continue to lose (up to 1lb every 6 weeks).  This is a lifestyle change that one must accept and work with the rest of your life.  If you do not commit to the change i.e., eating and exercise chances are likely it will be a struggle at some point.  The key here is going in with your eyes wide open and dedicate yourself.
Good luck

Hi Judi. I can certainly understand what you're thinking and appreciate your concerns. Doing full research prior to surgery is a great idea. I am almost 4yrs post op~my lowest weight was 150 (I am 5'9"). I generally hang out in the 150's and when I hit the higher end of the 150's I cut back and really watch what I'm eating to get a few pounds back off. I, however, have gotten back up as high as 167lbs since surgery~I was miserable and very angry with myself, although even at 167lbs I was still in a normal bmi range for my height. Thankfully I was able to use my tool successfully and got those pounds off pretty easily. Maitenance isn't easy~it takes work and diligence for most of us. Working to change your old, bad habits into new, good habits from the start is a key part of being successful. Things like incorporating exercise into your daily routine, cutting out the bad carbs and sugar and portion control are all important for long term success. Having wls is a huge commitment and not to be entered into lightly. No surgery is 100% fool proof~like life, they all take work and commitment. I do believe that some will have regain, but most do not regain all of their weight~those that regain all are the minority. My plan is to remain commited and continue to live a long, healthy, thin life for many years to come. As long as there is no mechanical failure, the choice is really up to me! I wish you much luck no matter what you decide!

You don't lose the need to do everything you did as a non-op when you have WLS. It's simply more artillery in the battle against obesity. The war - and the end result of winning or losing that war - is completely in your hands.

Regain is a possibilty but it's up to you how you handle it. Have a 5-10 regain and not do anything to stop it or gain back everything because you just don't care anymore? That is a decision based solely on patient and not WLS.

I think the hardest thing about WLS isn't the lifestyle - it's liking yourself to do what you need to do every single day of every single month of every single year for the rest of your life. If you can't make the commitment to at least love yourself enough to do what it takes then don't get WLS.

Jenny

Keep in mind you are only looking at a small window - typically many people who have no issues stop comming to OH... as they get far out they stop comming to OH... there are exceptions of course, but I personally know many post-oppers that have either never visited or stopped visiting the sight. I would suggest you talk to your surgeon and your surgeons patients and see what their experiences have been... its a great way to get a good idea of what they experience.
There is a real possibility that you can regain - you MUST put in the work in order to lose the weight and keep it off... the surgery is no cure. Some people think they can eat what they want, lose weight and keep it off.. thats not the case. You have to address issues and make the necessary changes. For me this was a last resort, I will not mess this chance up - I would have nobody to blame but myself.
I am 2.5 years out, I hit my current weight in Feb... I have, so far, easily maintained this weight. I am not a food nazi and do not have to weigh/measure/count... I keep basic track in my head and overall make healthy choices and keep my treats limited. The fear of regain is still in my head, which I think is good... I weigh daily and know if the scale hits 150 I need to make some changes and see whats going on.... thats my 'panic point'... I know for life I will have to be dilligent but its not work to me, its just like brushing my teeth... I never want to get out of control like I was pre-op.

It really depends on how dedicated you are to making this tool work for you. I decided early out that whatever it took, I'm not going to lose control ever again and that's pretty much kept me on the straight and narrow for the last two and a half years. Losing the weight was the easy part. No one DOESN'T lose the weight unless something mechanical happens...You have to re-learn how to eat during the honeymoon phase and that's what will sustain you for years afterwards.

There are a million ways to cheat yourself and bypass the surgery...A million temptations each and every day...For some it's too overwhelming and they fall down...They don't fail but they fall down and stay down...When they choose to pick themselves back up and carry on again, this site is there for them...For me it's staying accountable and trying to help and support others so that I keep in touch with my tool...So that I don't fall down and stay down...

Judi, my experience has been if I make good choices 90% of the time I've been able to maintain my weight.   I did have one period where I gained about 9 lbs (which put me 4.5 lbs over my goal weight) but with the fear of losing control and being accountable I was able to take it off quickly (1 1/2 weeks).

Yes regain is a possibility there is no denying it.  However, I do believe the majority of WLS patients are able to keep the weight off for the long haul.  You need to realize that those maintaining aren't seeking help, it's those that have regained some and are afraid to totally lose control looking for support.  IMO, support is the MOST important part of WLS so my suggestion to you is never lose sight of support before and after WLS.

Do I think WLS is worth it, even with risk?  For me it absolutely was worth it.  I was killing myself with health issues as it was, for me I wanted the chance to live and WLS did it for me!

Hi Judi:-)  To answer your question..........it's just like anything else in life.  We will never know if we made the RIGHT decision until we've done it and it turns out however it turns out.  I am almost 3 years out.  I have met my goal.  Went from 350 to 145. I go up/down 5ish lbs depending on my intake.  I developed a blood sugar issue after surgery and to be honest with you, that and the afternoon brain fog/fatigue really makes me wonder sometimes if I did the right thing for myself having had it.  But then I remember how miserable I was pre-surgery.  I had to sit down in the shower I would lose my breathe.  At the end, I struggled just to clean myself after using the bathroom.  I know, that's gross but it's true.  I have other health issues that losing weight did not fix and coming to terms with fibromyalgia is hard.  Finding a balance even harder.  But the bottom line is are you able to lose the weight by NOT having the surgery?  If you believe that you can then why have the surgery?  But if you do have it, are you really committed to working your tool?  Be sure in your head that you have educated yourself as to the pros/cons of this thing.  It's no easy fix believe me.  People think you have the surgery, you magically lose your desire for food and you do for awhile.  But then a person has to ACTUALLY learn how to feed their body in order to lose/maintain their weight.  And that's when the hard part comes in.  You gotta KNOW how to do that and it's not the same for everything.  YOU have to figure out how your own body wants to be fed and cared for.  And then just do it:-)  Only then, I believe, will a person be one of those statistics where weightloss is maintained and not regained. 

i am almost two years out and do have to fight re-gain. however, i have lost 100% of my excess weight in the first 8 months post wls (meaning i reached "normal bmi" of 24 something and then  lost anoher 30lbs through some xtra effort (stepping up exercise, etc.) at my lighest, my bmi was around 19 and i was size 0-2, which made me very happy.

for me, battling re-gain, which i periodically complain about here does not mean returning to obesity or even to being overweight--it's more about fluctuating by up to 10-15 lbs but still easily remaining within the "normal BMI' healthy range. i just like being size 0-2 and hate it when my pants get tight and when i have to put on size 6 during my 'fat" days.

while i'll always be weight-conscous and worry about re-gain, etc., i will take my current struggle with 10-15lbs over the yo-yo dieting and being 100lbs overweight (which i was 2 years ago.) for me, RNY was one of the best decisions i ever made in my life.

I am 15 mths out.  I tend to gain during my time of the month, if I eat too many carbs, and stop exercising.  I weigh every single morning, and if the scale creeps up more than a week, I start cutting carbs and exercising more.  It comes back off.  I think you just need to get to know your body, and what the triggers are.  It is not easy.  I will not lie.  I cannot eat much, I throw up alot, but would I do it again?  Yes, to loose all of my co morbidities, and the sixteen diff. meds I was on.  It is so worth it.  My fat pants are now a size four lol.  Used to be a 24...even if I get to a 14 (hope not) but that is still better than that 24 lol!

If i could go back in time... i would definitely do it again.
100% worth it.
My life is healthier and happier now.