people saying you're not "fat enough" for surgery

Hello all. I'm 27, female, 5'10" 235lbs. My sleeve date is 3.3.15 and I'm obviously self pay with a BMI under 33.

the biggest issue I'm facing is people telling me I'm"not big enough" to need surgery. That I just need to "try a diet one more time", ect. Obviously if I could do this on my own, it would be done. I have been over 200 lbs since I was 14yrs old. I've been teased and ashamed of my weight as long as I can remember. 

Every year the scale rises higher. I can lose weight by starving myself, but obviously can't do that forever and inevitably regain the weight. I want to get ahold of this before I have health issues, an unhealthy pregnancy, and before I pass bad habits on to my children.

my husband had VSG in 2012 and lost 150lbs, so I know what an amazing tool this is.

it's my turn to take control of my body And not be ashamed of my weight Every Single Day! My question is, have any of yall who are lower BMI faced this kind of reaction? What do you say to people? I don't want to lie, I'm unashamed of my choice to be sleeved. However, I don't want to spend the next few months constantly defending my decision. 

I didn't tell anyone except immediate family, and that was right before surgery and they knew me well enough to know that I had made my decision. You are doing this for you not anyone else. They don't have to live in your body or your head. Do what is right for you but keep your privacy until you're ready to share. Good luck!

--gina

Thank you! I think I'm just going to have to deal with it, because I don't want to keep my surgery a secret. I think it's important for people my age to know that this tool exists. When we were 24 I had never even thought about bariatric surgery, and my husband went to a seminar on his own. Once he had decided he wanted it, he came to me about it. I was so resistant at first and scared. But it ended up changing both of our lives for the better. My husband was sleeved at 25 yrs old and I'll be sleeved at 27. We have a food problem. We don't drink, smoke, gamble or anything like that. Food is Our issue, and we both are positive we want to do everything we can to raise our children with healthy boundaries with food, So they don't have to face the same struggles we did growing up.

Got a little off track lol. but When the weight starts falling off, I don't want to lie about what helped me lose it. So many people out there could use wls as a wonderful tool, but don't think they're "big enough". We shouldn't have to wait until we are sick from our weight to get help. I hope I can be an advocate for using surgery as a tool to live a healthier, happier life.

I was pretty open about the surgery, RNY, and heavier than you but still got the "you aren't big enough"  My response was that I wanted my life back to friends and for those who were more distant, "It is a decision that my Dr and I made for my health"  That usually shut them up.

Thanks. When my husband had the surgery we were super open about it, but my husband was 400lbs so no one said he wasn't "big enough" so this is a new challenge for me.

I'll just have to come up with a "go to" response lol.

Same thing here.  My weight is continually increasing.  My comorbidities keep getting worse.  My entire family has weight issues and are all High Blood pressure, Insulin Diabetics and have high cholesterol.  Sometimes it just doesn't make sense to wait.  Its a personal choice and taking action now is the right choice for me rather than later once I've traveled further down this road.

That said no one in my family has ever taken this path either so I know they wouldn't approve, I haven't told anyone except my DH who is very supportive and my surgery is Monday (Yippee!!!).  As I start to lose weight I may tell them, however it'll either be all or no one as no one can keep a secret in my family, and who knows maybe it might intrigue some others as a possibility...

Monday!!!  That's tomorrow.    I'll be thinking about you and wish you a textbook surgery and a boring recovery.  I'll slide down on the Loser's bench for you.

I didn't let a lot of people know before surgery, but afterwards I told people when they noticed I lost a lot of weight quickly.  Some remarked they didn't think I was that overweight.  I tried numerous programs over 35 years and never could get to goal. 

I have no regrets about my surgery.

Thanks Price, I know I am so excited I'm sitting here reading & typing at 11pm instead of sleeping and I have to get up to go in 5 hrs to be there by 6am.  LOL  Fingers crossed it all goes well.

Lol! Mine is in ten days and knowing me I probably won't sleep at all the night before. Best wishes to you tomorrow!