Question:
Can i hear from anyone who start weight was230
I always hear from people who started out with there weight over 250 and they complain about those of us who are 100# (and have co-morbities my BMI(40)), but yet those who have more to lose wish that they had did something sooner. Can i get some inspiration from people who started out with a low BMI, who had the open RNY. I get so frustrated, because i go thru the same frustration as someone with a higher BMI. — Tina B. (posted on December 17, 2001)
December 17, 2001
Hi!! I started my Wls journey at 231 with no major co-morbidities. I had
surgery June 11th 2001 and I've lost 80 lbs so far. My weight loss has been
a lot slower that most of the people who post in this site but I need to
loose 110 to reach my goal, so I knew from the beggining I was going to
loose slow. The good thing is that I won't need a Tummy tuck or any kind of
plastic surgery, because my skin is shrinking just fine (I'm 32 years
old)The good thing about starting with a low BMI is that you look a lot
better faster!!!!!! I still need to loose 30 lbs but my body looks Normal,
I shop at regular stores and wear size 10 or 8 sometimes Even 6 when is
strecht!!!!!! I love my new life and I haven't have to sacrifice anything
to get it. I eat normal food in smaller quantities but I don't stop for one
second to count calories or check sugars,etc I live my life without
worrying about food!!!! I hope this helps.
— Monica J.
December 17, 2001
I started at 242, a BMI of 41. A bit heavier than you, but, its the same
for everyone. I think we all go through frustration and depression after
the surgery, and wondering if were doing everything right. Being a
"lightweight", as everyone puts it on here, LOL, the loss has
been slower, but, its true... most slow losers dont have as much trouble
with the sagging skin. Ive hit a few plateaus already, which is very
depressing, but, it doesnt help being addicted to the scale either. LOL
There is absolutely NO reason for anyone here to complain about somebody
else, or criticize us smaller people because we did something for
ourselves! Were all in the same boat, and no matter how much weight you
have to lose, or how fast you lose, its a heck of a lot healthier to be
thinner, and hopefully happier! : ) Good luck and God bless!
— Kerry P.
December 17, 2001
Hi, I am a "lightweight" hoping to have surgery. I am in the
approval process now with insurance. I have been "lectured" twice
already from members of this site about me not being "fat"
enough. I have a bmi of 40 with diabetes and sleep apnea and according to
the NIH that is reason enough to have this surgery. If it is good enough
for my doctor to approve me it should be good enough for the busy bodies
around here! Most of my expirience has been positive, there are people
everywhere who think they know better than you do so I am trying not to let
it bother me. Good luck with your journey, I hope everything goes smooth!
— [Anonymous]
December 17, 2001
I started at 230 pounds with a BMI of 43. At 7 months I am down to 139
pounds and a BMI of 25. I consider myself "normal" now. I wear a
size 8 and eat about 1300 calories a day. When I go back to exercising, I
may lose a little more, but I am not really worried about it. I am very
happy with the results of my WLS and would do it again. BTW, some people
say this surgery makes people look older. Well, last weekend I stayed at a
hotel and the girl at the desk kept looking at me. Finally she told me I
looked like her aunt. Then she said, "Well, you look like she looked
when she was 19." You should have seen her face when I told her I was
33!
— ctyst
December 17, 2001
Maybe it was 'cuz I was wearing leather pants! LOL
— ctyst
December 17, 2001
I, too, started out at 232.5 as my heaviests weight. I am currently at
about 177, down 55lbs and I feel great. I purposely did not WANT to wait
until I was 350lbs, because believe me, it was inevitable at the rate I was
going. I wanted to do something postive with my life as soon as I could. I
was tired of feeling bad, both physically and emotionally. I was tired of
living in food/fat prison and I can honestly say that I am free of that
ghost. I feel liberated, attractive, healthy and don't regret my decision
to have this surgery as a "light weight" at all. By the way, I,
too, am a slow loser. I usually lose 4 - 6 lbs in a week, then stay there
for 2 or 3 weeks. But that's okay. My body is doing what it needs to do.
I trust that it will all work out and if I don't lose another ounce, it was
worth it. (But hopefully I won't quit now!). I'm over half way to my
personal goal of 135, and am looking forward to a slow road for the next 6
- 8 months until I get there. Anything worth having is worth working for,
right?? Good luck to you and all us other "light weights". WE
ROCK, TOO! :) LOL
— Jenper
December 17, 2001
Hi, I weigh 248 and have diabetes. Even though my BMI is around 42 and
need to lose approx 113 lbs, I am still morbidly obese. My metabolism is
so low I feel hopeless about loosing through dieting. I only yoyo up and
down the scale. Doctors agree that we are good candidates for this surgery
and I have confidence in their opinions. So only lend the peanut gallery
(yeah, that includes me) only half an ear. If this surgery is what you
want then do not let anyone dissuade you. You know your body better than
anyone. And yes, it's a bit of a downer we are prone to slower weight loss
but oh well. This beats all other options! :)
— Carmen K.
December 17, 2001
I also began with a BMI of 40, and lost at a rate of 5- 10 pounds a month
with many plateaus. I did much better when I just stopped weighing myself
and stopped worrying about how slow I was losing. Afterall, it's for the
rest of my life so what difference does a few months longer make? The good
news is, after 17 and a half months...I am still losing! and it is (at
this point) completely effortless. Although I am at my goal, and am now a
size 6...there is still a little excess fat in my thighs and legs that I
would like to get rid of before shorts weather gets here again...but I feel
confident that it will come off, in it's own time and in it's own way, and
that I can't compare my progess with anyone else on here. I am often amazed
by the wisdom of my body. The main thing that I have learned is to pay
attention to what my body needs...to make sure I am getting proper
nutrition, and to take the extra time and effort to eat right. I don't run
into a fast food restaurant for fries when I know that what I am really
craving and really want is steamed vegetables. I found that the better
attention I pay, the healthier food choices I make and that they are just
naturally lower calorie. I continue to feel stronger, younger, healthier,
and life is good.
— Anne G.
December 17, 2001
I am a real light weight. I weighed 208 lbs w/ a BMI of 40. I am not even
5 feet tall. 4' 1'' I qualified and should weigh 108 so I am 100# over
weight, you think you had
it bad, when I went for all my pre-ops exams they kept on looking at my
chart and saying " now, what are you having done?" "you
don't look that bad" you're the smallest patient
we've ever seen here" It just bit my tongue! I have the same problems
a 400# person has in proportion to my height.
Hang in there, don't let anyone discourage you!! Good Luck
— Cindee A.
December 17, 2001
Hi Tina,
I can soooooo relate!!! My starting BMI was only 35. I am 5'7" and
weighed 228. When I told people what I was having done, they looked at me
like I had 2 heads. Just because my starting weight was lower than most
people trying to have this surgery, it didnt mean I was any happier with
myself. I still felt like an overweight, unhealthy person. You will lose
slower than people with a higher starting BMI. I am 9 weeks post now and
as of today have lost 40 pounds!!! I am thrilled with this weight loss!!
Good luck, my thoughts are with you!!
— skymaxjr
December 17, 2001
My BMI was 41 at 245 lbs. I also had many negative comments about having
WLS. But nobody was going to dissuade me. No way! I have been heavy all
of my life. Had several co-morbids. Miserable. Tired all the time. There
wasn't anything anyone could say to change my mind. Of course I got really
tired of all of the comments right up until I was in pre-op and the
anesthesiologist asked me how I qualified. I still felt like I had to
justify my qualifying to him, and I shouldn't have felt that way. You do
what you feel is BEST for YOU. Nobody knows your body and your med.
problems the way YOU do. Its funny that I have always been 'too big' for
everything (rides, plane belts, etc.) and when talking about WLS, I was
'not big enough'. Good luck on your journey. 5wks post-op, down 33 lbs.
I feel better everyday.
— Cheri M.
December 17, 2001
I know exactly what you mean! While hooking eletrodes up to my body, I had
a sleep study technician tell me "That's rediculous. If you work hard,
you can lose 100 lbs. It's not right for you to have this surgery." I
was a captive audience, and I was so angry. I told him exactly what another
poster said "it's between me and my surgeon and my insurance company.
We all see the necessity, and that's all that matters." Anyway,
there's a small but vocal group of us who face these and other issues being
"lightweights." Please, come join us.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG_4_LIGHTWEIGHTS
— Felissa L.
December 17, 2001
I started at 5'3" and 235. I too had people tell me I was too thin to
have surgery......most of them were the size of a large toothpick. I had
my surgery on 11/28/00 and am glad I did. Now, I am 130lbs, wear a size 6
and can outwalk my hubby or kids. Sometimes I feel a little guilty that
there are those who are suffering at higher BMIs and their insurances are
being hardnosed. I wish everyone who qualified for this surgery and
desired to have it could be approved in a timely fashion.
— Gina D.
December 17, 2001
I have not had the surgery yet, I still am trying to recieve insurance
coverage. I think this is a deeply personal decision, and as long as you
are confident about the reasons that you are having the surgery, try not to
worry about what others think. I am 240 and 5'5. This is the heaviest I
have ever been, and just like some of the heavier people on this site, I
have lost, gained, tried a million diets. Just because the numbers are not
the same it does not mean we do not have the same experience. It bothers me
that people on this site would discriminate against the so called
"lightweights" when, in fact, they know how it feels to be
discriminated against. Good Luck!!
— Tara J.
December 17, 2001
Hi Tina, I started out at 237 with a BMI of 41. I am now 6 months post-op
and down to 142 with 12 pounds left to reach my goal of 130. I had several
negative comments throwm my way. Hang in there and stand your ground!
Ciao, Victoria in Italy :)
— perezrdh
December 17, 2001
As another "lightweight", I feel the need to post an answer to
you. I started out at 222 (officially), unofficially, I got up to 226
waiting for surgery. My BMI was 40.2. That still meant that I was
morbidly obese and it still meant that I had co-morbids. I had people
"accuse" me of doing this for vanity reasons, telling me that
they did not even consider me that much overweight, never mind obese and
totally forget about morbidly obese. I am 32 years old and a year and a
half ago I lost my step father, the man who raised me, to what I consider
obesity related illnesses. True, my Daddy had other problems, but they
were made far worse by his weight later on in life. I did not want to be
55 years old and dead, like him. And I did not want to put my own children
through what I had been going through with losing a parent so young. I
also had no quality of life...I was always tired, going to bed at 8:00 at
night, as soon as my kids were in bed, I was in bed. Shopping in the
"fat lady's store", and "not fitting in the family
picture" because I was the "heavy one" in the family. I was
miserable. Did I want to continue on the path that I was on? Absolutely
not!! If I continued, than I would have been 40 years old and 400 lbs. My
loss is slower than others on this site...but everyone loses at a different
rate anyway. And I am just one month post op and I am down to 189 lbs. as
of this morning...I bought two new pairs of jeans this weekend...size
18...down from the 22/24 that I was wearing. I'm happier and healthier
today than I was just a month ago. I don't regret one moment of this
surgery and I am excited at the future, instead of dreading it. The day I
got the approval for my surgery, I turned around and said that I finally
saw the light at the end of the tunnel...and it wasn't the light in my
refrigerator.
Take care of yourself and the heck with what others say...it's ignorance
and jealousy sometimes. Here is to a healthier and happier you in 2002!!
— Mustang
December 17, 2001
Tina,
My start weight was 226 when I had surgery in Jun 01. I know about the
negative comments and how people try to make you feel. But here is the
key: you are doing this for yourself and most people are not going to
understand. Don't try to make them understand, just do what is best for
you. I found that when I was preparing for this surgery I received many
negative comments. Now that I am seventy pounds lighter people are wanting
to know what the requirements are for the surgery! Talk about a turn
around in their attitude! My co-morbs and family history were the reason I
chose surgery. I lost my father and sister to heart attacks at young ages.
Diabetes and high blood pressure runs rampant in my family. I did not
want to continue down the same road as my dad and sister. This decision
was about me, for me and to hell with all the nay sayers. Misery loves
company and I was tired of the company I was keeping. Do it for you.
— Teresa G.
December 18, 2001
Thanks everybody, i always think i am the only one with this problem until
i ask the question and no that i am not alone. I didn't say in my question
that i was 5'2 @ 225, and every pound i have shows (to me. Thanks for
posting your answers
— Tina B.
December 18, 2001
I'm going to give you a bit of a different perspective in my answer to you.
I am a 6'1" tall, medium to large build woman. At my highest I
weighed 327 with a BMI between 42 & 43. So I was a good hundred pounds
heavier than you are now. However, I will never see below 165, because I
would look horrible. I wear a size 10 now, and everone tinks I wear a 6 or
8. Pre-op I was wearing a 26/28. NO ONE thought I weighed what I did.
They didn't have to. They didn't have to live with the pain in their
joints, the sleep apnea, the GERD waking me up evey night, the insulin
resistance, shopping in Lane Bryant and having nothing fit, not wanting to
make love to my husband, and I could go on, and on, and on. They don't
have to live my life and I wanted MY LIFE BACK! I have my life back now.
18 months post-op, 372/170, BMI 43/22, size 26/28 to size 10. Nothing
looks as good as thin feels......luv,.....
— heidiinPA
December 18, 2001
It's like a club here!! It's great and we are not alone. I had surgery on
15 May 2001 at 238 and a BMI of 42. 7 months later I weigh 152 and my size
has gone from 22/24 to 10. I feel, look, and eat like my thin friends. I no
longer suffer form GERDs, take blood pressure meds, or have to shop in the
large size stores. I am so, so, so, very, very happy that I had WLS. I feel
confident that I will lose more weight and will reach my goal.
— blank first name B.
December 19, 2001
Hello..I also have a BMI of just under 40 I am 5'3 and about 220-225. It
varies from day to day.I am a short compact model of a woman and have
always been overweight, even if it was 30-40lbs.I developed many co morbs
since my hysterectomy in 1995, and once my weight got over 200, I developed
more. I went to a plastic surgeon to have a breast reduction and he
basically told me that if I did not lose the extra weight I was a ticking
time bomb.That is how I started the journey of WLS.My surgery is Jan 3, and
I am very ready, but I am a high risk patient. I even had to go for a
stress test..can you believe it???My doc is doing mine LAP. Imagine if I
waited till I gained more weight, no one would want to even touch me
then.Most people don't believe how much I weigh, but all have been
supportive for me having this procedure because they know the health
problems that plague me.I will be 44 on Jan 8th and this is my present to
myself. I have been so unhealthy for so long. I do hope this surgery meets
my expectations and my recovey is uneventful. For this is my last ditch
effort to get the weight off permenently once and for all.You hang in there
and believe in yourself.You are doing this for you:))God Bless<3
— garyzgurl
May 31, 2002
hello everyone, thanks for all the encouraging words. i am 25 at 5'2 and
223lbs..my bmi is 41. i was shocked to find my referral form my primary
physican come so fast. also, cigna hmo case work approved referrals for my
psych eval and cardio.........so i am very hopefull..however i do not have
3 medically supervised diets and am terrified that is going to set me back.
any suggestions?or examples? please email be at [email protected]
good luck to everyone!
— summer T.
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