Question:
Should I try to lose 40 lbs or gain weight just to have surgery?

I AM 5'3 196 POUNDS I WANT TO HAVE SURGERY BUT I WAS TOLDI WAS TOLD BY A DOCTOR IN MEMPHIS THAT I AM NOT A CANIDATE FOR THE SURGERY. I SPOKE TO THE DR. AND SHE TOLD ME THAT I CAN EITHER TAKE 2 OR 3 YEARS TO LOSE 40 POUNDS OR EITHER I CAN TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND GAIN 40 POUNDS. WHICH ONE DO YOU ALL THINK IS BETTER? I RECENTLY GAINED 16 POUNDS IN ONE MONTH SO I KNOW IT IS NOT HARD TO DO.    — [Anonymous] (posted on April 22, 2001)

April 22, 2001
Oh please...you are saying that you are only 40 lbs overweight? I would think that surgery wouldn't be an option. If I got within 40 lbs of my goal weight WITH the surgery I'd be happy.
   — [Anonymous]

April 22, 2001
Since most of us know that you should be 100 lbs overweight to have this surgery and you will probably not lose all the weight by having surgery, at 196 I don't think I would want to face the risks of surgery. at 5'3" I believe your ideal weight would be around 120-130, I oersonally wouldn't do it...but you have to decide. The surgery is a tool and while the weight comes off quick at first you will still have to change your eating habits and exercise so why not try it first...but thats just my opinion. Good luck whatever you decide.
   — Kathy831

April 22, 2001
Your BMI is very close to 35. I used the calculator here on the site, and you would have to gain 2 pounds to make it to 35. If you have co morbidities then you would qualify without gaining much, so maybe it would be worth it. If you just recently gained 16 very quickly, then that weight will come off pretty quickly too I think. So if you don't have co morbs I would suggest you try to lose the weight first. You can always go through with the surgery later if you weren't able to do it on your own. It is major surgery and should be taken seriously. Good luck in whatever you decide is right for you. S
   — sherry hedgecock

April 22, 2001
I am aware that the 40 or 50lbs you would like to lose is every bit as much important to you as the 200lbs i would like to lose. If we are not happy with out bodies and our health, 25lbs and 250lbs seem miles away to most people, but to the people struggling to lose it, its feels the same. They both feel fat!!....(and i know feeling fat SUCKS!!) I know you think the surgery seems like a good idea but the weight you will gain just to have the surgery will once again be MORE weight you will have to lose. What happens if you gain 40 or 50lbs and then you drop that quickly after surgery only to have to work at getting off the last 40?? Then you are right back where you started EXCEPT....you may have uneccesary complications and look at all the recovery you wil have to do. Most of us have to WORK at the last 40lbs or so. I honestly think you should try and drop the 40lbs on your own. If i only had 40lbs to drop, i would not consider surgery. We have to exercise and eat right after surgery too. It isn't a quick fix that will get you where you want to be without any effort of struggles.
   — Tracy L.

April 22, 2001
I agree as far as Tracy says that 40 lbs is just as hard as 250 lbs but please understand there is alot of extremes that go with this surgery. Extremes meaning the surgery itself, the liquid only for so long, the incision, etc. I would say to try your hardest to take the weight off yourself.
   — RoseAnn J.

April 23, 2001
I really want to pipe up here because this issue comes up so often. Are we fat enough for the surgery at this or that bmi? Then people answer with wether or not a person should diet. Ok, show of hands, who has kept off 40 pounds by dieting? What makes everyone think that diets are more effective for 40 pounds than for 100? Now, the quality of life issues are very relevant, most of us know that an extra 50 or 100 pounds makes a big difference in our quality of life. I know lower bmi people often don't realize that quality of life can diminish somewhat because of the surgery. People need to think hard about the worst scenarios. But that doesn't mean that there is a magic number at which you can diet to lose weight and "don't need" the surgery. I see a lot of people resorting to diets to lose that last 20 or 30 pounds after the surgery so obviously there is some part of all of us that wants to get to our own goal weight. The only thing I've seen proven about diets is that they make you gain weight. So my answer to this question is, go ahead and diet, it might be the best way to get your bmi to where you would qualify for the surgery. And phooey on people who think you can diet to get rid of your excess. If diets worked on us when we were only 50 pounds overweight, we wouldn't be on this website. That doesn't mean you should have the surgery, but don't set yourself on losing weight by another means, they just don't work. Thanks
   — kcanges

July 28, 2001
I was 5'4 and 182lbs I was told to gain weight by the nurse at bth I gained the weight had the surgery and after a year dropped down to 164 I am now 176 and I am very unhappy I have several problems because of the surgery ones that will stay with me the rest of my life (not to mention a nine inch scar that I am embarresed for anyone to see. please think about what you are considering because your decision can be life altering and once this is done there is no going back.
   — [Anonymous]