Starting with Low BMI

[gardinerwife 0]

I too am a "lightweight". And to compound it I am fairly tall so most people wouldn't guess that I was almost 100 pounds over my ideal weight before surgery. Did I feel a guilty? A little. But I'd seen my weight creep up over the last several years, as did my blood pressure, my cholesterol, etc. I ddin't want to get to a point of taking BP meds or diabetic meds or any other meds. And I've always been overweight from childhood.

For me, I look at this much as I do my annual PAP test, mammogram, etc. I'm trying to prevent bigger complications or illnesses down the road.

I am only 3 weeks out but so far the sleeve has accomplished exactly what I hoped it would. I'm not hungry. I don't obsess about food. I can feel full without devoring the entire refrigerator:thumbup1:

Just because I am a "lightweight" does not mean I am any less deserving of this wonderful tool than someone else. Just because someone only needed two or three arterial bypasses as opposed to four, does that make them any less deserving?

[KRYSTL166 0]

Wow! I thought I was the only one! I'm one of the happiest ppl you will meet, but if you got a look inside my head you would be running! Its what diet will I do this wk, I know I can handle no carb this time, new diet pill!, new work out video!, and so on. Glad to know I'm not the only one! I think as long as you are doing it for ur self then who cares what others think! I hope your all "big losers" soon! Congrats to those who are already!

Krystl

[Swiftflow 6]

The way I look at it we will all be lightweights along the way in this journey one way or another. BMI is kind of a bogus number to me. I will never leave the "overweight" category even if I had 5% body fat because of my frame. I will probably end up changing my goal weight at some point once I know what will get me to at or under 10% body fat (healthy percent for male). I may adjust that just depending on how things look and feel down at that weight. The point is weight and BMI are just numbers--This is a mental game and its about loosing that fat. If I get to 210 and hit my low body fat I won't push and loose muscle just to get below 200... We will see how it goes!

look I'm a lightweight now at 35.2 bmi haha!

Edited June 25, 2010 by Swiftflow

[a.walker 2]

I really wanted to have this surgery when my BMI was about 38, but it my insurance said I didn't qualify because I didn't have co-morbidities. Nearly 10 years later, my BMI is 47 and I really wish I could have done this sooner. I definitely don't think you should feel guilty, and in fact I'm a little jealous that I'm not starting out smaller. I have been miserable a good majority of the last 10 years.

[mrsv825 0]

Got to say, I don't know that I'd risk the surgery at a BMI of 32-33 unless I had serious comorbidities.. risk v reward. But each to their own. If it's right for you, and your doctor agrees, go for it.

First of all, let me thank everyone for your support & encouragement. I am very excited to start my journey.

To EmilyGrace: I complete understand where you are coming from, but what I think finalized my decision was this thought: Everyday probably millions of people around the world have elective cosmetic surgery such as breast implants, tummy tucks, and face lifts (where they put staples in your head!) No one ever dies from having small boobs, extra skin hanging from their midsection or wrinkles! But there are so many problems that come along with obesity. After struggling with weight over the last 10-15 years and being on the losing end of the battle, I've had enough. So this is my elective cosmetic surgery that may end up actually saving my life. I've been through two c-sections which is a much more serious surgery imo. And getting my life back and actually feeling proud to be in pictures with my 4 children instead of hiding behind the camera is WELL worth the risk I will be taking! Not to mention I have very high confidence in the surgeon I have selected. I've heard nothing but postive things about him and I feel confident that I am in skilled, trustworthy hand. Thank you so much for your concern, but I for sure feel ready to do this. That doesn't mean of course that I'm not nervous, I'd be crazy not to, but it comes from a good place. Wish me luck everyone! My date is 8/5/10.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

If I could go back in time and educate my younger self about this surgery, if it had existed then as a WLS, I would have done it. If I could have done this at 19 when I was sliding inexorably toward obesity, I would have. I could have saved myself a decade of grief and misery. I am now championing it to my friends who are still trapped in the self-recriminating stage of, "it's my fault/if I only had willpower", friends who "only" have 75 lbs to lose. If you can see what your future holds, and have the power to change it for the better, do it!

[emilygrace 5]

I'm not sure why all the posts about "lightweights" being just as "deserving" of surgery. I clearly said that it wouldn't be right FOR ME, but that anyone it is right for, should go with it. Noone need justify their decision to anyone, let alone me.

I work in healthcare and frequently see the results of operations gone wrong, so I would probably make a more conservative decision regarding surgery. I certainly wouldn't have surgery as a preventive measure... but again, that is just me.

[MlkPas 5]

I don't think anybody really has any idea what they'd actually do unless and until they are actually faced with the situation. So I think it's kind of meaningless to talk about what you'd do if you were a lightweight. You're not, so why even speculate about it?

[Papillon 7]

MIni said it all!

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

Thank you for the thread. I am at 195 right now, planning to have surgery in 2nd week of August (will be booking Monday!). I've struggled with my weight since I was 6. Last year, I "changed my lifestyle" and lost 50 lbs. At 165 lbs, I would eat about 1000 calories a day and exercise 1.5-2.5 hours a day. Then one weekend I went on a trip with friends and had 3 drinks and 2 Desserts over the course of 3 days. Even tho we went out to dance both nights, and I danced for hours on end, I put on 3 lbs that weekend. No matter how hard I worked out and how little I ate the following week, those 3 lbs wouldn't come off. Then one day I had a bagel with cream cheese, and I put on another stubborn pound overnight. Then one day I just said "Screw this." If I don't get this surgery, I WILL one day be 250, 300 lbs. Why not do it now, when I'm young and healthy, in good physical shape outside of the # on my scale (I'm athletic, even though people like us are seen by society as "lazy" and "unmotivated"), and when my skin is still elastic enough to mostly bounce back after the weight loss? Why wait til I'm older, bigger, and might actually need a Tummy Tuck and a boob job after the sleeve? I don't really want to have this surgery 10 years later and be happy I reached 195 lbs again.

[sbingram12 1]

I'm in the same spot as BlackBerry. I'm young, physically active - heck I do p90x every single day, AND I have lap band right now - YET, I still have trouble keeping it off. THAT's why I'm getting the sleeve.