female only Would You Do It Again For Just 70 Pounds To Lose?

[Wheetsin 714]

In my case I would. If I'd had ANY success with maintaining loss on my own, I would not. I can lose, and I can definitely gain, but maintaining is something I've never been able to do.

I was about 285 (up from a low of about 215) when my lapband was removed. I was determined to stay at that weight until I could get my sleeve. What did I weigh on the day of sleeve surgery (about 7 months after band removal)? 348.

[hadouni 301]

Oh HECK yes!! I've been dieting since I was 9 years old! The crazy stuff I did to keep from being fat instead of just chunky took years off my life the way I see it.

The sooner I could have done this, the better. Knowing what I know now, I should have been looking into this in my early 30s when I started really gaining because there is just no other way for me. I tried it all!

If insurance companies were smart, they'd let people do this earlier than they do. The money spent on weight related issues is far more than the cost of surgery.

[JLOR 47]

The more consider the surgery, the results others have had, and what will work best for me, I know Im finally headed in the right direction.

[coops 1,790]

Hey!

In the title of the post, you asked if I would do it again for 'just 70lbs'...

well, at two years out I have lost 74lbs, I am not at goal and I would do it again in the blink of an eye... absolutely, no doubt.

There is no 'just' in 70lbs!!

I say, that you have to do what is right for you... and no one else. This isn't an easy 'fix all' surgery, and I for sure, have had to work for each and every single pound... I am not complaining... but it ain't a magic wand.

Good luck with your decision... do what is right for you, regardless of what the scales says...

[Renea77 84]

I would do it again, I have yo-yo dieted for years, been on every pill, shake, and plan you can think of. I reached my highest weight of 230 this year and have struggled with my weight since a teen. I would lose and gain and gain some more. I knew this was the right decision for me and I only had 70 pounds to lose. I say do you, enjoy your life and live your dream. I am 176 now and don't remember the last time I weighed 176 or felt this happy. I am more active now, I look and feel great and have so much more energy. I wish you the best!

[carbgrl 119]

I did it to lose 66 lbs. When I got the lapband I needed to lose 85. I lost 75 and gained back about 50. Before the lapband I'd lost 50 + lbs at least 4-5 times as an adult. I could never keep it off. I needed something permanent.

[Pattyhdz 32]

I am exactly like you going in today at 191. (actually lost 8 with pre op diet ). Buy I am a lab band revision. Even if I wasn't this would have been something to do. Will be a tool to help with yo yo dieting. And boy did I get the " why you are not even that fat". And I am sure I wil get looks again in hospital You know the judging looks of why I couldn't do it on my own. Buy only you know how you feel and your confot Zone .The thing is some of us can do it on our own but we can't keep it off. That was the harder part for me. As far as goals I don't have one at this point I just am looking forward to a different experience with food as comparison to band and give it my all and see where it takes me. I am a very slow looser and am use to not eating much already so maybe I just dont want to set myself up for disappointment. Your are not alone. Here . There is also a thread I think titled low Bmi you might find it helpful. I know I did. Good luck

[jilldgipson 12]

I had surgery on June 5th of this year (so one month ago) with 70-90 pounds to lose. I'm one who has struggled with my weight my whole life - I don't know what it feels like to be skinny. But I will!

Even though the first month after surgery is supposed to be the hardest, I can say I would definitely do this again. It's the best gift I have ever given myself (I'm a self-pay patient - BMI was not high enough to get approved with no co-morbidities).

I have had NO problems. No nausea (except the day after surgery because I had a reaction to the first anti-nausea drug they tried). I've had no throwing up, no negative issues with food. I'm down 26 pounds since the start of my pre-op diet. At this time I can eat almost anything I want, with the exception of breads, pastas and stuff like al dente veggies and lettuce. Those will be fine in a few weeks though. I forget to eat!! I have NEVER forgotten to eat before in my life. I don't care about food. It is completely amazing. I feel like I have been freed from my addiction. I'm losing slowly and steadily, but THIS TIME IT IS FOREVER. I know in my heart that this is the LAST time I will lose these pounds that I have lost so many times before and gained back. And I will reach numbers I have not seen since I was a kid. I can't WAIT!!

Again, I only had 70-90 pounds to lose and my only regret is that I didn't do this for myself sooner.

[CdnExpat 49]

I told my younger sister (who has always been overweight even as a child) I was thinking about this' date=' and she said "I've always been fat so I don't miss being skinny, but I can see how you might". I can't make her understand it's not about wanting to be skinny...it's about wanting to look in the mirror again at myself and not want to cry and think "that's not me".[/quote']

I soooooo get this! I gained 80 pounds after being (finally!) diagnosed with MS and I've had a mental "hate-on" for my own image ever since. I didn't comprehend how bad it was until after I had lost about 25 pounds post op and I caught a glimpse of myself reflected in a shop window. I actually stopped and really looked at myself when I didn't get the same feeling of disappointment/puzzlement. "Who is that person?" It made me comprehend just how much I had been fighting myself for the past 15 years.

The weight loss is wonderful - I have way more energy (which is limited by the fatigue of MS in the first place) and I feel a little spark of delight each time I see a picture of myself now. Not because I'm so vain (though I suppose I could be) but because it's ME in that pic, not the strange face I've been living with since 1996. I would never have qualified for surgery in Canada; my BMI was not within the "acceptable" limits, but fortunately for me, I don't currently live in Canada.

The more weight I lose, the better I feel in every way. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

CE

[Magicmuffin 19]

I'm 5'5" and currently weigh 195 pounds. That puts me at a BMI of about 32. I haven't seriously discussed surgery with anyone but my husband' date=' but serious I am! When I joke about it with people I know they all say "you don't have that much to lose" or "just try this new diet". But to me, I am finally facing a very painful fact...I can't do it alone! To know me is to know that I don't NEED anyone/anything. I want people and things in my life, but I can do it on my own if I have to. If I set my mind to something I do it! So why can't I do this? I am telling you this not to feel sorry for me, but to understand what finally brought me to this decision of having surgery.

I was 119 pounds when I graduated from high school....on the homecoming court, played sports, top of my class, blah blah blah. Now 20 years later I'm still very successful in my career, have a wonderful family, put myself thru college, but I'm fat. I'm not "a little overweight", pleasantly plump, or any of the other euphemisms. I'm fat! That alone has been a hard fact to face, but face it I am.

I started putting on weight the day I graduated from high school, and while I have tried for YEARS to get back to my ideal weight, it has NEVER happened. I would have limited success when I was young, but ultimately I would gain it all back. And every year add just a few more pounds. Now...well 195 pounds says it all. I lose 20 put on 25, lose 35, put on 40. Nothing has ever stayed off for more than 6 months in the whole darn 20 years. And I WANT ME BACK. Does that make me crazy? Is it really so extreme to have surgery to lose 60-70 pounds? I don't think so, but I would love to hear from those who have been in a similar situation and are several months/years after surgery. Did it last? Did you get to your ideal weight? Would you do it again?

I told my younger sister (who has always been overweight even as a child) I was thinking about this, and she said "I've always been fat so I don't miss being skinny, but I can see how you might". I can't make her understand it's not about wanting to be skinny...it's about wanting to look in the mirror again at myself and not want to cry and think "that's not me".[/quote']

OMG!!! You might as well have just written my own story! A cheerleader in high school as well as honor roll, skipped a grade. I was a fully trained RN by age 19 and had the world y the tail. Not overweight until just before having my first child, I am always appalled to see myself in the mirror I know how u feel! I am a little shorter with a BMI of 36 - have about 75 lbs to lose, and NOTHING has worked for me (at the most a couple of years - more often a few months) and yet I feel as if I haven't been in my own skin for more than 20 years! I am the original lone ranger - my husbands work has kept him away for the better part (and I do mean the 'better' part -sadly) for the last 20 years so I have had to do it all on my own - except I no longer can. I am doing this! Because of staffing issues I can't get the time until after Christmas but the first part of January I am doing this and this WILL work for me. I will use the time until then to get a little more physically fit and get more inside my head, I know I need to work with hubby as he is a 'foodie enabler' - skinny as a rail 'try this honey' but then here I go. My last child will graduate in 13 and she is the favorite to be valedictorian - I want so bad to be back to myself when I go up to do the response to her speech! Because who I see in the mirror right noe is NOT who I am

And you are right - it has nothing to do with being skinny ...it has everything to do with being at home in my own body, and this is NOT me.

You go girl! We got your back...

[pia 2]

MagicMuffin and JLOR we share the same story. I'm 5'2 BMI 37, 204 lbs. was cheerleader in college. Went from 120 to 183 in 11 years after 3 kids, a hubby would loves to eat and loves sweets, a highly stressful job and no time for myself. Tried everything including eating right and rigorous exercise 2x a day for 5 days a week and after 6 months not even a pound lost. Nothing. So stressed out thatni didnt have a cycle for 2 years. Wasnt until I decided to have WLS thAt infelt relieved and wouldnt uou know my cycle came. Recently tried adipex got down to 174 but once the drug was out of my system gained 30 pounds within 4 short months. Now stuck at 204. Being so short, I look like the Pillsbury Doughboy. I also feel that my weight is the reason I continously get passed over for promotions at work. But that's another story. I want ME back desperately! So I'm getting the surgery. My questions are: why didn't any of you choose the bypass? I'm concerned about malabsorption issues when I'm 80, but my doc is encouraging the bypass. most of the folks who have had the bypass look sick to me and after awhile they start regaining. Anyone concerned about the long term effects with aging? Two years ago, I had my gall bladder removed...still experiencing dumping. How bad is the dumping with the sleeve?

[JLOR 47]

Thanks everyone for the support! I really needed it. I have my first Doctor appointment today, and I'm excited! Pia, good questions. I'll be curious to see the answers. I know for me, I was concerned about altering my body that much and what later side effects could come from malabsorption, but on the flip side I worry about the sleeve not being enough to keep my weight down permanently.

[JLOR 47]

Well, I had my doctor appointment and we agreed that the sleeve is for me. Now I just need to arrange a date for the surgery. I'm not going thru insurance so it won't be as long of a process. I'm ready to start working on the new me!

[windycitymom 60]

Congrats JLOR,

I am 5 mo post op and my goal was to lose 60 lbs. I started with a BMI of 30. I would do it all over in a heartbeat!! So far so good here. My goal is to make the most of the time that I have the greatest restriction. I am always fearing that the weight will come back just like everything else I've tried. I am not to goal yet but hope to be in the next couple of months. I'm 5' 6 3/4" btw.

The only thing I wish is that I did it sooner.

Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.

WCM

[petite-size-me! 70]

I'm 5'5" and currently weigh 195 pounds. That puts me at a BMI of about 32. I haven't seriously discussed surgery with anyone but my husband' date=' but serious I am! When I joke about it with people I know they all say "you don't have that much to lose" or "just try this new diet". But to me, I am finally facing a very painful fact...I can't do it alone! To know me is to know that I don't NEED anyone/anything. I want people and things in my life, but I can do it on my own if I have to. If I set my mind to something I do it! So why can't I do this? I am telling you this not to feel sorry for me, but to understand what finally brought me to this decision of having surgery.

I was 119 pounds when I graduated from high school....on the homecoming court, played sports, top of my class, blah blah blah. Now 20 years later I'm still very successful in my career, have a wonderful family, put myself thru college, but I'm fat. I'm not "a little overweight", pleasantly plump, or any of the other euphemisms. I'm fat! That alone has been a hard fact to face, but face it I am.

I started putting on weight the day I graduated from high school, and while I have tried for YEARS to get back to my ideal weight, it has NEVER happened. I would have limited success when I was young, but ultimately I would gain it all back. And every year add just a few more pounds. Now...well 195 pounds says it all. I lose 20 put on 25, lose 35, put on 40. Nothing has ever stayed off for more than 6 months in the whole darn 20 years. And I WANT ME BACK. Does that make me crazy? Is it really so extreme to have surgery to lose 60-70 pounds? I don't think so, but I would love to hear from those who have been in a similar situation and are several months/years after surgery. Did it last? Did you get to your ideal weight? Would you do it again?

I told my younger sister (who has always been overweight even as a child) I was thinking about this, and she said "I've always been fat so I don't miss being skinny, but I can see how you might". I can't make her understand it's not about wanting to be skinny...it's about wanting to look in the mirror again at myself and not want to cry and think "that's not me".[/quote']

I think if u have done the research, and u feel the benefits outweigh the risks, do it.

You will have to find a surgeon willing to do it and guessing your insurance won't pay for it, but If you feel this is what you need, why not?

I'm not years out, 3 weeks, so this is just my opinion.