Low BMI and Gastric Sleeve

[Brn2blossom 88]

Cfgirl...your hit the nail on the head!

[CocoPebbles1030 59]

I was sleeved on October 27th and on the date or surgery weighed 172 pounds. I haven't told many people about getting the sleeve but the few I've told, most have said the same thing. "You're not that big. Why would you do that to yourself?" I've suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol for 13 years. Today I weighed in at 161 and as of this past Monday I am free from all prescription medications. So that is reason enough to get the surgery. To be free from diseases that were sure to kill me one day!

Take control of your health and ignore the thoughts of others!!!

Blessings~

[akerley 2]

CFGIRL Thank you!! On December 8 I am getting sleeved. I weigh in at 180 with a bmi of 32. I have NO comorbidities so I am a self pay. Like you I am tired of doing everything for it to mean nothing (I have been doing hcg self injections for 2 years just to stay @170) I want the life where food is nourishing and I eat to fuel my body not my emotions. I have always eaten til stuffed.... my hope (and psycholohist, nutritionist, and dr) is the the sleeve will help me regain control of good portioning!

[JaneJaneDoe 81]

CFGirl, I feel like you; I could've written your post (with some minor changes). I am 45 yrs old, 5'4", 192... which equals a 33 BMI, which is OBESE. I have a myriad of issues: hypothyroid, yoyo dieting, high cholesterol, back/knee/foot pain, pre-diabetic. I'm just so DONE with feeling horrible. I really enjoy exercise and in the past have run multiple half marathons. But now I wake with a headache every morning, zero energy, joints hurt, back hurts. And have been told NOT to run because of further joint damage. I miss running. And I don't want to wait any longer to just get MORE UNHEALTHY. I have been researching for some time and my husband is supportive. I have an appointment scheduled for a consult with a reputable surgeon. I am determined. I assume I will be a self-pay patient, unless during the pre-op findings we find that insurance may step up to the plate. Nonetheless, I am determined to get off this yoyo / rollercoaster and get on with healthy living. I just want to say "thank you" to those other low BMI people out there. I have been reading this board for about six months and sometimes I am fearful of posting bc I may not be received well since "I'm not fat enough" and shouldn't even be considering this option. Sad.

[CFGirl 54]

JaneJaneDoe and Akerly, if you continue to read post from around the board you will see the number one regret of this surgery was waiting sooooo long to have it! ????. I encourage you both to seek out the BEST OPTIONS for yourself! Like you both, there comes a time where enough is enough! Time to stop the guilt, shame, hatred of my reflection, self loathing, joint pain, lack of energy, and my constant worry about food and my weight! Not to mention by inability to maintain my weightloss once I get there! Timento take the bull by the horns and harness this baby in! Time to get HEALTHY and for once in my life MAINTAIN IT! See we all have gone through this! Every year we get motivated to lose weight and we exercise and eat right, maybe join WEight watchers. We continue this way of living for about 4-5 months. In that time, you Amy have dropped about 15-20lbs! Your hungry tired and workin you butt off to do this! Then you start to slip up. You ate more than the points allowed or you skipped a few gym workouts because now life/work has changed and you can't go as much as you did. All of the sudden BAMM! Right back where you were! Do that for about 15-20 years and as you can see you got absolutely NO WHERE! On top of that you continuously fight to just stay at the weight you are at!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!! SOOOO FRUSTRATING!! I decided once and for all I AM DONE! DONE,DONE,DONE! A lot of people will judge you for your desicion but I don't care! At the end of the day it is MY life and I have to live it! They haven't been there with me these 15-20 years sweating, starving, or crying! It has been me that's been through it all (and my poor husband????)! BTW, my husband is TOTALLY supportive! Bottom line is, at the end of day it is your life you have to live and the ONLY one person you will have to truly answer to is GOD and I whole heartily believe he is not going to hold this one against us!????. I ❤️ Jesus!

Edited November 25, 2014 by CFGirl

[rsmith722 18]

My BMI was 38 when I was approved for the surgery. As little as six months ago it was 33. I, like many of you was tired of the continual weight yo-yo over the course of 30 years. I want to be healthy and not be ruled by my food. My decision to have the sleeve was me wanting to "eat to live", rather than "live to eat". I was frustrated after dieting and exercising and losing weight and gaining it all back plus more my entire adult life. I recently developed some comorbidities, blood pressure medication this year, severe sleep apnea, and my blood sugar was slowly creeping through the pre-diabetic stages. The heavier I got, the less I wanted to exercise, and the heavier I got... A vicious circle! it also seemed like I was always hungry and didn't have a full mark.I started to consider my own mortality, with my 50th birthday quickly approaching (it is November 29). I was approved on November 3 and my surgery date was November 18, 2014. I am now today one week post surgery and I feel that this is the best decision that I have ever made! my doctor takes the removed stomach during surgery, stitches it up and filled it with air and measures it. I talked him out of a photograph of mine. It is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, my huge stomach laying on a table. He told me that he was surprised if I ever felt full because my stomach was one of the largest that he has seen, and he is operated on people 500 pounds and up. Whenever I feel frustrated about this liquid diet that I am halfway through, I take a look at that picture and I always feel better! After seven days I have lost almost 20 pounds, I am walking between 2 1/2 and 3 miles per day and I feel fantastic. I am getting at least 60 g of Protein per day and getting down at least 80 ounces of Water per day, even though that KL drinking water at least every 30 minutes all day long. The weight is falling off and I feel like I am no longer ruled by what I eat. I am even looking forward to having some cream of chicken Soup during Thanksgiving while my family is stuffing themselves on turkey and dressing. Maybe I'll have some chocolate pudding (sugar-free of course) for my 50th birthday Saturday!I I am 6 foot two, was 307 pounds on the Thursday before surgery at my preop appointment, 301 pounds last Tuesday when I checked in, and today I was 286. I am not hungry, 4 ounces of water makes me feel full, and I I am getting sufficient nutrition on the liquid diet, but I really can't wait until next week when I get to go to puréed food and actually chew something again. I know that I am at the beginning stages of my journey, but I feel as if I have turned the corner on my path to a healthier life!

[12thman 7]

I'm 5' 6" 206 lbs. 33.9 bmi. I had the lap band placed in 2006. Lost 30 lbs. I have severe diabetes, sleep apnea, HTN, and high cholesterol.

I was approved the first go around. January 20th is the day.

[emsgirl114 88]

I'm 5' 6" 206 lbs. 33.9 bmi. I had the lap band placed in 2006. Lost 30 lbs. I have severe diabetes, sleep apnea, HTN, and high cholesterol.

I was approved the first go around. January 20th is the day.

Good luck! I transitioned from the band as well. 16 days out. Lost 60+ with band and then got sick and had to open. Gained 30 back.

Edited December 10, 2014 by emsgirl114

[12thman 7]

I noticed the EMS. I'm also in the EMS field and it does impact my job at times. Also the embarrassment of trying to fit it to tight areas, especially when I hit my port.

Edited December 10, 2014 by 12thman

[SouthernBelle69 20]

BMI right around 35/36 - weight 207. I researched for weeks trying to justify my desire to have the surgery. Its a lonely place when almost everyone around you say you look great but you are internally struggling because you know the truth. The battle to keep the weight off, stress and the mental fatigue it causes you that no one would ever understand. I'm currently in the Pre-Insurance approval stage but my surgeon and staff doesn't think its going to be a problem. My insurance BCBS only requires the 35 BMI w/comorbidities, psychological evaluation and the surgery must be preformed at a Blue Distinction Center.

After speaking with the psychiatrist, he confirmed my decision not to share with others about my surgery. My husband and only a selected few (friends that have had the surgery) I will share for support. Unfortunately, I CAN'T TELL MY CHILDREN! Girls, one 25 and two in college. They would think I want the surgery for selfish, cosmetic, lazy or trying to stay young reasons or bottom line narcissistic.

Sign....Striving for a healthier after 45 life but must remain in the closet.

[12thman 7]

I have BC/BS and approved the first try. I think you should be good to go. I was taken back, by what your psychologist said. I think family support is a big thing. Your family should be proud of you for taking the next step to being healthy and be around for along time.

Even though I'm at 33% bf my diabetes is out of control, that's one of the main reasons to get the surgery,

Hang in there, think positive, think about the new you.

[dsmith_rn 186]

BMI right around 35/36 - weight 207. I researched for weeks trying to justify my desire to have the surgery. Its a lonely place when almost everyone around you say you look great but you are internally struggling because you know the truth. The battle to keep the weight off, stress and the mental fatigue it causes you that no one would ever understand. I'm currently in the Pre-Insurance approval stage but my surgeon and staff doesn't think its going to be a problem. My insurance BCBS only requires the 35 BMI w/comorbidities, psychological evaluation and the surgery must be preformed at a Blue Distinction Center.

After speaking with the psychiatrist, he confirmed my decision not to share with others about my surgery. My husband and only a selected few (friends that have had the surgery) I will share for support. Unfortunately, I CAN'T TELL MY CHILDREN! Girls, one 25 and two in college. They would think I want the surgery for selfish, cosmetic, lazy or trying to stay young reasons or bottom line narcissistic.

Sign....Striving for a healthier after 45 life but must remain in the closet.

I have also had to be in the closet, simply because there is so much misinformation floating around out there about bariatric surgery. One of the first people i told was my niece who i am very close to, and she and her husband went off about how dangerous it is, how it doesn't work because you gain all the weight back, how i would end up being sick the rest of my life, and i didn't need it.

After that, I decided to tell only a few people because i didn't need the negativity! Only 2 of my 8 children know, the ones i knew would be supportive, my fiance and a few very close friends and my mom.

People at work are gossipy and would accuse me of taking "the easy way out" so when they ask how i did it, i tell them i totally changed the way i eat, cut out the carbs, eat much smaller portions, and have a personal trainer at the gym, all of which is true. There IS no easy way out, so when they ask about my "secret" to losing weight, I tell them there isn't one. You have to do the work. Eat less and exercise, which i work hard to do, I just have a tool (my sleeve) that helps a little bit. But it's no magic pill, I still have to do the work. There IS no "easy way out."

My niece saw me the other day, i hadn't seen her in about 4 months. She said "OMG I didn't recognize you at first, Skinny!" Sadly, I think every pound I lost found its way onto her. She is very obese now, I wanted to cry when i saw her.

Bottom line is, this is a very major life change. Yes, you do need support to get through it, but not all of us have relatives and friends that will be supportive. In my opinion, is better to have NO support than people who are being negative.

Who you tell about your surgery is a very personal decision.

[anita123 0]

Some folks just don't get it. That's exactly why I didn't tell no more than 5 people. Those 5 people understand I was borderline diabetic- cholesterol - HBP, had sleep apnea, back & joint pain. So they knew I needed the sleeve to get & stay healthy. I didn't want to hear or deal with the folks telling me I didn't need it because I went "big" enough to need WLS. It's been almost a year & 1/2 post op and it still haven't told anyone else. Me limiting folks that I told has made this journey a good & positive experience.

I have also had to be in the closet, simply because there is so much misinformation floating around out there about bariatric surgery. One of the first people i told was my niece who i am very close to, and she and her husband went off about how dangerous it is, how it doesn't work because you gain all the weight back, how i would end up being sick the rest of my life, and i didn't need it.

After that, I decided to tell only a few people because i didn't need the negativity! Only 2 of my 8 children know, the ones i knew would be supportive, my fiance and a few very close friends and my mom.

People at work are gossipy and would accuse me of taking "the easy way out" so when they ask how i did it, i tell them i totally changed the way i eat, cut out the carbs, eat much smaller portions, and have a personal trainer at the gym, all of which is true. There IS no easy way out, so when they ask about my "secret" to losing weight, I tell them there isn't one. You have to do the work. Eat less and exercise, which i work hard to do, I just have a tool (my sleeve) that helps a little bit. But it's no magic pill, I still have to do the work. There IS no "easy way out."

My niece saw me the other day, i hadn't seen her in about 4 months. She said "OMG I didn't recognize you at first, Skinny!" Sadly, I think every pound I lost found its way onto her. She is very obese now, I wanted to cry when i saw her.

Bottom line is, this is a very major life change. Yes, you do need support to get through it, but not all of us have relatives and friends that will be supportive. In my opinion, is better to have NO support than people who are being negative.

Who you tell about your surgery is a very personal decision.

[SouthernBelle69 20]

Psychiatrist was referring to 'other' people not family. I do have family support but I chose not to tell my young adult children.

I have BC/BS and approved the first try. I think you should be good to go. I was taken back, by what your psychologist said. I think family support is a big thing. Your family should be proud of you for taking the next step to being healthy and be around for along time.

Even though I'm at 33% bf my diabetes is out of control, that's one of the main reasons to get the surgery,

Hang in there, think positive, think about the new you.

[Hindy74 7]

Hi I'm new here too

My bmi 35 imnnot so heavy I always dress nice and when I told a friend of mine I'm having the sleeve I was sure she would say wow I'm so excited for you instead she says oh wow you look good what u need it for (I'm dabetick high )im on meds twice a day I have problems breathing ....and I'm not so skinny like she said I am like 195 lbs and 5.2