Sleeve Regretters

[mollydeez 25]

I haven't scheduled my surgery yet (they won't let me until I get proof from 2 doctors that I've been obese the past 2 years ) but my mom said she met a lady this morning that got the sleeve and regretted it. The lady said that if you go in with bad eating habits, nothing will change. This freaked me out because well obviously I have bad eating habits. That's why I'm doing this lol...any tips or suggestions on major steps to take pre-op to prepare myself for what's to come? Really the last thing I want to do is regret this and I don't think I will, but it's discouraging to learn that someone wasn't happy afterward.

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[Christinamo7 4,042]

we all had some sort of bad eating habits. the question is, with the sleeve to help you how willing are you to make changes?

secondly, many to most people have regrets in the first few weeks. you are healing and nothing seems right. six months out, fully healed, eating well, weight down, diabetes gone I am happy as a clam. some who are unhappy have had complications. some were not ready to make changes to their lives.

your BMI is on the lower side so your loss will likely be slower, but you will get there. only you know if it is right for you.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

I agree with @Christinamo7. Obviously if we could have changed our bad habits pre-op, we most likely would have and none of us would have had surgery. You have to be willing to change, you have to want to change, you have to be willing to work at change. If you go in with the mindset of either "the sleeve will make me not want to eat fattening or junky food ever again" or "the sleeve will make it so that I can eat Cookies and chips and milkshakes every day but I'll be happy with just a tiny bit and I'll be able to lose/maintain weight while eating cupcakes and Frappuccinos" -- neither one of those bodes well for your future IMO. If you are willing to work hard and change your habits, the sleeve will help you do that and enable you to have success.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

That one phantom woman of whom you speak is not the measure of all things. Her statement indicates that she was expecting surgery to be a magical solution and had no intention of making changes.

If you want to go through life expecting 100% guarantees, you'll squander your life. How tragic that would be. Forget about your mother's encounter and look within yourself. Bariatric surgery is not a cure; it is an aid. If you can find inside the desire to change your habits and take responsibility for your projects, you'll be fine.

[Babbs 14,681]

After over 2 years on these forums, the only people I see regretting the surgery are the ones who unfortunately have health issues because of it (very smal percentage), or the ones who go into it thinking it will be this magical thing that will cure all their weight issues (a larger percentage).

If you go into this knowing you have to change the way you think, act and even feel about diet and exercise, you'll be successful and have no regrets.

[busybeebug 415]

I know several people who at various wls. The successful ones took the pre op period to work on having a better relationship with food, finding coping skills to deal with triggers. They figured out if they could make the life long commitment to living post wls. We're they perfect all the time pre and post? Of course not but they always got back on track.

The ones who did not do well had thought that the,surgery would magically fix their problem . They never invested the time and energy to figure out how to eat well. They slipped back into old habits within 6 months to a year.

I know one person who had severe hypertension , diabetes and more issues, they struggle emmensly. Weight loss came very slowly. They had a stroke after wsl but not related to the surgery.

You typically get out what you put into it. Obviously there are exceptions to that thought. For me the risks of wls is worth it. Everybody's journey is different . Only you can carve your path.

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[Seagull 140]

I don't regret it for a minute

66lbs since June 6... I'm nearing my goal, saving a ton of money and feel great.

The beginning sucks.

The forced change is welcome.

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[cbonet 336]

If you haven't done so already you may want to research all options. Such as the balloon. The way I'm understanding you may not have a history of obesity and may need a different type of tool for support. I wish you wellness.

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[Lizardlady 90]

I had extremely poor eating habits pre-op. Most of my food was carbs. I ate tons of Pasta and most meat was breaded and a lot of the times it was deep fried. We also ate fast food quite often (multiple times a week). Not only were the things I ate extremely bad, but I usually only ate 1 - 2 times a day but in huge portions (you'd be surprised how much you can fit in when you wait too long to eat something!). I also ate very few if any veggies.

Today (2 months and almost 2 weeks out), I start my day off with a Protein shake, I may have a salad (with lots of added protein) for my lunch and then some kind of Protein with a small side of veggies for my dinner. If I feel the need to have a snack then I'll grab some cheese or something acceptable that will help with my protein intake for the day. None of these meals are large meals. About child sized or less I would say and I don't have any regrets. I never would have been able to make these changes on my own because I would have given up and went back to my old ways by now. Over 80 lbs lost in a matter of a few months so it is definitely working for me which makes me want to keep pushing forward. I would love to say that I changed on my own but my sleeve deserves a lot of that credit. If I can change my terrible eating habits then you can do it too! I'm not sure what the lady your mom met with was doing but I really don't see HOW you could keep your bad eating habits and still get the nutrition you need. With a little bit of willpower, I'm sure you will succeed if you really want to!

[ShelterDog64 2,364]

@@mollydeez It's not the going IN with bad eating habits that makes it a regret, it's expecting to continue those bad eating habits coming OUT that keeps people from appreciating the limits of the surgery and being successful.

You can lose weight with this surgery even if you eat nothing but cupcakes and koolaid, but you won't improve your health and extend your life. Having 3/4 of your stomach cut off and yanked out of your body is not a 'weight-loss plan', it's a tool to help you change your entire relationship with food. People who aren't willing to do the work that is needed to make the most of this tool aren't going to be successful, and you're the only person who knows if you're going to do it or not.

[Julie norton 2,850]

Lots of agreement here that WLS is intended to work with you and all the CHANGES you make to your life.

Attitude, commitment , Water, Protein, exercise, all play parts in revamping a life that didn't work because we were too big .

It's for life is all I can say... Fight it and lose or cooperate and most likely live a healthier life( nothing is perfect)

Sorry. I am banded and posted in sleeve. But I think my thoughts are relevant .

I do understand that WLS just does not work for some. I truly feel for those that have tried hard, but couldn't get results ... For many reasons not in their control. It is not one size / type/ fits all!