Is this the right option for me?

[jessgnc 167]

Hi everyone!

First time poster here. I have started the journey and I'm in the super preliminary "dipping my toes in the water" stages now. I just wanted to pick the brains of the people here.

Here's a tl;dr since I ended up rambling. Diet and self-control aren't an issue for me, but I can’t lose weight. Is the sleeve right for me? Am I mentally prepared for this? Hi, how are you doing?

A quick history: My whole life I have been overweight. When I graduated college, I promised myself I would get in shape. I really made a concerted effort. I changed my diet and started working out. I have been out of college for almost a decade now and while internally I'm healthy, externally I am still fat.

I see a wonderful endocrinologist and we have been working for almost 2 years to get to the root of this problem. I learned that I have PCOS and a serious metformin allergy which is what is making this such a struggle. I have blood tests that show everything is within range and I am technically healthy. She has reviewed nearly 900 days’ worth of MyFitnessPal logs and confirms I am eating correctly. We have tried a range of different weight loss drugs, none of which have had any effect. I did Keto for over a year. I lost 30lbs in the first 3 months and then never lost anything else (and yes, I updated my macros as needed).

At our last meeting, my doctor admitted that she was running out of ideas to try and it might be time to consider looking into weight loss surgery. I have nothing against surgery (or I wouldn’t be here), but I’ve got to admit that I have some preconceived notions which turn me off of it. I have an aunt who had a lap band put in and is frequently sick from complications. My mother had a gastric bypass and almost died when her body stopped absorbing Iron. Since heading down this path, I realize that my family doesn't take very good care of themselves and as long as I listened to the doctor and went in for routine visits, I should be safe from these things.

I also always was under the impression that WLS was for people who had poor Portion Control and that doing something like this would force them to eat less which was why it worked. Portion control isn’t my issue. When I spoke to my doctor about this, she explained that WLS almost reforms your gastric system. People who were pre-diabetic suddenly get better. People who couldn’t lose weight start losing. This is my big concern. I think I'd like to do the sleeve. I need a tool to make things work. Therefore, I'm okay with a slower loss to hopefully avoid excessive extra skin. Still, as this is an optional surgery, I want to be 110% sure this I can be a success story.

My husband helped convince me to stop doing keto. I was making myself absolutely miserable with the incredibly strict diet and no results (now I just keep low carb instead of 20g or less). He helped me see that I was banging my head against a wall and while he was proud of me for doing everything I could, I’d exhausted all of my non-surgical options. He is supportive and tried to convince me to love the body I'm in. Bless him for that, but that's not enough in my head. He is very tall, so while he's a bit overweight, you can't tell. I'm 5'1 and almost 260. We live in a world that's pretty prejudiced against fat people. I don't think he gets understands fat people go through as a daily struggle since he hasn't experienced it first hand.

I’m sick and tired of people making split second decisions about me. I’ve had a doctor deny me basic medicine because I’m too fat. I’ve been harassed on the streets and told I don’t belong outside since I’m a gross fat cow**. I am sick of trying on clothing I like and discovering it doesn’t come in my size. I want to look at pictures of myself and see more than my chins. I try not to let these things get to me, but it still sucks to have these experiences. I am healthy, I’d really like that to be reflected on the outside as well.

On top of that, I posted something similar to this elsewhere and someone pointed out "you're healthy until you aren't. Being overweight makes you a walking risk factor." They're right. If I break my leg, the recovery would be significantly harder with the extra weight. If I needed life saving surgery, going under anesthesia would be more dangers as a fat person. I'm healthy now, but there's a reason you don't see many old fat people.

So there's my long and boring background. When I discussed this with my husband, he had two large fears.

1) The big one was that I would have this surgery and nothing would change. Are there any studies which show not the effectiveness of success stories, but the percentage of people who follow instructions and don't lose? Committing to the diet is not an issue for me, but I'm terrified of the idea of going under the knife for an optional surgery and not having anything to show for it.

2) Mental health issues. I don't think this one is valid, but for my husband's sake, I'll ask! I had a pretty traumatic childhood in multiple ways. He is worried that even if I lose the weight, I won't be happy. I'll hate myself for the extra skin, for a large toenail, for something. He thinks I'll never be happy. I don't agree at all. My childhood was pretty messed up, but I have spent well over a decade outside of that environment and have healed and become a healthy and well adjusted person. He was there the entire time to see the transition. I want to lose weight for the discussed reasons above. I don't want to have to carry around lab results to my primary doctor to prove I'm not diabetic and that my cholesterol looks good. I want to wear cute clothing and not have breakdowns in the dressing room when the largest size doesn't fit right. Still, I'm bringing this up for him. When you lost the weight, did you feel better afterwards? Did you have any lingering mental issues?

I have an appointment with my endocrinologist coming up where I plan to discuss options and get a good bariatric recommendation. I will be bringing all of this up with her. However, I'm the type of person can't sit still and wants to research everything available! Plus, if I'm going to be doing this, it would be nice to join the community and get to know you guys.

Sorry for the wall of text. I swear, I'm not nearly this long winded! I hope someday to be able to go "Hi, I'm Jess. I used to be fat and now I'm not." and that'll count as my entire weight loss history.

*He had terrible bedside manner. I spoke to another doctor in the practice who was horrified and immediately gave me the medicine I needed

**Which, while it doesn't bother me directly (I've got thick skin) frustrates me. I'm healthy. My lab work keeps coming back showing I am healthy. I don't care what strangers think, but I also hate knowing that only those close to me realize how hard I work to be healthy without anything to show for it.

[Hiraeth 515]

Hi everyone!

First time poster here. I have started the journey and I'm in the super preliminary "dipping my toes in the water" stages now. I just wanted to pick the brains of the people here.

Here's a tl;dr since I ended up rambling. Diet and self-control aren't an issue for me, but I can’t lose weight. Is the sleeve right for me? Am I mentally prepared for this? Hi, how are you doing?

A quick history: My whole life I have been overweight. When I graduated college, I promised myself I would get in shape. I really made a concerted effort. I changed my diet and started working out. I have been out of college for almost a decade now and while internally I'm healthy, externally I am still fat.

I see a wonderful endocrinologist and we have been working for almost 2 years to get to the root of this problem. I learned that I have PCOS and a serious metformin allergy which is what is making this such a struggle. I have blood tests that show everything is within range and I am technically healthy. She has reviewed nearly 900 days’ worth of MyFitnessPal logs and confirms I am eating correctly. We have tried a range of different weight loss drugs, none of which have had any effect. I did Keto for over a year. I lost 30lbs in the first 3 months and then never lost anything else (and yes, I updated my macros as needed).

At our last meeting, my doctor admitted that she was running out of ideas to try and it might be time to consider looking into weight loss surgery. I have nothing against surgery (or I wouldn’t be here), but I’ve got to admit that I have some preconceived notions which turn me off of it. I have an aunt who had a lap band put in and is frequently sick from complications. My mother had a gastric bypass and almost died when her body stopped absorbing Iron. Since heading down this path, I realize that my family doesn't take very good care of themselves and as long as I listened to the doctor and went in for routine visits, I should be safe from these things.

I also always was under the impression that WLS was for people who had poor Portion Control and that doing something like this would force them to eat less which was why it worked. Portion control isn’t my issue. When I spoke to my doctor about this, she explained that WLS almost reforms your gastric system. People who were pre-diabetic suddenly get better. People who couldn’t lose weight start losing. This is my big concern. I think I'd like to do the sleeve. I need a tool to make things work. Therefore, I'm okay with a slower loss to hopefully avoid excessive extra skin. Still, as this is an optional surgery, I want to be 110% sure this I can be a success story.

My husband helped convince me to stop doing keto. I was making myself absolutely miserable with the incredibly strict diet and no results (now I just keep low carb instead of 20g or less). He helped me see that I was banging my head against a wall and while he was proud of me for doing everything I could, I’d exhausted all of my non-surgical options. He is supportive and tried to convince me to love the body I'm in. Bless him for that, but that's not enough in my head. He is very tall, so while he's a bit overweight, you can't tell. I'm 5'1 and almost 260. We live in a world that's pretty prejudiced against fat people. I don't think he gets understands fat people go through as a daily struggle since he hasn't experienced it first hand.

I’m sick and tired of people making split second decisions about me. I’ve had a doctor deny me basic medicine because I’m too fat. I’ve been harassed on the streets and told I don’t belong outside since I’m a gross fat cow**. I am sick of trying on clothing I like and discovering it doesn’t come in my size. I want to look at pictures of myself and see more than my chins. I try not to let these things get to me, but it still sucks to have these experiences. I am healthy, I’d really like that to be reflected on the outside as well.

On top of that, I posted something similar to this elsewhere and someone pointed out "you're healthy until you aren't. Being overweight makes you a walking risk factor." They're right. If I break my leg, the recovery would be significantly harder with the extra weight. If I needed life saving surgery, going under anesthesia would be more dangers as a fat person. I'm healthy now, but there's a reason you don't see many old fat people.

So there's my long and boring background. When I discussed this with my husband, he had two large fears.

1) The big one was that I would have this surgery and nothing would change. Are there any studies which show not the effectiveness of success stories, but the percentage of people who follow instructions and don't lose? Committing to the diet is not an issue for me, but I'm terrified of the idea of going under the knife for an optional surgery and not having anything to show for it.

2) Mental health issues. I don't think this one is valid, but for my husband's sake, I'll ask! I had a pretty traumatic childhood in multiple ways. He is worried that even if I lose the weight, I won't be happy. I'll hate myself for the extra skin, for a large toenail, for something. He thinks I'll never be happy. I don't agree at all. My childhood was pretty messed up, but I have spent well over a decade outside of that environment and have healed and become a healthy and well adjusted person. He was there the entire time to see the transition. I want to lose weight for the discussed reasons above. I don't want to have to carry around lab results to my primary doctor to prove I'm not diabetic and that my cholesterol looks good. I want to wear cute clothing and not have breakdowns in the dressing room when the largest size doesn't fit right. Still, I'm bringing this up for him. When you lost the weight, did you feel better afterwards? Did you have any lingering mental issues?

I have an appointment with my endocrinologist coming up where I plan to discuss options and get a good bariatric recommendation. I will be bringing all of this up with her. However, I'm the type of person can't sit still and wants to research everything available! Plus, if I'm going to be doing this, it would be nice to join the community and get to know you guys.

Sorry for the wall of text. I swear, I'm not nearly this long winded! I hope someday to be able to go "Hi, I'm Jess. I used to be fat and now I'm not." and that'll count as my entire weight loss history.

*He had terrible bedside manner. I spoke to another doctor in the practice who was horrified and immediately gave me the medicine I needed

**Which, while it doesn't bother me directly (I've got thick skin) frustrates me. I'm healthy. My lab work keeps coming back showing I am healthy. I don't care what strangers think, but I also hate knowing that only those close to me realize how hard I work to be healthy without anything to show for it.

Hello and welcome to the forums!

Let me start off by saying that you sound a lot like me. The only difference is, I haven't always been overweight (I became overweight in 11th grade after I started taking oral steroids for my allergies). I also have PCOS and losing weight is hard. I would diet all the time (only eating 1400 calories a day). I lost about 20 pounds, but then I stopped losing the weight. Ever since I got the sleeve, I have lost almost 50 pounds in just 3 months. I dropped 21 pounds in the first 2 weeks (I'm almost certain that was mostly Water weight).

You were discussing your family members and their WLS experiences:

The Lap Band, in my opinion, is not a good idea for most people. I've heard of it having so many complications. My surgeon is actually trying to get out of the Lap Band in his office because people always complain of having issues with it. The Bypass can be very dangerous for some people. My sister's 4th grade teach almost died because of the same issue with your mother. The Sleeve is actually known as one of the most popular weight loss surgery options; so I think you're making a great decision.

Do you mind if I ask what you eat on a daily basis? Be 100% honest. There's no judgment here!

I see that you are seeing an Endo. Has she checked your thyroid?

I think giving this surgery a try is worth it. I already feel so much better now that I'm losing weight. I'm already able to fit into a size XL (sometimes a L) t-shirt with ease.

I also have suffered a lot of trauma in my childhood. I was diagnosed with OCD (Pure O), PTSD, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. I was prescribed Lexapro at age 15, and now I feel 80% better. I did gain weight with the Lexapro, but since I got the surgery, it's very easy to manage the cravings. I have not noticed a change in my emotional state. I still feel very good.

[jessgnc 167]

^{Hey! Thanks so much for the reply. Hearing your story and the similarities really makes me feel more confident that this will work. We also definitely have similar stats, so I’m even more grateful you found the post!}

^{I ruled the lap band out immediately in my search. I read enough to know that it isn’t going to change anything on a physiological level, so it wouldn’t be what I needed. The gastric bypass seems too extreme for me – plus, with the rapid weight loss, there’s a significantly higher risk of extremely flabby skin and nutrient deficiencies. I need a tool to help move things along. I’m patient and don’t need overnight success.}

^{I keep pretty low carb still. I’m not doing 20g/day anymore, but even on my most bingey days, I don’t go over 100g. I switch up what I eat but generally struggle to get to 1200 calories. I rarely drink soda, I eat fast food maybe 2-3 times a month and while I do drink, it isn’t more than 2-3 drinks a few times a month.}

^{I adore my endo! I had been to so many doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Most of them wouldn’t give me the time of day, or would try to make me take a pill or try to sell me on bariatric surgery. At the time I was adamant that I was willing to put in the effort (and was actively doing so) and nothing was happening. I didn’t need a miracle drug or surgery, I just wanted ANSWERS. My endo was the first person to actually listen to me, give me a full blood screen and test everything. When I went to a low carb diet and initially started losing weight, she was as excited as I was. She has checked my thyroid, it’s in normal working order.}

^{Thanks for all of the answers. This was exciting to read. J}

[theantichick 2,204]

I don't have your issues, so I can't speak to your situation specifically. If your endo and PCP think it might help, I would say it's worth it to try.

I do have issues with choosing the right foods, and eating too much of the wrong things. So I know exactly why my weight came on.

That being said, I was on the fence about the surgery for a very long time. I know that I could have lost the weight with diet and lifestyle changes, the issue would be whether or not I could keep it off long-term. As a nurse, I had serious concerns about permanently altering a healthy organ to lose weight. New research is teaching us a lot about how the body works like gangbusters to keep weight at our set points, and how hard it is to change those set points. While we don't know how it works yet, the surgery seems to give us a do-over regarding our set point. So that was compelling.

But I didn't make the decision until my rheumatologist gave me information about how the surgery would likely affect my overall inflammation that drives my auto-immune arthritis. I knew being 100# overweight was putting extra stress on my joints, but I didn't realize that the stomach tissue itself secretes hormones that are part of the inflammatory process, and that the fat cells we lose also are secreting inflammatory factors. While it wasn't guaranteed, the experts told me the surgery had a good chance of lessening my auto-immune situation. It wouldn't cure me, but it could help the meds work better and lessen my pain.

So far, it's working. I had a huge flare that was expected post-op, especially since I had to stop my auto-immune meds. By day 3 post, my joints hurt much worse than the surgery sites. But by week 2, the inflammation seemed to settle down, and a couple of months post I started my meds back up, and things seem to be better. We're waiting on labwork now to confirm.

Bottom line, talk it over with your docs and the surgeon, and together decide if it's right for you. We do know that there are effects beyond the restriction that improve other medical situations, but there's not enough data yet to know exactly why.

[jess9395 5,449]

There are definite metabolic changes that happen with the surgery apart from the portion restriction. This podcast interview is the best I have heard on the subject:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/weight-loss-surgery-podcast/id662443588?mt=2&i=373855300

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Babbs 14,681]

Yes, I think you would do swimmingly with a bariatric surgery!

The reason I say that? I was a lot like you. Up and down 30-50 pounds my entire adult life. Champion dieter! And believe me, it wasn't an easy effort. I have the metabolism of a koala. I would go years overweight when I was younger, saying at least I was "healthy fat" (no such thing in my opinion). Until like you'd said, I was in my late 40's and wasn't. Blood pressure through the roof, blood sugar through the roof, and put on medications. No thanks! I don't want to die in my 50's and 60's like my parents did. My husband, who had the bypass 8 years earlier and was basically the poster child for the surgery, finally said "Why don't you have weight loss surgery?"

I had surgery August 22, 2014 and haven't looked back. I was a model patient, stuck to my plan 90-95% during my weight loss phase and kept my eye on the prize! Although it took me a bit longer than most, I came close (92) to losing 100 pounds before my weight loss stopped on it's own at around 15 months post op. But that put me at 143 pounds, a size 6 and right at a "normal" BMI. I'm proud to say as of this morning, I am 144 a year later. I hover from 143-145 most of the time. I have changed my whole lifestyle. I eat clean, non processed food 90-95% of the time, and when I do indulge, I feel ZERO guilt because I know I'm on the straight and narrow this time and will go right back to it. I have also been steadily exercising for 2 years. A new record! And I kind of actually like it, too!

Are things perfect? Hell no! I still struggle with emotional issues. Being thinner didn't take my depression or anxiety away. When I need a "tune up", I see a therapist. I would highly suggest you find one you like and begin therapy even before your journey. There are many emotional aspects to this that do come up that are really unexpected and can sabotage us. I see it all the time in the forums. If you can get a handle on them with some kind of support, even if it's not therapy, you're ahead of the game.

Long story short, you've got the discipline I had to do this. I can see it. I say make sure you research so you can completely understand all this life changing surgery entails, and go for it. As for not being able to lose weight because of PCOS or other medical reasons, the surgery seems to magically work for those people, too. You get what you put into it basically.

Good Luck!

[Hiraeth 515]

^{Hey! Thanks so much for the reply. Hearing your story and the similarities really makes me feel more confident that this will work. We also definitely have similar stats, so I’m even more grateful you found the post!}

^{I ruled the lap band out immediately in my search. I read enough to know that it isn’t going to change anything on a physiological level, so it wouldn’t be what I needed. The gastric bypass seems too extreme for me – plus, with the rapid weight loss, there’s a significantly higher risk of extremely flabby skin and nutrient deficiencies. I need a tool to help move things along. I’m patient and don’t need overnight success.}

^{I keep pretty low carb still. I’m not doing 20g/day anymore, but even on my most bingey days, I don’t go over 100g. I switch up what I eat but generally struggle to get to 1200 calories. I rarely drink soda, I eat fast food maybe 2-3 times a month and while I do drink, it isn’t more than 2-3 drinks a few times a month.}

^{I adore my endo! I had been to so many doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Most of them wouldn’t give me the time of day, or would try to make me take a pill or try to sell me on bariatric surgery. At the time I was adamant that I was willing to put in the effort (and was actively doing so) and nothing was happening. I didn’t need a miracle drug or surgery, I just wanted ANSWERS. My endo was the first person to actually listen to me, give me a full blood screen and test everything. When I went to a low carb diet and initially started losing weight, she was as excited as I was. She has checked my thyroid, it’s in normal working order.}

^{Thanks for all of the answers. This was exciting to read. J}

Yes, I also noticed that we have very similar stats. We are both 5'1'' (I put 5'2'' because I'm rounding off, lol), we both have PCOS, and we both have a similar starting weight.

I'll be honest, I jumped into this surgery with little to no fear. When I was younger, after all the trauma I experienced, I became so afraid of so many things and I felt trapped. After I was put on Lexapro, and most of the fear went away, I vowed to never limit myself on what I can do. So now, I'm one of the most brave people I know. I'm the type of person who will jump off of a bridge into Water (I actually did that when I was 18), I will eventually skydive, and I do pretty spontaneous things even today. My mom worries sometimes because I'm such a free spirit. I'm trying so hard to live my life to the fullest. So, I had this surgery with a ton of confidence.

After the surgery, I was in a good amount of pain. I felt like I couldn't breathe completely because there was gas trapped in my chest. I was in no danger at all; what I was feeling was normal. After I fell back asleep (which was almost instantly) I woke up no longer feeling the pain in my chest. The worst part about the surgery is the trapped gas that you will probably feel in your upper back/neck/shoulder. I felt it in my shoulder, and it felt as if someone had hit me with a hammer as hard as they could. But, walking takes the pain away almost instantly. It's like, you can be laying down and in extreme pain in your shoulder... But once you stand up and walk, the pain disappears within seconds. It's crazy! To get some sleep, I requested Dilaudid; since the liquid Lortab was doing nothing for the gas pains. It really helped me sleep. So, if you feel too much pain while you're trying to rest, tell the nurse you want Dilaudid (I had to demand it because the nurse was iffy about giving it to me). She tried telling me that Dilaudid would do nothing for my pain. Little did she know, I've had 3 kidney stones, and Dilaudid was the only thing that took the edge off. She finally gave me the Dilaudid, and the pain almost instantly went from an 8 to a 5 on the pain scale. The gas pains were gone by the next day. But, on the second day, I felt like I had the flu because I ached all over. So I took a B12 and a pain killer and went straight to bed. When I woke up the next day, I felt no pain. It was amazing how quickly the aches went away. Ever since, I felt as if I was transitioning for the better, while feeling normal. It was such a nice experience. If I had to do this surgery again, I definitely would.

Like theantichick said, your stomach is inflamed right now. When you overeat, your stomach stretches naturally. But, once you keep overeating, your stomach will stretch out more and more, until it stays that way for good. Once the stomach stretches out permanently, it does not go back to normal. This is why overweight people feel hunger pangs. Their stomachs are so stretched out, that the inflammation starts to react when the stomach is empty. That hunger pang you feel is actually irritation from your stomach walls. So really, instead of thinking that they're cutting out pieces of your organ, try to remember that they're actually cutting out the inflamed part of your stomach.

[Hiraeth 515]

Also, as for the incision pain, I felt barely any at all. I even had a few staples in my incisions. I also had a drain tube coming out of one of the incisions. I kept forgetting it was there until I went to use the bathroom, because it kept getting in my way, lol!

[jessgnc 167]

"New research is teaching us a lot about how the body works like gangbusters to keep weight at our set points, and how hard it is to change those set points. While we don't know how it works yet, the surgery seems to give us a do-over regarding our set point. So that was compelling."

Really? Fascinating!

Thanks for sharing your story. I definitely plan to talk to my doctor until I'm blue in the face!

jess9395 - Thanks for the link! I'll check it out when I get home later!

Babbs - That post was amazing. Why do I feel so inspired suddenly? Thank you so much for the reply. Also for the laugh at the koala comment. My metabolism went out for a pack of smokes when I hit puberty and I haven't seen it since.

Hiraeth - Lol. Technically I'm 5'1 and three quarters. Those 3/4ths make me taller than my mother. Also, my husband is 6'4, so it makes me sound less ridiculous next to him!

That hunger pang you feel is actually irritation from your stomach walls. So really, instead of thinking that they're cutting out pieces of your organ, try to remember that they're actually cutting out the inflamed part of your stomach.

If that is what is essentially going on, that's a brilliant way to think about it. The idea of cutting out part of my stomach actually was making me feel uneasy. The idea of cutting out the inflamed bits definitely helps see things in a different perspective.

I'm not as worried about the surgery. I've had back surgery and a few other minor things done. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I'm not looking forward to that bit, but that's the price to pay.

Thank you everyone for your feedback! I'm excited to be here, you're all so helpful and welcoming!

[theantichick 2,204]

I try not to correct people too much in open forums, but my nurse educator hat won't let me leave this alone.

The inflammation I spoke of is not inflammation of the stomach, and the inflammation doesn't drive hunger. Some of the cells in the fundus of the stomach (the stretchy part that is mostly cut away during sleeve surgery) secrete factors that drive systemic inflammation. It isn't much of an issue if you don't have an auto-immune disease.

Also, we're finding out that hormones driving hunger pains and cravings are mostly from the brain. It's not as much from a larger empty stomach as people think. It's a complicated feedback loop that is attempting to keep the body at a higher "set point" weight because the feedback system evolved when food was scarce and so it's function is to keep our weight at the higher point that it's gotten used to.

The evidence is indicating pretty strongly that the restrictive part of the surgery is not what drives the majority of our weight loss. According to my surgeon and the journals I've read, the size of the stomach is actually not a huge factor in the weight loss after the first 6 months or so. The metabolic changes that essentially give us a "do-over" with our set point is what allows us to keep the weight off, if we don't mess it up again.

[Hiraeth 515]

"New research is teaching us a lot about how the body works like gangbusters to keep weight at our set points, and how hard it is to change those set points. While we don't know how it works yet, the surgery seems to give us a do-over regarding our set point. So that was compelling."

Really? Fascinating!

Thanks for sharing your story. I definitely plan to talk to my doctor until I'm blue in the face!

jess9395 - Thanks for the link! I'll check it out when I get home later!

Babbs - That post was amazing. Why do I feel so inspired suddenly? Thank you so much for the reply. Also for the laugh at the koala comment. My metabolism went out for a pack of smokes when I hit puberty and I haven't seen it since.

Hiraeth - Lol. Technically I'm 5'1 and three quarters. Those 3/4ths make me taller than my mother. Also, my husband is 6'4, so it makes me sound less ridiculous next to him!

>That hunger pang you feel is actually irritation from your stomach walls. So really, instead of thinking that they're cutting out pieces of your organ, try to remember that they're actually cutting out the inflamed part of your stomach.

If that is what is essentially going on, that's a brilliant way to think about it. The idea of cutting out part of my stomach actually was making me feel uneasy. The idea of cutting out the inflamed bits definitely helps see things in a different perspective.

I'm not as worried about the surgery. I've had back surgery and a few other minor things done. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I'm not looking forward to that bit, but that's the price to pay.

Thank you everyone for your feedback! I'm excited to be here, you're all so helpful and welcoming!

If you've had back surgery, I'm pretty sure this WLS will be a breeze! I've had nose surgery, breast reduction, gallbladder removal, and wisdom teeth removal. The breast reduction was probably the most annoying. WLS was extremely easy!

[jessgnc 167]

@@theantichick Please, correct away. I'm able to find the personal stories and before/after pictures. What I'm not able to find (and read in a comprehending manner) is the science. I appreciate all of the input!

I'm all about the metabolic changes. As I said above, I struggle most days to eat 1200 calories. I just don't really get hungry. That's why I feared this surgery for so long - Portion Control and eating in general isn't my issue. I need something to rekajigger my body chemistry!

[Hiraeth 515]

@@theantichick Please, correct away. I'm able to find the personal stories and before/after pictures. What I'm not able to find (and read in a comprehending manner) is the science. I appreciate all of the input!

I'm all about the metabolic changes. As I said above, I struggle most days to eat 1200 calories. I just don't really get hungry. That's why I feared this surgery for so long - Portion Control and eating in general isn't my issue. I need something to rekajigger my body chemistry!

I wasn't a snacker before this surgery. I'd eat a small Breakfast, a small lunch, and then a larger meal. After my meals, that was it. I did not snack at all between meals. With that, I was probably getting in about 1500 calories a day, which is ideal for someone who is dieting. After I had the surgery, I'm now taking in more Protein and eating maybe 400-800 calories a day. So basically, I'm "starving" myself, but in a healthy way, if that makes sense.

[Miss Rachel 25]

Looks like you tried everything but surgery. What have you got to lose? Besides the weight...

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[jessgnc 167]

Looks like you tried everything but surgery. What have you got to lose? Besides the weight...

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Most of me is starting to agree and saying "PREACH ON! WOO!"

The rest of me is sitting on a bench, looking annoyed at my irrational brain for causing a scene.

Well, the first appointment (with my endo) is next Tuesday! I hope to be a part of this community but right now, I've got little to add (and will just lurk around). Thanks for the warm welcome and fantastic advice. This is a scary and enormous step, but I think I'm ready to move forward.