Cold Feet

[hmills653 365]

I have completed all of my goals except for another 2 lbs to lose and my last supervised weight loss meeting this week. I'm getting nervous whether I'm making the right decision. I feel like if I could've lost the weight without surgery it would've happened. I know I'll feel better without the extra weight on my knees and my back. But as the time gets closer I worry about complications. I worry that maybe I should just stay the way I am. I'm just scared. It's not like this decision was made lightly either I debated for several years before making the inquiry. Any advise?

[PatientEleventyBillion 851]

Consider the positive impacts. If you have a lot of medical conditions now, think of how much they'll likely be improved. If you don't, think about how you're saving yourself from suffering those.. with obesity it's a waiting game for problems and decreases your lifespan. For those of us who can't seem to make the changes with diet alone, this is a great tool to help get things back on track. Just hope you don't have cold feet about sticking with the lifestyle changes needed post-op to stay healthy.

[char3672 292]

I am nervous too. I'm having the sleeve done in June. I'm starting to get nervous now. I have such a strong support system within my family (they even bought me a Nutra Bullet for my Birthday) I am ready to make the changes, I'm not worried about GIVING UP foods, I think I'm more nervous about eating NEW foods. I have ALWAYS had a strictly carb diet. I guess that's how I ended up at 272lbs. I am also worried about complications

[Newme17 3,444]

We all can lose the weight without surgery but only 2% of people who lose over 100lbs, keeps it off. My surgeon gave me stats. I have tried many times on my own. Didn't get very far. End up gaining it back. I guess I'm one of the 98%. But as another poster mentioned, if you don't have health issues now (this is me-besides my joints and aches and pains), than it's also a great way to prevent those from happening. Not impossible, but to get the weight off and start living better sooner rather than later is exactly why I'm doing this.

[Navigating the Wilderness 824]

3 hours ago, hmills653 said:

Any advise?

Yes, relax! Everyone having this surgery goes through the same exact concerns you have. It is very normal, but don't let fear and doubt cloud your judgement. I had incision complications after my surgery, but it doesn't even come close to making me regret having a vsg.

[tinytummy17 62]

I just had surgery yesterday and went through the same thing. It wasn't as bad as I expected but I was shaking all the way. I can tell you it really went smoothly... im a huge wimp so if I can do this you can

[Walter.Sobchak 978]

We all can lose the weight without surgery but only 2% of people who lose over 100lbs, keeps it off. My surgeon gave me stats. I have tried many times on my own. Didn't get very far. End up gaining it back. I guess I'm one of the 98%. But as another poster mentioned, if you don't have health issues now (this is me-besides my joints and aches and pains), than it's also a great way to prevent those from happening. Not impossible, but to get the weight off and start living better sooner rather than later is exactly why I'm doing this.

That is what I struggle with as well.
I keep thinking I can do it on my own, if I just put my mind to it.
I need to lose roughly 200 pounds.
The chances of doing that and keeping it off are pretty slim.
I am scared to have surgery, but i have to do something.

[PatientEleventyBillion 851]

15 hours ago, Newme17 said:

We all can lose the weight without surgery but only 2% of people who lose over 100lbs, keeps it off. My surgeon gave me stats. I have tried many times on my own. Didn't get very far. End up gaining it back. I guess I'm one of the 98%. But as another poster mentioned, if you don't have health issues now (this is me-besides my joints and aches and pains), than it's also a great way to prevent those from happening. Not impossible, but to get the weight off and start living better sooner rather than later is exactly why I'm doing this.

I think there's multiple facets to not keeping the weight off (being a general post not necessarily directly responding to you):

1) the sleeve expanding over time (in a few of the studies I read this is more common than thought - not enough long-term studies which is why despite increased risks RNY is considered "gold standard", many decades of studies)

2) keeping your diet far less than it was before -- being smaller means eating a lot less cals, this is intended to be a permanent dietary change, and many people don't stick to it permanently.

One thing anyone attending classes should have understood well is that when you're losing weight, it won't just dive and *splat*.. stay off. It will hit it's rock bottom, rise a little bit, then plateau.

3) When the body plateaus in order to lose weight one must eat fewer and fewer cals. Is this a smart thing to do? At some point you're starving yourself and being nutritionally deprived. Your body will compensate by slowing down the metabolism and when you give your body food it will actually cause negative affects on weight loss as well as organs like your liver. Many people should take the plateau'ing (if that's a word) as a sign that's the weight their body wants them at.

Personally I welcome the changes, and I am more than willing to eat tiny amounts for the rest of my life. It's a massive adjustment for sure, but I am on board with it.

Edited March 8, 2017 by PatientEleventyBillion

[Newme17 3,444]

6 hours ago, PatientEleventyBillion said:

Many people should take the plateau'ing (if that's a word) as a sign that's the weight their body wants them at.

This AND should they need to lose more weight still, to up their caloric intake. Some are not eating enough and wrecking the metabolism as you posted. I usually share this all over: unless you are 4'2 and 80lbs, then you're not meant to be eating 1200 calories for the rest of your life.

[hmills653 365]

I do have arthritis in my spine and knees and hypertension and had a pulmonary embolism as well as sleep apnea. I know this will help and so look forward to that. I'm 42 and feel like an old lady half the time. I want to enjoy the rest of my life, be able to take the stairs without pain, and not be limited on clothing choices because they don't have it in plus size or else I have to pay three times as much for it at the specialty store. I'm willing to make sacrifices. Thanks for everyone's input.