I asked myself the same question before surgery, especially since I lost 70 lbs on my own prior to surgery. Could I have continued and done it on my own without surgery? My answer was maybe, and it was a pretty weak maybe. I have lost and gained hundreds of pounds in my lifetime. At the time I started the process of preparing for surgery, I weighed 382 lbs. Maybe was not a good enough answer for me at that point in my life. Surgery is a tool, an extremely helpful tool, to help you lose weight and maintain. The success rate for people who have had surgery is much higher than for people who lose weight the "old fashioned way". I never looked at my new way of eating as hard, it's just a new normal that I had to adjust to. Hard was being morbidly obese and unhealthy, and not being able to really live life. Now, I feel amazing, and I have my health and my quality of life back. I would have the surgery again in a hearbeat.

Before surgery, my BMI was over 45. I'm 26 years old and was lucky enough to have not developed any "co-morbitities" as the insurance companies like to call them. I have been overweight since elementary school and morbidly obese since high school. In college, I managed to drop 70 pounds using weight watchers. Then the weightloss stalled and after about 2-3 months of being 70 pounds down, my weight started creeping back up. Within a year, I had reverted back to my old overindulgent eating habits and sedentary lifestyle and packed back on the 70 pounds plus 10 more. I tried weight watchers again, at least a half dozen times over the next three years. Nothing would stick. Then my best friend got the lap band. I saw her struggles as she changed her lifestyle first with diet and food choices and then with exercise. That's when I met with my PCP and then a surgeon to explore the surgeries and research what it could possibly do for me. One thing my PCP told me was that for people who are morbidly obese, when they loose their excess weight the "old fashioned way" they have an almost 100% chance of gaining all of the weight back. With the surgery this figure, goes down to 50%. What that meant to me was that with the surgery, I would have a far greater chance of maintaining my weightloss with the surgery than if I was ever even able to loose weight again on my own.

This surgery has changed my life. Food is not something that I can just mindlessly consume. I can't have whatever I want, whenever I want. Overall health is at the forefront of my mind. Pre-surgery, I would never think about what I would eat from one meal to the next. Post-surgery, my entire day of eating is planned out; my entire week of food is bought in advance. Calories and protein count, carbs, and fat are all evaluated and analyzed daily. I have goals each day that I'm determined to meet so that I can achieve overall health and weight loss success. The fact that my stomach can only hold a finite amount forces me to be choosey with what I consume and that would have never happened had I not had the sleeve done.

Everyone must make choices that suit them best. If you think you can loose the weight and maintain it without surgery, then you know what to do.

Hi, I had a lot of the same thoughts as you and had plenty of time to think them as it took almost a year for me to get through the insurance requirements and my doctor's pre-op testing requirements. I lost the required pre-op weight fairly easily and while I went through the pre-op testing, I wasn't completely committed to following through with the surgery. Why not just continue to lose without the surgery? But then when I didn't 'have' to continue to lose and the holidays approached and I quit logging what I ate every day, I didn't lose any weight. No surprise, right? But it helped clarify for me that I really needed the tool of the WLS.

Now that I've had the surgery and am living the lifestyle, I truly understand that the surgery is the tool that keeps me from getting off track by reducing hunger, quantities that I can eat, etc. But the weight loss continues to be the simple formula of calories consumed less calories expended. None of it is easy but the WLS tool is motivating and lasting. Plus these WLS boards are pretty motivating, comforting and full of great information. Good luck with your decision.

I thought about this whole process for years. And I was thinking I was continueing to creep up in weight until I was 386 pounds. I too thought I could do this on my own AND I had watched 2 sisters and 2 cousins have gastric bypass and all but one either not lose much or regain, so surgery obviously wasn't their answer. And then I had two friends who had the gastric sleeve and their success was amazing to watch, their success at keeping it off was eye opening. So my research changed from what is the surgery to why does one work better than another. In 2010 I finally got honest with myself. My mobility was gone, my BP was up, I was boarderline diabetic and my life had dwindled to working, eating and watching TV because I wasn't able to do much else. So I looked into the sleeve and July 2011 I had my sleeve.

It's all about the restriction for me. My doctor said he took ALL the stretchy part of my stomach, so I can never restretch it. That means I will forever have this restriction. I still have to concentrate my eating on lean protein, vegtables and getting my water in each day. I will for the rest of my life. That's OK. My relationship with food changed after the surgery. Before I lived to eat. Now food is fuel. Yes I still enjoy eating, but I eat because I need to and I eat more thoughtfully, as in what best meets my nutritional goals for the day, not just what tastes best of fills me. Easy? No. But so very much worth it!

Others said it here. The surgery is a tool. Use it well and you will lose the weight and keep it off. Put your tool on the shelf and ignore it and you will regain. My doctor said anyone can out eat any of the various weight loss surgeries. The sleeve is no exception. The regain may be slower because of the restriction, but you can still regain.

The truth for all of here is this. If we could have lost our weight and kept it off without surgery, we would have. But there comes a point in obesity where diet and exercise no longer work. I was way past that point and that's why I had the sleeve. And let me tell you. This is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

I feel like I have made this decision decisively and quickly, because I have been evolving to a place where I was open to a lasting change. I was within 28 lb of my goal weight 4 years ago but didn't have the fortitude to persist with changes I had made. I have engaged in both good and bad habits off and on since then, not quite gaining all of it back, but now I am within 28 lb of my highest weight. I decided that I needed help in reaching my goal, my natural tendency is to be able to eat less for about 4 months at a time, then I backslide. I'm hoping that with the sleeve, I will be able to make the changes and stick with them. Finally, the recent research that came out in the New England Journal of Medicine was convincing to me that the sleeve surgery is worth it for controll of my diabetes. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200225

Valerie,

Prior to my surgery I had to have clearance from a nutritionist, an exercise specialist and a session with the psychiatrist, in addition there are a number of tests or studies, shots that you have to have done if they aren't recent enough. There are several steps/requirements and classes that you must have done. Just prior to surgery you have 8 - 10 days to lose 10 lbs. (special high protein/fiber products) in order to shrink your liver (which is lifted during surgery). Post surgery there are also several stages and appointments, etc. you must do. It's like taking a lifelong class in losing weight by eating the right way, how important exercise is and drilling it in that you MUST follow the instructions or you could develop problems and won't be successful.

Every surgeon has their own distinctive instructions/requirements pre and post surgery. This is the time when you can see if you really are willing to completely change your eating and exercise habits. Be honest with yourself and if you have any uncertainty whether you are ready for this change, you are not ready to fully commit, then you're not ready for this surgery,

It is not a magic solution or procedure. There is no such thing. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower, effort and strength, even then we all slip up every now and then. If not for the support of my family and this group I wouldn't be as successful as I have been. I'm only 95 days out from my surgery. Prior to my beginning this process, I knew nothing about food really. Now I know all about proteins, carbs, sugars, etc. I read labels and know what I'm reading and can make educated decisions on whether a product is good or bad for me. I still have to make the choice, but being better informed makes it so much easier. This site also makes me accountable not only to myself, but to other members and my surgeon. She wants me to bring copies for my next appointment in February 2015.

It is a last resort in my opinion, but as others have said - it is not reversible - you can't take it back and if you don't put in the effort you won't be successful and you can't divorce yourself from it. Your family and friends may or may not support your decision. If so - all the better for you. If not, and you can't take their negativity, you're not ready. I don't mean to be preachy, but it took me 5 years of research and pondering whether it would be the right thing for me I didn't pursue it until I could without reservation know I could commit to this drastic change forever.

I wish you well, whatever you decide.

Karen

Thanks for the recommendation of that book. It looks like a great resource for anyone contemplating VSG surgery.
It kind of reminds me of "The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous" which we used to use in another 12 Step Group.
I am a 12 Stepper and love applying the steps to everyday life. They are 12 steps for healthy living. I'm gonna look the book up
on Amazon. Thanks again. :flowerforyou: