SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING SLEEVE OR BYPASS SURGERY

Honestly I would be a little surprised if a doctor would do that as you are not morbidly obese. I am also 5'6" and had hit 204 as a max weight in the past. Many of your health issues are still going to require you to watch what you are eating, not just how much you are eating. Also since you've been successful in the past at weight loss with diet and exercise only that would likely lower your chances of being a candidate for it. I could be entirely wrong about that, but I understand them to be quite stringent about who qualifies.

I have diverticulosis (diagnosed at 28) and likely IBS as well. I know those will never truly stop being a problem for me regardless of my weight, hence why my diet is so important. Specifically my fiber intake. I'm also awaiting results for possible PCOS, prediabetes, and thyroid issues (familial history of hypothyroidism). My dietary habits may become even more important come Friday.

I agree with Prize... no reputable doctor would do life-altering surgery for someone who's only overweight.

Do your research, look into the MFP groups which discuss those surgeries, learn about the permanent lifelong problems they cause. (Digestion, absorption of nutrients, malnutrition, bowel problems worse than you already have, restricted eating...)

Before you do something so drastic, try the regular way (control calories in, increase exercise), and try using appetite suppressant medicine (for a few months at most).
Also get into counseling for the addiction / binging / secret eating issues. You're going to have to deal with them sooner or later, because if you find someone to do the surgery on you you won't be able - physically able - to eat so much, or you'll rupture your stomach (or cause yourself to puke, which causes its own problems).

The blood pressure, cardio disease, and cholesterol will respond well to exercise. Walk. Walk in water if you can.
Cholesterol is also of course strongly influenced by diet. Eat less animal-based food, more plant-based food, less alcohol (affects triglicerides), and fewer carbs (affects triglicerides).

I have a friend who had a lap band done. She weighs as much or more now than she did a few years ago when she had it done. Why? Because she didn't use the tool. If you aren't ready to use the tool, I'm not sure how it would help.

I technically qualified, too, when I started out (205lb and 5'2"), but I couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money and put myself through surgery at my weight. I think the qualification levels are too low. I've gotten to a healthy BMI in 9 months the old fashioned way - eat less, move more

No offense if you decide to do the surgery or to anyone who does....(for some people far more overweight than you or I, it's a lifesaving thing), I don't see the point if you can't manage your cravings and "secret" eating now. I think if you try out what the dietician is telling you to do and follow it, you might find you'll lose weight without the surgery. If you decide to go for the surgery, good luck and I hope it works well for you.

If you're spending the time to change your lifestyle right now as a "test run," why don't you just change your lifestyle to something that makes sense and is long-lasting...? Just don't see the need for surgery, despite (and maybe even because of) your numerous health conditions.

I started the process back in 2012, and I really DID need it at the time - I was 5'4" and 343 pounds, BMI of 60.8 - but my doctor said that she thought I could do it on my own. She made a "deal" with me - if I lost 30 pounds, on my own, she would sign the consent forms to go ahead with it.

I made it as far as the last counseling session. By that time I'd lost 35 pounds through diet and exercise, on my own - and I changed my mind. Why? I still don't know, really. Maybe it's because both of my cousins went through it (same doctor), and my aunt went through it, and to this day only my aunt has managed to keep the weight off. My cousins have lifelong issues with keeping food down, getting sick from overeating, not having enough time to exercise. One of them is at the exact weight she started with - maybe even heavier. Maybe it's the knowledge that they have to take tons of vitamin supplements - forever - the rest of their lives. Maybe it's the knowledge of exactly what the surgery entails - that mess is permanent. You can't reverse it, you can't change your mind. Once it's done, it's OVER.

It scared me enough that I decided to keep going on my own as long as I could. 100+ pounds later, here I am. Am I the weight I want to be? Not even close - I'm still 5'4" and 237 as of this writing and I still yo-yo up and down. But I'm not quitting. I'm not even going there.

If you really want to do it, I wish you luck with it - with your comorbidity, they may approve you for it, even on the low end of the BMI requirements. But this is a big, big step - they're going to make you jump through hoops for it. They're going to make you do psychiatric sessions (to make sure that you're mentally fit for it), they're going to check out every single inch of your body, the whole process is going to be uncomfortable from start to finish. It may be worth it to you, it may not.

I started out on a test run. I was thinking about WLS , but I was scared also. That was back on June 5th. Now I've lost almost 70 pounds and I know this is the route for me. Thank goodness!

The primary benefit for gastric bypass etc. is in reducing or eliminating comorbidities, in other words serious weight-related health problems like diabetes, hypertension, etc. Weight loss surgery is the only treatment known to put type II diabetes in remission. Many people do not lose as much weight as they would like to "look thin," but surgery can still be a huge benefit to their overall health.

I had surgery in April, and I lost 75 pounds before surgery and 70 pounds after (so far). That is great, but my BMI is still quite high, maybe higher than yours is currently. However, even if I don't lose any more weight I consider surgery a success because my blood pressure is now very healthy (I had been taking two blood pressure meds and immediately after surgery my doctor told me to stop taking them because I didn't need them any more), I have eliminated my sleep apnea, and I am no longer at risk of losing my mobility or becoming diabetic. I had a doctor tell me the other day that I am "very healthy," which is something I had not heard for a long long time. So even though your BMI is not as high as many surgery patients, I think a doctor would probably tell you that you are a good candidate for surgery with the health problems you list. With GERD, you are probably going to want bypass rather than sleeve. Talk to your doctor.

Check your insurance. Many insurance plans specifically exclude weight loss surgeries. It would not be fun to get your mind set on surgery only to be told that your insurance won't cover it.

If you want to hear about the pros and cons of surgery from someone who is an obesity researcher, check out these articles:
http://www.drsharma.ca/obesity-why-i-support-bariatric-surgery.html
http://www.drsharma.ca/obesitywhy-bariatric-surgery-can-fail-part-1.html

Woomytron wrote: »

First of all if you are considering it you have to go into a weight loss clinic. They don't just set you up for surgery the next day. They will most likely set you up with a healthy diet, and monitor you closely and if you are still not losing weight then MAYBE consider surgery. You are on the low end of what they would even consider. I have been going to a clinic for help with my diet, and the monitoring really helps me keep on track. I started off at 225, this morning my scale hit 202. ...

This is a really great idea! Why not pay to be monitored by a weight loss clinic instead, to hold you accountable? Your insurance may pay for this, but I highly doubt it will cover surgery at your weight, especially given potential serious complications with your health issues.

Good luck! Track your calories in, calories out, join a support group on here if you want, and keep reaching out for support!

Logging: 140 Day Streak

If you couldn't stick with following MFP, the surgery won't be any better. MFP, weight loss surgery, they are tools. You make them work. I've heard of so many people who had lost a lot of weight, only to gain it back because they have a bad relationship with food.

At 227, you may qualify by the Mayo Clinic's standard, but an actual doctor may say no. Actually, they SHOULD say no.

I was where you are. I started at 228, and at 5'3, that doesn't look good. I was desperate. I tried SparkPeople many times. I did fad diet after fad diet. I took supplements. "nothing" worked. But actually, it was me. I wasn't ready for it, even though I wanted it. I had considered gaining weight to be better qualified for a lap band. But then reality kicked in and I figured if I had to gain weight for something and further complicate my health, it wasn't worth the surgery.

I went on vacation one summer. It was hot, disgusting, we did a lot of walking, and I was a big girl. I hated shorts but I had to wear them. It was 20 degrees more than I'm used to there. It was HOT. I was hot, cranky and I hated life.

When I got home, I found MFP. It wasn't a Monday, it wasn't the beginning of a new month. I just did it. And I'm still here over 2 years later and over 60lbs lost. I could have lost more I'm sure, I've been stuck in my own way for a year now. BUT I'm happy now. I have a great relationship with food.

I was ready, and it worked.

I've done bypass surgery a year ago and let me tell you the hard cold truth: IT'S NOT A MAGICAL TREATMENT.
Now, let me tell you why I said that. You said you have addiction to food and likes to secret eating. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc are nothing if you don't treat these compulsions. Believe me, been there, done that. Hell, sometimes I still do.
You WILL gain weight again, doesnt matter if you are eating tiny portions ou large portions if all you eat is junk food.

It's not the easy path. You're not going to have the surgery and BAM! Thin and healthy. You're going to have the most awful food you have ever tasted for around 2 months (depends on the doctors and the person, can be less) then, slowly, you're gonna start eating solids and normal food. Forget soda, foget cake, forget chicken nuggets, sweets and fried food mostly. If you're part of the lucky ones then after a year more or less you might eat those things again without feeling like you're dying (the infamous Dumping Syndrome).
After a year, in my personal experience, I can eat mostly everything. From time to time I find a kind of food or a dish that makes me want to puke my insides out but hey, i signed up for that.

Now that's part of the truth about food, a doctor is better trained to explain all that, I'm just telling my personal exprience. The second part is... guess what?!
YES! You still have to exercise.
A. LOT.
I started like everybody after 2 months: walks around the block and easy stuff. On 3rd month I tried the gym, I thought I was ready. I blacked out. Literally.
Too much exercise and not enough food. Learned the hard way. Then I tried aqua aerobics, it worked great. On 5th month I tried muay thai 5 days/week for 1h. I never blacked out during the classes but I came really damn close. First 2 months I had to stop every 5 minutes because I kept seeing black dots. On 6th month, the doctor changed my diet and it became a little bit better.

After a year I had to quit my beloved one because I lost too much weight and was about to go underweight. That's because when you have this kind of surgery you don't get to choose if you lose fat or muscle because the weightloss is insane you lose both of them. In fact, you might lose more muscle than fat. And that keeps you in the risky zone. You still might have a heart attack being thin.
And that was me 4 months ago. A "false" thin. I don't know the name in english but there's an exam that check the % of fat, water and muscle on your body. That thing I have to do every 6 months. Then, back to the gym, I go!
That's where I am now. I gained around 4lbs which made me cry in my room for about a week (oh yeah. Have I mentioned that this surgery messes up with your head? Because I was too scared of gaining weight again. Except it was muscle and not fat. All cool now.)

That's just what happened to me. Talk to people who has done the surgery, lots of them. Talk to the doctors. Just do it if you're 1005% sure. There's no coming back and the side effects are many, you're the one who is going to face them.
I did not tell you all that to make you give up. Hell, if you ask me I'd have done it all over again. But, PLEASE, take care of yourself if you choose this path. For everything you hold dear, do exactly as your doctors say. Not a portion of food more or a portion less. EXACTLY as they say.

Get properly tested for Lyme disease and all tick borne co-infections! Watch the film Under Our Skin on YouTube (it's free there). If you're not at the very least eating gluten free then making that change alone can drastically improve your inflammation issues.

If you have underlying diseases, which I suspect you may, like myself, then surgery is not the answer.

PS. I was 401 lbs on June 2nd. I'm 27 years old and diagnosed with a massive laundry list of problems. Turns out, the root cause is Lyme and several co-infections, reactivating viruses, toxic mold poisoning, vitamin deficiencies and stage 3 adrenal fatigue. There are still major hormonal imbalances and PCOS plus type 2 diabetes issues, but now I'm feeling very hopeful because eating Paleo lets me function again. I could've done the surgery thing. I was preparing for it until my illnesses got far worse. I was in a wheelchair.. now I'm keeping up with my housework, zipping around, cooking... feeling good because my brain isn't depressed and inflamed.

Lyme attacks the thyroid. Is your vitamin D low? MS is usually Lyme. My good friend who trains doctors for a living was diagnosed with MS. Years later learned it's actually Lyme (white lesions present in Lyme brains too). IBS, CFS, Fibro, ALS and many other conditions can actually be Lyme. Please investigate this possibility for yourself.

you are using as a quick fix to try to fix all your medical issues....this will not do that. You still will have all the conditions and now you will be tired as hell from the surgery and in a bunch of pain. You are not that over-weight. People are far heavier than you and lost it on their own. You just need to step back and realize you can do this on your own.

My brother had the lap band surgery years ago and gained all the weight he lost back (even wasted money getting it tightened up a couple of times). My stepfather had the bypass - gained all the weight back and some more! Like a poster noted above, he has stretched his stomach back out. He did this by eating small amounts of the wrong food all day long for a couple of years (he literally never stopped eating it seems) and is now bigger than he was before having the surgery. A cousin also had the bypass surgery and is now underweight with a lot of her hair falling out and other issues due to malnutrition as she cannot keep anything down.

Yes, for the extremely morbidly obese, I would say this could be a good option. For anyone else however, I tend to agree and say to address the underlying issues (psychological) as well as the good old calories in versus out (physical). Take one day at a time - one small little triumph at a time - and believe in yourself.

I haven't had any surgery myself, but having spoken to someone who has, you really need to get your eating habits sorted before you have the surgery if you are seriously thinking about it. A lot of the time overeating or making poor choices is more of a mental/psychological/emotional thing than it is a physical. Having the surgery won't tackle the root cause of the overeating, and until you do that i wouldn't think there was much point in getting the surgery.

Good luck!