My reason? Because the percentage of maintained weight loss is super low after doing a diet, compared to after WLS...

Have all your other attempts been successful. My guess is no. I have yo-yo'd my entire life. Losing and getting to goal then gaining again. With this surgery I am not going to do the regain, I can't go back to eating like I was. We aren't normal people. If I ate like other people I know who don't have a screwed up metabolism I would be huge. Do you need the surgery, it's up to you. My husband said the same thing, that if I could do it on my own why get the surgery. I told him I wasn't on my own. I need the tool to help me.

JudiMoving2 wrote: »

@joysie1970: Congrats on loosing the meds! And yes, I look forward to that day as well.

Thanks! After 15+ years I was happy to kiss the pharma companies good bye! You will get there soon!

I find that even when my head wants something and I give in and take a bite I usually have a negative reaction to it and don't want to keep going. I had a few bites of mac and cheese last night with dinner. But only after my turkey and cheese. By then it was blah. It still tastes good in my mouth but it's unpleasant to swallow and then I just don't even want it anymore. It doesn't give me the satisfaction it once did. I am learning that slowly and it is helping the cravings. It's fairly easy for me right now because the things I am most addicted to - bread and dough, carbonated drinks, gummi-based candy - I just can't eat at all. Like not even a little bit. I tried opening a diet root beer and leaving it in the fridge for a few days to let the carbonation out. I figured then it was basically crystal light. But no dice on that (so don't try it!). If your problem is chocolate or something I think it would be harder because you can sort of eat that stuff slowly and it adds up.

I've def turned into a different kind of finicky eater. I used to love peanut butter and it would be a good thing for me to eat now, but without bread or milk I don't want it. So far it's a struggle to get enough protein and the shakes that used to be good are so thick that they are hard to swallow. The not wanting to eat something is a feeling that sort of sits at the back of your throat and goes down to where you might feel heartburn. It isn't the taste that turns you off, it's the texture and density going down. I drink a lot of milk and eat a lot of greek yogurt to help me get where I need to be with protein. (I know they say no liquid calories, but I'm basically substituting plain milk for a protein shake). I used to love chicken but am finding it really tough now. I eat way more fish, especially raw fish. I eat my kids string cheese sticks all the time but don't touch the chips or goldfish like I used to.

The big thing for me is that while I don't really get hungry, I also never get full. Oh I have episodes where I've eaten too much and I've even puked a few times as I was learning but there's not that feeling of having a really full belly sitting in your mid-abdomen. There's not the feeling of drinking too much water and feeling it sloshing. Basically there is just nothing where you used to feel that big contented fullness after a meal. It's not worse or better, it's just absent and no longer factors into things. I used to eat too much too fast, partially because I liked the feeling of a full belly. I don't miss it really, but it also makes the head hunger stand out as a very odd juxtaposition to my body. I want to eat a ton because I want to feel it in a body part I no longer have? It's disconcerting and it's what makes the realization that this was (and still is) an addiction seem really close to the simple truth. Like smokers who still want to smoke when they are on oxygen and have emphysema and can't even breathe. Why? Doesn't make sense, it's just habitual and chemical and we need to retrain our minds now that we've retrained our bodies at least temporarily.

It's common to have second thoughts prior to surgery. I did. And a couple friends said the same as above, "Maybe you can do it on your own?" I thought about it, but in my heart I knew I couldn't do it on my own, at least not long term.

Having bariatric surgery is the BEST thing I've ever done for my health. And I'm confident it will be for you too!

I was a typical yo-yo dieter. Would lose 20 pounds, gain back 22. If you can do it without surgery and keep it off, great. I lost weight before surgery but I knew I needed help to lose more and keep it off.

They are required to tell you the potential risks, even the chance of death is supposed to be explained though they often omit that one. Sorry, its the truth. Anytime you are receiving anesthesia is a risk. But the chances of anything happening are very rare. The advancements of medical knowledge are making it safer all the time. Try not to worry too much, though I know it is hard not to. Once it's all done you will wish you hadn't wasted the energy. Best to you!

That is pretty normal to feel. I felt the same way. Can I lose this on my own? Sure I can, I've done it before. For me, the problem is sticking with it long enough to hit my goal and to maintain. @ years ago I lost 94 lbs to just gain almost 60 of it back. I was contemplating surgery then and stopped. I think it was the "high" from preparing for the surgery. I felt like I didn't need the surgery. This surgery is a tool and it isn't going to do all the work for you but what I figure, is that it would help reign me in and keep me from getting out of control long enough that I could get back on track. So far so good. What I would suggest is to go through all the motions (appointments, consultations, tests etc) and don't cancel. If when you are at that point, make your decision.

JudiMoving2 wrote: »

As history always repeats itself in my Weight Loss World, I won't continue to work on my weight, this positive attitude I have today will only turn against me and give me a false confidence that I can eat that entire pizza, and that plate of noodles covered in buttery alfredo sauce.

Likewise, I am getting close now and have had the same thoughts. I have struggled to lose for 30 years now and it took 5 months to lose 18 pounds. I am certain that this is the only way I will be able to continue to lose and hopefully maintain that loss.

Thanks Rob. I'm hitting my pre-op full force. I've lost 26 lbs in the last two months as part of trying to lose as much as possible before surgery. I did my blood work yesterday and will do my EKG and final psych appointment in the next two weeks. I should have everything to submit at the end of May, two weeks before my last required class. I'm hoping to have surgery sometime this summer.