New here, looking into gastric sleeve...
MissElectricEyeliner
Posts: 122 Member
Advice appreciated.
So, my name is Saralyn. My highest weight was close to 300lbs last year. I'm currently 260ish right now. I went back and forth fighting with myself just to drop the 40lbs, but now I just feel too tired to fight. I've always been overweight, not once have I ever been thin. I've been seriously looking into surgery for about a month now (it's been in the back of mind for many years), however I haven't told anyone close to me until a few nights ago. I've always struggled with a binge eating disorder. Even though I understood food, knew how to lose weight, even weighed food, I just struggled because the binge and urge to eat has always been in my mind almost every minute.
I was reading that when they do a sleeve and remove part of the stomach it helps with your hunger hormones. I'm almost 23 and feel like my weight has stopped me from doing many things in my life. These are suppose to be wonderful years of my life and I'm just miserable. I even refuse to date since I'm overweight. I just got my apprentice cosmetologist licence and I'll be on my feet all day. I already have aching joints and family on my biological fathers side develop type 2 diabetes, including my father himself and his mother had diabetes when she passed - which I've just recently learned the last year. I know some people say that there's a high chance of gaining weight back, but that's a risk I'd be willing to take, because if I don't stop it now I'm afraid. I just wish the constant urge to eat high volumes of food would go away. I was planning on seeing if my local Bariatric Center could take my insurance and see if I qualify. My BMI is currently around 40. I don't expect it to do all the work for me, just to help me.
Do you think it would be one of the better options for me?
So, my name is Saralyn. My highest weight was close to 300lbs last year. I'm currently 260ish right now. I went back and forth fighting with myself just to drop the 40lbs, but now I just feel too tired to fight. I've always been overweight, not once have I ever been thin. I've been seriously looking into surgery for about a month now (it's been in the back of mind for many years), however I haven't told anyone close to me until a few nights ago. I've always struggled with a binge eating disorder. Even though I understood food, knew how to lose weight, even weighed food, I just struggled because the binge and urge to eat has always been in my mind almost every minute.
I was reading that when they do a sleeve and remove part of the stomach it helps with your hunger hormones. I'm almost 23 and feel like my weight has stopped me from doing many things in my life. These are suppose to be wonderful years of my life and I'm just miserable. I even refuse to date since I'm overweight. I just got my apprentice cosmetologist licence and I'll be on my feet all day. I already have aching joints and family on my biological fathers side develop type 2 diabetes, including my father himself and his mother had diabetes when she passed - which I've just recently learned the last year. I know some people say that there's a high chance of gaining weight back, but that's a risk I'd be willing to take, because if I don't stop it now I'm afraid. I just wish the constant urge to eat high volumes of food would go away. I was planning on seeing if my local Bariatric Center could take my insurance and see if I qualify. My BMI is currently around 40. I don't expect it to do all the work for me, just to help me.
Do you think it would be one of the better options for me?
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My first piece of advice would be to not give up fighting! Losing weight pre-surgery is one of the best things you can do to ensure success. Get on MFP, track and weigh everything, and get used to eliminating carbs as much as you can. Look into keto eating, and the vicious carb cycle. Also, I found it helpful to seek emotional/psycological support for my own eating issues. Learning to control the reason behind excessive eating is vital. The earlier you can adapt to a new relationship with food, the better you will do! This path is not an "easy one", you need to make sure you are ready for lifelong changes, before you have the surgery.
Yes, when you have the surgery, you will lose a lot of cravings. Mostly this is due to eating a protein-first diet, and being in ketosis, which the doctors want, because you will go down to a VERY low calorie intake (600 or so) for a few months. The hunger craving WILL come back, and it's extremely easy to fall back into old eating habits, quickly. Sure you can't eat a whole pint of ice cream anymore... unless you have a few bites every few minutes.
Call your insurance providers to find a list of centers that they will allow you to use. Research them online, as well as attend the "potential patient" seminars. Ask the doctors all the questions that you can. Select the one with the most comprehensive before and after care programs. The more they are willing to support their clients, the better the success will be.
I hope this didn't come off as too preachy, just trying to give you a comprehensive view of what to get started on. This is a hard, personal decision that shouldn't be made lightly. There are permanent side effects, and permanent lifestyle changes that you must be 100% ready to accept. Best of luck with your decision. Reading through a lot of the threads here will arm you with a ton of information. And always feel free to ask for more information!
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Hi Saralyn. I started at a little higher then the weight you are now. I had the sleeve 1 year ago and have lost 80 lbs. The sleeve did not make me thin but when I compare my stats and pictures I feel I am at a "normal" size. From a size 18/20 pant to a size 12. XL tops to a medium. I have some loose skin but nothing that gets in the way or causes issues.
The hunger does come back eventually. However head hunger will always be there if you do not address the issues behind it. My big ones are eating when I am upset/stressed, boredom eating and sugar/carb addiction. I began feeling real hunger again starting at about 6 months post surgery. But when I eat as I am supposed to I am full on a much smaller quantity. If I eat processed carbs alone I can just eat and eat and eat with no restriction.
I researched as much as I could before having the surgery. I watched tons of surgery video blogs, read tons of forums and tried to prepare myself for what life would be like after surgery. I wish I had the benefit of the surgery at your age but I thought it was "the easy way out". Far from it! It takes dedication to follow the healthy diet and exercise required to be a success after surgery.
Feel free to add me on MFP and I'll try and answer any question you have.
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murphyraven wrote: »I wish I had the benefit of the surgery at your age...
No doubt about that. "38 year old me" wants togo back in time and pull "23 year old me's" head out of his *kitten*.0 -
I do understand my emotional triggered eating. I've been mainly struggling with the random urges for when I feel completely fine and content. I've been watching Youtube videos (possibly 25+ so far) about the various surgeries and what people thought about them. I've also watched a 30 minute seminar online from my local Bariatric Center and have been reading about side effects, what to expect, what you're allowed to eat, medications needed, etc. I do feel like my local center would be a good option from everything I've read, plus the surgeon has had an operation himself, that being the lapband. I found the schedule for the in person seminars, the next one being on the 11th. From my understanding you have multiple appointments to make sure you've decided on what surgery you want, you have to see a physiologist, learn about nutrition, keep coming back for monthly checkups post-op. It was even said the surgeon gives you his cell phone number in case you have a question or are worried about something.0
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Yeah, sounds like they are doing things the right way!0
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agreed! I have a 2 year support program through my surgical center which has been a great help. Nutrition support, fitness instructions, psych evaluations, regular blood work to check my vitamins and doctor visits. etc. plug finding great support groups on MFP and Facebook.0
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I have no regrets about having WLS, if your provider thinks you're a good candidate, don't look back. It took me two years to wrap my brain around the idea.0
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murphyraven wrote: »I wish I had the benefit of the surgery at your age...
No doubt about that. "38 year old me" wants togo back in time and pull "23 year old me's" head out of his *kitten*.
I need this on a tshirt. If I could have done this at 30 instead of 40, I SO would have.0 -
I go the other way with the 'wish I had done this earlier'. I needed to be at the right place in my life where I could do the things I needed to do to be ready. I needed the kids old enough to be able to allow me to do the eating/gym/etc. for me to be successful.
It took me 4-5 years before the time was right.0 -
Update: I turned in my paper work today just to find out my insurance had been terminated Jan 1st. No idea why. We've struggled to find the issue, they can't find me in the system and I have to do a manual verification. I originally had Passport (I'm currently unemployed, just got my cosmetology licence), but my Mom has told me she might get me onto to CareSource. I'm not giving up just yet, not until an insurance company tells me no and that they won't cover the surgery. So if anyone has any experience with CareSource let me know how things went.0
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Another update, should be getting my Passport insurance back and the cards are on their way to me. Still going to the seminar this Thursday.0
