Low BMI and getting sleeved on 8/18/17 and feeling terrified!!!

[martita2829]

Hi everyone! I finally made the decision of getting sleeved and I'm feeling excited but terrified at the same time because I don't know what to expect. I'll be having my surgery with Dr. Almanza in Mexico and just the fact of traveling alone makes me nervous.

I've been reading other patient's posts about their personal experience and everything seems like it will be OK, just week me luck please!

I have a low BMI (27) which for some might be too low, but I've weighted 135 lbs max my entire life (even after having my 2 children) and I am now 170 lbs (and going up). This has given me depression and a lot of self consciousness

I feel ugly, fat, nothing fits me anymore, I can only use wide clothes because my breast, butt, belly, arms have gotten bigger and bigger, so I finally decided to go ahead and take control over my life again and hopefully be the same person I was 5 years ago.

Anyone with low BMI than can tell me about their experience?

Thanks!

[sraebaer]

I don't think any doctor in the states would do surgery on someone with such a low BMI unless you have some serious medical issues. But I could be totally wrong, so don't yell at me anyone.

[Ann2]

Who in the world would sleeve you at a BMI of 27?!

Oh, wait ....

[Ann2]

I tried biting my tongue, but it didn't work, so here's what I think about having WLS at a BMI of 27.

A weight of 170 pounds and a BMI of 27 means you're five feet and six-and-a-half inches tall.

It means you wear a size 10 -- or maybe (gasp!) a size 12.

It means you do NOT look like your "before" avatar, suggesting you are suffering from some degree of body dysmorphia.

It means you are risking weight loss surgery complications (admittedly low-risk, but that's not no-risk) to lose 35 pounds.

That means you are risking becoming significantly underweight as a result of WLS (most people who've had WLS lose 80-100 pounds at least). And that means even more possible complications down the road.

Why wouldn't you FIRST work with a therapist who could help you improve your own self-care skills -- because that's what you're going to have to do after WLS anyway -- improve your own self-care skills.

Just know that I'm speaking from a little bit of experience here -- both WLS experience and working-on-my-self-care-skills experience.

P.S. I did not realize that [EDIT] Dr. Almanza would perform WLS on someone with a BMI of 27. Is this legal in Mexico?

[knp76]

I agree with Ann. A BMI of 27 is in the overweight range and at very minimal risk of comorbid health conditions. There are actually studies that show that people who are moderately overweight live longer. I am a bit horrified that there is a doctor willing to sleeve you when you are 35 pounds overweight. If I was only 35 pounds overweight I would be working on better self-care skills as Ann suggested. WLS is a very risky thing to do at your BMI. In the U.S. you wouldn't even qualify. Yell at me if you want for what I am about to say, but it seems to me that this doctor in Mexico is more interested in the money and not your health and well being. I wish you would rethink this.

[Pam G]

I can't even....

[sraebaer]

Once on here I suggested the doctors in Mexico will operate on anyone for the money, and I got seriously yelled at, told that they do follow the guidelines. But after hearing this, I think I am correct.

[Christie13]

I think the minimum in the states is 30 BMI and you HAVE to have co morbidities. No wonder you are scared. I would be terrified that I would get too skinny. To be honest, I am scared for you.

[RehabNurse]

I did not realize that Dr. Alvarez would perform WLS on someone with a BMI of 27.

In all fairness, it's Dr. Almanza who will perform the original poster's (OP's) sleeve procedure according to her profile...not Dr. Alvarez.

Anyhow, it seems the OP is getting sleeved primarily for aesthetic reasons such as looks and vanity. I see no mention of health problems or quality of life that would be improved by the sleeve.

The OP is not even considered obese with a BMI of 27. That's regarded as slightly overweight.

[Ann2]

In all fairness, it's Dr. Almanza who will perform the original poster's (OP's) sleeve procedure according to her profile...not Dr. Alvarez.

WHOOPS! I'll correct my post. Thanks, RehabNurse.

[Minoe]

Hi Martita,

I got sleeved in the first week of juli with a bmi of 27,5.
I was eating only 1000kcals a day for years and after treatment in the local obesity centre for 2 years, i lost nothing. It is just how I am and i was not ok with it.
So yes, i totally understand why you would get sleeved, even if you are only slightly overweight and never overate in your life.
I know there are many strong reactions from the heavier people on this forum, but i feel like everybody needs to be able to get help for their problem. And every story is very different. My battle is a very personal one and a very intense one...eating so little for so many years and still being overweight and getting comments on that was hard. I decided to intervene before the comorbidities were there, i feel like people should respect that.
There seem to be very few of us low-mbi-ers on this forum, but you are not alone.

The surgery is really fine, dont stress too much about that. I hate waking up from a surgery, but other than that it isnt that intense.
I threw up for 2 days afterwards, but that is really exceptionnal. It doenst happen a lot apparently.
I wasn't nauseous in between either. My stomach just felt upset while healing. A bit like a flue.
Recovery for me is fine as well. Since i never had a food addiction or never overate, i feel like i can eat plenty and all the time. Just small portions.
The liquid diet isnt much fun, but its ok. B cause of my low bmi, i dont have to watch my carbs and sugar too much, just mu protein intake.
So the good yoghurts, smoothies and fruit juices were all available for me.
I am now just over a month post op, and i have lost 8 of my 17 kgs to lose. I think thats 16 pound out of 34. 18 to go, just over halfway already. I am losing really slowly now, because i am at 600kcals already, compared to 1000 before.
The big change is that instead of intense dieting all the time, i feel like i can eat what i want when my body askes for it. It doesnt feel like a diet anymore. My body just askes for way less than it used to, so i dont have to restrict all the time anymore. Mind you...i am a really healthy eater. I never liked fastfood nor fatty foods. I am quite a 'green' girl by nature.
Of course i can still only eat certain foods, but that will improve. Salads, avocado, quinoa,restaurant visits..those are the things i miss. But they will be available soon.
This operation for me was the big solution to a lifelong battle. It was totally worth it. It is 4 days of effort for a life of change.
As my surgeon said: a sleeve is not really 'huge' surgery. The risks are low. Its the new lifestyle afterwards that is huge for most patients. But since i was already living a pretty sleevelike life before, i dont really need to adapt that much.
I just want to make sure the weight loss slows down in time, i would not want to become skinny.

Good luck! Stop stressing. You are getting the help you are looking for, forever. And you will be fine!
X

[Minoe]

Hi Ann, i was a size 16-18 at bmi 27,5. Every body is different.
No store in europe sells those sizes, unless you go to big-size-stores or buy granny-pants. I can name exactly one chain here in belgium that qualifies as plussize-store. One.
I used to buy online from the uk or usa...

[sraebaer]

Hi Ann, i was a size 16-18 at bmi 27,5. Every body is different.
No store in europe sells those sizes, unless you go to big-size-stores or buy granny-pants. I can name exactly one chain here in belgium that qualifies as plussize-store. One.
I used to buy online from the uk or usa...

I do know European sizes are different than US sizes. Learned that the hard way on Amazon, ordered a size 8 bike shorts. They came from the UK where an 8 there is a 4 here. Return!

[Minoe]

Just to be clear...i was a UK size 16 to 18. Which is 44 to 46 in the eu.

[Ann2]

Minoe, thanks for your post.

Since you're only a month post-op and have already lost half of your excess weight, I hope you continue to post here and let us know your experience with slowing your weight loss and maintaining at a healthy weight. BTW, you're losing much faster than I did -- at the end of Month 1 I'd lost only 10 pounds and then went on to lose 100 pounds.

Here's a link to an international women's clothing size conversion chart. http://www.asos.com/infopages/SizeGu...chart.aspx?r=2 UK sizes 16 and 18 are US sizes 12 and 14.