Should I?

[gbpackerschic]

I am so looking forward too my surgery. Same as you were...once I start eating I can't stoop

[Chief Steve]

Thanks Mike. very helpful comments. I am definitely looking up the articles you referenced.
I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming surgery.

[Pheeel21]

Steve, Great questions and concerns. Remember all of us on this forum enjoyed overeating. When you have a sleeve surgery it is a great tool. You will no longer be able to eat everything you want and may not want to. I was not far away from you in weight and greatly enjoyed eating. Now after almost 6 months I am down 90 lbs and off my cholesterol meds off my BP meds and my ankles, knees and hips feel great. I am able to walk when I play golf and feel like working out. My doctor says I have a near zero chance of ever being diabetic. I had my surgery at age 65. I wish I had done it 10-15 years sooner.

Don't worry about the social situations, if someone asks tell them you are eating more healthy and walking more. You can still have a drink or a beer just not like the old days. Your true friends will support you!

My one question to you is, "where will you be 1 year from today"? Thinner, more healthy, able to excersize and control your eating? Learn everything you can and maybe attend a seminar from a bariatric doctor or major hospital. This surgery really works.

[Ann2]

I just re-read this thread, and I swear I have tears in my eyes -- to hear so many folks (not just me) talking about how their lives have been changed so dramatically for the better really gives me joy.

[vrodge02]

I'm right there with you Steve. I'm in the approval process but hope to have it done sometime this summer. I appreciate everything you say and certainly everything others have said who are post op. I have difficulty finding a good reason not to do it versus all the benefits that follow having VSG. If you really want to change your relationship with food (I certainly do), for me, this is a no-brainer. I do recognize that it is not a magic bullet, but a tool that must be reinforced with a commitment to lifestyle changes. GOOD LUCK!

[Gvn71]

The should I do this question is a tough one. No one can answer that for you except you. I will say you need to be at a point where you are ready to make the changes necessary to be successful. And they are big changes. I was not much different than you, except I was heavier.

I had diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, chronic back pain, the list goes on and on. I was digging my own grave with a spoon and fork. Not sure you noticed, but I said HAD, not have. All of those medical issues are gone from my life now. I struggled with my weight since college. I would get heavy, then work hard and lose weight, but never lose quite as much as I put on. Fast forward to my 40's and I was pushing 320 and reality started to set in that I was headed for an early grave. I had visions of some other guy raising my kids with my wife because I'd be gone.

I have lost 134 pounds, and am in better shape than I have been since high school (HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!). Actually, I think I'm in better shape now!

I have no regrets. I love this new body. I am having fun being a thin guy!

Huge lifestyle change though. I loved to eat, it was my stress reliever, my comfort zone. I cannot do it anymore. But, I have to be careful and mindful now. I can easily graze all day and gain weight. I still stick to 1500 - 1800 calories a day. I weigh daily and make changes if the number climbs more than 3 -5 pounds.

You really need to be ready to make the changes. I read so many posts from people who confess to eating pizza a month after surgery (WTF?)..... If you are not ready to make the changes then you should re-evaluate the decision to go forward with surgery. No other way to say it, you have to want to do it.

The social situations are easy over time. I just tell people I choose to eat healthy, and to control my portions. The only thing I get regularly now is "why don't you drink anything when you eat?" That one is tougher to answer because people just don't get it. I always ask for a glass of water and then luckily my kids drink it. I also don't go out to eat that much anymore (just isn't worth it). As far as alcohol, I choose not to drink. Alcohol is loaded with empty calories and a lot of sugar / carbs. Most people respect the decision not to drink alcohol, and I realize now how much of an ass I could be when drinking. Fun to watch people drinking when you're sober!

Hope this helps! Good luck in your journey!

Any questions let me know.

Glenn