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Thread: Low BMI surgery

  1. #1
    Gastric Sleeve Member Princessbeepbop's Avatar
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    Post Low BMI surgery

    Hello! Joined yesterday and already have my surgery scheduled for September 18th, 2018.

    A little about me:
    I’m 27 years old- married and now kids, just puppies for me
    Current weight: 170 and 5’3. My BMI is just below 30.
    I am getting surgery done in Mexico by Dr.Almanza- I’ve heard a mixture of things about him, mainly a class action lawsuit for surgery complications. With that being said, I’ve also heard a lot of great things about him.

    I decided to have surgery after a friend told me she had it done and felt better than she did before. I have always struggled with my weight, with my highest being 183 pounds (which for a lot of people doesn’t seem bad). Since I was 13 I was declared overweight by my doctor at 118 pounds (I wish!). I started to develop into a young woman and my relationship with food grew unhealthy. I then decided I needed a change in college and could only get down to 160 pounds. No matter how much I worked out, how well I ate it never made a difference. I have gone through a series of diets and workout plans to no avail— I did weight watchers, nutrisystem, beachbody and even pills. I get terrible menstrual cramps, and back and shoulder pain (breasts) from my weight. I’m always told that I carry my weight really well and never look like my number. It’s always been frustrating to me that I am always judged by how desperately I want to lose weight so I can be healthier and more confident. Everyone has their own reasons.

    My husband is the only one that knows I am getting surgery as most people including my close relatives would be super against the surgery (which I get). But they haven’t struggled and walked in my shoes. This decision was not taken lightly but I would rather do it now before I keep gaining weight and keep yo-yo-ing. I’ve also heard that if you do it when your younger or lower BMI than 40, you tend to lose more weight?

    I think it’s all about effort as well— I am so ready for my body to feel healthier and leaner.

    Questions:
    1. I was given a 28 day pre-op diet with high protein and low carbs and the 7 days prior- liquid only diet and then last three days a clear liquid diet. Does this seem too long?
    2. Do you have any experience with surgery and a low BMI?
    3. Done the procedure in Mexico thru weight-loss agents?


    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


    Thank you all in advance for your time and comments



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  3. Gastric Sleeve Surgery With Weight Loss Agents
  4. #2
    Gastric Sleeve Member Stacey03's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Hi princess... I did have a surgery with a lower BMI. I have done really well. I get it. I also spent a long time struggling with weight and even though at times I wasn't too big it was an ongoing battle. I had surgery in australia so I cant talk for Mexico but I've heard good things.
    The pre op diet does seem an awfully long time, mine was 2 weeks of 3 protein shakes a day but every surgeon is different.
    My advice for you would be to really think about your health, eating and exercise after surgery and use it as an opportunity to become the fittest and healthiest you have been. With a BMI like that you will probably drop to a bit underweight so you really need to concentrate on good nutritious foods. You may need to add some more good fats to keep your weight up like avocados and nuts etc. You will also have to dedicate some time to spending eating, which will sound weird now but you will get it later. It is easy to spend not much time and then not eat enough so you have to dedicate that 30 mins to get more in than you possibly want. This is just my experience. Also... take your vitamins! Its also worth thinking about an exercise program if you don't have one or getting a personal trainer, weights will be your friend and cardio not so much. Very best of luck to you, keep positive, look after yourself and you will do just great :-)


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  6. #3
    Gastric Sleeve Member Princessbeepbop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Thank you so much for the advice. I’m not hoping to go under too much. I think I know what you mean about the eating and taking time to eat. The friend I mentioned was eating for a long tome and I didn’t understand it until I did so much research and you bringing it up right now. I love avocados and looking forward to eating some when the tome comes. Thank you so so so much for the advice.



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  8. #4
    Gastric Sleeve Member denzel's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Hi and welcome @Princessbeepbop!

    2. Do you have any experience with surgery and a low BMI?
    I haven't read of anyone having a gastric sleeve done with a BMI under 30 - in fact in many countries they simply won't do it.
    I'm in Australia, had a BMI of 31 when I had my first appointment, but I also had obesity related complications (sleep apnoea). My surgeon and the bariatric specialist dietitian I saw pre-op did not want me to want to do a diet pre-op as there was a concern that my BMI would be below 30 come op day - and the op wouldn't have gone ahead. I had a very busy month, lots of physical work and it was the height of a hot summer and I dropped 4 kgs that month, ending up with a BMI of 30 on op day.
    There is a group on this site that you might be interested in - https://www.gastricsleeve.com/forum/...hp?groupid=296

    1. I was given a 28 day pre-op diet with high protein and low carbs and the 7 days prior- liquid only diet and then last three days a clear liquid diet. Does this seem too long?
    You will drop heaps of weight doing this. I dropped heaps of weight in the past doing this, but I was hungry - I didn't know about having High amounts of Healthy fats for satiety, and put the weight back on. Make sure that you have plenty of healthy fats! IF I had known this prior I wouldn't have gone ahead and had the gastric sleeve.
    I am a big fan of LCHF - Low Carb Healthy Fat, Ketogenic Way of Eating (WOE). You may like to check out some books out of your library on this. These I books that I particularly like "Real Meal Revolution", "What The Fat", "Keto for life", "The Keto Reset Diet", "The Keto Diet Cookbook". Also, there are various LCHF/Keto Face Book pages (I belong to quite a few) that I am sure that you will find interesting.
    This is just an idea - how about you postpone your surgery, and give LCHF/Ketogenic WOE a good go? You WILL lose weight, and your health WILL improve!

    Another idea if you want to go ahead with WLS is to look at alternatives e.g. Endoscopic Gastric Sleeve, Gastric balloon. You might be interested in this: https://www.gastricsleeve.com/forum/...splay.php?f=30

    All the best, and please keep us updated!



  9. #5
    Gastric Sleeve Member Christie13's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    I would not do the pre op for that long. I only had to do 9 days of pre op and I started at a 41.8 BMI. I think you would drop down drastically if you followed that pre op diet. As for your BMI, it does seem low and I know that most places will not do it if you have less than 35 BMI unless you have loads of medical issues. You also may have an issue stopping the weight loss. I know a lot of people on here have used Dr. Almanza and love him.



  10. Gastric Sleeve Surgery With Weight Loss Agents
  11. #6
    Gastric Sleeve Member denzel's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Oh, I forgot to add. The main reason why the surgeons want people to lose weight pre-op is to shrink the liver of fat, making it easier to manipulate out the way. Obviously the other benefit is that over all, pre-op weight loss makes the surgery safer.

    I've been binge watching "Fat Ward" and "The Fat Doctor" on You Tube. (Horrified that the folks, on the whole, still have an unhealthy WOE post-op, just eat less of it. Totally against bariatric guidelines of protein first, followed y non-starchy veg, then if any room left, starchy veg! One guy who had had a gastric by-pass had for breakfast 1 large glass of orange juice, a slice of white toast and margarine! Wow! That wasn't going to be good for his insulin resistance/diabetes! )



  12. #7
    Gastric Sleeve Member Princessbeepbop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Ill reach out to the dr and see what the reason is.



  13. #8
    Gastric Sleeve Member Sandra3's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Hello,

    In many countries they would not do the surgery if your BMI is under 42. So you will have to be really extra careful on the nutrition side. I would recommend that you take classes to be better informed about what to eat when you will reach your goal (quickly) and will have to maintain. It might be useful to take protein shakes with extra calories at some point.

    Regarding your surgeon, he does a lot of surgeries and has experience. The most important is to make sure that the facility where you will have surgery has an ICU. If you did all your pre op required exams,(EKG, lung XRAY etc) you should be fine.

    My personal point of view : you might want to look into endometriosis. Many obese patients have it (I do to a very high level) and hormonal issues are often a trigger in obesity.
    Knowledge is power. It took a very long time to doctors to figure out what was wrong with me (so many issues) but at the end, most of it is linked to hormones/inflammation/allergies.
    Because my obesity is in my genes, there's trigger that do increase my weight even if I don't eat. Before being pregnant I was eating nothing working out a lot and was already overweight. The first pregnancy was a real disaster and I was never able to lose the weight after that.

    So whatever people think you are probably doing the right thing here, if I had a sleeve before being pregnant I wouldn't have been morbidly obese for more than 20 years. But don't focus on your weight. It's better to focus on your health and nutrition is the key!
    Good luck, take care!


    HW : 150 kgs
    09/02/2014 : 142 /1st apt
    01/20/2016 : 134 /surgery
    01/30/2016 : 130 /1st post-op
    02/27/2016 : 126 /2nd
    04/23/2016 : 118 /3rd
    07/16/2016 : 109 / 4th
    10/01/2016 : 103 /5th
    01/21/2017 : 98 /1 year post-op
    February 2017 : 100 lbs lost
    07/22/2017 : 96
    10/21/2017 : 93
    12/22/2017 : 91
    01/02/2018 : 96!! regain (medication)

  14. #9
    sraebaer
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    In the states you would never be approved for surgery as you don't have that much to lose. But I guess in Mexico they will do anything for the money. (Sorry, just my opinion, don't yell at me). You don't think you could lose 35 pounds by exercising and following the sleeve high protein diet? My husband has lost that much just by eating like I do and exercising. Dinner is always our "rule of 2," a protein and a veggie. Our vacations are always active, hiking, skiing, biking, etc.

    But it's totally up to you, so whatever you decide, best of luck!

  15. #10
    Gastric Sleeve Member
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    I don't know anything about surgery in Mexico. But I know that the high protein diet will reduce your appetite. You might also talk to your doc about other alternatives like medication.



  16. #11
    Gastric Sleeve Member Sweet_kitty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Hi Princess Beepbop,
    I just joined this forum today and your story is almost exactly like mine! All the diets, different programs and exercise programs....wow! I would like to have the surgery as a preventative tool so that I do not go back up to my higher weights in the 180's and I do not want to wait until I am 100lbs overweight before doing something about it. I have yo-yo'ed for many years and my goal weight is 135. I started the basic pre-op diet at 175lbs 6-weeks ago, and the 3-protein drinks per day, 1-week ago, and have lost 12lbs. My VSG is scheduled for 08/09/18 and I am worried that if I keep on this pre-op diet for another week, not to mention the 2-days full liquid, I will risk being denied surgery because my BMI will be too low. I have sent an email to the nutritionist to ask for their advise. I am also going to Mexico because the US does not advocate preventative treatments. I am always heartbroken when I read posts from people who don't understand that we can never get under that 160lb marker. The AMA still considers us Overweight; we just happen to be on the lower end of the Obese range. Cheers to you for doing something about it now! I totally understand where you are coming from and wish I would have had this kind of alternative when I was your age.

    Good luck in your adventure. I can't wait to get started on my new life!



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  18. #12
    Gastric Sleeve Member Princessbeepbop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Sweet Kitty,
    I’m so glad I’m not alone in this feeling. Im also worried about the preop diet and losing too much weight. But I doubt that when you get there they will deny you. Doctor confirmed for me that my preop was so long to decrease the fatty liver so that the surgery goes smoother. Any tips on your preop. What helped you the most in terms of ease of use throughout the day? What protein shake are you drinking ? Who is your doctor?



  19. #13
    Gastric Sleeve Member Sweet_kitty's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    Hi PrincessB,
    How are you today? I heard back from my nutritionist who said not to worry about what my BMI is when I arrive for surgery; that the determination is based on your BMI when you scheduled. Mine was 31.2, so that put my mind at ease. I am 7-days out, so I am having protein shakes 3x/day and a little green/cucumber finely chopped salads w/ Walden Farms dijon dressing at lunch and dinner. I put a squeeze of real dijon and squirt of Stevia into the dressing to make it tolerable and that works great. Or I just use a squeeze of lemon. Sugar Free popsicles and jello are your new best friends. If you have a Dollar General or Big Lots store in your area, you can find pre-portioned 4-packs of SF jello for $1, so stock up. I also purchased one of those water bottles with the time indicator on the side and infuser which I put cucumber in. Drink two of those per day and that is 64oz. I drink the Vitaleph protein and the Quest Peanut Butter for a treat. I also pre-purchased the Vitamin "Patch"(es) so I don't have to worry about trying to swallow vitamin pills post-surgery. They are time released and you can wear multiple patches at a time including a Biotin patch which I have started using already for 2-weeks as a proactive measure. I will be having surgery at the Obesity Control Center in Mexico w/ Dr Ortiz. Next week! Don't let the naysayers get you down. You are doing a very important thing for your future health. Thanks for the friend request! I hope we can find a few more positive friends and block the negative/pessimistic ones. Have a great day!



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  21. #14
    Gastric Sleeve Member Princessbeepbop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    I don’t dwell on the negative comments. What I often hear or read is that people wish the would have done the surgery soooner. Sooner is right now for me. I want this as a preventative measure for myself. To me, the benefits definitely outweighs the risks. I don’t want to wait until I’m older and more depressed and have to later get plastic surgery to correct everything else. I simply can’t lose weight the healthy way (eating and exercising). So this is my final decision to lyerally make a lifestyle change



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  23. #15
    Gastric Sleeve Member denzel's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Dr Stephen Watson
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    Default Re: Low BMI surgery

    I got sick with a gut infection the year I had my gastric sleeve and dropped from a BMI of 30 on Op Day to one of 17.5 (weight 41.3 kg, 91 lb) My GP was very concerned about me. I got too skinny.



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