Trying to Decide

I just attended my first seminar and had my consultation with my surgeon. I am on my 2nd month of the required 6 month physician-supervised diet. I am going to start an exercise class and diet education through the local hospital on May 17. And right now I am still unable to decide if I want to have surgery. I fear that I will wake up, like some people have previously posted, and wonder to myself "what did I do?!?" I don't want to have that regret.

What made the decision for you? When did you accept that surgery is the most effective tool in addition to the diet and exercise you still have to inevitably do. When did you accept that unless you went through such drastic measures, the weight just wasn't going to come off? I keep thinking about the healing time, the pain, and the absolute change in lifestyle. I continue to logically reason that diet and exercise is still possible and I don't have to put myself through this. But, since I got home from the seminar (which was out of town), I've been bingeing and mindlessly eating, and I haven't taken one step to exercise. What on earth is going to motivate me to exercise, plan every meal, prepare every meal, and do it all again the next day and the day after that? I am afraid that if I'm not doing any of that stuff now, will I ever?

I have to say, I made my decision based on the fact that if I don't have the surgery, I will not be around when I'm 60. So....it becomes a way of life. I hope this helps in your decision

After many attempts to lose weight and keep it off, my mind changed.  I recently lost and regaind 45lbs. After I regained my weight AGAIN, I was so discouraged that I just stopped caring.  My eating is out of control, I don't care about diet or exercise and I just don't have the energy to work so hard to loose weight just to regain it again.  So, after about a year of "not caring" overeating and panic attacks I decided I need help. 

After attending my seminar in April, I realized that I needed this tool to help me maintain a healthy life.  I have several comorbidities and fear that they will cause me more health problems as I get older.  

I am once again excited about losing weight and feel that with the help of surgery I will be successful.  I am greatful for this surgery because it gives hope to those of use who have been unsuccessful in the past.

My surgery is schedule for June 16th and I can't wait!!!

Good luck with your decision.  I know it's not any easy one to make, but I feel that I have made the right choice and am on my way to a healthier me.  No looking back now :)

Stephanie

After many attempts to loose the weight with different diets, I came to the conclusion that I could only loose the weight with the surgery.....I think that many people who are undecided about the surgery is because they do not want to stop eating the way they have been doing for years.  Unless you are commit teed to loosing the weight and keeping it off, you will not have any success.  For me it was a health issue.  I had no other choice.  I am sooooooooooooo glad I did.  I can eat everything now, just very small amounts....of course I always try to eat protein first then vegetables then fruits......and lots of water...Good Luck.....

I accepted the fact that I was not going to be able to lose over 100 pounds by myself.  I also knew that if I am going to acheive my goals in life, I have to get the weight off. I am 3.5 weeks post op and did experience some regret during the first couple of days...but that quickly went away. I know that this is going to be the best decision I have ever made for myself.  Good luck on your journey!

I agree admitting i was powerless againt....obesity....was the most liberating thing I did!  Coming to terms W/ the fact....that I needed extra help....was not easy....but once I did....I got help......best decision EVER!!

The things that you fear don't last forever.  The regret is temporary and THE FIRST MONTH SUCKS!!!

But once you're through the adjustment phase, your new lifestyle is easy and enjoyable.

What made the decision for me?  I was 52 when I had the surgery.  I had a lifetime of failed diets.  And when I say failed, I never had a problem getting the weight off, but keeping it off was impossible.  And every diet I was on was a struggle from the time I started it until I stopped.  10 years ago, I stopped dieting and maintained a steady weight (albeit a high, unhealthy weight) for that decade.  Then came the diabetes and hypertension, and I looked in my crystal ball and knew the future would not be good.  But I also didn't have another diet in me.  So, off to surgery.  And this doesn't feel like a diet to me - but it is a new lifestyle.  I look at other people's plates now and wonder how the heck they're gonna eat everything on it.  But that was me just a few short months ago.

I had the same fear about whether the surgery would really make me change the way I eat, but it has.  And now that I've established a new routine of eating and exercising, it's become a new way of life and I don't even have to put too much thought into it.

But we all have to be in the right place mentally to make it work.  And only you can decide whether you're there.  Best of luck to you.

Thank you for all your replies and the overwhelming support you all give. I still fear but not as much. I suppose this is something I must do by faith. Faith in my God, faith in myself, faith in my surgeon and his team, faith that I will heal, and faith in all who participate in the message forums...I don't think I could do it without your support.

The over-riding fact that I was 60 and didn't want to be an old fat fart did it for me.

Here's a suggestion for you. Take this one step at a time. Don't try to make it all happen before the fact.

First, you and only you can decide if you want to accept the help this tool will provide. Remember, it's only a tool, not a cure. If you want to accept the tool, then you're on you way.

Second, and don't tell a soul this, but don't worry about exercise yet. I haven't done a lick of it. Shhh, it's our little secret. I don't want to hear from anyone about it! But, I do THINK about exercising. And I may even start. Thing is, as you start losing and feeling like a million bucks, you may WANT to get off your butt and get moving.

VSG is really a fabulous tool. If just diet and exercise did the trick this country wouldn't be full of fat people, now, would it? And none of us on this forum would even be here to talk about it.

I know how worrying it can be to think about a life time of meal planning and sticking to the rules, and exercising. Stop it. Take it one day at a time, one thing at a time. There are some really good blogs out there that can help with meal suggestions. And, we're always here to catch you if you fall.

http://www.livingafterwls.com/Recipes.html
http://www.bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/
http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/