Having doubts~ Need guidance

Hi I know I am posted on this board before heck I may even have asked this question before. I need more advice, guidance, thoughts, information.

I'm scheduled for 4/28 sleeve, I go this week for the 4 hour class, and the upper scope. I keep reading on blogs and other sites someone say this surgrey is the worst mistake they have ever made. I don't want to be that one that will regret this, I have two kids and a husband I want to be healthy for I want to get this weight off be in shape and healthy. Without any problems. Some people say this surgrey had no change on  their hunger??

I am an older woman and I am very grateful for the sleeve.  I was 400# and have so far since surgery, in 3 weeks lost, 42.5#.  I would not trade this chance for anything.  The only trouble you will have that I have heard is cooking different for you and your family. But only you can make this choice.  Good luck.

Let me reassure you, even if you're still hungry, you will lose weight.  I am one of the minority who still gets hungry just like before.  The difference is I now get full on half a cup of food.  I started journalling my food before I started my pre-op diet so I'd be able to compare, and I eat 1/8 the volume I ate before surgery.  It is still up to me to make sure that 1/2 cup of food is healthy food, but getting full so quickly is why I've been able to lose over 50 lbs in three months. 

I am almost four months out and have lost 68lbs. This is the best decision that I could have made for myself. I have my life back and do not regret one single day. I just came back from an all inclusive vacation and lost a pound!  I did not feel cheated at all!  I had my surgery over the holidays and did not even regret not eating Christmas dinner or toasting at New Years because I knew that it would be all worth it in the end. If I did not lose another pound, I would still think it was worth it (although I hope to lose more :)  I would say that this has curbed my hunger....I still have those moments when I want to eat out of boredom but if I drink something, it usually goes away.  Good Luck!

I am 4 weeks out today and in the first couple weeks, I for sure was regretting my decision.  The discomfort of drinking/eating was hard to deal with and frustrating.  Now that things are getting easier, I don't regret it any more.  The scale is going down, I have energy, I'm not tempted by foods that I'm not supposed to have.  I lost 70 pounds before I had surgery and have lost an additional 25 since surgery.

I don't ever feel hungry and have to remember to eat.  I'm able to eat a 5 ounce yogurt in about 30-45 minutes.  Saturday night I had three boiled shrimp and was stuffed.  There are definitely times that I am sad that I can't sit down to a big feast or eat away my sorrows or stress.  You just have to get over it and think about what a brave and positive choice you have made.

I think it's probably a gross exaggeration when people say the surgery has made "no" change in their hunger - that's physiologically impossible.  The stomach size is only 1/4 of the size it used to be and the ghrelin (hunger hormone) is severely reduced.  A lot of people haven't done the emotional/mental work to help them with "head hunger".

I'm here to tell you that I used to have intense, I mean INTENSE, physical hunger that I now realize was also a lot of acid problems.  Do I still get hungry?  Yes, I do...but it is NOTHING like it was before.  Now it is manageable and doesn't make me feel like I need to gnaw the arm off my chair if I don't get some food in me pronto.  And, as the other poster stated, it only takes small amounts of food now to satisfy that hunger.  

In the first few weeks some people do have buyer's remorse.  My husband just went through this surgery and I warned him that it goes this way: 

Surgery Day:  you're too out of it to care about anything

Day 1 post-op:  you will think, "WTF have I done to myself?!?" 

Day 2 post-op:  you will say, "I don't think I can live the rest of my life this way!"  And you may start getting sad and even cry some. 

Day 3 post-op:  you'll be surprised at how weak you still are but realize that you can drink a bit more and move better 

And so it goes....every day gets a little better and at a year out - barring complications - I think most people realize they are much better off than they were before surgery. 

I am almost 16 months out and I have never regretted this surgery one bit.  My surgery was a breeze.  There are people that do have problems with surgery but they are the exception and not the norm.  All surgeries carry a risk but I personally feel that your mental attitude plays a large role in your success or failure.  I was nervous about going into surgery because I did not want to be a burden on anyone else and I also do not want to fail.  These two things are still a huge driving force in all the decisions that I make.  My health was failing and I had to do something or I was not going to be around to see my grandchildren which should still be several years off.  I went into this with a determined and positive attitude and have tried to maintain it all the way through.  I am only hungry when I don't eat regularly or I don't eat dense protein. There are people that do feel hungry but I think they just learn to cope with it.  Others have head hunger.  Something that will help you determine if you are actually hungry or if you are just having head hunger is to make sure you are taking your antacid like Pepcid Complete.  Acid in the stomach can mimic hunger pangs.  Also try and distract yourself by doing something else.  I was a big time stress eater and went to food for comfort.  I have had to totally change how I deal with this, it is had gotten easier over time but I do find if I am feeling hungry and I shouldn't I look at what is going on around me and if it is stress, I have just told myself that I am imagining things and I just ignore it and move on and it works for me. 

If you are determined to make a life style change and you are up for the challenge then it is time for you to have this surgery and kick some butt.  Just don't make excuses, you need to follow your plan and you truly need to be prepared to do this for the rest of your life.  I need to continue to eat like I do now or I will put the weight back on.  Keep a positive attitude even if that number on the scale does not move.  Good Luck with everything!