I have been looking into weight loss surgery lately and decided to give myself one last try before going that route. Right now I'm around 230 and feel like crap most of the time. Every time I diet I just mess it up.

Anyway, I'm currently looking at shakes and appetite suppressants that I might be able to take, just for the time being, just to see if I can get the weight off without surgery.

I know healthy diet can fix me. I do know that, but I also know that I just don't want to think about it anymore. I want to not think or count or plan...just until I lose enough that I feel better and have the mental energy to do such a thing.

Good Morning Kathy,

I wish you the very best luck, whatever you decide. I have 4 co-workers that have been through the weight loss surgery and they have all gained the weight back if not more. The problem with the surgery is that it's also about ones mental state and willingness to committee to a different lifestyle.

If you are not totally ready for a lifestyle change then in the long run, it won't solve the weight issue. One of my co-workers in particular has a 9 year daughter that's bi-polar. She has gone through a lot dealing with that and all her daughter's medications, therapist, and behavior.

So this person has a lot of stress at home. She finds comfort in food. She had the surgery about 4 years ago and she told me that she is 50lbs more now than before she had the surgery. So if you think that mentally you are ready to make a change for life, I would say go for it. There are plenty of people that have had the surgery with continued success.

But there are plenty of great programs out there that can assist you with you weight loss goal. Best of luck to you and remember come to this site as often as possible. This site has been a life changer for me.

If you do get weight loss surgery please please please, get some counseling to help you deal with food issues. We lost my daughter in law in November due to alcoholism (a common substitute addiction for over-eaters) her system could not handle the alcohol and it destroyed her liver. I've seen some wonderful outcomes with the surgery but it is vital that the reason for overeating is addressed. Best wishes!!

The weight loss surgery works. For some almost always initially, but keeping it off does require lifestyle changes. For some people, just that great kickstart helps them, but over time, we learn ways to get around that smaller stomach - finding ways to overeat in different ways.

Both my mother and uncle have had the surgery - they gained all the weight back, but over time lost again, but with some huge unhealthy benefits too - so not worth it in their opinions.

That you want to take some pills or supplements tells me that you are not in the place for changing your life around. It sounds like you are depressed. Depression can be caused by so many things. Perhaps getting some counseling to try to figure out what is at the root might help you with your mental state and ultimately, your desire to lose weight (and I say this as someone who struggles with depression).

You have received some excellent advice here. I just want to add that I agree with the others. I have a coworker who had the surgery, lost weight but regained anyway, and now has all the weight in addition to the complications from the surgery. It isn't a life changer all the time.

Kathy, I know how you feel. Last year I decided I wanted surgery as well. My husband's insurance covered the procedure and I decided to go for it, especially since we had found out he was being laid off in another 3 months. Well, when I called the insurance company they explained that it was about a six month process to get approved. If you're serious about the surgery and you'll be using health insurance, contact them now if you haven't already. You'll want to speak with someone to find out all that is required prior to surgery as soon as possible.
I ended up not pursuing surgery as an option and I still haven't lost weight. I know people who have had it, some more successfully than others. I have since decided that if I could follow a post-surgery lifestyle then I should just make a commitment to follow a healthy lifestyle without surgery. Obviously that's easier said than done, plus I don't get sick if I eat the wrong thing or too much of something. Consider your options carefully and do what is best for you. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Yeppers! For "some" people, the big losses are the motivator that allows them to finally FINALLY make that lifestyle change - and they keep it off.

For others, it didn't work that way (my two family members included). They found ways around the diet - certain foods that didn't trigger their stomach, but fed their sugar or carb or food or whatever needs.

But now with complications. My uncle almost died from an ulcerated esophagus from vomiting all the time when he ate. My mom has to chew food to teeny tiny portions and should avoid some foods, but she doesn't and she vomits nearly every meal too.

Thing is, you don't KNOW before the surgery which category you will fit into and I decided for me if that I couldn't change my lifestyle before surgery I didn't trust I would change it after surgery. So I never pursued it.

If you're really giving yourself one last try, why not make it the most educated, well thought out attempt possible? Now would also be a good time to get information on weight loss surgery, see if your health insurance covers it, see if you would even be a candidate. Then find out about speaking with a dietician to help you with a non-surgical approach.

You don't have to do this alone. You don't have to guess at what will work. You don't have to struggle or take pills or be hungry and miserable. A "quick fix" via diet pills, etc. isn't really a fix - it's a band-aid, and the wound will still be there even if the weight is (temporarily) gone.

Best of luck to you whatever approach you take.

FWIW - My mom had WLS about 15 years ago and regained some (not all). She's generally much healthier, but still struggles with getting adequate nutrition and continues to struggle re-losing the weight she gained back. She has issues eating many foods and has had other side effects from the surgery. I believe she would do it all over again if she knew then what she knows now, but it hasn't been an easy road, either.

Actually WLS was one of the reasons I started losing weight, and not because I had it.

I went into a consultation where we discussed permanent eating changes after the surgery. Since none of it would be covered by insurance for me, I wanted to make sure I could actually stay on plan for 6 months before dropping so much cash and having drastic surgery.

It sounds like you're trying to do that. Give yourself time to feel better about the lower calorie amounts. Drink water and fizzy drinks to help fill you up. Low calorie foods such as vegetables will help fill you up as well.

Having WLS isn't going to get rid of needing to plan or count. If anything, you'll have to be more strict. If you have difficulties staying on a plan, make sure you explain this to the doctor before having the surgery.

Hi Kathy. I am sorry to hear that you're having a hard time. The truth is that, I don't think, weight loss surgery is the answer for everyone. I myself consider it just another quick fix fad (I know there are exceptions and some people need it) and in truth so many people have either complications (including death) or they gain the weight back. As a matter of fact some statistics are that 30% of people who've had surgery gain their weight back and more and never lose it.

What worked for me is getting my "head" straight. I read Dr. Phil's book he wrote 10 years ago about weight loss and he talks about the same thing. I am a stress and emotional eater. I had to figure out why and so I have been seeing a therapist for a long time now and doing all I can to make sure I can do this on my own without surgery and facing those complications or statistics and so can you. Not everyday is perfect for me but I stay on track pretty good because I still get help. Help is out there and before you go under the knife consider talking to someone.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of people have had success with surgery but I think there is a reason why the insurance companies make you have psych evaluations prior to paying for it to make sure you're ready for the lifestyle change. I hope you can find the help you need and get on track. Good Luck

I follow a lot of people on Youtube who had weight loss surgery, I find their journeys to be similar to my own minus the extreme weight loss lol. The struggle with food is still there for many of them, as it is for those of us who haven't had it. We're around the same weight, but you're an inch taller than me lol, which means you're probably a little smaller than me, and I have to be honest in saying I am so grateful to be where I am. But that is a perspective thing, coming from 350 at my highest and getting down to 224.4 on my own, and doing this for my health and not to be thinner per say (though that is also a motivator ) keeps me energized about this journey. I wish you the absolute best, I personally am not an advocate of pills & shakes, but if they work that is what is important. What also works is healthier eating, portion control, calorie counting/food logging and light exercise. I agree the surgery works, but it isn't a permanent solution for many people because they haven't dealt with their addiction to food, and many aren't doing it to be healthier but to be thinner (especially those with the lower obesity BMI's like us) and that can make it more difficult to stick to a healthy regimen.

BTW here are a couple of my favorite WLS Youtubers (love these girls!) -
https://www.youtube.com/user/MellieMay80 Mellie May
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJG...1TOLpJ4hUVF08w << Clusie L

Hi Kathy! Might as well do it with a friend or two. You can both keep company and be accountable to each other as you pursue a healthier lifestyle. You would need it as well, if in case you'd opt for the surgery.

I think a lot of us have considered WLS. I really wanted it but was scared to death of complications. I'm a huge chicken!

I lost my weight without it but I still think it seems like a helpful tool.

Don't forget to check out the weight loss surgery forum on this site. I lurked around there when I was considering surgery. There are many personal stories on the pages that you may find helpful, or you may be able to personally connect with someone to talk to about it.

I agree with everyone else. WLS is not a quick fix. You lose the weight initially, but it comes with a price. You struggle to get proper nutrition, and if you go back to your old eating habits you gain it back. You might not even fit the criteria at your weight and height. My boss had to gain 20 lbs to be approved for surgery. Now that's just stupid IMO I no longer work there so I don't know how she did. Many doctors require that you lose a significant amount of weight before the surgery, to be sure that you will be able to make the lifestyle change, so if you can do that, why not just make the committment to do it on your own. So many have done it, you can too!