[swanfray]

So I am scheduled for vsg August 7th, 2017. I have been a fat girl my entire life and I was really excited for this surgery (ooo girl I'm about to be skinny life is gonna be great yadaada..) But I've been freaking out these past 2 weeks. I went from switching to the more complicated surgery (RNY) to not wanting to do it at all to settling with vsg. I feel so conflicted because I feel like a part of me can do it (I've lost 30 pounds while trying to get approval for surgery which finally put me under 300 for the first time in a year and a half). I'm seriously considering canceling and doing it myself but when I bring this up on a WLS centered site I get told it's impossible. Is it really? Are there actually studies that concluded this? I'm terrified of surgery and I am young with no medical issues so there's no reason why I shouldn't try..but I want the better odds for myself. Thank you for reading..I'm trying to get help in order to decide ASAP.

I gained a majority of my weight during my childhood and teen years when I would overeat and I wouldn't know why. I wasn't using food to cope with anything but I'd wake up and eat two ham and cheese sandwiches for breakfast and go on like that's normal. I don't do that anymore. My eating habits are different so I've been losing. Idk if this means that I should stay on a good track and lose this weight myself or am I setting myself up for failure.. I track everything I eat and I exercise but is it true that once you're obese you'll always be that way without surgery??

[Chunkahlunkah]

Hi, swanfray. Welcome! First off, congrats on dropping 30. That's great!

Whether to have the surgery is totally your call. My personal advice though is that it sounds like you're having significant (and reasonable) second thoughts about it. I wouldn't advise having such a major surgery in that scenario.

Losing weight and keeping it off is difficult; there's no denying that. I did a quick google and the regain rate appears to be lower for people who've had the surgery. That doesn't guarantee though that you won't regain, or that you will regain if you lose without surgery. It's just the general odds, but who you are as an individual (i.e., what led to your obesity and the changes you're capable of making) will shape your results.

Purely anecdotal, but my brother was very obese from about 10 yrs old to 20. Then he committed to losing the weight. Over the course of about 1.5 years, he dropped over 100 pounds through diet and exercise (just walking, but for 1 hour every single day). He's kept it off now for 15 years. Over the years, he's had a few small regains (the highest being 40 pounds), but he catches it and gets back on track. I'm very proud of him.

[mjf]

If you have no other serious medical problems, it's definitely possible to lose weight without surgery. Surgery might be faster, but it's also more expensive and has risks. You might want to speak to a doctor about whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks. Even if you're eating healthier than before, there might be room for improvement, so making an appointment with a nutritionist might be a good idea as well, if you haven't done so already.

[Wannabehealthy]

For me, I would not have the surgery unless I was sure. It doesn't sound as if you are sure. It is not a magic cure....it's a tool to help you. You still have to follow a sensible diet, the way you did when you lost the first 30 lbs. Maybe you should give yourself some more time, to see if you can continue losing on your own. Many others have done it, and doing so will give you such a sense of satisfaction.

Good luck to you whichever way you decide.

[EagleRiverDee]

I don't think it's impossible for most people to lose weight without surgery. And from what I've read, the surgeries often force changes in eating habits that it seems like if you just adopted those changes without the surgery you'd also see results. You could always try losing weight through dietary changes and then do surgery later if you are unsuccessful.