Last August, I started a reputable bariatric surgery program. As my insurance requires at least 6 months of care prior to surgery, I took the program at a reasonable rate. Regardless, I was done with the 2 sleep studies, 6 support classes, 2 support groups, 2 psychiatric appointments, 2 nutrition workshops, 2 exercise consultations, and numerous blood tests by December. The only requirement I am still struggling with is to lose 10% of my initial body weight.
In essence, I had to lose about 35lbs and I’ve been working towards this goal since August…10 months. And it has been SO hard for me. I wonder if the struggle to lose this weight is my mind’s unconscious desire to NOT have the surgery. I am almost 40 and I can not get a handle on my weight. I have tried and failed so many times that I am finally pursuing this option, an option five years ago I swore I would never do. But I really feel this is one of those last hope options, as my health is definitely in decline.
I do have a surgeon’s consult appointment on June 1st, tentatively scheduled. My April weigh-in had me about 12lbs away, but if I can lose 6lbs by my next weigh-in (next week), the appointment will not be cancelled. My progress this past month has been spotty- 3 good days followed by 1 really bad day… I have no idea if I will have accomplished this goal, as I have yet to lose that much in a month since I’ve started the program. (my ticker is wrong; haven’t had the motivation to change it)
Any insight is welcomed. I just don’t know how to get a handle on my food issues and I also worry that if I can’t do this NOW, will I eventually fail after the surgery?
I don't have any answers, I am very sorry. But, I did want to say hello, and I'm sure people who have been here longer than me can give you some ideas and maybe figure out what the problem is. I have no ideas but here's a hug for encouragement! (hug)
I only had to lose 5% and I STRUGGLED doing that! 10% is a lot. Hopefully, if you are really trying they will still schedule you. Once they scheduled my surgery they said that if I gained ANY weight, they would cancel my surgery. That kept me on the straight and narrow though i didn't lose anything more--and i was being good! Don't know how I didn't lose more weight . . .
Hang in there and maybe start seeing a food therapist. I'm going to start seeing someone as food issues are creeping back in 4 months after surgery . . .
Hi im rosey.i had gastric bypass surg nov 30th 2010. I too had to go thru 6 months of tests and wgt loss program as the rules set by my insurance.my dr has a pre surg diet of high protein and very lo carb to be started 2 to 3 weeks befor surg. however i started that way of eating after my 1st apt with him and followed thru the entire 6 months befor surg. it was difficult at times but i wanted to succeed so badly that i just kept at it. i lost 41# befor surg and now 6 months later ive lost a total of 90# and feel wonderful. i would suggest you try,protein,protein shakes,and get your carbs from fruits and vegies.i gave up cereal,bread,rice,pasta, crackers etc and anything with sugar or flour in it. it was good training as thats how i eat now. if you want it bad enuff you will make it work..its not easy but so worth it. good luck on your journey,one step at a time rosey
you've gotten some good suggestions about how to get through this. but i have a Q for you - most programs want people to lose some percentage of their EXCESS weight. so, if you weigh 350, and you should weigh something like - oh, let's say 200 so that i won't strain my brain with the math - you have 150 pounds of excess weight, and 10% of that is only 15 pounds.
of course, if they really DO MEAN 10% of your body weight, that would be 35 pounds, and seriously, if we could lose that much of our body weight, we might not be looking at surgery, would we?
another thing - one of the big reasons [other than shrinking what might be a fatty liver] for the pre-op weight loss is to see if you can follow instructions and stick to a program. as Juliemarie noted, sometimes we have food ISSUES that need to be addressed with a professional.
let us know what happens - and most of all, please don't beat yourself up over this.
I wasn't quite specific in my first post, as my situation is a bit convoluted, but in essence, at my April weigh-in, I was only 4lbs away from my 10% goal (from starting weight, not excess weight). However, the woman who weighed me in, who has been on maternity leave for months, informed me that the surgeon requires a certain BMI, and lo-and-behold, I'm 12 lbs away from that magic number. I had been working faithfully towards 35lbs and then all of a sudden, my goal increased.
Well, I broke down in tears, I was so frustrated, which is why they scheduled the surgeon appointment before I met my goal...it was motivation to keep me going. So, even though I've been trying my hardest (and I really have), food issues keep reappearing that throw me off.
Has anyone gone through the Overeaters Anonymous program here? And do you think this helps address the underlying food issues or is it just a plan for dealing with the day-to-day stressors?
I've never heard of a doc requiring a certain BMI for surgery. they all require a decent degree of health, and there's also the load limit on the OR tables to be considered.
To be sure, the higher the BMI, the higher the risk, but there ARE surgeons who will operate on people with high BMIs. frankly, i'm speechless [hard to believe, isn't it??]. for heavens sake, you're below 300 pounds! a relative lightweight!!!
your doc would have turned me away!!!
ok. as for your Q - there's an OA forum on here - some people have found it helpful. i've never visited there. maybe someone else around here can chime in with it.
at the very least, you can certainly go in there and read the threads and see what you think!
I weighed 276 when I went in (3/29/11) I'm 5'1..I had a BMI of 52 BUT EACH DOCTOR IS DIFFERENT!! Talk to your doctor and see what he says..tell him about your struggle. Did your doctor tell you you had to have a certain BMI or did the nurse? I'll tell you they put me on a liquid diet before hand and I lost 15 pounds easy!! Good luck!!
Unfortunately, I'm not under 300lbs yet, though that is the goal of the PA. My center does not allow you to see the surgeon until you have met all of the qualifications, which is why the scheduled surgical consult is so unique/important (and why I am feeling so overwhelmed at not meeting my expected weight loss).
I have some leftover Medifast packets from years ago, which is what I am going to try and follow the next four days. Hopefully that decision will help me reduce.
I just wish I knew why I can't lose a measly 6lbs in a month. One would think that someone my size, who is actively trying to lose, who has an important goal to meet, and who is exercising (albeit only 3-4 times a week), would be able to accomplish this.
I have never had weight loss surgery but I just wanted to chime in with support. You can do this!! I am sorry it has been such a struggle. You are worth it... focus on being as healthy as possible and you will meet your goal Good luck!
I don't know about where you are but the centres here insist on 2-3 weeks of optifast just before surgery, most people lose 10-20 lbs. Maybe it is worth trying that if you are able to pay for it.
OA here in Boise was helpful. I got a lot out of the experience, it helped me to grow as a person, and pointed out that I had underlying obsessive behaviors that needed to addressed in counseling...OA got me to the point that I could admit that and seek help.
Don't give up...Jiffy is right, research other surgeons in your area. It seems a little more nit picky than the surgeon I went to. There has to be other options.
I can't lose weight consistently on a strict diet or under a strict deadline either. I've lost every pound of my 90 lbs at a ridiculously slow rate (it's essentially taken me six years to lose 90 lbs. and three years to lose the last 70 lbs).
I don't know why I can't stick to a strict food plan. I just can't. When I try, I end up bingeing and gaining. The pattern most of my life was rapidly losing or rapidly gaining, I had no middle ground.
However, I have been able to lose 90 lbs, by tricking myself into believing I'm not even dieting at all (by making such small changes that it doesn't feel like I'm making any changes at all).
For me, this works. I decided to only make changes I was willing to commit to whether or not it resulted in any weight loss at all. In this way, weight loss is my reward, rather than my goal. My goals are to make healthy changes, and my reward is getting healthier and (hopefully) losing more weight.
I'm not saying you should rule out wls (I haven't - not permanently anyway. My doctor and I agree it's not right for me right now, but it may be some time on the future, or maybe not).
But just because you're having real difficulty staying on plan and losing weight does not in any way mean you're doomed to failure (with or without wls).
I don't think I subconsciously don't want to lose weight, so I can't assume that for you either or that you subconsciously want to avoid wls. I don't think there's any connection at all. I think weight loss is often difficult, just because it is.
Finding a way to do it anyway, is a struggle we all face no matter what tools we use to do it (wls or something else).
We tend to believe (and it's not true at all) that if someone is unable to stick to a strict plan, they're not ready for weight loss.
I think that's hooey, because every one of my 90 lbs has come off by "failing" on my food plan. I don't go a week without making some kind of mistake (usually a fairly big one). It's why I'm losing so dreadfully slow - because I'm not making drastic enough changes to lose fast.
But I don't have to succeed on anyone's timetable but my own. I've tried losing faster, and it usually backfires, so for me, I'm ok with the changes I am able to make (and I'm the only person who has to be).
I'm not saying my truth is your truth, but you are not doomed to failure because you're not succeeding as well as you'd like.
As long as you can do better, consistently you can see results. You might find smaller changes more doable, or maybe not. I'm not trying to discourage you from any course of action, just be kind and patient with yourself and keep trying to find ways that click for you. And don't give up a plan as undoable, just because you can't do it perfectly or even very well. Even if you're imperfect, you'll make progress as long as your choices are better than they were.
-that anyone considering wls should realize that surgery is the spoon that help you get the pot turning the other direction when all else fails but it is only a tool. We have to diet and exercise, its just easier to get the water in that pot to change to the weight loss direction than without it....it is not a magic bullet, you cannot eat what ever and stilll lose weight....
But the one thing that I agree with most of all is that we all need to look at ourselves as human, we all make mistakes...letting go of the all-or-nothing attitude or the I'll start again on Monday mentality, both being destructive to our efforts....Loving ourselves as we are, mistakes and all, to get up and start again the moment we fall, is key to success in all things...diets, wls, life in general!
Love yourself, you are the only one that will be there for you through it all! Don't give up on you!!!
Angela
Last edited by missangelaks; 05-23-2011 at 04:24 PM.
Why can't I do this?
rosey
Good luck!
