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Sounds like you did the right thing. If "eating normal food again" is your objective, WLS might not be the right choice for you. To successfully lose and maintain that those I am ready, willing, and hopefully able to never eat the same crap food that made me obese in the first place. 

Chances are VERY good, I am much older than you (53), I wouldn't consider the surgery for many years because of questions you ask. When being morbidly obese got to the point where it was more painful than the concept of changing my lifestyle and what I ate, I was ready to have the surgery and move forward. 

Jim 

P.S. This is a FAR cry from the easy way out. I had my RNY on 2/10/13 and 9 months later reached my goal weight. That was the easy part... the tough part is just around the corner. Once my honeymoon period is over the real work of KEEPING the weight off begins. The degree to which I will be successful at this is largely dependent on the lifestyle changes I've put into place since the surgery AND not letting myself slip back into snacking and eating all the "normal foods" that got me into trouble from the start. If you CAN lose it at the gym, why would you put yourself through the surgery and life-long changes in eating? 

Best of luck in  your journey. 

I had WLS five years ago and I think I eat normal food now.  I don't think what I ate pre op was normal, though.  I don't think eating half a large pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry's for dinner is normal.  But I do think what I eat  now is pretty normal.

Hi Jim,

First, CONGRADULATIONS on your success thus far. How much weight did you lose during those nine months.

Sharon

It was an appointment to see the doctor?  Not the actual surgery date?  Why not go talk to the doctor about it?  That does not mean you have to go through with the surgery.  It just means you can discuss your options with someone qualified to advise you and tell you about all the risks and benefits.

I don't think WLS is easy, but it was much easier for me to lose weight and keep it off with surgery than it was with diet and exercise.  What's wrong with choosing the easiest way?  Do you normally do things the hardest way possible?  Not me.  Today I drove to the grocery store because that was easier than walking two miles in the snow.  I made coffee with my electric coffee maker because that is much easier than chopping wood, building a fire, grinding coffee beans, and making coffee over an open fire.  I don't understand why some people think it's best to take the hard way all the time.

I love your rebuttal to the "easy way out" comments Kelly!  

I love you Kelly! 

It took my a long time to come to terms with my obesity. For a long time I refused to even acknowledge that I am obese, let along morbidly obese.  I never had a moment of epiphany, rather just a series of things gone wrong. Last spring when i realized that I was in worse health than my 79yo mother I knew I had to do something. The multitude of diets I had been on before proved to me that dieting doesn't work for me. I was really not keen on WLS but I had to do something.  I had 5 comorbidities, for heaven's sakes! That just couldn't go on!

When I went to see the surgeon I was on a fact finding mission. I had no idea of what i wanted to do, other that be not fat. My surgeon was able to explain it all to me without pressuring me to commit. After that came a series of tests and consults, some of which revealed even MORE problems. Ugh. But in the end, it was a good thing because all those things had to be rectifyed before having surgery anyway.  During the 8 months leading up to surgery I became very conscious of size and physical limitations. And my crap diet!  OMG. I can't believe the stuff I'd eat. And so secretively!

One of my big goals is to stop keeping secrets. That will mean no longer eating in private. Being open with my husband about my weight. Being open about my body shape. Saying what I mean.  Changing playgrounds and playmates. Yes, that's from AA.  Because i am the very definition of a food addict. So I have a lot of work to do.

My first time (about 3 years ago) I went through the whole 6-month program at Kaiser and was all set to have the VSG. The one thing I latched onto was that I could never have Diet Coke again (or so they said). And then I started losing weight on my own, so I canceled the surgery. 

I think the Diet Coke thing was just my excuse to not have the surgery. Maybe I was scared. Or maybe I just wasn't ready.

I never kept that weight off, of course. And 3 years later, I was even heavier than before. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge and got the DS this year!

Good luck, whatever you decide!

OKAY NOT SURE if I wrote it correct!!!

WHAT I MEAN BY NORMAL FOOD IS SOLID FOOD!!!

VEGGIES, FRUITS, MEATS!!

YES I LOVE FOOD HOWEVER I DO LOVE HEALTHY FOOD AS WELL!!! IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOVE FOOD AND BE HEALTHY. ITS JUST MAKING RIGHT CHOICES!

Before surgery I've read that people are on a special liquid diet some for a couple weeks then after surgery I read that they are eating liquid foods as well for quit a while! That is not normal to me.

I was on a full liquid diet for one week, then on pureed foods for one week.  Then it was soft foods (whi*****ludes a really wide variety of foods) for a month, then a regular diet.