IF I LOK OLDER BUT FEEL BETTER, I TAKE IT !!!
I thought about that in the beginning. but who cares. by looking at before and after pics. ive not seen one person who looks older. why do some ppl drag out all the negative about everything..

Every time someone mentions that they know "a lot of people" that have regained all of their weight post-op or that have had transfer addictions after surgery my response is always the same... "Really?  Would you mind introducing me to them or putting me in touch with them via email or phone?  I'd like to talk with them about their experiences."  Usually that ends those conversations REALLY fast.  It's not that those things don't happen...because they do, but it's the frequency that people tend to exaggerate.  Knowing ONE person that wasn't able to maintain or ONE person that experienced transfer addiction does not mean that it's "lots of people". 

She's talking out of her ass!

I'm 7 years post RNY - I'm maintaining successfully, I'm happy and don't think I look too bad for my age (49) LOL!

 It is actually quite comical what people think and don't know. lol

The above posters are exactly right, whenever someone says "Oh I know a lot of people who..." just ask for a specific name and number and they will shut up darn quickly! LOL!

As for the aging thing- I have the opposite problem, people keep thinking I'm 10 years younger!

You've done your research, don't let the flippant words of someone who hasn't deter you from making the choice to have a healthy life.

Bonne Chance

:Danni

"I know a lot of people who..." is always an over-generalization. I'm afraid of weight gain after too but like the others have said we have never had our new tools before to make us succeed this time. Also, aging prematurely? Perhaps it was the fat in their faces that stretched the wrinkles they already had? LOL Or perhaps its more likely they weren't living healthy?? Smoking, drinking, bad eating habits, not taking vitamins can make a person look older faster.

I think what your friend may have been talking about is some people who lose a lot of weight, really no matter how, can look gaunt for a while.  A lot of us lose weight from the top to the bottom and the face can look drawn for a while.  The good news is after a while things start to redistribute and the face will fill out again.

I think you need to not listen to this "friend"

I am an identical twin. We have been all sorts of different weights. Right now I'm 80 pounds lighter. I look younger than her. When I weighed more than her...she looked younger.
 
Deb T...old but not looking too bad

My mom had WLS nearly 4 years ago and if anything she looks younger!  You do lose the chubby "baby" cheeks but on the whole I don't think weight loss itself makes you look older.  It is something I was worried about, even though I'm 27, so I bought some lotions and creams that replenish your skin.  I'm only 2 months out of surgery myself, so I don't think I look like I've aged.  I imagine someone who is further out could give you more information there.

I know at least 3 people who have had weight loss surgery.  2 of them did gain it back, the other (my mom) did not.  I've noticed my mom has some habits that might be self-defeating (not exercising, grazing etc), but after I had my surgery she cut back on the grazing.  I think that success or failure at WLS is solely dependent on you.  We choose what we eat, we choose if we exercise, etc.  So in the end, barring some major outside interference, in the end the results are up to you.  

I don't regret having my surgery.  I'm 2 months out and I've lost 43 lbs and I'm down 2 pant sizes.  Good luck.

Solio mentioned exercise. This is an important point. You will lose weight from your face and it will affect the way you look. It will also redistribute itself in time. Your body likes to do this first adjustment most often 3 weeks out. It's called the 3 week stall it's so common. You take in less calories and the body has to step back and think about it a little.

The key is that the people who show up at support groups after surgery who look good all the time usually exercise regularly. The ones who look not so good don't exercise.

You can easily lose up to 25% of your muscle mass as you lose weight. The only way to keep the muscle intact is to use it or you lose it. And the less muscle you have, the less calories you need.

If you were to start exercising right now, you might not lose as much weight pre-op but it would be because you are building muscle. It jump starts your metabolism. It would be easier to get through the surgery and aid in your recovery, too.