Advice from those whose BMI was around 40 at surgery

So I am waiting my surgery in Feb 2012.  I met with the dietician today and she was saying something like although I qualify for surgery, I am one of those on the low end of the severe obesity scale and if I was prepared to exercise and work on eating issues, did I still want to have surgery.  Given that I don't have as much to lose about 80-90lb (but keep in mind that is on a 4'11" frame), that perhaps I might want to reconsider.  She reminded me that the weight won't "melt off" as easily as those with higher BMI.  That only about the first 30lb or so will shed easily and that the remainder will be hard work.

Well, I kind of knew that already but felt that the addition of the tool of the bypass would help me focus on forming those healthier eating habits and give me a longer time to try solidify them.

I guess I was hoping to hear from people who might have been in a similar situation pre-op (BMI around low 40's).

What was your experience and any regrets about going ahead with surgery.

Thanks!

Andrea.

Keeping in mind that I'm only 19 months out -- I would do this again in a heartbeat.

I thought my weight would just keep creeping up.  If I could have done the diet/exercise thing and kept the weight off, I wouldn't have had surgery.  I did lose 150lbs at one point, only to regain most of it. 

And, your Nut is wrong about the weight loss.... I lost an average of 10lbs a month for 7 months, then it slowed down.  I just keep following the basic rules and exercising 30 mins. a day 4-5 days a week.  I'm 5'5", surgery weight of 219 -- current weight is 118. 

Its not been all positive - I dump and I've had a few well known side effects - it's been worth it though.

 Gonna preface this with a warning: getting caught up in comparisons can be a slippery slope, so it's good that you just want to hear others' experiences and not that it's gonna sway your decision. 

So my experience: I met my surgeon one year ago today, at my highest weight of 267lbs. I'm 5"3, so my BMI was..... 47? Something like that. After following a pre-op program of low-carb/high-protein for several months and 2 weeks of a liquid diet, I was down to 227 on day of surgery. So that was a BMI of 40.Today, under 6 months postop, I'm down to 164 lbs and in "overweight" at 29.0 BMI.  I heard the "can't you just do it with diet & exercise?" stuff from family, but not from professionals. Either way, your decision is your own.

This is just a tool, a really big one, but if we don't make it work, it won't work for us. There are ways of getting around it, especially in the long haul. Giving yourself a leg up on the journey should be encouraged, not discouraged. The daily choices, the recovery, the exercise I do now - yeah, those aren't exactly effort free but I've lost a total of 103lbs, 63 of that being postop. Some people, especially lightweights, do often have a more slow-going of it, but think of it as every pound is one less that you have on your body. I have some doubts about being able to predict that you'll only lose 30lbs quickly and the rest will be hard work. How can you predict what someone is going to lose? And isn't this really all hard work? I think it's important to be realistic and have healthy expectations, but also not to pee all over your parade. 

No regrets whatsoever, and my BMI was 35 after pre-op weight loss of 30 pounds. I also had comorbidities that are now completely gone- sleep apnea, GERD, high cholesterol.

I am so grateful for the assistance of surgery in getting the weight off- 100 lbs- it's now up to me to maintain the loss.

I would do surgery again in a heartbeat. I am still in the honeymoon phase, and am working hard to avoid long term complications and regain.

i'm 5'7" and weighed 250 pounds.  i've lost weight many times only to regain.  i yo yo dieted for 30+ years.  i had RNY 6/21/10 and have lost 108 pounds.  i went from a size 18 pants to a size 4 and haven't looked back.  my only regret is not having the surgery sooner!!  no more high blood pressure.....no more sleep apnea....and my cholesterol is now 184 without medication!  i'm now a stinking runner!  what a hoot!  i've never been a runner!!  ever!!!  i feel so good i can't stand it!

best wishes to you!!!

Hi Guys,

Thank you all so much for your replies.  I am not looking for an easy answer, just one that has a better chance of being sustainable than the 5% chance we have as regular dieters.  I am prepared for a slower loss than I read about from some on this site...I'm in this for the long haul...my big thing is NOT to regain.  I guess I just needed to hear that I wasn't being unreasonable in moving forward.

I appreciate you all taking the time to tell me about your journeys.  It tells me that I am not alone. 

Andrea.

My BMI was around 40. The dietician I saw also gave me that "why don't you just try on your own" speech.

Honestly?

I had tried on my own for the past 35 years!!!!

I went ahead with my RNY and I am thrilled with the results!!!

I am a lot taller than you (6ft) and I had a BMI of 40 with 100lbs to lose - I lost 120lbs in 7 months ...   I then regained the extra 20lbs (between years 4 and 5) for a 7 year net loss of around 100lbs (give or take a few).  

It wasn't difficult at all (which is really the point of surgery - why would we do this if it were more difficult than doing it without?) - maintaining the loss is sometimes a challenge but a lot easier than it ever was before surgery.

Andrea,

I am 4'11" as well and will be having surgery in December.  My I had a pre-op NUT appointment yesterday, and got the speech of the way I am losing before surgery, I could probably do without the surgery.  I told her I have been trying for 20 years, if I didn't have the surgery soon, I would probably gain the weight back,  This is my long term health I am talking about!!!

I started at a BMI of 46 and am now a BMI of 43.   I will just be so happy to benefit from my losses.  I cannot wait to run a 5K (my ultimate goal). 

You might want to check out the lightweights board as they have a ton of us with around 100lbs. to lose....

I'm 5'9" and weighed 280# with a BMI of 41.3 when i started the process, 262.5# the day of surgery which was 9/14/10 (just about 13 months ago).   I hit goal one week shy of my surgiversary, total loss of 130# went from size 22 jeans to size 4s.    I've worked really hard to develop new habits but even a year to wipe out habits that have been around for 30-40 years is not easy.   There are times when I still want to eat everything on my plate, but I know I will just throw up if I attempt it.   This literally is an "off switch" for me - without it I would succumb to the head hunger and regain the weight.

I'd like to say I wish I had done this sooner, but reality is that I wasn't ready.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat though.  I just think I had to hit rock bottom, see how close I was to high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol and unable to do what I wanted to do in order to appreciate where I'm at now.

I started losing weight before the surgery and the pre-op diet and people asked me if I still wanted the surgery.  YES!   It's the best decision I ever made and the best gift I could ever give myself.   Now I'm learning to maintain my weight, something I've never been good at - although I had losing & gaining down to a science.  It's going well.  No regrets whatsoever.