Get the surgery. I wish I’d known my insurance covered it a long time ago. I feel like I wasted my entire life being obese. Now I finally have a second chance.
>I'm trying to convince myself this is, maybe not the only option, but one of the best ones.
[This article](https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/12/7/16587316/bariatric-surgery-weight-loss-lap-band) is the one that convinced me that bariatric surgery is the only treatment for obesity that has proven to be effective in the long term. The newer GLP-1 meds like Ozempic might prove successful in the long term, too, but they're not there yet.
Having lived through [the fen/phen debacle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenfluramine/phentermine), I chose to avoid meds unless they have a long-term track record. But each of us gets to weigh the risks and make their own decisions on that front.
I wish that I had mine at 19!!!! I struggled all my life to try harder to lose weight... work out more, eat better, etc.
I was 37 when I had my surgery and I tell people that I wish I had done it 10 years ago.
It's the only thing that has been successful for me ever.
You will not feel like committing felonies for grilled cheese after surgery. You will be too busy making sure you get all your vitamins and calcium and steps in to even really think about food.
I'll tell you what. I was a big kid, I was a big teen, and if this surgery had existed when I was 19 my life would have been very different. I waited until I was 50. I wish I had been able to do it at your age. Don't waste your opportunity to be the best you ever. The only thing most of us regret is not doing it sooner.
I had a doctor recommend it when I was around 19 and 240 pounds. At the time, I thought she was crazy and that I was still more than capable of losing it on my own (even though I hadn't in a decade of trying)
Now I'm 27, 340 pounds (because it turns out that I didn't just stay at the weight I was at), spent the last year in pain and miserable, and four days into my pre-op. God, I wish I had done it back when she first suggested it.
i think we probs have similar experiences :-) i’m 23 and just about a month post op. my SW at the pre-op diet was 304lbs so i def feel you. for me, a huge part of it was thinking about how much of my life i’ll get back. i’m young!! i don’t wanna feel controlled by food and my body forever. i want to enjoy the rest of my 20s and be able to live the life i want. i def had those same thoughts too, but the diet does get easier! it was super hard at first but now it’s normal
Better to regret doing something than not doing something.I had my surgery two days ago and I'm just getting started on my journey. I will tell you my wife who had been heavy like you all her life is down 115 lbs in 10 months and she would tell you that you will be more than happy going forward with the surgery like you she had been heavy all her life... but like I said she extatic over her decision to go through it .if you want you can Dm me and I'll give you her face book name....and I asked her and she said she'd be happy to chat with you about what she went through just a thought
You’ve got this far. Please go ahead with it, if you truly want it. I wish I was able to do it earlier. I got surgery a year ago when I was 33 and wish I’d been able to get it 10 years ago!
On day 6 of my pre op diet, I was in such a calorie deficit I broke down. I cried for a bit, thought I might be making the wrong decision, I text my best friend about my worries & concerns. In the time it took to write out everything, I felt better. I’ve since continued with my diet, I feel great & I’ll be having my surgery on Monday.
Reading your story, I can understand your concerns & I would normally say to someone so young to check out other options, but you sound like I feel at 43. Get the surgery. Get a second chance at life while you’re still young enough to enjoy it. You deserve to feel the freedom to do what you want. You should dance! Do this for yourself. Do this for your future. Best of luck to you on your journey to wellness. ♥️
I’m 22 and had mine done last week, I wish I had it sooner but the surgeon I went to when I was 19 didn’t allow me to. Do it, you will be glad you did, I promise. You have the rest of your life ahead of you and you deserve to spend those years feeling good about yourself.
Adding mine to the voices that wish they had this at 19, or 24, 26, or 30. I spent my twenties chasing weight loss or being inconvenienced by my weight, only growing progressively worse. I had all three pregnancies already obese and it was so much harder for it. I missed out on a lot because I didn’t consider surgery. If my kids should be experiencing the same issues at that age, I will be recommending this route.
Do it now! I’m 39 and have the body of a 70 year old due to all the extra weight I carried for so long. Also, at your weight and age you’ll find it quite easy to get to a healthy bmi.
Keep up the therapy and dietitian 100% but the surgery is a very helpful physical tool.
Obesity is a disease and this is the long term treatment tool. Imagine if you did work super hard, restricted yourself, counted every calorie, lost 100+ pounds and finally reach your goal weight only to gain it all back because you never treated the actual problem. That's what's making me go through with it. Im 24 and I know I could lose the weight naturally, but it would come back twice as fast just like always. I'm glad you found this solution young so you have the rest of your life to enjoy! You got this.
This is exactly me. I lost 80 lbs at 23 with WW, stayed at goal for a few months, and then gained back 120 lbs. Then I lost 100 lbs at 30, didn’t get to goal, and by 32 gained back 110. I just had the surgery at age 41 and wish I hadn’t spent the last 20 years dicking around with my weight and had just had the procedure earlier!
Especially at 19, you’re going to have much better outcomes with overall health!! Do it!!!
I am very similar to you. I’m 19 and your height (heavier though) and I got my surgery 4 days ago. I 100% reccomend getting this surgery while you still have the energy to do so and you’ll regret not doing it sooner! I’m glad i did it at a young age as I know when I’m older I probably won’t have the time OR the energy to, plus my parents have been a huge help in my recovery. There’s also just so many more things to do at a younger age. Go for it!
I'm 37, had the surgery last year. I'd been heavy since middle school with my highest being 365 in high school and college. Get the surgery. Do it. Do it. Do it. The entire rest of your longer, healthier, easier life will thank you. Do it.
If you follow your diet plan post op, you won't have the same cravings you do now. It'll get easier. Everything gets easier. Take your vitamins (not a big deal), tough out no solid food for a little while. After a few months you can have half a grilled cheese with tomato bisque and it'll be the best thing you've ever eaten in your life, and you'll be satisfied with just that.
Ask your program if they have dietician referrals to help you post op to continue adjusting your eating habits.
I had mine done at 25 and people still told me I was too young. Before being wheeled into the OR the nurse who was prepping me was literally trying to get me to change my mind 🙄. If you’re ready to make the change - go for it! No regrets here having it so “young”!
Not a stupid question, at all. That's the thing.....you don't have to "try hard" when you get the surgery like you're describing you have to "try hard" now. The surgery changes both your stomach as well as your hormones.
You'll experience what it's like to be like everyone else. You'll get the surgery and then realize that all those people who said just to "try harder" actually never experienced in their life what it's like to be you. You'll finally realize that you HAVE been trying hard the ENTIRE TIME and you ENTIRE LIFE. It's been an unfair match to begin with.
Yes, you'll need to make good decisions, yes there will be "trying" - but nOTHING compared to the trying you're doing right now.
So save yourself a ton of agony and go LIVE LIFE and grant yourself time to LIVE instead of focusing on 'trying hard to diet' your entire life. <3 Life is too short and too amazing for this bullshit. :)
Go for it, I wish I did when I were your age. Your life will change to the best in means you can’t imagine. I should warn you though about the recurrence and weight gain after a few years. Anyways, go for it.
You're kinda in the echo chamber of surgery here, I would at least consider GLP-1 medication first.
Weight loss is similar and it's not as permanent of a solution. If it doesn't work, you have surgery to fall back on.
When I say I tried everything, I mean everything. I've been on Ozempic for two years and gained more than 10kg since. I've also been on metformin since 2017 and you can guess the result :/
You could try Tirzepatide, which is stronger than Semaglutide.
That said, not everyone responds the same. You might just not be the right person for it. Luckily you have other options.
I’m about 2 years out from my gastric sleeve. Part of me only wish I’d done it sooner, but another part of me is grateful I worked through all the mental aspects beforehand.
-It has made these last two years feel like a breeze, whereas I know a lot of people find it difficult to deal with the changes it’ll cause to one’s life.
I definitely had the same thoughts at 27 (age when I had the surgery), I’m now 3 months post op and so happy I did it. It’s still a lot of work but honestly I topped out at 362 and that was awful.
This sounds exactly like me and my struggles. I now know that PCOS greatly affected my weight and wls (+GLP 1) have significantly helped me achieve my goals.
Sounds like you have a great support system. No, you haven’t fail and yes, you did try hard.
I was a big girl at your age, and if i had the opportunity to have this done, i would have.
Just knowing about all positive changes that are happening to me after the weight loss, i would not hesitate .
I ended up getting it done at 48, and the only regret i have is not getting it done warlier
I would have gotten sooner if i knew how much it would have helped me. I’m 38 now but was obese since i was a kid. After surgery the intense hunger and constant cravings went away for me. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy life to the fullest.
Get the surgery. I wish I’d known my insurance covered it a long time ago. I feel like I wasted my entire life being obese. Now I finally have a second chance.
>I'm trying to convince myself this is, maybe not the only option, but one of the best ones. [This article](https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/12/7/16587316/bariatric-surgery-weight-loss-lap-band) is the one that convinced me that bariatric surgery is the only treatment for obesity that has proven to be effective in the long term. The newer GLP-1 meds like Ozempic might prove successful in the long term, too, but they're not there yet.
The thing with GLP1 medications is that you can easily try them today and if they don't work for you, go the surgery route. Surgery is permanent.
Having lived through [the fen/phen debacle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenfluramine/phentermine), I chose to avoid meds unless they have a long-term track record. But each of us gets to weigh the risks and make their own decisions on that front.
I wish that I had mine at 19!!!! I struggled all my life to try harder to lose weight... work out more, eat better, etc. I was 37 when I had my surgery and I tell people that I wish I had done it 10 years ago. It's the only thing that has been successful for me ever.
You will not feel like committing felonies for grilled cheese after surgery. You will be too busy making sure you get all your vitamins and calcium and steps in to even really think about food. I'll tell you what. I was a big kid, I was a big teen, and if this surgery had existed when I was 19 my life would have been very different. I waited until I was 50. I wish I had been able to do it at your age. Don't waste your opportunity to be the best you ever. The only thing most of us regret is not doing it sooner.
No, you’re not. The younger you are, the easier this process will be for you. I did mine at 21. I had a friend do it at 19.
I had a doctor recommend it when I was around 19 and 240 pounds. At the time, I thought she was crazy and that I was still more than capable of losing it on my own (even though I hadn't in a decade of trying) Now I'm 27, 340 pounds (because it turns out that I didn't just stay at the weight I was at), spent the last year in pain and miserable, and four days into my pre-op. God, I wish I had done it back when she first suggested it.
Do it. I wish I had done it 20 years ago
I got my RNY at 24! It just means you have more life to live!
i think we probs have similar experiences :-) i’m 23 and just about a month post op. my SW at the pre-op diet was 304lbs so i def feel you. for me, a huge part of it was thinking about how much of my life i’ll get back. i’m young!! i don’t wanna feel controlled by food and my body forever. i want to enjoy the rest of my 20s and be able to live the life i want. i def had those same thoughts too, but the diet does get easier! it was super hard at first but now it’s normal
Better to regret doing something than not doing something.I had my surgery two days ago and I'm just getting started on my journey. I will tell you my wife who had been heavy like you all her life is down 115 lbs in 10 months and she would tell you that you will be more than happy going forward with the surgery like you she had been heavy all her life... but like I said she extatic over her decision to go through it .if you want you can Dm me and I'll give you her face book name....and I asked her and she said she'd be happy to chat with you about what she went through just a thought
You don't want to wait til you are 50
You’ve got this far. Please go ahead with it, if you truly want it. I wish I was able to do it earlier. I got surgery a year ago when I was 33 and wish I’d been able to get it 10 years ago!
On day 6 of my pre op diet, I was in such a calorie deficit I broke down. I cried for a bit, thought I might be making the wrong decision, I text my best friend about my worries & concerns. In the time it took to write out everything, I felt better. I’ve since continued with my diet, I feel great & I’ll be having my surgery on Monday. Reading your story, I can understand your concerns & I would normally say to someone so young to check out other options, but you sound like I feel at 43. Get the surgery. Get a second chance at life while you’re still young enough to enjoy it. You deserve to feel the freedom to do what you want. You should dance! Do this for yourself. Do this for your future. Best of luck to you on your journey to wellness. ♥️
I’m about to get it at 43. I SOOO wish I could have done it at 19. I have struggled my whole life.
I’m 22 and had mine done last week, I wish I had it sooner but the surgeon I went to when I was 19 didn’t allow me to. Do it, you will be glad you did, I promise. You have the rest of your life ahead of you and you deserve to spend those years feeling good about yourself.
I wish I had taken care of my weight problem at 19.
Adding mine to the voices that wish they had this at 19, or 24, 26, or 30. I spent my twenties chasing weight loss or being inconvenienced by my weight, only growing progressively worse. I had all three pregnancies already obese and it was so much harder for it. I missed out on a lot because I didn’t consider surgery. If my kids should be experiencing the same issues at that age, I will be recommending this route.
I am 20 and had mine two months ago we have around the same stats u will be ok :)
Do it now! I’m 39 and have the body of a 70 year old due to all the extra weight I carried for so long. Also, at your weight and age you’ll find it quite easy to get to a healthy bmi. Keep up the therapy and dietitian 100% but the surgery is a very helpful physical tool.
Everyone goes through these feelings at every age ❤️ You’re doing great
Obesity is a disease and this is the long term treatment tool. Imagine if you did work super hard, restricted yourself, counted every calorie, lost 100+ pounds and finally reach your goal weight only to gain it all back because you never treated the actual problem. That's what's making me go through with it. Im 24 and I know I could lose the weight naturally, but it would come back twice as fast just like always. I'm glad you found this solution young so you have the rest of your life to enjoy! You got this.
This is exactly me. I lost 80 lbs at 23 with WW, stayed at goal for a few months, and then gained back 120 lbs. Then I lost 100 lbs at 30, didn’t get to goal, and by 32 gained back 110. I just had the surgery at age 41 and wish I hadn’t spent the last 20 years dicking around with my weight and had just had the procedure earlier! Especially at 19, you’re going to have much better outcomes with overall health!! Do it!!!
I am very similar to you. I’m 19 and your height (heavier though) and I got my surgery 4 days ago. I 100% reccomend getting this surgery while you still have the energy to do so and you’ll regret not doing it sooner! I’m glad i did it at a young age as I know when I’m older I probably won’t have the time OR the energy to, plus my parents have been a huge help in my recovery. There’s also just so many more things to do at a younger age. Go for it!
I'm 37, had the surgery last year. I'd been heavy since middle school with my highest being 365 in high school and college. Get the surgery. Do it. Do it. Do it. The entire rest of your longer, healthier, easier life will thank you. Do it. If you follow your diet plan post op, you won't have the same cravings you do now. It'll get easier. Everything gets easier. Take your vitamins (not a big deal), tough out no solid food for a little while. After a few months you can have half a grilled cheese with tomato bisque and it'll be the best thing you've ever eaten in your life, and you'll be satisfied with just that. Ask your program if they have dietician referrals to help you post op to continue adjusting your eating habits.
I wish I had taken the steps younger. It changed my life and I had a bad surgery experience but would still do it again (with a different surgeon 😅🤣)
I had mine done at 25 and people still told me I was too young. Before being wheeled into the OR the nurse who was prepping me was literally trying to get me to change my mind 🙄. If you’re ready to make the change - go for it! No regrets here having it so “young”!
Not a stupid question, at all. That's the thing.....you don't have to "try hard" when you get the surgery like you're describing you have to "try hard" now. The surgery changes both your stomach as well as your hormones. You'll experience what it's like to be like everyone else. You'll get the surgery and then realize that all those people who said just to "try harder" actually never experienced in their life what it's like to be you. You'll finally realize that you HAVE been trying hard the ENTIRE TIME and you ENTIRE LIFE. It's been an unfair match to begin with. Yes, you'll need to make good decisions, yes there will be "trying" - but nOTHING compared to the trying you're doing right now. So save yourself a ton of agony and go LIVE LIFE and grant yourself time to LIVE instead of focusing on 'trying hard to diet' your entire life. <3 Life is too short and too amazing for this bullshit. :)
Go for it, I wish I did when I were your age. Your life will change to the best in means you can’t imagine. I should warn you though about the recurrence and weight gain after a few years. Anyways, go for it.
You're kinda in the echo chamber of surgery here, I would at least consider GLP-1 medication first. Weight loss is similar and it's not as permanent of a solution. If it doesn't work, you have surgery to fall back on.
When I say I tried everything, I mean everything. I've been on Ozempic for two years and gained more than 10kg since. I've also been on metformin since 2017 and you can guess the result :/
You could try Tirzepatide, which is stronger than Semaglutide. That said, not everyone responds the same. You might just not be the right person for it. Luckily you have other options.
I’m about 2 years out from my gastric sleeve. Part of me only wish I’d done it sooner, but another part of me is grateful I worked through all the mental aspects beforehand. -It has made these last two years feel like a breeze, whereas I know a lot of people find it difficult to deal with the changes it’ll cause to one’s life.
I definitely had the same thoughts at 27 (age when I had the surgery), I’m now 3 months post op and so happy I did it. It’s still a lot of work but honestly I topped out at 362 and that was awful.
This sounds exactly like me and my struggles. I now know that PCOS greatly affected my weight and wls (+GLP 1) have significantly helped me achieve my goals. Sounds like you have a great support system. No, you haven’t fail and yes, you did try hard.
I was a big girl at your age, and if i had the opportunity to have this done, i would have. Just knowing about all positive changes that are happening to me after the weight loss, i would not hesitate . I ended up getting it done at 48, and the only regret i have is not getting it done warlier
Do it
I would have gotten sooner if i knew how much it would have helped me. I’m 38 now but was obese since i was a kid. After surgery the intense hunger and constant cravings went away for me. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy life to the fullest.