Hi Squirrely. Welcome. I'm glad you're looking at all the alternatives for weight loss. I'm very happy with my sleeve, lost 125 lbs in the year after my surgery and have kept it off for 3 years since.
However, if someone can use a non surgical program to lose the weight and keep it off, I would highly recommend that.
There are risks with WLS (weight loss surgery) that can't be ignored: malabsorption, ulcers, malnutrition, strictures, scarring and food sensitivities. Then there are the general risks of surgery: anesthesia and major surgery can cause shock, infection, blood clots, and very rarely, death. You can read through some of the harder spots people have been through here, and although complications are rare, they can occur.
WLS can also make other issues down the road more of a challenge, pregnancy, treatments for diseases like cancer or arthritis, etc.
Like most of us here, I chose WLS as a last resort to save my life. I was morbidly obese, with heart, blood pressure, cholesterol issues, at risk for stroke, pre-diabetic, and with sleep apnea and mobility issues. I could not move enough to burn off the moderate amount of calories I was taking in each day.
WLS for me was a tool that helped me do the hard work of losing weight, and it was worth the risks for me. Each of us has to make the decision that's right for us.
Good for you, doing the research and best of luck on your journey!

Thank you so much, MNMama. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. 125 lbs? That's amazing! Congrats! :)

Was it extremely painful right after surgery? I have an extremely low pain tolerance so I assume I would be a wuss.

I am the worst when it comes to dieting & exercise. I always seem to sabotage myself by eating too much/eating junk after I exercise. I want something physical that stops me from eating too much because I physically would not be able to fit it in my body.

Or just someone who could see me more than once a month and guide me through healthy eating and sticking to it.

I just started looking into all this because I'm tired of hating what I look like and then stopping myself from doing something about it...

Thank you again! This was extremely helpful!

squirrely this only works if you work with it. you can eat past this and many can eat sweets and junk food and all that . It is only a tool thats all this is a tone of work. it is not a quick fix in any way. I do not want to sound rude or mean im not saying this to be that way. The honesty is that if you cant eat properly and do exercise now you will not be able to do it after surgery. You have to take responsibility not expect this to do it for you. Some people are food sensitive but there are ways around it. I spent 2 years puking every solid food i tried up due to a complication and i ate around it i took pills. I did not gain because nothing stayed i lost to much weight then. I had to go through a revision and to go through the stages to build up again. I am extremely food sensitive now. I still have to take pills to keep food down. start with a therapist first and a nutritionist and trainer. this is a major step bit time if you do this and you are not ready not only are you open to complications..........i didn't expect any i did everything righ ...everything by the book! if you regain you may regain even more and have to do a revision or worse..........get yourself in a better position first. i really believe in therapy after all obesity or over eating is a eating disorder. good luck with what ever you decide.

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was me writing that. Almost 1 year ago (3-17-14) I had my RNY. I was 5'1" with a surgical weight of 217, so I understand. Almost 1 year out and I couldn't be happier or healthier. I'm down to 131 lbs, no cholesterol meds, no type 2 diabetes meds. I'm still on blood pressure meds, but because it's also a hereditary condition the cards are stacked against me, but I'm okay with that. It's VERY controlled. I have more energy then I know what to do with most of the time and I'm living life. Because of my co-morbids I qualified with BCBS of Illinois. I took a total of 3 weeks off work with the 4th working 1/2 days, this was covered under FMLA. Was the surgery painful, I'm not going to lie, yes it was but it was manageable pain with meds. As far as not wanting to eat, yep - its true. There's this thing called Gherlin, it tells your brain it wants to eat. Basically with this surgery, it doesn't have a pathway to the brain anymore so eating is something I do because I have to now, not because I focus on it. I eat according to the clock now. It's wonderful. As far as side effects, I have to say in all honesty that the side effects of the surgery are comparable to the side effects of my poor health before surgery, and surgical side effects go away after time. If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. I'd be happy to help but please know that I'm brutally honest. I don't sugar coat, it wouldn't do you any good if I did. Best of luck. Terrie. tlloyd851@yahoo.com

There are two different surgery's being talked about here so make sure you do your research. I have a link with a bunch of information but i dont know if we can post them. send me a msg if you would like it i know its good info because it is my surgeons site.

Hi again,
To your question about pain, I think all major surgery involves pain. Personally, I have a high tolerance and can work through much of it, but it helps a great deal to keep the schedule on the pain meds. It's easier to prevent the worst of it by taking them on time, than to play catch up after it gets intolerable.
It's not fun, but it was worth it to save my life.
I was home bound for about 4 weeks, 6 weeks before able to work full time (at a desk) and 8-12 before my energy caught up and was back to normal.

Hi! Recovery from surgery takes a good six weeks which is normal. Yes, pain is part of the process when you have any major surgery. At first you really don't want to eat that much because you can't. Surgery does not fix eating issues, so you will still have to work on those. Check out the "what newbies need to know" post for more information. Personally, I have never had any problems with my surgery, and I had a gastric bypass over five years ago. The only thing I have had to watch for is nutrient values like vitamin K, vitamin D etc. but I monitor those regularly with my primary doctor. Malabsorption is a known issue with gastric bypass's but as long as you stay on top of your check ups you should be fine. Jon Gabriel is a great source for an alternative for dieting. It is not about dieting but making changes in your life and adding to your life rather than taking things away. I have enjoyed listening to his audiobook. It has been a good addition to my journeyand i still have to actively work on my issues around food