TBH I'm scard

[kmw]

Hi everyone. I have started the ball rolling on wls. I never thought I would (or could) do this. I am 60 years old and over 400 lbs. Through out my life I have done fantastic on diets usually losing over 100 lbs or more. But, I always gain it all back and then some.Now I can hardly walk and needless to say I'm miserable. The thought of surgery scares the heck out of me. I do know of people having good success. All my life food has been my comfort, companionship, enjoyment etc. I wonder if I will miss it. I have been blessed with good health so far. How can I get past this fear?? And am I too old?
Thanks..

 

[Karenina]

Dear kmw. Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you found us.
Read everything you can, join blogs and support groups. Start some sort of exercise, even if you have limited mobility and have to sit in a chair. Start journaling your food intake (easier with online apps), even if you don't change your eating habits right now. Try to analyze why food has been comfort, companionship, and enjoyment before you have surgery, because without behavior changes, there is a chance of gaining the weight back. WLS surgery is not a magic bullet, but just a tool to get where you want to go. Without self-analysis and commitment, it's just another *really expensive* diet.
And no, you are not too old. When I first started blogging, I was kind of surprised at how many really young people have WLS (in their 20s). I don't know why I was surprised, I just was.
Think of what a long and healthy life you can live at a normal weight!

 

[Pat99]

KMW-Welcome to the forum and congradulations on your decision to consider WLS. Your fear is perfectly normal. If you read some of the posts in this forum you will see the majority ask the same thing. You will be feeling all sorts of emotions, not just fear. To answer your question about how can you get over the fear, I think time will lessen your fear but it will probably not go completely away. As you progress towards having surgery you will become more comfortable with the idea and more accepting of it. Most of us go through this. And no, you are not too old to have this surgery. I'll be 58 next week and I had my surgery on 2/27/12 at 57. One forum member is 72 and is looking for a surgeon who will do his surgery and another member had it done at 70

Make sure you come back here to let us know how you are doing.

 

[TwoMas]

Hi kmw, Welcome. I have had always been a really good dieter only problem is they were always unrealistic to carry on like that for a lifetime, I don't have the time to spend 4 hours a day at the gym, and live on diet shakes alone. Congratulations on your desision to get the ball rolling, it is scary, my fears didn't go away until I started losing weight post op. This is major surgery and will commit you to a lifestyle chang that you will have to carry on for the rest of your life, now that seems scary and it is at the time, life after surgery got easier with me in regards to my relationship with food, soon after surgery when you start your new meal plan is the time when you can start changing old habbits and re train the brain on how to eat healthier both in portion size and the choices we make, what looks like a few bites will become a meal, and if you follow your doctors instructions things should start to fall into place and the fears will subside and be replaced by excitement. It has been a wonderfull journey for me and although I have had some bumps in the road I would not change a thing. Please come back and let us know hpow you are doing. Tom