Pondering Solutions

I am hesitant to even discuss what is on my mind right now. I can just see T.. reading this and slapping me down. But it has crossed my mind several times. How much longer should I keep trying to lose weight before I take the ultimate weight loss plunge -- Bariatric Surgery? The local hospital in Grand Rapids performs the Roux-en-Y procedure laproscopically... which means its less invasive.

My BMI is just over the minimum of 40 to be considered morbidly obese, at 41.5. I've watched several people in my family under-go "stomach stapling". Not a one ended up with long-term weight loss. My dad came the closest, but after a heart attack, he became very sedentary and appears to have lost all consideration for what he eats.

What I have observed in my own weight loss efforts, is that I can lose weight if I exercise four or five times a week and watch what I eat like a hawk. If I attempt to eat "normal" my weight loss evens out. If I stop exercising I gain. I feel like I need help in not eating so much so my activity can overcome the amount of calories I eat. The one thing about the procedure is that you physically cannot overeat without becoming extremely uncomfortable, and even still, there just isn't that much room for anything in the little pouch of a stomach. If your "will power" fails, your stomach just won't enable you to overeat.

I have watched and listened to my father hacking in the bathroom when he has gotten "plugged". Maybe this is the vomiting they talk about on the bariatric surgery websites. It seems like this should be fairly easy to avoid.

I would also be committing to not become pregnant for at least a year. This was my biggest concern.. of if I would be allowed to become pregnant at all after such a procedure. I'm not entirely sure of if we will decide to have more children, but I don't want to be in a position where I can't decide.

I will stew over this for a while. I probably should bring it up with V.. just to get an idea of where he stands on the issue.