MovinSue

Back up to 161. Procedure 4 months ago. That is 7 lbs less than the before-procedural weight of 168 and 21 lbs less than pre-op starting weight. It appears that most weight was lost on the pre-op diet prep but that has been a sustainable loss after the procedure. I think I have hit my setpoint weight. I see no further weight loss trend. My desired goal was 150 and I thought 155 would be acceptable. I don't see my weight going in that direction as it is now straddling 160. My diet is stable and is less than half the calorie intake before surgery--estimate 1200 daily. The appetite is still suppressed and that is what is doing most of the heavy lift here. I don't have painful hunger pangs and the stomach is happy with low volume of food. Have been following dietary recommendations and nutritional supplements Nearly Religiously! Carbs very minimal. Protein max. Wine drinking drastically reduced from 2 daily to 2-3 weekly. Foods purchased in portion control containers. I could probably lose more by going back to liquid nutrition and cutting out ALL the wine and carbs. Of course, I could also do exercise but I am quite protective of my two replacement hips and that is not a sustainable option. Yes, I know I could do pushups and squats and add some muscle which might benefit a smidgeon in the long run but the "juice is not worth the squeeze." I don't believe I can do much more without negatively impacting my life satisfaction. At this point, I am satisfied that "enough is enough".

Nearly 4 months post op-just broke 160 to 159.2. That's nearly 10 lbs less than post op weight of 168. The new eating lifestyle change is well-managed. Preference is for for protein-rich foods. Don't miss carbs much at all. Still must restrain wine drinking consciously. No more beer as there is just no room in the small storage locker for all those bubbles! Am still very compliant with nutrient supplementation but despite all efforts, have noticed greater than average hair loss in the last month. Not clumps, just uniform loss. Have found online shopping for protein-rich food to be helpful especially with granolas to add to greek yogurt, high protein oatmeal and nut bars for meal replacement and snacks. No exercise as I have both hips replaced and live in a rural hilly area with uneven and changing terrain even for walking carefully. Ice cream habit modified to nightly kiddie-cone. I do not consider this to be a weight loss stall. It is just slow because I am apparently hovering at equilibrium in the short term. It may take me a year to find my steady state weight. Overall, I am pleased with the major change in one aspect of this problem; the knawing hunger imperative! This pain is so reduced as to be not a factor in my awareness. In the past, it had dominated my life to a point where I could not carry on normal activities until I fed. The hunger urge I feel now is quite subdued and gentle compared with the past. This is such a relief- so much so that, even without weight loss, this procedure was well worth it. Losing 4 pants sizes (size 16 to size 10) is a bonus!

Since June 27, (the last post), I have lost .6 lbs. That's POINT 6. Total: preop 168 lbs and 60+ days later 163.4 lbs. HOWEVER, I am down nearly 2 dress sizes. I shopped for pants as my Size 16 was hanging down so far on my hip that I feared a wardrobe failure! O my small frame, Size 12 was just a little too roomy and the Size 10 was just a little snug. So, I decided to wait to buy pants until I can fit comfortably in Size 10. At this rate, it'll be another 2 months! Another benefit is that the hunger is much softer than before and, the food preferences seemed to have shifted away from carbs. I don't know why. I ask my boyfriend to pick up some Go-To cottage cheese with pineapple bits (small curd to match my thighs) because I go through a tub in about 3-4 days. Glazed donuts out on the counter--yawn.

I am now 2 lbs lighter than my lowest weight after my plication. I have incorporated my playfriend into my dietary regime and he is extremely supportive of a household with two completely different diets. I now have more respect for the power of Not Paying Attention and Making Excuses in the process of gaining weight.

Would like to hear more from you ladies about your experiences with your weight loss stalls. It seems like the only reliable information on this subject is anecdotal from those who experience it. I am also stalled; after 46 days post op, my weight has gone down 3 lbs. I have been totally compliant with the program.

I would like to know more about the question of doing "invasive" ie bloody dental work during the same time period as a bariatric procedure. As a retired registered nurse, I would think that his might muddy the waters if an infection happens. It would be a great add-on service for patients but are there safeguards for bariatric patients? Is this perhaps why the dental clinic is not promoted? Is it an independent provider and unconnected with OCC? I was looking for a dentist during my post-op waiting time as I need a crown but was too unfamiliar with the language to feel comfortable with accessing a local provider. Could Dr Ortiz comment for all participants here? Or should I email him directly with my question/concern?

163 today (166 preop) Fat % down to 37.5% (41.4% preop). Weight loss is agonizingly slow considering my dramatic change in diet. Have cut out all wine; previously 2 glasses per day. That is 2-3 bottles/week. Carb intake is incidental since protein is first. Appetite and hunger pretty much minimal which is a HUGE relief since intense hunger has always been THE most problematic part of the weight issue. Current Intake is about 800 cal/day. I believe my BMR is about 1100-1200 daily. Activity levels unchanged pre-post op. So the deficit is around 300 daily which is a lb every 10 days. It has been 46 days since procedure and the weight loss is only 3 lbs since the procedure. Sounds about right. The part of the change that is noticeable is the fat loss; pants hang off me and I need to get my sewing machine out and fix my current clothing until the weight loss is complete. I will add that I am very compliant with all aspects of the program, supplementation etc. I have not changed activity habits since a focused change will not be sustainable and I am lightly active now (not sedentary). Overall, I am glad I decided to have the procedure. Going in, my BMI was 32 and I believe that might skew the result since I reasonably only have 32 lbs to lose (personal goal weight is 150 from 182). I am about halfway to goal. If the rate remains consistent, it will take me another two months. I would be extremely happy with that especially if the hunger factor remains controlled as it is now.

I received a private email from a pre-op patient and I thought it would be appropriate to weigh in at this point which is 37 days post-op: Depends on how you measure success. I have been on an extended weight stall (4 weeks no change!) despite the low calories of the post-op regimen. However, I am losing fat and the percentage keeps falling slowly and my clothes are becoming droopy. That being said, I am 68 years old, am lightly active and have always had a very difficult time losing weight. My calorie intake is around 800 daily. My most notable success solves a lifelong problem--aching knawing hunger that drives food intake constantly. It is like having a monkey on my back! After the procedure, the hunger factor has backed off 95% and what hunger I am aware of is "soft" and uninsistent. In larger terms, the procedure was a success. The trip back and forth to Mexico was uneventful, I never felt sick, my health is intact and my energy better than ever. There is less stress on my back and joints. I have enhanced nutritional status. I do not suffer hunger and am almost to the point of getting back to a full food diet. I have retrained myself to be more selective about my food choices. At the beginning, I was 180--just barely into the Obese BMI category at 32%; now, I am at 167.6. My percentage of body fat has reduced from 41.4% to 38.7% I was not as obese as some patients but still suffering from the adverse effects of my overweight on my small bone frame. So, in terms of my definition of success, on this 36th day post op, I think the effort and expense was appropriate and that I am trending well in the right definition, though more slowly than I had hoped. Hope this answers your question and feel free to converse about your experience. movinsue@gmail.com

I did hear from OCC and they responded: I am still in the 40 day window; in fact, I am 24 days post-procedure. Am following the program. Still stalled at 166 which is 2 lbs less than pre-op weight following the Atkins diet and two weeks of fluids only (182 lb-168lb). I have changed my evil ways with my merlot and substituted protein shakes. More activity is just now starting, as my deconditioning fatigue from pre- and post-op liquid was numbing and I bet I lost a lot of muscle mass. I could hardly drag myself up a flight of stairs without being dog tired! The supplements and dietary progression has helped. I ordered a body fat measurement scale so will start tracking changes in fat weight. I also have to factor in my age-68- and that I cannot bounce back from this kind of drastic nutritional assault and surgery as fast as if I were in my 30's.

Is this service still available?

So, I weighed in at 168 after weighing the morning of my flight at 169 so I am pretty sure that the starting weight is accurate with my home scale. When I got back, the next day I weighed 176--eight pounds more than my starting weight despite another week of clear fluids since my pre-op weigh-in. I emailed OCC with this concern but I have not heard back from them with any reasonable explanation. The only difference I can identify is that I did not take the blood pressure meds during 5 day post-op period and restarted once I returned home. The reason I did not take blood pressure meds is because my blood pressure was extremely low during the post op period, like 92/58. Not symptom-low but too low to add a medication. Has anyone else experienced this? I am now 166lbs and this 10 days after my post-op weight of 176. That it is somewhat disappointing because is only 16 lbs less than my starting weight after 6 weeks of fluids. Trend in the right direction however, and I will follow the program and be patient. I am trialing removing one of my three BP meds, have eliminated the water pill and am having acceptable blood pressure readings. I suspect that when my weight loss is complete, I might reduce the 2nd med. (Do not try this without your doctor's approval; I am a retired RN and having been managing my BP for many years.)

I am almost 68 yrs old and just had VSG on May 9th. I am 3 weeks post op. If Gigi is still reading, I can share my experiences with Dr. Ortiz and answer specific questions. Email movinsue@gmail.com

I'd like to hear more about your story and that of others too with the same problem. This is not a new, unheard of problem. It is very personal and hurtful experience for you (as well as to the "0" contestant) and there is no decent science on the phenomenon to explain it or to help those experiencing it to at least understand it. The common lame excuse work ie "calories in, calories out" does not explain what is happening. Obesity science can learn much by learning about the body's mechanisms to defeat weight loss. We all know the blah blah 'diet and exercise' is not the whole story. Hope to hear your update.

I was browsing this website and caught a thread about "age" and bariatric surgery. The participants were mostly in their mid-50's--ha babies to me! I clicked and realized that most posts were 5-6 years old. So, I decided to start a new thread. I am a 67 year old female in good health. I had a gastric plication with Dr. Ortiz in 2011. In 2014, I changed my lifestyle to incorporate more "fun" with a partner! While alone, I was easily able to engineer my household to meet my dietary needs. However, I noticed a "creeping up" of weight in 2015. My first denial was that is a natural age-related decline in muscle mass/hormones etc and a small increase was expected and reasonable over time. In 2017, I became alarmed when I could barely close up my zipper on jeans and saw a photo of myself. Having not worried much about my weight, I had not been weighing myself as I did before. I weighed myself and finally came out of my denial. I had gained back 15 lbs in 5 years. Now, what to do? I am 67. Is the time right to do this AGAIN? Am I wasting money to throw thousands at an intractable lifelong problem that I had hoped was solved with the plication? I decided YES, the time is absolutely right! I am a well female and may live another 20 years! I am now "out of denial" about the reason for my slow, steady weight gain--and--it had almost nothing to do with the plication. Though, as a retired nurse and quasi-geek on many things, I do have some technical and practical doubts about the long-term efficacy of the procedure but that is another subject. I am going to ask Dr. Ortiz about one key question. I decided to have a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) rather than a revision of the plication. I decided that the time is right to invest in my future health and comfort. I have the dreaded X syndrome, a petite frame, genetic predisposition for energy thiftiness and am vulnerable to other exacerbations of carrying around too much weight (including having had a second hip replacement surgery about a year ago). I am very uncomfortable in my current pants wardrobe and the thought of shopping for a bigger size is depressing. My boyfriend has a big dog and I would like to hike along on morning walks along the river. On another level, WHO defines the "right time" for anything? Is there a cosmic "right time". I think that "right time" is our human way of putting off things that are unpleasant or seem daunting. I can attest, having been through a plication, that it is not pleasant thing to look forward to but is most certainly made as easy peasy as possible with the coordinators on staff at Dr. Ortiz's office, who will guide you every step of the way. I am impressed that the process has become "higher tech" since 2011 and patient accountability has been buffed up. I look forward to this procedure reset button as my "right time" on May 9, 2017.