meve3681

Hi Mary, The scarring is very minimal, at 2 1/2 years post op my scars are hardly visible. I do eat pizza on occasion, though I can only eat 1-2 slices now, before surgery I could easily eat a whole medium pizza to myself. I don't drink beer, so I'm not sure how that would work out. I want to emphasize that I did not have surgery to continue with my old way of living, so while I am still able to eat things such as pizza and French fries, they aren't staples of my diet as they were before surgery. When I do choose to eat those things, it's treated as a "treat" and then back to eating clean.

You will get what you put into it, but that would be from any weight loss surgery. If you are thinking that WLS will be a solution to being overweight, you're going to be sadly disappointed. The weight will come off with any WLS, but there is only so much surgery alone can do for you. The honeymoon period after WLS is gone very quickly and you will be able to gain weight back if you are not making everlasting changes. My advice is to make big changes to your diet and lifestyle in conjunction with WLS to achieve the results you want. Being healthy is a way better goal than a number on the scale. Good luck to you.

Just wanted to update on this topic as I know Gastric Plication is one of the cheaper and less used options for Weight Loss Surgery. I am now two years post op and have remained at my goal weight since reaching it at almost one year post op. My relationship with food has completely changed. I still do the things that helped me reach my goal weight such as keeping a food log, weighing my food and sticking to a high protein/low carb diet. I know a lot of people have not had the same experience as I have had with this surgery. I do not know why my experience is different than most others. I still meal plan, and carefully watch what I eat 80% of the time. As time has gone on, I am able to eat more as my surgeon had cautioned that I would. I want to mention that I have done a lot of work in regards to understanding why I became so obese in the first place. Surgery will not be a fix to the emotional aspect of obesity and if you are not putting in the work to understand yourself better, no amount of surgery will keep the weight off. I am sure we all know someone who has had WLS and has gained weight back. As I was self funded for my surgery, I wanted to make sure it would provide me with long lasting results. I had to dig deep within myself and really be truthful. I used food as comfort, as entertainment, as a way to soothe myself. I ate out of boredom, out of sorrow, out of happiness. These were behaviors that I had to unlearn. I also was eating more processed food than should be allowed. I now cook more often than I don't, so I have better control of what I am eating. I no longer drink soda or alcohol. Yes, doing those things are hard, but being fat and unhappy was harder. Choose your hard and get real with yourself. This journey should be about more than vanity. It should be about longevity and health. When times get rough and you feel like giving up, you will need a reason that is strong enough to keep you going. My family and being healthy to participate in life like I want to are what keep me going. With that being said, my life is completely different, healthier and more fulfilling than it was two years ago. I do not regret my Gastric Plication surgery at all. It has given me everything that I knew I deserved. I have worked hard to lose the weight and have had to strengthen my discipline and willpower. I put in the work everyday to keep the weight off and will have to everyday for the rest of my life. Surgery alone will not keep you thin. I cannot stress this enough. I went from 240 pounds (size 16) and have maintained a weight of 160 pounds (size 8) for over a year.

I am 15 months post op and have hit my goal weight. I still feel a lot of restriction and still have to force myself to eat some days. I know that a lot of people do not have this same experience with the gastric plication. This surgery was successful for me and I do not regret it one bit. I am very happy with my WLS choice and only wish I had done it a lot sooner.

It is an outpatient procedure, you will be home the same day. It is still a major surgery and your body will need time to heal. I was surprised at how long it took me to feel back to normal. It took me about 3 months to feel back to 100%. I am just a little over a year post op, and I have lost 81 pounds. I hit my personal goal at 9 months post op.

Recovery from Gastric Plication is about 2 weeks. I only took one day off of work, but should have taken more. It's important to take it easy the first few weeks out of surgery. You're going to be exhausted the first few weeks, not just from surgery but because your food intake is going to be so small as well. I don't know how you will be able to hide the drastic change in your portions. You will also be on liquids only for a number of days post op.

The procedure is done while under anesthesia however, it is considered an outpatient surgery. I was home within hours of my surgery. I have 4 small incision scars that are very faint at a year post op. I was self funded too, my surgery cost about $18,000 USD. Still one of the cheaper options in the USA compared to bypass and sleeve.

Gastric Plication surgery date 4/3/2015, reached goal on 2/1/2016. Total of 75 pounds lost.

@@Felicia2016 How are you doing so far? Any complications? How is your eating going?

An update: Its now been 8 months since my surgery and I am only 2 pounds away from my goal weight. I have lost a total of 73 pounds as of today. I went from a tight size 16 to a size 8. I do not regret having this surgery at all. My eating habits have changed. I did not have the surgery as a pass to eat whatever I want. I am using my surgery as a tool to improve my health and life. If you are struggling with your weight loss, be honest about what you are eating. I keep a food log and am very honest with myself. I knew having this surgery would force me to look at my relationship with food and have been using these last 8 months to work through it. I do not turn to food for comfort, or entertainment anymore. It's been hard but it has been the biggest gift I could give myself. My doctor says that my weight loss is comparable to a patient who has had Gastric Bypass. I eat a high Protein low carb diet most of the time. This has been what works for me.

I seem to stall at every 10 pound segments. Keep sticking to your program and your body will catch up. Its frustrating.

I'm about 20 pounds away from goal. I have been more active since losing weight, more hiking and walking. I have not started a steady workout regime, though. I'm concentrating on my diet at the moment. I really want this to be successful and didn't want to overwhelm myself with too many changes. I believe that is what has caused me to yo yo diet in the past, and has caused me to get burned out and gain weight. Focusing on being healthy and eating right seems to be working for me.

Hi @@butterflyvan, good luck to you. I have had no complications from surgery and my only regret is not doing it sooner. Keep us posted. Down 50+ pounds in a little over 4 months.

How are you doing so far? Have you broken through the stall?