Today (sept 9th) is my 6 months post plication. I am a 31 year old Mother of 3.

I lost about 11 pounds pre-op.

Month 1 -16#'s

Month 2 - 7#'s

Month 3 - 9#'s

Month 4 - 7#'s

Month 5 - 7#'s

Month 6 - 5#'s

51 pounds in 6 months. 62 if you count my pre-op weight loss. I lost that much when I did weight watchers. I never could keep it off though.

The weight is coming off slower then I hoped. My restriction is not what I want it to be. I felt a lot more restriction in the first 2 months post op. First two months post op, I could only eat about 1/3 or maybe 1/2 of a 6 inch subway sandwich. A few days ago I ate the entire 6 inch sub. I guess that is still better then before WLS when I could have the sub, chips and a cookie! I do eat a lot less then I used to though. My cravings are not as bad as they were before. I have 50 more pounds to go. I am confident that I will reach my goal. it just wont be as soon as I had hoped.

My feeling on plication are mixed right now. I will update you on October 9th with my 7 month report. I sure hope I can lose more then 5 pounds.

I think WLS is just a temporary fix,The reason I said this is that my neighbor had gastric bypass 5 years ago and she is almost back to her size before surgery ,se lost 135 pounds with it but it's almost all back, her daughter did it also and she goined 50 pounds back already,she had it done 7 years ago,There is no long term fix ,unless of course we eat less forever.The surgery only helps us get there faster,I know what you all thinking, I'm just a party pooper.I'm sorry but it's my opinion.I hope I'm wrong.Only time will tell.

I had one friend call it a "reset button" or a "start-over button". Yes, these surgeries might help us to get OFF the weight, but we still have to be diligent the rest of our lives to MAINTAIN the weight loss. I agree that it is a temporary fix, but one that we can still be successful with if we work at it.

I hear what you are saying, and I didn't always feel this way (as you saw from some of my posts this summer). It has taken me several months to get used to the new rhythm of my body and a lot of self psychoanalysis to realize what I truly wanted out of wls. I have realized that as much as it sometimes is frustrating, I am actually enjoying the path to a slimmer me. I enjoy the victories of stepping on the scale and seeing it down from the last time. I'm ok with it going slow because I am trying to take the time to relish this and to rebuild healthier eating habits overall (even my current little bit of sweets and increased carbs is a million times healthier from the way I ate before...I'm not going to kid myself about how bad I was pre wls) so that maintenance isn't so hard. Maybe I am overconfident, but I feel that I will be able to maintain this time, and that was what I was having trouble doing before. With so many of the other surgeries, success lies in them working extremely well in the short run, but then they don't work so well in the long run and the weight is regained. We plicators have never had it as 'easy' in the short run, but I think in the long run that will benefit us. Maybe everyone doesn't feel that way, but I am getting to know myself better through this journey, and I certainly do feel this way. I hope everyone else can find something like this that they can take from the ups and downs of plication. My plication truly is more of a tool, and since I didn't just rely blindly on my wls to lose weight, I am learning through the downward journey. It is however a very useful tool because it does give me exactly what I need to limit calories/cravings and provide the extra willpower/satiety that I could not find before. Not every day is easy, but I feel that this surgery is one I can live with long term and that will be successful in the long term.

Awesome! Well Said!

Lmom: I think you are doing great. I am 5 months post op and i have only lost about 48 lbs total. I was so psychotic and obsessed with this surgery and subsequent weight loss. I was literally driving myself crazy. I LITERALLY THRU OUT THE scale AND STAYED OFF THE WLS BOARDS.. I JUST COULDNT TAKE IT ANYMORE. I WAS OBSESSED.

Well, I have always been a slow loser. I accept that. Everyone is different. Though I am grateful for 48lbs lost, I am disappointed that it isnt more at 5 months. I too also took the subway 6 inch test. I cant eat a whole one but I sure can get about 2/3rds of it down. Dont ask me how. I know that i have lost all that I am gonna lose without actively doing something. I will say that I consider myself lucky with this plication. I have lost some weight, and I have had little to no deprivation.

Everyone, be encouraged. We are all still doing great!

Hang in there! You're doing awesome!