I imagine that the plicaters that are a year or more out from surgery are out living fabulous lives with their svelte new bodies? Am I right? Where are you fattophat, chowchows? How are things going a year or more later?

Today is my last day to decide/confirm surgery so I was hoping to hear from the brave pioneers that plicated first! You ladies have always inspired me with your bravery! How are you all doing?

I guess I'm an old timer. It will be 2 years next month. Going well. Been maintaing almost at goal weight for about 8 months. Never did get to goal weight. I'm 12 lbs away but have come to accept it. My body likes where its at. I lost 70 lbs. I've relaxed when it comes to eating. I usually start out my day with a piece of toast or grape nuts. I still eat a lot less than I did before surgery. I go up and down within 3 lbs. (160-163) I still try to eat complex carbs and protein. I think I could go down a little if I got strict on protein again. Anybody else an "Old timer?" How are you doing?

I'm no lady.

I passed a year out on June 6. There was a small group of people on here orginally. As the procdure has gained numbers of participants, I could no longer keep track of who everyone was in my mind. I've no desire to be a spokesperson for this procedure. However, it was the only outlet there was for me a few short months ago.

The community I found here was very hepful early on in investigating this procedure. The support during the first six months is also helpful. It's not that it isn't helpful afterwards. I just found that I needed much less support in the following months.

I had my plication 13 months+ (June 6, 2011). I started at 295. I weighed in at 196 a few weeks ago. I also ran my first 5k on July 4, 2012. My time was crap, but I did finish.

My weight loss has slowed down very much in the last half of the first year. It's a slow go, but it still goes. It also flucuates a lot. I can eat more than I could starting out. I do better when I eat Protein first, then veggies, which is what the nutritionist suggested.

I've also been craving carbs for the second time since the procedure.

I can go up several pounds or down when I occasionally weigh depending my Water and salt consumption. I've been at the same weight for a month or two. I've changed exercise routines the last three months. I just can't do 6:15 am (6 am during the school year) every morning three days a week.

To be at my max BMI goal weight, I still need to lose another 40 lbs. If I could settle around 175 I'd be happy. I just need to find an exercise routine that works that schedule and watch my carbs a bit more.

Hope everyone is well.

Mednar

Well, I guess I'd be one of the "not so successful" old timers. I am 16 months out from surgery and have only lost about 48 lbs. I reached a point early on where I could eat almost normal amounts again and I slowly started letting the old habits slip back in. I feel like I'm back where I started with the poor lifestyle habits, just 48 lbs lighter. I still have over a 100 to go. I think the advice that the sleeve plication may not be the right surgery if you have more than 100 lbs to lose might be the right advice. I don't know. It's probably just me. I'm disappointed but I'm trying not to think about the money lost and try to remind myself that I haven't gained that 48 lbs back and I still can't eat the amount I used to before surgery. So, that's a plus! Lately I have been trying to get back into excersizing and that has made me feel better physcially. Hopefully it will start showing up on the scale. I'm trying to look at my weight loss as a slow, lifelong process. If I only lose 10 lbs this year, that's o.k., if I can just keep going down, then I'm always better off than I was before. But thanks for your nice comments about us old timers, H21

^{But don't give up hope! Everyone is different!}

Mednar has a very good point. Several months after I had the surgery and started feeling normal again, I too stopped logging in as well. I have my one year appointment next month. My surgery was mid February 2012. I started at 254 and I'm 200 now so 54 lbs lost in the first year. My weight loss and slowed to almost nothing now. I havent lost anything in the last couple months and trying all sorts of different things to get it going again. I can say I never had a month of gaining so that's good. I eat more than I'm comfortable with although I havent completely reverted back to my old ways. There is a little bit of restriction still there. The doctor says the stomach is a muscle and you can stretch it back out if you're not careful so I try to be conscious of that.