Losing weight at an older age

[follmerpa 35]

I'm 49 and waiting for my date and I'm reading all these success stories from younger people.

So my question is, does the weight come off faster and or easier for a younger person?

I'm trying to be positive that the weight will come off but unsure now.

Thanks Paul

[sleevexcited 56]

Paul- I'm 48 and waiting for sleeve as well-

I figure I will need to take those golden months very seriously. Follow the rules, exercise religiously and don't waiver-

This is my chance to stop yo yo dieting- and succeed better than any of the many other things I've tried.

I just need to believe that the work and focus that I put into the sleeve will work!!

[hrhlaurie 185]

Older here too and im determined to make it work. I think the key is avoiding carbs and boosting metabolism by exercise.

[chris1142 148]

Yes it does come off. I'm 71 and had VSG surgery Feb 4, 2014 and am down 56 lbs. I have followed my doctor's plan to a tee and am very happy with the results thus far.

[Multifacet 66]

I'm 53 and it could not have worked any better for me. I too followed my surgeon's directions to a "T". I was amazed how quickly I lost weight. Best wishes to you!

Edited May 7, 2014 by Multifacet

[gowalking 10,790]

Hi Paul. I'm 55 and banded. I also thought dropping the weight would be difficult due to my age and limited mobility. Well...no guarantees of course, but I lost most of my weight in one year. And you can see my ticker below. I had a BMI of more than 50. That's morbidly obese as I'm sure you realize and yet, I was successful.

Honestly, I don't think age has anything to do with it.

Good luck!

Edited May 7, 2014 by gowalking

[lsereno 2,525]

I was almost 55 when I had surgery. Got to an aggressive goal of BMI 21.8 in 9 months. Could have got that faster, but slacked off after I got to normal BMI. It's very doable, but weight is harder to take off the older you get. I followed my plan and stay at goal by weighing every day and adjusting as needed. I always eat Protein first and usually a lower fat Protein.< /p>

For example, at goal and 3 years out, today for dinner I had a cocktail, then about /2 hour later I had about 3 oz. grilled chicken skewered with a Vietnamese sauce and two slices of a Vietnamese spring roll (not fried) dipped in peanut sauce. For dessert tonight, I will have a tiny Tiramisu (about 1/4 cup) that I picked up at the restaurant and brought home for later (along with the rest of my chicken and spring roll, which I will probably eat for lunch tomorrow).

Lynda

[SeaGirl 193]

I'm 50 and had VSG on 8/6/13. Since then I've lost 87 lbs and am 7 lbs below goal. 9 months today, and 14 inches off my waist!

You can do it. Follow the plan. I can definitely eat more today. And I have to really watch what I eat. And I have to make a practice to drink Water even this far out.

LOVE my sleeve!

[Recycled 2,182]

Hey there youngster....

I take beta blockers and statin medication for atherosclerosis which have side effects of weight gain. However, I follow the guidelines and hit the gym several times a week and I haven't seen my age or the meds slow my loss.

And while I have begun to enjoy the benefits of that ole saying about, "you're only as old as you feel".

...I must say though, it's quite unsettling to look in the mirror and realize I haven't actually reverted to 25.

You'll do fine.

[scootergirl 118]

I was 54 when I had the surgery. I needed to lose half of my body weight to get to a proper BMI! I found that, though I have had great success, I was losing more slowly than other sleevers. Further investigation showed me that the fast losers were usually younger than me. As a mature fellow, you may find your weight comes off more slowly than some young thing but you will have success. You may also find that even with the loss of only a small portion of the total you want to lose you will feel like a new person. The improvement in how you feel, may for you like it has for me, make the number on the scale far less important.

[JanetPRN 496]

I am 52 and I have find that I lost my weight at an average pace. Not fast or slow, just average and I am fine with that. I wish I had done this sooner because my quality of life has improved dramatically since my VSG. The biggest challenge for us older sleevers is the that our skin does not bounce back as easily as the younger ones. As everyone knows, as we age gravity is longer our friend, and our weight kind of accelerates the process. I would not change a thing. I have earned my wrinkles and my new wardrobe!

[follmerpa 35]

Thhanks everyone for sharing. I hope to get a few more replys Im feeling much better after reading soof the replys, Theres hope in dtermination

Thanks paul

[sophie'sChoice 269]

I too wondered the same thing. I wondered what it was that made some people lose faster than others. I assumed that the heavier you were, the easier and faster it would come off in the beginning but that has not been true necessarily either. I wondered if some people were fast losers or slow losers due to age, history (personally, I have dieted for 40 of my 49 years), activity level, or genetics. I guess we are all just plain different. I know that at my weight, the fact that I lost 12 pounds in the last 4 weeks was a little disappointing. There was one week in that period I didn't lose anything at all. Even my nurse practritioner said that it was below expected (or average) values for someone my size (that was tough to hear) Well, I didn't let it get me too down. I pulled up my big girl panties and will continue to fight the good fight and will get there when I get there. At least I know that I am doing my part. I also did the math in my head as to how much I would lose by the end of the year if I did lose 12 a month. I can live with that.

Good luck!!

[DeniseNCC1701 306]

I'm 49 and was sleeved Feb 24th, and have had a respectable loss so far. I've had weeks where I've lost nothing, and I've had weeks where I've stared at the scale and said "really?! Go me!"

I'm early in the process, and already I can see where I might have some skin issues, but that's OK, as regaining my health and eliminating meds are my main focus right now.

I also think that us "older folks" have the advantage in other areas. And forgive me for making the following blanket statement, but I suspect that having been though it all for over 20 or 30 years (or more), most of us have different expectations and goals than the 20-somethings, and are more inclined to have a clearer vision of our futures.

You're going to be just fine. Trust the process.

Be well…