Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Does age or menopause make a difference with how much weight is lost.



Recommended Posts

I’m on the 4th day of my 14 day pre-op diet and been trying to google/research everything I can about the gastric bypass. I came upon an article that essentially said that older and menopausal women are slow to lose and not as great results. I figured this was the place to find out the deal from my peers. I just turned 50, so this article definitely got my mind thinking. What are your experiences or thoughts? I would love to hear.c

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was 58 when I had my surgery. Already way past menopause. I weighed just under 300 ( cant't remember but in in my stats I think) pounds a week from surgery.

I hit my goal of 150.0 pounds in July or August 2019. (The stats are on my ticket I think) I thought that was a pretty steady weight loss.

Good luck with everything.

Di

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was 54 at surgery but not menopausal and I lost all my excess weight. Not sure if there's a correlation between age, menopause and amount lost. Interesting question.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My surgeon advocated for bypass over the sleeve due to my being menopausal (among other reasons). He said age and hormones definitely impact weight loss.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm 49...at goal:) Going through perimenopause now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Your rate of loss is very personal. Some older women lose quickly, others more slowly. Just as some younger women lose slowly & others rapidly. You may have fewer or more stalls on the way.

I do remember people used to say it was harder to lose weight as you get older. Not bariatric surgery related. Just one of those things people said. Old wives’ tale or fact I don’t know.

In saying that, I was 2 months shy of 54 & menopausal when I had surgery. I reached my goal at 6 months (31kgs/68lbs) at a pretty average rate. I then lost more in the year after - just over an additional 11kgs/25lbs. A good friend, a year older & also menopausal was slower, about 9 months to lose a similar amount to reach her goal & she’s way more active than me.

Good luck. You’ll get there in your time.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had surgery when I was 55 and post-menopausal (I went through menopause at age 51). I lost all of my excess weight. I was a slow loser, but it was consistent.

P.S. age IS one factor in your rate of weight loss - so is gender, activity level, metabolic rate, starting BMI, and how closely you stick to your program.

Edited by catwoman7

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was 65 when I had bypass surgery. I lost 135 pounds in a year. I started at 249 pounds. All I did was follow what I was told to do with eating directions and my hardest exercise was a treadmill. You have the power to make this work. Go into it with positive thoughts and enjoy the ride. Do your best and let your body do the rest. Good luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi I’m learning to cook again. I’ve lost 30lbs. pre-op and am fully menopausal. Then I got my period again. The Gyn said it was due to weight loss. Did this happen to anyone? I was blessedly free for 4 years, now yuck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@learn2cook Congratulations on the 30 and the learning to cook again. OMG, I used to hate those surprise visits by Aunt Flo. Luckily I had my girly bits removed several years ago due to fibroids, so thankfully I will not be getting that surprise .

When is your surgery date?

Edited by Ready_4_Change🐝
Add info

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 4/2/2021 at 7:15 PM, Deemar007 said:

I was 58 when I had my surgery. Already way past menopause. I weighed just under 300 ( cant't remember but in in my stats I think) pounds a week from surgery.

I hit my goal of 150.0 pounds in July or August 2019. (The stats are on my ticket I think) I thought that was a pretty steady weight loss.

Good luck with everything.

Thanks. I need to stop googling everything. It makes you worry about things you don’t need to.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 4/2/2021 at 8:26 PM, Jaelzion said:

I was 54 at surgery but not menopausal and I lost all my excess weight. Not sure if there's a correlation between age, menopause and amount lost. Interesting question.

Congratulations on your success and thanks. I love hearing success stories of people who are around my age. Success is great at any age, but more relevant to me when I can see commonalities with others.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, skinnydreamer16 said:

I was 65 when I had bypass surgery. I lost 135 pounds in a year. I started at 249 pounds. All I did was follow what I was told to do with eating directions and my hardest exercise was a treadmill. You have the power to make this work. Go into it with positive thoughts and enjoy the ride. Do your best and let your body do the rest. Good luck.

Thank you and congratulations on your success. My plan is to follow the instructions I was given by my team. They certainly know better than me. Exercise not a problem, I have a personal trainer three times a week and a dog I have to walk a lot. I plan on working this tool as much as possible and as hard as possible. Doesn’t make much sense to do anything less. Thanks for the positive words. You’re right the power is in my hands.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

I had surgery when I was 55 and post-menopausal (I went through menopause at age 51). I lost all of my excess weight. I was a slow loser, but it was consistent.

P.S. age IS one factor in your rate of weight loss - so is gender, activity level, metabolic rate, starting BMI, and how closely you stick to your program.

Thank you and congratulations on how well you’ve done. I’m just so worried that somehow this will fail like all the other diets. And although I’d prefer fast weight lost, I’ll take slow if it means I’ll get to my goal.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Your rate of loss is very personal. Some older women lose quickly, others more slowly. Just as some younger women lose slowly & others rapidly. You may have fewer or more stalls on the way.

I do remember people used to say it was harder to lose weight as you get older. Not bariatric surgery related. Just one of those things people said. Old wives’ tale or fact I don’t know.

In saying that, I was 2 months shy of 54 & menopausal when I had surgery. I reached my goal at 6 months (31kgs/68lbs) at a pretty average rate. I then lost more in the year after - just over an additional 11kgs/25lbs. A good friend, a year older & also menopausal was slower, about 9 months to lose a similar amount to reach her goal & she’s way more active than me.

Good luck. You’ll get there in your time.

Congratulations on your success and thank you for your story. When you’re nervous about something, common sense tends to go out the window. Thanks for reminding that everyone is different and the finish line is what’s important.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×