For Ingra, weight became a struggle during adolescence – she remembers her first diet attempt at the young age of 12. Her first tween ‘crush’ resulted in a crash diet that would lead to a nearly 20-pound weight loss. Little did Ingra know then that she’d regain and lose that same 20 pounds more than a dozen times before finding success with the help of True You Weight Loss and a life-changing procedure called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG).
“I had always been big and tall for my age, but when my clothes started getting so tight that my older sister had to trade outfits with me – that was a defining moment,” Ingra recalls.
Over the years, Ingra tried diet after diet with no long-term success. She tried Weight Watchers, cutting sugar, low carb diets, but nothing prompted more than 20-pound weight loss, which would inevitably return when the diet ended.
Searching for Weight Loss Solutions
By 2023, Ingra was an adult and could see her health was declining. She was experiencing joint pain, achiness, debilitating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and her heart began racing with simple activity. When she hit 210 pounds, Ingra began really researching her weight loss options. While she initially started looking into the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (also known as vertical sleeve, or VSG) online, Ingra stumbled upon True You Weight Loss.
After reading about endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), she became intrigued when she saw someone who shared that ESG resolved their IBS — a condition that was having a real effect on her quality of life. Ingra continued doing her research and learned that insurance wouldn’t cover VSG or the duodenal switch because her BMI wasn’t high enough. This inspired her to look further into ESG and to book a consultation with Dr. Christopher McGowan, the nation’s leader and most experienced ESG gastroenterologist.
“At first, I thought the ESG sounded too good to be true – I wondered why I’d never heard of it before,” Ingra explained. “But once I had my consultation and Dr. McGowan was able to answer the zillions of questions I had, I felt comfortable. His expertise and openness really put me at ease.”
She was ready to move forward as soon as the holiday season was behind her and booked her procedure for January 12, 2024.
On the Road to Weight Loss Success With ESG
On procedure day, Ingra admits to feeling nervous, but with her sister and the experienced team at True You Weight Loss at her side, she underwent a very successful endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.
“I am absolutely terrified of needles, but the nurses were so calming and supportive, and everything went smoothly,” Ingra said. “After my ESG, I slept off the anesthesia, and my sister helped me make sure I got the fluids I needed. Within a week, I was back to work, and people started noticing my weight loss right away.”
Over the next year, Ingra lost more than 60 pounds – dropping from 210 to her current weight of 149 pounds. She describes her ESG journey as different from any other weight loss attempt or diet she’d tried. Ingra credits much of her success to the support she received from her True You team, especially her dietitian.
“I was worried she was going to have me eating boiled chicken and broccoli for the rest of my life, but it was never like that – her practical tips helped me prioritize protein and figure out what to do any time my weight loss stalled. I could literally screenshot a summary of what I’d been eating, and she would make recommendations to get me right back on track.”
