phoenixgen2

Well Fellow Sleevers, I have made it through my first major holiday and have to say I did pretty darn good!!! I was a little worried going into Thanksgiving because it is one of my favorite holidays in which to overeat. I was worried I would be a Grumpy Guss because I couldn't, but you know what...I was able to enjoy all the foods that I normally would! I had turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc. I just ate a WHOLE LOT less of it. I didn't feel deprived or anything. All in all I had a wonderful holiday and felt so good that even with the holiday I was still losing weight!!! That is a first for me. I am really looking forward to Christmas now that I know I can get through it successfully!!! P.S. for those of you following my blog, I'd also like to add that in spite of the typical holiday stress, my anxiety is still steadily improving!!!!

I am losing more hair as well and I am 4 months out. My doctor said it will stop around the 9 month mark and that it is vitally important to keep up my protein and water amounts. 90g and 80-100 foz respectivley. He said that will help to keep the hair healthy and provide the nutrients necessary to stay healthy during the rapid weightloss period.

Calling All Las Vegas Sleevers... If you live in Las Vegas, NV and have had or are planning to have the sleeve, I'd love for you to share your story! In a city full of scantily clad men and women, night clubs, strip clubs, show girls, and other image based focuses it can be hard to be "The Fat One". Vegas Sleevers, let’s start chatting and sharing our successes, trials, tribulations, and wow moments as we find our new, healthier place in Sin City!

You just walk right on in. No appointment or signing up is necessary. If you end up coming tonight and want to talk to me, I will be sitting towards the front. I am wearing a muti color dress and black wrap with my hair in a ponytail.

I have gone to a few of them and find them very helpful. I am actually going to one tomorrow night at 6:00 with Doctor Atkinson for the Sleeve and Bypass patients.

Do you ever go to the support groups on Tuesdays? I find them very helpful!!

Howdy fellow sleevers!!!! It has been quite some time since my last posting and I have a bit to say. If you have been following my blog you have seen my ups and downs, my struggles with anxiety and other emotions, my issues with being able to eat and getting nauseous when eating, and my early morning troubles. I am here today to tell you that things are finally starting to stabilize! I had my 6 week check up with my doctor a while ago and told him about how hard it is for me to eat or drink in the mornings, how I feel like crap in the morning, and how it takes me hours to get going. He assures me the by between month 3 and 4 that should stabilize. Well...It is finally starting to do just that. I am starting to feel better in the mornings and eating or drinking in the morning is getting easier. I am even doing better at work in the mornings and have improved mental clarity and focus! I still have some normalization that needs to happen, but given my current pace, I am sure that by month 4 I will be feeling 100% better. My emotional state is improving as well. I have not required an anxiety pill for almost a month now and was able to work through my stress and anxiety by myself. I had a death in the family that caused me to begin to have a panic attack, but I managed it without drugs! I am feeling more confident, happy, and healthy each day! I am able to eat more normal foods and enjoy the company of others when I eat. It feels so good now that things are starting to get normal. I still cannot eat soft (untoasted) bread, but that will come at around the 6 month mark along with pasta. I was actually able to eat sushi the other day which made me sssssssssssoooooooooooooo happy!!! I love sushi, it was one of my favorite things before my surgery and I am so glad that I can still enjoy it! I am trying new stuff daily and finding it getting easier and easier to eat. I still struggle with eating 4 ounces in 20-30 minutes, but I know that that will happen in time as well. For now I take about 45 minutes to eat. Things are really starting to happen for me and I am filled with joy, relief, and a positive outlook. For any of you that are struggling, hang in there...it will get better. You will have ups and downs (I still do from time to time), but this was a good choice and soon you will be thinner, happier, and above all healthier!!! Ciao 4 Now!

Hello, I am having a hard time getting enough fruits and vegetables in my diet since having surgery. I am taking all my Vitamins but worry that I am not getting enough of the other benefits i would usually get from various fruits and vegetables. I am not sure what to do. I have started drinking V8 Vfusion to get some additional servings, but they are loaded with calories and sugars. USDA recommends 5 servings but after surgery, that seems next to impossible. Any information you can share with me will be greatly appreciated!

What are the gummies? Are they a vitamin supplement?

Your words are so very reassuring to me. I have emailed my doctor to see if I should be taking them more regularly. Initially they were up to three times a day as needed for panic attacks, so I have been taking them sporadically. I think I may need to take them more regularly to manage the symptoms. I am going to start seeing a psychologist on a more regular basis to get to the root of my anxiety in the hope that I can one day be back in a more normal anxiety range. For now I will keep on keeping on. I was on an anti-depressant before surgery and they upped my dosage because of all the hormones being released after surgery. Watch out for this along with your anxiety levels after surgery because the depression caught me off guard. It is primarily due to the fact that as fat is consumed tons of estrogen is released into your system. My depression is now well managed; I just need to get the anxiety under control.

Good Morning Sleevers! As I have mentioned in previous entries, I developed Anxiety after my surgery and now 6 weeks out it is still prevalent in my life. My largest problem is the hyperventilation. Even with the Xanax the doctor prescribed, I still deal with hyperventilating even though sometimes I don't realize I am doing it. I am going to talk to both my doctor and psychologist as to why I am still felling this way even though I am adjusting more and more to my new stomach and life. I am also trying to figure out what it is that I am having anxiety over. It is not the healing aspect anymore, which is what triggered it in the first place, so I must have transferred the anxiety onto another trigger. I am sure I will figure it out. Until then, I have found a breathing technique that seems to help with the hyperventilation. The 7-11 Breathing Technique: When you get stressed out and anxious, it can feel as though someone is sitting on your chest. Your mind starts to race and your breathing becomes shallow and rushed. Anxiety can be caused by a range of factors, from a psychological condition to daily stresses like being held up in traffic. Most people will feel some form of anxiety at different points in their lives. Using breath-control exercises like the 7/11 technique will help get you through the panic and feeling at peace again. Step 1 Sit comfortably in a chair, or anywhere you can if you are feeling strong anxiety. Step 2 Breathe in through your nose to a count of seven. Breathe deeply through your diaphragm, so that your stomach pushes outward with the breath. Hold the breath for a moment if you can. Step 3 Breathe out through your mouth for an eleven count. Your out breaths are important because they will lower your heart rate, dilate your pupils and decrease blood pressure. Repeat this breathing technique about 6 times and/or until you are feeling better. Tips and Warnings You can modify the count if you can't handle 7 and 11, as long as the out breath is longer than the in breath. Place your one hand on your stomach and one on your chest. As you breathe in and out, your chest should hardly move. As you breathe in, your stomach should push out and when you breath out it should move inward. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. I hope this is helpful to you. Ciao 4 Now!

Good Afternoon, I have noticed since I went to soft solid/solid foods that sometimes it feels like food is getting stuck in my throat. Like it is close to coming back up, but without the vomit sensation. I try to burp to get it to move down, but it dosn't. It isn't sticking in my esopaghus, but in my throat, just about where my collar bone is. Has anyone experienced this? What could be the issue?

Were you able eventually to get off the meds?

Howdy Sleevers, It has been a while since my last post so I thought I'd chime in and give you an update. So far I am a little over 5 weeks post op and doing pretty well all things considered. Physically I am feeling better and better each day and am enjoying soft solids like fish, cheese, ground meat, crackers, pretzels, etc. I have tolerated everything pretty well, with the exception of some warm quinoa salad I had Wednesday which almost made me yack. Emotionally I think I am doing better as well. I am getting more focused at work and not feeling so tired in the mornings. I am back down to only needing 1 Xanax a day. Today I have not even needed to take one in spite of a very stressful situation happening at work this morning. Yeah me! I feel as though I am coming to terms with my new body and new life and I am for the first time really looking forward to what the future holds for me. I have been keenly aware of my own mortality of late. I don't know if it is because I have a renewed outlook on life or that I know now that my weight is coming off that I have a much better chance of living a full, long, and happy life, but it has been on my mind. Not in a negative way, but I have this desire to make the most of every day. But I digress...the reason for my entry today is to talk about some bad habits that I have noticed are trying to sneak in now that I am eating more regular foods. First and foremost, let me tell you that I have yet to experience true hunger. All the hunger and cravings I am about to talk about have nothing to do with being physically hungry. I have been craving junk food like chips and crackers. I really want some salty goodness, which is odd, because I never used to be all that interested in salty junk food. I was more of a sweets girl. That being said, all I can think about is having Doritos, french fries, Cheetos, and other stuff like that. I know it is all in my head, but the cravings are pretty powerful!! I picked up some pretzel thins which are crunchy and salty and give me a little bit of protein too, but having them on hand has led me to another bad habit that is trying to worm its way back into my routine. SNACKING!!!!!! This is the most dangerous thing a person can do which will sabotage their weight loss and in the last three days I have snacked. Some pretzel chips before dinner or a bit of sliced ham in the evening. This is most often happening when I am bored, watching TV, or surfing the net. I DO NOT want this habit coming back after being good for so long. I want to make the most out of this drastic change I have put myself through and to start snacking feels like I am letting myself down. I believe the snacking is a result of the cravings I mentioned earlier because I am snacking on all the salty stuff. I wonder if part of it is because it feels ssssssssssoooooooooo good to be eating more normal foods again and I want more than the three meals a day. Whatever the reason behind my snacking I know that it must stop!! Since I know that I am not physically hungry I am going to employ a new tactic. Whenever I want to snack, I am going to try a change of location and activity. Maybe I will go for a walk or do some chores or do something creative that keeps my mind off the snacking. Have any of you experienced this? Do you have any suggestions? Ciao 4 Now!

I developed acute anxiety disorder after I had my surgery and though it is getting better with the help of medication, I am six weeks out and still have some symptoms. The one symptom that I struggle with now is the breathing. I start to hyperventilate by trying to take too deep of a breath which causes me to panic because it feels like I should be able to, but when I stop and remind myself to take slow, deep breaths the problem resolves. It eventually comes back throughout the day, but it is much better than it was. I was having full on panic attacks. Racing heart rate, difficulty berating, tingling in my neck and hands, dizziness, feeling faint, and extreme fear. Since taking my meds, those have subsided significantly. Based on what I have heard from most people is that it will subside over the first several months and typically not recur. Since I am only 6 weeks out from my surgery I think I may have a little bit to go before I am symptom/anxiety free. I just hold on to the knowledge that the anxiety and depression will eventually subside. If you’d like more information on my emotional struggles post-surgery, I have a blog on this site under “The Weight loss Journey of VegasBusby”. I wish you all the best!!

Happy Monday Sleevers! I am pleased to announce that I have lost another 3.5 pounds bringing my total loss since surgery July 10 to 28.5 pounds!!! This makes me very happy, but I do have to admit I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more. After losing 25 pounds in the first 4 weeks I was hoping for a bigger loss than 3.5 pounds. I know that once you get to more solid foods the weight loss slows down a bit and in my mind when it comes to losing weight any loss is a good loss. I have heard some of you mention a stall early on in the weight loss and that may have been the case with me...who knows. I am still psyched that I lost 3.5 pounds in the two weeks since I last weighed myself. Like many of you, I had to lose some weight before the surgery and losing even a pound was like pulling teeth, so losing that much weight in two weeks is amazing!! I think I am going to up my cardio to more than once a week (not including all the walking I do for work) and see if that can help in the weight loss. Plus I've heard that a regular workout can improve your mood as well, so I am totally game. I would love to hear from you about any early weight loss stalls or slowing of weight loss. Ciao 4 Now

Hello fellow sleevers! It's your friendly neighborhood VegasBusby checking in. Today marks my second full week back to work since having my surgery. I took 2 weeks off post-surgery and am now wrapping my second week at work. I do not have a physically demanding job, but it is very mentally demanding and I have to admit, I am struggling. First of all, I am in a new position. I was at my job 1 month before my surgery and did not have a ton of time learning the ropes, and then I was gone 2 weeks because of surgery. Now I am back, but I find that while I can physically handle the job, I am having a really hard time focusing back on work. My mind seems to be all consumed by my new life/body/routine post-surgery. While at work I find myself thinking (almost obsessively) about the phase of healing I am in and what I am going to do next phase and so on. I tend to Google, read the news, and Facebook instead of working. This is a huge change for me because usually I am obsessive over my work and even though my boss doesn’t seem to think so, I feel like my performance is slipping and it is driving me crazy. What to do... I know a part of it is because I am so very tired in the mornings, until about 10:30 - 11:00am so focusing is much harder during that time. I am hoping that next week will be better. I am going to make a list of everything I need to accomplish for the day and the week and slowly tick off each item until I get back into the swing of things. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Ciao 4 Now!

I run HR operations for a large gaming company. I use my 2 weeks vacation for time off.

I experienced a lot more emotional issues than I did physical issues. I am very familiar with the roller coaster!!!! I actually developed panic attacks after the surgery and not only need and anti-anxiety but because of the severe ups and downs they had to increase my anti-depressant as well. I am almost 5 weeks out now and things are slowly getting better. When I start to feel regret, depressed, or have "buyer's remorse" I can do a better job of snapping myself out of it. Physically I have little to no pain unless I eat too fast, take too big a bite, or don't chew. It is vital that you get your liquid and protein in each day. I know the first couple of weeks are hard, but as your stomach heals, it will get easier. I have kept a food & drug log since 4 days after my surgery and at first I couldn't get more than 50-55 oz of liquid and 65-75 g protein. Yesterday I was able to get down 96 oz liquid and 100g protein. You need the liquid to help stay hydrated and to help your body process the protein and keep your kidneys healthy. Take it slow and always keep the goal in mind.

I am exactly three weeks out from my surgery and aside from the fact that I have essentially hit my entire life with a Mack Truck I am slowly adjusting to my new life. There is someting that has be bothering me though. Every morning from about 6am until 11am I feel really cruddy. I have zero energy, I have trouble focusing on work, I have a much harder time drinking fluids without getting neasous, and overall I just feel unfocused and yucky. Has any one else experienced this?

Howdy Sin City Sleevers... I open this discussion with a few questions. What was your first month after surgery like? What were your ups and down? What do you know now that you wish you knew back then?

Thank you for asking. I am a bit better. They ended up temporarily increasing my antidepressant to help me cope. It has been working pretty well. I am glad though that the post op stuff is temporary and will resolve. It will be nice to feel normal again (or rather a new normal).

Howdy Sleevers!!!! I haven't chimed in for a couple of days due to the fact that I was trying something new. My company provides probably one of the best weight loss surgery benefits I have ever seen. Granted you have to pay a $5000.00 deductible, but you get that money back over the course of 3 or 4 years provided you meet the doctor's weight loss goals. And to top it off, if I hit 40% of my goal, my company will give me a $5000.00 cosmetic surgery benefit to help address any "skin" issues that could potentially arise. They did have a couple of pre-op goals that I had to meet beyond the traditional 6 month diet and weight loss. They required attending a 12 week course on mindful eating (which they paid for), 1 pre-op psych eval, and attendance at a surgical weight loss support group. Post-op they require 5 meetings with a psychologist at certain intervals and that I attend 6 support groups in the first year. Being a student of Psychology myself, I didn't mind the requirement of the psych visits; it was the support groups that I was dreading. Well...I went to my first 2 support groups this week and my opinion of them has completely turned around. The first group I went to was for people who had the sleeve or bypass and it is run by the surgeon himself, with a stand-in when he is unavailable; which is rare. The room was packed!!! I am glad I got there early. There were people in all phases of their recovery and subsequent weight loss. I got to hear them talk about many of the same issues I had been having or could potentially face in the future. They talked about their successes, roadblocks, stalls, changes, etc. Nothing was taboo and I felt reassured that I was not alone. I know that I have my family and friends who support me 100%, but sometimes it is hard for them to understand just what I am going through and being able to talk to a group of people, face to face that have or are going through the same things as me...well it made me feel really good about my decision. In this group we mostly talked about the physical elements of the surgery and even though I found the group engaging, helpful, and motivating, I wanted more. The second group I went to was held the very next day by a psychologist. It was the emotional support group. Now I know what you might be thinking...a bunch of people crying, hugging, etc. Well it was nothing like that. We sat in a circle and talked about the emotional impacts of the surgery and weight loss on our lives. I talked about the fact that I was unprepared for the emotional roller-coaster I experienced (and am still experiencing though it is much better). Others talked about their partner’s reaction to the change and how some of their relationships had become strained, how they were unsure how to address questions from people about the surgery and dispel myths, and several talked about struggling with the decision to tell people at all. When I talked about my issues, I was reassured to hear that I was not alone and that many in the group had experienced the same emotional impact that I have been dealing with. My overall experience with the two supports groups were so positive that I fully intend to attend both on a monthly basis. One other thing I have done differently that I didn't anticipate I'd do is get a Sleeve Buddy. I met a fabulous lady during the 12 week course who ended up having her surgery the day before me and we hit it off right away. We call ourselves Sleeve Buddies, but it is so much more than that. We motivate each other, talk to each other when we hit a rough patch, we work out together, and much more. The best part is that she lives in the same city so we are close enough to get together whenever we want. Aside from the support groups, the relationship I have developed with her has been so helpful. She has become by sleeve confidant. I guess the moral of the story gang is that the more support we have the better chance we have of succeeding. I strongly encourage you to try out a support group and see if it helps you as much as it does me. Ciao 4 Now!

(Reuters) - One night when Lynn McAfee was 5 years old, her psychologically troubled mother left her at the side of a road as punishment for a now forgotten infraction.In the minutes before her mother's car returned, the terrified girl looked toward the nearby houses on the suburban Philadelphia street and wondered if she should walk over and ask for help."But I didn't," said McAfee, 62, who is now the director of medical advocacy for the Council on Size and Weight Discrimination. "I didn't think anyone would want a fat child."The stigmatization of obesity begins in preschool: Children as young as 3 tell scientists studying the phenomenon that overweight people are mean, stupid, ugly and have few friends. It intensifies in adulthood, when substantial numbers of Americans say obese people are self-indulgent, lazy and unable to control their appetites. And it translates into poorer job prospects for the obese compared with their slim peers.It may be the nation's last, accepted form of prejudice. But the stigmatization of obesity has repercussions beyond the pain it inflicts on its targets: It threatens to impede efforts to fight the obesity epidemic."As long as we have this belief that obese people are lazy and lacking in discipline, it will be hard to get support for policies that change the environment, which are likely to have a much larger impact than trying to change individuals," said psychologist Rebecca Puhl of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.That barrier to action is becoming clearer as the nation grapples with the costs of having two-thirds of adults overweight or obese. This week, an influential health panel proposed changes to an obesity-promoting environment, from farm policies to zoning, trying to shift the debate away from personal blame.A new Reuters/Ipsos online poll of 1,143 adults from May 7 to 10 captures some of the prejudicial attitudes. Asked to identify the main cause of the epidemic, 61 percent chose "personal choices about eating and exercising"; 19 percent chose the actions of food manufacturers and the fast-food industry. The poll is accurate to within 3.6 percentage points. Because of the methods used to collect the data, accuracy is measured using a statistical measure called a credibility interval.Reflecting the belief that the obese have only themselves to blame, 49 percent of respondents favored allowing insurers to charge obese people more for health insurance.Poll respondents also showed broad support for efforts that target the food industry: 56 percent wanted to limit advertising of unhealthy food or taxing sugared soda, 77 percent were in favor of calorie counts at restaurants and sport arenas. But an all-out ban on fast-food restaurants? America loves its Big Macs: Only 21 percent said yes.EFFECTS OF THE STIGMAOne effect of the obesity stigma is that discrimination on the basis of weight is legal. Michigan is the only state that prohibits it, along with a few towns and cities. Everywhere else, it is legal to deny people jobs or refuse to rent them an apartment if they are obese. The fact that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese has not led to bans on such discrimination.That does not surprise McAfee, who weighs about 500 pounds. "Studies show that fat people are even more prejudiced against fat people" than thin people are, she said.Even respected leaders such as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, seen as a potential running mate for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, are not spared the mockery.Christie's girth was the target of fat jokes at the White House Correspondents' dinner last month, though he shrugged them off."When you're overweight, fair or unfair, there's going to be those who make really awful comments about you and there are going to be people who make jokes about it. That's the way it goes," Christie told reporters.The stigma also hurts the efforts of America's 73 million obese adults and 12 million obese children to get back to a healthy weight: Targets of stigma often fall into depression or withdraw socially. Both make overeating, binge eating, and a sedentary existence more likely, studies show.Sophie Lewis and her colleagues at Monash University in Australia interviewed hundreds of obese adults who were the target of such comments as "look at that fat lady!" when out in public. As a result, found Lewis, obese people are less likely to exercise by walking outdoors.Even healthcare professionals hold negative attitudes about the obese, studies show. Physicians often spend less time with an obese patient, for instance, and do not counsel them about a healthy lifestyle, perhaps believing it would fall on deaf ears.Doctors and nurses who telegraph negative attitudes toward the obese can keep them from seeking treatment for diabetes, found a study led by Elizabeth Teixeira of Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions in Philadelphia."Patients are afraid of hearing, 'you're fat,' or 'just lose weight,' as if it were that easy," said Teixeira, a nurse practitioner specializing in diabetes. "I've had patients tell me they delay seeking care, even having their blood pressure or glucose checked, because they don't want to be lectured."A 2010 study by scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that the fatter a patient, the more likely a doctor is to assume he or she is not taking medications as prescribed. That, other studies have shown, can keep physicians from prescribing needed meds, assuming they won't be taken.Taking all that data into account, it may not be surprising how reluctant people are to call themselves obese. In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, 14 percent of respondents said they are obese. Based on their self-reported height and weight, 26 percent are obese according to U.S. guidelines.SHIFTING THE DEBATEThe belief that obesity reflects personal decisions implies that the solution, too, should be personal: Eat less, move more. But as the Institute of Medicine argued this week, the most effective way to combat obesity is to change the environment.For average American adults, willpower is no match for "an environment in which we are constantly bombarded by food and food cues," said David Kessler, former head of the Food and Drug Administration and author of the 2009 book, "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite." "Lecturing people doesn't work."The IOM recommended building sidewalks to make it easier for people to walk, banning sugary drinks from schools and requiring 60 minutes of daily exercise in grades K-12, reducing portion sizes in schools and restaurants, and making low-cal choices widely available and as affordable as super-sized ice cream cones. Most important, it concluded, was changing the "messaging," including the ubiquitous marketing of calorie-dense food.Fat stigma makes those ideas ripe for attack by an industry that says how much to eat and move reflects individual choice. The restaurant- and food-industry-funded Center for Consumer Freedom called the IOM "arrogant and absurd" for suggesting "that Americans are too stupid to make their own food choices." By proposing to keep unhealthy, calorie-dense food out of school lunch programs, it said, "food nannies" like the IOM are "flatly arguing against consumers having any choice in their snacks and meals."In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, respondents were almost evenly split over "government intervention" to reduce obesity, with 52 percent supporting it and 48 percent opposing it. There was greater support for specific steps, with 87 percent in favor of requiring 30 minutes per day of exercise in school.ROOTS OF THE STIGMAPsychologist Chris Crandall of the University of Kansas has found that young adults who stigmatize obesity tend to be more ideologically conservative, favoring traditional sex roles and capital punishment, his studies found."Particularly in America, self-determination and individual choice is a fundamental value," he said. "We blame people for everything that happens to them - being poor, being obese. It's the ‘just world' idea that people get what they deserve."The stigma is less pronounced in countries such as India, Mexico and Turkey, whose cultures assign more collective responsibility for personal outcomes, Crandall found. His studies, going back to the 1990s, surveyed hundreds of people worldwide about how closely they associate obesity with adjectives such as lazy and stupid.Americans also stand out in their conviction that hard work and determination lead to success, while failure is due to lack of effort."Being thin has come to symbolize such important values as being disciplined and in control," said Yale's Puhl. The converse: If someone is not thin, he must be lacking in those virtues.Indeed, some Americans value thinness more than life itself. In a 2007 study, 24 percent of women and 17 percent of men said they would trade three or more years of life to be svelte.Yet despite the rising personal stakes, a growing body of research shows just how hard it is for the average person to keep the pounds off.Just before speaking to Reuters, McAfee had exercised for an hour in her Florida pool and had a salad for lunch."I work out, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and I'm still not thin," she said. "So please stop beating the crap out of me: It's completely counterproductive."(Additional reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Prudence Crowther)

The widespread use of support groups has provided weight loss surgery patients an excellent opportunity to discuss their various personal and professional issues. Most learn, for example, that weight loss surgery will not immediately resolve existing emotional issues or heal the years of damage that morbid obesity might have inflicted on their emotional well-being. Las Vegas has many support groups in place to assist you with short-term and long-term questions and needs, including the most effective exercise and diets after bariatric surgery. Most bariatric surgeons who frequently perform weight loss surgery will tell you that ongoing post-surgical support helps produce the greatest level of success for their patients in their life after bariatric surgery. I had my surgery in Las Vegas through Surgical Weight Control Centers with Dr. James Atkinson. They offer several wonderful support groups and healthy eating classes for their patients or those who are thinking about becoming patients and want to hear what it is like from people who’ve had the surgery. Along with this online support group, I have listed some of the groups the Surgical Weight Control Center offers below. Reply to this thread if you know of other local support groups. Together We Can Achieve More! Surgical Weight Control Support Groups Each month we offer different office support groups located at the Surgical Weight Control Center. Join us as we discuss, share and support each other. Bypass and Sleeve Support Group: Led by Dr. Atkinson on the 1st Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm-7:30pm in the Seminar Room Spanish Speaking Support Group: Led by Luz on the 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00pm-7:30pm in the lobby Nutrition Support Group: Led by Karen, RN, Dietitian on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 12:30pm-2:00pm in the Seminar Room General Weight Loss Support Group: Led by Karen, RN, Dietitian on the 3rd Friday of the month from 3:30pm-5:00pm in the Seminar Room Emotional Support Group: Led by Carrie Sheets, Psychologist on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 5:30pm-6:30pm in the Seminar Room