My Bariatric Life

Those just beginning to explore weight loss surgery are wondering if we really can manifest our heart’s desire of a thinner healthier body. While the vets, who having manifested those thinner healthier bodies, have newfound desires in other areas of our lives. What is it that your heart truly desires, that something so irresistible that it consumes your dreams at night and invades your waking thoughts, what is it that you must have? Those of us on this forum are all at different points along our “path to self.” Those just beginning to explore weight loss surgery are wondering if we really can manifest our heart’s desire of a thinner healthier body. While the vets, who having manifested those thinner healthier bodies, have newfound desires in other areas of our lives… perhaps we now might bear the children we’ve always wanted… or unite with the love of our lives… or get out of a loveless relationship. We wonder if we, again, can manifest our dreams. Yes, we absolutely can. We can manifest anything we truly desire for ourselves and our lives. The opportunity lies before you. The choice is yours and yours alone: Will you step up and go for your bliss, will you dare to create heaven on earth and live a life so wonderful that others will aspire to do as you have done? Or will you take the fallback position and merely settle for what you have already, rationalizing it is good enough, or worse, lying to yourself that your dreams are foolishness? We who have defeated our obesity and its related diseases did not get here by merely settling. No. We were the brave, the risk takers, the believers. And we were rewarded for that: We actualized the thinner healthier bodies that we once only dreamed of having. If you fall back into familiar patterns of behavior and, like most people, simply “settle” rather than going for your bliss, then you are going to be miserable and miss out on living a life you love. If you keep on your rose-colored glasses and think everything is going to be okay then you’re going to find out the hard way that its not. Its your life and you are only going to live it once, not twice or more. You deserve to live a life you love. Consider the attractive middle-age woman who recently asked me if she’d ever find true love. I replied that I believe she’d already found the man she loves but is afraid of communicating her feelings to him. Indeed she admitted that she had all these feelings for this man, like she’d never had for anyone before, but had so many reservations. There were complications — both were in loveless marriages, among other things. Of course there were complications, because nothing worth having is ever easy peasy to obtain. If it were then everyone would be living their dreams! I said my piece and noticed that look of “ah ha” on her face when I concluded with, “You never want to go to your grave with regret thinking what if… What would my life had been like if I’d just told him that I loved him?” We are sometimes so afraid to risk going for our dreams that we never even try. How dumb is that? Don’t ever make bad choices based on fearful thoughts. Now consider a pretty young woman that I know who had been trying for years to have a baby. It was what she wanted most for her life. But she was met with tragic heartbreak after heartbreak time and again. And when she was about to declare she’d given up, she and her husband tried again. This time they had a baby boy. Yes. Dreams really do come true. Many years earlier in high school, she had secretly loved her husband back then when he was just a boy. She was in a dating relationship with someone else at the time and she and the boy whom she really desired were merely friends. But she would doodle her name with his surname on paper, dreaming of one day being “Mrs.” married to him. They went away to different universities that were states apart and most would have thought that was the end to a dream unrealized. But fate brought them back together when this boy, now a man, did a semester as an exchange student at a university near the school she was attending. And what happened was that this young woman manifested her heart’s desire. She created heaven on earth with this man whom she had secretly loved for years, all because she “went for it.” After graduation they got engaged, then married. They now live a life so wonderful that most people would envy: owning homes on the east coast and west coast, living abroad all over the world, and traveling extensively with their two beautiful children. She truly lives a life she loves. We have to be willing to go for it, what it is that we desire, then orchestrate our minds to focus on manifesting our bliss. Think about it, dream big: If you could write the story of your life what would it look like? Visualize yourself healthy, happy, beautiful inside and out, fully giving and receiving love, being your authentic self, living your truth and doing the things you want to do; your life is blissful and you are living heaven on earth. Now bring your story to life. Understand this: The only thing holding you back is you. Manifesting that which we truly want for ourselves and our lives involves mastering the mind and finding the truth within our hearts. Fear and ego cannot exist there, nor can anger, shame, or inaction. Let go of the old and rebirth into the new. You have within you the power for magical transformation in your life. Today, right here, right now, identify one small change that you’ve been postponing that would bring you closer to attaining that which you desire. This could be any action from clearing your home of unhealthy foods to sending a nice card to the person you secretly love inviting her/him to coffee. Small changes will propel you along your journey and ignite powerful ones. Your goal is not to settle. Rather you are to be brave, take risk, and believe until you manifest what it is that your heart truly desires, that something so irresistible that it consumes your dreams at night and invades your waking thoughts, that which you must have. Your life really can be heaven on earth. In the comments section below, please identify your desire, your fear related to attaining it, and commit to a change(s) you’re willing to make to bring your desire to life. Please also inspire us with your stories and advice for how you’ve manifested your dreams. As for me, I’ve conquered my obesity and transformed the physical. Now I’m on the path to transforming mind and spirit and the journey is just as amazing as the journey to transform my body. Change is not easy but one thing I know for sure is that the outcome of actualizing your dream is worth it; this I promise you. I invite you to read my story.

@@bayougirlmrsc I'll bet that your insurance will cover a breast reduction. @@CowgirlJane filler makes an incredible difference in my face :-)

@@JamieLogical well if you have a lot of visceral fat like me it can change your appearance and your health. There is not any excess fat on my abdomen and yet I still have a high fat to lean tissue ratio, as well my waist is thick. That is because I have intra abdominal fat. As far as I know it cannot be removed through liposuction.

Before WLS and plastic surgery, and after...

@@gowalking I waited 10yrs after WLS to have my plastics because I was afraid. Ah, going through the surgery was really rough emotionally BUT not only is the body I got out of it so worth it, but also it has made me a far stronger and better person emotionally and spiritually. So it allowed me the opportunity to transform mind-body-spirit, and I am! To anyone who is on the fence like I was, I say go for your dreams! Check out this article that I wrote on BariatricPal about No Fear, No Regrets: http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/articles.html/_/support/no-fear-no-regrets-r481

@@CowgirlJane this is the first time I've really seen a good pic of your face. Wow, you look very young!!! Such a nice transformation inside and out!!! Love you cute flat tummy!

@@JamieLogical do you know if Cardenas lipos the fat that is inside the body cavity, the intra abdominal fat, or just the sub q fat? I ask because many of these surgeons outside the US are very aggressive with lipo and are allowed to remove more than what surgeons are in the US (I am not saying that is a good thing). Its just that some of the numbers of liters of fat that I am seeing be removed from people who don't appear to have that much excess fat makes me wonder if the are going intra abdominal. I've always been curious about that. I know a patient who went to Columbia and had 5 liters of fat removed from his abdo when in the US the surgeons told him that he would get only minimal improvement with a tummy tuck/LBL because he was not that bad. I kept wondering where in the world they got 5 liters of fat out of him. Thanks!

@@bayougirlmrsc you have made a wonderful transformation my love! do I understand correctly that all you had was a tummy tuck? if so, wow, you were blessed with a great figure. your thighs and breasts look awesome!!!

A few days ago I was told by my naturopathic doctor that my body is digesting my lean tissue and I needed to add more Protein to my diet. This was shown in a chemical analysis that I had done on my hair. I am using a supplemental collagen in lieu of whey protein that he recommended as I am very excited about the nutritional profile of the collagen. It is 90% protein and has a lot of amino acids One TBS has 6g protein, 0 carbs, 25 calories, and it is easily absorbed by the body. It also seems to be manufactured under very strict conditions. ​To me it looks like a fabulous product for bariatric patients, especially when recovering from surgery owing to the amino acids and the easy assimilation of the protein. But I am not a clinician so do check with your nutritionist. Again, I hope this is helpful! Here is the manufacturer's description Hydrolyzed collagen helps regulate the body's metabolism by providing pure protein of low molecular weight that is quickly absorbed in the digestive track. The rapid absorption and distinctive amino acid groups in this formula will positively impact a large number of metabolic pathways. The body's natural ability to repair supporting connective tissue (bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, hair, and nails) diminishes after the age of 25. Collagen provides the source in supplying additional amounts of amino acids like glycine, lysine, and proline, which are specifically needed by the body to build connective tissue structure and to regulate the functions of the cells. Hydrolyzed collagen is the same collagen found naturally in bones, skin, and cartilage. it is a bioactive product containing 90% protein easily assimilated by the human body. It promotes rapid Cell growth producing synovial fluids to first lubricate joints, then build tissue. Recommended dosage: Take one rounded tablespoon (10-12 g) in the morning, and the same amount before going to bed in the late evening which will help reduce appetite. This product has a low molecular weight so it will dissolve in cold, warm, or hot liquids. Collagen, the precursor of Gelatin is used today in many pharmaceutical or biotech products to better improve mankind's health condition. The best deal that I found on Amazon included a jar of the hydrolyzed and a jar of the regular collagen (the difference being that the hydrolyzed will dissolve in cold liquids whereas the regular will need to dissolve in room temp or hot liquid). Plus the deal includes a shaker bottle and free shipping. Cost is $39. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Collagen-Hydrolysate-Unflavored/dp/B00UNPJEUY/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=bornappe-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=C7AQEWZODLBHV5FS&creativeASIN=B00UNPJEUY

@@1Day1Life You are very welcome! I've recently discovered a supplemental form of collagen. It has 6g of Protein and is 90% protein, no carbs, is easy to digest/absorb, low in calories (25 cal per TBS), and contains lots of amino acids. IMO it is better than any Protein Powder on the market. It has an added benefit of repairing connective tissue (and what obese person doesn't need help with that). I am 12-yrs out from gastric bypass and was recently told by a naturopathic doctor that my body is digesting my lean tissue and I needed to add more protein to my diet. This was shown in a chemical analysis that I had done of my hair. Add to that my knees have been bothering me when I run, so I am using the collagen in lieu of whey protein that he recommended by Standard Process. Again, I am not a clinician so do what feels right to you! Here is the manufacturer's description from Amazon ( Hydrolyzed collagen helps regulate the body's metabolism by providing pure protein of low molecular weight that is quickly absorbed in the digestive track. The rapid absorption and distinctive amino acid groups in this formula will positively impact a large number of metabolic pathways. The body's natural ability to repair supporting connective tissue (bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, hair, and nails) diminishes after the age of 25. Collagen provides the source in supplying additional amounts of amino acids like glycine, lysine, and proline, which are specifically needed by the body to build connective tissue structure and to regulate the functions of the cells. Hydrolyzed collagen is the same collagen found naturally in bones, skin, and cartilage. it is a bioactive product containing 90% protein easily assimilated by the human body. It promotes rapid Cell growth producing synovial fluids to first lubricate joints, then build tissue. Recommended dosage: Take one rounded tablespoon (10-12 g) in the morning, and the same amount before going to bed in the late evening which will help reduce appetite. This product has a low molecular weight so it will dissolve in cold, warm, or hot liquids. Collagen, the precursor of Gelatin is used today in many pharmaceutical or biotech products to better improve mankind's health condition. The best deal that I found on Amazon included a jar of the hydrolyzed and a jar of the regular collagen (the difference being that the hydrolyzed will dissolve in cold liquids whereas the regular will dissolve in room temp or hot liquid). Plus the deal includes a shaker bottle and free shipping. Cost is $39. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Collagen-Hydrolysate-Unflavored/dp/B00UNPJEUY/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=bornappe-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=C7AQEWZODLBHV5FS&creativeASIN=B00UNPJEUY

To repair and rebuild your body, post-surgery recovery requires amino acids, which are the building blocks of lean tissue. Amino acids are found in Protein and dairy or can be taken as supplements such as glutamine powder. I am not a nutritionist so for best results check with your healthcare professional. Here's my Recovery smoothie Recipe which I developed for my plastic surgery post op recovery, before I went Paleo It is probably best to eliminate the honey if you use this post bariatric surgery so as to avoid possible dumping syndrome. Good luck in your weight loss journey! I hope my recipe helps someone! http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/163803/recovery-smoothie-recipe I've got a collection of healthy recipes from around the web if you'd like to check out my Borne Appetit boards on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mybariatriclife/

@@JamieLogical it looks like the plastics "stuck" after the gain and loss. It doesn't look that you need any body contouring. Would you say that is right? I applaud you for not giving up! I think many people would have done that. Congrats on your weight loss and perseverance! You are an inspiration!

@@NewSetOfCurves what happens when you click the link?

Feel free to watch my video. It has photos of me before WLS, before plastic surgery, and afterwards. Good luck on your journey! https://vimeo.com/108545064

Two things, I absolutely agree we need a plastic surgeon with a sub specialty in Bariatric or massive weight loss. I have complete respect for a plastic surgeon who will come out and say I cannot do that procedure. Some will say yes because they either overestimate their abilities or want the money. And another thing, I am so excited for you for your thigh lift! I like Dr. Fisher except I do not like the cut beneath the buttocks that he does with the thigh lift... That is nothing against you or him... Just not right for me... Anyway I know you have yourself just about head to toe and it will be great to see your final transformation. You have done so well for yourself!!!

This is very good info, Alex. Thank you. I wanted to add a few things that people may want to consider. I am 12-yrs out from gastric bypass and I believe can speak to some of the long term effects on nutrition of the altered anatomy. Several years ago, I cannot recall when, I developed celiac disease and then lactose intolerance, both with causal links to gastric bypass. I also suffered Iron deficiency anemia about two years after I stopped taking iron supplements under the advice of a bariatric surgeon (not my surgeon). It took a very long time for me to begin feeling normal and an even longer time for my blood work to normalize. More recently I was having very disruptive digestive issues which went on for 4-months or so and are yet to be diagnosed -- although I have received lots of theories -- but there is no doubt in my mind they are related to my gastric bypass. There were times that the pain was so bad that I nearly went to the ER or felt as though I would pass out. I should add that all of my nutritional labs were good, I even tested trace minerals, because I take a boatload of supplements. What seemed to help were the following: Two different digestive enzymes and an herbal hepacleanse from a naturopathic doctor as well as energy work/massage to release blockages. I also added Probiotics, zyflamend, powdered magnesium citrate that gets added to Water, psyllium husk that gets added to water, and super aloe in capsules. And I upped my consumption of mineral water (versus spring water). And lest I not forget that I added prayer and meditation -- the mind body spirit connection is real. Finally the inflammation, bloating, upper abdominal PAIN, constipation, abdominal distention, lower bowel PAIN seem to be resolved. I hopes this helps someone!

I've interviewed a number of people over the years whom have been successful with the various weight loss surgeries. It seems that each surgery has at times either failed the patient or has been successful, with no one surgery seeming to be THE BEST solution overall. One of my very favorite gastric sleeve success stories is Jen. Jen transformed herself inside and out, then found true love... for herself and then for Mr. Right http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/173276/finding-obesity-patient?ap=831 I hope that she inspires you to lifelong success! Good luck to you wherever you are in your journey!

What is it that your heart truly desires, that something so irresistible that it consumes your dreams at night and invades your waking thoughts, what is it that you must have? Those of us on this forum are all at different points along our “path to self.” Those just beginning to explore weight loss surgery are wondering if we really can manifest our heart’s desire of a thinner healthier body. While the vets, who having manifested those thinner healthier bodies, have newfound desires in other areas of our lives… perhaps we now might bear the children we’ve always wanted… or unite with the love of our lives… or get out of a loveless relationship. We wonder if we, again, can manifest our dreams. Yes, we absolutely can. We can manifest anything we truly desire for ourselves and our lives. The opportunity lies before you. The choice is yours and yours alone: Will you step up and go for your bliss, will you dare to create heaven on earth and live a life so wonderful that others will aspire to do as you have done? Or will you take the fallback position and merely settle for what you have already, rationalizing it is good enough, or worse, lying to yourself that your dreams are foolishness? We who have defeated our obesity and its related diseases did not get here by merely settling. No. We were the brave, the risk takers, the believers. And we were rewarded for that: We actualized the thinner healthier bodies that we once only dreamed of having. If you fall back into familiar patterns of behavior and, like most people, simply “settle” rather than going for your bliss, then you are going to be miserable and miss out on living a life you love. If you keep on your rose-colored glasses and think everything is going to be okay then you’re going to find out the hard way that its not. Its your life and you are only going to live it once, not twice or more. You deserve to live a life you love. Consider the attractive middle-age woman who recently asked me if she’d ever find true love. I replied that I believe she’d already found the man she loves but is afraid of communicating her feelings to him. Indeed she admitted that she had all these feelings for this man, like she’d never had for anyone before, but had so many reservations. There were complications — both were in loveless marriages, among other things. Of course there were complications, because nothing worth having is ever easy peasy to obtain. If it were then everyone would be living their dreams! I said my piece and noticed that look of “ah ha” on her face when I concluded with, “You never want to go to your grave with regret thinking what if… What would my life had been like if I’d just told him that I loved him?” We are sometimes so afraid to risk going for our dreams that we never even try. How dumb is that? Don’t ever make bad choices based on fearful thoughts. Now consider a pretty young woman that I know who had been trying for years to have a baby. It was what she wanted most for her life. But she was met with tragic heartbreak after heartbreak time and again. And when she was about to declare she’d given up, she and her husband tried again. This time they had a baby boy. Yes. Dreams really do come true. Many years earlier in high school, she had secretly loved her husband back then when he was just a boy. She was in a dating relationship with someone else at the time and she and the boy whom she really desired were merely friends. But she would doodle her name with his surname on paper, dreaming of one day being “Mrs.” married to him. They went away to different universities that were states apart and most would have thought that was the end to a dream unrealized. But fate brought them back together when this boy, now a man, did a semester as an exchange student at a university near the school she was attending. And what happened was that this young woman manifested her heart’s desire. She created heaven on earth with this man whom she had secretly loved for years, all because she “went for it.” After graduation they got engaged, then married. They now live a life so wonderful that most people would envy: owning homes on the east coast and west coast, living abroad all over the world, and traveling extensively with their two beautiful children. She truly lives a life she loves. We have to be willing to go for it, what it is that we desire, then orchestrate our minds to focus on manifesting our bliss. Think about it, dream big: If you could write the story of your life what would it look like? Visualize yourself healthy, happy, beautiful inside and out, fully giving and receiving love, being your authentic self, living your truth and doing the things you want to do; your life is blissful and you are living heaven on earth. Now bring your story to life. Understand this: The only thing holding you back is you. Manifesting that which we truly want for ourselves and our lives involves mastering the mind and finding the truth within our hearts. Fear and ego cannot exist there, nor can anger, shame, or inaction. Let go of the old and rebirth into the new. You have within you the power for magical transformation in your life. Today, right here, right now, identify one small change that you’ve been postponing that would bring you closer to attaining that which you desire. This could be any action from clearing your home of unhealthy foods to sending a nice card to the person you secretly love inviting her/him to coffee. Small changes will propel you along your journey and ignite powerful ones. Your goal is not to settle. Rather you are to be brave, take risk, and believe until you manifest what it is that your heart truly desires, that something so irresistible that it consumes your dreams at night and invades your waking thoughts, that which you must have. Your life really can be heaven on earth. In the comments section below, please identify your desire, your fear related to attaining it, and commit to a change(s) you’re willing to make to bring your desire to life. Please also inspire us with your stories and advice for how you’ve manifested your dreams. As for me, I’ve conquered my obesity and transformed the physical. Now I’m on the path to transforming mind and spirit and the journey is just as amazing as the journey to transform my body. Change is not easy but one thing I know for sure is that the outcome of actualizing your dream is worth it; this I promise you. I invite you to read my story.

@@AZDee woman, I love you, 61 no way, you give me hope for myself! I had young parents. Mom 18 and Dad 20 when I was born. But they aged prematurely and so I've always had this idea that 60 is so old. Being 51 myself it scares me that their path is my future. I love when I meet people like you who are vital and beautiful and young. Hugs!

@@allielee I totally agree! I drive a 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander, and I cannot think of any car that I'd have rather spent my $40k on than to have spent it on my plastic surgeries! I feel reborn!

@@Cupcake great! who is your surgeon and what is your date?

@@Cupcake see if your insurance will cover a breast REDUCTION. if your surgeon will write it up as such, it is the same procedure as a lift. its just that a reduction is for larger breasts, hence more tissue is removed, and is covered by most insurance whereas the lift is not. if they cover the TT then i will bet they'd cover the breast reduction i had tummy tuck http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/160586/bariatric-abdominoplasty-ch?ap=831 then total body contouring (body lift, thigh lift, arm lift, breast lift) http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/164000/total-body-lift?ap=831 then facial plastic surgery http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/169993/bariatric-facelift-massive $40k out of pocket, self pay Here's some really good advice on selecting a plastic surgeon for body contouring after weight loss http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/162591/interview-capella-plastic-1?ap=831 I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck to you!!!

@@CanyonBaby thank you for taking the time to share such a well thought out and impassioned reply. You have given us something to reflect upon. Thank you.

@@CanyonBaby I am not Christian but I deeply believe in the concepts of what you've written although I practice them a little differently (prayer and meditation). Please tell me how exactly is it that you sustained belief/trust 100% over the long haul and kept your thoughts 100% positive (free of doubt)? What is your advice to believers stuck in a rut of doubt and whom want to find their way back to 100% trust and 100% positive thoughts? Thanks and so very happy for you!

On another thread a few of us are discussing the anxiety we felt going into plastic surgery. Some mentioned about the nudity, the markups, etc that not only were they anxiety-provoking for someone so uncomfortable with their naked body, but also at times highly embarrassing. So I thought I'd start this thread for us to laugh at ourselves and each other with the silly thoughts that ran through our minds during these times. I'll share a few of my embarrassing moments but I want to preface them by stating how very freeing these moments were in the long run. I am now VERY comfortable with my naked body. I've even gone topless a few times on a nude beach. So, onto those very worthwhile embarrassing moments that got me to where I am today... First off, I never realized how nude I would be and how often going into this. So if you have not gone through plastics, be prepared for that. So, first of course was the examination for my tummy tuck, and although Dr Capella was very gentle and professional, I was so ashamed to open my robe. Worse was having my fat touched, ick. And then him taking my nude photos, it must have been so traumatic that I have blocked it from memory because I don't remember it whatsoever. I know it happened because I have the hideous photos as mementos. But the absolute most embarrassing experience was when I walked into the OR and was greeted by Scott, Dr. Capella's PA. I had not at that point even known that Dr. Capella had a PA. So I was surprised to walk into the OR and be greeted by a male who quickly walked up to me and said something along the lines that he was going to have me take off my robe and stand on this little towel and paint my body with Betadine. My first thought was OMG he is gong to see my erect nipples (because I was cold). My second thought was OH MY GOD HE IS GOING TO SEE MONSTER CROTCH. As Scott was painting the front of my body, Dr. Capella came around and painted the back of my body. It seemed to take a long time, I was so nervous. Dr. Capella swabbed the crack of my butt. I asked Scott if he needed to get in "here" and what I meant by that was between my ft thighs that were blobbed together. But he thought I meant somewhere else and he giggled and said "no. we leave you some dignity." And I recall thinking OMG you are going to swab me "in there" when I am unconscious?!?! They were professional, of course, but I was tense nonetheless. I tried to break my tension by making a joke. They are both very good looking and so as they are painting my nude body I say, "Some women would pay good money for this." Good grief, did I ever put my foot in my mouth. That just made me feel even more embarrassed. After that I became much more comfortable with them, and it certainly was helped by having that big gross panni removed and monster crotch tightened. Hilarious when I think back to how I used to feel so ashamed of my body and how I feel today. I haven't thought about this in a long long time but the other post brought my memory to light.