My Bariatric Life

There are many options when it comes to paying for bariatric surgery. Let's explore them. Click on each hyperlink to learn more on the topic.
Having health insurance does not mean that weight-loss surgery is covered in your policy. About one quarter of people seeking weight-loss surgery will be denied three times before they receive weight-loss surgery insurance approval.
If you have insurance coverage for bariatric surgery and are denied, you have the right to contest the decision and write a bariatric surgery insurance appeal letter.
Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, this leaves people faced with the decision to self-pay for bariatric surgery or to forgo what could very well be a life-saving procedure given the devastating effects of obesity and obesity-related diseases on health.
An option is to take out a medical loan for weight-loss surgery.
However, bariatric surgery is expensive if health insurance will not cover the surgery. And many people seek bariatric surgery outside the U.S. and engage in the process of weight loss surgery medical tourism.
Thousands of individuals head to Mexico for Bariatric Surgery to realize excellent quality care, fast wait times, and attractive prices.
With the question of safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico being being top of mind, I turned to Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MX for further exploration. Alex Brecher opened the BariatricPal Hospital MX in 2017 after having run a Mexico medical tourism business for 10 years.
As far as free bariatric surgery in the US, while it will no doubt be a challenge, free weight-loss surgery is within the realm of possibility. Free or reduced cost WLS grants and charity care are available.
There also are bariatric surgery clinical trials for surgical weight-loss candidates. Use our Match to Clinical Trials in 60-seconds widget on the bottom right column of MyBariatricLife.org to locate a trial near you.

There are many options when it comes to paying for bariatric surgery. Let's explore them. Click on each hyperlink to learn more on the topic.
Having health insurance does not mean that weight-loss surgery is covered in your policy. About one quarter of people seeking weight-loss surgery will be denied three times before they receive weight-loss surgery insurance approval.
If you have insurance coverage for bariatric surgery and are denied, you have the right to contest the decision and write a bariatric surgery insurance appeal letter.
Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, this leaves people faced with the decision to self-pay for bariatric surgery or to forgo what could very well be a life-saving procedure given the devastating effects of obesity and obesity-related diseases on health.
An option is to take out a medical loan for weight-loss surgery.
However, bariatric surgery is expensive if health insurance will not cover the surgery. And many people seek bariatric surgery outside the U.S. and engage in the process of weight loss surgery medical tourism.
Thousands of individuals head to Mexico for Bariatric Surgery to realize excellent quality care, fast wait times, and attractive prices.
With the question of safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico being being top of mind, I turned to Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MX for further exploration. Alex Brecher opened the BariatricPal Hospital MX in 2017 after having run a Mexico medical tourism business for 10 years.
As far as free bariatric surgery in the US, while it will no doubt be a challenge, free weight-loss surgery is within the realm of possibility. Free or reduced cost WLS grants and charity care are available.
There also are bariatric surgery clinical trials for surgical weight-loss candidates. Use our Match to Clinical Trials in 60-seconds widget on the bottom right column of MyBariatricLife.org to locate a trial near you.

There are many options when it comes to paying for bariatric surgery. Let's explore them. Click on each hyperlink to learn more on the topic.
Having health insurance does not mean that weight-loss surgery is covered in your policy. About one quarter of people seeking weight-loss surgery will be denied three times before they receive weight-loss surgery insurance approval.
If you have insurance coverage for bariatric surgery and are denied, you have the right to contest the decision and write a bariatric surgery insurance appeal letter.
Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, this leaves people faced with the decision to self-pay for bariatric surgery or to forgo what could very well be a life-saving procedure given the devastating effects of obesity and obesity-related diseases on health.
An option is to take out a medical loan for weight-loss surgery.
However, bariatric surgery is expensive if health insurance will not cover the surgery. And many people seek bariatric surgery outside the U.S. and engage in the process of weight loss surgery medical tourism.
Thousands of individuals head to Mexico for Bariatric Surgery to realize excellent quality care, fast wait times, and attractive prices.
With the question of safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico being being top of mind, I turned to Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MX for further exploration. Alex Brecher opened the BariatricPal Hospital MX in 2017 after having run a Mexico medical tourism business for 10 years.
As far as free bariatric surgery in the US, while it will no doubt be a challenge, free weight-loss surgery is within the realm of possibility. Free or reduced cost WLS grants and charity care are available.
There also are bariatric surgery clinical trials for surgical weight-loss candidates. Use our Match to Clinical Trials in 60-seconds widget on the bottom right column of MyBariatricLife.org to locate a trial near you.

My heart breaks for morbidly obese people whose health plans do not cover bariatric surgery. With health plans that exclude weight loss surgery, if they deem it a medical necessity then you may be able to successfully fight for surgery coverage. I don't know what the success rate is for people who attempt this but it is surely worth trying.
Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, this leaves people faced with the decision to self-pay for bariatric surgery or to forgo what could very well be a life-saving procedure given the devastating effects of obesity and obesity-related diseases on health. Accordingly, more people are opting to self-pay and turning to Mexico for bariatric surgery at facilities like the BariatricPal Hospital MX in Tijuana. That is because the cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico can be significantly reduced from the costs for surgery in the USA and Canada.
For others, the preconceived notion of Mexico being an undeveloped country filled with sub-par "everything" and drug cartels has banished any thoughts of traveling there for bariatric surgery. But I can tell you from personal experience that Mexico is not like that.
I drove through Mexico last year from the US border to the Belize border, throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and most of the eastern states. I spent about 5-weeks living there. And I even received healthcare from a gastroenterologist at StarMedica in Merida. It was a very good experience... a wonderful experience. And both the healthcare and the facility were on-par with -- if not better than -- that which I have experienced in the USA.
Mexico is largely like the USA with cities and infrastructure and shopping malls and hospitals. Of course there are isolated rural areas, but I did not encounter problems with safety even there. What I did encounter was a very warm and friendly culture that I would one day like to revisit.
With the question of safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico being being top of mind, I turned to Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MX for further exploration. Alex Brecher opened the BariatricPal Hospital MX in 2017 after having run a Mexico medical tourism business for 10 years.
I am sure that my interview with Alex Brecher of the BariatricPal Hospital MX will further set your mind at ease. Our entire discussion is about safe surgery.

My heart breaks for morbidly obese people whose health plans do not cover bariatric surgery. With health plans that exclude weight loss surgery, if they deem it a medical necessity then you may be able to successfully fight for surgery coverage. I don't know what the success rate is for people who attempt this but it is surely worth trying.
Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, this leaves people faced with the decision to self-pay for bariatric surgery or to forgo what could very well be a life-saving procedure given the devastating effects of obesity and obesity-related diseases on health. Accordingly, more people are opting to self-pay and turning to Mexico for bariatric surgery at facilities like the BariatricPal Hospital MX in Tijuana. That is because the cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico can be significantly reduced from the costs for surgery in the USA and Canada.
For others, the preconceived notion of Mexico being an undeveloped country filled with sub-par "everything" and drug cartels has banished any thoughts of traveling there for bariatric surgery. But I can tell you from personal experience that Mexico is not like that.
I drove through Mexico last year from the US border to the Belize border, throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and most of the eastern states. I spent about 5-weeks living there. And I even received healthcare from a gastroenterologist at StarMedica in Merida. It was a very good experience... a wonderful experience. And both the healthcare and the facility were on-par with -- if not better than -- that which I have experienced in the USA.
Mexico is largely like the USA with cities and infrastructure and shopping malls and hospitals. Of course there are isolated rural areas, but I did not encounter problems with safety even there. What I did encounter was a very warm and friendly culture that I would one day like to revisit.
With the question of safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico being being top of mind, I turned to Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MX for further exploration. Alex Brecher opened the BariatricPal Hospital MX in 2017 after having run a Mexico medical tourism business for 10 years.
I am sure that my interview with Alex Brecher of the BariatricPal Hospital MX will further set your mind at ease. Our entire discussion is about safe surgery.

It is a dream for most people to have full, thick hair especially when they notice that thinning hair and/or hair loss is visible. Most bariatric surgeons will tell you the hair loss is only temporary -- but most patients will become quite alarmed to see the many strands of hair at the bottom of their bathtubs day after day.
Causes of Hair Loss and Hair Thinning
Following weight loss surgery, our bodies must adjust to a lesser amount of calories. Only those organs that require nutrients the most will receive them. Hair is not among those organs.
Hair strands also retreat into a state of temporary suspension after weight-loss surgery and do not produce new strands. The condition is temporary, and you don’t need to be concerned about losing all your hair.
Likewise, thinning hair is caused by deficiencies in our nutrition; for instance, low iron levels in the body causes hair loss.
Treatment for Fuller Thicker Hair
The causes of hair thinning and hair loss can be treated using natural elements like supplements and essential oils. Additionally, remedies for thinning hair or loss include reducing stress, having balanced hormones, eating a great diet and so much more.
Read these articles to learn how to slow or stop hair loss with natural treatments:
Stop Hair Loss After Weight Loss
In the first 6-months it's common for patients to experience hair loss after weight loss surgery. You can take the following steps to slow or stop hair loss...
10 Home Remedies for Thinning Hair
Here are 10 natural remedies for thinning hair that include: reducing stress, having balanced hormones, eating a great diet, using supplements and much more...

A few years back, I was 1 of 6 people featured in a photo shoot of real people who have defeated their diabetes. And what an incredible day it was! I got to choose the location of my shoot -- the beach -- and was driven there by limousine. The photographer took shots of me doing planks, sprints, and meditation on the beach, as well as hanging out on the boardwalk. That experience was the closest I've come to being a model (a teenage dream of mine).
Across the decades I have been every size, from a junior size 7 to a women’s size 24. Getting a diagnosis of diabetes was a critical turning point in my life. It was a wake-up call that I answered, the impetus for me to have my gastric bypass surgery. Had I not gotten diabetes, then I likely would not have had the surgery and turned my health and my life around. My diabetes earned me a 3-night staycation in the hospital. I went home with 5 prescriptions for diabetes and hypertension. Within a year I had bariatric surgery and I credit it with saving my life.
But getting the surgery isn't a guarantee of success. It is vital, too, that we become skilled in Using Your Gastric Pouch for Weight Loss. Over the years I must have slipped back into old dysfunctional patterns of relating to food because I began to gain weight at 5-years post-op. And I ended up having a revision surgery.
Fast forward to 2013 after my plastic surgery, I became set upon living life larger than ever -- doing all the things that I wanted to do. One might say I am making up for lost time. I came to love planks and squats and HIIT and lifting weights and sprints with my dog Blue and BodyCombat class. I ran with my granddaughter in her first 3k, and we hiked for hours in the mountains of northern California. I learned to row, meditate, belly dance, and tai chi. I completed a strenuous all-day ropes course and overcame my fear of heights. I traveled the USA in an RV and lived in Belize and Mexico for 4-months. And so much more, more, more. I feel that the plastic surgery saved my soul.
I am so grateful for how my life has changed, now having defeated my obesity and diabetes for nearly 15 years. I lead a life well-lived. But when I was morbidly obese, I led a life half-lived. The biotech company behind the photo shoot shares my story with patients and healthcare professionals and with employees to encourage people that they can defeat diabetes, too. It is an honor to inspire people to better health.
Be thankful for who you are now, but keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. Strive for Daily Success.

A few years back, I was 1 of 6 people featured in a photo shoot of real people who have defeated their diabetes. And what an incredible day it was! I got to choose the location of my shoot -- the beach -- and was driven there by limousine. The photographer took shots of me doing planks, sprints, and meditation on the beach, as well as hanging out on the boardwalk. That experience was the closest I've come to being a model (a teenage dream of mine).
Across the decades I have been every size, from a junior size 7 to a women’s size 24. Getting a diagnosis of diabetes was a critical turning point in my life. It was a wake-up call that I answered, the impetus for me to have my gastric bypass surgery. Had I not gotten diabetes, then I likely would not have had the surgery and turned my health and my life around. My diabetes earned me a 3-night staycation in the hospital. I went home with 5 prescriptions for diabetes and hypertension. Within a year I had bariatric surgery and I credit it with saving my life.
But getting the surgery isn't a guarantee of success. It is vital, too, that we become skilled in Using Your Gastric Pouch for Weight Loss. Over the years I must have slipped back into old dysfunctional patterns of relating to food because I began to gain weight at 5-years post-op. And I ended up having a revision surgery.
Fast forward to 2013 after my plastic surgery, I became set upon living life larger than ever -- doing all the things that I wanted to do. One might say I am making up for lost time. I came to love planks and squats and HIIT and lifting weights and sprints with my dog Blue and BodyCombat class. I ran with my granddaughter in her first 3k, and we hiked for hours in the mountains of northern California. I learned to row, meditate, belly dance, and tai chi. I completed a strenuous all-day ropes course and overcame my fear of heights. I traveled the USA in an RV and lived in Belize and Mexico for 4-months. And so much more, more, more. I feel that the plastic surgery saved my soul.
I am so grateful for how my life has changed, now having defeated my obesity and diabetes for nearly 15 years. I lead a life well-lived. But when I was morbidly obese, I led a life half-lived. The biotech company behind the photo shoot shares my story with patients and healthcare professionals and with employees to encourage people that they can defeat diabetes, too. It is an honor to inspire people to better health.
Be thankful for who you are now, but keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. Strive for Daily Success.

I have become much more health conscious and logical since having my gastric bypass weight loss surgery in 2003. And I have witnessed that just as there is a method for obesity, there is a method for weight loss. As a result, making good food choices for your bariatric life can be as simple as swapping out unhealthy foods and cooking methods for their healthy versions. I promise you will love cauliflower rice, zoodles, and air-fried veggie chips so much that you’ll never feel deprived of your potatoes and pasta again.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

INVEST IN SEVERAL QUALITY SMALL APPLIANCES AND LEARN NEW, HEALTHY WAYS OF PREPARING FOODS.
Investing in a few high-quality small appliances and kitchen tools will pay for themselves with the money you save on processed convenience foods — and you’ll be rewarded with highly nutritious foods and superior taste!

Check out a few basics to get you started:
• Coleman grill for amazing grilled meats, fish, and vegetables! Take this portable grill on road trips, too!
• Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker make food very tender and easier to digest.
• Osterizer is the best blender I’ve ever had for frozen protein shakes and smoothies — and it’s far cheaper than a Vitamix!
• Cuisinart food processor for chopping cauliflower into rice to pureeing cashews into nut butter or roasted cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and more.
• Wok pan for quick and healthy stir-fry meals in minutes.
• Vegetable spiralizer to make grain-free noodles from zucchini (zoodles) or sweet potatoes.
• Air-fryer for healthy veggie fries, crunchy veggie chips and more!

Want the Bariatric Diet Tips that I have culled from experts in health and wellness and have enabled me to maintain a 120+ pound weight loss? Get more life-changing bariatric diet tips: READ NOW.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

I have become much more health conscious and logical since having my gastric bypass weight loss surgery in 2003. And I have witnessed that just as there is a method for obesity, there is a method for weight loss. As a result, making good food choices for your bariatric life can be as simple as swapping out unhealthy foods and cooking methods for their healthy versions. I promise you will love cauliflower rice, zoodles, and air-fried veggie chips so much that you’ll never feel deprived of your potatoes and pasta again.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

INVEST IN SEVERAL QUALITY SMALL APPLIANCES AND LEARN NEW, HEALTHY WAYS OF PREPARING FOODS.
Investing in a few high-quality small appliances and kitchen tools will pay for themselves with the money you save on processed convenience foods — and you’ll be rewarded with highly nutritious foods and superior taste!

Check out a few basics to get you started:
• Coleman grill for amazing grilled meats, fish, and vegetables! Take this portable grill on road trips, too!
• Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker make food very tender and easier to digest.
• Osterizer is the best blender I’ve ever had for frozen protein shakes and smoothies — and it’s far cheaper than a Vitamix!
• Cuisinart food processor for chopping cauliflower into rice to pureeing cashews into nut butter or roasted cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and more.
• Wok pan for quick and healthy stir-fry meals in minutes.
• Vegetable spiralizer to make grain-free noodles from zucchini (zoodles) or sweet potatoes.
• Air-fryer for healthy veggie fries, crunchy veggie chips and more!

Want the Bariatric Diet Tips that I have culled from experts in health and wellness and have enabled me to maintain a 120+ pound weight loss? Get more life-changing bariatric diet tips: READ NOW.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

I have become much more health conscious and logical since having my gastric bypass weight loss surgery in 2003. And I have witnessed that just as there is a method for obesity, there is a method for weight loss. As a result, making good food choices for your bariatric life can be as simple as swapping out unhealthy foods and cooking methods for their healthy versions. I promise you will love cauliflower rice, zoodles, and air-fried veggie chips so much that you’ll never feel deprived of your potatoes and pasta again.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

INVEST IN SEVERAL QUALITY SMALL APPLIANCES AND LEARN NEW, HEALTHY WAYS OF PREPARING FOODS.
Investing in a few high-quality small appliances and kitchen tools will pay for themselves with the money you save on processed convenience foods — and you’ll be rewarded with highly nutritious foods and superior taste!

Check out a few basics to get you started:
• Coleman grill for amazing grilled meats, fish, and vegetables! Take this portable grill on road trips, too!
• Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker make food very tender and easier to digest.
• Osterizer is the best blender I’ve ever had for frozen protein shakes and smoothies — and it’s far cheaper than a Vitamix!
• Cuisinart food processor for chopping cauliflower into rice to pureeing cashews into nut butter or roasted cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and more.
• Wok pan for quick and healthy stir-fry meals in minutes.
• Vegetable spiralizer to make grain-free noodles from zucchini (zoodles) or sweet potatoes.
• Air-fryer for healthy veggie fries, crunchy veggie chips and more!

Want the Bariatric Diet Tips that I have culled from experts in health and wellness and have enabled me to maintain a 120+ pound weight loss? Get more life-changing bariatric diet tips: READ NOW.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

I have become much more health conscious and logical since having my gastric bypass weight loss surgery in 2003. And I have witnessed that just as there is a method for obesity, there is a method for weight loss. As a result, making good food choices for your bariatric life can be as simple as swapping out unhealthy foods and cooking methods for their healthy versions. I promise you will love cauliflower rice, zoodles, and air-fried veggie chips so much that you’ll never feel deprived of your potatoes and pasta again.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

INVEST IN SEVERAL QUALITY SMALL APPLIANCES AND LEARN NEW, HEALTHY WAYS OF PREPARING FOODS.
Investing in a few high-quality small appliances and kitchen tools will pay for themselves with the money you save on processed convenience foods — and you’ll be rewarded with highly nutritious foods and superior taste!

Check out a few basics to get you started:
• Coleman grill for amazing grilled meats, fish, and vegetables! Take this portable grill on road trips, too!
• Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker make food very tender and easier to digest.
• Osterizer is the best blender I’ve ever had for frozen protein shakes and smoothies — and it’s far cheaper than a Vitamix!
• Cuisinart food processor for chopping cauliflower into rice to pureeing cashews into nut butter or roasted cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and more.
• Wok pan for quick and healthy stir-fry meals in minutes.
• Vegetable spiralizer to make grain-free noodles from zucchini (zoodles) or sweet potatoes.
• Air-fryer for healthy veggie fries, crunchy veggie chips and more!

Want the Bariatric Diet Tips that I have culled from experts in health and wellness and have enabled me to maintain a 120+ pound weight loss? Get more life-changing bariatric diet tips: READ NOW.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

I have become much more health conscious and logical since having my gastric bypass weight loss surgery in 2003. And I have witnessed that just as there is a method for obesity, there is a method for weight loss. As a result, making good food choices for your bariatric life can be as simple as swapping out unhealthy foods and cooking methods for their healthy versions. I promise you will love cauliflower rice, zoodles, and air-fried veggie chips so much that you’ll never feel deprived of your potatoes and pasta again.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

INVEST IN SEVERAL QUALITY SMALL APPLIANCES AND LEARN NEW, HEALTHY WAYS OF PREPARING FOODS.
Investing in a few high-quality small appliances and kitchen tools will pay for themselves with the money you save on processed convenience foods — and you’ll be rewarded with highly nutritious foods and superior taste!

Check out a few basics to get you started:
• Coleman grill for amazing grilled meats, fish, and vegetables! Take this portable grill on road trips, too!
• Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker make food very tender and easier to digest.
• Osterizer is the best blender I’ve ever had for frozen protein shakes and smoothies — and it’s far cheaper than a Vitamix!
• Cuisinart food processor for chopping cauliflower into rice to pureeing cashews into nut butter or roasted cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and more.
• Wok pan for quick and healthy stir-fry meals in minutes.
• Vegetable spiralizer to make grain-free noodles from zucchini (zoodles) or sweet potatoes.
• Air-fryer for healthy veggie fries, crunchy veggie chips and more!

Want the Bariatric Diet Tips that I have culled from experts in health and wellness and have enabled me to maintain a 120+ pound weight loss? Get more life-changing bariatric diet tips: READ NOW.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

I have become much more health conscious and logical since having my gastric bypass weight loss surgery in 2003. And I have witnessed that just as there is a method for obesity, there is a method for weight loss. As a result, making good food choices for your bariatric life can be as simple as swapping out unhealthy foods and cooking methods for their healthy versions. I promise you will love cauliflower rice, zoodles, and air-fried veggie chips so much that you’ll never feel deprived of your potatoes and pasta again.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

INVEST IN SEVERAL QUALITY SMALL APPLIANCES AND LEARN NEW, HEALTHY WAYS OF PREPARING FOODS.
Investing in a few high-quality small appliances and kitchen tools will pay for themselves with the money you save on processed convenience foods — and you’ll be rewarded with highly nutritious foods and superior taste!

Check out a few basics to get you started:
• Coleman grill for amazing grilled meats, fish, and vegetables! Take this portable grill on road trips, too!
• Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker make food very tender and easier to digest.
• Osterizer is the best blender I’ve ever had for frozen protein shakes and smoothies — and it’s far cheaper than a Vitamix!
• Cuisinart food processor for chopping cauliflower into rice to pureeing cashews into nut butter or roasted cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and more.
• Wok pan for quick and healthy stir-fry meals in minutes.
• Vegetable spiralizer to make grain-free noodles from zucchini (zoodles) or sweet potatoes.
• Air-fryer for healthy veggie fries, crunchy veggie chips and more!

Want the Bariatric Diet Tips that I have culled from experts in health and wellness and have enabled me to maintain a 120+ pound weight loss? Get more life-changing bariatric diet tips: READ NOW.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

We take it for granted and perhaps do not recognize the many properties of water. Open the tap, and here it comes. Travel to the shore front and there it is, oceans and oceans of the stuff. It fills rivers and streams. It fills the shelves of markets and convenience stores. It falls on golfers who shake an angry fist and lament that their day on the green is ruined.
Just imagine how ruined all our days would be if it never rained. To state the obvious, water is vital.

How Much Water Should I Drink?
For as long as I can remember we have been told to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day – more if you exercise heavily but less if you drink other beverages frequently. That seems a bit outdated to me. More recently, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that men should consume about 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) of water daily and women should consume about 2.7 liters (about 9 cups).

Read, Planning a Great Bariatric Diet Grocery List

During a workout or other physical activities, on hot or cold days, and owing to your weight and certain medical conditions, you may need more. The online daily hydration calculator is a great tool that calculates how much water you need by factoring in those criteria. I just used it to calculate how much water I need today. The result - 3.2 liters.
The benefits of this simple discipline are many.

Water for Optimal Health
Water is an energy booster, relieving the dehydration that makes you feel fatigued. When you are thirsty, you have already become a bit dehydrated. Dehydration also makes the body and mind feel stressed whereas 70 to 80% of your brain tissue is water.
Water helps to prevent muscle cramping and is a lubricate for the joints of your body. Water also hydrates your skin cells and gives your face a younger appearance. In addition, it is a good for digestion and helps to keep your bowels regular.
As an added bonus, it has been proven that drinking water helps to lose weight.

Water for Weight Loss
It has been shown that people who drink two glasses of water twenty to thirty minutes before they have a meal lost weight more quickly and lost a greater number of pounds then those who did not drink water prior to eating.
It was also discovered that people who drank water before meals consumed an average of 75 less calories over that course of that meal. If this action were continued for one year, a person would lose 14 ½ pounds.
It has also been shown that being just 1% dehydration causes a drop in metabolism that can interfere with weight loss.
The body has difficulty differentiating hunger from thirst. If you do not consume enough water across the day, thirst might be interpreted as hunger and more food will be eaten then is necessary.

Read, My Top 10 Bariatric Diet Tips for You!

Finally, drinking plenty of water to stay healthy during a fasting diet is essential.

Drink Iced Water for Maximum Calorie Burn
Calories can be used to define the amount of energy contained in food. Another definition for calorie can be the measure of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. Therefore, your body burns calories when you simply drink iced water.

Read, Eating Foods that Burn More Calories

Your body burns 17.5 calories raising the temperature of a sixteen ounce glass of iced water. If you comply with the eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day recommendation but drink iced water instead of non-iced water, you will burn 70 calories per day. Over the course of a year, the numbers will add up and translate into weight loss.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

We take it for granted and perhaps do not recognize the many properties of water. Open the tap, and here it comes. Travel to the shore front and there it is, oceans and oceans of the stuff. It fills rivers and streams. It fills the shelves of markets and convenience stores. It falls on golfers who shake an angry fist and lament that their day on the green is ruined.
Just imagine how ruined all our days would be if it never rained. To state the obvious, water is vital.

How Much Water Should I Drink?
For as long as I can remember we have been told to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day – more if you exercise heavily but less if you drink other beverages frequently. That seems a bit outdated to me. More recently, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that men should consume about 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) of water daily and women should consume about 2.7 liters (about 9 cups).

Read, Planning a Great Bariatric Diet Grocery List

During a workout or other physical activities, on hot or cold days, and owing to your weight and certain medical conditions, you may need more. The online daily hydration calculator is a great tool that calculates how much water you need by factoring in those criteria. I just used it to calculate how much water I need today. The result - 3.2 liters.
The benefits of this simple discipline are many.

Water for Optimal Health
Water is an energy booster, relieving the dehydration that makes you feel fatigued. When you are thirsty, you have already become a bit dehydrated. Dehydration also makes the body and mind feel stressed whereas 70 to 80% of your brain tissue is water.
Water helps to prevent muscle cramping and is a lubricate for the joints of your body. Water also hydrates your skin cells and gives your face a younger appearance. In addition, it is a good for digestion and helps to keep your bowels regular.
As an added bonus, it has been proven that drinking water helps to lose weight.

Water for Weight Loss
It has been shown that people who drink two glasses of water twenty to thirty minutes before they have a meal lost weight more quickly and lost a greater number of pounds then those who did not drink water prior to eating.
It was also discovered that people who drank water before meals consumed an average of 75 less calories over that course of that meal. If this action were continued for one year, a person would lose 14 ½ pounds.
It has also been shown that being just 1% dehydration causes a drop in metabolism that can interfere with weight loss.
The body has difficulty differentiating hunger from thirst. If you do not consume enough water across the day, thirst might be interpreted as hunger and more food will be eaten then is necessary.

Read, My Top 10 Bariatric Diet Tips for You!

Finally, drinking plenty of water to stay healthy during a fasting diet is essential.

Drink Iced Water for Maximum Calorie Burn
Calories can be used to define the amount of energy contained in food. Another definition for calorie can be the measure of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. Therefore, your body burns calories when you simply drink iced water.

Read, Eating Foods that Burn More Calories

Your body burns 17.5 calories raising the temperature of a sixteen ounce glass of iced water. If you comply with the eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day recommendation but drink iced water instead of non-iced water, you will burn 70 calories per day. Over the course of a year, the numbers will add up and translate into weight loss.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

We take it for granted and perhaps do not recognize the many properties of water. Open the tap, and here it comes. Travel to the shore front and there it is, oceans and oceans of the stuff. It fills rivers and streams. It fills the shelves of markets and convenience stores. It falls on golfers who shake an angry fist and lament that their day on the green is ruined.
Just imagine how ruined all our days would be if it never rained. To state the obvious, water is vital.

How Much Water Should I Drink?
For as long as I can remember we have been told to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day – more if you exercise heavily but less if you drink other beverages frequently. That seems a bit outdated to me. More recently, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that men should consume about 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) of water daily and women should consume about 2.7 liters (about 9 cups).

Read, Planning a Great Bariatric Diet Grocery List

During a workout or other physical activities, on hot or cold days, and owing to your weight and certain medical conditions, you may need more. The online daily hydration calculator is a great tool that calculates how much water you need by factoring in those criteria. I just used it to calculate how much water I need today. The result - 3.2 liters.
The benefits of this simple discipline are many.

Water for Optimal Health
Water is an energy booster, relieving the dehydration that makes you feel fatigued. When you are thirsty, you have already become a bit dehydrated. Dehydration also makes the body and mind feel stressed whereas 70 to 80% of your brain tissue is water.
Water helps to prevent muscle cramping and is a lubricate for the joints of your body. Water also hydrates your skin cells and gives your face a younger appearance. In addition, it is a good for digestion and helps to keep your bowels regular.
As an added bonus, it has been proven that drinking water helps to lose weight.

Water for Weight Loss
It has been shown that people who drink two glasses of water twenty to thirty minutes before they have a meal lost weight more quickly and lost a greater number of pounds then those who did not drink water prior to eating.
It was also discovered that people who drank water before meals consumed an average of 75 less calories over that course of that meal. If this action were continued for one year, a person would lose 14 ½ pounds.
It has also been shown that being just 1% dehydration causes a drop in metabolism that can interfere with weight loss.
The body has difficulty differentiating hunger from thirst. If you do not consume enough water across the day, thirst might be interpreted as hunger and more food will be eaten then is necessary.

Read, My Top 10 Bariatric Diet Tips for You!

Finally, drinking plenty of water to stay healthy during a fasting diet is essential.

Drink Iced Water for Maximum Calorie Burn
Calories can be used to define the amount of energy contained in food. Another definition for calorie can be the measure of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. Therefore, your body burns calories when you simply drink iced water.

Read, Eating Foods that Burn More Calories

Your body burns 17.5 calories raising the temperature of a sixteen ounce glass of iced water. If you comply with the eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day recommendation but drink iced water instead of non-iced water, you will burn 70 calories per day. Over the course of a year, the numbers will add up and translate into weight loss.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

We take it for granted and perhaps do not recognize the many properties of water. Open the tap, and here it comes. Travel to the shore front and there it is, oceans and oceans of the stuff. It fills rivers and streams. It fills the shelves of markets and convenience stores. It falls on golfers who shake an angry fist and lament that their day on the green is ruined.
Just imagine how ruined all our days would be if it never rained. To state the obvious, water is vital.

How Much Water Should I Drink?
For as long as I can remember we have been told to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day – more if you exercise heavily but less if you drink other beverages frequently. That seems a bit outdated to me. More recently, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that men should consume about 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) of water daily and women should consume about 2.7 liters (about 9 cups).

Read, Planning a Great Bariatric Diet Grocery List

During a workout or other physical activities, on hot or cold days, and owing to your weight and certain medical conditions, you may need more. The online daily hydration calculator is a great tool that calculates how much water you need by factoring in those criteria. I just used it to calculate how much water I need today. The result - 3.2 liters.
The benefits of this simple discipline are many.

Water for Optimal Health
Water is an energy booster, relieving the dehydration that makes you feel fatigued. When you are thirsty, you have already become a bit dehydrated. Dehydration also makes the body and mind feel stressed whereas 70 to 80% of your brain tissue is water.
Water helps to prevent muscle cramping and is a lubricate for the joints of your body. Water also hydrates your skin cells and gives your face a younger appearance. In addition, it is a good for digestion and helps to keep your bowels regular.
As an added bonus, it has been proven that drinking water helps to lose weight.

Water for Weight Loss
It has been shown that people who drink two glasses of water twenty to thirty minutes before they have a meal lost weight more quickly and lost a greater number of pounds then those who did not drink water prior to eating.
It was also discovered that people who drank water before meals consumed an average of 75 less calories over that course of that meal. If this action were continued for one year, a person would lose 14 ½ pounds.
It has also been shown that being just 1% dehydration causes a drop in metabolism that can interfere with weight loss.
The body has difficulty differentiating hunger from thirst. If you do not consume enough water across the day, thirst might be interpreted as hunger and more food will be eaten then is necessary.

Read, My Top 10 Bariatric Diet Tips for You!

Finally, drinking plenty of water to stay healthy during a fasting diet is essential.

Drink Iced Water for Maximum Calorie Burn
Calories can be used to define the amount of energy contained in food. Another definition for calorie can be the measure of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. Therefore, your body burns calories when you simply drink iced water.

Read, Eating Foods that Burn More Calories

Your body burns 17.5 calories raising the temperature of a sixteen ounce glass of iced water. If you comply with the eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day recommendation but drink iced water instead of non-iced water, you will burn 70 calories per day. Over the course of a year, the numbers will add up and translate into weight loss.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

Paralleling the increasing use of bariatric surgery, there is a high demand for body contouring through plastic surgery. If you’re just beginning down this path, the questions are many. Who will do my surgery? How is recovery? What can I expect?
Choosing and Evaluating a Plastic Surgeon
Many of the surgical procedures performed on the massive weight-loss patient are complex and labor-intensive. The wide spectrum of body contour deformities that can follow massive weight loss often exceed the magnitude of what plastic surgeons have traditionally addressed. That is why weight-loss surgery patients need to work with a surgeon who specializes in bariatric plastic surgery.
Dr. Joseph F. Capella, a plastic surgeon in New Jersey, affirms: Post-bariatric body contouring is a relatively new area within the field of plastic surgery, in that bariatric surgery only has become popular in the last 10 to 15 years. And because of that, many surgeons have come through their training not having been exposed to post-bariatric body contouring. Because of that these surgeries are not considered traditional procedures, in the sense that they’ve been honed over decades like many of the other plastic surgery procedures. And so what plastic surgeons may do is use these more traditional procedures and apply them to the post-bariatric patient, which often will lead to sub-optimal results.
So, it’s very helpful then, in that regard, to go to a plastic surgeon who has committed to this kind of surgery and does this surgery frequently — and this would be true for any kind of plastic surgery, for that matter. But what’s different about post-bariatric surgery contouring is it is relatively new, and probably greater than 50% or more of plastic surgeons out there right now did not have any exposure to it in their training. Obviously there are on-going conferences to educate surgeons but there’s a difference with having it as part of your training rather than learning about it from a lecture.
Read Dr. Capella’s comprehensive list of criteria for choosing and evaluating a plastic surgeon.

Healing Body and Mind After a Post-Weight Loss Body Lift
Once you’ve removed the loose skin and sagging, is the journey over? Are you obstacle-free? Well, not quite.
The Plastic Surgery Center in New Jersey says: You’ve been through a life-altering experience, and with that, your body and mind need time to heal and adjust. It’s important to acknowledge that, so you can assist in your own recovery and eventually move on …
Recovery from body lift surgery is extensive, which sometimes catches people off guard. And it can be painful, depending on the extent of the surgery and your perception of pain. You should be prepared for swelling (or even numbness) that can last for weeks and sometimes even months. In fact, most surgeons say that complete recovery and final results take up to a year. Of course scarring is a fact of body lift surgery, and scars are particularly distinct up until the first year following the procedure.
Many (if not most) people experience strong emotions following plastic surgery. While excitement and elation are a natural result of such a positive life change, it is also customary that an entire range of feelings can result, including a phenomenon called post-plastic surgery depression which can resemble post-partum depression. Recovery creates the time and opportunity to focus on these emotions.
On the plus side, the surgical results of a body lift are apparent almost immediately. They will remain permanent if you are able to maintain a stable weight (although normal aging obviously results in physical changes). And, depending on the person, the body’s healing process should mitigate scarring.
Read The Plastic Surgery Center’s great advice for healing body and mind after a post-weight loss body lift.

Plastic Surgery Improves Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being
People may not be fully aware of the many benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss. There are aesthetic refinements in the appearance and improvements in functional mobility, as well as an increased sense of emotional well-being.
Dr. Edward Domanskis, a plastic surgeon in California, says: I think that the benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss are tremendous. When you’re massively overweight it’s one problem. When you lose the weight I think a lot of times the patient doesn’t realize that the problems don’t really go away; it’s just a different problem. It’s a problem of all this hanging skin. And to some people that can be almost as much of a problem as being overweight and having all this excess fatty tissue — physiologically for sure.
In my experience I think it [plastic surgery after weight loss] is a very, very satisfying type of surgery not only to the patient but also for the physician to see the transformation in the patient. To see the reaction of their friends and family to what they’ve gone through and how their overall appearance and psyche tend to change. There’s no question that these procedures are very. very beneficial to the patient.
Watch Dr. Domanskis’ video segment, “What to Expect: Improving Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being through Bariatric Plastic Surgery.”

Paralleling the increasing use of bariatric surgery, there is a high demand for body contouring through plastic surgery. If you’re just beginning down this path, the questions are many. Who will do my surgery? How is recovery? What can I expect?
Choosing and Evaluating a Plastic Surgeon
Many of the surgical procedures performed on the massive weight-loss patient are complex and labor-intensive. The wide spectrum of body contour deformities that can follow massive weight loss often exceed the magnitude of what plastic surgeons have traditionally addressed. That is why weight-loss surgery patients need to work with a surgeon who specializes in bariatric plastic surgery.
Dr. Joseph F. Capella, a plastic surgeon in New Jersey, affirms: Post-bariatric body contouring is a relatively new area within the field of plastic surgery, in that bariatric surgery only has become popular in the last 10 to 15 years. And because of that, many surgeons have come through their training not having been exposed to post-bariatric body contouring. Because of that these surgeries are not considered traditional procedures, in the sense that they’ve been honed over decades like many of the other plastic surgery procedures. And so what plastic surgeons may do is use these more traditional procedures and apply them to the post-bariatric patient, which often will lead to sub-optimal results.
So, it’s very helpful then, in that regard, to go to a plastic surgeon who has committed to this kind of surgery and does this surgery frequently — and this would be true for any kind of plastic surgery, for that matter. But what’s different about post-bariatric surgery contouring is it is relatively new, and probably greater than 50% or more of plastic surgeons out there right now did not have any exposure to it in their training. Obviously there are on-going conferences to educate surgeons but there’s a difference with having it as part of your training rather than learning about it from a lecture.
Read Dr. Capella’s comprehensive list of criteria for choosing and evaluating a plastic surgeon.

Healing Body and Mind After a Post-Weight Loss Body Lift
Once you’ve removed the loose skin and sagging, is the journey over? Are you obstacle-free? Well, not quite.
The Plastic Surgery Center in New Jersey says: You’ve been through a life-altering experience, and with that, your body and mind need time to heal and adjust. It’s important to acknowledge that, so you can assist in your own recovery and eventually move on …
Recovery from body lift surgery is extensive, which sometimes catches people off guard. And it can be painful, depending on the extent of the surgery and your perception of pain. You should be prepared for swelling (or even numbness) that can last for weeks and sometimes even months. In fact, most surgeons say that complete recovery and final results take up to a year. Of course scarring is a fact of body lift surgery, and scars are particularly distinct up until the first year following the procedure.
Many (if not most) people experience strong emotions following plastic surgery. While excitement and elation are a natural result of such a positive life change, it is also customary that an entire range of feelings can result, including a phenomenon called post-plastic surgery depression which can resemble post-partum depression. Recovery creates the time and opportunity to focus on these emotions.
On the plus side, the surgical results of a body lift are apparent almost immediately. They will remain permanent if you are able to maintain a stable weight (although normal aging obviously results in physical changes). And, depending on the person, the body’s healing process should mitigate scarring.
Read The Plastic Surgery Center’s great advice for healing body and mind after a post-weight loss body lift.

Plastic Surgery Improves Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being
People may not be fully aware of the many benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss. There are aesthetic refinements in the appearance and improvements in functional mobility, as well as an increased sense of emotional well-being.
Dr. Edward Domanskis, a plastic surgeon in California, says: I think that the benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss are tremendous. When you’re massively overweight it’s one problem. When you lose the weight I think a lot of times the patient doesn’t realize that the problems don’t really go away; it’s just a different problem. It’s a problem of all this hanging skin. And to some people that can be almost as much of a problem as being overweight and having all this excess fatty tissue — physiologically for sure.
In my experience I think it [plastic surgery after weight loss] is a very, very satisfying type of surgery not only to the patient but also for the physician to see the transformation in the patient. To see the reaction of their friends and family to what they’ve gone through and how their overall appearance and psyche tend to change. There’s no question that these procedures are very. very beneficial to the patient.
Watch Dr. Domanskis’ video segment, “What to Expect: Improving Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being through Bariatric Plastic Surgery.”

Counseling Before and After Bariatric Surgery Helps Couples Manage Change
Relationship issues after bariatric surgery are a common topic discussed during the orientation class prior to surgery. Any drastic change that takes place in one spouse affects both of the partners. In fact, bariatric surgery will impact the lifestyle of the entire family. In a prior post, the high rate of divorce after bariatric surgery was explored.
Relationship Issues after Bariatric Surgery
There are two leading causes of relationship issues after bariatric surgery.
Perhaps the relationship was poor before the bariatric surgery. The new more confident bariatric surgery partner now finds the esteem and courage to end a bad situation. Bariatric surgery can have a positive effect on a solid marriage but it can tear apart a marriage that is already on the rocks.
Sometimes the partners can no longer find a common ground where interests are shared. The partner who had bariatric surgery has been energized and is no longer attracted to a sedentary lifestyle centered around eating. Whereas the remaining partner is comfortable with the lifestyle that existed prior to the bariatric surgery.
It is this latter relationship dynamic that I wish to explore. Specifically, what can be done to resolve these sorts of relationship issues after bariatric surgery?
Resolving Relationship Issues after Bariatric Surgery
Dramatic change comes with bariatric surgery. Food shopping, mealtime, and the activities engaged in for enjoyment must shift to accommodate healthier habits if the bariatric surgery is to succeed. The loss of familiarity with “what was” calls for adjustment. And change, whether positive or negative, can be charged with emotions that promote stress. Stress will in turn grate patience, especially if the partner who did not have bariatric surgery is unenthused about the changes taking place.
If common ground cannot be found then you have to be ready to turn the page and end that chapter of your life. In the lifespan of a relationship sometimes a couple becomes incompatible. It is better to be alone and understand the power of aloneness than to be in a dysfunctional or incompatible relationship. But let it not go unspoken that a divorce after bariatric surgery is a decision that should come after an honest effort has been made to find solutions to the problems inherent in a marriage. Why abandon a relationship that may be able to weather the winds of change?
If after bariatric surgery your relationship becomes strained then counseling might help to resolve your issues. The purpose of relationship counseling is for a therapist to assist in moving the couple from conflict to resolution.
Resolving Relationship Issues before Bariatric Surgery
We are a society that was raised on a false notion of romantic love. We think that true love means “happily ever after” and not having to work at compatibility. That’s just a fairy tale we were told as children. Perhaps, then, a deep exploration of feelings and the solidarity of the relationship should be undertaken sooner rather than later. Read, “True Love after Weight Loss.”
Resolving relationship issues after bariatric surgery may not be the ideal time to seek counseling. With the extremely high divorce rate after bariatric surgery, it makes sense to play the odds and resolve relationship issues before bariatric surgery.
Pre-marriage counseling is often done to help couples address differences prior to taking their marital vows. Likewise, relationship counseling for bariatric surgery can be undertaken. Even couples in healthy relationships can attend couples counseling to further strengthen their already strong unions. In either case, relationship counseling before bariatric surgery will prepare and strengthen the couple to better withstand the changes that will come.
What to Expect from Relationship Counseling
Relationship counseling is a type of psychotherapy and is usually practiced by licensed professionals such as a marriage and family therapist. Counseling is usually short, and both partners should participate. The benefit is that couples counseling avoids the victim or “poor me” attitude that can be a by-product of individual therapy, which encourages people to dig deeper into their own world view. Each spouse’s job in couples therapy is to focus on his or her own learning and growth, not to try to get the other person to change.
Couples therapy will involve discovering the strengths and weaknesses in a relationship, improving communication, and developing problem-solving skills. Partners work on understanding their spouse’s feelings and viewpoint, negotiating the differences that can be negotiated or accepting those differences that cannot. Sessions can be animated, argumentative, or pass in stony silence. The therapist must be able to guide all sessions regardless of the climate.
Couples need not be married to participate, and a couple can be heterosexual or homosexual. As is stated, another term for relationship counseling is couples counseling and marriage is not a prerequisite. A couple sharing a relationship will suffice.
When selecting a counselor some of the more pertinent questions might be about the counselor’s level of education, general availability, number of sessions per week, length of therapy, fees and coverage through health insurance. You may find a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in your area through TherapistLocator.
If additional but separate problems surface then the therapist should involve other mental health counselors that specialize in those areas of need.
If the sessions lead to the discovery that the marriage is beyond repair then it could very well in the best interest of both partners to terminate the relationship. Although such decisions can be emotionally difficult, such difficulty is probably preferable to remaining in a hopeless relationship. Sometimes relationship issues only can be resolved by dissolution of the marriage.
Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

Paralleling the increasing use of bariatric surgery, there is a high demand for body contouring through plastic surgery. If you’re just beginning down this path, the questions are many. Who will do my surgery? How is recovery? What can I expect?
Choosing and Evaluating a Plastic Surgeon
Many of the surgical procedures performed on the massive weight-loss patient are complex and labor-intensive. The wide spectrum of body contour deformities that can follow massive weight loss often exceed the magnitude of what plastic surgeons have traditionally addressed. That is why weight-loss surgery patients need to work with a surgeon who specializes in bariatric plastic surgery.
Dr. Joseph F. Capella, a plastic surgeon in New Jersey, affirms: Post-bariatric body contouring is a relatively new area within the field of plastic surgery, in that bariatric surgery only has become popular in the last 10 to 15 years. And because of that, many surgeons have come through their training not having been exposed to post-bariatric body contouring. Because of that these surgeries are not considered traditional procedures, in the sense that they’ve been honed over decades like many of the other plastic surgery procedures. And so what plastic surgeons may do is use these more traditional procedures and apply them to the post-bariatric patient, which often will lead to sub-optimal results.
So, it’s very helpful then, in that regard, to go to a plastic surgeon who has committed to this kind of surgery and does this surgery frequently — and this would be true for any kind of plastic surgery, for that matter. But what’s different about post-bariatric surgery contouring is it is relatively new, and probably greater than 50% or more of plastic surgeons out there right now did not have any exposure to it in their training. Obviously there are on-going conferences to educate surgeons but there’s a difference with having it as part of your training rather than learning about it from a lecture.
Read Dr. Capella’s comprehensive list of criteria for choosing and evaluating a plastic surgeon.

Healing Body and Mind After a Post-Weight Loss Body Lift
Once you’ve removed the loose skin and sagging, is the journey over? Are you obstacle-free? Well, not quite.
The Plastic Surgery Center in New Jersey says: You’ve been through a life-altering experience, and with that, your body and mind need time to heal and adjust. It’s important to acknowledge that, so you can assist in your own recovery and eventually move on …
Recovery from body lift surgery is extensive, which sometimes catches people off guard. And it can be painful, depending on the extent of the surgery and your perception of pain. You should be prepared for swelling (or even numbness) that can last for weeks and sometimes even months. In fact, most surgeons say that complete recovery and final results take up to a year. Of course scarring is a fact of body lift surgery, and scars are particularly distinct up until the first year following the procedure.
Many (if not most) people experience strong emotions following plastic surgery. While excitement and elation are a natural result of such a positive life change, it is also customary that an entire range of feelings can result, including a phenomenon called post-plastic surgery depression which can resemble post-partum depression. Recovery creates the time and opportunity to focus on these emotions.
On the plus side, the surgical results of a body lift are apparent almost immediately. They will remain permanent if you are able to maintain a stable weight (although normal aging obviously results in physical changes). And, depending on the person, the body’s healing process should mitigate scarring.
Read The Plastic Surgery Center’s great advice for healing body and mind after a post-weight loss body lift.

Plastic Surgery Improves Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being
People may not be fully aware of the many benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss. There are aesthetic refinements in the appearance and improvements in functional mobility, as well as an increased sense of emotional well-being.
Dr. Edward Domanskis, a plastic surgeon in California, says: I think that the benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss are tremendous. When you’re massively overweight it’s one problem. When you lose the weight I think a lot of times the patient doesn’t realize that the problems don’t really go away; it’s just a different problem. It’s a problem of all this hanging skin. And to some people that can be almost as much of a problem as being overweight and having all this excess fatty tissue — physiologically for sure.
In my experience I think it [plastic surgery after weight loss] is a very, very satisfying type of surgery not only to the patient but also for the physician to see the transformation in the patient. To see the reaction of their friends and family to what they’ve gone through and how their overall appearance and psyche tend to change. There’s no question that these procedures are very. very beneficial to the patient.
Watch Dr. Domanskis’ video segment, “What to Expect: Improving Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being through Bariatric Plastic Surgery.”

Choosing a plastic surgeon after weight loss is an important personal decision. Someone told me that you do not buy a procedure, you buy a plastic surgeon (Read: Understanding Post-Bariatric Plastic Surgery). I completely get that now, having gone through a total body contouring and facelift, but it wasn’t always that way.
When I was beginning my plastic surgery after massive weight loss, I did not understand just how much obesity had deformed my body. It was later made clear to me that I was a much more challenging case than women seeking plastic surgery whom had never been morbidly obese. Add to that, I was more prone to complications during surgery and recovery owing to my former health conditions (diabetes, hypertension, etc).
Dr. Joseph F. Capella underscores the inherent challenge, “Many surgeons have come through their training not having been exposed to post-bariatric body contouring. Because of that these surgeries are not considered traditional procedures, in the sense that they’ve been honed over decades like many of the other plastic surgery procedures. And so what plastic surgeons may do is use these more traditional procedures and apply them to the post-bariatric patient, which often will lead to sub-optimal results.”
How does the massive weight loss patient choose the right plastic surgeon? After all, while there is rigorous training, and requirements for a plastic surgeon to become certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, just as there are for a bariatric surgeon to become certified by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, there are no rigorous requirements and certification for a sub-specialty in bariatric plastic surgery. What is a patient to do?
Dr. Capella recommends “For each of the procedures you’re considering, ask the plastic surgeon: How often do you do them and how many have you done? The doctor should make other patients readily available to you who have had these plastic surgeries done. And, of course, the doctor should have a wide array of images to show you of hopefully body types that are similar to yours.”
My additional advice:
Travel out of state if you must to find a plastic surgeon who specializes in the massive weight loss patient’s special needs.
With all due respect to patients who travel outside the country for their surgery, selecting a plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is an essential step to ensure the best training and credentials.
I have corresponded with too many bariatric patients who’ve had complications after plastic surgery and had their surgeons ignore them. Don’t let this happen to you. Be sure that your surgeon will be responsive 24/7 during the many weeks and months of recovery, come what may.
Of course, all of us gathered here on BariatricPal understand the value of connecting on the Plastic Surgery Forum with patients who candidly share their surgical experiences and discuss their plastic surgeons. Be sure to tap into this very valuable resource.
Last but not least, personal compatibility is an essential element in the patient-physician relationship. You must feel comfortable talking to your plastic surgeon about all of your concerns. And you must have that sense of trust that s/he has your highest good as top priority no matter what may come.
The bottom line: Plastic surgery should be a life-changing experience for the better. For further reading, I highly suggest my article “18 Insider Tips for Plastic Surgery.”
Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life

If asked what your long-term weight loss goals are, you would probably give positive, upbeat responses. It would be a shock to hear that your intention is to gain back every pound you lost over the course of the next 5 years.

But it happens.

Unfortunately, any bariatric surgery fails in the long-term when not followed-up with a weight loss maintenance plan. Persons who fail to make the necessary dietary changes after bariatric surgery frequently regain much of the weight they have lost, particularly around the 5-year mark. Read, “Bariatric Surgery is Just the First Step.”

Bariatric Eating Made Simple

When we change our anatomy through bariatric surgery, many of those old dietary rules and plans can do more harm than good. For our bariatric tool to work best, we need to be very aware of what we eat to get proper nutrition. There are three simple points that you need for smart bariatric eating. Read, “Bariatric Eating: Getting Back on Track.”

Drinking and Eating after Bariatric Surgery

How long we should wait before and after eating to drink again? There’s a lot of confusion around drinking and eating after bariatric surgery. It’s important to separate fact from fiction when it comes to drinking and eating after bariatric surgery. Get the Top 5 Tips in “Eating and Drinking Do’s and Don’ts.”

Push Back Against Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is an attempt to erase discomfort with food. Many people use food to relieve stress only to find that it is not much of a solution. Emotional eating will not provide the long-term remedy we want. We need to shake off failed habits and try something new. Read, “Steer Clear of Emotional Eating.”

Bariatric Eating: The Bottom Line

Knowing what we need to do can quickly overturn the impulse to do what we want to do. We can reprogram our conditioned responses to food, which likely led to us being morbidly obese, with new positive bariatric eating habits.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life
http://www.mybariatriclife.org

If asked what your long-term weight loss goals are, you would probably give positive, upbeat responses. It would be a shock to hear that your intention is to gain back every pound you lost over the course of the next 5 years.

But it happens.

Unfortunately, any bariatric surgery fails in the long-term when not followed-up with a weight loss maintenance plan. Persons who fail to make the necessary dietary changes after bariatric surgery frequently regain much of the weight they have lost, particularly around the 5-year mark. Read, “Bariatric Surgery is Just the First Step.”

Bariatric Eating Made Simple

When we change our anatomy through bariatric surgery, many of those old dietary rules and plans can do more harm than good. For our bariatric tool to work best, we need to be very aware of what we eat to get proper nutrition. There are three simple points that you need for smart bariatric eating. Read, “Bariatric Eating: Getting Back on Track.”

Drinking and Eating after Bariatric Surgery

How long we should wait before and after eating to drink again? There’s a lot of confusion around drinking and eating after bariatric surgery. It’s important to separate fact from fiction when it comes to drinking and eating after bariatric surgery. Get the Top 5 Tips in “Eating and Drinking Do’s and Don’ts.”

Push Back Against Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is an attempt to erase discomfort with food. Many people use food to relieve stress only to find that it is not much of a solution. Emotional eating will not provide the long-term remedy we want. We need to shake off failed habits and try something new. Read, “Steer Clear of Emotional Eating.”

Bariatric Eating: The Bottom Line

Knowing what we need to do can quickly overturn the impulse to do what we want to do. We can reprogram our conditioned responses to food, which likely led to us being morbidly obese, with new positive bariatric eating habits.

Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life
http://www.mybariatriclife.org