MSWDiet

If you cannot cook for yourself as a food stamps recipients you may be allowed restaurant meals. Hot foods at the market or hot meals where the cards are accepted fall into this category. The application does a poor job of explaining eating out and restaurants. Applicants read the question as literally dining out. They answer no because it is not affordable given they need assistance. Their ability fix hot meals is not discuss. As a result, many disabled recipients live on cold meals when they qualify for hot foods.

There are a lot of conflicting standards and each surgeon has a preference. I live by the American Bariatric Association guidelines which had worked for me long term. The last time I checked it was simpler than the information you listed. While my Dr recommends a specific brand of bariatric Vitamins I stick with his basic standard simply because its easier logistically. Otherwise I run out & miss a week or so. His standard is based on the ABA (Sorry if I have the full name wrong Any search engine should include the correct term in the results.) No coated or gummies as they are often not well absorbed: -Calcium 1000/ day --citrate not carbonate --D3 is usually included with calcium -Multi that includes 200% B complex vitamins & 100% everything else --minerals like selenium, chromium, zinc, etc should be included in your multi -Iron 30mg menstruating women & 18mg after menopause --elemental not ferris sulfate --with multi or separate allow at least two hours between calcium and iron supplements -Supplements should be Water soluble for proper absorption I take my supplements four times a day 2 1/2 hours apart (multi+ iron/ calcium+ D... repeat sequence) My only issue was low folic acid, a B Vitamin, when I used a coated tablet six months post op. Building Blocks (my surgeons preference) and other bariatric formulas should simplify things for you. Compare formulas to the American Bariatric web site to be sure your choice measures up. The only bariatric brand I find at my pharmacy is grossly inadequate. This is why I use quality "normal" supplements. Most bariatric brands require multiple daily doses because the body uses supplements more efficiently this way. I'm wary of children's chewables given the need for higher adult concentrations of certain vitamins and the need for water soluble formulas. You may hear terms like "dry D". It's wls speak for water soluble and not inhibited by mal absorption. The brand Superior Source makes many sublingual supplements that are appropriate after wls. However, their multi vitamins do not meet bariatric standards. You would need to use multiple products to get what's required. Early on I read all the details of studies just as you are doing. From my research the well known bariatric brands cover it all. Just beware of the candy like formulas as they can easily add over fifty calories a day and even induce sweet cravings.

No more sad faces. Get proactive. Examine why you had past difficulties and why you fear certain aspects of surgery. In short, refocus on how to succeed. What you are not willing to give up struck a chord with me because I find myself engaging in dysfunctional eating patterns as well. Examine this issue as you consider surgery. Determined people learn to "eat around" mal absorption, dumping & restriction forcing their own failure. Cleaning up your head space is crucial in the short & long term. Moreover it is an ongoing process just as is our maintenance diet for life as I call it. Wanting it badly is not enough for many of us to change thinking and behavior. Terms like lifestyle change are trite to my ears. For me it had been accepting this life time daily struggle. It angers me and can make me sad which may lead me to behaviors I regret. So "diet" is in my screen name as a constant reminder. Unpopular on wls sites; but, it reminds me to focus on self examination and awareness even as I may go astray. Empower yourself with an understanding of your fears & mistakes. Take small targeted steps to address what matters to you. Get support where you can find it. When the whole process seems overwhelming and brings that sad face to mind think of the self awareness you've gained and how this will help you to turn things around. You can and you will succeed.

Not true in my experience. It took a while to find a Dr who worked well with my specialist. Many of my meds are time released. They were re started 24hrs after surgery. I have non obesity related health problems. Fifty six pills daily by mouth at the time of my surgery was the norm. Crushing or chewing was forbidden by both my surgeon & other Drs. A nurse sat with me & taught me to swallow my five daily doses over 20 minutes. Advanced planning made it simple. I had no discomfort.

WLS holds the best track record for long term success. I still struggle & yoyo but I'm holding between 135 & 150 lbs total weight loss after rny on 2009. I know several people who have lost more than I and also maintained their weight loss for far longer. The nay sayers have no better options to offer. Were there a real alternative, the multi billion dollar diet industry would not exist. Conservative stats say 95% of wls patients maintain the loss of 50% of their excess weight. For diets, stats show 95% of dieters will regain more weight than they lost. Many, myself included thought we would be in that 5% of successful dieters. A decade after looking into surgery I accepted the definition of insanity. Diets alone were hopeless. My post opp diet for life is working for me.

Zero complications since my early morning rny in 2009. I was released from the hospital after lunch the next day. My scars healed within two weeks. I didn't need my pain medication. The serious problems are talked about because people need support and reassurance. Easy recoveries like mine are discussed less often, but I do not believe I'm unique.

I perceive my smaller self as fat. This is fairly common among many of my wls friends. For me it's grounded in the fear of slowly regaining weight. I'm on a diet for life because just a pound a year will result in obesity. At a size 2/4 at stores like GAP, I measure myself against size 0 jeans from American Eagle because it's what fit when I made my goal. I know that sounds crazy. But, any one who sews knows today's sizes have been altered. Vanity sizing makes what I call a two today an international standard size twelve. I didn't feel fat when I was obese but I'm struggling to get and keep my body fat percentage around 18% to feel normal. I'm no athlete but I want to be lean as an athlete. The low end of the normal range makes good sense. To me it means good health. Body fat and lean muscle mass are in my opinion more meaningful than bmi. Be strong, fit and healthy. Never malnourished, frail and under fed. Sustained good health is more important than the numbers we use to measure success.

I had a one night hospital stay. Things went very well. Within a week I resumed all of my normal activities. Lots of Protein, Vitamins, and exercise. On my surgery date I was fat yet fit. No pain or complications was a blessing I attribute to my Dr's excellent pre op plan.

I'm new to this site but I've participated in a few current topics/ threads. I've been maintaining since 2010, almost 18mo after an RNY. Browse around under the Time Line heading in the app. I've come across interesting discussions about a variety of obesity, health, & nutrition topics.

What is sad is how failure & success are predicated on social, ethnic, economics, color etc. Health & nutrition are only one aspect within Western society. I love the word conspiracy because those who use it are labeled as the problem (or crazy). Yet, history has proven conspiracies real. It's the perfect combination in that one must be caught in the successful act before conspiracy is acknowledged. We can do better by all Americans in spite of being set up to fail. Hunger should not exist nor should nutritional deficiencies. We are surrounded by affluence yet someone is benefiting from poverty and the failed programs that address it. Look into our own communities. Grass roots, neighbor to neighbor, person to person and we can raise generations who see the world differently. If we care enough to make action our normal way of life, perhaps our children will stop criminalizing poverty. Addressing nutrition in their own environments could become as second nature to future generations as recycling. Media chooses the perspectives it promotes to the masses. We are equally as potent in promoting what matters to our families and communities. Ok, enough, putting my soap box away now.

No one tells us that weight loss after surgery is not always fast. It may be slower than the average person on a diet. You may have intermittent weight gain despite sticking with your program. That's how it was for me. It took 17 months to loose 97lbs. I did everything "right". I exercised to my level of tolerance daily as I've done since my teens. The surgeon called me metabolism challenged while the nutty nutritionist assumed I was a liar. Fortunately my surgeon had been where we are. Over six years post op I'm maintaining in size 0-4 at shops like GAP & Old Navy. I still struggle with sudden weight gain & metabolic issues but I work my program for life anyway. You will lose the weight over time. We've been deprived of what some call that honeymoon period when the fat easily melts away. Don't sweat it. Persistence pays off. At under a pound a week on average I still lost it. You can and you will as well.

@sgc324: I dump only when I screw up. Follow the rules to the letter and side effects are minimal to noon existent over time. Only returning to the worst pre op behavior can make me sick. That's the part surgery can't fix. Long entrenched dysfunctional eating patterns come and go. However, I don't find myself wanting what others are having. It's quite the opposite. Obesity related eating disorders strike when I'm alone in my own head. Weight loss it's tough but behavioral change is even tougher. I'll always be obese though I fight the disease in a smaller size. Frequent dumping is much less common than most folks think. Consider yourself lucky if you dump. It's a sign you strayed from your plan but can't be relied upon for control. To dump when following the rules is rare. My caste Iron pouch allows lots of damage before my system rebels. If I dumped more I would stray less.

We must address our underlying foods issues as we treat the physical side surgically. I have been where you are, pre op, post op, and in maintenance. My RNY can still be a bottomless pit. I believe I would need to work on this regardless of which weight loss procedure I had. You are dealing with pre op nerves and no restriction right now. Post op will be better. You will have restriction and the limitations natural to healing. To MsPink1234, An FYI for your consideration: All auto immune medications are not inhibited by mal absorption. Less than 24hrs after my RNY, I sat with a nurse & took a dozen pills by mouth over 20 minutes . My regimen then was around 56 pills/ capsules daily. The surgeon refused to let me crush or break any of them in the event I was prescribed pills that could not be crushed in the future. My specialists coordinated with my surgeon to ensure the form of each medication was right for me post op. This regimen was also fine for the higher mal absorption of the DS. I sought out a surgeon that could work with my multiple health issues. You may have more choices than you know.

I awoke on my stomach in my room after surgery. Every time I went to sleep, I awoke on my stomach. No matter how I tried to stay propped up on my back or on my side I'd roll over add soon as I feel asleep. I had no pain whatsoever even waking face down propped in a "seated" posture. My surgeon was fine with this. Given no pain and my wounds healed quickly it was not an issue.

Hi there, I'm a Bronx baby near Pelham Bay. I had many of the concerns about RNY others have already expressed. Now over six years post op, all issues related to mal absorption, dumping, dietary limitations etc have been well worth the risk and occasional discomfort. My preference was no mal absorption while my Dr believed I needed it. I could not bring myself to consent to the DS but three days before my VSG I agreed to RNY. The Dr was right. I badly needed mal absorption. Greater would have been better for my situation but the final decision was down to what I was comfortable with. Go with what feels right to you. Take your time. Weigh all your options. Feel good about your decision before going through with surgery. This is forever. My surgery was scheduled less than six weeks after my initial visit. I cancelled, then changed surgeons, then changed procedures. I delayed six months to ensure I really wanted to do this. (I was still lying to myself about the need for surgery.) I will always struggle but because of RNY my struggle is with maintaining my "normal" bmi instead of losing and re gaining weight. Weigh loss was neither fast nor easy for me in spite of surgery. However, without surgery there would be no weightloss. Like the rest of us, you will make it through the ups and downs. It's all part of the process. This is for life. And, like so many others, you will achieve your desired weight loss and maintenance. You can and will be successful. :-)

Hello all. I am new to this site but a long term user of similar sites. Unfortunately, food banks often have to make do with what their supporters have available. Boxes like this offer full stomachs short term and mal nutrition over time. Yet, sometimes this is all there is for poor families who are not poor enough for food stamps. We laugh at obesity because it is still ok to ridicule fat people. These families swallow their pride taking what's on offer; and, at times filling in the gaps with more poor quality foods from discount stores. They truly live in food Desserts resulting on higher than average risks of obesity and other health problems. Much of the country view this as a self imposed condition. Not true. Anyone can find themselves living this unfortunate scenario. Having permanently lost 80% of my income, and qualifying for no food assistance, this could easily have been me but for the availability of quality discounted foods. Relative affluence of my neighbors meant access to healthy clearance items. Poor areas have few such options. If we can, let's be mindful of the working poor. Supplement these food pantries with nutritious non perishables foods when we can. One donation at a time we can improve nutrition for those dependent on the surplus businesses donate. What a difference we could make if we each dropped off two nutritious sale items each time we did our grocery run. Pantries and the families they service would be very appreciative.