fruitandveggies

Woohoo!! Thanks for sharing this, @Newme17! Isn't he just awesome!? So many facts now live in my brain thanks to him, haha.

I'm not diabetic so I don't have any personal experience with this, but I want to recommend you check out Physician's Committee for Responsible medicine (their section on diabetes is here). They are a non-profit of practicing and research MD's that educate the public about how plant-based eating can cure some of our biggest heath issues as a country, including diabetes. Dr. Neal Barnard is the founder and has done hundreds of talks on the topic and even has a couple of books on it as well. There are some on their site, but a bunch more on YouTube!

Not for me! It was real, didn't lose for about 3 weeks, actually gained a little. But it passed!

There are some cleaner versions of the gummy and chewable vitamins (myKind makes some). They aren't cheap though. You definitely get what you pay for with vitamins!

Omg these look so good! Putting this on my Pinterest for later! Also---good luck today!! Let us know how it goes!

As you can see, it really just depends on your insurance and your surgeon's office! I was approved by my insurance before my first appointment (the office called to pre-verify) and they gave me a list of everything I needed to do for my insurance and just scheduled my surgery date that day I was there. I was pretty surprised at how quickly they did it!

Yep, been vegan for 13 years with no issues. Protein deficiency is virtually impossible in non-impoverished countries, so you'll be fine. In fact, my surgeon says being vegan is the #1 thing you can do the extend your life, WLS is #2. Join us over on the vegan/vegetarian forum! https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1101-vegetarian-or-vegan-eating/

@Newme17 Awesome! He really is top notch and gives me the confidence to deal with all the questions we get as plant-based eaters (especially after weight loss surgery). So glad your hubby is on board too. You will love the book!

First of all, thank you for this thread! I am so happy to see people changing/basing their diets on science-based nutrition. You all might enjoy the work of Dr. Michael Greger. He is THE BEST in the field of nutrition and has done thousands of free videos based on the latest research. The best part is, he doesn't just cherry-pick one study to back up claims (like many do), he reads ALL the literature on a topic and presents it in each video. He's also very aware of how the source of funding can change the outcome of studies, based on what the company/group wants to achieve. Check him out: https://nutritionfacts.org/ Also, his book How Not to Die is EXCELLENT! (Sorry for all the caps, but he really is the best!)

Apparently I'm in the top percentile for weight loss at my doc's office, so yes! Lost 97 pounds in about 6 months so far. I was worried about it too, but my doc said to eat as much as I like during my three meals and if there's a weight loss issue to re-asses. So far it's been excellent!

I literally have meals of watermelon and cherries. Watermelon has lots of nutrition! Including over 30% of your DV of vitamin A and C. And the sugar is very low impact because there's 93% water in it (hence the name).

Awesome! I'm post-op, but that's my birthday so it will definitely be good luck. You'll do great!

Interesting! No wonder I can't find anything decent-fitting right now, they must have fit models on the higher end of the spectrum for each size.

Pre-op BMI: 51 - Size 22/24 Post-op BMI: 36 - Size 18/20 So weird that I've lost 90 pounds and only two sizes! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Great, I'm so glad to hear it! I'm sure if you can explain it to him he'll be fine. And of course it's much healthier for you in the long run, so you can feel good about that. I know it can be hard to find decent stuff sometimes, but that's what Amazon and veganessentials.com is for! I believe they do sell Orgain on Amazon. So sad to hear the produce sections are so tiny where you are, so many people in the south need fruit and veg more than anything. Well let me know how it goes! So glad to find another vegan on this path.

I used Orgain vegan shakes, Svelte vegan shakes, and made my own with organic hemp protein and macadamia milk. Luckily, I only had to take them for two weeks because I absolutely hate shakes! Personally, if my doctor "made" me eat or drink something not vegan I'd be finding a new doctor. I will never consume animal products, especially based on something a doctor says (they don't even have to take nutrition courses in med school). For what it's worth, my surgeon, PA, and NUT have no problem at all with being vegan, in fact my surgeon said it's the number one thing you can do to extend your life! So really, it's just your doctor's opinion, not fact. I've been 100% fine after surgery, I'm living proof you don't need a junk food to help you heal!

I'm at 5 1/2 months and usually get about 1100-1400. Been around there since about the end of month 3.

Yep, exactly what @Newme17 said. Most of the protein pushing is based on incorrect, old data or straight up pseudo science (check out this vid on the studies on this topic) and surgeons don't have to study nutrition in med school. I manage people asking about it by saying I'm just fine, I have no problem getting enough protein. That seems to satisfy their questions about my health, haha. I'm grateful that my bariatric team keeps up with current nutritional literature and recommends 30g of protein a day (based on our lower calorie intake). They found in the thousands of patients they have that there is no benefit for extra protein, and in fact can be harmful. It's fine if it's a bit more than that, based on the person's height and activity level, but that percentage is extremely doable without even thinking about it. And, even if I did need to get a ton more protein in a day, I'd do it the way everyone else does--protein rich foods. Rhinos and elephants have to get it somewhere! ;p

I had RNY in February of this year and have never had dumping. No problem eating pie, cookies, chips, all that junk! The only thing that has really changed is the quantity I feel I can eat and I feel a little queasy if I eat something really fatty (like a fried thing). FYI, I don't eat junk food often, but have experimented on special occasions and nothing happened. Your mileage may vary!

I was ordered to walk on the treadmill (or outside) for 20-30 minutes every day, starting on surgery day. I was allowed to start regular gym activity at 4 weeks out, but waited an extra week because I was feeling very weak. Was fine after 5 weeks out.

I get that it's a business. But I also get that the group and program actually help me. Considering some people paid over $10k for bariatric surgery, $45 a month until you reach your goal (which you set--then it's free), is like a drop in the bucket. @digi1024, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's not like surgery is a charity operation, yet we all decided to get it done anyway. It could very well help you like it does for me.

I personally have been doing Weight Watchers since January 2016. It kept me from gaining another 50 pounds that year but didn't help me lose. I had surgery in February 2017 and have gone to WW every week since. I find it much more helpful than my bariatric support group (which is focused on problems, not solutions) and it keeps me accountable and my mind in the game. I say try it and see how it works for you! I will probably never quit WW, and their new format is much better then when I did it 10 years ago. Edited to add: WW doesn't tell how you to eat anymore. You can eat literally anything you want, so it works with bariatric plans too.

I had the same issue. My doc told me to drink full-sugar Gatorade (I got the Whole Foods brand because I don't do artificial stuff) and some salty broth. It worked! I felt SO much better almost instantly. But please ask your doc first, I wouldn't want to mess you up if you can't handle sugar water right now. Sounds very similar to my issue though.

Wow, awesome! Thanks so much for this! One question I do have: I notice that some people use the photo of the garment from the website itself instead of taking a photo. Do you think this is a good idea? What are the benefits or detriments of doing that?

Hi! 13-year vegan here, had bypass this past February. It's been great, really no issues at all!