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Hey everyone! So I have started my diet which consists of 2-3 protein shakes a day. What brands of powder do you all suggest? My surgeons office recommends the brand that they sell at the office (bariatric fusion), but if I could buy it at the grocery store it would be much cheaper. Thanks!

I am mainly following Weston A. Price/Primitive diet, which has similarities to Paleo. I knew in my heart that artificial sweeteners as dictated by my bariatric practice are poisons, as are some of the other things they advocated, as are almost everything I see on TV, so I had to find my own way. I also knew that low/artificial/processed fat was not good and healthy fats are really important. I did some reading, consulted with an amazing naturopath who I have known and trusted for years, and it has really helped. I have tolerated it really well and feel fine. I ate homemade chopped liver, scrambled eggs (I have chickens), homemade applesauce, banana, sweet potato, kale pesto, and I made fish balls. I am 5 weeks out from surgery and can eat sushi, seaweed salad, smoked salmon, ground meat-based things, cucumber, steamed string Beans, grapefruit, for example. I don't think you will have any problem at all. Same principals: don't eat too fast, stop when your body says, get your fluids in, etc. Glad I am not the only one!

Hi everyone, I'm Tanya. I live in Northern California with my husband and my two daughters. I'm 35 years old and I have been overweight all of my life. I weighed 320lbs on 5/13 when I had my weight check with my local Kaiser doctor and this morning it was 304lbs. I have been wanting weight loss surgery for years but I didn't realized it was a covered benefit of my insurance until April of this year. I have lost weight in the past, a couple times I lost 80lbs but it always comes back. If I lose 80lbs, I still weigh 240lbs and still have 100lbs to lose! It's so overwhelming and I seem to hit a wall at 240 and can't get under it, so I give up. I attended orientation at Kaiser Richmond's Bariatric Surgery Program on 6/14 and have been on the pre-op plan since 6/15. So far the hardest for me has been no gum, no drinking with meals and no snacking! I have been really good and haven't cheated yet and the weight is falling off. I'm also walking 60 minutes a day and today I'm also going to try a bike ride, I hope I don't pop the tires! Our local program does either the sleeve or gastric bypass, they say the lap band is becoming obsolete and don't even do it anymore. I chose the sleeve because I liked the idea of the order of digestion staying the same and liked that it is a restrictive surgery and not a malabsorbsion surgery. So far I have gotten tons of encouragement just by reading all of the posts on the forums. I'm looking forward to getting to know more of you better and sharing my journey with you every step of the way! I have an appointment with my surgeon, Albert Im, on July 14. I hope to be down to the weight he recommends at my appointment so I can get a surgery date!

I am not familiar with Kentucky's Medicaid but most I've heard of have a 6 month. That said I just learned recently,were I had to fall back on Ohio, Medicaid instead of my primary Medicare it would be 3 months. My son is on Caresource. Were he seeking bariatric surgery which at this point he's not, they mandate a 9 month track, a different period of time yet.[emoji25] And we're we in Canada or the UK, 2 places with universal health care, the times usually,are a lot longer. That's why many Canadians out of frustration, go to Mexico and the UK goes to Europe because its faster.[emoji7] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm experiencing low levels of Iron despite adequate supplementation and continually eating foods high in iron. According to my PCP, it is an effect of my screwed up hormones. My hormones have been wacky since surgery and it is also effecting my red and white blood cell count. It still is not clear to me why this is occurring, but it has never occurred before surgery. I feel quite tired throughout most of the day. I did skip my one year follow up because my PCP seemed like an adequate replacement. However, I have finally realized that a second opinion would be important. My bariatric center does NOT let patients visit with the surgeon, period. I can't even e-mail the guy. So, I am going to try out the new bariatrician. This is the third new guy they have hired since my surgery. I am hoping he has a better opinion of what is going on.

I today ran out of my vitamin starter pack from my Dr. I plan on ordering a package plan around the 5th of July (waiting for payday). I am not sure why or how I waited so long to get more. 🙄 So my problem is I need to get something that I can take for a week or two until my bariatric vitamins come in. Does anyone know how I might can find something? Thank You, Tracy (RNY gastric bypass 5/23/22)

I have struggled with my weight since I was five years old. Late in 2016- at 28 years old at my heaviest weight- I had my first appointment with a bariatric surgeon in Akron, Ohio where I live and began the steps towards gastric bypass. I was so scared. But I knew that I would rather risk my life than live like this forever. I feared that my parents would bury me in 20 years and that my sister would become an only child. I knew I had to do something. I had tried everything. Between the ages of 8-28 I had tried everything under the sun. I could not lose/maintain the weight loss. On June 26, 2017- I had gastric bypass surgery. I have lost/maintained 180 pound weight loss. I have a whole new life. It is quite beautiful. I look forward to living everyday. I share my journey on Instagram - (my name on there is Maddie5088) and I also have a public Facebook Page called Mornings with Maddie. I created a blog almost a year ago that focuses on sharing my journey, creating/sharing healthy recipes. You can find it here - foodfitnessandbeauty.com I share body positivity, kindness, self love, inclusivity, healthy recipes, grocery hauls, I do monthly giveaways, how to meal prep, affordable/easy meals for bariatric patients and I do Q and As for Bariatric patients. I have felt very called to share my journey with the bariatric community! I hope you come follow along my story! It’s been a heck of a ride! Xoxo Maddie

I turned 43 today. I'm three days into my pre-op diet--I'm on the road to a thinner, healthier me. This is the best gift I can give myself. It will last the rest of my life. I'm sticking pretty much to Isopure protein shakes, chicken, tuna, cheese, cottage cheese, and almonds. I'm getting in about 100 grams of protein a day; my minimum is supposed to be 70. I'm doing great. My carbs are supposed to stay under 30 a day; this is soooo not a problem. Hubby took me out for dinner to celebrate. We went to Outback Steakhouse and I got the center-cut filet (medium rare) with a Caesar salad. I enjoyed every single bite, because I know it will be quite awhile before I can eat another steak or salad. It was delicious! We're looking to buy some riverfront property on the San Marcos river here in Texas. I went out and stomped around on the piece we're most interested in--most likely it's in the flood plain. I wish it wasn't. It's gorgeous. We so want to live on the San Marcos river after I graduate from dental hygiene school in May 2008. George retires from the phone company after 30+ years in December 2009. Life just keeps getting better for both of us. We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on July 4. We've been together for almost seven years. After several failed marriages between us, we took our time getting to know each other. We are perfect for each other. Anyway, back to the lap-band. My sister had a band placed five years ago and has done very well, despite having stretched her pouch. She's lost all of her weight and has been training daily and running marathons for about three years now. I started investigating different weight-loss surgeries for me about a year ago. At first I thought I'd do the vertical sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch, but since I have Crohn's disease, my gastroenterologist wouldn't approve it for me. Then I thought the Rouen-Y--same response from my doctor. Well, then I figured that the lap-band would be okay, because it could be reversed, if I had a life-threatening flare-up of my Crohn's disease. My doctor said he thought that was a great idea. In April, I went to a bariatrics seminar held at Seton hospital here in Austin, Texas, and Dr. Mark Sherrod presented all of the information, pre-qualification factors, etc. and he was so personable. I enjoyed the presentation and spoke with him for sometime afterward. My husband came with me and enjoyed it as much as I did. He really liked Dr. Sherrod too. I made an appointment and saw Dr. Sherrod for the first time on a doctor/patient basis in May. With a BMI of 43, I was definitely a candidate for the surgery. There was a ton of paperwork to fill out, questions to answer, future appointments to schedule, etc. that kept me very busy. I went back on June 25th for a meeting with anesthesiology (for an EKG), the psychologist (to make sure I had realistic expectations), an exercise therapist (to give me ideas on what kinds of exercise was reasonable for me), a nurse with the bariatrics team (to discuss the actual surgery, possible complications, etc.), and a dietician (to discuss my eating habits, the pre-op diet, and post-op diet, and lifetime eating habit modification). My gallbladder decided to go bad, and after a couple of gallbladder tests, that came back strongly indicating a malfunctioning organ, Dr. Sherrod was kind enough to take it out for me on June 29. Whew! I feel so much better. I had my gallbladder removed at the Central Park Surgical Suites on 38th St. here in Austin. And I had such a terrific experience that I've canceled my lap-band surgery at Seton hospital, and have scheduled to have it done at the Central Park Surgical Suites. Dr. Sherrod raves about the staff there, and I can certainly understand why. I had my very own nurse who made sure that I never felt any pain. She was priceless! I don't really have any misgivings about the upcoming surgery. I know that I will mourn the loss of my best friend (food), but honestly, my best friend has let me down for 20 years. It's a sick, sick, sick relationship. Food doesn't make me feel better about myself, it hasn't made me healthy, it turned my mom into a type II diabetic, and I know I'm next. If I had a human friend who treated me the way food has, I sure wouldn't have kept that friend around for 20 years! So, the lap-band goes on July 19. It's a tool to help me control how much I eat. And since I will have such a tiny stomach, I will have to be super smart about what I put into my body. It's no different than when George stopped smoking four years ago. He used the patch, the lozenges, and the gum. They were tools to help him curb is addiction. The band will help me curb my addiction. I'm very excited about starting my new life. I'm only 43, if I treat myself well, I could live another 40 years and enjoy my grandkids and their children, and maybe even their childrens' children. How cool would that be? I'm going to commit to posting here once a week. I sure I can do it once school starts up again. We shall see.:kiss

Colds can definitely hose up your senses of taste and smell. I haven't noticed this yet myself, but a lot of the people in my bariatric support group have mentioned their tastes in food changing after surgery, so that might also be a culprit. Is it a metallic taste in your mouth? That could be a result of being in ketosis, which is generally good for weight loss but does leave a funky taste in one's mouth. I hope you get over the cold soon. Best wishes!

I'm having surgery in the morning, and I've also had the same thoughts. My mom works in an operating room, and tells me stories all the time that scare the crap out of me and makes me want to back out myself (please note most of these are trauma patient who were in rough shape to start, none were bariatric patients) But, three weeks ago a close friend lost his father to a heart attack, completely unexpected and young. Sure, death is a risk of surgery, but death is also a risk of living. You could die crossing the street, does that mean your not going to do it? Nope, but you can do what you can to prevent it, and look boths ways. The same with surgery, listen to what your doctor tells you to do, eat your Protein and take your Vitamins, drink your Water, and move around so you don't get clots, loose what they tell you too, so it is easier for your surgeon to see. Choose a Bariatric COE, so you know your taken care of. I'm still scared, but we can do this.

Don't freak out! I have BCBSVT, so I am sure it is similar. As long as you have completed the 6 month required doctor/ nutritionist visits, had your psych evaluation, and any other test your doctor requires you should not be denied. It took about 3 1/2 weeks for me to get my letter. The one difference is my Bariatric doctors office sent all info to the insurance to make sure everything was completed correctly. You should be able to search BCBSMN Bariatric Policy and it will tell you all you need to know. I had the RNY on May 28. I chose RNY over sleeve, because the sleeve is still new and so many people seem to get the sleeve and then end up having the RNY anyway. Of course it hurt some, but you are going to have pain killers in the hospital, and will be given some for when you leave. I used them for 3 days only. The main thing is walk, walk, walk! Luckily my husband was with me so I walked the hospital halls every two hours. The pre op diet was the worst, after surgery was a breeze because you don't really feel like eating. It is very hard to get all your Water and Protein in at the beginning, but by week 3 it gets easier. Trust me you will want to skip food stages, especially the puréed/ soft to regular food but don't. You want to be gentle on your new stomach so it can heal and you do not want to stretch your new pouch. In regards to work, you will lose energy at the beginning because of less food, surgery and recovery. Personally I was not worth anything for the first 10 days. I slept most of the first five, so I would recommend taking 2 weeks off. You should be given louvenox ( blood thinner shot) to use for ten days after surgery to prevent blood clots. So you should have no worry there. Good luck and just keep your mind on the end result you want. In 4'weeks I have lost 30 pounds.

Hi. I'm new here and having Lap Band surgery with Dr. Pomp on 2/24...one day after your fill :tt2:. I'm really nervous about the whole thing but know Dr. Pomp is a more than a well-respected surgeon. He was promoted to Chief of Laparoscopy and Bariatric Surgery in April of 2008 and he (and his staff) have been nothing but helpful. Good luck on the fill. I will be interested to hear how it goes! Ruth

Now would be a great time to try the chewables you will need post op. I use Twin Labs Calcium Citrate with Magnesium and D (60 wafer bottle--4 a day dose) available at Vitacost.com for $7.67 each, $4.99 shipping for any size order. I order about 5 bottles (plus Twin Labs liquid Fish Oil for my Omega 3s) so I only have to order every 2 months and it all comes for $4.99. I actually paid $17.99 for it in a Healthy Options store, so this is a great price. You can also try Bariatric Advantage (bariatricadvantage.com) for their Calcium Citrate. I am pretty sure it comes with D. Citrate is the better form of calcium (absorbs better than carbonate) and the Vitamin D should be D3 or cholocalciferol.

@@kradtke5 I think you and I have talked about these pains and aches before and even at almost three weeks post op, I'm still in a lot of pain and discomfort. My left side pain went from tugging and pulling to burning and aching and of course I freaked out! New feeling, new worry. I called my Bariatric RN and just like I knew she would, she told me it was normal and to keep moving as much as possible (which is barely possible ) I personally think that it's absolutely normal to have these fears and worries that we do; some of us have NEVER done this before and had no idea what to expect! I also agree with @@esskay77 that just the sheer worry and anxiety of ensuring I get enough Protein, Vitamins, liquid, etc. is enough to knock me down for an hour or two with tears! This is a whole new lifestyle change for us newbies and we're getting used to it. It can be overwhelming, for sure. When I find myself about to freak out about pain or forgetting a dose of my vitamins, I literally just close my eyes and take a few deep breaths and tell myself "I Got This. I'm learning one day at a time" and I get myself together and move forward. It works nine times out of ten! I know it's easier said than done but try to relax..it will help your body, it will help your mind and it will help your spirits. You're only 9 days out - it's going to take some time, so be good to you! I think Winnie the Pooh (or Christopher Robin?) said it best: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. xoxo

I used Wellesse liquid multi-vitamins for the first several weeks. I took a double dose, one in the morning, one at night. I eventually switched to Trader Joe's Chewable High Potency Multi-Vitamins. For the first several months, 2x/day, then switched to one per day. I've had my labs drawn throughout and they have always been great. Both Wellesse and Trader Joe's are cheaper, lower calorie, and lower carb than any bariatric specialty vitamins, which are, IMO, basically formulated to be fake candy with vitamins added in.

I used Opti-fast when I got the lap band and I bought it online. Are you from So. Cal? I wonder if we have the same doctor? Dr. Paya? I remember Opti-fast being available through him...Anyway, this time I bought my own whey protein and made my own shakes. I buy most of my vitamins at walmart or the vitamin shoppe but I do get my calcium citrate chews from bariatric advantage because I haven't been able to find the chewy ones (chocolate, caramel, etc.) in citrate form anywhere else.

Twelve years ago when I arrived at the hospital to have my gastric bypass, just before going into surgery, the bariatric surgeon suggests removing my gall bladder. Back then, I was not an empowered patient. So I just said, "OK" trusting that my surgeon new best. And now I am having a host of digestive issues, and wondering f the surgeon made a very stupid decision that day. After all, why remove my gall bladder when I wasn't having any gall bladder problems??? Here is a linked article about how to achieve optimal digestive health if your gall bladder is removed http://bodyecology.com/articles/is_your_gall_bladder_removed.php. I do not advocate any of the products listed. I am posting the link so folks can read about the role of the gall bladder in digestion and its vital role with the liver. I have had to take many products to help relieve my severe digestive issues, issues which include constipation, distention, bloating, gas, pain. A gastroenterologist did upper and lower endoscopies and a CT scan. All of that is normal. A naturopath/chiropractor has been doing energy work on me. Despite all these efforts, my digestion is still not normal. It is much better than what it was... oh the constipation was awful... my husband said it sounded like I was delivering a baby... the pain was awful and I seem to have given myself a hernia trying to have a BM. Has anyone had similar problems? I sure would like (love) to get this resolved. Thanks for your help

Are you struggling with the question "Is Lap Band Surgery for Me?" I was. I spent endless hours confused while I was researching weight loss surgery. Now I'm in my fifth year and maintaining a normal, healthy weight, something I never thought possible. With a combined weight loss of 340 pounds and ten years of experience using the lap band as a tool to achieve our goals, my lap band mentor and I wrote this book to help others answer this question. It's a step-by-step guide, written from the perspective of real patients, to help you with your decision process and it's now available on amazon. Learn what a leading bariatric surgeon has to say about why you should read this book if you are considering lap band surgery here. You can read the introduction here. I'm happy to help answer your questions. I really struggled with my decision and am hoping to help pay it forward. Good luck on your journey.

I went in this morning thinking everything would be fine. The EGD/endoscopy was a little uncomfortable, but that was expected. What I didn't think would happen is my bariatric surgeon (who also did my endoscopy) would tell me I had a hernia. He took pictures of it and everything. *Sigh* He says it's not exactly a "No" to the banding surgery. He did give me a prescription for Nexium and one of the endoscopy unit nurses gave me a pamphlet about treatment for hernias. The surgeon said that he could try to repair it when the banding is done, but I think he wants to see how well I can adjust to the Nexium and the guidelines as such.. cutting back on coffee, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, that sort of thing. If that doesn't help and they do another scoping and find that it hasn't improved, then I'll probably need to be referred elsewhere for surgery just for the hernia. So, I've taken my first purple pill. I guess at the moment that's all I can do. I cried in the endoscopy unit. The nurses were like, "Cheer up, things could be worse," and they're right. It's just that I'm trying my best to get everything done and to move on with my life. *Sigh* Just needed to vent. Thanks for the opportunity.

I think the amount of Protein shakes impacts the smell regardless of which bariatric surgery. Had lapband surgery 10/12/16

Anyone know of any pilots out there that have been banded, any problems with the FAA or with renewing the medical. As well i enjoy deep sea scuba diving, any problems ever experience. thank you.

I just did what my bariatric team instructed me to do. It was hard but I was too scared to deviate that soon after surgery. I just kept drinking warm tea, broth, diet cranberry juice all day. Surprisingly, it kept me full. I must admit I was happy to reach the mushy phase. I tore up some mashed potatoes lol. Best wishes to you.

went on a sample binge... Unjury, Netrition, Chike, Smartforme, Bariatric advantage. I am very committed to this, If I am putting out this much $, gonna follow the rules! Tried a medifast tomato soup UCK (glad I didn't pay for it!). will keep my BLOG updated with survey says....

In all of my researching I have never found an instance of bariatric surgery or any other kind causing cancer. I have had prostate cancer and it had nothing to do with surgery. Some people think biopsies release cancer but no definitive answers there. If cuts cause cancer why wouldn't we get skin cancer from all the gashes we get stitches for? All surgery is is sewn up cuts. I've had dreams about gigantic cartoon characters trying to run me down and stomp me. Sponge Bob is not as nice as people think he is.

Did your NUT give you a list of foods/shakes that are approved? Are you still on Clear liquids? Full liquids? I am not familiar with Herballife shakes specifically so you will need to read the labels and check with your NUT to make sure they have the right Protein to carb ratio. Many Protein Shakes aren't bariatric friendly because they have too many carbs.