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Hello all! This is my first post here and I am thrilled to have this resource available at my fingertips. I have been reading posts for about two weeks and decided it was my turn to ask for your opinion. My relationship with food has been a lifelong struggle. After a while I gave up hating myself and tried to work on self love, which really just turned into justifying my bad habits. I started this gastric surgery journey at over 300 pounds after seeing a candid photograph of myself. I didn't recognize the person I saw in the photo. I had been ignoring health issues far too long that I knew were related to my habits. I began to make small changes like eliminating soda and fast food. I knew, though, that I needed to make a longer lasting change and the sleeve sounded like a great tool to reset my eating habits and relationship with food. My first appointment with the surgeon was June 8 2017. I weighed in at 294. I had four months worth of nutritionist visits, all of which I fluctuated between 295 and 297. Then I had my psychiatric evaluation on August 23 2017. My weight that visit was 299. The psychiatrist cleared me, but was very insistent that he typically wouldn't clear someone who had gained five pounds since their first visit and that my surgeon wouldn't perform the surgery unless I was down 5-10 pounds. My current weight is 290. My pre-op appointment is November 8 2017 and my surgery is scheduled for November 13, 2017. I am a nervous wreck. I have started going to the gym five days a week and doing half an hour of cardio. I don't restrict what I eat, only how much of it I eat. I know I will lose some weight as a result of the liquid pre-op diet but the psychiatrist's words haunt me. I am convinced after paying such a high deductible and all I've already been through that for some reason my surgery will be postponed. Has anyone else had a similar issue? How was it resolved?

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy New Year! BariatricPal wishes each of our members a happy and healthy year. We hope 2016 is a year you meet all your goals, whether they include getting weight loss surgery, hitting goal weight, or maintaining your loss. Here’s what we have in this newsletter to get you motivated and ready to go. A New Year’s Message from BariatricPal Time to Buckle Down: Here’s How Make Those Resolutions Last All Year! So take a look through the newsletter, then spend a few minutes to set your resolutions. It may help to come to the forums to talk about your goals and whatever else is on your mind! Then you may want to head out the door for a quick walk for a great start to the New Year. Happy New Year! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal A New Year’s Message from BariatricPal We want to wish all our members a happy and healthy New Year! We hope 2016 will be a year that sees you come closer to achieving your dreams. We hope BariatricPal will be an important part of your weight loss surgery support system as you work towards your goals, whether they are to look into weight loss surgery, lose weight, or maintain goal weight. A Quick Look Back at 2015 2015 was a busy year for BariatricPal! The forums have been blossoming. We have a weekly VIP Member Challenge going on. As a community, we hit a total weight loss of 3 million pounds! We also opened The BariatricPal Store! This had been in the works for a while, and it is a thrill to be able to support the weight loss surgery community through supplying healthy foods and supplements. Check the store often to see what’s on sale, and see our blog for the latest store news, recipes, and discounts. More to Come in 2016! We always have more projects up our sleeve. We expect 2016 to be filled with growth and exciting new developments for BariatricPal, so stay tuned! We know none of this is possible without your support, so a huge Thank You to all our members! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Time to Buckle Down: Here’s How It’s the New Year! That means the parties stop, the holiday treats disappear, and the stores advertise healthy foods for weight loss. Breathe a sigh of relief as the holiday food goes away! Easier to Focus There’s a good chance you slipped up a little during the holidays and need to get back on track. Even if you were perfectly disciplined, you may appreciate going back to your regular life. It’s easier stick to your everyday routine when there aren’t as many distractions. Go with a Sensible Plan For most WLS patients, a detox or fad diet isn’t the way to go. The most effective is to go back to the basics, cliché as that sounds. Focus on lean proteins and fill up on vegetables. Drink a lot of water. Eat slowly. Plan ahead. Measure your portions and log every bite. Make a Few Resolutions Remember to make them controllable, feasible, and clear. Here are some examples of better and less good resolutions. Controllable: “I will log every bite of food and stick to my 1,200 calories a day.” Not controllable: “I will lose 2 pounds every week.” You can’t control what the scale says, but you can control what and how much you eat. Feasible: “I will work out 5 days a week, leaving myself 2 days to recharge.” Not feasible: “I will work out every day.” What happens if you get sick, need a little extra sleep, or need to take a friend to the doctor? Did you fail at your resolution? Clear: “I will have fish three times a week.” Not clear: “I will eat more fish.” How do you know if you’re following your resolution if your goal is to eat “more” fish? How much is “more?” Set the Stage for Success Regardless of your specific resolutions, you’ll make more progress in your weight loss surgery journey if you set up your environment to help you succeed. Clear out your kitchen – pumpkin pie, egg nog, and Christmas cookies should be nowhere to be found. Restock it with nutritious foods you need. It should be packed with lean proteins, such as chicken, fat-free dairy products, tuna, eggs, and beans. There should be fresh vegetables and fruit, plus frozen and canned ones to do in a pinch. Round it out with some whole grains such as oatmeal, and healthy fats such as nuts and olive oil. Get your kitchen scale and measuring cups out of storage and put them in a prominent place. Check the gym schedule, get out your workout clothes, and lace up your walking shoes so you’re ready to get out the door for some exercise. There are some extra steps you can take to make progress easier this year. For example, if you’re still gathering information on weight loss surgery and trying to choose a surgeon, make a list of surgeons’ phone numbers and questions so you’re ready at a moment’s notice to make the necessary calls. Make Those Resolutions Last All Year! This year, make it easier to keep your New Year’s Resolutions with a subscription to your weight loss products from The BariatricPal Store. Choose your favorite protein bars, shakes, and smoothies, bariatric vitamins, instant meals, and great-tasting snacks. You’ll be reminded to focus on your goals every time you receive a delicious delivery from The BariatricPal Store! Just select “Subscribe and Save” on eligible products. Receive your products every 1, 2, or 3 months (your choice). Choose the quantity you want to receive. Get an automatic 10% discount on your subscription items. When your healthy meals are delivered year-round, there’s no need to go off your meal plan. You save time and can be confident of being nourished while you lose weight. That’s what we have for this newsletter. We wish you the best in your weight loss surgery journey in 2016, and hope you’ll keep sharing your goals and progress with us on the forums. Again, Happy New Year!

I was sleeved 2nd May, so 3 months post op now. I"m doing well, mostly feeling good (Aunt flo knocked me around pretty bad mentally the other week). I'm eating 800-1000 calories a day, minimum 75g protein (keeping detailed track in MyFitnessPal) and finding that's plenty to keep my body happy and hunger at bay. I"m not doing any major exercise/extra walking/gym etc, but am doing physical work shifting a lot of dirt, heavy digging, shoveling mulch etc in my veggie patch when the weather allows me (mid-winter here). My weight tends to stay the same for up to a week, then drop for a week, then stagnate again for a bit. I weigh myself most days but never feel disappointed when it's stalling since I know I'm eating well and the scales will eventually drop again. I'm down just over 10 BMI points now and almost half way to goal with a loss of 28kg (62 pounds), 18kg (40 pounds) of it since surgery.

BREAKFAST 1) Oatmeal: One packet plain oatmeal mixed with 1 tsp brown sugar, 10 g dried fruit, 10g almond slivers 200 cal can add a Greek yog with fruit for extra 80cal 2) Eggs and Bacon, 1/4c eggwhite and 3 turkey bacon = 200 cal (again add a yogurt if necessary) 3) Omelet: 1/4 c eggwhite or 1 whole egg, cook spinach tomato and garlic in separate pan for bulk, add quiona for texture and depending on your calorie allotment feta cheese for a punch of flavor (2-300 cal). SNACKS: 1/2 c cottage cheese (80 cal), greek yogurt (80 cal), cheese stick and slice of ham (80 cal), soft laughing cow cheese on rice cake (80 cal), soup (100 cal), after workouts I have protein shakes for proper recovery (100-150 cal), hummus on rice cake or well toasted low cal bread 1) df

My surgery was 12/10. At my 2 week check in my doctor told me I could start on my kids chewable vitamins until I wasn't as sensitive.

It looks like you are doing wonderfully! :tongue2: 10 pounds in 1 or 2 months is awesome! Remember, even though we want it gone fast 1-2 lbs per week is normal and healthy... Keep in mind, this is not a diet, its a lifestyle! (I just started the process but I could imagine it getting annoying if you focus just on bland food) Add stuff to your food. Don't be too afraid! What do you think is missing? Add spices to your foods. With onion, garlic, salt, pepper lemon or lime wine Cream sauces- with skim milk. salsa ginger pickles hot/sweet peppers easy ideas- frozen meals (lean cuizine/smart ones has some tastey low calorie stuff); subway sandwiches (veggie delight with pickles); turkey and low fat/fat free cheese rolled up with lettuce; tuna with mustard and pickles (lol I love pickles can you tell-gives it tons of flavor); egg whites with salsa... I was told by my doctor that I pretty much can eat other foods then just low calorie after my full food phase BUT its all about portion control and moderation. So if I decide to have a higher calorie meal, I will just be sure to compensate with exercise or watch the other meals... and just have a smaller portion of it. I would think that if you look at this as a strict diet, you will give up. But look at it as a lifestyle and allow yourself to have other foods as a TREAT once in a while, then you will feel more satisfied. Be good all week then allow yourself one or two meals/snacks on the weekend that you normally wouldn't have, as a reward... But remember moderation and portion. Sorry it was so long! Good Luck!:thumbup:

This time is really fuzzy - I was in the post-op recovery for about an hour, but then I slept for pretty much the entire next day. I woke up intermittently for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, but usually just to puke :/ That being said, it did appear the post-op pain management team gave me a little too much pain medication so that likely had a strong effect. By day two I was much closer to normal. If you've ever had surgery before or been "knocked out" before (not at the dentist), the experience will likely be very similar. Every body reacts differently to anesthesia though, and a lot can differ between meds.

Hi VJSlim, Thanks for your kind words! Yes I was lucky that I've not had any slips or erosion (nne known anyway...) but I have had one heck of a time with stuckage, for lack of a better word, and that is painful enough. My husband thought I was exaggerating about things getting stuck or just not going through. until the night I was having a 1/4 Greek yoghurt (stevia powder to knock the sour a little though). I was eating with a baby spoon (the one my mom fed me with, it's metal, and not even as big as the end of my thumb), and 4 spoons in, I was up and running to the bathroom. Hes hot on my heels saying, 'there is no way that tiny amount is a problem! I have to see this.....'. To this day he regrets that because i proceeded to gag and retch for about 10 minutes until what resembled a jellyfish came up. The look on his face! Looking back it's hilarious, but at the time I wanted to just die, of embarassment and also because I was so sick of going through it. And that was a couple week after my first fill. I had 5, or maybe 6 more fills after that, unbelievably! So that is one part I'm looking forward to with the sleeve, how different the restriction feels. I've been reading lots of posts on here and the more I read the better I feel about getting the sleeve. Less doubts and reservations about it now. Cheers!

First, good luck this morning at your scan! Hopefully it is just the healing process and at the very least a little infection that anti-biotics will cure! I know exactly what the burning feeling is-my surgery was on 10/11/12- home a day early and by day 4, was feeling great. Burn only after a hard sneeze or cough...until I returned to work Monday 10/22/12-OMG, by the end if the day, the burning was back (I still have it to a lesser degree!). Went to my surgeon as area felt warm to the touch-very scared I tore something. I was fine, muscles are still healing from laproscopic tools (plus I had a bad hiatal hernia repaired!) I'm taking vicodin for the pain. At work I twisted, stretched and got up and down too much stressing the tissue trying to recover and heal. I'm supposed to go back Monday-I'm scared to give myself yet another setback. Take my advise-don't go back to work too soon-not worth it! Take care!

Hi there. I have had the lap band before. I did really well with it, lost over 150 pounds in a little over a year. well, with the weight loss, all of a sudden I was in super fertile mode and my husband and I got pregnant twice, and unfortunately lost both pregnancies. I had terrible morning sickness that lastest even after my second miscarriage. Because of that, my band slipped. Actually the bottom portion of my stomach was sucked through the top of my band and flipped over like a mushroom cap. Well, That was 2 years ago and I was just sleeved on July 2nd. I've already had some ups and downs after surgery. The pre-op diet was really rough for me. I lost 19 pounds before surgery and almost another 20 since. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled. However, I am super tired all the time and have no energy to even go walk. It's been the last 3 or 4 days mostly. Something you should know though. when the lap band is removed, you should be prepared for scaring. It made my sleeve surgery a little more difficult for my surgeons. That is probably why they would like to wait between surgeries for you. It's safer. I understand the want to have it done quickly so you can keep up with the weight loss, but your body needs time to heal. Again, trust me I understand how you feel. I have been there. Right now I"m having a hard time because things hurt when it hits my new stomach. I"m wondering if I will ever be able to eat a single bite with out it hurting or taking a drink without it hurting when it hits my stomach. My advice, just don't rush it. Let your body heal like it needs too. Putting your body under that much stress causes more complications. It's Major surgery. Just remember that! Best of luck to you! I'll keep you in my prayers!

That's interesting. I have not experienced hair loss to this point. I have been taking acetyl l carnatine with alpha lipoic acid for more than 10 years for brain health Never thought it might help with hair. I don't take biotin but I do eat eggs quite often. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm in the process of. I had a BMI of 34.2 (under the 35 needed) when I went for my first apt. Still had my band in will find out very soon if the insurance company approves. I finished all prior tests cardio, endo, nutrion, sleep, ultrasounds, xrays etc and on the 29th I need my gallbladder out. I also had to lose 10%of my body weight so fingers crossed. PS. I hate insurance, don't give up. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using BariatricPal mobile app

Just wondering how many calories per day I should be eating at four months post-op. Most days I try to eat no more than 800, and I totally beat myself up if I eat 1,000. I'm not getting much exercise because my 3-year-old and 10-month-old are completely sabotaging that. (But that is for another thread.)

I was also sleeved on the 29th of october. I was on protein drinks from 10/15 - 11/15. I have been on mushie foods (yougart, eggs, cheese, refried beans, canned tuna, chicken, salmon and string cheese and sliced cheese. I feel your pain. Initially when I began to introduce my belly to food it was unhappy. My stomach griped and had issues. Today is my 5th day on mushie foods and my stomach is ok, but when you eat to much, to fast it will let you know. I also started my vitamins when I started. While on protein drinks I felt the same way. Once you get on food it will be better, but know this there is a new sheriff in town called your new belly. lol U are doing fine.

Greeting fellow bandsters! I am 6 months post op and just had my 2nd fill. I had to search for another Doc. due to my surgeon having terrible aftercare services. Anyway, I just got my fill last week, and have been having SEVERE SALIVATING PROBLEMS AND GURGLING NOISES! These can be so embarrassing, as I have to go and spit in the sink or outside, or carry a cup to spit in. I can have 3-4 bites before filling full. Is this normal? Dont get me wrong... I am thrilled with my new weightloss, since losing 10 lbs in the last week. I was stuck and 40 lbs, and felt like a real failure for only losing this amount over 6 months. I am now at 50 and happy. Can anyone give me advice about my new symptoms? Are these abnormal, or will they just be a part of my new life? Thanks for your response! Take care ~ Bullit

I am hypothyroid and take Synthroid (100 mcg) daily. I normally take it first thing in the morning and I have been fine after surgery. I was recently given direction to take my Nexxium twice daily (morning and evening). My doctor said I can't take Synthroid with a PPI because it causes problems with absorption. So this morning I take my Nexxium when I wake up and figure I will take my Synthroid about an hour before lunch. By 930 AM I was sweating profusely and felt like I was having a hot flash! The RN who works with me asked if I had taken my Synthroid. I took it at at 10 AM and within 20 minutes the sweating and hot flash was back under control. Since I hadn't thought about it, I figured I would post for the other Hypo's out there after surgery.

Hang in there... It gets much much better. What will happen is one day you'll wake up and the psin will just be gone. I noticed when my tummy was wrapped tight it relieved sins of the pain. I used a panty girdle that went up right below my breast and it didn't push on the areas my staples were in. Having my stomach bonded helped tremendously during my walks.. I was actually super fast power walking at the end of week 2 and jogging be week 5.. (i was released before my 6 weeks) ~Leticia **HW: 259**PreOp: 216**SURG: 3/21/13 **Discharged @: 221** 4.5 mons post op. CW: 160.0 lbs. --- Only 10 lbs to my goal ---

I've always LOVED to cook and cater. Still do. I'm 10 days post op, have to be on liquids till 2/21. Then puréed foods. Can't stop watching the food network, already cooked huge dinners for husband and kids, then kick myself for smelling, seeing, WANTING a taste. Am I insane?!? What the hell? I think I must've been dropped on my head during the surgery. Just venting...

Hi, I was banded 10/18/05 and did very well following the lab-band diet until the day after Halloween. I started eating one reese and then another, they were bite size so at the time i felt it wasn't so bad, then i ate a bite size snickers, and another - i also ate a bite size twix. I felt so full when I was done that I thought I was going to pop. I went to bed and when I woke up this morning I feel sore on the left side. Tomorrow is my first followup visit after the surgery. I hope I didn't do any damage. The good thing is that when I was banded I was at 240 and today I'm at 224.5. I'm a little worried about being sore though. Did anyone else experience soreness after cheating:( ?

I have fought for every pound as well. See my chart for the last 4 months... 10 pound total loss. I am almost at 10 months out now. I am 14.5 pounds from goal. It may take me a year to lose it at this rate, but I already feel like a success. You are too!

Well today I decided to get serious about the post-op diet. I found that I could eat anything without any difficulty and so I did by about day 10. Yesterday I read why you should stay on the diet even if you can eat ( thanks WASabubblebut ) and decided that I should get serious and not wait till my first fill. Who knows if I have already streched the pouch by eating all the wrong things. I thought that when I have the band it will stop me from eating as I would get full quickly. I didn't realize that it may need to be adjusted a few times before it is at the right level for you. I have a lot to learn! Ok, this band is a TOOL not the miracle answer. So I'm commited now to going back to the beginning. I'm going to do liquids for 3 days just to get my body into fat burning mode then do mushies with lots of Protein to ward off the never ending hunger for as long as I can. And of course work with my head hunger. I find that's the most difficult! I have also booked in my first Aquaerobics class for Monday. I was doing it for 6 months prior to surgery for my aching joints and it really helped. I have the ok from the doctor to go back in the Water. Couldn't go in till now due to risk of infection. I can't wait. Hopefully by the time I am at 80kg I'll be able to do some gym work as well. Here goes. New commitment, wish me luck!

I think my week 3 stall lasted 7-10 days. I don't remember. After the stall broke, i started my current trend of losing ~.5 lb/day or 3-4 lbs/wk. It was frustrating, but it passed!

I mis understood my Protein intake,in my paper say 8oz a day so i have to split those 8oz,but at first i though it was 8oz 3times a day :-( no wonder i feel so dam full and blowded im so madddd,but from tomorrow on ill will do 2 and half oz 3times a day ,sad when sometimes u can't understand some instructions, surgery 10/09/2012

Ashiashley- PB stands for productive burping, which feels different from vomiting. For some people food comes up but I have only experienced it as slime. Basically, your food gets stuck and your body works overtime to move it out by producing thick clear saliva in your stomach and mouth. I have a runny nose too. It is very uncomfortable and there is no relief til it comes up. This never happened to me til I got my 1st fill then I got stuck on some dry chicken and it took about 10 min to work it out. Since my 2nd fill, it is much easier to get stuck and I have been stuck twice with the same slimy result. Luckily, I have never truly vomited with the band. It will teach you to respect the band quickly. Chewing well and small bites are the key.

I am day 10 out from my Gastric Sleeve procedure. I started feeling ill 4 days ago, low grade fever, head ache, and complete exhaustion. I finally called my doc yesterday and they wanted to check me out. I was told I was healing perfectly, have no idea why I had a log grade fever, and the reason I was exhausted was that I had had major surgery. Well, I felt silly, but better safe than sorry. Today is a new dilemma. Diarrhea. I keep hearing "hang in there, it gets better!" I'm trying to be patient. The good news is that I am not hardly sore from the surgery at all! I can get up and walk around with virtually no pain and that's why I thought I should be feeling better than I do. Good luck to you!