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I was told absolutely no gummies as well. I take the Procare Bariatric chewable formula with iron. It's never upset my stomach. However a friend had an issue with the iron in it upsetting her stomach so she started taking it at night before bed. It worked for her.

I started taking the vitamins from my first appointment with the surgeon six months prior to surgery. I started with chewables from the very beginning because I hate swallowing big pills. I stopped a couple days before surgery when I had to start the liquid diet. I resumed the bariatric multivitamin chewable about 4-5 days after surgery. I was instructed to not take the calcium citrate chewables until I could eat pureed foods. Around that time I also started the d3, b12, b3 and biotin too. My vitamin levels 3 months post surgery were higher than my values before surgery.

I will be doing self-pay in Mexico, surgery on 9/21. All in (hotel, flights, surgery, meds, spending money, etc.) will be just about $5,500. I did the math and using insurance would have put my out of pocket at about $7,000 and take roughly 9 months, versus about 3 months with my current surgeon. I wasn't so much concerned about the cost, though it was a factor, but I did take issue with the timeline. I have consulted for bariatric surgery multiple times and always chickened out. I didn't want to give myself that option this time. Putting down a down payment and a date on the calendar made it non-negotiable to me. On top of that, going the self-pay route cuts WAY down on the red tape and pre-op crap that insurance requires.

I was self pay for my sleeve - my employer-paid insurance plan had a specific exclusion against bariatric surgery. All in all, it was just under $20k. Had a stuck to my original practice, it would have been much closer to $30k (I'm in the Washington, DC area). Timing from start to finish is hard to comment on in my case... I switched practices at the beginning of COVID so that slowed things down incredibly. And then I was a bit slow in getting some of the requirements done (like getting my endoscopy, etc) because life and work got crazy. If I had been more on top of that sort of thing, it would have been faster esp with no insurance involved.

Don't forget that you may be able to have sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jello, and broth while on the liquid diet. (Double check with your nutritionist if you haven't been told this.) I did the two week liquid diet after reading about it, before I even met with the bariatrics team. I wanted to know if I could do it! It turns out that this surgeon does not require the two week liquid diet, just two days of clear fluids after following a high protein/low carb food plan leading up to it. The two-week liquid diet is doable if you keep drinking water and make use of the free items.

Yes, I had a simple gastroplasty (stomach stapling) in 1980. I lost 75 lbs by 6 months and then stopped losing. Over the next ten years I gained it all back. I had NO nutritional or psych guidance at all. In 1990 I had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and the same thing happened. I lost about 75 lbs by six months and stopped losing. Again, I had NO nutritional guidance or follow up. I returned to my original set point of over 300 lbs, where I remained despite many attempts at weight loss. Fast forward 30 years... Just before COVID hit, I met a man who told me he had RNY revision as a prerequisite for knee replacement surgery. I had no idea that a revision was possible. I was certainly interested, but then the pandemic arrived. Six months ago, I started thinking about it again and contacted a bariatric center 90 miles from my home. A barium swallow and an endoscopy revealed that the staples from the prior surgery had given way allowing a fistula (opening) between pouch and stomach, which back then was not cut away, just separated from the pouch by staples. It was obvious that there was a physical cause for the failure of the earlier surgeries. The surgeon assured me that the staple failure was not my fault due to up-chucking or pouch stretching, but was actually caused by the peristalsis of the stomach. He said that about 75% of the earlier WLS failed for this reason. Today, different kinds of staples and closure protocol are in place to prevent this kind of failure. I was put in the bariatric program to have a revision. I've lost 44 lbs to date and still have a couple of requirements to complete before revision surgery is scheduled. I'm hoping to have it in October. I'm excited but wary. Deep down I am afraid that the same thing will happen. My age (73) and prior surgeries are hurdles so I don't expect miraculous results. My hopeful goal is to get under 200 lbs. My dream goal is to reach 175 lbs. or lower. In the past six months, I've read over a dozen books about bariatric surgery and food addiction and collected a slew of bariatric cookbooks. I'm much better prepared than I was for the earlier surgeries. I now realize that I am a sugar/food addict, that "maintenance" doesn't work for me. I have to be continually vigilant about avoiding sugar, flour, wheat, rice, and processed foods. The only successful way to conquer addiction is abstinence. How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works, by Matthew Weiner ** Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, By Marina Kurian, Barbara Thompson, Brian Davidson ** Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction, by Vera Tarman *** Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Treat Food Addiction, by Connie Stapleton *** Why Diets Fail (because youʼre addicted to sugar), by Nicole Avena & John Talbott *** Bariatric Surgery & Food Addiction, by Philip Werdell *** (written for the clinician, but I found it valuable} The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook*** A Pound of Cure, by Matthew Weiner (Focus on plant-based eating, not as restrictive as Bright Line Eating) Bright Line Eating, by Susan Peirce Thompson (similar to Kay Shepardʼs food plan without the 12-step program) Food Addiction: The Body Knows, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) From The First Bite: A Complete Guide to Recovery, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) Never Binge Again, by Glenn Livingston Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton (A bit outdated)

that's weird. If it were me, I'd think the same as you - too little, too late. Is she still willing to prescribe the scripts? If not, I'd contact the surgeon - they'll probably be willing to do it (in fact, I'm pretty sure the bariatric clinic prescribed all my pre- and post-surgery scripts)

Did you use Torrance Bariatric?

You're in a miserable situation for sure. I hope you and your family and friends came through the storm OK. I was on liquids for a week, then moved to puree stage. Some docs like their patients to stay longer on liquids. During the liquid phase, you can have protein drinks, thin cream of wheat, Greek yogurt, strained/blended soups, things like that. I would eat/drink slowly and stick to half a cup or so. It will take a while to learn what "full" feels like, but pay attention to the slightest feeling of fullness, and don't eat even a couple bites more, or you will regret it. During the puree phase, you can eat things that are blended to the consistency of applesauce. At that stage, I was grinding up dishes like chicken marsala or chicken curry and thinning them with a little chicken broth to get the right consistency. I would also grind soup and add chicken to get the right consistency and also add some protein. My doc said I could have soft fish and scrambled eggs during the puree phase if I chewed them well. One of my first mistakes, though, was trying to eat one egg and one egg white scrambled. It was too much and I didn't know to stop. If you have protein drinks, you can probably exist on those for a while. It will also help if you have power to run a blender. We could probably offer suggestions if you tell us what you have on hand and whether you have power or not. In Houston, Ike was a bad storm for us. I can't imagine how it would have been if I'd been recovering from bariatric surgery at the same time.

My Dr told me I could take ANY kind of multi vitamin, that it didn’t have to be bariatric specific. Does that sound right to anyone else? Also, I use a B12 nasal spray (prescription) once a week. It’s awesome, no injection and no sublingual.

SORRY JUST NOTICED I’M ON THE GASTRIC SLEEVE FORUM - I’M A BYPASS PATIENT hence the comments below about injecting B12… SORRY! I’m in the UK and 8 years out from my op - the first few weeks I was forced to take liquid vitamins that were disgusting (drinks that fizz!!) but I’m now on permanent prescription tablets here in the UK and because I’m over 60 I get it free at the point of delivery (all working individuals pay into a national insurance scheme). I do know that we were told categorically that 1) we had to take multivitamins (bariatric grade), plus zinc, calcium, (and if you’re a pre-menopausal lady) iron daily; and 2) that we had to do B12 injections. I take 500mg chewable Calcium with vitamin D (daily), Zinc 220 mg (2 0r 1 alternate days), Iron 210mg twice a week and Foreceval multivits & minerals (daily). B12 can be done either intramuscular (absorbs quicker, but done generally by a health care professional) or intradermal which is easy to do yourself. I do the latter, as I do the injections once a month by myself. There are videos on YouTube about how to self-inject. The syringes are only small like insulin needles, and painless. I source these myself as the UK is very behind the US in their appreciation of the merits of B12! Oh - and I barely, if any, lost any hair… maybe a few more than usual when washing for a couple of weeks, when the weight was coming off quickly, but nothing I could ever see.

You're not alone. I'm already depressed. I am a sugar addict and have questioned, "what's left after the food is gone? How will I find relief?" I've also questioned the point of anything going forward because, well, "what's the point if I haven't got my best friend food to support me?" I'm questioning whether it is a good idea to even get the surgery, however have been encouraged by two bariatric psychs that it's totally normal to grieve food. Food is 100% a drug for me. It's deeper-rooted than the cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, alcohol and sedatives I used to use. I'm assembling a team of online video support groups weekly, a bariatric psychologist and a therapist to help carry me through the next couple of months.

My nutritionist told me that according to recent findings, some tiny percentage of the B12 is absorbed, and that is indeed why they put an absurd percentage of the RDA in the bariatric vitamin tabs. I'll find out whether it's enough for me when the blood work is done. I think the injections are just once a month, so I would probably do that over the sublingual option. The injections are much less expensive. I did enoxaparin injections three times a day for two weeks after surgery, and they weren't too bad.

My surgeon's office told me to start the vitamins about a week after surgery. The first month a used a chewable one that was unpalatable. Since then, I've been using these from Amazon. They have 45 mg of iron, so I don't need additional iron supplements. Vitamin B12 is often a problem for bariatric patients. These also have 41,000 times the FDA's required daily allowance of B12, which I hope will be enough that B12 shots aren't required. (They will do my blood work on the 5-month post-surgery visit.) I also take a 500 mg calcium citrate tablet three times a day. The link to the vitamins: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HZ3YQ5X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Edit: The price is $30 for three months, which isn't too bad.

Your dietician or your clinic may have samples of the bariatric advantage. I think the sample was mixed berry and one other I can’t remember. I got them from my dietician.

Ditto! I am looking for vitamins as well! I tried the Optifast chews and I don’t like the chalk taste. I tried the bariatric advantage chewables in wild grape, it has a bitter after taste……has anyone tried any other flavor of the bariatric advantage gummies? Or any other brand that taste good?

I started taking mine during the pre op diet. I started with bariatric advantage chewable multivitamin but I just switched to bariatric pal with my NP’s go ahead. My clinic is super strict on vitamins and insists that I take bariatric formulations and strongly encouraged the bariatric advantage but I needed something cheaper so I did some research myself and found the bariatric pal. I am also taking a calcium citrate I found on Amazon by 21st Century Vitamins instead of the bariatric advantage chews but this is NOT with permission of my clinic. I just figured I am having labs again and would see what difference it made in three months time so I will see next month. In the beginning I took the bariatric advantage chews and they taste great and labs were perfect. They are just a bit pricey.

Hi there, Bloodhound. I started taking my supplements (chewables) the day I got home from the hospital. Unfortunately, I don't have any good recommendations as I have struggled to find some that don't make me nauseous. So, for now I've been taking Flintstones Complete. My nut says these aren't ideal and the goal is to get me onto standard bariatric supplements. She's ok with them for now though, and says they are a "band-aid fix", until we can find some that my body tolerates. I also add in 45mg of Iron, calcium, and also Folic Acid vitamins (per doctor's orders) too. Hopefully, I will find some standard bariatric ones soon.

Hi, when did you start taking bariatric supplements, and which brand is the best?

I read a couple of posts from people who were told by Kaiser that skin removal and other post bariatric plastics are not part of their plan. I don't want anyone to suffer for years as I did because of being told the wrong information! I'm learning to push back when told NO since often times the people on the other end of the phone tend to not have all the answers or are told to derail people with questions from learning the real truth in order to save $ Anyway, there was a class action in 2015 against Kaiser sparked by post WLS denials. And as it turns out this can have repercussions for insurance that systematically deems skin removal as an elective surgery that isn't covered in cases of extreme weight loss. Link https://blog.cvn.com/kaiser-ordered-to-broaden-reconstructive-surgery-coverage-after-class-action-trial https://legalnewsline.com/stories/510629463-calif-judge-rules-that-insurer-at-center-of-class-action-over-skin-removal-surgeries-must-broaden-coverage When I went to be evaluated for plastic surgery in 2017, we were told we could have one procedure. Dr said I didn't qualify for a panni because it didn't quite hang low enough, just to clarify...their measurement is 'abdominal skin must cover pubic region entirely'' which is BS with the years of skin rashes I have had. He said I just barely qualified for breast reduction surgery which I had 5 months later, the waiting list was long. He said I would be a C cup (from a DD) and I wasn't happy when I ended up a B but worse things could happen. I'm 16 years Post Gastric BP and should've had a revision 4-5 years ago when weight gain started creeping up, no longer going down... about 15 lbs a year since 2018. I could never break past 170 to reach goal of 155 but I'm goin to pursue the distal revision as of this week. It's now or never, I have to get a social life! The rule is you have to be at your goal and stable for months before a skin removal surgery will be covered by insurance so I'll have to wait longer even longer for that as consequence of procrastinating on a revision! I've been disabled with an autoimmune illness so I never returned to the job I enjoyed after the WLS. I didn't put much effort into pursuing solutions for skin removal after research showed it would be very costly out of pocket expense and not covered by insurance. So I haven't really felt the freedom of losing 140 lbs because I still cover up my body! No swimsuits, no sleeveless anything or clothing that accentuates the possibility of a waist, LOL. I wish I had the confidence of those who wear what they want, no matter their size! I've wanted to leave Kaiser to return the awesome Dr I previously had who actually listened and treated me like a human being. Staying with Kaiser only until these surgeries are done and I'm out of there! Kaiser ruling.pdf

It's so funny that years later this is still a staple! In the bariatric program here in Columbus through OhioHealth, they actually include the recipe as an example of food to eat during Stage 2 Puree, and I've modified throughout my progress to be a little thicker at stage 3 and now normal food stage. I use a bit of ricotta or cottage cheese and LF Sour Cream in place of the Greek yogurt. Great post!

I was like that, too. I thought being in the 300s that I would be one of the smallest people in my cohort. Nope - I was the biggest. Although I'm not that great at judging weight, I'd say most of the women I went through classes with were more like 250-ish, give or take. After I lost all my weight, I was a regular speaker for the pre-op classes. I did this until the pandemic hit, so three or four years. At least once a month. So I've seen hundreds of pre-op patients. I'd say in any given class, most people are in the 200s. And there are usually a handful that look like they're probably in the 300s. Maybe a very occasional person over 400. But never anyone the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life". I don't even think my clinic would accept them - they'd have to go to a bariatric surgeon like Dr. Now who specializes in high-risk patients.

95 pounds in 6 months makes you a bariatric rock star! You're not just doing "okay", you're crushing it! Recalibrate your expectations and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Getting down to goal is hard, those last few pounds definitely fight you, but it will happen if you stick with it. It took me almost 2 years to get to my final goal, but it happened! Congratulations, you're a success story!

My bariatric clinic's nutritionist just quit, and they're not sure how long it'll be before they find a new one. Anyone have a NUT they love in Southern California (specifically OC)? I know I won't need a NUT right away, but I don't want to be casting about trying to find one when I do.

Thanks so much for the responses. I do not have GERD, fortunately. These things are good to know. The surgeon did mention that Sleeve was the most popular among the bariatric surgeries he performs. My OBGYN said the same thing about COVID - hope it doesn't push back bariatric surgeries.