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Yes. It can be done. I have cancer and have already finished my treatments before I got my band. BUT, it's the only weight loss surgery I could have because of the 'adjustability' part. I can't imagine someone ever worrying about me being too thin, but if that or nutrition were an issue, they can unfill me for treatments. I hope you never have to find out personally! Best wishes! ~C

RNYTalk Newsletter By Hey, RNYTalk.com members!! Summer’s over and we’re into the beautiful days of early autumn. No matter where you live, we hope you’re getting a chance to get out and enjoy the weather! Any activity you do counts toward your weight loss, health and pleasure, so make an effort to get outside and get moving. Don’t forget to take your RNYTalk.com app with you so you can read the newsletter and keep up with the boards! Here’s what you’ll find in October’s newsletter. Member Spotlight: Meet Stacey dayonne! Bypass Challenge: Lend a Hand! Having a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy RNYTalk.com Members! Weight Loss Surgery: Not the Easy Way Out! Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Enjoy the newsletter and please feel free to let us know what you think! Thanks for your support. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder dinner for your spouse even when it’s not your turn. This challenge does more than make someone else’s life easier. It makes you value yourself more when you see how powerful you can be just by being kind to others. Don’t forget to let us know how you helped someone! What did you do? How did it make you feel? Let us know how it goes in the food, fitness and more! It’s never too late to try something new and exciting! Make It a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy RNYTalk.com Members! Okay, we know that the autumn is a busy time of year. If you’re a parent, your children are back in school and their activities are in full swing. You may be juggling work with your chauffeuring, catering and cleaning business – aka, taking care of your family! Most of us are pretty busy even if we’re not parents. It’s easy to use not having enough time as an excuse for getting off track with your weight loss. You might eat foods that you know you shouldn’t because you feel you just can’t squeeze in the time to prepare a healthy snack. We’ve all done it. You rush out the door in the morning and are busy all day. Some of these happen along the way. You are starving by lunchtime and grab a few truffles that give you severe dumping syndrome. You go by the vending machine for a soft drink that’ll make you feel sick within minutes. You realize at the end of the day that you haven’t stopped to drink for hours, and you have a headache and your stomach hurts. You know you should be eating lean Protein, but the closest thing you can find is pepperoni from the company’s pepperoni pizza – so to be polite, you eat the entire slice and it causes an obstruction. You start to depend on Protein shakes because those are the closest thing to a healthy meal that you can find at the company cafeteria. You don’t have to let a hectic schedule get in the way of your health! What can you do about it? Here are a few tips to make the most out of every day Prepare some of your meals and Snacks at the beginning of the week. Wash your fruits and vegetables so they’re easy to prepare when you need them. Cook some your Proteins - chicken breast, fish, seafood, lean beef and/or veggie burgers – and freeze them in single-serving baggies or containers. Cook up bigger batches, put them in single-serving containers and freeze them so you can defrost them when you’re ready to eat them. This is a great option for healthy side dishes, such as whole wheat Pasta, carrots or Beans. (You don’t have to make too much, since your single portions post-surgery are pretty small). Place snacks in single-serving bags if you buy a multi-serving package Plan your Breakfast the night before so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Take the time to make a grocery list. It’ll save you time in the end. Using a list will keep you from forgetting foods and needing to go back to the store during the week. You’ll be faster in the store because you won’t get distracted. Sticking to a list will keep you from buying foods you shouldn’t. Buy ingredients for breakfast Buy snack foods Make sure you drink enough. Stash Water bottles in your car and at work and keep them filled. It’ll encourage you to drink throughout the day and you won’t have to take the time to run to the kitchen each time you need to drink. Stick a pitcher of water in the fridge so you see it several times a day. Keep healthy snacks at work so you never find yourself starving with nothing healthy to eat. Beef Jerky and canned tuna, chicken, beans, vegetables keep for months. Frozen foods to consider keeping around include grilled chicken and fish, veggie burgers and vegetables. Yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and deli meats are high-protein snacks to keep in the fridge for a week or more. The more you plan, the better off you’ll be. You’ll save time and be more likely to eat well. And remember – you’re worth it! We suggest picking one or two strategies and working on them until you master them, then moving on to a new tip. Let us know how helpful the tips are! That’s a lot to chew on for this newsletter, so we’re going to end it here. There’s no end to the news, tips and conversations over at RNYTalk.com, so come on over via your computer, smartphone or Kindle! You can always check out the old newsletters, too, in the Newsletter Forum. Thanks for coming along in this newsletter and for being part of our fantastic community! We couldn’t do it without you. Have a great month and take care of yourself and each other, Alex. ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevers! Summer’s over and we’re into the beautiful days of early autumn. No matter where you live, we hope you’re getting a chance to get out and enjoy the weather! Any activity you do counts toward your weight loss, health and pleasure, so make an effort to get outside and get moving. Don’t forget to take your SleevePlicationTalk.com app with you so you can read the newsletter and keep up with the boards! Here’s what you’ll find in October’s newsletter. Member Spotlight: We’re still recruiting! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! Having a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Weight Loss Surgery: Not the Easy Way Out! Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Enjoy the newsletter and please feel free to let us know what you think! Thanks for your support. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Member Spotlight: Still Recruiting! If you want to be in the spotlight or you want to nominate someone else, let us know in the Spotlight Forum or send Alex a private message. We’re always looking for outstanding members to highlight! Sleever Challenge: Lend a Hand! We like to challenge you to try something new or unusual in each newsletter. The Sleever Challenge is a non-competitive way to push yourself a little further and experience something new while gaining confidence. Why do we ask you to post what you did? It helps motivate others and give them ideas for their challenges! This week’s challenge is pretty simple. Before the next newsletter, we’re just asking you to help someone. It can be any kind of help, from helping an elderly neighbor take the newspaper in to volunteering to give a motivational talk at your local weight loss surgery support group meeting to making dinner for your spouse even when it’s not your turn. This challenge does more than make someone else’s life easier. It makes you value yourself more when you see how powerful you can be just by being kind to others. Don’t forget to let us know how you helped someone! What did you do? How did it make you feel? Let us know how it goes in the Sleever Challenge forum! You can always check out any of the previous Newsletter Challenges and give us updates on those. You can always see the old challenges in the archived newsletters. You’ll see challenges on food, fitness and more! It’s never too late to try something new and exciting! Make It a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy SleevePlicationTalk.com Members! Okay, we know that the autumn is a busy time of year. If you’re a parent, your children are back in school and their activities are in full swing. You may be juggling work with your chauffeuring, catering and cleaning business – aka, taking care of your family! Most of us are pretty busy even if we’re not parents. It’s easy to use not having enough time as an excuse for getting off track with your weight loss. You might eat foods that you know you shouldn’t because you feel you just can’t squeeze in the time to prepare a healthy snack. We’ve all done it. You rush out the door in the morning and are busy all day. Some of these happen along the way. You are starving by lunchtime and grab a few truffles that make you nauseous. you dumping syndrome. You go by the vending machine for a soft drink that’ll make you feel sick within minutes. You realize at the end of the day that you haven’t stopped to drink for hours, and you have a headache and your stomach hurts. You know you should be eating lean Protein, but the closest thing you can find is pepperoni from the company’s pepperoni pizza – so to be polite, you eat the entire slice and it causes an obstruction. You start to depend on Protein shakes because those are the closest thing to a healthy meal that you can find at the company cafeteria. You don’t have to let a hectic schedule get in the way of your health! What can you do about it? Here are a few tips to make the most out of every day Prepare some of your meals and Snacks at the beginning of the week. Wash your fruits and vegetables so they’re easy to prepare when you need them. Cook some your Proteins - chicken breast, fish, seafood, lean beef and/or veggie burgers – and freeze them in single-serving baggies or containers. Cook up bigger batches, put them in single-serving containers and freeze them so you can defrost them when you’re ready to eat them. This is a great option for healthy side dishes, such as whole wheat Pasta, carrots or Beans. (You don’t have to make too much, since your single portions post-surgery are pretty small). Place snacks in single-serving bags if you buy a multi-serving package Plan your Breakfast the night before so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Take the time to make a grocery list. It’ll save you time in the end. Using a list will keep you from forgetting foods and needing to go back to the store during the week. You’ll be faster in the store because you won’t get distracted. Sticking to a list will keep you from buying foods you shouldn’t. Buy ingredients for breakfast Buy snack foods Make sure you drink enough. Stash Water bottles in your car and at work and keep them filled. It’ll encourage you to drink throughout the day and you won’t have to take the time to run to the kitchen each time you need to drink. Stick a pitcher of water in the fridge so you see it several times a day. Keep healthy snacks at work so you never find yourself starving with nothing healthy to eat. Beef Jerky and canned tuna, chicken, beans, vegetables keep for months. Frozen foods to consider keeping around include grilled chicken and fish, veggie burgers and vegetables. Yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and deli meats are high-protein snacks to keep in the fridge for a week or more. The more you plan, the better off you’ll be. You’ll save time and be more likely to eat well. And remember – you’re worth it! We suggest picking one or two strategies and working on them until you master them, then moving on to a new tip. Let us know how helpful the tips are! That’s a lot to chew on for this newsletter, so we’re going to end it here. There’s no end to the news, tips and conversations over at SleevePlicationTalk.com, so come on over via your computer, smartphone or Kindle! You can always check out the old newsletters, too, in the Newsletter Forum. Thanks for coming along in this newsletter and for being part of our fantastic community! We couldn’t do it without you. Have a great month and take care of yourself and each other, Alex. ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I've been researching the differences between the bypass and sleeve options and it gets really confusing! My understanding from most studies is that you can achieve comparable weight loss over the first couple of years with either. But, since I have such a long history of losing large amounts of weight and gaining it all back and more, I am really concerned about choosing the one which will give me the best chance of keeping the weight off for the rest of my life. So, from all I have read so far, the biggest difference between the way bypass works and the sleeve is, that although both restrict intake and hunger, the bypass also changes absorption. So - I assume this means that if I get to the point 3-4 years down the road where I can consume 1000 calories a day with either (which several sites suggested is typical), fewer of those calories will actually be absorbed with the bypass than with the sleeve. Is this correct? My biggest fear is that if I go for a long period of time eating less calories - which will happen with both - will there be a time when my body thinks it is in that starvation mode again and switches back to that horrible place of being able to gain weight at a much lower calorie level than normal. For example now, I might normally eat 1400 calories a day, but if I want to lose weight so I might eat 1000 calories/day for a few months. Then if I start eating 1200 calories/day, I gain all that weight back! Is there that same "diet rebound" with WLS in general or not? If not, why? And if so, is there less of that with bypass because your body just doesn't absorb as much ever again?

Ooh...knee pain and running. Well, I'm no doctor. But I am a daughter of a physical therapist and I would have to say by what he would tell me "you shouldn't be running with the extra weight and knee pain" Every one pound loss is 4 pounds of pressure taken off the knees. Congratulations on your 109 weight loss, that's 436lbs of pressure off of your knees!!!! WOW! But also, please listen to your body. Pain is usually screaming when something is wrong. Yesterday I went for a walk, a very long walk, my knee started acting up. I stopped and rested. Then I finished (only because I had to, to get to my car). Needless to say, I won't be taking any long walks for a while. Have you had your knees checked? Are you in therapy for your knees? Anything? Hope you find a great solution--cause that 10K sounds awesome!

Hello everyone. I decided to have weight loss surgery in August. So I met with a surgeon and I decide on the sleeve. My insurance company requires me to do several things prior to being approved. I finished my three month stint with the nutritionist and have my psych evaluation set for 12/6. I got annoying news, today, from the surgeons office that I need a pulmonary clearance test before they send out paperwork to the insurance company. I have that set for 12/21. I was hoping to be approved by then. But oh well. Does anyone have Federal Blue cross and blue shield that is post surgery that could give me an estimate on how long it took for approval. Any other tips are greatly appreciated.

Congrats on your loss very successful

I went from 245 to 160 and I just have some crepiness on the belly, no hanging, bulging skin. No washboard abs either, but fine clothed and even showable in a bikini, just not a gorgeous flat young stomach. I have had 3 babies, one of which was a caesarean so I'm counting myself pretty lucky. My thighs are rather wobbly and loose, but they were BEFORE I gained weight and got fat. I just have flabby thighs, so does my mum, so do both my sisters. Which is why my belly has recovered well - I never got particularly fat there in the first place. Arms are fine, boobs are a disaster, again, that's more genetics than weight loss, they werent great when I was 16, now that I'm 40 and have fed 3 babies for about 6 years, they're what you'd expect but easy fixed!

One of the issues I had was left shoulder pain from pressure on my phrenic nerve. It lasted a couple months and drove me crazy. The good news is that it stopped after I dropped some weight. Another issue was that I suffered from severe fatigue for months. I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, so I'm sure this played a part. The good news is it got better. Another issue I had was hairloss. I tried everything to avoid it, but still lost a great amount of hair. The good news is that it grew back. The issue I deal with now is loose skin on my arms. Yes, overall I'm satisfied with the band.

Hey! I lived in Indianapolis for 8 years :-) I am there every weekend... Bariatric Weight Loss Center of Excellence St.Vincent Carmel Hospital 13430 North Meridian, Suite 168 Carmel, IN 46032 Phone numbers: (317) 582-7088 Toll-free 1-877-831-1582 This might be a good place to start. If they won't do fills for patients that had the surgery else-where... then they certainly would know who to send you to. :-) Good luck to ya up in my Indy home!

Your menu and calories look good. With you not being able to excerise much, I would think your caloric intake is pretty spot on at this point. But your body obviously has become complacent, so something needs to give. I'm at goal, but still want to lose a few more pounds for a buffer. I have lost 2 pounds in about 2 and a half weeks. Not record breaking weight loss, but loss none the less. I'm going to suggest upping your calories to 1250-1300 if possible. I notice when I eat more than usual, the weight comes off. Also, since you are so close to goal, have you tried adding carbs in the form of whole grains to your diet? I have also done that since month 11, and have experienced steady weight loss more or less. I'm not saying to go crazy with them, but a piece of multi grain toast with your eggs, or a little brown rice with your protien? I know you're bypass, so I don't know how those will effect your little pouch, either Try that for a week or 2 and see how it goes?

If you do a search on this topic you will find hundreds of posts on this topic. I know as a newbie loose skin and hair loss were two of the biggies that concerned me. I recently went back and posted a picture of myself 11 months out from surgery exposing all of my goods on an thread titled - "My top 10 ways to prevent loose skin." I'm convinced genetics and how long you spent over weight have the most influence on whether or not you will have excess skin. I also was a sloooow loser. I once read it takes skin 2-3 months to adjust every time you lose. There were times my thighs look horrific and a few months later they snapped back into place. If you lose too much too quickly, your skin may newer fully snap back. My loose skin is limited to my lower stomach. I have had two very large babies and my lower abdomen had Freddy Kruger stretch marks on it. There is no way that's going back to normal without a tummy tuck! There's likely some tell-take signs you will have loose skin in areas. For example, if you have fat pockets that start right above your elbows, you will probably have bat wings. I carried most of my excess weight in my mid-section, so it doesn't surprise me this is where I have excess skin. It doesn't look bad standing up, but when I bend over, I look like I would whelp a litter of puppies! What I can tell you is part of this journey is accepting our new bodies. I decided to post a pic of myself exposed because I noticed most people are wearing pants and long shirts in their after photos on this site. It always made me wonder what was lurking underneath. Many of us will be left with more excess skin than what we are comfortable with. Some can afford plastics. Many cant. Regardless, I wouldn't trade the new active lifestyle I live for anything. For reference, I am a woman in my mid-40's. 5'7" and was 241 at my heaviest. I was 226 the day of surgery. I was 152 when I took this picture a few days ago. I am currently 7 pounds away from my stretch goal of 145. I haven't exercised with much consistently during the 11 months post surgery. I took this photo as my "before" picture and hope to see how tone I can get after I start doing squats, sit-ups, and lifting weights! I have to say I'm a tad more motivated now that I can actually SEE my muscles! Who would have thunk I had abdominal muscles? Albeit pretty separated post child-bearing, I'm sure!

Same here....I had to undergo a 6 month medically supervised diet, complete with weekly progress notes, charts, graphs, etc. I told the weight loss center that I have done diets time and time again....why another one? They said the insurance co. wants it OFFICIALLY on file, signed off from a Dr., showig I did a sincere diet, and FAILED. They will not simply take my word for it. So yes, I took the 6-month program, at great expense to me out of pocket. And just like every other diet I started out good, lost significant weight, then started to cheat and rationalize, then start to gain it all back...in other words, I failed miserably....but this time it was official, on record for the insurance co. I have read here over the years about people saying the insurance co. demands they be successful with this diet or they would not approve surgery.... To me that's confusing...if I could be successful at diets, then why would I need - want Weight loss surgery?

This may have been discussed before but for anyone covered by CIGNA or one of its affiliated companies, they have abandoned their prior formal requirement of a specific duration (e.g. 3 months) in favor of this language: • A statement from a physician/physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner/registered dietician (i.e., other than the requesting surgeon) that the individual has failed previous attempts to achieve and maintain weight loss by medical management. This is the old language: • Medical management including evidence of active participation within the last 12 months in a weight-management program that is supervised either by a physician/physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner or a registered dietician for a minimum of three consecutive months ((i.e., ≥ 89 days). The weight-management program must include monthly documentation of ALL of the following components:  weight  current dietary program  physical activity (e.g., exercise program) Programs such as Weight Watchers®, Jenny Craig® and Optifast® are acceptable alternatives if done in conjunction with the supervision of a physician/physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner or registered dietician and detailed documentation of participation is available for review. However, physician-supervised programs consisting exclusively of pharmacological management are not sufficient to meet this requirement. Anyone covered by CIGNA now and going through a mandatory weight loss program under the old medical policy should request their surgeon/bariatric program to submit their request for approval NOW and not wait to finish the supervised diet. You might get some push-back from crusty bariatric practices or surgeons, but hopefully they will help you. The new policy is more favorable to patients, and because it is the medical policy in effect for anyone having surgery after October 9th, we take the position this is the operative medical policy - NOT the policy at a patient's "starting point". Call us at 1-877-992-7732 if you have questions about this or are in need of any information about what you need to do if you have been denied by your insurer - whether it is CIGNA or any other payer. Good luck to all! CIGNA medical policy effective October 9 2018.pdf

I have struggled with my weight my whole life. Im 29 and weigh 255 pounds. I have finally scheduled my informational session for bariatric surgery in January. From there I will get a consult with a surgeon. I am having to follow steps in order to get my insurance to pay for the surgery. I'm stuck between Gastric Sleeve and Gastric Bypass. What is everyone's opinion on the two? What are some things that can help me through this process?

What your uncle did was horrible, and I hope surgery will be healing for you. Will you be in therapy during your weight loss process to help you cope with your new body and the new way it will force you to relate to the world? If it's something you can manage, it might not be a bad idea. Although I'm not a survivor of sexual abuse, I can relate to not knowing how to accept male attention. In fact street harassment is one of the few things I'm really worried about regarding life after weight loss. I get some now, but not as much as I know I'll get when I'm smaller, even though I live in a country where it's not as big a problem as others. Truthfully though, I'm not a particularly feminine woman. I wear dresses and skirts everyday now because they're comfy and stretchy and relatively flattering and fashionable, but once I drop down to a 12/14 I think I'll be presenting much more masculinely (get a short haircut, wear menswear inspired looks, etc). Not just to stave off street harassment, I genuinely am something of a tomboy, but I'm hoping a reduction in street harassment will be a bonus.

Portion suggestions: 3 to 4 oz lean protein 3 meals (goal 60-100 grams) Vegetables until you reach the point of full then stop. two small snacks throughout the day. My instructions were add carbs after I lost 75% of my weight to slow or stop weight loss for maintaining. I still ate plant based carbs. If you are instructed healthy carbs (whole wheat, brown rice sweet potato...Nothing white or proceed) two table spoons. Recipe and menu ideas below http://insidekarenskitchen.com/bariatric-friendly-recipes/

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Mother’s Day from BariatricPal! For everyone who is a mother or is a mother figure, thank you for all that you do! For everyone else, I hope you will take this opportunity to thank your mom and any other mother figure in your life. You moms out there do a lot for us! This newsletter is all about treating yourself, treating yourself, enjoying your family, and becoming healthier together. Here’s what you’ll find: A Mother’s Day Meal to Celebrate Be a Great Mother: Be Good to Yourself Time-Savers for a Healthy Family Have a great Mother’s Day, and enjoy the newsletter. Then spend some time with your family, and don’t forget to logon to BariatricPal and discuss family, recipes, and whatever else is on your mind. See you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Be a Great Mother: Be Good to Yourself Mothers often find themselves putting everyone else first. You might feel so busy you can’t squeeze in a quick workout. You might cook your family their favorite meals while you depend on nothing but canned tuna and hard-boiled eggs to stick to your WLS diet. You might skimp on sleep so you can take care of the house and get the kids ready for school. And the idea of losing yourself in a good book or spending a few hours at a day spa? Those may be distant dreams. Are You Putting Yourself Last? Too many mothers feel they need to put others first. After all, taking care of your children and maybe your spouse and parents is your job, right? Add that to possible duties of housekeeping and holding down a job, and your time and energy are easily accounted for. Weight loss surgery magnifies the problem. You may feel guilty about surgery, especially if it was expensive for your family. You may worry that WLS pulls you apart from your family, since you need to eat a new way and set aside time to prepare food and work out. You may fight the guilty feelings by trying to put everyone else’s needs and wants behind yours – and that just doesn’t work. The trouble is, you can only give so much for so long without taking care of yourself. You need to make the time to recharge regularly and to keep up with your own emotional and physical health habits. If not, sooner or later, you will not be able to give your best to the ones you love. You’re Not Selfish; You’re Smart What happens when you think about putting yourself first? What feelings come up when you think about making your own meals before you make your family’s, or going to the gym in the evening instead of coming directly home from work, or postponing the housecleaning so you can meditate? If you’re like many weight loss surgery patients, you may feel guilty. That’s not fair or productive. When you take care of yourself, you are in a better position to take care of others. You will be stronger, happier, and more cheerful when you are healthy. Take some time to identify what you would ideally do if you did not have family responsibilities: which foods would you eat, what kind of workouts would you do, and which hobbies or relaxation activities would you pursue? Then figure out which ones are necessary for your long-term stability and work them into your life – even if it means making some of them a priority over less important things. Really, it’s okay to skip the dusting for now if you need that time to plan a few healthy meals. Take Care, Mother or Not By the way, being good to yourself so you can be at your best is not just for moms. No matter who you are, you can give your best if you are at your best. You’ll be better father, friend, son or daughter, and coworker. You’re not being selfish when you take care of yourself. You’re putting yourself in a position to give your best to the world. A Mother’s Day Meal to Celebrate After weight loss surgery, holidays are about more than just food. You can focus on family and on other fun activities besides eating. But the truth is, you’re likely to end up around the table at some point if you’re celebrating Mother’s Day. Almost all family gatherings tend to revolve around food, so instead of fighting it, you might as well make the best of it. Mother’s Day Breakfast in Bed If your Mother’s Day includes a little pampering at home…lucky you! Fresh fruit salad, cottage cheese with raw veggies, and Greek yogurt pops with fruit are some of the easy and healthy options you might want to ask your little helpers to serve you. You can also enjoy breakfast in bed or a more luxurious brunch at home with the help of The BariatricPal Store. We suggest whipping up a batch of instant Protein pancakes in chocolate chip, golden delicious, or blueberry flavors. Serve them plain or with fruit or Greek yogurt for yourself, and let your children make their own feasts with toppings such as whipped cream, syrup, Peanut Butter, and fruit. For an early morning or mid-morning treat while hanging out with your kids or spouse, everyone might enjoy a cup of hot cocoa or cappuccino – protein included! Mother’s Day Brunch Out Are you going out for Mother’s Day? Lucky you! While that buffet or 12-course menu may look like a disaster at first glance, there’s a good chance there are plenty of healthy choices for you. Look past the breakfast pastries such as muffins, danishes, and doughnuts, doughy options like bagels, pancakes, and waffles, and fatty options like bacon and breakfast sausage. Think that doesn’t leave you with much? Think again! Check for any of the following. Omelets and egg white omelets with add-ins such as vegetable and natural ham. Fresh fruit. Seasonal fresh vegetables. Simple protein items such as cottage cheese and yogurt. Smoked salmon. Freshly carved turkey breast. The rules of your weight loss surgery diet hold here, too. Keep portions small, eat slowly, and You’ll have even more to celebrate than Mother’s Day when you realize you just got through Mother’s Day brunch without losing control. A Time to Reflect and Be Grateful We know not everyone celebrates Mother’s Day or approaches this day in the same way. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t take the time to reflect and be grateful. Any opportunity is a good one for realizing all that you have, even though life can get tough sometimes. You may be grateful for the opportunity weight loss surgery has given you to get healthy and have a new lease on life. Maybe you’re thankful for your family and friends who support you and make life worth living. Maybe you’re happy to have a job that puts (healthy) food on the table and a roof over your head. These things are simple and basic, but remembering to be grateful for them can truly make you appreciate them and be a happier person. So, have a wonderful Mother’s Day, and keep working towards those goals for weight loss and health! BariatricPal is there for you at every step of the way, so we hope you will keep contributing to the forums. Thanks for all of your support!

I lost a lot of hair from months 3-5. Judging from the diameter of my pony tail I would say 40-50% of the volume. But, literally no one can tell, unless I pull my hair back and the loss at my hairline and temples becomes obvious. And everyone will be so amazed at how good you look from your weight loss, they won't even notice your hair.

I'm about 1/2 way through the pre-surgery process. I've done most of the tests, I just need more weigh-ins. As it is becoming more real I am starting to freak out. I'm not scared of the pain, or surgical risks. I'm afraid of losing my hair. I'm afraid of looking like a human puddle of skin too, but I am really afraid of losing my hair. I'm reading about women losing so much that they have to wear a wig. My hair is literally the only thing I have ever liked about the way I looked. I'm taking a really good multivitamin, 10,000 mg of biotin daily and I take spironolactone, an anti-androgen, for acne, which also helps testosterone related loss. I know I can't avoid it but I'm just so scared about how I will look. I'm almost in tears just thinking about it. It's worth it, right?

I haven't had surgery yet, but after my second pregnancy my once thick and beautiful hair started disappearing. Look for hairstylists that can match a "topper" to the hair you have and bead it in. It's way less invasive than a wig and it makes me feel like it's my hair. Best yet, no one knows I don't have hair. So, that out of the way...this surgery will change our lives! There's many options for thin hair. Not so many that work for getting and staying thin! You can do it! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thats one smart mama!!! Congrats on your loss so far!

I have a couple of questions. I had my surgery on 11/12/14 and I am entering into Stage 4. I am allowed 1/4 cup of soft veggies once a day. What veggies are considered soft and what are the best kind to have? I have tried looking all over the internet and every time I find something that references I find another saying no don't do that. So I am at a lost. Another question that has been really bothering me, I have called my Dr's office a few times on this. I get "you gotta get the Water in. Must Must Must." I truly understand that I must drink it. I don't have a problem with the taste or anything like that in general. I have tried putting frozen fruit into but not eating the fruit....that just turned into bitter water to get it down. I have tried Crystal Light and that really bothered my stomach. I have tried it warm and really cold. Nothing works and nothing seems to help me get all 64oz's down. I feel so full that I just can't put anything in and if I did I would burst. Does anyone else struggle with this? Does this ever go away? I am so frustrated right now and have been in tears over this numerous times. I am getting about 24oz of just water of course this is outside of my 2-11oz Protein shakes. My weight loss has stalled pretty much, and of course the Dr's office says its goes back to the protein and the water. Well, I am putting is much in as I can stomach literally, just not good enough. I'm so scared of getting sick and puking everything back up, I already spent an extra week at the very beginning with uncontrollable vomiting in the hospital not 12 hours of being released the 1st time. I can't go back to doing that all over again. So extremely painful. All I know is I can't have this happen after all the struggles I have gone through before and after the surgery. There has gotta be an easier way to get it in. I don't want to go into my 8 week check up and been not at my 8 week goal. I'm already feeling like a failure. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

HI, Today is my 7th week post surgery. I've lost 24 pounds but the last two weeks...nothing. I have my third post-op appointment next Thursday. My Dr. said he wanted me to loose 10 pounds by that appointment and I've only lost 3. I'm feeling a lot of pressure to "make weight" by next Thursday and it's really making me angry. I've spent my life being a slave to the scale and now that I've had the surgery, I just want to be good to my body and have a healthy attitude toward my weight loss and new eating habits. Thank you to anyone who reads this and has any wisdom or encouragement to share. I've never before participated in a site like this but I feel isolated because my schedule doesn't allow for me to join any support groups. Thanks again to all of you "out there"

Too much biotin can also falsely elevate liver values for bloodwork. I agree with your NUT, it’s very overrated and does not do much for hair loss. Hair loss is followed in periods of extreme stress or changes to the body. It will come back.