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Yes, yes and yes! I was told by my spine surgeon that they see a lot of Bariatric surgery patients. There a few reasons why: 1. All the fat actually supported your spine and now that it is gone your posture changes. 2. You are likely much more active which is obviously a good thing 3. As the weight leaves, everything sort of falls down, that changes the way you you walk, sit and stand. I have been battling a degenerative spine ever since I was in my late 20's which was when I gained a lot of weight. Unfortunately I waited too long to lose my weight. Recently I had to undergo a 3 level spinal fusion in my cervical spine. This was my 4th spine surgery in the last 14 years. The reality is, obesity really damages your body if you wait too long to do something about it. Oh, by the way once you lose the weight in your butt, your tailbone sticks out and it hurts like heck to sit for too long.

I am having the hardest time taking my bariatric advantage chewables, I think I could tolerate some sort of gummy, has anyone tried one that their doc has approved? I will compare it to my Bariatric Advantage to make sure I'm getting my amts correct!

I felt like I was literally going to faint during the last week of full liquids, I added in a few pureed/soft foods in conjunction with the full liquids and immediately felt better. I don't want you to deviate from your plan, I shared this information to say that my body needed a little bit more at that point in my journey. I would also consult with your bariatric team to determine whether or not you are ready. Ariel (my stomach) loves refried beans and a scrambled egg. Not cooked together, in separate meals. Protein is our friend. The cream soups were delicious, but didn't givr me the substance and nutrients that I needed. I'm still drinking protein shakes, I only had my procedure on 3/3/20.

Thank you for replying! I have been talking to Dr. Johnson at Atlanta Bariatrics. Do you know anything about him? How was your recovery time? Were you in a lot of pain after the procedure?

Medicare is for older people. Since you're 21, I'll assume you mean medicaid. The coverage for it depends on the state. For example, North Carolina's medicaid no longer covers bariatric surgery.

I have anthem as well and I'm required to do the 6 months. This is the final month....they will submit this week!!! I love Team Bariatrics....very easy to work with.

Yes it was the Isopure RTD. On the packet info given the bariatric coordinator its says not to drink slim fast, boost, and carnation instant breakfast for protein supplement. I can already tell that this is going to be a challenge for me!!!!!

I don't think he's done that many lap bands (in comparison) probably around 200 but he done many other bariatric surgeries. I know he did some training in El Paso and then his fellowship in Fresno, CA (I think). I liked him and feel really comfortable with him. Do you know the cost of his fills? I get 6 months of free fills and then I have to pay for them. Are you going to do the band? If so, do you have a date? What facility? Cindy

Tomorrow is the 1st day of September and that means 30 days till surgery!!! I am a bit worried though. Not because of the surgery but because I got a letter from my insurance yesterday that said that I was approved but through "Out-of Network" since the Center for Weight Loss Surgery was not in Network. This is crazy! The surgeon is one of only three on their list of approved surgeons for bariatric surgery in Washington state and the hospital is on their list. How the heck could the surgeon's office not be on the list??? And why didn't the insurance lady at their office tell me this when she called me. Today is Sunday and tomorrow is a holiday so I have to wait till Tuesday to call anyone. It might be a mistake. I have gotten two letters that said denied but I was warned by the center that I would get those and not to worry about them. I have to check my insurance but Out of Network won't be that bad I suppose. I don't remember what percentage I would have to pay but it will just cost me more. I actually met my In-Network out of pocket already this year so everything is getting paid 100%. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to pay anything. Another thing that was mentioned on the letter was that I was pre-authorized for September 15 and 16th. I don't have surgery till the 30th. What happened is that when my paperwork was submitted the weight loss center put in a surgery date of september 15th so that it would get approved faster but now I have to explain to my insurance that it is not on that date. Hopefully that is just a quick fix of telling them and that is that. I just don't want my surgery to be jepordized because of this.

The truth is exercising only contributes to a maximum of 20% of the weight you have to lose. You’d have to walk 6km in an hour or run 8km in 45 mins to burn 360 calories (about two slices of pizza). Of course there’s lots of other benefits to building & maintaining your fitness. Making adjustments to your diet & reducing your calorie intake is the real key coupled with portion sizes to weight loss. If you consume fewer calories then your body needs to function you’ll lose weight. Work at reducing your sugar intake. Stop the candies for a month but avoid sugar rich alternatives. Then drop any cakes or biscuits. Look to fresh fruit for a sweet treat. Make other small changes to your food choices like @lizonaplane suggested. Again you don’t have to change everything at once. Swap out a couple of things at a time & give yourself time to get used to it. You’ll likely find it much easier to make & adopt small changes to your food choices. You may not see changes in the scale straight away but it will happen. Go back to tracking your food - calories & portion sizes. It’s easy to let these slip especially if you’re guessing or not being as vigilant. Check your protein & fluid intake & increase if needed. Did you have a therapist when you had your surgery? Maybe get back in contact with them or ask your bariatric team for a recommendation. The therapist may help you better manage your stress & what may be driving your cravings. You can get back on top of this. Good luck.

Yep. Further, at 9 months post-op, I renewed my passport early (2 years before it was set to expire) because it was getting annoying/stressful having to explain that i was in fact me at airports. Im 3+ yrs post op now and a few months ago, I renewed my driver’s license and its nice to not have to explain my appearance to the people at the liquor store when I get carded. Though getting carded at all is an NSV in itself cuz im like 50 years old. Lol. Congrats, and enjoy the broken face!

Thank you, Hannah83! It has been a roller coaster ride. Nutritionalist did blood, urine, stool & saliva test that shows I’m not absorbing some nutrients & amino acids well, but bariatric surgeon says everything is fine. Based on some research I did. Bariatric doctors are well aware of post mental health worsening, especially in patients w/genetic predisposition. Why Bariatric practitioners & mental health practitioners ignore this correlation is beyond me, unless it’s all about the $$ for bariatric surgeons.

They say if you don't ask for something then you're not going to get it, so I'm asking for support if anyone is willing to lend it. I could especially use some encouragement from the longer-timers out there. Since I started the bariatric program in May 2014, I have lost 90 pounds. I was sleeved in November 2014 and have lost 71 pounds since surgery. My surgeon's office told me I "was not doing as good" as I could, but that was "OK." (This was probably not the best thing for them to say to me.) I have been in a stall for the last three months. This is mainly because of my actions and allowing other people to negatively affect me. My father-in-law made a pass at me and it triggered me to start binge eating -- even with the sleeve. I have been under an enormous amount of stress. I am grateful that I have now figured out what triggered my downfall and I am getting help from my pre-op psych eval guy to work through unresolved issues, which apparently are still causing me to make the same decisions about food. I look back today and I say 90 pounds is a lot! I can also say that 71 pounds since surgery is a lot. I don't think that's "OK." BUT -- I know I can do better and I know I have lost three months of success because I let someone mess me up. This is my pattern - I allow other people to mess me up. I need your help because I want to keep going. Not only do I want to lose weight for me, but now I am mad and I want to show the people in my life that they can't do this to me! No one is going to take away my success and my joy!!! I want to prove that I am stronger than any of the crap that people throw at me! I need to reclaim my life. Any encouragement you can give me would be a great help!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!

I just started my pre-op diet, and I purchased several Soups from Bariatric Pal online. They delivered in about two days., and you get a discount on your first purchase. The creamy veg is really good. I have chicken and tomato on the way. I honestly could not make it without this Soup option for my Protein. I am sick of chocolate and vanilla shakes. There is a new product I bought at Wal mart called LIFT protien drinks. It is more like a lemonade made by Atkins. My nutritionist said it was good pre and post op. It is clear liquid w/ 20 gms protein. I eat roasted chicken or turkey or lean ham on spinach leaves with tomato and vinegar, or stir fry or grill chicken with yellow squash and zucchini for my meals. I go to a Olive Oil/Vinegar specialty shop ( in our local upscale shopping center) and buy exotic vinegar ( strawberry, champagne pear, apricot walnut, etc....) They are super yummy, and I do not miss dressing at all this way. I hate the fake low cal/fat dressings in the market. It is pretty limited. You can get sugar free popsicles at Wal Mart really cheap. and SF Jello. I can honestly say by Blood Sugar is now normal. Good Luck. I really do not eat very much to begin with, so I have not had a hunger problem AT all...just an " I want" problem. LOL! I cannot say enough about the protein soup on this site's product line. It is saving me flavor wise! I will probably buy this for many years to come after surgery!

Bariatric pal or bariatric advantage or flinstones vitamins complete with iron is another I see a lot.

I suggest you go to a bariatric nutritionist. They will have the knowledge to get you where you want to be and still have the calories for Peyton. Congratulations!

Starspring--Sorry to see that you are struggling. But this is now June and, assuming you are healing well physically from the surgery by now, it's pretty important that you are nourishing yourself better than it sounds like you are. Have you said these words to the bariatric team in charge of your post-op care? It's their job to help you--bug them until you are on the right track. If you feel you need help with depression, talk with a therapist. It might be that a short-term anti-depression could help you. Or, if you have ever looked into relaxation techniques such as meditation or just simply belly breathing, those things can help alot. You probably have no energy and are irritable and feeling depressed because neither your body nor your brain are getting the nutrients they need. It's hard to fight for ourselves to do what we know we have to do, especially when we're not feeling up to par, but it's what we HAVE to do. We are the ones who have to find a Protein drink that ISN'T too sweet for us; we have to find a way to get the liquids in that we are required to have. If swallowing Vitamins are a problem, there are alternatives--there are bariatric approved chews and liquids. The challenges of bariatric surgery are MANY. But you CAN tackle them. You must begin tackling them, and the other ones that will come up, so that you can have the good quality life that you expect as a result of choosing to have WLS.

You're brave. I could feel the pain in your words, but I could also feel a renewed sense of hope for better things to come. LIFE has kicked you around long enough. Now it's your turn to kick LIFE in the nuts!! Continue to vent. It helps you to get rid of a lot of the toxic "shame" that has been holding you back.

The holiday season always comes up faster than expected. That is even true this year when so many other things have been different. It is time to start thinking about gifts for the people you love. If they include bariatric surgery patients who are pre or post-op, we have the perfect gifts for you. First up are something your loved one is sure to love: favorite desserts. If they are missing creamy, starchy, sugary foods, you can be the one to give them their faves without guilt. Here are just a few favorite desserts you can gift this year! Gingerbread Cake Mix Nothing says, “Happy Holidays!” like gingerbread, but can your bariatric surgery friend really afford to be eating gingerbread this year? Yes, she certainly can if you give her a high-protein, low-carb version such as BariatricPal Gingerbread Mug Cake Mix. It has 130 calories, 12 grams of protein, and 1 gram of sugar. Even better than giving ready-made gingerbread cake or cookies, giving Gingerbread Cake Mix lets the recipient make it herself, which means the delicious smell of cinnamon and ginger can waft through the house. It is easy to make just by mixing a packet with water and microwaving it. Each box contains 7 packets. Creamy Cheesecake Cheesecake is not the standard choice for a smart dieter, but BariatricPal High Protein Creamy Cheesecake is no standard cheesecake. It has about half the calories, saturated fat, and sugar as the same size serving of regular cheesecake, along with 12 grams of protein to make it more filling. If cheesecake isn’t cheesecake without the graham cracker crust, you can easily make your own without adding the 20 grams of carbs per serving that a traditional one has. Just crush sugar-free Catalina Crunch Keto Cereal - Honey Graham instead of graham crackers to use in the crust. Each serving has 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. You can make an entire cheesecake using 7 servings of Creamy Cheesecake mix, or make your cheesecake in muffin cups for single servings. Each box has 7 servings. Pumpkin Spice Blondie A bariatric surgery patient could feel a little down after an entire autumn of passing up pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, and pumpkin muffins. How about giving a gift of a pumpkin dessert that comes without guilt? Eat Me Guilt Free Pumpkin Spice Blondie knocks the socks off the competition in taste and nutrition. The entire blondie has only 170 calories and 4 grams of sugar, or 90% less sugar than a slice of pumpkin bread from a bakery-cafe. With 22 grams of protein, it has as much protein as chicken and can be eaten for a meal, snack, or dessert. They come in single and 3, 6, and 12-packs. There is no shortage of desserts that are suitable gifts for bariatric patients and anyone else who is on a weight loss journey. By the way, remember that your favorite bariatric surgery patient can be...yourself! Go right ahead and give yourself the gift of weight loss and pleasure all in one with your favorite low-carb desserts!

Mednar, please don't feel this way...it was all good info and I wanted everyone's input. I am just a little doctor adverse, and more than willing to hear something that will keep me from going to the doc. If it had only happened once, I think it would have been safe to assume that it was dumping syndrome (all the symptoms fit pretty much) and go on. When it happened a second time, nowhere near my last meal, I knew it had to be something more...plus this time the pain just lessened but never went away, even several hours later. Gallbladder issues was my other suspected issue, besides dumping syndrome, but I knew nothing about pancreatitis. Once I knew what it was, and knew the symptoms, it fit perfectly. The pain started in the back and radiated to the front, which they say is classic pancreatitis. The gallbladder issues seem to go hand in hand though, so it's hard to say where one symptom ends and one begins. I was more than willing to leave it at dumping syndrome, but Lena (rightfully so) encouraged me to get checked out. So when it hit a second time her words were heavy in my mind and I knew I needed to get checked out. I am not dissing anything shared on this (or any other online source), but I am saying that if it continues it's time to stop playing online doctor and get it checked for yourself...and I say that knowing that I am the biggest hypocrite! I am also going to make history according to my surgeon (not sure I like that). They are going to take down the top of my plication, and make a nissen wrap with it. He says it hasn't been done before as far as he can tell, but he suspects they are going to be seeing more issues like mine since plication is becoming more popular. He used to be a bariatric surgeon, now just GI surgeon, and he thinks that plication is a good way to go and said he wondered why it didn't catch on quicker. Anyway, wish me luck...I will have to be in the hospital again since they are doing the two ops at once...I will keep you guys posted. Thanks for all the support...I have to admit that I was scared this time!

That's great that you are doing your homework and going into this with realistic expectations. I had my sleeve done at the age of 62 and had many serious co-morbidities including being post-stroke. I had an outstanding surgeon who teaches bariatric and robotic surgery, so I was confident that I was in good hands. My recovery has been textbook, with no complications whatsoever. Post op nausea and vomiting are to be expected. However, I urped up once in the hospital, and did not vomit until six months post-op when I indulged in a sweet pastry. At twenty months out I am still glad I had it done. Then there are those who damn-near died from horrific complications. It's a risk you take, but you also take a risk every time you get in the car or on a plane, or a horse. Since I am post-stroke and a high fall risk, I take a chance everytime I go up or down the stairs, and I live in a tri-level. Every time I eat something, I risk choking. Every time I eat something that my sister cooked, I run the risk of dying a hobbible death from botulism (not joking!). Because I live on the Southwest Airlines approach to Chicago's Midway Airport, I run the risk of a plane landing on my patio. See? We take risks everyday, in many ways. By not having bariatric surgery, you a risking a premature death or at least a miserable reduced qualityof life from the complications of obesity. So, all I am saying is that for every one person who is openly honest about regretting bariatric surgery, there are a hundred more who had acceptable outcomes are are satisfied with their new life. S**t happens. Are you going to stay in bed and risk bedsores from being afraid to get up and leave the house? Whatever you decide to do about your health, at least do something. If you decide that bariatric surgery is not for you, then you can at least follow the typical post-op dietary protocols, and move your body every day. It won't killl you and may do you some useful good. I wish you good luck and good health. Hugs from Chicago.

I agree that the Syntrax sample pack is a good option. I'm not sure if there are 'brick & mortar' stores where you can buy it, but I know you can order from BJ's Bariatrics: http://www.bjsbariatrics.com/ They have online ordering available (I'm lucky that their storefront is in my town, so I was able to go in there and browse when I was still doing Protein supplements). I liked the roadside lemonade mixed with a little lemonade crystal light and Water. I also liked the cappucino flavor mixed with decaf (but it was pretty sweet).

Guess what? You just got a new job! Isn’t that exciting? Except…it’s a tough job: you will now be the CEO of Lifetime Weight Management. But don’t worry. You can do it, and the pay is fabulous. We’ll get to the job news, but first I’m going to tell you a job story of my own. I’m a writer and story-teller: that’s my job. Often my stories are fiction, but every word in this story is true. Many years ago, I attended a business luncheon with a coworker who was naturally slim. The food was delicious: a huge, flaky croissant filled with chicken and grape salad, a mountain of potato chips (I adore potato chips), and strawberry shortcake for dessert. About one-third of the way through her meal, my coworker stopped eating and pushed her plate away. “What’s the matter?” I said. “Don’t you like the food?” “Oh, it’s fine,” she said. “I just can’t eat any more.” She must have seen the baffled look on my face, because she added an explanation. “I eat a certain amount, and then I reach a point where I just can’t eat another bite, so I stop eating. I’ve always been this way.” I wanted to offer to finish her lunch for her, but was too ashamed of my own greed to suggest it, and I was busy digesting what she had just said. I couldn’t remember ever in my life reaching the point where I couldn’t eat another bite of food. And although I had tried more diets and slimming plans than I could name, it had never occurred to me that I might become slim simply by stopping eating when I became full. My coworker was effortlessly slim and I was effortlessly obese. I subsided into silent envy over her natural advantage. I spent the next 20 years suffering from morbid obesity and developing numerous health problems as a result of it. Finally, after much research and thought, I decided that weight loss surgery was my best option. On September 19, 2007, I had adjustable gastric band surgery. Ever since then I have been learning how to eat, and live, like a slim person. During that time, I’ve accumulated a lot of information, and have cultivated a lot of opinions that may not agree with yours, but of everything I’ve learned during my weight loss journey, there’s one truth you need to heed. Like it or not, no bariatric surgery of any description is magic. The WLS patients I know have all worked hard for their success. Adjustable gastric band. Roux-en-Y. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Sleeve plication. Duodenal switch. The surgical procedure happens only once (good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise), but one thing, common to us all, happens every day for the rest of our lives. Weight loss and weight loss maintenance require attention, commitment and action every day for the rest of our lives. It’s a job – a career – we must do or die. A smart, mature, diligent acquaintance who did her research before she took the weight loss surgery plunge said to me once, “I had no idea how much work this was going to be.” The work is not just in the weight loss but in lifestyle changes. The work doesn’t end once you reach your goal weight, but believe me: it is so very, very worth it. I love this new job of mine. I love the improved health and high energy and increased self-esteem and size 4 clothing, and I hope I never grow tired of it or take it all for granted. A lifetime of work ahead of you can seem overwhelming. Think of it as a lifetime of learning. Learning is a good thing. If you stop learning, you stop growing. And if you stop growing, you die. My mother, who struggled with obesity most of her life, used to say that there was a tall, thin brunette inside her just waiting to get out. I will always have a short, fat blonde girl inside me just waiting to get out. But having weight loss surgery has given me some wonderful tools for lifetime weight management, and I hope that proves to be the same for you.

I would generally go with the advice of your surgeon's patient coordinator, as they have been through these hoops before, particularly if it is with a common insurance carrier in your area. If your surgeon has a dedicated insurance coordinator, who handles all of the insurance issues, that would be a better person to get an opinion from, but that might also be the patient coordinator that you have talked to - it's worth checking out to make sure you are getting the best information. You can verify this by calling the insurance company's customer service line, thought those reps don't always give the correct information (sad, but true.) The best thing is to look up the company's policy bulletin for bariatric surgery on their website which will spell out all of the specific requirements - that is their legal document that they must follow, irrespective what a customer service rep may say (but the doc's insurance coordinator should know all of the in's and out's of the language in it.) For instance, with my company, they implied that they wanted six monthly appointments, but did not specifically state that. Between my schedule and my PCP (who was my "medical supervisor" for this) we were only able to work in four appointments over the six months, and that was fine. (The insurance coordinator was concerned about how the PCP wrote up the report for it relative to the insurance requirement, but that was a different issue.) If your insurance requires simply a "medically supervised" six month program like I had, then the first and last months being with your surgeon and the others with an RD should be fine. but if they specifically require six monthly meetings with an RD (nutritionist), then is won't. It's all in the wording. Good luck on getting through all of these hoops - this is often the hardest part!

I love you, but your bar sounds like a date with dumping. "dates, honey, mesquite flour" are all so high in fructose so liver bomb. Cricket flour though poses a really neat option for bariatric patients. It has more iron per gram than any other protein source. I would think it would be pretty bioavailable too. It's just very difficult to wrap my head around eating crickets...*chirp*