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Hi there! I'm an RN and having a revision surgery (sleeve to RNY). I'm currently being seen at the UCSD bariatric dept but have had nothing but problems with them. I had insurance approval, but without explanation they literally refused to let me make an appointment for almost 6 months. I finally called them and said that I've been getting railroaded for 6 months and that I wanted to speak to someone who could actually help me. That worked and I got an appointment, but not until after they told me that my original approval had expired and that I needed to get another one from my primary doc!!! Anyhow, I've been through the entire pre-op process and weekly classes etc. a few times. Once when I was considering a lap-band. Once with my ex-husband, and the third time when I had my sleeve. Needless to say, I know what to ask and was very upfront and direct with my doctor. He ended up lying to me about the pre-op weight loss requirements at every single visit (3 in total), and then refused to refer me to the surgeon (When I saw him 6 weeks prior he said that he would write the order to see the surgeon). And no, I didn't gain weight. Lol... I'm just curious if anyone else has had a negative experience with UCSD and if you were able to get it resolved? When I asked for a different doctor I was refused, but after I put in a formal written complaint they decided to let me see a different doctor. In the meantime, my insurance has approved another bariatric group and surgeon. Yay! Hopefully my experience with UCSD is just an anomaly.

Here's the preop diet from sage bariatric Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I had bought the cookbook, by Sarah Kent, which I really like a lot. Easy to follow with a lot of good recipes/tips, etc.. but my reason for coming here today is that in the book they mention using powdered unflavored egg whites. I find powdered eggs with yolks and vanilla flavored, but not just unflavored powdered egg whites and don't want to get a huge container to start with. Does anyone happen to know where I get them? Thanks in Advance, Lynda

I take Procare bariatric multivitamins, because they have the iron in them and it's one capsule. They are great and pretty reasonably priced compared to most I've tried. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm down 30 since end of May. Started regular vitamins (not chewable) today, those things are huge! (Bariatric Advantage) Got them down, but definitely felt it. No food issues, still "full" after 3-4 oz. Have not incorporated grains yet, as I still can't eat all my vegetable portion. Full after the protein. I really have to watch myself to make sure I don't eat too fast, especially with snacks.

vitamin brands don't matter as far as sleeve vs gastric bypass go. single dose bariatric-specific vitamins tend to be more expensive, but then you also have to figure out the cost of buying separate vitamins (and taking two multivitamins a day, too). I do the latter, but I don't buy expensive brands, so I'm probably still coming out ahead. And there's the convenience factor to consider. As long as you're meeting the requirements, either option will work - it pretty much just comes down to personal preference.

150 lbs at 5'11"? That's a BMI of 20.9. Only 10-15% of bariatric patients make it to a normal BMI, let alone one that low in the range. Plus 62 lbs in 15 weeks is really good progress! I think this guy is insane.

Simple fix. Switch doctors. And write him up on every patient opinion site you can find. He sounds like a turd who wants to bolster his image with you looking as thin as possible regardless of how unhealthy it might be for you. You are not his personal bulletin board and his behavior is not only dreadful, it reinforces disordered eating that can lead to future gain. Find a new bariatric group. Wouldn't surprise me if another group near you has others of his refugees. Run. Today.

I am considering having a Bariatric surgery. My insurance company only covers Gastric Bypass surgery. I was really leaning towards Gastric Sleeve operation. My thought is Sleeve is less complex so it’s safer, fewer cuts and staples. It essentially costs about the price of a used car, which I can afford. Should I pay out of pocket for Sleeve or use insurance for ByPass? ByPass seem to have greater weight loss effect. Any advice?

Hi Nikki i had mine done in the U.K. with Ramsay Health care at my local private hospital with Mr Sutton. I paid £10,400. With life time after care support. 2 years dietician, 2 years psychologist support. i did a lot of research before choosing this consultant. i ‘interviewed’ three consultants from different clinics around the U.K. I chose Mr Sutton based on reviews (if you Google him you will see his history) and also I had used the local private hospital before and really liked it so it made sense. They offer a financial package, however I found a loan from my bank was lower interest and easier payments to manage. I am one week post op and I have no complaints at all with how everything went. I have my bariatric nurses number and has contacted her a few times 24hours a day and she’s extremely helpful and lovely. Everything is included in the price, all meds, follow ups etc. I would just say do you homework. Read up about the consultant and even have a free consultation with them and talk with them. Like I did. It’s the best way good luck in your search! ❤️

HI! My surgeon is a GREAT bariatric surgeon, as far as doing the surgery, but she isn't on top of much regarding the nutritional aspects of the program. I finally called one of the nutritionists associated with the bariatric program. She said it's not uncommon for people to have more issues eating after the HH surgery than after the initial VGS surgery. She said that she thinks it's because when having VGS, there is that long internal suture line from forming the sleeve, but it's not connected or stitched to anything. With the HH repair, I've had my sleeve "tacked" to something internally, as well as mesh stitched into my diaphragm. Every time I breathe or swallow something, that all gets "pulled on" and that's what she thinks the pain is from, and also that the mesh repair narrows the opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes. I don't know... I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, hahaha, but it seems kind-of a reasonable explanation! It's still a guessing game regarding eating. I eat soup for dinner at least half the time; not so much fun in the middle of summer, but it's food. I make sure the veggies in it are really soft and I can mash them up. Sometimes I can tolerate crackers in the soup, also. No pasta unless it's well mashed in sauce, but even then it's questionable. I mash up the macaroni in macaroni and cheese and it's OK, but when we had stuffed shells I only ate the filling and the cheese from the topping. No rice, no breads, even with a lot of butter. I had cereal recently (Lucky Charms) but had to wait for it to get soft in the milk. Eggs are OK, as is tuna salad and egg salad, but chicken salad today was disastrous. It's a different kind of pain than from the HH, more like a line of pain across the top of my chest. Salad is a no-no, has been all along, but right now I still struggle with ground meats (burger, turkey burger, etc). I do OK with corn on the cob, though, which is a gift as it's one of my favorite summer treats! I honestly never know what's going to sit well, although anything that is smooshed up in a gravy or sauce is usually OK, or meat that is fatty. I still have to take small bites and chew, chew, chew, but once it goes down, it STAYS down, which is a plus, and still NO GERD! Also no PPI, no tums, etc. I'm still not sure how any of this is supposed to go, but I am glad I had the HH repaired. I was tired of drowning in acid every evening and of vomiting up food daily.

Citi, Amazon, and Amynta I know are all hiring and offer full benefits that cover bariatric surgery. You may also want to look into having surgery done in Mexico. Many folks, myself included, have found that going out of the country is actually cheaper, and can be done much faster, than using insurance and having it done in the US.

My 15 year old neighbor had sleeve surgery after years of therapy, "fat camps" and depression. Three months after surgery and a pretty significant weight loss, I actually saw her smile for the first time! She began walking, working out and would actually engage in lengthy conversations. Fast forward 5 years...…she's in college, enjoys hiking, is in a serious relationships and looks wonderful. Her parents had to go through a lot of family counseling and do a lot of research to find a surgeon who performed bariatric procedures on children. But they knew it was in the best interest of their child to set her up for a healthy adult life. So in answer to your question, you should have the surgery when you are mentally ready to commit to a healthy future. Sleeve surgery only works in the long term if you make the necessary life style changes in that first year after surgery. If not, the weight gain will put you right back where you are now. So I would suggest that age isn't as important as attitude. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

For me, the surgery wasn't worth it. I believe it is the reason that I ended up with a hiatal hernia (I didn't have one before the surgery) and I have some moderate GERD problems since the surgery (though my GERD is not as severe as the GERD that some unlucky people end up with after the sleeve). Looking back on it now, I wish I would have just avoided any bariatric surgery at all, but if I were still going to get surgery, I personally think that the gastric bypass would have been a better way to go actually. I chose the sleeve because I was scared of the bypass and didn't want to take the risks of the bypass, but the bypass at least is the "tried and true" method that has stood the test of time over decades. The sleeve has a pretty significant risk of ending up with severe GERD, and if you get severe GERD, many doctors will tell you to get a bypass to fix the GERD. Then you end up going through ANOTHER surgery, which is riskier than just getting the bypass to start.

Hello, are there any companies hiring that cover bariatric surgery under their health plan? Preferably work from home and customer service. I'm located in Texas near Dallas if its not work from home. I can't afford to go the self-pay route. Thank you in advanced. You can send your referral link, I know some companies give bonuses for referrals.

Straight up!!! Unless someone tells me I can't eat the comparable amount to a shake in nutrients of cottage cheese on this diet (the carb/fat content is lower than the shakes and the protein is equal ---Good Culture lowfat cottage cheese---) I'm starting this tomorrow. Got almost no help from the dietician. I was also told to keep my diet to 1000 calories a day, which is normally not a problem for me, but with super low carbs and fat it is. I have been at around 800-900 cals on this diet and lost one lb this past week. I will stop eating any cottage cheese or egg white 3 days before the surgery, but my preferred choices seem to be healthier than my dietician's! I so hear you on the non-dairy, and I like dairy! My brother is vegan, so I could perhaps give you suggestions if you like; DM me. This is for post-surgery: I love a pureed red lentil soup with lemon and herbs, and you could incorporate protein powder and broth, for example. I've also been doing Brodo bone broth. It has more protein and helps with hunger. Mine is a major university bariatric center as well and they seem stuck in 1985 with respect to diet! Prior to the VSG project, when I thought I could "eat less and exercise more" (ha ha) I was put on an 1100-1200 calorie diet (high protein, low fat, low carb) for months and months and didn't lose weight. It was not that hard to implement, as I already pretty much ate that way. I measured and weighed every single pea I ate. Their dietician told me I could eat up to 1800 calories a day without gaining weight, so I'd lose weight at 1600. I told her that I'm not even losing at 1100! (I laughed, but inside my own head because that was such a load of hooey) She shrugged and had no idea why (she clearly thought I was lying to her, which I was not- again, infantilizing when I needed actual help.) . So: disappointing, but not that surprising. And now, Im losing a single lb in a week on this horrible preop diet. Does it still de-fat your liver if you don't lose weight? I'm following every dietary restriction I was given except that the diet comes from pre-packaged shakes. I'm making my own now with Isopure, low fat/low carb nut milk and a LOT less artificial sweetness or none at all—had a great espresso one today. And yet: the weight is not coming off me. But this is why I'm having this surgery. Makes me worry I'll not lose any weight at all afterward, but my surgeon thinks I will. I do not have cravings for anything except really any real food when I'm hungry. Now Im stomach-growling hungry for huge parts of the day, exhausted, peeing constantly, and not losing any weight. This sucks. I'm saying this because I know there are other just like me out there, and I'm saying, "Guys, it's really ok to not be positive and cheerful all the time. Truth is really healthy." I'll also add that if this diet makes you pissed off and tired and unable to work properly, that seems normal to me. And I don't think it means that you won't be committed to your health or your diet afterward. I also don't think adults need training wheels or to be lied to about numbers to incorporate that most people cheat. I'd prefer to be told the actual truth about what is medically necessary and why.

To provide an update now that it has been 4 and a half months since the surgery, I have lost a total of 75 pounds, 62 post surgery. I have been really happy with the steady loss. I eat between 690 and 730 calories a day now and make sure I get between 65 and 90 grams of protein. I try to keep my net carbs to 30 and under but it sometimes can go up to 35. I still only manage about 1.5 liters of water on average and make sure I keep up with my vitamins. My doc said I could start eating rice, pasta and bread at the three month mark if I wanted to, but I don’t react well to those foods normally so decided to not reintroduce them yet until I reach the maintenance phase. I have no regrets and love that I can walk into almost any shop now and buy clothes off the rack. I’ve lost over a 100 centimeters and dropped 4 to 5 dress sizes (currently in between sizes at the moment, which is always challenging). my fitness has greatly improved and can hike steep hills without puffing my lungs out and stopping along the way. If you are thinking of taking the bariatric leap, I highly recommend it 😊

I am now 5 months from surgery. I've had horrible food aversions but some of that is easing. I can now eat bacon again. Before, it was disgusting. The same can be said of a few other foods. I'd love to be able to tolerate chicken but it's still off the menu. I am taking tasteless GENEPRO twice a day, 60 grams to keep my protien up and it is giving me some strength back. Also, I've switched to a 1 a day bariatric vitamin. Weight loss as of now is 118 pounds and my goal is 210 pounds. Hope this encourages some who are struggling. Stick with it.

For real! My session with the dietician also consisted of her just reading through the packet to me, and her being unable to answer any specific questions. I'm pescatarian, and don't consume much dairy, so the only animal proteins I eat are fish/seafood and some eggs. She had no idea about recommendations for non-dairy protein shakes, and no ideas about customizing the puree/soft foods phases to be things that weren't all ricotta, cottage cheese, and yogurt. This is a major university bariatric center. Asking about plant-based alternatives shouldn't be so befuddling. I'd love some specific recommendations and recipes, but yeah, if you can't do that, give me the info to do it, myself, and don't charge me hundreds of dollars for a service you aren't really providing.

Hello, I had a lap band in 2008 and it was essentially a failure. I've spent years going up and down with my weight and have finally come to a decision to have gastric bypass. I am really nervous but excited that I'm about to start on this journey. I have my first consultation with a bariatric surgeon this week (July 22). I am self pay because my health insurance has a specific exclusion for bariatric surgery. Given that I don't have to go through any insurance loopholes, I'm wondering how quickly it will be before I can schedule the surgery. For self pay patients, what is the average time from consultation to surgery?

there's no average. Most people seem to lose in the 15-25 range the first month, although I don't have any hardcore research to back that up - it's just what I've observed after spending the last seven years participating on this and other bariatric forums. So your loss is totally normal, and your surgeon is an idiot. I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I went on to lose over 200 lbs. Some people lose slower or faster than others depending on a lot of factors, some of which you have little to no control over (like genetics, age, gender, starting BMI, etc). You DO have control over your activity level and how closely you follow your program, so if you do well with those and your overall weight trend is down (even if slow), then you're fine. P.S. that 15-25 range I mentioned - of course you'll always find people who fall on either side of that, but they're outliers. You are doing just fine!

I was thinking of trying tge lemonade, iced tea and crystal sky. I also bought the genepro, but have only tried it in sugarfree jello, so far. I dis order the bariatric pal fruit drinks. I wonder if they are similar to the Nectar drinks. I only tried pineapple orange from the multi pack. It was pretty good, a nice change from the protein shakes.

I was on multivitamin 1 week post - op. Chewable (Bariatric Advantage) for the first 6 weeks. Then I move to pill form.

Hi everyone!!! I’m new to this sight and need all the help I can get 😩. I’m Pre Surgical for Gastric Bypass, I’ve gone through every test known to man. I see my Bariatric Dr Aug 13th, hopefully I will get a date for my surgery. Feel free to comment, I would love advice!!

Hi Mama Des, Congrats on the surgery. I'm sorry to hear you are in so much pain, and so hungry. I'm not sure what your allowed and what you have tried, but here are some things I am going to try after surgery (and am using now, pre op): broth (w/ or w/out genepro), s.f. jello (genepro can be added here, too), s.f. electrolyte drink mix, s.f. popsicles, s.f. drink mixes, and once in full liquid stage s.f. yogurt & farina/cream of wheat thinned with milk. I had a sample of a broth that was made by Bariatric fusion, it was pretty tasty. The nectar protein drinks have some flavors that seem more like juice, lemon aid, fruit punch or iced tea. I haven't tried those yet. I hope you find something to make this phase easier, good luck, & tell us if you find anything that worked for you.