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I take the caramel Bariatric citrate chews and the mixed berry vitamin chews I believe the brand is bariatric fusion. At first I really enjoyed them now I cannot stand the taste. I was taking barimelts for calcium citrate and vitamins but I started hating those as well. I just to find something that I can tolerate. I asked about the patch but the doc said no ☹️. I guess I’ll keep taking the chewables for now aargh.

I entered your stats into a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator and got 2,370 (I don't know your age, so I guessed 40, it will be a little higher if you're younger and a little lower if you're older). That's just the bare minimum needed for your body to keep itself going. So even without exercise, eating 1500 calories per day should leave you with a calorie deficit of 870 calories per day. That should lead to a pound lost about every four days. If you're in the "Exercise 1-3 times/week" category, your calorie needs for one day come to 3,259, and eating 1500 calories per day would mean a daily deficit of 1,759 calories. That should have you losing a pound about every two days! Eating too much does not seem to be your problem. Since you've recently begun lifting, it's possible that you are adding muscle tissue and that's offsetting the fat you are losing, leaving the scale unmoved for now. But the good thing about strength training is that it raises your BMR and causes you to burn more calories all day, not just when you are exercising. Sooner or later, the extra muscle tissue will translate into a higher BMR and visible weight loss. Are you following your bariatric team's eating plan, getting enough protein, and staying hydrated? If so, I'd say just give it some more time. You've already lost a lot, maybe your body is taking one of those "rest periods" where it's adjusting to the new regimen (AKA "a stall"). Just wait it out, it will break eventually.

Dont feel stupid! We are all humans. It happens. What i've found being a part of this community is the amount of information that we get from our respective programs are vastly different in many ways. Some get like NO info and no prep from a NUT or psych, some get TONS of info. Some plans do a calorie vs carb thing. Some dont allow any form of beef for 6 months. Some are a 6 step process to get you back to "normal food." Some say hey 4 weeks out, do what you can handle. What I've done over the last 6 weeks is researched from reputable bariatric centers across the country and kind of make a mishmash of the most helpful information and stuff that kept popping up. That, along with following some of the vets on here and reading through their posts have helped me greatly in the "What not to do" aspect. I honestly didn't get a lot of info for my surgery. Most of what I knew was from being with my ex who had the surgery a few years ago. But the packet I did get was not thorough and quite contradictory throughout. The nutritionist even got mad at me for using 2 T of 35 calorie mayo when it was ON HER RECIPE. So I totally get feeling and being misinformed and ill prepared. This isnt something thats easy and its not necessarily a line of thought that we're used to when we've struggled with weight our whole lives. So just give yourself grace, do your due diligence, and take care of that new and still healing stomach, you worked hard for it. The important thing is that you recognized your mistake, you did the right thing in calling your surgery center, and now you know. Like CatWoman said, most of us have been put on a no pasta, bread, high carb/dough NOPE list until months and months out, for example, mine is a nono til 8-12 months. Dont feel stupid, this community is amazing and super helpful. People can come off like theyre being harsh, but I truly believe that Its because they want everyone else to succeed too. Don't get discouraged. Keep your head up. And reach out to pretty much anyone on here and they're more than willing to help!! Goodluck, hun. I'm rooting for you!

I took Barimelts calcium citrate for the first 6 weeks after surgery. Then I switched to BariatricPal calcium citrate soft chews and I LOVE the Belgian chocolate caramel and French vanilla caramel. I consider them a daily treat. The strawberry watermelon soft chews are ok but not as delicious as the caramel ones. I currently take Citrical petites 1x/day (2 pills) and the soft chews 2x/day (just because the Citrical is a lot cheaper and has no calories... but I love the soft chews so much that I don't want to give them up). For the multivitamin, I took Barimelts for the first 6 weeks after surgery and then switched to BariatricPal MultivitaminOne chewable. I did not care for the taste of that. I currently take BariatricPal MultivitaminOne capsules with 45 mg iron. They are an excellent price for a bariatric multivitamin. Some people take regular drugstore vitamins, but keep in mind that you have to take two of those, so they come out to about the same price as BariatricPal MultivitaminOne. I also take an additional iron supplement (Nutricost iron chelate, purchased on Amazon) because I was iron-deficient. I also take NatureMade sublingual B-12 (it's cherry flavored) and Natrol biotin (strawberry flavored, tastes like candy!). And a prescription vitamin D3.

People refer to this as having "food funerals". I didn't have the opportunity because my surgery was scheduled so abruptly that I had to start the pre-op the same day I got my surgery date. But it's not an uncommon impulse. The good thing to remember is that you can very likely enjoy those foods again. The post-op diet starts off pretty strict but by the time you are done losing weight you can eat almost anything (minus the one or two items that still upset some of our stomachs). Not as often and in smaller portions, but very few foods are off-limits forever (my bariatric team gave me two: carbonated drinks and popcorn). In the two years since my surgery I've had Chick-Fil-A, Thai food, ice cream (non-dairy for me), and other goodies. I'm still not able to eat ground beef, so hamburgers are not on the menu. But since they don't sit well in my tummy, I don't miss them. Practically anything else, I can have if I really want it (just not often and not all together). Part of learning how to maintain is learning how to have an occasional indulgence without going into a destructive binge. So, you don't really need to have food funerals. You're not saying goodbye forever to most foods, just "I'll see you later". Forgive yourself and look forward! Exciting times ahead. Hugs. 🤗

Establish a relationship with a bariatric therapist. For me...it was as important as the surgery longterm.

I don't know that it really matters in the long run. I use my highest weight, which is what I weighed before my six-month supervised diet started (and I completed this diet BEFORE I entered the bariatric program, because I had to change insurance companies to get WLS coverage, and I had to wait for the enrollment period (and then until January of the following year because coverage would start). The new insurance company said it was fine to use a six-month supervised diet that was done under another network as long as it had occurred within the last two years.

I wanted to preface this post with this optimistic fact. My husband had the surgery with amazing results and no problems whatsoever 15 years ago - it saved his life. He lost over 150 pounds and kept if off. He's gained and lost the same 25 pounds like your typical middle aged person, but it's been nothing but a blessing for him. We had different surgeons. My experience wasn't so awesome, and I feel it's so important to share a few facts so you choose the RIGHT surgeon and ask the RIGHT questions. I hope I can help people avoid the avoidable. I'm a big believer in the surgery - but I want you to not suffer. Let me help:) What's the problem? The sleeve has a common and serious side effect that I suffer with, and that many surgeons downplay. GERD. But this isn't the GERD you think you know - I'll jump into that later. GERD has up to a 30% rate of occurrence after VSG - that's a lot higher then what my doc told me. https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.14467. Not only did my doctor gloss over it, and convey that it was "really rare", but he didn't really explain what this type of GERD is. I'm going to explain what this type of GERD is, and then I'm going to arm you with the right questions and research to do before you pick a surgeon. Because once it goes bad, your surgeon will pawn you off on a GERD doctor and that's that. Let me help you get proactive and avoid a bad result! What is VSG GERD? Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic acid reflux is when acid shoots into your esophagus and throat. VSG GERD is different - that's why I'm giving it its own name. I never had GERD before the surgery. Now I get VSG GERD after drinking 4 oz. of water. It's NOT triggered by food. This isn't occasional, it's constant without dangerous meds. I now weigh 115 pounds, so it's not triggered by overindulgence or weight gain brought on by binging. Now you might think you already know GERD. Who hasn't had to pop a tums here and there? Not a bad trade off for a morbid obesity cure, right? THIS IS NOT THAT!!!! VSG GERD is an unrelenting tidal wave of persistent, burning acid that causes chest pain (and emergency room visits) that can only be somewhat managed by daily, longterm use of a class of drugs called PPI's. These PPI's lead to malabsorption and a host of side effects. I sit in my local cancer center to have my bi-annual 4-hour iron infusion with chemo patients to name just one. https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2018/10001/Effect_of_Long_Term_Proton_Pump_Inhibitor_Use_on.1227.aspx PPI's are a class of drugs that are only intended for 2 weeks of use because of their fairly horrific side effects. PPI's are linked to depression, blindness, cancer, and early death, (and this is the short list). There are several law firms dedicated to compensation for PPI victims. PPI's makes me feel like I've just downed a bottle of Mayo. I've been nauseous for years. I alternate between taking a bottle of tums a day so that I can take breaks from the PPI - but I always revert back to them after a short break to alleviate the pain. I am seriously at risk for a ton of really serious diseases, and my liver tests are really bad. PPI's are deadly. I'm in the process of finding a surgeon who can help. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-53622-3 The amount of VSG patients converting to the bypass/Linx system/etc. to rid themself of GERD and get off PPI's is exploding. Common sense would tell you that this isn't a" tums" sort of reflux! Hope for post VSG GERD As someone with no energy, horrible anemia, and low final weight - the bypass conversion sounds like a disaster because of the increased risk of malabsorption, but one surgeon told me it might be my only option. Some surgeons are discovering that a revision surgery to treat a hiatal hernial (HH) is the key to relief. I've had several scopes over the years, and they can never find a HH, but according to my husband's VSG surgeon, that isn't uncommon. He feels there is a possibility that my past the doctors missing it. I'm waiting on my barium swallow results. This gives me hope - that's why I wanted to share it. Hope is everything. I'm also going to talk with the doctor who wrote this article. "Laparoscopic Ligamentum Teres cardiopexy to the rescue; an old procedure with a new use in managing reflux after sleeve gastrectomy". Follow me and I'll keep you updated. https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(20)30814-X/fulltext#gr2 Future VSG patients - ASK QUESTIONS! A few surgeons are now doing the sleeve with hiatal hernia repair at the same time, and some understand how important it is to consider GERD while doing the surgery. Different surgeons have different techniques. Some doctors "get it", and are being proactive because they've seen the pain that GERD causes. Some downplay it. I would suggest that ALL sleeve pre op patients have this discussion with their surgeon before moving forward. If he downplays it, RUN. ASK!!!! Ask your surgeon how many patients has he had who've had GERD. How does/or will he address it if you are unlucky? Ask about his follow up - does he even know what's going on with his past patients? How does he keep track? Has he sent any patients to a GERD specialist? If he says, "oh, only a few of my patients had that" - ask him how he handled it. (My surgeon sent me to the GERD doc and then cut off ties. He was not curious about my results - he did not want to know. He probably still tells patients that it is rare. He has no idea I've been suffering for 14 years.) Bariatric surgeons who've done the surgery and are on the forefront of GERD repair are a good bet. These doctors are rare and you need to really hunt for them. If your doctor does the whole "very rare", etc. (my doctor did), he's either: not reading recent studies, not listening to his patients, not following up on them, minimizing this horrific side effect, or all of the above. Don't settle for a doctor who acts like it's "super rare" or "no big deal". THIS IS A BIG DEAL. Find one that is proactive and discusses HOW they avoid it. I'm rooting for all of you! Let's get the surgery, but let's get it from the right people. Don't pick the guy in Mexico just because he's cheap. Don't pick the guy because he takes your insurance. Spend the money for a few consults to discuss the surgery with different surgeons. Come here and reach out to people who've gone to him/her. I went with a blind recommendation and didn't ask enough questions - and the price is really expensive - I'm still paying.

Me too! I've also spoken with Dr. Jossart in California who has done many hiatal hernia (HH) repairs post sleeve for those with GERD. This sounds perfect for you. He said he's done 125+ repairs with a 90% success rate. Only 1 of these patients out of over 125 needed a conversion to bypass. As someone with no energy, horrible anemia (iron infusions) and low final weight - the bypass conversion sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, so I'm praying for a HH to show up on my latest swallow test. I've had several scopes over the years, and they can never find a HH, but according to Dr. Jossart that isn't uncommon, and he feels there is a very high likelihood that it's small and the doctor's I've seen are missing it. This gives me hope - that's why I wanted to share it. Hope is everything. I also feel I should share that new research on PPI's show that they are now linked to depression (PPI's rank #1 as OTC drug that causes depression) and eye problems (including blindness). This is new research coming out to add to the list of problems it causes. We all need to get off PPI's! Lastly, a few surgeons are now doing the sleeve with HH repair first, and with other GERD preventative measures DURING surgery. These doctors "get it", and are being proactive because they've seen the pain that GERD causes. I would suggest that ALL sleeve pre op patients have this discussion with their surgeon before moving forward, if he downplays it, RUN. If you are in the 30% that suffer, it's severely lowers your quality of life. I've been suffering for 14 years with too many dead end Dr. Appointments to count. Stanford, UofM - I've consulted with the best "experts" over the years and found found many shake their heads with a sort of "you're on your own" attitude. I truly believe that the only hope we have is with a bariatric surgeon who really understands what was done and who has done the surgery - but also does GERD repairs. These doctors are rare and you need to really hunt for them. When most hear "acid reflux" as a potential side effect, they think "so what, I'll have to take a tums once in a while". It's NOT that sort of reflux. It's debilitating. It's vomiting after half a cup of water. It's pain after every single meal. It's instant dependency of horrific drugs with a myriad of side effects - including blindness and cancer. If my doctor had told me I had a 30% chance of this version of GERD, I would have run for the hills. If your doctor does the whole "very rare", etc. (my doctor did), he's either: not reading recent studies, not listening to his patients, not following up on them (my doctor just pawned me off to a GERD doctor), minimizing this horrific side effect, or all of the above. Don't settle of a doctor who acts like it's super rare or no big deal. Find one that is proactive and discusses HOW they avoid it. Please share with me all your research. I'm rooting for you!

Ugh. I so hate when someone deciding to have bariatric surgery experiences a lack of support from family & friends. I’m sure you didn’t decide to do this on a whim. You’ve obviously done research into the process as any sensible & intelligent person would. Bariatric surgery is very common these days & is a comparatively safe surgery. Going to be a bit harsh so sorry if I offend. First, you’ll be a hell of a lot more ‘out of commission’ if you continue being obese & your health deteriorates (joint pain, immobility, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues, ...). Secondly, selfish for deciding to having a surgery which will help you live a better & healthier life which will benefit your family too? I don’t think so. Is it selfish to have knee replacement surgery, or heart surgery? Either of which could be ahead of you if you don’t lose weight. Thirdly, that oh, you don’t need surgery likely comes from someone not wanting to offend by agreeing that you’re obese & need help. And finally, there’s a lot of people still married on this forum. I have two married friends & one married acquaintance who’ve had surgery & their marriages are fine (I’m not married so I don’t count). If 80% fail, at least two would be in trouble. They’re even beating the 50% of marriages fail stats. A lot of the comments people are making come from fear of the unknown. Everyone seems to know the negative stories but they conveniently forget the positive ones. Taking your wife with you on your next visit is a very good idea. Getting her on side will help manage the thinking of other members of your family. Just think of the day, you can say to them I told you it was the right thing to do. (You can always do the told you so dance 😆.) Sure, your life will be different. But it’s a way better different. Good luck. You’ll always have support here.

Run that by your bariatric group, just to be safe.

I agree with ShoppGirl, that you need your wife to fully support you in this journey and as long as your marriage is very good now it will stay that way. Maybe have her watch some videos from the Bariatric Doctors on Youtube that have lots of helpful information as well. That is how I started out when we started to go to the surgeon so that I was fully prepared for the changes that were coming. Seeing a therapist will help with the mental hunger/stress eating or overall poor eating habits that led to our weight being so high. I have Binge Eating Disorder and see a therapist for that and this has helped me on my weight loss journey. I, like you had UPs and DOWNs with my weight. I went from 220 to 175 back to 220 and then all the way down to 145 before going all the way up to 280. The surgery has helped me so far lose 90 lbs and I am just shy of 5 months out. My wife and I both had the surgery on the same day and for us this made sense and has helped us to maintain our relationship. It also helped us with our meals as we eat the same thing together now. Even my 11 year old daughter eats the same as us and we have seen her health improve as well. Right after the surgery the only real limitation that I had was lifting weight for 6 weeks. Taking care of your children, minus lifting them, should be doable after a few days of rest after surgery. One possible option is to hire some help if your wife is concerned about this aspect as well.

I was finally able to get some clarification regarding my coverage. Knowing what to expect puts me at ease. Gastric Bypass Surgery (Bariatric Surgery) is covered only if specific medical criteria are met:  Bariatric surgery may be indicated for patients 18 to 60 years of age. Requests for bariatric surgery for patients less than 18 years of age should include documentation that the primary care physician has addressed the risk of surgery on future growth, the patient's maturity level and the patient’s ability to understand the procedure and comply with postoperative instructions, as well as the adequacy of family support. Patients above 60 years of age may be considered if it is documented in the medical record that the patient’s physiologic age and co-morbid condition(s) result in a positive risk/benefit ratio. • The patient has been clinically evaluated by an MD or DO. The physician has documented failure of non-surgical management including a structured, professionally supervised (physician or non-physician) weight loss program for a minimum of six consecutive months within the last four years prior to the recommendation for bariatric surgery. The six consecutive month weight loss program listed above is waived for super morbidly obese individuals who have a BMI ≥50. Documentation should include periodic weights, dietary therapy and physical exercise, as well as behavioral therapy, counseling and pharmacotherapy, as indicated. • Documentation that the PCP and the patient have a good understanding of the risks involved and reasonable expectations that the patient will be compliant with all postsurgical requirements. • A psychological evaluation must be performed as a pre-surgical assessment by a contracted mental health professional in order to establish the patient’s emotional stability, ability to comprehend the risk of surgery and to give informed consent, and ability to cope with expected post-surgical lifestyle changes and limitations. Such psychological consultations may include one unit total of psychological testing for purposes of personality assessment (e.g., the MMPI-2 or adolescent version, the MMPI-A). • The physician needs to be aware and follow-up with individuals who have had gastric surgery for any long-term complications. • In cases where a revision of the original procedure is planned, documentation of all of the following is required: - Date and type of previous procedure - The factor(s) that precipitated failure - Any complications from the previous procedure that mandate (necessitate) the takedown - If the indication for the revision is a failure of the patient to lose a desired amount of 51 weight then the patient must meet all of the initial preoperative criteria. Note: The following surgical procedures are considered experimental/investigational because their safety and/or effectiveness have not been proven: • Loop gastric bypass gastroplasty - also known as mini-gastric bypass • Stomach stapling Endoscopic procedures to treat weight gain after bariatric surgery to remedy large gastric stoma or large gastric pouches are considered experimental/investigational.

I needed every minute of the 6 month diet to do the work of understanding my eating habits and what I was in for....and I still could have used more time to prepare. I understand being excited and impatient to move forward...but the six month diet is important. Without learning to control your eating habits, you're going to be in trouble. This surgery is a tool, and it's a tool that fails...a lot...when people are not prepared for the lifetime changes they need to make. And I don't mean just adjusting to your new anatomy...that's relatively easy. What I mean is...the fact that you will STILL have to count calories, record everything you eat, fight temptation and cravings, and especially... find other outlets for emotional eating, identify your triggers, cope with the things that drove you to eat. Most of the people who make noise on the boards fall into two catagories. The people who have experienced some degree of success working very very hard. And the people who have experienced some degree of success by the good fortune of an excellent physiological reaction to the surgery regardless of their habits (luck). Who we DON'T tend to hear from, or see posts from....are the majority of people who have these surgeries.... who never lose more than 50% of their excess weight. When people get unhappy or feel unsuccessful...they don't post about it. Half of people who have this surgery will fall in this category. You can eat around an altered stomach and gain it all back. It's not even hard to do. The surgery changes one anatomical element to give you an advantage....not a fix. Your head is the place that needs the real fix. Six months...is a great investment in working to fix your head before you have to deal with your new digestive system. Are bariatric surgeries a terrific tool? Yes. The new anatomy helps a lot. Another terrific tool...one that is arguably just as helpful and arguably more important to your longterm success......a bariatric therapist. Make sure you have access to one. Best wishes to all!

Best advice I've heard came from a bariatric surgeon: "You/we don't know your goal weight yet; you won't choose your goal weight- it will choose you and you'll know it when you find it. " I'm 183 today & have more to lose but I literally could not be the 119 I was in high school now. At this weight I'm a size 12, sometimes a 10 & a L legging, sometimes a medium. I'd look sickly at 119 today. Everyone needs to live in their bodies, not just display them so what society says "looks good" & what's healthy are not the same thing. Lots of love and empowering vibes to everyone 💜

So I was a companion on 3/18-21 to my best friend (38f) while she had her sleeve thru Baja medical with Dr. A (Dr A's Iron Sleevers group is a great resource on FB) I've been considering the surgery myself but am still actively losing weight & maintaining my loss (we both had lost 50lbs since October of 2020) and I'm not quite ready to commit to the sleeve just yet. So here's what I'd tell future Tijuana (or any) bariatric patients. Buy a good variety of broth packets & cubes as well as electrolyte packets because what tasted good before may not after surgery. I cannot stress this enough- do not ALLOW yourself to get medically dehydrated. They kind of skimp on the IV fluids so it won't take long after surgery to become dehydrated & once that dry heaving begins it's a short trip to kidney strain and needing the hospital. Two girls (different surgeons than our group but same hospital) ended up needing IV fluids after being discharged. Bring an extension cord & heating pad- that heating pad was my friends favorite thing while down there. Take the preop diet very seriously, including caffeine, it will ensure you're body is burning fat stores before you have surgery which you'll be grateful for when you're only getting 150-300 calories a day the first few days home. Try to learn a few Spanish phrases or bring a decent translation dictionary because the service industry down there caters mostly to other Mexican tourists and don't speak much English- this is super helpful for uber, ordering food or even just going to sbux. Bring a small thermos that you can take anywhere. 10 oz is ideal and you won't be drinking even that much in a sitting before coming home. Buy Miralax & use it the day you get home (surgeon said this was fine) because the constipation struggle IS REAL after general anesthesia & you DO NOT want to be straining your abdominal muscles after surgery! Buy everything you need for bariatric smoothies & soups before you go- you won't want to be hunting down ingredients two days after getting home. Chobani now makes a bottled yogurt drink with 25g protein, chicory root fiber & monk fruit with no chunks- very post OP friendly & you'll be SUPER sick of protein shakes by the 1 week mark. Most importantly- be your own advocate; if your nurse is overly busy & blows you off (hospital is crazy busy down there right now b/c stimulus + tax returns) then ask to speak to your dr. and make yourself heard. Lastly, if you have a hotel day try & visit Avenida Revolucion (10 minute Uber from the hotels)- we went with some other sleevers & it was an awesome distraction, great place to walk & the Hotel Caesar (birthplace of the caesar salad!) makes a French onion soup that if you as for "just jus'" or "suave', liquido colado (strained liquid) they'll give you a crock of just the rich broth! Be safe everyone, my friend is 6 days post OP & getting stronger each day!

it's usually the insurance company that requires the six-month supervised diet rather than the bariatric clinic - or at least that seems to be the case most of the time. People who don't have insurance coverage and self pay don't usually have to do it. Most surgeons do require some kind of pre-surgery diet, but that's usually just a week or two before the surgery (it's usually clear liquids and protein shakes - or some surgeons do allow you to have one meal a day - like a Lean Cuisine or meat & non-starchy veggies. It varies. Mine, unfortunately, wanted two weeks of liquids only, including protein shakes. That seems to be the most common). But that six-month thing is more often a requirement of the insurance company. They want to see if you're capable of following a program long-term, I think...

most insurance policies that cover bariatric surgery require a BMI of 40 if you have no comorbidities, and a BMI of 35 if you have two or more co-morbidities. So you should qualify - you have both. I don't know what they mean by "fast track" - that must be something specific to your insurance company. From what I can tell from hanging out here for the last six years, most of us do have to do the six-month supervised diet, regardless of BMI. Even though at first I though it was a stupid hoop that we had to jump through, I'm glad it was required. I think it really prepared me for how life was going to be after weight loss surgery. Otherwise, the change would have been REALLY drastic...(all the changes are drastic enough as it is - but at least you spend six months gradually changing your eating habits so you kind of know the drill beforehand...)

That is brilliant! I wish more doctors would take this approach. One of my biggest regrets in life is all of the years I spent yo-yo dieting. The first time I went on a diet as a pre-teen, I wasn't even that fat, but I got stuck in a cycle of dieting and gaining it all back plus more. I honestly think that if I had known then about how harmful yo-yo dieting is, I never would have ended up so big that I needed weight loss surgery. Maybe if I had a doctor or dietitian who had told me all of this, I could have found my "best weight" instead of striving for something that I couldn't sustain. I am still trying to figure out what this looks like for my post-surgery self. I have been doing everything right since my surgery -- eating the right foods and quantities, drinking plenty of water, working out every day -- but it is exhausting and I often wonder how long I will be able to keep it up. For me, I think working out will be the sticking point because I hate it. I found something that I can put up with (Leslie Sansone videos on YouTube -- I've tried other ones but they all seem to fall short of Leslie's), but I still dread it. I get up early so I can get it out of the way before work, but I hate getting up so early, too. I am actually pretty good with the food because I have found so many delicious bariatric-friendly recipes that I truly enjoy eating, although I still feel sad sometimes when I see other people enjoying food that I can't eat.

I spent the last two weeks cooking for friends but nothing really bariatric friendly. I'll usually take like two bites of whatever I make and always make sure I have some kind of app or side dish that I can eat that way no one notices that I'm not eating what I made them. All pics are the fiancés plate or a friends plate. Featured dishes: Tallarin Verde (Creamy basil & spinach pasta dish) Kimchi fried rice w/ pork Tallarin saltado tipo chifa (Peruvian/Chinese veggie lo mein) Arroz chaufa de mariscos (Peruvian seafood fried rice) Green enchiladas General tso tofu Veggie and pork stir fry The veggie and pork stir fry is an example of what I make for myself while everyone is eating the "regular" dish I made. I usually just alter it in some way or craze on something else I prepared. I still find joy in cooking and watching everyone else eat :)

Hello everyone. I’m Marissa and I had gastric bypass in October of 2020. I’m roughly 5.5 months post op from having the surgery at Baptist Bariatrics. With my surgeon being Dr H. I’m writing to introduce myself. HW 292 SW 273 CW 207 GW 150. I’m doing my best to reach Onederland so any advise is welcome.

I dont love my dietician either. She is nice and all but I don't find anything she says particularly beneficial. When I ask her about certain bariatric snacks and recipes I see online, she doesn't really know what I'm talking about. She keeps telling me to email her my questions but then takes days to respond. All she does is reiterate things that were in my wls workbook. I'm post op and have to see her everytime I see the doctor (quarterly for the first year). I just smile and nod in her session and thank her for nothing... A friend of mine loves her though... to each their own...

I was given the little medicine cups at the hospital to use every 15 minutes.. - I'd keep 3 medicine cups beside me at all times - one for water, one for protein shakes, one for hot broth. - I'd keep a to go mug of hot broth beside me and a bottle of water at all times. - in the beginning I'd set an alarm to make sure I drank every 15 minutes, but after a while resetting that got real annoying, so I'd take sips every little bit, not letting my stomach get overly full. One thing I noticed VERY early on, I had significant pain that would wake me up in the middle of the night, and could only be fixed by having a protein shake. Water and broth did nothing to dissuade the pain. My doctor could not explain it, as he'd never heard of such a thing, but it would wake me silently screaming in the middle of the night until I finally got up and grabbed my bariatric protein shakes. This lasted for quite some time for me, and I ended up buying the little protein shakes they carry in the pharmacy section at walmart... keeping them beside my bed so if I woke in the middle of the night I could immediately grab one. It finally stopped about 3 weeks after surgery and I no longer needed it at night, but I don't want to scare you, as since my doctor had never heard of such a thing, you might not even have that issue but in case you do, Ensure was a savior for me.

I'm doing my surgery at one hospital, which requires bloodwork, endoscopy, psych assessment, nutritionist visits, and six months of visits. Because it's not super-convenient for me to get to, I decided to do my endoscopy with a doctor that is in the hospital's network, but closer to where I live. She was really surprised that I didn't need a sleep study, pulmonologist clearance, stress test, and cardiology clearance (and, oddly, repeatedly asked ME why all of this wasn't required, even though I am definitely not the one deciding on what the program's requirements are or knowing what their rationale is?). I imagine, they'll do whatever clearance they need at the pre-op testing once the surgery date is set, like I've had done for other surgeries. But I'm curious if others have had to do sleep studies, go see a pulmonologist, and a cardiologist, prior to the hospital's regular pre-op testing? She did tell me, after questioning why I was having the surgery because my BMI is borderine (I have other health issues) that I would have to have the endoscopy at the hospital (a different one from where I'm having the surgery) instead of as an outpatient because I'm "pre-bariatric," though someone else I know who saw a different doctor with similar BMI within the same network who was not "pre-bariatric" was able to get it done in the their outpatient center. She told me it was a liability issue. Have others found the same?

I think dieticians for bariatric clinics should have had a period of obesity in their lives. I know this couldn't really be a job requirement...lol...but it's awfully nice when the dietician really understands what you're up against.