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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.

I feel a little sheepish about the response this has gotten. Didn't mean to be an attention wh*re, and I'm afraid that's how it reads. I just wanted to blow steam. I think this board does a better job than most...of extending value and tolerance for each other's perspectives. One bad experience doesn't ruin the whole batch, and I'm sorry if I gave the impression that it's a big problem here.....it's not. You all are terrific. I think most of my post was based on history and a composite of experiences at many bariatric boards.....and one recent trigger here... that, in retrospect, I might have been smarter to let go than talk about....but it irked me and I started typing...and...now I feel sheepish. I think we've all got great stuff to add. I think this is a great group. The folks whose goal is just to achieve better health. The folks who just want to be under 200 pounds. The folks who just want to improve. The folks who are satisfied with an average weight (like me). And the folks who lose like crazy and get super fit and work hard for that low BMI. Everyone has good stuff to offer and I sure didn't mean to imply there are any villians. All perspectives are valuable. One perspective that doesn't fit for one person...might be a perfect fit for another. At the end of the day, we're all figuring this thing out. We're all working hard to understand how to beat an unhealthy relationship with food. Every one of us. I sound fatalistic sometimes and I apologize. You guys really are lovely. And the rare exception....I think i'd be ahead to just ignore.

Well... can't help with being a January surgery buddy... but just know there are lots of us here who are willing to help with what we can! Hang in there! And if things don't improve, please consider perhaps talking with a bariatric mental health professional...

Hi Everyone, I'm new here too . I was looking for an online support community, and this looks like a great place to be. My surgery date is 4/13. So far I have the Protein 2o drinks.. 15g of protein. I also got some bariatric vitamins on the recommendation of a friend. My doc only requires a 3 day pre op liquid diet.. but I was thinking about starting early and making it a 5 day.

I am 8 months out and up until the last month or so, I usually needed protein powder to reach my goal of 60 grams of protein per day. It varies from one person to the next (and your surgeon may recommend a different protein goal than mine), but it could be a while before you can eat enough to get all of your protein from food. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to drink protein shakes every day (I know we all get sick of those); you can mix protein powder into other foods or beverages (a lot of people like to use caramel protein shake as a coffee creamer). My go-to breakfast for a long time was half a scoop of protein powder mixed with half a container of triple zero Greek yogurt, for a total of 19 grams of protein (my favorite combo is birthday cake protein powder plus vanilla yogurt, topped with raspberries). Another good one is protein oatmeal. The BariatricPal store sells some with 15 grams of protein per serving, and you can add some more protein powder to that. There are a lot of protein pancake mixes on the market (and you can even buy frozen protein pancakes and waffles). Eggs, chicken sausage, and turkey bacon are always good high-protein options for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, I usually have about 2 ounces of meat and 2 ounces of veggies, like a salad with chicken, or BBQ chicken (with sugar-free BBQ sauce) and air-fried veggies (green beans, asparagus, carrots, or broccoli), or lettuce wraps (like PF Chang's). Another favorite is Mexican-seasoned chicken with cauliflower rice, salsa, black beans, cheese, and nonfat Greek yogurt. And taco bites, with Quest chili lime protein chips topped with Mexican-seasoned chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and nonfat Greek yogurt. You can't eat much at this point, so you have to keep it simple and focus on protein. I love my air fryer and Instant Pot and I make a lot of recipes with them, but if you don't have those, you can find similar recipes that use other cooking methods. Here are some great recipes that I've made recently: Chicken Divan with cauliflower cream sauce (the cauliflower cream sauce is fantastic and can be used as a white sauce in a lot of recipes) Instant Pot Carnitas Instant Pot Mexican Chicken Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Garlic Parmesan Carrot Fries Buffalo Cauliflower (I make it in the air fryer) Turkey Ragu (excellent with Shelly's Ricotta Bake, roasted spaghetti squash, or shirataki noodles) Instant Pot Egg Bites Instant Pot BBQ chicken White Chicken Chili I have a freezer full of bariatric portioned meals and Pinterest boards full of more recipes that I'm dying to try! If you don't already use Pinterest, you definitely should -- it's a gold mine.

Hi. I'm just 4 weeks post op, and still finding recipes that work for me. But a friend of mine bought be a couple of cookbooks before surgery that have been amazing. They are written by Sarah Kent, and my favorite is "The Gastric Sleeve" bariatric cookbook. She has recipes for all stages of the diet, full liquid, pureed, soft and general. They are all high protein.

Thanks Jaelzion! And I totally understand... pre-op diet does make a lot of people miserable. It wasn't so bad for me... I didn't love it... but I didn't struggle either. That could have a lot to do with the fact that my nutritionist wanted me to lose minimum weight pre-op. Even then she would give group nutrition classes (in addition to private sessions) and give everyone instructions... then come quietly to me and tell me to do an abbreviated version of what she had everyone else doing. Normally I do allow myself an occasional treat and don't think too much about it. Treats are good in moderation. The only ones I truly avoid ALL the time are sodas... which are my "slippery slope item (plus they are carbonated). And yes... I have definitely have a plan as I transition back. Really at this point.... the only thing I am doing is a soft version of my prescribed diet for life plan. I am just being much more careful about portion sizes and calories. And I am NOT trying to lose weight. I already lost the few pounds I put on and am holding in the 126-129 range which is only barely higher than my lowest post-bariatric weight. And there are so many delicious soft foods to chose from, I don't feel I am missing on anything. Just doing cooked veggies instead of raw veggies. Ground beef instead of steak. And really... whatever works to get that mindset back on track... that is what I am doing!

Did not plan on taking the surgical route but given just how much weight i need to lose (5’4”, 290 lbs) it seems like the way to go. I went to a local bariatric center and met with the dietitian for the first appointment. I do not like her at all. She’s young, unprofessional and I don’t feel comfortable with her. Unfortunately it’s the only dietitian they have. I don’t know any of the other staff yet, however and my next appt is supposed to be with her again and the NP. My only alternative is to go to a wls clinic an hour away. But I have to wait until May to get in unless a waitlist spot opens. Is that worth it? Is the dietitian going to play a major role here besides explaining the food pyramid and explaining the preop diet when it comes time for that?

This is not a requirement for me because I had a BMI over 40 at the start of my bariatric journey. However, as a respiratory therapist that has worked in the CPAP business, I can offer some info. For bariatric patients with a BMI of 35-40, most insurances require that the person have other weight-related issues prior to approving surgery, and sleep apnea (you periodically stop breathing when you sleep) is often at least partially weight-related. Most people who lose significant weight can have their CPAP pressure reduced and some even no longer need CPAP. (These things would be determined by your sleep specialist after your weight loss.) Even for people who are NOT contemplating bariatric surgery, insurances require proof of "compliance" within the first three months in order for them to keep paying the rental fee. (As of 2017, I know that insurances would pay a monthly rental fee for 13 months, and then the unit was considered "paid off" and owned by the patient.) "Compliance" is generally considered to be a minimum of 4 hours of use per night for a minimum of 75% of the nights during a 30-day period within the first 90 days of having the unit. Therefore, many doctors tell a patient to shoot for 80% usage, just to be on the safe side. In general, for bariatric patients, most insurances want to see some sort of progress in the months leading up to surgery, prior to approving payment for that surgery. There should be some weight loss, as well as compliance with medical guidance on other weight-related issues (ie: sleep apnea), in order for them to consider the patient a good "risk" for spending the money on bariatric surgery. All that said, if you have sleep apnea, DO do your best to use your CPAP! Without it, your body's sleep habits are actually unsafe. Without it, your body is under stress EVERY NIGHT, which has negative effects on your heart. Though rare, some people HAVE died from sleep apnea and non-CPAP use. With regular use, you should feel more awake and more energetic during the day, whether or not you lose weight. There are many styles and brands of masks on the market, browse them on the internet. If your current one is very uncomfortable, call your CPAP provider for another. Try to use it for two weeks before moving on to a different type. The company I used to work for would provide free mask refits as often as necessary within the first three months (after that, it could only be done every six months due to the insurance schedule for payment on new supplies). It's quite an adjustment but keep trying! 🙂

I appreciate everyone’s input. I do seek my doctors and nutritionists advice and input. However I am not someone who just only considers and follows what my doctor says. I also look up videos, read books, blogs, YouTube, Ted talks, research articles, and yes personal experiences. While my doctor and nutritionist may consider themselves experts on bariatric surgery they are not actually experts on me. I am the only expert on me. So if I come on to ask a question it is to gather additional information, insights, experiences, etc to add to the already existing information I have. And to use it to make the best overall decisions for my health and my life. I have seen people following diets their doctor gave them even though it made them throw up daily and they couldn’t even eat. They wouldn’t consider any other information and the doctor didn’t recommend a plan change or further follow up. There is room within reason to think for oneself. Again I literally appreciate every single person that would even take the time to respond to my question. But if your main point is I should be asking my doctor and no one else well I already asked my doctor and am now asking others lol.

Cancer sucks and it's so stressing. So glad you're on the mend! Talk to your doctor and your dietician about good strategies to improve your fitness while continuing to support your body's healing. 1. Support your continued health and healing. 2. Lose the extra weight. In that order. Talking to a bariatric therapist would be a really great idea, too, if you're open to it. Lots of people a few years post surgery can get into trouble when stressors push the limits of their coping mechanisms and those bad food habits come back. Talking this over with the bariatric therapist can give you some better options, and better ways to identify the self sabotage before it gets out of control.

I would suggest scheduling an appointment with a bariatric nutritionist to create a plan for you based on your specific circumstances. You probably need to get back to the basics. Start measuring and recording your food again. See what you are doing well on, see what you are not doing so well on. Eat on a schedule. Get back to 6 small meals a day... 3 meals and 3 small snacks. But MEASURE AND COUNT! For me, I went all the way back to the beginning and am currently retraining myself to eat the way my nutritionist taught me to eat. It I am on day 7 of getting back on track and doing well. I have almost all of my pre and post op notes available to me. Anyhow... YOU CAN DO IT! Just know, you aren't alone in the struggle... And so glad you got some good news!

Your doctor sounds like the exception and not the rule based on conversations I have had with many others. In the first couple months post-op, most don't even give a calorie goal simply because your body need time to heal and getting 1200 calories in a day in the first couple months is hard and not necessarily good for a stomach that has just been sutured together. Docs don't want you to push your body to eat 1200 calories when your stomach can only tolerate 600-900 calories. That said... the longer goal is usually around 1200 calories a day. 1200 calories a day was a pre-op and an eventual goal for many months out post op recommendation for me and those I know who have had bariatric surgery. But for most people, it seems to be a slow build to get to that 1200 calories a day goal. And that is OK post op. You aren't rushing the weight loss, you are allowing your body to heal while it just so happens that you are losing weight. And as long as you are getting your protein and water in, that is all that really matters in the first few months. My nutritionist never even batted an eye when I said all I was getting in was 800 calories a day, because she expected that. She DID worry about when I said I wasn't getting my protein and water in. Anyhow... this is exactly an example of why any post op patient should be seeking guidance first and foremost from their own surgical team. And not from others who's medical plans are individualized. BTW... I had bariatric surgery and I NEVER ate 2800 or more calories a day Maybe in a rare occasion... but not often.

I am preparing to have the loop duodenal switch surgery.My doctor advised this for me. The sleeve didn't early work for me. Anyhow I have gone through the things I had to do like the dietician, the trainer and the psyche evaluation. Just waiting now to revisit my doctor now. I don't know what is expected of me now. But I will find out. I've been trying to follow the bariatric eating and getting in protein. Any advice that anyone can give me..I'm a little anxious about it..Surgery doesn't scare me, its the unknown I suppose, the expectations of after. Thanks to anyone...Donna in Maine

yes - I'd also suggest you post on the duodenal switch forums, since SADI is a version of that. Even traditional DS is a pretty uncommon surgery, so I don't know if you'll find many people on the general threads who'll know how to respond to that. Sorry this is happening to you - this sounds miserable! P.S. you may want to post over at Obesity Help, too - I think there are more DS'ers over there (that site in general is much less active than this one, but they do have more DS people over there, from what I can tell. Also, you may want to check out some of the DS groups on Facebook. In general I can't recommend FB groups for bariatric patients because so many of them have bad info that never gets corrected, but then again, the DS community is pretty small, so you may find people on them who can address your issue)

it's a known issue, but it seems to be pretty uncommon. My dentist had read about it in the professional (dental) literature, but he'd never actually seen it in any of his patients who've had WLS. But no, since I personally haven't had issues with it, I've never mentioned it to my bariatric surgeon or dietitian. But i'm sure they know it happens to some people.

I just got the special toothpaste, and believe I had been on Biotine for several years until the surgery, then wondered if I should stay on it, so I stopped. But yes, I also have dry mouth, I think from my pravastatin for cholesterol? I’ve been on that for so long I don’t remember why anymore but that sounded good....lol thank you for telling me about that, because I thought it sounded really strange, but now I see it’s not so strange! Did you tell your Bariatric surgeon or the dietician? They should warn people about that! Thanks again for answering my message topic!

Greetings to everyone, On May 2, 2016, I received my VSG from my Bariatric Surgeon. Fast forward to February 2019, I start getting experiencing abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting that my general GI specialist couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. Diagnostic testing revealed a raw sore in my esophagus, a hiatal hernia, and the medical professionals couldn’t diagnose why I was experiencing abdominal pain in my gut. As time moved on, my aforementioned symptoms got worse and worse where I couldn’t keep down my food and medications. Now jump to March 10, 2021, I have my first surgical consultation with the Bariatric Surgeon that had put in my VSG in 2016. My Bariatric Surgeon recommended a revision from the VSG to RYGB to fix my hiatal hernia and the rest of my digestive symptoms. Dr. Chen has fast tracked my RYGB surgery to Monday, March 22, 2021. I have to admit to everyone that in 2016 when I the VSG, I was fine with it. However, now with the RYGB surgery within 48 hours of this posting in the BariatricPal forum, I’m getting nervous to having this surgery. One of the main reasons why I’m nervous is about having the RYGB surgery is the possibility of complications and after having surgery, and the dumping syndrome that seems to be common with a lot of individuals who get the RYGB surgery. Fortunately for me, while I was recovering from the VSG, I was not subjected to dumping syndrome. Can anybody share with me about your own experiences with getting the RYGB surgery? How was your recovery period? How was it going from a clear liquid diet to a full liquid diet to purée foods, etc. Share your thoughts and feedback. I would greatly appreciate that very much.

Hang in there, there's lots of us vets here who struggled with regain and DID battle back. Get back to the basics, use the support and assistance your PCP offers. I found a bariatric support group far from my town, where they didn't know me, and began attending there. It really helped too. But, in these days of COVID I'm sure the in-person support groups are numbered. Lots of us 'old' vets still around here too. We'll help all we can.

Congratulations on your weight loss and journey to becoming a healthier YOU! I think you should reevaluate your definition of “friend” because the people you described in your post are anything but that! Keep working towards the person YOU want to be. I attend weekly therapy sessions and we discuss a lot of coping skills so maybe some ongoing therapy with someone who is experienced with bariatric patients will help some. 💕 **sorry I read through the comments and realized everyone has already said similar things about your “friends” and counseling! Hang in there! You got this 💪🏾 

It absolutely can be done! Please consider adding visits with a bariatric therapist to your tool box. For me, this was as important a tool...as the surgery itself. Maybe moreso. Self sabotaging behaviors always have a cause....and learning to see that cause and get ahead of it made all the difference in the world to my maintenance. Everyone should read posts like yours to realize this is a lifelong battle. The surgery doesn't "cure" the condition.

I happen to love the Bariatric Advantage chewables and hand haven't tried anything else since I discovered them. I particularly like the grape ones. I also use their chewable calcium. As you said, they are like Starburst--and they are honestly sort of a treat every morning!

Oh man, I noticed at my doctors office that they had only armless chairs and benches, probably for this very reason. But my surgeon was at a bariatric clinic where he sees pretty much exclusively overweight people so I guess that’s to be expected. Fitting in chairs now is a huge victory for me- an average person out there will never understand “constant chair worry” but I love not having it anymore!

I take: Bariatric Choice One daily multivitamin with iron Kirkland Signature Vitamin D3 Nature Made Super B energy complex Celebrate calcium chews I got the sleeve. Had my 3 month labs done recently and I’m doing great on all levels, even running a little high on vitamin D so I could potentially cut that back to every other day if I wanted. The pills are super easy to take, no problems or concerns, and the price is pretty darn reasonable. When I run out of the calcium chews I’m thinking I’m going to cut the Kirkland signature calcium tablets in half (they’re pretty big) to sub for those.

It was days. I actually had my gallbladder out in January 2020. That surgeon recommended wls at my follow up appointment which was at the end of February. As I was driving home from the appt. that day, the bariatric surgeon's office that he referred me to called to schedule my consult appt. I saw that doctor at the beginning of March 2020 but then COVID happened and the hospital let him go, and I ended up going with a different surgeon at a different hospital. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app