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The BariatricPal Store carries a huge selection of Bariatric friendly Protein drinks at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders. Here are some popular options: BariatricPal Protein ONE: MultiVitamin, Calcium, Iron, Fiber & Meal Replacement from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/brand_bariatricpal Syntrax Nectar Protein Powder Sampler Variety Bag - All 17 Flavors! from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/syntrax-nectar-protein-powder-sampler-variety-bag-all-17-flavors GENEPRO Medical Grade Unflavored 30g Protein Powder - 2nd Generation! from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/genepro-medical-grade-unflavored-30g-protein-powder-2nd-generation Bariatric Advantage HPMR High Protein Meal Replacement - Available in 8 Flavors! from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/bariatric-advantage-high-protein-meal-replacement Protein tubs from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powder-tubs Protein Smoothies from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/smoothies Hot Protein Drinks & Soups are great alternatives to protein shakes: Hot Protein Drinks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/hot-protein-drinks Hot Protein Soups: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/soups-bouillons-broths

I’m sorry you are going through this. I don’t have personal experience with this procedure but I have had complications with the procedures I did have and I know it is hard. You may want to see a bariatric surgeon to see if they can do some kind of revision procedure on you. what you describe sounds similar to a procedure that used to be done that’s called “vertical banded gastroplasty” and I know that many people who had problems with that surgery ended up having revisions. It sounds like this issue should be fixable. Hope you find answers soon.

I finally have my 1st appt for bariatric surgery but it is w/ a nurse practitioner instead of surgeon...anyone else have this? What type of questions should I ask since it is not w/ the surgeon.

The BariatricPal Store carries a huge selection of Bariatric friendly Protein drinks at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders. Here are some popular options: BariatricPal Protein ONE: MultiVitamin, Calcium, Iron, Fiber & Meal Replacement from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/brand_bariatricpal Syntrax Nectar Protein Powder Sampler Variety Bag - All 17 Flavors! from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/syntrax-nectar-protein-powder-sampler-variety-bag-all-17-flavors GENEPRO Medical Grade Unflavored 30g Protein Powder - 2nd Generation! from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/genepro-medical-grade-unflavored-30g-protein-powder-2nd-generation Bariatric Advantage HPMR High Protein Meal Replacement - Available in 8 Flavors! from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/bariatric-advantage-high-protein-meal-replacement Protein tubs from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powder-tubs Protein Smoothies from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/smoothies Hot Protein Drinks & Soups are great alternatives to protein shakes: Hot Protein Drinks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/hot-protein-drinks Hot Protein Soups: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/soups-bouillons-broths

i was having the same issues ,I now take all my vitamins and iron via vitiamin and iron patches which you can get from the bariatric store and find them great

I don't do much fast food these days, or even before, but what I preferred when I needed to during my early days - loss phase and early maintenance - was a Chipotle order of soft tacos, whatever fillings you like but I biased it toward the basic meat, cheese and veg. Early on just ate the filling out of the tortilla, but later included that, too (I never was big on the low carb game - just give me nutrition.) One taco was enough, and I would save the other two for future meals. Generally when we ate out we went to regular restaurants, more often independents rather than chains, and just ordered the healthiest things that looked good on their menu - nothing really special as ?bariatric food" - and split things up to take home the leftovers. Even today, ten years out (call it 16 for my wife) it is disappointing not to get two or three meals out of a typical restaurant meal.

Thank you both. I have it in my plans to have the skin removal surgery. I think I will wait a year or so past my WLS date. Also can someone tell me how to update my Surgery info on Bariatric Pals?

Your BMI is low (at 33) for bariatric surgery. Most bariatric surgeons have a cut off of 35 with comorbidities. 40, without them. Have you found a surgeon willing to do someone with your health and BMI? Will your insurance cover the surgery with a BMI that low? Many won't. "If I could do 3 weeks of healthy eating then why would I need this surgery??" this line in your post concerns me a lot. Commiting to the surgery and doing the recovery safely...requires a hell of a lot more willpower than simply eating healthy for 3 weeks. It's a months long process of severe diet restriction. Three weeks of "healthy eating" would seem like an indulgent feast to many of the folks in the process right now. I don't mean to scare you off....but you really should research the foods you're allowed to eat and for how long after surgery. Also, the many hoops you have to jump through. The surgery doesn't do the work for you. You can regain every pound and more. It's a tool that helps you get closer to your goal faster. Once you're there....finding a way to permanently change your habits is daily effort. What does your general practioner think of you having weight loss surgery?

I am told Bariatric Advantage. Your Doctor should have a calendar of when to begin taking what.

Yes, I took a road trip a few weeks ago and had to stop for food, and I got a Chick-Fil-A grilled nuggets kids meal (grilled nuggets & fruit cup). One of the best bariatric-friendly options in fast food. Awesome to hear! What is the fruit cup?

Yes, I took a road trip a few weeks ago and had to stop for food, and I got a Chick-Fil-A grilled nuggets kids meal (grilled nuggets & fruit cup). One of the best bariatric-friendly options in fast food.

I haven't tried it, but I know several bariatric "vets" who've used WW to deal with regain, and most of them really like it.

When I had surgery, I said I would never drink again. At two years, I now have a half glass of wine every few weeks. Regarding food costs: it depends. I obviously eat way less than before, but I do purchase specialized high-protein, low-carb products (including from the Bariatric Pal store), and they can be pricey. Also, skim milk is a regular part of my current diet--mostly in coffee!

I am 16 months post-VSG and not quite to my goal (but surpassed my medical team's goal). I do eat protein first and get 90+ oz of water in a day, but I find that I am grazing more often and not eating on-plan sometimes. I know the "go back to basics" and the typical bariatric responses to keep going on my weight loss, but I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts/experiences/etc. specifically about Weight Watchers (WW+) post-VSG? Good, bad, opinions?

Hello! I am in Gainesville, Fl. trying to having surgery at UF Health Shands Hospital. I had my consult with the surgeon(Dr. Mann) Feb, 1st and have completed everything on my check list for insurance approval except my psyche consult which I have an appointment March 29th. When I went to preop for my required EGD they drew my blood for all the required labs. I was not expecting to have those labs drawn that day. I am not a heavy drinker, but I do drink moderately every other week or so. I have stopped drinking and was planning on getting those labs drawn a little close to the end of my check list to give my body time to eliminate the alcohol. So, of course I tested positive for alcohol and now the surgery coordinator is saying the bariatric team is reviewing those results, but not giving me any further information. Does anyone have any experience with this? Could I be denied all together for having the surgery or will they delay submitting for insurance approval? I am anxious because they just handed me a booklet with a list and said go do everything on this list then call us when it is all done, but they never said stop drinking that day or gave me any real direction. I work for the State of Florida and have BCBS PPO insurance. Does anyone else have this same insurance and how long did it take to get approval after they submitted your file? Any and all help would be appreciated!

Hello! I am in Gainesville, Fl. having surgery (hopefully) at UF Health Shands Hospital. I had my consult with the surgeon(Dr. Mann) Feb, 1st and have completed everything on my check list for insurance approval except my psyche consult which I have an appointment March 29th. When I went to preop for my required EGD they drew my blood for all the required labs. I was not expecting to have those labs drawn that day. I am not a heavy drinker, but I do drink moderately every other week or so. I have stopped drinking and was planning on getting those labs drawn a little close to the end of my check list to give my body time to eliminate the alcohol. So, of course I tested positive for alcohol and now the surgery coordinator is saying the bariatric team is reviewing those results, but not giving me any further information. Does anyone have any experience with this? Could I be denied all together for having the surgery or will they delay submitting for insurance approval? I am anxious because they just handed me a booklet with a list and said go do everything on this list then call us when it is all done, but they never said stop drinking that day or gave me any real direction. Any and all help would be appreciated!

NeeWorldMe, I also have intermittent lightheaded ness. I have found that when this happens to me, I am behind on my fluids. I now keep water with me all the time. Regarding losing the hair, it is “normal” to lose hair at about 4 months. I believe I read on the Mayo Clinic’s bariatric website that while “normal” getting all your protein in each day will help with the hair loss. Also the does of Biotin may help. I take 10,000 2 x daily. Just some suggestions. 😊😊

Hi and thanks for your response. I dont have a bariatric therapist. I have looked endlessly for a dietition with no luck. Maybe the therapist is what I need. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

What has worked best for me when I've regained a little....is therapy. Just figuring out the self sabotaging behaviors and the feelings and issues behind them...makes a tremendous difference. I watch my eating...if it starts to get crazy and I can't bring myself to food journal and address it...if the scale goes up more than five pounds...I make an appointment with the bariatric therapist. Helps like nothing else. For me, anywho. Might not apply to you, but figured it was worth throwing out there. Best wishes on getting back on track. You can do it:)

So I decided to try Jim Buddy's Protein Donut, from the Bariatric Pal Store. I got the cake batter flavor. I did not like it at all. I am so mad that I wasted $3 on it! It had a weird texture, and left an awful aftertaste in my mouth. I knew it wasn't going to be like a regular donut, but didn't expect it to be so bad.

in 2011 I was sleeved with no indication of having a hernia. I believe if the doctor saw that, he would have indicated to me that he would go ahead and remove it, but because it wasnt seen then, the sleeve was a stand alone surgery. Now had he done the gastric sleeve with the rny, I think my weight loss success would have been for a long time before gaining little to none weight gain. Nevertheless, the infamous GERD came to crash the party in 2019 and I was scheduled a bariatric doctor for a revision in September 2020. At that point I started the process which leads up to surgery and I was approved by my insurance company, thus my surgery date was 02/23/21. The doctor chose gastric bypass which he indicated that he tightened up my sleeve and rerouted my intestine where whenever I eat, it would bypass my stomach and go straight to my intestine, hence longevity of weight loss. He also mentioned to me that I had an hiatal hernia, which he repaired during the surgery. Because this is a revision, my weight loss will go moderately slow, however I choose to think that is on a "case by case" basis. Ive seen people with this revision go on to lose around 50-60 lbs in 4-5 months. I may very well fall in with these people, due to my rapid weight loss 9 years ago. my hw in 2011 was 303, sw was 289, fw 179, gw 160. I never reached my goal weight the first time, but I lost a total of 110lbs in 1 year, and then in 2013 I couldnt get the skin to tighten up, so I qualified for a panni, aka tummy tuck. i have big turkey wings and that is considered cosmetic, had Ive gotten that done, I probably would have gotten to my goal weight with ease because I went down to 173 after that surgery then the plateau started, but I maintained that weight for 7 years, then in 2019 I went through a depression state and going back to my bad habits, and smoking ciggs, then to make things worse, covid came to join the world so my weight skyrocketed to a shockingly total weight gain in 2 years of 76 lbs of it back. Thats 40 lbs away from going back to my surgery weight! That was a scary thought, but I think if I didnt have the gerd, my hiatal hernia wouldnt have been noticed. I know how to keep my weight down, because I had highs and lows throughout maintaining my weight without having a head game behind the fact that I was no longer 173. I was dating this guy from atlanta for 2 years and all I did was travel, splurge and dine out 3-4 days a week breakfast lunch and dinner. I didnt work and he took care of alll my bills and my childrens tuition for college and high school. This caused me to be settled and gained happy weight then my happy weight went flat as I got tired of being smothered and controlled by him so I left him right after valentines day. I then joined the gym at the end of February 2018 because I had got to 220 in my weight! I was making 50 that year so I wanted to at least get back into my size 9/10 before my birthday. Well I did. I lost 22 lbs in 3 months and was toned and force to be reckoned with. So I know that this is a long response, but I just wanted to share with you my journey as a 2 time bariatric patient. Im 5 days out from my revision, and I have lost a total 17 lbs which is to include losing 10lbs in 3 days from preop preparation. If I stick to the diet the way my nut and my dr has set forth for me, I could very well get past the goal weight they have for me, which is 180, and thats due to my frame, and my height as an African American female. At the rate that Im going, I will have lost a whopping 80 lbs in 2 months! But because the weight loss will be slow, and if I had to guess, I would say to get to MY gw of 160 would probably take me about 7-8 months to achieve that goal. Who knows with a sustained diet and exercise, I could very well get to my goal sooner. I hope this document of a response helps. lol, but best wishes to whatever surgery you decide to choose and God speed on your recovery.

Please contact your bariatric surgeon. This is super important for your baby's health, so please don't guess. If I were getting pregnant after surgery, I would be sure to have my vitamin and minerals blood tests done with my bariatric surgeon... to make sure I'm not deficient before getting pregnant. In particular, I would be concerned about Iron levels. Getting professional advice about pregnancy nutrion and supplements from people who understand bariatric surgery is super important. Best wishes on expanding your family!

My bariatric team neither encouraged nor discouraged my goal of reaching a healthy BMI. My surgeon gave me the statistics and then said that those were just averages, that some people lose more and some less. He did say he'd be happy if I lost 50% of my excess weight and we'd see what happened. And I'm glad because if he had been more discouraging, I might not have believed a healthy BMI was possible for me. He didn't set me up with unrealistic expectations but he also didn't squash my enthusiasm. And in the end I did end up losing much more than average. I know getting there is only half the journey, I'm right now trying to learn how to maintain it. But I'm not sorry I set a healthy BMI as my goal. If I had set my goal to losing 50% of my excess weight, I might have stopped there because an authority figure said that was all I would lose.

I'd research other surgeons, just to get a feel for the different approachs....then make your decision. There is emerging evidence that prolonged super low calorie diets before and after surgery could reset your metabolism to unrealistically low levels that set you up for weight gain later. (not saying this always happens, not saying this is gosple....bariatrics are an emerging science....just sharing that there are a lot of different ideas at play) My group did a very carb restricted diet for two weeks before surgery. We were allowed to drink 5 shakes a day plus one food item from a list.....but this was just to shrink the liver for an easier procedure. My group wanted 10% weight loss, but expected it to take months. We were required to work with a nutritionist, attend fitness classes, healthy cooking classes, support groups. Our whole process took 4-6 months...just to lay the nutrition groundwork and weight loss work before the surgery. After surgery, we were pushed to eat 1200 calories a day as soon as we could tolerate it...in hopes that this would give us a robust metabolic reset. (to be clear, we went through the gradual restoration of diet after surgery for safety....liquid, puree, soft, etc....but our caloric goals were advanced as tolerated) I lost weight slower than most people....but I made goal, and I'm doing really well maintaining. My preferences and nutrition choices are much healthier. I've got good support for the mental side of this process. I feel like I was better prepared by my group for the work of making the permenant changes necessary and dealing with the lifetime challenges. Be a little careful of clinics that push unrealistically brutal calorie restriction. Eating 600 calories a day will make you lose a crap-ton of weight and will make your clinic look like they offer "The Magic Cure"....but you don't need to be their walking bulletin board for a year and then be abandoned by them when you regain. You need a comprehensive program that supports your needs for a lifetime and teaches healthy nutrition and fitness and supports the mental challenges of breaking the addiction.