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Congratulations on your success! We are pretty similar — I had my surgery just a week before yours, and I have also lost 100 pounds since my surgery (I lost about 70 pounds before surgery). My initial goal weight was 180 pounds based on average weight loss (this was before I lost the first 70 pounds), but now I’m shooting for 150, although I honestly don’t care all that much about the number on the scale; for me, it’s all about the NSVs. When I stop and think about it, I’m in disbelief that I have lost such a massive amount of weight. I used to see people who have lost 100+ pounds and think it was impossible, and now I’m one of them. i also have the same sense that it doesn’t feel like I’ve lost as much as I have. I am literally half the size I used to be, and of course I can tell that I’m smaller, but I definitely don’t feel like I’m half my old size. I actually like to cook, and I spend a lot of time on Pinterest looking at bariatric-friendly recipes (I find a lot of recipe on keto web sites, even though I don’t exactly follow the keto diet, but a lot of keto recipes are good because they’re low-carb). One of the cool things about being a bariatric patient is that my portion sizes are so small that I get a ton of servings out of a single recipe. I made a batch of turkey meat sauce that came out to 27 portions! I have a freezer full of single-serving meals from just a few cooking sessions. I’ve really enjoyed finding new, healthy recipes that I love, and I hardly even miss the old unhealthy foods I used to eat. I recently discovered that I like spaghetti squash! And I eat cauliflower rice all the time. I hardly recognize myself anymore. Anyway, it’s great to see someone else enjoying great results from WLS. It is truly life-changing!

My doctor was delighted I brought it up. He loved the idea and said he had several patients in his practice who had terrific results. He had an excellent recommendation for a Bariatric program, too.

Update - I asked my PCP to send my scan report to my Bariatric surgeon. They called me immediately after receiving my scans. Surgeon wants to see me next week to talk about scheduling gallbladder removal and my surgery.

I know being cold is very common in bariatric patients, but I don't know about Raynaud's being common in us - I think this is the first time I've seen anything about that. I just googled it. Most of the hits were the same article, which was published in different databases. But there were a few mentions of it in different places...although again, most were of that one article/study. Another article said being cold after WLS could also be due to rapid weight loss and the slowed metabolism that often comes with that. I suspect that's probably what causes the coldness for most of us - but I don't know. Interesting. I'll keep my eyes/ears open for this from now on.

Hi! I am very new to this community and to the idea of WLS in general. I have tried (and failed) for years to lose weight, so I am finally reaching out for help! I am 24 years old, 5'5", and currently weigh 310lbs, putting my BMI at 52. My question is... where do I even begin? I just made an appointment with my PCP for next week and said the reason for the appointment was to discuss my weight. I started weight loss management with her back in August 2020 (~6 months ago), so I do have some documented proof of trying to lose weight through diet change and exercise. But... it hasn't worked. I only lost about 15 pounds and have since plateaued. I am now interested in my WLS options. How do I even breach this subject with my doctor? Do I just outright say I am interested in bariatric surgery? My health insurance (Harvard Pilgrim) requires a referral, so I know this is the first step to take, but I am not sure how to get the ball rolling or what to expect. What can I expect out of this initial conversation? What was your experience like? Has anyone been denied a referral from their doctor? Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance 🙂

Ever since my surgery approx. 6 months ago, my feet are so cold that they hurt. Especially my toes. No matter what I do, they won't get warm. I made a doc appt and went last week, she told me I have Reynard's Disease, and that it is common for bariatric patients. Has anyone else heard of this?

I use Bariatric fusion unflavored protein powder low fat Greek yogurt and fairlife skim milk with strawberries and bananas 1/2 cup and kale. Sent from my U693CL using BariatricPal mobile app

Eggface's Ricotta Bake Recipe | SparkRecipes (sparkpeople.com) Creamy Chicken Casserole with Butternut Squash & Apples - Bariatric Bits These 2 recipes got me through the soft/pureed foods phase, along with eggs

I'm so sorry Suzi. I hated food too. I didn't have the kinds of problems you are having, but food just didn't taste the same. I only ate because I had to. The one thing I really enjoyed was the Bariatric Pal hot chocolate. I know at 6 weeks out they do not advise this for our meals, however I figured it was better than not getting any nutrients. Please know we are all thinking of you and hope this will pass soon for you. ❤

Actually, getting my gallbladder out is what led to me getting wls, because when the surgeon was in there my liver looked awful and he recommended wls, but had I not had it removed, my bariatric surgeon said he would have removed it at the same time as my wls. You should be fine! Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I take Procare Bariatric vitamins. They are fantastic.. They're are capsule and they include iron.. They do have a chewable form too, but I like the capsule. I had a Loop DS, and my bariatric surgeon recommended these because they are one a day. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

Bariatric Advantage Ultra Solo with Iron is what I take. It was recommended in my program. I buy three months at a time.

Welcome! I actually felt pretty well prepared for my surgery because I spent a lot of time reading these forums in the months leading up to surgery. I also watched a lot of YouTube videos from people who have had the surgery. There are a lot of videos about "things I wish I had known about WLS," so I was prepared for some of those things that seem to surprise a lot of people. One thing that was still a bit of a surprise was just how difficult it was to get fluids and protein in the first few weeks. No matter how many times I read or heard about how difficult it was, I didn't fully grasp how it would actually feel until I got there. The other surprise was how little pain I had and how easy my recovery was. I took a week and a half off of work, but I could have easily gone back to work 5 days after surgery. I was taking a multivitamin with iron and a vitamin D supplement before surgery, just because I had some deficiencies. You don't need to start taking bariatric vitamins until after surgery because you'll be able to eat enough before surgery to get the nutrients you need from food (unless you already have a vitamin deficiency and/or your doctor tells you to). I've never had a C-section, so I can't comment on that, but I had surprisingly little pain from my surgery. The incisions are very small, so I'd guess that it's much less painful than a C-section. I had some gas pain the first day, but after that, I was fine and I didn't need any pain medication, not even Tylenol. Different people have different experiences, though. Some people say they had some abdominal soreness as though they had done a lot of sit-ups, but I didn't have that experience. I was concerned about being able to take care of myself because I live alone, but it turned out not to be a problem. I wasn't allowed to lift more than 20 pounds for the first 6 weeks, and I was careful about bending, etc., but I really didn't have any issues. I was still able to do stuff like light housework the whole time. You don't need to apologize! We're all here to discuss WLS. There are lots of people here who have been through it and are happy to answer questions anytime.

I'd put a call into your surgeon. Bariatrics is very specific and they may be better equipped to identify and help you with your pain.

He told me that they are hoping it will start up soon in Bariatrics. They gave the go ahead on other surgeries already. He said that they are just behind the Dec and Jan folks and then I can get scheduled.

some of the bariatric-specific ones are one a day. Most regular vitamins that you get at a place like Walgreens you have to take twice a day to meet our requirements.

Yeah, that's how I was reading it too but yesterday when the bariatric office called to set me up with my first meeting with the surgeon, I again asked about insurance coverage and what tests and whatnot was covered. The nurse told me that depended on the insurance and that I should call them to verify right after getting off the phone with her. So I did. Even though I reminded her that her office told me they were going to do that a week ago before anything could get started. Anyway, no one was in the insurance office, or they were busy with others, so I left a message and they emailed me back right away. But they were not helpful either. LOL The insurance rep said yes, it's covered but requires prior authorization? Um, aren't THEY the ones to authorize? She then says, that my provider (where I will have my surgery done) would be able to tell me what is needed and required before surgery. SMH So they tell me to ask the doc office and the doc office tells me to ask the insurance company. I'm pretty much ready to give up. I mean, if I can't get straight answers now I can't imagine getting into this thing and having to deal with uncertainties then. SMH

I had my sleeve surgery December 5th of 2017, and its been ages since I've checked in here. I'll be honest....after a while, this became an unhelpful environment for me and I needed to leave. Too many experts. Too many people who had "found the answer" and judged others who were following a different path. Sometimes ya'll were really helpful and sometimes you just made things worse. I'm not saying that to be critical of this place (there were times it was sincerely helpful and I think it's a great site, particularly for those starting out)....but I wanted to share my experience that there are times when it's better to walk away, take breaks, or escape relationships formed here that end up being unhealthy. I'm gonna talk about my experience with the disclaimer that this is MY experience. I'm not judgeing anyone else's experience. If it works for you...that's great. I'm not giving advice here....nothing I say will be "right or wrong" for anyone but me. It's your job to find your best path. This is just my experience. I had a terrific surgery. Either i'm really tough or was too excited to feel much pain, but I woke up from surgery feeling great and walked every chance I got. It helped. I had an easy recovery. I followed directions to the letter with the bazillion little ouce cups spaced out across the day. Got my fluids in, hit my protien targets, walked constantly. The two most difficult things I remember....were the liquid diet leading up to surgery. Mine was over Thanksgiving and wow, did that suck, because I was cooking dinner for everyone else. Crazy difficult. The other really tough part for me....were the first few months after surgery when my weightloss slowed and I was like....what in the world? I expected this big fast drop, and it wasn't like that at all. It was a slow weightloss with long plateaus. I also remember being angry because I was insanely hungry ALL THE TIME the first three weeks. Harsh! And here I thought all the little "hungry sensors" in my stomach would eliminate this issue....nope. My doctor had a different approach to what many people were doing on this site. I was told to eat more calories faster than many other plans, and my diet included a lot of carbs....which melted the brains of many of the protien police. LOL. Granted, the carbs I was allowed were high fiber, high protien and unrefined. (Potatoes were one of my first foods, I ate chickpea pasta, whole grain high fiber English muffins, sweet potatoes, beans, etc.) So yeah....I was clearly doomed to failure and killing myself in the minds of many here. LOL. And it's true...I lost weight slower than most....BUT! I continued to lose weight, and weirdly, my tastes changed. And I've gotta tell you....no one is more suprised than me about this....but better food choices are much much easier for me now. I stay away from refined sugar, refined flour and animal fat. I like plant based protien and fiber is my go to. My doctor stressed the importance of fiber and fermented foods in creating the right kind of gut bugs...and I really think he's on to something. Couple of things I've learned that apply to me: * I'm a food addict. I will always be a food addict. I have never met an emotion I couldn't eat. I need to think about that every day, and when things get tough....I need to go to therapy, because it helps. I don't go nonstop...but when really tough situations come up in my life (big changes, deaths, etc.) having an extra set of eyes and ears from a bariatric-familiar therapist really helps me keep the addiction in check. *At some point, you regain a little. In fact, statistically, most people will regain about 20% of what they lose the first year. I didn't. I regained ten pounds and joined Weight Watchers until I lost it, again. I didn't follow their diet, but found that going in to be weighed once a week and attending the meetings with a fun coach really helped keep me on track. (Therapy also helped, bigtime. If I gain five pounds, I schedule a therapist appointment...I know something is going on and I need to act) *I need to exercise if I want to eat the number of calories I find satisfying. I love my Fitbit. I wear it on my foot. In the summer, people think I'm a criminal with an ankle monitor. LOL. *I hate logging my food with a purple passion. But if I start to gain weight, I know it's absolutely necessary if I want to reverse it. *Menopause sucks. Particularly with your metabolism. You might need to make calorie adjustments. *No matter what life throws at you...no excuse is good enough to destroy your health with food addiction. Find better ways of dealing with anxiety, pain, grief, fear, boredom, worry, stress. *Weighing myself once a week reduces stress. I have been a lunatic with the scale most of my life. Get on every morning (or several times a day)...if the number is good, I'd go...heck, I'm doing great, I deserve a treat! If the number was bad, I'd get depressed and stress eat....it was no win. Weighing once a week is much saner for me! *I grieved foods when their taste changed and I didn't like them as much anymore. I used to love Egg McMuffins and Chilli Cheese Dogs. I can take or leave an Egg McMuffin now...it's ok, but kinda meh. Chilli Cheese Dogs just taste like salt and I don't like them at all. Have tried eating them a few times and each time...have grossed myself out. I genuinely miss and feel sad about how good they used to taste. This isn't a perception I've talked myself into...other naughty things still taste great...but your tastes honestly do change and some things get ruined for you and even though this is probably a VERY good thing, it can make you feel kinda sad. And here are some CONFESSIONS! I eat 1400-1600 calories a day now and maintain my weight at 168-172 Eventually, you really can eat almost anything. And I have. I've eaten all my old favorites and overdone it. And felt guilty and stupid. And I've also saved calories and eaten an appropriate amount of my old favorites and felt pretty damned satisfied with my discipline. There might be a few things that give you trouble forever. Last week I ate dry chicken with corn on the cob...did not get backed up saliva stuck...but felt that horrible stuck feeling for about twenty minutes and sipped water until it passed. Corn is my big one to watch...which stinks...because I really like corn. I drink diet pop. Yep. I do. A can a day most days. My restriction is still great...as evidenced by my corn issue. I take ibuprofen now. Never more than a dose or two in a week's time and always take it with antacids....but I do use it once in a while and my doctor is ok with this. (he said not advised for the first year after surgery) My maintenance diet has a ton of carbs. I still get about 60g of protein a day, but I try to get at least half of it from plant based foods. I eat fast food once in a while, when necessary. Usually, I cut a sandwich in half and eat half. No fries. Coffee with cream and splenda. I don't like it very much anymore. Honestly...it doesn't taste like it used to. My idea of naughty junk food now...is hitting the specialty deli for four pieces of sushi and one of those cups of watermelon chunks. LOL. Here is a current picture of myself. I'm not perfect, but not bad for turning 49 this year! Beats the hell out of weighing 270 pounds. I have no regrets. Wishing you all the very best.

Huh, I guess I miss pizza! I wish we had all these crust options here, the *protein one* looks really good. Don't worry, OP. I don't like fish either. I always chuckle when bariatric recipe sites suggest "and then just add some steamed fish" ... yeah, I'd rather eat the box it came in thank you very much. *Pizza and the ol' McD were binge foods for me back when I was an overeater. I found peace with both pre-surgery, I guess I should again at some point after to tackle it head on.

I hear you. Has your bariatric team been able to provide any solutions? Mine was the 3rd and the first 4 days were HELL, but Day 5 I seemed to turn a corner. I hope you're able to get some relief soon.

So I'm new here and started a thread last week with some questions I had. You can easily find it if you want but pretty much I was asking WHY the bariatric office would contact the insurance company BEFORE they even allow me to go for an initial consult. I mean, the initial consult would better help me understand IF I even wanted to go through with the surgery to begin with and here they were almost acting as if they won't see me at all unless I have insurance that will cover it. Was just strange to me. So then yesterday they write me back. They simply say this (they also sent a separate email with details on classes, links to videos to watch and told me to look in the mail for a binder): Deductible: $150 Met to Date: Out of Pocket: $2750 Met to Date: Copay: Coinsurance: 100% Medically Supervised Weight Loss Classes: 0 That really doesn't explain anything. I mean, it tells me how much any coinsurance would cover (which I don't have) but not what my primary and only insurance will cover. So I messaged back to ask: What DOES MY insurance actually cover? When does the out of pocket expenses come into play, and can payments be made towards it instead of one lump sum? Does the "Medically supervised classes: 0" mean I attended none or I don't need to attend one? Are any of the additional tests needed for the surgery covered by insurance? So they respond today and still don't really answer all of my questions. One of the things she said was: "For the amount covered by your insurance you will need to call them for clarification." Huh, I was told last week that's what THEY were doing. SMH Then the last sentence she says: "Once you have the surgery we will submit to your insurance company and they will let us know what part of the balance is your responsibility. At that point you would receive a bill. I hope this helps!" ONCE I HAVE the surgery? WTH? Shouldn't they/I know what the insurance will cover BEFOREHAND? Gotta say, I'm not really happy right now. This is exactly why I wanted to go for a consult in person to ask all these questions. I mean, is this normal? Out of everything I've read here I can't say that I remember anyone saying they got the surgery and THEN were told what the damages were after the fact. This is all very discouraging but they are supposedly 1st tier in my network which means it SHOULD be covered 100% as I do believe my insurance covers this surgery 100% (a co-worker had it done with the same insurance a year ago). I mean, what is the job of these people if I am to call and find all this out myself? I was told in the first email they sent me that THEY would be contacting my insurance to see what all it covers then they would get back to me with the answers and the next steps to take. SMH I mean, am I over reacting or is this confusing and crazy to any of you too?

Thank you so much, OP, for asking this question! It's something I've been wondering about as well. My mom used Bariatric Advantage Banana flavor when she was pre-op. I can't stand the texture (it always comes out gritty for some reason.) I've been drinking Premier's new cafe latte flavor (does contain caffeine which I know a lot of pre-op diets restrict- I'm 8 months out from surgery so not an issue for me yet) every morning for breakfast and love it. The peach and cinnamon roll flavors are really good as well. A co-worker recommended Syntrax Nectar to me and I was able to find a 15 pack trial kit online for about $35. It should be here in the next couple of days. The fuzzy navel one sounds delish and I'm looking forward to trying it.

Are your multivitamins not chewable? I was advised to get children’s chewable and omigosh they taste chalky and terrible. How would kids ever take them? Blech! I need some soft chews also. What are you getting? today was not a good day for me. I had terrible, breathtakingly awful gas pain in the morning as I was trying to get my first protein shake down. They subsided mid-day but by then I was not even trying to drink any more shake. I called my bariatric clinic and the nurse said if I couldn’t stomach them not to force them and at least try for clear liquids. I had a heating pad at my back/shoulders a lot today. Your stitch pain sounds awful. I hope that stops soon for you. Do you have a follow up appointment soon? I have one Thursday. I too, am noticing and appreciating food smells but same...no hunger for food at all. these people (my family) are barely preparing food though since I’m not cooking, And it is chilly here today. The worst is the cold wind.

The 6-8 cups of water a day actually is a recommendation for everyone not just Bariatric patients. We’re pushed to drink water to get us off calorie laden carbonated drinks (there’s research about now that say artificial sweeteners cause weight gain as your body’s response to tasting sweet but not being able to gain the energy benefits so it holds on to any calories you eat.) Because it’s difficult to measure how much fluid we get from water rich fruit & vegetables (& I real on those to meet my goals now too) check the colour of your pee. Look for light straw coloured urine. The darker it is the more concentrated the toxins that are being excreted.

I'm working with Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas to hopefully have surgery in Sept/Oct of this year. Like you, my work insurance does not have bariatric coverage. They are able to use my out of network surgery coverage to cover some of the cost however. I still have to pay $10,500 out of pocket. I was also considering going with Dr. Elias Ortiz (used to be with ALM) in Tiajuana. My aunt and 3 cousins have had sleeve surgery done by Dr. Ortiz and all had nothing but great things to say about him. It's considerably cheaper than Blossom, but right now with Covid, the thought of traveling anywhere (especially internationally) is rather scary. I've also spoken with the University of Kansas and they have a low cost option if you are in a surrounding state. I'm in Montana which excluded me from that option or I would've gone with them for sure. Good luck!