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I am taking 90 mg of carbonyl iron and I am not worried about iron toxicity. Yes, iron is toxic in large quantities (mostly accidental ingestion by children and suicide attempts in adults) but it's likely that you'd have significant symptoms of gastrointestinal irritation before you got toxic. I am more concerned about iron-deficiency anemia, which has uncomfortable symptoms that won't go away if I don't take the iron. Besides, I'm only going to take these doses until I correct the anemia, and then I'll go back to 45mg. My surgeon said I could take any pills I could swallow, so I've been taking the Feosol carbonyl caplets. They aren't too big and don't seem to irritate my stomach. They are cheap compared to bariatric iron. Research seems to be mixed on the efficacy of chelated iron vs ferrous, though chelated seems to be easier on the digestive system. I don't think anything bad is going to happen to you in the five weeks between now and your appointment--take the iron or take less, it takes a while for your iron levels to come up to non-anemic levels anyway, depending on how low you were when you started and whether your ferritin was depleted as well. Best wishes!

Study after study has shown that dieting alone is not effective for long-term weight loss. Roughly 95% of people gain back all the weight they lose from dieting, and often more. Most bariatric surgery patients, on the other hand, maintain weight loss of at least 50% of their excess weight long-term. Many bariatric surgery patients do regain some weight, sometimes a significant amount, but typically still maintain some amount of weight loss (whereas without surgery, they’d most likely be gaining steadily over the years). The amount you can eat after weight loss surgery gradually increases, but usually not to the point that you can eat as much as you used to. People call the first couple of years the “honeymoon period” because that’s when it’s easy to lose weight, since the restriction is strongest. WLS also changes the hormones in your body that cause hunger, so at least for a while, you don’t feel hungry. They say it’s important to take advantage of the honeymoon period to change your eating habits so they become permanent even when the effects of the surgery weaken. Some people experience changes in taste after surgery and come to dislike sugary or fried foods (and these foods can even make you sick after WLS, which creates a strong disincentive to eat them). So yes, it still takes work and lifestyle changes to lose weight and maintain weight loss after WLS, but WLS makes it easier than dieting. Many, many people who have repeatedly failed at weight loss through dieting alone have been able to succeed with WLS. (FYI, I’m only 7 weeks out from surgery, so I don’t have personal experience to back this up, but I’ve read a lot and watched a lot of videos from people who have been through it. There a lot of people on this forum with amazing success stories.)

My endocrinologist ordered some bloodwork last week and (surprise, surprise) I have iron deficiency. I was slightly iron deficient before the surgery as well. I've been taking BariMelts iron + vitamin C with 54 mg of iron per day. The endocrinologist suggested I take the iron supplements twice a day, and that makes me nervous because I know too much iron can be toxic. Google tells me the maximum recommended iron dosage is 45 mg per day, and I'm already over that. I realize some of the normal rules go out the window for bariatric patients, but my bariatric program only recommends 45-65 mg per day. Dr. Matthew Weiner has a video on YouTube about supplements after bariatric surgery, and he said that the most important thing to learn from that video is that gastric bypass patients need to take chelated iron supplements. My bariatric program says nothing about that and specifies ferrous fumarate or ferrous fluconate (but they said the BariMelts, which are carbonyl iron, are fine). I purchased some chelated iron supplements (which are hard to find) and I plan to start taking those once I run out of BariMelts in a couple of weeks. I was told to take chewables for the first six weeks, and the chelated iron pills aren't chewable. My surgeon doesn't do bloodwork until 3 months out, which is about 5 weeks from now. I sent my bloodwork results to the surgeon's office, but I'm not sure if they'll even look at them since they're apparently not concerned about bloodwork until 3 months out. I'm conflicted between following my endocrinologist's orders (who does not specialize in bariatric patients), or waiting until my 3-month appointment to see what the surgeon says, and also see how the bloodwork comes out after I've been taking the chelated iron. Any advice?

A friend of mine highly recommends Bariatric Advantage. She had bypass surgery a few months back. I do think it’s weird that she’s insisting you order Unjury. I went over my paperwork and it mentions whey protein isolate powders and shakes and listed some brands but in the end I can choose what ever I want as long as it has at least 25 grams of protein. So I’m basically taking the long way to say don’t let them push you around and oh by the way we are surgery twins!

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the feedback and info. Sorry I didn't reply sooner - I was under the weather big time with allergies yesterday (still pretty bad this morning). Yeah, I don't know what affiliation - if any - she has with Unjury, but it seemed pretty weird that she was so firm on me ordering it. She was also extremely firm on me ordering the Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate chews (which I also did). The hospital I went thru seems really hung up on being anti-PP. Even the dietician who I met with pre-op denounced it. Anyway, Unjury and BA chews are on their way! Thanks again for all the feedback. 🙂

I’ve been reading books and watching YouTube videos by Dr Vuong. He’s a Bariatric surgeon who gives information about every stage of the process. His book ‘Gastric Sleeve Success’ was very informative; but I love his videos! He’s given me much more information than my dietician and he tells it to you straight... no fluff.

you're bound to get 100 different answers here because people's tastes vary so much, but I'd get a bunch of individual packets (some companies sell them by the packet) so you can try them before you invest $30 or $40 in a big tub of something you might not like. Syntrax, for one, sells sample packets (you can get them through the Bariatric Pal store) - and a few other companies do as well.

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 Single Serving Packet - 9 Flavor Variety Pack from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/bariatricpal-protein-one-multivitamin-calcium-iron-fiber-meal-replacement-single-serving-packet-9-flavor-variety-pack 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 Single-Serving Protein Powder Packets - Super Jumbo “60 Flavor” Sampler Pack from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/single-serving-protein-powder-packets-super-jumbo-60-flavor-sampler-pack

When I was in the consultation phase before my sleeve surgery, I had one bariatric practice diss PP like yours did. Having been down the bariatric road before, I politely listened and decided that I was going to do what I felt best. BTW-I DID NOT end up choosing that practice, but not for that reason alone. As others have said, their recommendations seem to be related to the type of protein in products like PP and their overall nutritive value. I was a big fan of PP before sleeve surgery and had cases of them. After surgery, I couldn't stand them. I hated the taste and I hated the slimy texture intended to simulate a "shake." My "go to" is Unjury, unflavored or flavored, and I still use them today. Not every day, but I use them to boost protein in some of my routine foods like yogurt. I like it because I like the taste and the versatility of the powders. What bothers me about your story is that she "made" you order some Unjury while you were in her presence. That kind of behavior is intimidating and threatening. I would CERTAINLY report it and I would probably NEVER return to that practitioner. Unprofessional at the very least.

I second the ricotta bake recommendation -- it's the most popular bariatric recipe for a reason! I like to top it with shredded canned chicken mixed with marinara sauce (Newman's Own brand has no added sugar). Low fat cottage cheese is one of my go-to quick lunches. I like to top it with Flavor God nacho cheese or pizza seasoning. Another favorite is fat free refried beans (mixed with unflavored protein powder) topped with shredded canned chicken, enchilada sauce, and Laughing Cow white cheddar cheese (cut up in little pieces). It's hard to get enough protein from food at this stage, so you'll probably have to make up the difference with protein powder and shakes. If you're eating sweet foods, I think it works better to mix a complementary flavor of protein powder than unflavored. For example, vanilla protein powder in vanilla yogurt, chocolate protein powder in chocolate pudding, cinnamon protein powder in oatmeal. One of my favorite combinations is vanilla Oikos triple zero yogurt with chocolate protein powder and powdered peanut butter.

It seems to me like she might just have a personal preference due to what ingredients she might think are unsavory in the Premier? That's odd. Premier are pretty popular among the bariatric community.

Yesterday I had my first post-op dr. visit (surgery was 8/19). When asked what protein shake I was drinking, I told the PA "Premier Protein". She nearly had a heart attack. While she was never rude or nasty, she was very firm and clear that I should NEVER drink that "junk" and I should ONLY be drinking Unjury Unflavored powder - which she made me order during our visit! I thought this was so odd. I went thru the bariatric program at another hospital before changing at the last minute, and PP shakes were not only acceptable with that program, they were encouraged, so I bought two cases of it at Costco pre-surgery. I didn't want to waste it, so that's why I'm trying to use it up. Any idea why this program is being so incredibly strict about only being able to drink a certain protein? I realize programs vary, but this seems unreasonable.

My surgeon has said that he isn’t sure if my insurance will approve my surgery.I am following up with him in 4 weeks and I just watched someone who got sleeved on YouTube explain that getting a case nurse may help with chances of approval. I don’t want to seem like I’m going against my surgeon or decreasing my chances because my age plays a factor, yet I’m not sure if my plan includes bariatric surgery. I want to call today as I have seen the surgeon yesterday but the last time I had rushed to call I had been stricken with bad news.

I’m kind of worried I won’t get approved.I’ve been trying to get this surgery for two years.The only problem is that I’m underage. Two years ago I was accepted into a bariatric surgery program at a children’s hospital, but my insurance wouldn’t approve because it was in the next state over. (We were desperate because I had got diagnosed with high blood pressure)My mom and I were basically told to change my insurance to Horizon NJ Health because they have programs as well.We had to wait about a year for me to change it and get my card. Then, for me to be accepted into a program I had to be 15. I’m turning 16 in a few months. I’ve saw an endocrinologist,participated in a fitness/weight program, and tried diet and exercise on my own( my mom even hired a personal trainer for me). All of that has occurred in the past 3 years yet nothing has worked long term.My surgeon that I went to a consultation for today had accepted me into the program but had told me and my mom that my insurance won’t let me get surgery until or because I am not 18 years old. I’m not complaining, because I understand I am young but I have 4 co-morbidities ,I’ve been on high blood pressure medication since I was 13,and I’ve had sleep apnea since I was 5. My surgeon ordered an xray that will show if my bones have stopped growing or not. He said once I have completed everything required he will try. Its just confusing because there are programs that are for 15 to 18 year olds.I’m happy to be going through with the program but I don’t want to be disappointed.

the only thing i have had to pay for so far is a bariatric advantage kit (175$) because it was required by the center and insurance didn't cover it.

I have to go back to my surgeon’s office monthly for follow ups with the dietician and to assess progress. The dietician always seems very disinterested so I just come to the appointment with the questions I want to ask and go from there. My surgeon has multiple offices and since surgery I’ve been going to one of the satellite locations cause it’s easier and closer to my house. But the dieticians I saw pre-surgery at the main location were so much better. I don’t care much cause the insurance covers it and so far I’m doing good but if I had a need for dietician support I would probably go with a better dietician and one I felt comfortable with. There are some great ones that are on Instagram that offer support for free, have FB groups and also take private clients. Some of them are even bariatric patients themselves! Look up thesleeveddietician and dieticiankatie on IG, they’re both pretty awesome and always willing to help.

Hey everyone! It's been a crazy year! I was supposed to have surgery in March, however, in February I changed jobs and got different insurance. When this happened, I could no longer have surgery at my chosen surgery clinic (only one my previous insurance covered). Turns out, they lost medicaid/medicare capabilities, and went under shortly after! They're completely closed, which blows me away. Anyway, I have struggled getting my info in front of the bariatric coordinator at the new location. I finally did last week! She had gotten everything from the previous clinic before the closed (thank god!!) so I don't have to go through everything all over again! I did have to get the psych to send my results to her so she could send it to her psych. That finally happened last night. Now, I'm looking at surgery VERY soon... like within a couple weeks. WOW! I'm so afraid to get my hopes up, because this hasn't gone well so far lol I'm glad it has taken a detour. I've started back to school, spent an amazing summer with my kids going on vacation. But now I'm ready to get it done. Also, my previous plan was gastric sleeve, but in the additional time, I have chosen gastric bypass. So I guess stay tuned!

Before my surgery, I had to get an exam done by a bariatric counselor. They talked to me about how I felt about giving things up, or how I plan to succeed. I am a mental health professional so I told them what I knew they wanted to hear bc I wanted the surgery (I know.. I know.) But after surgery, I felt like there was some unresolved issues with food, much like yourself, and so I'm doing the process to go back to the counseling center. Honestly, looking for eating disorder counselors might be a good first step for you.. because overeating is a disorder.. I imagine most people think "eating disorder" and imagine anorexia or bulimia. Which isn't 100% the case. Mood disorders is something completely different. When you talk to a therapist, you get to interview them first. You have to make sure that THEY are a good fit for YOU. Even if it's just to go 1x a month, I bet it'll be helpful. If you don't feel comfortable with them, then ask for a change. You can request a specific gender if you'd like. Look at their credentials and see how long they've been in practice. healthgrades.com is also a good place to get some reviews. Making a call will also help you establish how they'll treat you. Trust your gut with it. I know you've had a bad experience in the past, but that doesn't mean that all experiences will be bad. I had a horrible exp in college with a therapist and swore I'd never go back. Now I've been in therapy for 3 years now and it's changed my life. Good luck!

Have you checked out the bariatric program at NY Presbyterian @ Columbia University? I was cleared for surgery with a 35bmi and a few comorbidities. High cholesterol was counted for me. So was joint pain with the beginnings of osteoarthritis.

Had surgery on 28th of August. 3 hour surgery. Dr told my husband he repaired a haital hernia he found beside the gastric bypass procedure. Was on Strict NPO till x ray next day to show no leaks. Gave me liquids and tolerated it. At first I forgot about taking small sips, luckily I did not have any effect but could feel the liquid bubbling so I stopped drinking. I walked and deep breath on incentive spirameter to avoid pneumonia and to open up my lungs. No pain, but had abdominal discomfort. Gas pass and felt relieved each time. Now on my 4th day, sipping liquid slowly , but I notice my new tummy likes liquid green smoothie so I named my new tummy Greenie. I have no appetite and smell of food does not bother me. But little Greenie does not like too much liquid at one time. Abdominal discomfort is decreasing each day. Started with weight 200 lbs, today 185 lbs. I am making sure my liquids are Bariatric shakes with protein and I sip all day long. Thus far little Greenie likes it. Vitamins are patches from BariatricPal.

I start the next phase of my diet tomorrow and realized that I only have TWO days of pureed before moving onto "very soft" foods - is that common? I was also surprised to see that "very soft" includes fish, meat, veggies - pretty much everything - as long as it's ground-up. The following phase is "soft" which will start 9/16 includes all normal foods, and they just have to be cut small and chewed well - no more grinding up. However, a general diet doesn't start until 10/1. I went thru the bariatric program at a different hospital before changing surgeons at the last minute, and their program required liquid for 2 weeks, pureed for 2 weeks, very soft for 2 weeks, soft for another 2 weeks, then general diet. I would have to be almost 2 months out before I could eat a general diet. I'm just wondering why the variance in the timing of these phases. 🤔

So bear with me on this one. Back in February when I had my first appointment with the Holyoke Medical Weight Management program, I met with one of the two physician assistants that handle the intake of new patients. In that meeting, I went in looking into the medical weight loss program since I was under the impression that I was not eligible for further bariatric surgery. One of the first questions asked of me was what my goal weight was. I was told not to overthink it and to simply give her a number that I wanted to get down to. I said "225 pounds", which seemed like an unachievable goal, but it was what I weighed 20 or so years ago and while still overweight, was a comfortable weight for me. As that would involve losing 116 pounds, she informed me that I would be unlikely to achieve that goal in the medical program, but that it would be much more achievable in the surgical program. She quickly cleared up my misconceptions about my eligibility for revision surgery and sent me home to think about how I wanted to proceed. A couple of weeks later, I was back in for my official intake into the surgical weight loss program to start the journey to removing my lapband and revising to a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. From that point, you've pretty much seen my progress and success. So I only weigh myself once a week and it is on Tuesday mornings (used to be on Fridays, but once I had my surgery, I moved it to Tuesdays to align with the day I had surgery). Here's this week's update: Starting Weight: 341.1 Surgery Day Weight: 262.8 Pre-surgery Weight Loss: 78.3 Current Weight: 225.2 Weight Lost in Past Week: 3.8 Post Surgery Weight Loss: 37.6 Total Weight Loss: 115.9 So, a couple of things: 1) I weighed myself 5 damn times this morning to see if I could get that .2 to go away. It didn't. My scale is too accurate to indulge in my shenanigans. 2) I am going to end up breaking my rule and will end up reweighing myself on Thursday or Friday, just so I can see that .2 disappear. 3) I have now lost more than a third of my body weight. 33.98%, to be precise. 4) Next goal is 190lbs. But first I have to get rid of that annoying .2lbs

Drawingdami I like what you said: “No matter what you decide, you have to advocate, advocate, AD.VO.CATE. for yourself! Your bariatric team will only give you as much attention as you demand and you have to demand it. Never be rude, but let them know you ain't playin'.” My start weight was 238 and now I’m down to 209. I had a really strange feeling the night before my surgery on July 20th. I felt that I should have backed out of it. I experienced bad vibes from my surgeon and his staff. I have been unable to progress much beyond eating soft foods and difficulty swallowing. My surgeon did a second surgery two weeks ago. I should have listened to my instincts and not let him. My husband was urging me not to go through with it and to get a second opinion. I didn’t listen and 6 weeks later, I’m still in the same boat. I miss eating and to be able to drink coffee and gulp water. I can only take small sips at a time. I’m scared to death that I’m going to have to live the rest of my life like this. I had to be forceful when dealing with my surgeon and his staff. They have been brushing me off and telling me to go back to the liquid plan. I have asked my doctor what he thinks my prognosis will be. Before my second surgery he said I’ll feel much better and now he won’t see me and is having me see nurse practitioners. if I could have a do-over, I would never have gone through with bariatric surgery. I would give any amount of money or weight in the world just to be normal again.

Hey there, Surgery Sis! You and I are going to be afraid, mentally hold hands, and on Wednesday, JUMP! 🤗🎉 I am similar to you in that I have several chronic health issues, and I am similar to @Addicted in that I too had bacterial pneumonia, was in ICU in a coma and also lost around 55-60lbs during that time a few years back. I went under a size 16 and woke up an 8! That was freaky.🤯 Anyway, I also thought I could keep it off on my own as well. But I went right back up to my usual 215 within a year and a half. Like many say here, if you could have lost weight and kept it off all on your own then you would have. I congratulate you on the weightloss you have achieved already though. Respect!😎 The biggest factor in deciding to do this was my health. In theory, many of my health issues will be improved--some greatly--by this surgery. I am all about quality of life. To me that matters way more than quantity. If there is a chance I can feel better than I currently do, I am gonna take it! Why do you want to do this, really truly. You and everyone else here knows this isn't the easy way out. It is hard, but it's going to be a different kind of hard. Do you think you can trade the hard work of losing weight on your own with being a bariatric patient and all it entails? You said the weight is just falling off now. There will be a time where your weight will stall out, no matter which route you take. Do you think you can fight through that stall on your own, which could be several weeks, or do you think having a tool with you could help? Like EVERYBODY says who does this, surgery is a tool, not the solution. You still gotta work. I would take another good look tonight at why you want to do this. You can always, ALWAYS cancel a surgery, up to the last minute. I have had many surgeries, and there was one time that I actually did that. I yelled STOP!!! right there on the table in the OR and began to sit up. I just wasn't comfortable with what was going on and you better believe everyone stopped what they were doing and got me off of that table! No one wants a potential lawsuit, even if you did sign the consent form. So really think about this. Don't worry about anything else right now but yourself. This is your body and at the end of the day, you're the one who has to live in it AND you can't get another one. How big is your bariatric center? Initially I thought my surgeon and his team were a bit ambivalent about me and that made me doubtful. But then after talking to the nurse practitioner there I found out that they oversee over a thousand patients. For them, I am just passing through. It's a miracle anyone remembers my name! The best antidote to fear is knowledge. Do you know how many years your surgeon had been doing bariatric surgery, specifically what you are having done? Do you know what kind of reputation that bariatric clinic has? I have never seen a hospital have more than a 3 out of 5 rating, but that doesn't necessarily mean your clinic is bad. No matter what you decide, you have to advocate, advocate, AD.VO.CATE. for yourself! Your bariatric team will only give you as much attention as you demand and you have to demand it. Never be rude, but let them know you ain't playin'. Blessings on your head and good luck on Wednesday! Don't forget--if you decide to go ahead and feel like your panic is going to overtake you, remember there is someone in NYC holding your hand and taking the same step forward with you.