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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.

Wow. I really lucked out w/my team at my bariatric center. We have a dietitian and a nutritionist. Both are very warm and caring. They both emphasized protein and hitting it consistently. The nutritionist had to clear you for surgery and the dietitian is who you see after surgery. Before surgery, the nutritionist gave us a lot of worksheets and ideas of what to start to do before surgery. The dietitian said that around 6 weeks is when i should be more reliant on real food for protein than the shakes. she didn't say it was a no-no, but it's just so I dont have to depend on them for the rest of my life. Which I'm a-okay with.. over them for the most part. Honestly, my air fryer (honestly amazing), tilapia has been helpful with me getting my protein goals, as well as greek yogurt. the triple 0 from oikos (i think?). they're not horrible for greek yogurt and i sprinkle in some granola from Lakanto and it makes for a decent breakfast. Neither of these things would I have touched before my surgery.

For me, it was the more long-term effects of the bypass. It's been studied longer and there is more data. Obvi, sleeve will never catch up to it since it was developed after, but with the sleeve, a nurse at the bariatric center said she had a cookie (about 3 months out from her sleeve) and it didn't hurt and it triggered something mentally in her. I know myself too well to allow that to happen.. meaning, eating foods i shouldn't bc they dont cause any issues. so i went w/the bypass. It has the back up "dumping" syndrome which is an alarm of eating something you shouldn't. That alone, is enough to scare me from eating what I shouldnt. So far, it's kept me from eating a lot of things i truly do enjoy, but can't have. maybe one day I can have a bit or two of something.. but for now, i dont want to chance it.

I haven't had revision, but I've been hanging out on bariatric sites for the last 5-7 years. It does seem to work for most people, but of course you'll find outliers. Sorry to hear about the above responder's complications, although fortunately, as with virgin surgeries, those seem to be pretty rare.

It depends on your insurance and Bariatrics centers guidelines. My policy did not require the supervised diet for BMI’s over 40. I started my process on June 23 and surgery is tomorrow, so a little over two months. There are plus’ and minus’ for an accelerated process though. My process included; an interest seminar, consultation with surgeon, psych evaluation, abdominal ultrasound, clearance by my primary care physician, EGD, EKG, blood work, dietician consult, pre-op surgery class, and final pre-op visit with surgeon. Good luck!

check the blog "The World According to Eggface". She a long-time bariatric patient (and on the board of the Obesity Action Coalition, I believe) and she loves cooking. She has lots of recipes on her blog for all phases.

You will be fine! I’m not trying to worry you because with Covid everyone is backed up. But there is huge difference so thought I’d share my experience. I know how you are feeling! I cancelled Surgery in Nov after doing 2 week fluids bc of blogs with horrific complications scared me to death. plus I never heard of loose skin that bad like the extreme ones on U-tube. Also petrified of Anesthesia bc bad issue before. Cancelled surgery in Jan because Dad died. I have met with my surgeon 4 times and he is the nicest caring surgeon. He doesn’t rush me & answers questions truthfully. He also does reflux surgery & has vitamins on amazon plus U-tube videos. He has plastic surgeon he works with & went over info to help insurance cover skin removal as it’s unhygienic & rashes hurt. But said exercise helps so much. His Nurse is awesome and when I call her for questions, she never tries to hurry me. The hospital pre op & Covid test ran smooth. It only took a month to be okayed so I pay nothing. The office is efficient. Surgery is Sep 8th. Three times a charm, I wish I had done it in November. I did the liquid diet twice now & gained it back. If you have a bad feeling make sure surgeon is a registered Bariatric Surgeon. Our health & lives are at risk. I have 4 bad issues will go away. So please think about that if you get scared at the last minute. We can all do this. Like you, I am pretty much alone except my husband. I’m really thankful for everyone here. If anyone is in the Houston/The Woodlands area, He has a 5 star rating several places so I’ll share info. Prayers for everyone having soon & recovering!

I'm not sure if this will help but I sipped on a Gatorade zero and it seemed to do the trick. The white one thats cherry flavor is my favorite. Hope all is well. Now I just have these hellobad headaches that won't go away and wake my from much needed sleep.. any thoughts...I doubt my insurance will cover a lobotomy this soon after bariatric surgery..🤣 🤣

Good luck! My surgery is Monday, so on one hand I’m hoping the weekend goes quickly, but on the other, hand, not so much as I’m starting to get a bit nervous. I received a surprise call from my surgeon yesterday which was great, and a separate call from one of Bariatric nurses, reviewing final details and pre op prep for the day before and morning of surgery. So I’m ready, just nervous.

I think it totally depends on your program. My insurance is through Kaiser, and their only requirement is that you NOT gain any weight during the six month bariatric program. If you gain weight, they just won’t give you a surgery date... until you get down even 1lb below you’re starting weight.

My insurance here in CA only covered half after the deductible. With all of the hoops and costs, I figured out that it would cost me more out of pocket than if I did self pay. So I went with a self pay option at Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all, I was banded in 2008 at 433 lbs and lost 250 pounds to get my weight down to ~180 in a few years. Kept the band almost 10 years but the acid reflux got too bad and I had to have it removed a little over 6 months ago. My weight had been creeping up to 240 before the lap band removal and up to 280 now. I am strongly considering the RNY but am concerned about the permanent rearrangement of my insides. That's why I went with the band in the first place, because it was reversible. I am concerned about developing malnourishment, although I am good about taking supplements (which I do every day even now with no bariatric surgery in place). I am looking for success stories. Who has had their band removed and then put in a RYN and had a good experience? I need to lose at least 100 pounds now and want to keep it off for life this time.

My body fought me tooth and nail but I fought back. I felt like my body got comfortable or settled on a weight for periods of time. I lost weight pretty slowly and I practically came to a screeching halt 6 months in. It was incredibly frustrating. I started reading and researching more. The following videos were probably the biggest help for me personally and still are. Dr Weiner is a Bariatric surgeon who posts on YouTube. Here are 2 videos that were “lightbulb moments” for me and really helped me understand and stick with it. Weight loss science Metabolic Thermostat Giving up before I reached my goal weight was never an option for me. I began posting and participating on this board at the end of March 2019. I was a lurker for about a year. Shortly after that I joined a gym. Having support here, increasing my activity and feeling more confident about the “why” I’m losing slower made a difference, but most importantly kept me motivated and still does. Keeping your head in the game when it gets tough is the hardest part of this. You have the right attitude, and you’ve got this. You should consider printIng out your post and putting it in your jewelry box . I hope you get some reassurance like I did from Dr Weiner’s video.

You are far from the only person who had gained weight during quarantine! There was a very intense thread about it on this forum recently (so intense, it had to be shut down). Nobody should judge you for that — it’s a tough time for everyone. Some insurance companies, and maybe some bariatric programs, do have a requirement that you not gain any more weight before the surgery. This may or may not be the case for you, but you might want to check. I bet you can lose 10 pounds, or close to it, before September 10. You said you track everything in MyFitnessPal, and that’s a great start. I lost over 60 pounds in the 5 months before surgery just by doing two things: tracking everything in MyFitnessPal (and staying well under my calorie limit) and intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting really helped me to get out of the habit of snacking. I did 16 hour fasts every day, starting after dinner and ending with lunch the next day. It was hard at first, but not so bad once I got used to it. I could push through the hunger and temptation knowing that I could have an indulgent dinner. I think it was a good workout for my willpower. Look for foods that are filling and tasty but relatively low in calories. Look at the foods you normally eat and figure out which ones are the healthiest. Salads are great, especially if you use light dressing. You can have a big salad with lots of grilled chicken for under 300 calories. Popcorn was another one of my favorites. Not exactly the healthiest snack, but a mini bag of “blast o butter” microwave popcorn Is just 210 calories and really filling (even lower in calories if you pop your own with an air popper, but you have to start somewhere). I LOVE Built Bars (protein bars). Some flavors used to be 110 calories and made a great daily treat (they recently changed and now they’re 130, but still a heck of a lot better than a candy bar).

I guess I was lucky as my PCP had gastric sleeve a few years ago and her son had RNY two years ago so when I brought up WLS she was a fountain of information and advice. She's actually been the guest speaker at my bariatric support group meetings twice. From my understanding, other than giving you the referral most PCP's don't get that involved in your weight loss journey until after you've had your surgery and occasionally will order labs for you if they feel you need them to check your levels.

I found this, may be useful. https://www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/weight-loss-surgery-nutrition-and-hair-loss/ https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/metabolic-and-bariatric-surgery-blog/2013/march/tips-for-minimizing-hair-loss-after-weight-loss-surgery