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Hi everyone! I hope that you all are staying safe and doing well. Since I'm taking some days off, I thought that I would catch up and touch base. I think I was among the last of the people whose surgery went as scheduled before everything shut down due the Coronavirus. What a different world we live in today. I do hope that those individuals who were scheduled in late March and in April had their surgeries re-scheduled -- don't give up! I'm here to tell you that it IS worth it in the end! I'm well on my journey to a transformed life and I would like to share my experiences to date. So far, I'm down 63 lbs. from when I started this journey and 70 lbs. from my highest weight. When I look in the mirror, sometimes I can hardly believe that I'm even doing this, but I am! My blood pressure has improved to near normal most days and my BMI has gone from 43 to 35. Also, I'm coming up on the halfway point of my journey! Because I see these questions asked often (and believe me, I had many of same questions myself), I will give my account from my personal experience. Pre-Op Following the instructions of your doctor does make a difference. I managed to lose about 20 pounds from October 2019 - March 2020 -- the more you lose, the better for your surgery. Strictly adhere to your 2 week liquid phrase and drink your water! Surgery My surgery was scheduled for March 17th and then it got pushed back to March 18th (I think my surgeon had scheduled a long weekend because he does his surgeries on Tuesdays). However because elective surgeries was due to be shut down during that week due to COVID-19, it was returned to the original date and my surgery was the first of the day. In addition to the by-pass, I had a hiatal hernia repair. The surgery took longer than normal because I was a bleeder (whatever that means) and scar tissue from when I had my gallbladder removed many years ago. But the Dr. and his team did their thing and it was a success. Post-ops was a bit disorientating and I was in a bit of discomfort, but by the time I was wheeled to my room, I was fully alert. What I didn't like: Not having anything to drink for 24 hours! That sucked. When I was able to drink, I could only have a few sips at a time. I had to do breathing exercises (in a little breathing tube thingy which was not a bad idea given COVID-19 was starting to get out there) and hours later, I got myself up and walked. I was determined to get up and walk! What you must do: You must get out of the bed and WALK! I stress that because when I had my gallbladder surgery, I stayed in the bed (it was done the old fashioned way where they hack you in 2 to get it out and I was in the hospital for a week) and did not get up until it was time for me to go home. Talk about the gas and the pain! Whew! I was not trying to feel all that again, so I got up and walked. Basically, post-op, I was fine and did well. 2 Weeks Post-op (Liquid/Strained food Phase) I didn't have much of an appetite and I did struggle getting in the protein. I mostly tried to get in the fluids first and foremost. My sis made me a LOT of ginger tea and that helped and I walked around the apartment and did a little walk outside. Soft Food Phase So for me, once I started eating food again -- my appetite came ROARING BACK! I mean roaring back and that caused some problems when I got into the regular food phase. I'm not a dairy person, so it was a struggle for me to eat eggs, cheese -- I just couldn't do the plain yogurt (yuck). I did manage to have some chili and beans, but I don't like beans either! Somehow, I got thru it though. Regular Food Phase You want to test drive your pouch? So here is what NOT to do: DO.NOT.OVEREAT. Because I wasn't one of those people who had to force themselves to eat due to a lack of appetite, I had to do a LOT of trial and error before my brain clicked. What I wish I had done: I asked my bari-nutritionist if I should get any special tools and she said no -- yet if I had to do it all over again, I would have purchased the bariatric plates and flatware. Even though I was using small plates, the servings were still not small enough -- typically out of prior habits -- and I would go to eat, then suddenly I felt food stuck in my throat and I wanted to throw up (but I couldn't). After that happened more than a few times, my brain finally got itself together and realized what was going on. I also was not used to leaving food on my plate -- like EVER. I was forcing myself to finish eating even though my body was giving me clear signals that I was DONE. Also, you learn very quickly which foods you can eat fine and others that you can't (Of course it's all of things that I like to eat...); those foods you have to eat in little portions. Suddenly I found myself (GASP!) throwing food in the trash! Who knew! Me! Being full and leaving fricking food on the plate and throwing it away! What!?!?!?! Yep, that's what Bari-by pass will do to you! Now I make smaller portions up front and I make sure that I eat the protein before I get full. I tend to eat only when I get hungry and when I'm full, I'm DONE. That is a big change from before when I kept right on eating and eating and eating and -- well, you get the drift. Continuing Challenge: Getting the water in. At best, I get 1 liter in/day. Between my heavy work load and knowing that I can't eat and drink at the same time anymore and I can only drink so much at one time! -- I have to choose on most days whether I'm concentrating on getting the water in or getting the protein in. That is a work in progress. I finally was able to get in a long walk today - 5 mi. I just have to go early in the morning to avoid the folk who don't wear masks, but it was great and I hope to re-start my walking routine (it will be a long moment before I return to a gym). So, if you have any questions, ask away!

I started by just talking the whole thing through with my husband. He actually jumped all over the idea when I first mentioned it, as I am not the energetic person I was when we met. He later told me he was too afraid to bring it up before I did...smart man! 😂 After I had his full support, I told my parents (but made sure my mom did not tell my step-dad because he has always been super judgmental of my weight). Both Mom and Dad offered full support after I explained it. They are both in the 75-80 year old range and at normal BMI’s. I am a nurse working in a medical office of about 200 staff. I then told a few of my co-workers who I knew had previously had Bariatric Surgery or were considering Bariatric Surgery. This all took place over about a month. Then COVID hit and I was canceled for my first surgery date, so no one else was told. Now that I am approaching my surgery date on 7/6 I am kind of like “everyone is going to know soon, so whatever.” So far the only time I felt like someone was not super excited and happy for me was a co-worker who lost 150 pounds without surgery. She was not rude at all, just more restrained. I thought she would be super excited for me though, and she is someone I consider a friend. She will come around when I can finally become a hiking buddy instead of just talking about hiking😊 I am pretty private, but I am also absolutely terrible at NOT telling the truth, the WHOLE truth. Inevitably, I will end up telling every single person that asks, so I may as well just be open about it from the get go. Negative people will be ignored or dropped from my circle. I feel confident that most of the negative folks are already people I keep at arms length. I will have a huge cheering section. As my surgery date approached, my mom asked if she could tell my step-dad and I gave her permission. He surprised us both by jumping right into my cheering section. Telling the first person is the hardest. It gets easier. People are likely going to realize you had Bariatric Surgery (or speculate behind your back) even if you don’t tell them. People that truly care about you will be happy for you or soon come around. People that don’t come around can be kept at arms length, because they have their own agenda which is NOT in your best interest. Unfortunately, this includes family. I have been very fortunate. Apologies for a super long post. This has been brewing for a few days now. Regardless of who you choose to tell, you will always have this community in your cheering section.

Research papers have documented the fact that psychiatric problems (unless schizophrenia or other psychotic history) ARE NOT a factor in success/failure in bariatric surgery. The big issue is food addiction and if you tend to eat when stressed, bored, depressed or manic. I don't know why so many using psychiatric history to deny surgery when literature is clear it is not relevant. Sent from my SM-T580 using BariatricPal mobile app

I just discovered Dr. Duc Vuong's youtube channel and now i'm OBSESSED! It felt really affirming having someone point out that most doctors have you shoot for the "average" weight loss, 60-65% of EBW e.g. how my nutritionist suggested my goal should be 170lbs- like wtf? Dr. V pushes his patients to get to around 20 BMI and I'm here for THAT! I think I've watched 6 or 8 of his videos since discovering him yesterday. So good! And no BS! Plus I kinda love that he swears too, feels more genuine. Here's one of his vids, check him out!

Mine is also strict. My surgeon requires a high protein meal replacement shake with protein ISOLATE as the protein. I am having the Bariatric Advantage brand as this was the only one I found that met his criteria. I literally hate it as I finish week one of two of my pre-op diet. It was all I could do to get it down yesterday without gagging. I am allowed broths and flavored waters, but no jello or popsicles. I am also required to eat 2-4 cups of veggies per day (And only the ones on the short acceptable list), but they cannot be prepared with any oil or even cooking spray, and of course no sauces or any seasonings that contain fat or sugar. It is surprisingly hard to come up with palatable ways to prepare the veggies like this, and they are a bit hard on the digestion without anything else in the belly. That is my sob story. I guess I should be happy about my veggie bellyaches though, since at least I do get to put something in my belly. 🙄 I feel your misery, but we can do this! This is our time to get our lives back from the obesity beast. Keep on keeping on!!

Hey there, I'm Italian too (pre-op though) taught how to cook by my 1st gen Nona. I'm on my 6 month pre-op slow-carb diet plan rn. For pasta what I'm doing is using a food processor to mince veggies and garlic together, cooking and seasoning it with the meat (I half cook the meat first), then adding the sauce to it (about 3:1 veggies to meat, tonight I used carrots & broccoli) then instead of eating it with pasta I eat it over red beans. It's still carbs, but not the kind that make you fat or spike your blood sugar since they are slower to digest and have protein and fiber. The veggies meld with tomato sauce seamlessly and you get a lot of good nutrients in every ingredient (vs. the empty calories of pasta.) (I'm a bit of a child in that I often prefer hiding my veggies from myself.) I agree with the above re: cauliflower crusts, just be careful about store bought ones and store-bought pre-made cauliflower crust pizzas because they can sometimes be a lot more flour than cauliflower and that's not the droid you're looking for. Best to make your own honestly. For risottos I find using riced cauliflower to be a pretty good substitute- it's super yummy when cooked with some marsala or sherry & chicken broth (I like mushrooms, shallots and garlic too). You can also get a spiralizer and use that for an alt. pasta with zucchini, squash or carrots. Cream sauces can be tricky because the usual recipe is heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2. You can use milk with a little low fat cheese for flavor then thicken with a little xanthan gum. That is IF you can tolerate dairy. This is of course for once you are on regular food. For a while you're gonna have to take things slow and figure out what your body needs and can handle. A lot of these cravings are part of the brain aspect of weight loss. Your bariatric team should include a counselor and/ or support group (besides us!) that can help you with it. ***I swear I didn't add all these hyperlinks- wth?

Hi friend! I’m new to the forums, and I haven’t even had my first consultation yet. I just wanted to let you know that people here are generally very kind and supportive. Maybe you could put in a call to your team and just ask hey, is what I’m feeling normal? Normal can be different and subjective to each individual experience. I hope that you get some clear cut answers and start to feel better very soon. Also I have read a lot of people state that they have issues with dairy after any bariatric surgery. It might be something to consider. Some foods just might not sit with you in the same way that they used to. Take care, friend!

This is great, thank you for your reply. I’ll be seeing my bariatric surgeon on Monday for my first consultation, so I’m hoping that we can streamline things even just a little bit. I can’t imagine dealing with this pain for 6 months!

Approximately 40% of patients struggle with their weight loss rate, or metabolic rate, after bariatric surgery, and at least 30% previously had or develop a low metabolic rate after surgery. Metabolic rate is the speed at which calories are burned. Explains why I easily lost weight before surgery but have only lost 3 pounds since. Also, my age decreases BMR. I am switching to caffienated coffee to help boost my BMR. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi there. I have a significant hiatal hernia, it causes a lot of pain and discomfort any time that I eat. I had an endoscopy to rule out infection or strangulation of the stomach. Anyway, the findings were that it’s likely that I have nerve damage in my hiatal hernia area and diaphragm. I have a telemedicine appointment with my bariatric surgeon on Monday, it’s my first consultation. My insurance “requires” 6 months of nutrition education before they will sign off on the surgery. I’m not asking to do it in 2 weeks, or even a month. I’m just curious if anyone out there has been able to petition their insurance with the help of a physician to shorten that time frame. I’m aware that I’ll need to do the work before the surgery, but my concern is being in this pain for 6 months. I can do maybe 2-3 months. Anyway, if you have been able to do this, or know of someone that has, can you just give me some insight? I’m not familiar with how insurances work.

@Seige maybe you should check into transferring to a different bariatric center. That’s not good and you someone to be helping you out in a professional level.

Hello everyone, I had endoscopic sleeve today! I am so happy to start this journey! I wasn’t nervous at all about the surgery. But am a little nervous to juggle vitamins, foods to eat, they to drink water, etc. it all seems so complex. My best friend who was my driver and my recovery “nurse” through the weekend had the idea to put large posts on the wall to color code and put check boxes for first couple of weeks until i get into a routine. Great idea! Also using alarms on phone and reminders as well as tracking on Baritastic app. BTW, does.l anyone use that app? Seems like it is amazing! So back to my surgery- ESG... the worst part was not being able to drink water beforehand and now only being able to sip. I am a major water dinner before and love it ice cold and jug it all day- they will be rough adjustment for me! As far as pain, I am not really nauseous- but really bad heartburn. Also very bloated as expected. I think muscle pain will come in a few days, but so far so good- I am pretty impressed! But let’s keep in mind that ESG is definitely a quicker recovery compared to most other Bariatric surgeries. I am still looking for an accountability partner if anyone is interested. Look forward to updating and hearing more about all of your experiences also! 💕 Jennifer

I was banded 7 yrs ago and was able to lose all my weight and keep it off. No problems and I was feeling pretty good. Over the last 4 months I started having more heartburn and coughing at night. No vomiting or gagging. I was a True Results patient and the site here closed down few years back. I never had Bariatric coverage on my recent insurance plans so I never went for follow up. I didn’t have issues and felt good . 2 days ago woke up with severe upper abdominal pain and vomiting. It felt like stomach spasms. My band was cutting off blood flow and no fluids would go down. We decided on emergency band removal. My esophagus was inflamed and swollen, I never felt much pain . I blamed heartburn on eating later etc.my stomach was distended. Im relieved we caught it but I will miss it.Is that weird? I’ve been pretty successful but I always knew the band was there, like a backup. I’m afraid I will gain weight. I went from about 275 to 165-170. Not small but I’m happy for my height 5’7”. I’m feeling stupid for panicking 2 days post op.

Hi all, I feel like I'm struggling with this post op diet. Pretty much all I can have for 22 days is my bariatric grade protein shake, clear low sodium broth, jello, and water (or gatorade zero or propel). I'm on day 17 and I have to stay on this diet until I see my doctor on July 1 (so technically I'm on it for 24 day). I was originally scheduled for a July 8 post-op appointment, but thank goodness I was able to get my appointment moved up. I wake up every morning feeling good and like I can do another day of this, but by the end of the day I'm just wishing I could have a warm piece of meat. Only 7 more days. I can do it, but I hope the next few days come sooner.

5 years ago I laid on the table and had life changing surgery! I was sleeved. And I felt renewed. I got down to 138 by my birthday in December I looked and felted wonderful. I ended up at 142-145 and was ok with that . Life took me for a ride and now for the past year I’ve put on 20 pounds I know where I went wrong the hardest part is support and getting mentally back on track if you have any advice I’m open

Update: my gastroenterologist referred me to the top bariatric center in my city. I have a consultation with one of their bariatric surgeons on 6/29. Hoping to get the ball rolling!

Welcome and congratulations on making such a smart decision about taking control of your health and well-being by having bariatric surgery! What's helpful and what's not in terms of prep (and on an ongoing basis) will depend on your personality type and how you prefer to learn, but what I've found to be most useful and beneficial is staying away from social media for the most part, and instead engaging in a great deal of on- and offline research. I read A LOT of scientific papers and studies prior to surgery (and still do), and was careful to seek out evidence-based information and data on types of surgery, outcomes, complications, expectations, etc. from scientists, obesity specialists, bariatric surgeons, bariatric dieticians, and other medical professionals working in the field. What a lot of quality, realistic thoughts and suggestions you're receiving in reply to your question here! I would add that for me, taking maximum advantage of the first 6 months -- and particularly the first 3 -- after surgery has been *crucial* to my overall loss and success. If you're not hungry after surgery, take full advantage by keeping your calories very low, because the honeymoon phase is finite. Begin entrenching good food habits right now (if you haven't already) and work to sustain the changes over the long term by cutting out processed foods, highly palatable foods, and sugar and instead focusing on eating healthy, whole, nutrient-dense foods once you've passed the fluid stage(s). Start an regular exercise program if you haven't already. Look for ways to keep increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and act on them daily as your ability increases over time. Contact your bariatric team immediately with any concerns that may arise around potentially significant physical or psychological issues because social media absolutely cannot help with those. Wishing you all the very best with a successful surgery and recovery, and much ease as you pass through all of the bariatric stages and into your new life 😊 Highly-Palatable-Foods-slides.pdf

Like Arabesque said, you should still be on liquids only at this stage no matter your program, so hopefully you’re not eating purees or solid food yet. Every program is different, but my program for example, required clear fluids for 3 days, followed by full fluids for 4 weeks. I skipped the next stage (2 weeks of purees) and continued with full fluids during this time (with approval from my team) because pureed foods were aesthetically unpalatable to me. Unlike some people who never felt a sensation of fullness on fluids only, I did, so literally had to take an extremely tiny sip every few minutes to get in the required amount of protein and fluids. During the 6 weeks of fluids, this was literally a full-time job: it took 12 to 14 hours per day, and sometimes 16. It's hard going, but you'll get through it. Currently, I wait 20-30 minutes after drinking fluids to eat, and at least 45 minutes after a meal. I'm committed to doing this for the rest of my life. It's an easy to do, and is one of several evidence-based actions (based on the long-term outcomes of hundreds of thousands of bariatric patients) that leads to long-term success. Dr. Walter Medlin, a bariatric surgeon at the Bariatric Medicine Institute in Salt Lake City, and a sleever himself, continues to wait 45 minutes after eating, almost 15-odd years after his own surgery. There are three reasons for this: 1) in the first year, not washing nutrients out of your small pouch, 2) maintaining satiety for as long as possible after eating as you get further out from surgery, as over65 pointed out, and 3) minimizing or preventing GERD by regulating the pyloric sphincter.

HI, welcome to the club! I am familiar with the Cedars bariatric department, having met and talked to them several times over a few months on a prospective non-bariatric procedure (that I ultimately never had) but came out with an overall positive opinion of them. I am not personally familiar with UCLA's program, but have seen a couple of questionable things from them over the years. Here in the LA area, one doc that I would certainly have on my list to consider for sleeve type procedures is Dr. Ara Keshisian in the Pasadena area.. I would probably have gone to him for my sleeve if he had been practicing here at the time; instead I went to the Rabkins up in SF as no one in LA had much experience doing sleeves then and they had been doing them for around twenty years at that time. Dr. K will probably push you to do a duodenal switch (a sleeve plus malabsorptive intestinal rerouting) over the sleeve as it tends to have better long term results with better regain resistance than the VSG or RNY. For me, I felt that it was overkill for my needs (though was just the right thing for my wife,) so a good, honest look at what your needs really are would be in order in working out that decision. Good luck, and PM me with any other questions that you have,

I did not go Oasis of Hope in which I wish I would have I went to Mexico bariatric center what a huge mistake it wasn't very unclean very unsterile they lacerated my spleen finding that out when I got back here to Michigan it almost cost me my life they decided to remove 95% of my stomach which is not recommended please do your research before going to Mexico

Make sure you do your research before going to Mexico for surgery I ended up going to Mexico Bariatric Surgery Center in Mexico what a huge mistake first of all I can say Mexico is not the cleanest it when it comes to being sterile and following protocol for safety measures my Iv fell out and was dragged on the floor the nurse that wanted to reinsert the needle back into my arm. They have a little Tin Cup to keep alcohol and cotton balls together. the tin cup had people's blood on the rim. the showers had bloody bandages clearly not clean. Never once did they change their gloves from Patient to Patient. To top this off I had my surgery they removed 95% of my stomach which here in the States that is not recommended. I returned back here in Michigan and I knew something was not right I decided to go into the hospital to get checked out they lacerated my spleen I was lucky to be alive I immediately contacted Mexico bariatric center they told me that my diagnosis was incorrect that I would have died there basically saying that a CT scan was wrong I tried to contact them raising matters that needed to be corrected for safety purposes they seem to not really care I thought I did my research and it was pretty thorough at what I was looking at boy was I wrong nearly costed me my life!

So I have to say thank you to @GreenTealael for this. I had never heard of this bread. I am always lurking on the before and after food photos thread to get ideas and several months ago she posted a wrap or sandwich with this bread. I had never heard of it so I took a screenshot and said one day I’ll try it. So then on Father’s Day, my family decided on pulled pork sandwiches. Of course, I wasn’t going to eat the bread. My mom was making the pork and she is super picky so I knew there would be as close to no fat as possible so I decided I would just eat some of the pork with my sugar free bbq sauce. Then I remembered the lavash bread and decided to see if I could find it. Well I found it at Walmart and I was so happy with the taste and macros on it. I couldn’t even eat half of a serving but it was so good. I’ve already got plans for chicken salad sandwiches, Arby’s style beef and cheddar and other things.(all bariatric friendly Of course) so anyways, if you are looking for a wrap, tortilla, bread, pizza crust option, check it out. It’s pretty good.

Hey, this is very inspirational! Congrats on the weight loss! I am 31 y/o female currently around 255lbs, I had a lap band procedure back in 2015 but it has given me nothing but anxiety and issues over the years, as well as about a 50lb weight loss. I'm thinking of having my band reverted to a sleeve in order to lose more weight and try and get rid of my medical problems which actually make it very hard for me to lose weight on my own. But of course, there are things about the sleeve that worry me. To start with they permanently cut out most of your stomach! I can't put my finger on what exactly worries me the most, but the healing process post-op and quality of life after...I know losing weight will be a much healthier better quality of life, but will I be able to ever enjoy food again? I'm still young and want to be able to enjoy going out with friends, how has that all been for you? Most of my friends do know I have had a bariatric procedure already, so no big surprise, I think it mostly around meeting new people, and not eating normally gives me a little anxiety. Have you had any medical problems related to your sleeve like regurg, vomitting, acid reflux? Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom! -Becca

I will be having the sleeve. I don't mind telling my assigned nurses that I'm a nurse. Actually I have some friends working on the floor bariatrics recover.. and I've actually asked my best friend who is a nurse also request that surgery with the surgeon so she will be my or nurse. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Good luck Eric. I had the same problem - sleeve 3 years ago, lost 100 pounds in 8 months, gained back 60 over the next 2.5 years. I tried resetting my pouch and going back to pre-op diet mode, but nothing really worked for me. In the end I decided to have a revision to bypass earlier this year. I've been losing weight consistently (but slowly) since then. However, it hasn't affected any real change - I can eat just about anything (pizza, bread, pasta, whatever - serving sizes are normal portions, not bariatric portions). For the most part I DON'T eat these things (still doing shakes and fish and salad, etc.), but every now and then I've just been pushing to see if there is anything that my body does not like/can't handle. There's nothing. I'm really disappointed because I thought the even smaller stomach would help with portion control (it doesn't), that having bypass would make me not like sugar (it doesn't), or that I would have other food issues (like lactose intolerance - I don't). So it's a good wake-up call for me that portion control and what I eat is the key - I can't depend on the surgery to help me out, other than initial weight loss. For whatever reason, my body has reacted to these surgeries really well. In both cases I was up and walking and feeling great within a day after surgery, I never had food restrictions like so many others (I could eat at 3 months what many patients could at 2 years post-op), and I never had any food issues after surgery either. I'm saying all this in that the second surgery didn't fix any of my food/body issues, it's all a mind game, really. In a way I wish I hadn't had the second surgery (money-wise), but if I hadn't done it, I don't know if I would have learned these lessons as well. FWIW, I think the best plan for me going forward is a mix of protein-prioritized keto (or maybe paleo) mixed with intermittent fasting (I'll start with 12 hours and work my way down to 8 hours, maybe to 6 eventually), plus adding some weight training to my regimen. I'm working on weaning myself off of all my bad habits over the next week or so and will be starting fresh on July 1st. Hopefully others can chime in with what they've done to deal with weight regain after surgery. Unfortunately I think a lot of people who do tend to leave these forums (as I did), so I'm hoping that sticking around here on a regular basis will keep me more motivated.