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I have reached my goal weight and was wondering how and when will the weight stop coming off! I have lost my boobs, butt and walking hasn't helped with building it up! I love the new me but scared I am going to look like Olive Oil from Popeye before it's all over! My last visit, I discovered the passing out episode was d/t blood pressure dropping to low and all of my blood work came back FINE! I am currently now in a 12 and wearing size Med in my capris! Again, I am so happy with my New Me but will I every stop losing the weight!? I am up for any suggestions, for my athletic bariatric family! Thanks in advance!

Hi Julie! I'm still around too...I am 6 yrs post VSG. Wow, how the time has passed. Initially I had the typical loss of the 'surgery doing the work' and felt great. Followed the rules to a T. But about 18 months post op I made major changes in my life, left a long-time career, moved, went to grad school, took a night position, etc. I started slipping little by little and although it wasn't too bad initially, as time went on I started having regain. Then I lost a parent, graduated grad school, went back AGAIN for a Doctorate, changed jobs again, etc. Finally about 2.75 yrs post op I got some super sobering health news (a condition that my surgery had corrected was back) and had to get real with myself. I had to seriously have a 'come to Jesus' moment with myself and realized the TOOL was still there. I went strict Keto and never looked back. I now have successfully lost my regain, am back where I was at my lowest post op, and am working to maybe drop another 20. No, I can't and probably never will again, eat what I really want to. I'm ok with that. My health condition is hopefully under control. I feel good. I have remained on track. I consider myself a bariatric success and I know a LOT of folks who weren't as fortunate.

I went thru that the day of my surgery. the nurses on the evening shift were not good at all- I didn't get my spirometer until the next morning when my head practitioner from my bariatric program visited. she was not happy. my nurses that came in in the morning were soooo much better and attentive. hopefully that'll happen for you too

I have an appointment with a bariatric surgeon next week. Does anyone have any experience with getting approved with Blue Cross of Illinois ? My BMI is 38 and I have recently torn my meniscus . My A1C is 6.2 so I’m not sure if they will approve me or not ? Thanks

He thinks people are offended because of his "tough love". True, some people don't like "tough love", but I think those who are generally OK with it aren't willing to take it from someone who's only six months out and is still in the honeymoon phase. Wait until you're at least a couple of years out and have spent some time in maintenance and know the daily struggle - and have been hanging out regularly on bariatric boards for 2+ years and therefore have seen a lot of things and sucked up a lot of useful information. the problem isn't the "tough love". The problem is the bragging and constant need for attention. It gets old. and yes - I've thought all along that it wasn't just the (former) obesity that was turning off women...

Today is day 9 since surgery and I have been struggling hard mentally and emotionally pretty much all week. It all kind of crashed down directly after my post-op appointment on Monday. Part of the program was getting the "bible" as part of the education process. The "bible" is the program's bariatric handbook that details out every single step in the days leading up the surgery, the day of surgery, and the weeks following. It's a road map for how things will go. My doctor...is the medical director for the program. And on Monday, he pretty much told me that he doesn't usually follow the handbook and that I should not pay attention to it. So, while right now I am still on a liquid phase (clear fluids and 3 protein shakes a day), I was anticipating the follow up at week 3 to progress to pureed foods as tolerated (protein shakes are never going to really go away). Instead, my doctor wants me to stay on liquids for 8 weeks. And while I understand his rationale for it as it will continue to provide an accelerated weight loss for a much longer period of time, it completely shattered me because right now the only thing I do with my time every day...is consume fluids. I am only allowed to drink 1 ounce of fluids every fifteen minutes. I am supposed to spread that ounce over the course of 15 minutes. Literally every waking moment is me sipping from a little 1 ounce medicine cup. The thought of doing this for 7 more weeks? I spent pretty much all day Monday and Tuesday crying because I just don't see how this can be sustainable. I'm getting 52-56 ounces of fluid in me every day at this point, but I am also waking up pretty much around 3am with my mouth completely dry, so it feels like I am barely managing to keep hydrated. And my doctor did say that at any point if I decide that I want to start integrating appropriate food into my diet, that I just have to let him know and he will work with me and adjust my diet. I just hate that he's putting that burden on my shoulders because it feels to me that when I make that decision, I am tapping out on accelerated weight loss and admitting defeat. I forced myself to go back to work onsite yesterday for a few hours just to get myself out of the house. It helped my mood and mindset some, but I came home really wiped out, so it may have been pushing things a bit much (on top of what is probably too aggressive an exercise plan so soon after surgery). Today I'm feeling a little bit better mentally and emotionally, but still pretty ragged. I'm tired of drinking these tiny little sips from these tiny little cups, but there's not really anything I can do about it. The best I can hope for is get through another week and a half and then ask if I can do 1 ounce of fluid every 8-10 minutes.

I had my band-bypass conversion by Dr Fitzer almost 8 months ago. I stayed two nights, but I had not just the conversion but also a hernia repair. If I lived locally I might have been able to go home after one night, but since I had a 5 hour train ride they approved staying an extra night. Now there is a new bariatric surgeon in a city only 30 minutes from where I live. But I was happy with Dr Fitzer and especially his whole staff. A good surgeon is of course important, but how the rest of his staff works is also very important since you only see the doctor that one time but all the follow up is by the office so they have to have their act together!

hmmm....doesn't sound like it. Hopefully someone from your clinic will contact them to see for sure. The insurance people at bariatric clinics are pretty good at this - after all, they don't want to lose a patient, especially after sending them through all the other clearances!

I need a little help from others that have been approved with CIGNA. THIS Is the most up to date policy (see below). They actually update their policy on the 15th of July so it was revised and updated today. No changes were really made. Anyways, I do meet the requirements but my question is regarding Cigna coverage. Most plans require a monitored 3, 6 or 12 month diet/nutrition/weight loss management through PCP or somewhere similar. Cigna's policy says NOTHING about this, only that "a statement from a physician other than the surgeon, that the individual has failed previous attempts to achieve and maintain weight loss by medical management" - it gives no other requirements or indicators. I called Cigna and two different reps confirmed that it is not required. Although when I went to my Drs appointment they told me they thought it was six months worth of supervised diet! I think they are confused bc of the “within the last six months” part. SIGH! They said they will look into it more So, for those of you that have been approved in the past few months, do I have to have a letter from my primary that recommends bariatric surgery? Would this be the same letter or separate from the on where they state I have made several attempts and failed? And what did you submit/have your PCP write to say that you had failed previous attempts? Thanks in advance for your help! Sorry I just know Insurance’s are so picky! below is link to coverage https://static.cigna.com/assets/chcp/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf

Agree. Everyone is struggling, and it's not just limited to those of us who have had bariatric surgery. Do the best you can and don't beat yourself up. These are extraordinary times, and better days are ahead. It's important to make sure you have friends and family who can act as a support network, even if it's only virtual.

I ended up shaving my head due to the amount of hair loss. My hair was already thin prior to surgery. Biotin did not help. I kept it buzzed for about 9 months. Unregulated vitamin levels are the biggest contributing factor up to a year post op. I am 13 months post op and it is starting to grow in and not be brittle and is truly healthy. It is a completely normal side effect of any bariatric surgery. Sent from my SM-G973U using BariatricPal mobile app

Sure! It was a lot of work, but so worth it. When is your surgery? We used this recipe for the bone broth. She used oxtail and knuckle bones, but we didn't roast them first. She said she didn't like the smell that comes from doing that. We also used the instant pot and it took about 4 hours instead of 24. We strained it and discarded all of the vegetables and meat and strained it through cheese cloth, then put it in the fridge overnight. The next day it was like jello and I skimmed all of the fat off and portioned out the remainder into 1oz portions using these 2oz condiment cups, but ice cube trays could work. These make a LOT through. I used about 32 for each flavor and gave the rest to my friend. She is actually going to do the post-op broth/shake thing with me to kick start her weight loss (she isn't having surgery). The chicken broth was pretty much a whole chicken with a hodge-podge of veggies (onions, leeks, carrots, celery, turnips, parsnips) thrown into a big stock pot. She had a couple of bay leaves in there and other seasonings (but not salt). She didn't use a recipe for this, but instead kept it as basic as possible. We let that simmer (with lid off, never boiling) until the chicken could be stuck through easily with a fork and the vegetables were soft. It took a little longer and could probably also be done in an instant pot, but we were doing so much we did it on the stovetop. We refrigerated this overnight as well when it was done. The next day we took the chicken out and shred it to use later, separated the veggies out. We divided this into thirds putting two smaller pots of the broth on the stove. In one pan she put mexican seasonings (I didn't see exactly what though) and in another asian seasonings. I saw star anise and a cinnamon stick, and the rest were spices that she brought from her home in France...so no idea there, but again, think asian inspired. We let those simmer for a while to take up the flavors. After everything was cooled and strained through cheesecloth one last time, I separated them into 1oz portions. All have been frozen. Sorry I can't be more specific on the chicken broth, its basically throw what you have in there to cook, and then add other seasonings for slightly different flavors and variety. They all turned out so good! I am attaching pictures of my 'bariatric' shelf in my freezer. Yes, I am aware of the irony of my little broths being in a Drumstick box! 🤣 I took the picture before I put my protein water pops in to freeze. I used these little zip sleeves (they come with a funnel) and this protein water. I did find a strawberry-watermelon flavor at costco last time I was there, but won't hold my breath they will be there the next time I go. My nutritionist said they are fine to have, they just don't count as a protein replacement because shakes are 8oz and these are 16.9oz so less likley to be able to drink them all at once like a shake. I figure, whenever I get some protein in, I will take it. I hope all of that helps!

Sooo i need some help! My preop is July 27 surgery date is august 25th. My Bariatric coordinator keeps telling me that if I’m over my original weight my insurance will deny me. She keeps saying Aetna is strict but i don’t have Aetna i have Medicaid but it’s called Aetna better health Maryland. I even called my insurance company and they said weight gain is not something that will deny me that’s not something they look at. Help please!

I came across this article while researching if menopause would still screw me after WLS that you might find interesting. Weight loss impacts our genes. https://www.mymenopausemag.com/stay-well/bariatric-surgery-telomeres/

I weighed myself on Sunday--137 lbs. My lowest weight after the sleeve was 132 and I'd really like not to go below that with the bypass. I have been trying to get the chewable bariatric vitamins down (BariSlim with 45mg iron) but they just seem to irritate my intestines and they make my poop orange, which is weird to see. The nutritionist at the hospital suggested Flintstones but Amazon reviews say the formula has changed and there isn't enough iron, even at a double dose. I have almost a full bottle of Costco Mature Multi vitamins that I was taking before the bypass and tolerated well and I can cut the tablets in half to make them easier to swallow. I'm thinking if I take 2x the dose, and supplement with the Feosol iron and the sublingual B12 I was taking with the sleeve, that should be adequate supplementation. I have to contact my endocrinologist about calcium, my levels were high last December and he cut the dosage to 500mg/day. No reflux, no dumping (but haven't challenged myself) no regurgitation. Walking a mile a day. Sometimes have to take a nap in the afternoon but not always.

I've gone through several "phases" of vitamin use in the 2+ years since sleeved. In my first few months, many vitamins gave me really severe nausea after taking it. I didn't vomit, thank goodness but I sure felt like crap. At various points, I've taken the bariatric versions but find I feel and do fine with the regular ones. I've also taken the expensive "organic" and "all-natural" ones. I really don't notice a big difference other than the hole in my wallet. My "go-to" is Women's One-A-Day. I get the giant one from Costco and it lasts me quite a while. As I approach menopause, I will probably change over to a 50+ or silver version, but other than that, I have no plans to change. *I also take calcium citrate +3, a hair/skin/nails formula. No issues.

I feel it's time to tell me story as best I can and hopefully it will give the new comers some hope and take away their worries or anxiety about surgery. Okay I have a very dysfunctional childhood and I think maybe subconsciously I turned to movies and food as a way to cope until alcohol came along but all those things combined made me gain weight massively in my teen years. As a child I was tiny but after my father passed and my stepfather came in the picture; he was a tyrant; life changed dramatically. Anyway fast forward to the end of high school I had reached over 250lbs and by 21 I was 320lbs and my weight fluctuated over the years between 300-320 until I finally found a way to get bariatric surgery.. I always believed surgery was for the rich people and I was never rich... But I found out randomly that health insurance would cover most of surgery and I'd never had health insurance before because here in Australia we have an amazing Medicare system that covers pretty much everything to do with doctors and hospitals except for elective surgery like bariatrics; unless you're like super morbidly obese and even then it can take 3 years and numerous hurdles.... So I researched and researched for months and months and spoke to multiple surgeons offices until I found the perfect surgeon; I needed to get health insurance first then do the waiting period which I used to save up the gap and that gap covered absolutely everything from first meeting until surgery and hospital was covered. I met the surgeon and his doctor and got information and told them I wanted ROUX EN Y BYPASS; and we all agreed that was the best decision as I had bad type 2 diabetes and it would only get worse. I weighed in at 322 there and then and I just wished and hoped the surgery would help me to get down to at least 200 maybe 190; I just wanted to be healthy and happy and of course to look better and feel better in myself. Anyway from first consultation until the surgery day was about 4 months had a few meetings with surgeon and he does a very direct approach no need for all the tests and stuff just my medical history and some blood tests and a big discussion was about it and he was ready to go. I was advised to do at least 2-3 weeks low carbs/protein shake diet before surgery and to try lose at least 10lbs; but I literally woke up one morning 2 months before surgery and decided there and then to kick start my journey and started on protein shakes and I actually found a brand and flavor that I actually loved. It tasted just like chocolate milkshake even though I only used water to mix it up i tried a few different brands but they were either too bland or no taste at all I like flavor and I like a little sweetness in my shakes... And I've been using the same shakes in bulk powder form for months without any issues at all... So I started on shakes and they literally filled me up and I was determined to show the surgeon I meant business. i was amazed how quickly the weight came off because I was ONLY on shakes Max 600cal preop; I dropped so much water weight it was amazing. By surgery day I had already dropped from 322 to 257lbs and the surgeon was so proud. i went into the hospital early without only water that morning so my sugar was actually low so they made me wait a few hours longer and I went in to surgery I think 3pm and next thing I know I was awake in ICU a few hours later and surgery was done but oh boy was it painful for me; I'm not sure why but I was in pain for like 2 days luckily I was given good drugs through the IV and slept most of the 2 days... By the 3rd day I started drinking a small glass of protein shake and was sipping water each day; here in Australia the surgeon is very cautious so I actually spent 6 days in hospital was fine I had my own private room and bathroom and was really well looked after.... By the 3rd day they finally took the drain out and I had a shower for the first time and a BM which was like sticky black green like a baby; oh the shower felt amazing on my poor sore belly; I think I had 5 incisions sites and a very tight bloated belly. Each day I would walk the halls of the hospital and say hello to the nurses and other times I would rest and watch TV but by like the 5th day I was feeling really good and was ready to go home but because I lived over 2hrs from the surgeon and hospital they made sure I was 110% fit and healthy; they checked my blood sugar and blood pressure multiple times a day and they said everything was fine, by the time I left the hospital they had taken me off multiple medications and it felt Great. The ride home in my mates car was a little rough but it felt Great to be home and in my own bed my big bed not the single bed in hospital... It's hard to remember everything I went through its been over 8 months since I left the hospital but I do know I was still a little sore when bending or carrying shopping bags for the first few weeks I had to be careful.... Showering was amazing my bandages on my incisions came off on their own after like 3 weeks.. I was given a guideline diet but Ive always been a strong independent personality so I just chose to do things my way; of course I was glad for the surgery and the surgeons advice but I felt is my body; my life I need to do it my way so maybe I was lucky but I didn't even think about food for months like literally I lived off shakes and yoghurt for months before I really started actual food and of course the weight kept coming off everyday it was amazing. For the first 3 months I think I was on maybe 500cal a day with next to no carbs or sugars... I didn't feel hungry at all... Shakes kept me going... Every couple of months I had to buy new clothes, I couldn't believe how much I changed one month to the next and people who hasn't seen me in a few months were shocked ever time they saw me.... i never kept it secret from anyone; I was proud of my decision to finally change my life and possibly extend my life, I was enjoying the complements and I was lucky I don't think I stalled for more than a week and I never had any complications at all except for diarrhoea BM for a while and sure I threw up a few times when trying different things or eating too quickly... i started drinking regular coffee by 3 months and my surgeon said it was fine as long as I don't get dehydrated.. I was drinking tea as well and by 6 months I actually decided to treat myself here and there with some sugar free energy drinks and it has not impacted me or my weight loss one bit. Now I'm over 8 months out I can eat most things just small portions; I've even had bread a few times just have to take it very slowly... I've had pasta a few times and even had some chocolate over Easter without any issues at all and still continued to lose weight... i will admit recently I've had some treats here and there but that was once I got in to maintenance mode... I've pretty much been in maintenance now over 2 months and pretty much sit around 165lbs but just this week I've seen 163lbs on the scales... i don't log my food much now but I do keep a mental tally of my calories and such and I do still check my weight regularly to make sure I'm doing well.. i had the RNY bypass and it was 120cm and it was amazing; I've had a blast and I've lost pretty much 50% of my original weight. FROM highest of 322 to the lowest 162.8lbs just the other day.... i felt the need to share my story everything has been positive for me. It has totally changed my life and transformed my life and the way I see myself... I'll be 36 in 3 weeks but I feel better than I have in 20 years... i want everyone to read my story and see it is possible to have the BYPASS without any issues and also my 3 months blood tests were perfect so no issues with vitamins either just have to remember to take them everyday.. The one issue I will say was my hair did get thinner and would grow slower but never fell out.... I'm sure in time it will get better I've gone from being the FAT friend to the SKINNY friend... i look and feel amazing and my BMI has gone from 43 to 22. I've dropped 159lbs or 72KGS in 10 months including my preop... From 146KG to 74KG and below every goal I thought I wanted. I don't mind because most people will bounce back 10-20lbs anyway plus when I do start to build muscle that will add a little weight because right now I'm kinda skin and bones LOL feels weird saying that about myself but its pretty good... I'm really hoping I'll meet someone soon and start a family and live a long long life 😁😁😁 So if anybody is curious about RNY BYPASS don't be afraid... Success is possible!!!! A few pics before and after

I am struggling with all the same thoughts & fears, and wondering if I really need to do something so drastic to my body in order to heal my relationship with food. And after I go through this soul searching, I know that after struggling with food addiction for nearly 5 decades, and knowing myself and my shortcomings, I need to forcefully disrupt the broken feedback loop between my stomach, heart and head. I am hopeful that this surgery will provide an initial strong restriction, and later a gentle reminder as my new stomach relaxes & heals; to always approach food mindfully and not mindlessly. I agree with everyone that being "left out" of social gatherings centered around food may make us feel hollow at first, but I think we have to recognize that our culture elevates food in an unhealthy way. I personally think we need to stop using food as a tool for shared social bonding and means to achieve emotional connection with others. I know food sharing in the context of creating social bonds is central in every culture likely back to our ancestral neanderthals, but that doesn't make it right. Maybe it was appropriate when we were hunter/gatherers and food was scarce, but we don't live in that world anymore - and maybe this psychological truth is central to understanding the epidemic of obesity. For me; these deep, tacit, perverted definitions of what food represents are at the core of why my experience of food evolved into an unfillable, aching, longing hole in me to begin with. I need to get comfortable with my body being empty, and not filled with food, get comfortable with all the difficult feelings I have been using food to erase and bury; and at this point in my life; for me, this surgery makes sense. My stomach is literally a part of me that isn't serving me any more, hasn't served me since I was a kid. I need it to survive, and that's it. I want to give it what it needs to survive, and that's it. I don't want a part of my body destroying the rest of my body. And this is a complicated subject, because we know that our mind is intimately involved in this process. There are drives for sustenance & survival rooted in our hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area, vagus nerve, brainstem, etc. that we cannot overcome and should not overcome; but when they are not working properly we need to retrain them. And where I am in my journey is that it seems this retraining cannot be accomplished through any other means, after having tried them all. I sincerely hope I am correct; it would be a terrible thing for us to be wrong about. Good luck to us all as we undertake this incomprehensibly difficult and infinitely meaningful, literal remodeling of our bodies in an effort to finally achieve a lasting remodeling of our minds. Hope that all that rambling made sense! LOL! 🤣 PS: this site edits posts to create the weirdest hyperlinks. Obviously this post was not intended to link to the bariatric store. I can't edit out the automatic link above - LOL

I use ProCare Health bariatric multivitamins. It contains everything necessary as per ASMBS except calcium. So i use Celebrate calcium citrate chews or Citracal petites. ProCare is available from Bariatricpal, but i buy from Amazon with free shipping.

I tried and tried and tried all different kinds of bariatric vitamins- they made me vomit almost every single time, no matter what brand. At one point, I got tired and asked my nutritionist, and they put me on (of all things) Flintstones Complete multivitamin with iron. It works fine and my numbers have been fantastic. I take chewable fruit calcium (which I had no problem with...) and don't need vitamin d outside of the ones in the calcium (I live in the desert and try to spend time outside every day lol). But with the multivitamin, I take it along with my B50 capsule and my GERD meds, then eat breakfast 30 minutes later. I haven't vomited in months. Also make sure to take my multivitamin (because it has iron in it) at least two hours apart from my calcium, and each calcium (I take three a day for 1500) at least two hours apart so they can absorb correctly. Hang in there. I know this part sucks, but you will get through it. ❤️

I had my Gastric Sleeve surgery done May 21, 2020. I had the bariatric vitamins, iron, calcium, and vitamin d supplements I was advised to take post op. I have tried repeatedly to take the bariatric vitamins (liquid, chewable, and capsule forms) and immediately vomit ( tried with and without food) i have now resulted to taking a women's one a day and supplemental iron. I haven't had my labs redone but was curious what other experiences yall have had? Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I recommend getting a Bariatric Bear or Moose from Teddy Tech inc. because you are going to need something to help you manage the pain and keep you company at night. Me, I have a moose with a T-shirt that says that he will help me "bear" my surgery. Be sure to do your 5x of walking in the hospital (this is how many times they wanted me up and walking) each day, do your breathing thing 10x an hour to make sure your lungs are working properly after surgery, and try to get in and document how much of the liquids you are getting in each time they bring you a tray (work on getting in as much as you can so you can go home and not stay an extra day because they will be checking your liquid intake). Do not be afraid to tell them you need anything, your IV machine needs attention (ie: thing is beeping), that you are done using the bathroom (they might monitor your urine for color and frequency). And most of all, relax because you are going to need as much rest as you can get in the hospital since they will be checking on either you or your roomate frequently.

I was sleeved at Mexico Bariatric Center, Dr Christian Rodreguez Lopez in Tijuana. It was a near perfect experience. I also have heard that weight loss can be affected by the surgeon. If I remember right it was determined by how close to the sphincter they get and how well they shape the stomach. Only time will tell for me. I am almost 6 weeks post op and down 24 pounds. No complications. I went to Mexico because there was no insurance interference and of course in the USA I did not qualify due to not being obese enough or having other pre-existing conditions. Good luck in your decision.