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I will second GBLADY41's critique of BariatricPal MX and Dr. Illan. I was sleeved on 8/7/2017. It was awesome, and the charge was only $4,600. I received the best care ever at Oasis of Hope Hospital. I can not emphasize enough the value and piece of mind that I felt knowing that everything was taken care of for me. All I had to do was fill out an online questionnaire, pay a $500 down payment to hold my surgery spot, and show up at the San Diego Airport. Bariatric Pal MX and Dr. Illan both receive an A+ from me on everything. Give them a try. You will not be sorry!

Yes, your relationship with food is supposed to change. How you view it, how often you eat it, what you eat, etc... Also, having a specific meal plan to follow helps a lot while you navigate your new normal. Definitely slow down your eating, start looking at what you're eating and what your calorie/carb/fat/protein intake is, look at your activity levels and adjust them accordingly, and look into speaking with your nutritionist and a bariatric therapist. This is all stuff that should have been gone over with you long before you actually had your surgery.

Your logical side: It is just a stall. You knew about the 3rd week stall, you were aware. It happens to everybody. It will pass, you'll see. Your body is just adjusting. You are losing inches. Even if it takes a while, you will lose weight just from eating less food. Just be patient. Your emotional side: *crying hysterically* You are a failure! You will be the first person in the Universe to go thru this and not lose weight! Just give up. Nothing you can do. Your stall will last forever. You will not lose another pound. Tell me it isn't true...

Thank you, Hannah83! It has been a roller coaster ride. Nutritionalist did blood, urine, stool & saliva test that shows I’m not absorbing some nutrients & amino acids well, but bariatric surgeon says everything is fine. Based on some research I did. Bariatric doctors are well aware of post mental health worsening, especially in patients w/genetic predisposition. Why Bariatric practitioners & mental health practitioners ignore this correlation is beyond me, unless it’s all about the $$ for bariatric surgeons.

"Problem..I find that I can eat almost everything without feeling badly." Why do you think you SHOULD feel badly? I am a month out and I feel fine. I eat until I am full and that is that. When you write that you have no restriction are you saying that you have eaten around 1lb of food or more? Try this bariatric test to determine what your capacity size is and to find out what your restriction size is. http://www.bsciresourcecenter.com/proddetail.php?prod=A4 Basically you measure the cottage cheese in weight. Eat until you are full. Weight the remaining amount left over. Subtract the original weight from the remaining weight and that is how much food your sleeve can hold.

You may have developed a stricture or an ulcer. Here is a link but you can search the internet for more information. http://bariatric.stopobesityforlife.com/obesity-surgery/correcting-obesity/bariatric-surgery-risks/ulcers-or-strictures/

I was banded in PA at the Hamot Bariatric Hospital in Erie, PA. My doctor was Dr. Amjhad Ali. He has a website, mylapsurgeon.com: index. I don't know if he will do just fills, but maybe you could have your surgery here instead of Mexico? It is closer and then you could just go to him for your fills. Everyone in the office is great, from the insurance coordinator, to the person who schedules appointments and the doctors! I would not go anywhere else if I had it to do over again. The hospital staff were wonderful as well! Good luck. Hopefully you can find a fill doctor closer to home, but I just thought I would give you an option.

My nut is a vegetarian and so am I. I have bariatric vegetarianism papers. If you want them send me a private message. I will help however I can Best, Sannah

The BariatricPal Store supports your weight loss and health goals, and we have a fun new way to do that! We're about to launch the BariatricPal Box of the Month Club! Before we launch, we would love your input, please! The majority of box of the month clubs are packaged in cute branded boxes and delivered each month. The big question is, should we use Discreet or Branded packaging on Bariatric Box of the Month Club? Please vote and explain your answers below! Here's a little more information about the BariatricPal Box of the Month Club: Each month, you will receive a box of goodies. The BariatricPal Box is different each month, but could contain: Protein foods, such as bars, soups, meals, snacks, and shakes. Bariatric vitamins. Bariatric dinnerware, portion control aids, books, or protein shaker bottles. The chance to try over 1,500 BariatricPal store products without buying the whole package. Information on each gift in your box, plus a menu that uses them. Monthly entry into an exclusive drawing for a $100 store gift card for 1 lucky winner! You will be able to get the BariatricPal Box delivered to your doorstep for $39.99 each month. You’ll love discovering and trying your surprises! Your subscription continues until you cancel it, so you will never miss a month. We will also offer an annual subscription to the BariatricPal Box. You get the same box, plus: A reduced cost of $34.99 per month, for a savings of 13%. A FREE Yunmai Wireless Bluetooth Smart Scale with Body Fat and Protein Monitor ($59.99 value!)

So whats this all about? Number of recent posts? Quality of Advice? Or perhaps friendliness or months active on Bariatric Pal?

Can anyone help me figure out what this means? They said that bariatrics are included with our new insurance but this makes no sense to me. I’ve called insurance and all they did was read it to me and can’t explain it any further. I have calls into places to meet with surgeons but don’t want to get my hopes up if this isn’t going to happen. Thanks in advance.

Looking for details and experiences. I plan to have my procedure at this facility in February. Thanks! Sent from my SM-T813 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm completely off any chewable/gummy type vitamins; bariatric or otherwise. I didn't feel that any one of them was complete nutritionally. I went back on my old Twin Labs multivitamin in capsule form. They go down fine, and I feel so much better. Along with that, I take an extra 5,000 of D3, 5,000 of biotin, and 1500mg of calcium; 500mg 3 times per day. I was told that our bodies do not absorb any more than 500mg at a time, so taking anymore in one dose is a waste. I have a liquid Cal/Mag by Solgar that's strawberry flavored. If I'm not home, I carry the chocolate calcium sugar free chews from Costco. And lastly, I take sublingual B12 from GNC. As for protein, I no longer drink a shake on a daily basis, but when I do, it's Premier Protein ready made chocolate. But I do have a Quest protein bar daily, which adds about 20 grams of protein to my daily food intake. And.....it takes care of my sweet tooth :-)

Yes agreed with the previous post sme Insurances cover plastics esp after Bariatrics...

Congratulations, I am 5'2" at 205 pounds at the moment, my surgery is scheduled for 6/3 with Dr. Altamirano through Bariatric Pal in Mexico also. Question? How was the traveling? Good luck on your journey :-)

The old policy didn’t include bariatrics at all.

Great! I'm scheduled for June-22 in Tijuana. I've been busy preparing for post-op. I've stocked up on Clear liquids such as: beef and chicken broth, Crystal Lite, Green tea, Vitamin Water Zero, sugar free Jello. I plan to make my own sugar free popsicles. I've tried several different Protein shakes. I purchased a Nutri-Bullet to puree foods. And I've got a couple different kinds of bariatric Vitamins. Good luck!

That definitely doesn't sound normal. I would definitely consult your bariatric team or PCP.

Hi. I am a Oct 16, 2011 Sleever and have to say that I am "doing ok" and "not doing ok." That is, I still have an OVERALL weight loss from start to now of 70 lbs, but have gained 30 lbs since my lowest weight which was in May of 2012. I have just updated my profile now since the new Bariatric website, so you can look at the pictures. I am REALLY struggling with not regaining weight. I have continued periodic appointments with the psychologist at the Mass General Weight loss Center and also am working with another psychologist because this is so difficult. I need to start connecting to others again through this website. I have just been reluctant since everything seems to have changed since the original VSG site which I was very active in. So that is me so far, HOW ARE YOU DOING? You didn't mention anything. If you want others to reply, you need to say something too! Please? Phyllis aka Still (somewhat) hopeful Spirit

Hi there, I guess it's true that Time flies when you're having fun; I've been having a lot of that. Honestly, I cannot believe that two years ago today I was waking up from surgery and beginning a new chapter in my life. I had no idea then of the many ways my life would be reshaped aside from the shape of my body. I'm forever grateful the band was available to me as it has been the perfect choice for my situation. We are all different. I was 52 at the time and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. I can barely tolerate going to the dentist. Getting a band was a big decision but I was fortunate somehow to just know that that's what I wanted to do. Thank goodnes there are so many different surgery choices available to us; we live in marvellous times. Two years ago I was 250+ and now I'm in the seventies. I'm a little tall and like my curves (oh my goodness, do I LOVE having a waist!) so I don't want to get too thin. But a word about collarbones: YIPPEE! And hips. Wrists. You know how it is -- I'm celebrating this new body every day. I was wearing size twenty pants and am now in tens. No more Plus Size anything. I would not have predicted that I have a thing for clothes, but oh yes, I sure do. It's so much fun to be able to just try something on without all of that angst. I have been an exerciser for many years (arthritis - have to move) but in the last two years I have ratcheted up to being more of an athlete. I feel ridiculous even typing that out as it's such a foreign concept. I used to work out for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week; well, it turns out I am some one who needs more like 75-90 minutes 5-6 times a week. There's the faking it until making it thing and that's what I did. I pretended that I liked it, that I was one of "those" people until I actually have become something resembling one of those lucky people who truly look forward to exercising. Like I said, resembling. I'm not quite there but I raise my hands up in that crossing the finish line pose and I go do what I need to do and I feel like a million bucks afterward. Food. I am happy to report that I still like food. I can taste almost anything and be quite satisfied. That is a miracle. I love to cook and one of my weird non-scale victories (NSVs) is being able to tie my apron double around my waist. I love that. All those years in all those kitchens with my big fat Winnie-the-Pooh belly in an ill-fitting apron or Chef's jacket. No more. Silly, but that just feels so good. I was very restrictive in my former life so I am careful to not be on a diet. I make good choices, which I can do because my appetite is dimmed and I know what good choices are. But I also let myself have a little bit of whatever I want, whether that's a square of chocolate or cheese (behold, the power of cheese). This is why I still have a little weight to lose but I'm okay with that. I do drink alcohol and we have a lot of dinner parties, go to restaurants, etc. Practically no one knows I am banded; I'm extremely private about that. What people do see, however, is how much I'm exercising and how good I feel. It was important for me to go a bit slowly because I wanted the weight loss to be incremental and I didn't want to have saggy skin. Well, that's about it. I am tremendously grateful to all of my Lapband Talk friends and now Bariatric Pal. You know who you are -- the encourageers. Virtual friends. This has been my first experience on a forum and it's been great. Best wishes to all of you wherever you are in the process. For new people, a few words: don't get too hung up on what kind of surgery you had; we have much more in common than not. Don't try to give or take advice from strangers on the internet. Have a good working relationship with your doctor and show up for all your appointments. Show up for yourself! I really had to put myself first to get the surgery and choose my own well-being over taking care of other people's needs first. I don't do that any more and, guess what, every one else benefits from that. Here's to our health!

Yes, I am sure they cover it. My surgeons bariatric coordinator said that my insurance basically approved it but they need a few things first such as the letter for a final say so. She said as soon as I get the letter I should have a surgery date a few days after. I dont care for my PCP anyways. Last time I seen him I called and told them my ear hurt and I had a few other things to discuss with him. Just a small list of concerns, nothing major and he refused to talk to me about my knees cause they only fit me in for a 10 minute time slot. He told me to make another appt...didnt even say he was sorry...just rushed out of the room. I cried all the way home just becasue I felt like he didnt care. I had no idea they put their patients in a time slot.

Are your choices really that limited in the UK? I've been looking for a small business opportunity that allows me to help other people at he same time. I would definately consider opening an online bariatric store to serve the UK.

Bariatric advantage is the best. It tastes great, no grit and you can add one stevia to sweeten. Also I use almond milk to make it with. Hope this helps

My goal is 130. A bariatric doctor I saw said I would probably get to 120.

hey Karey! I wasn't really happy to hear about the inner thigh lift but it was not the first time he has mentioned it. A number of years ago I had lipo on my lower body and it did more damage than good, especially on my thighs. The skin is VERY loose but I had hoped with the LBL it would get them to a point where I'd be happy... and maybe it will, I have to learn PATIENCE! *I have none!* The main questions I asked the surgeons I interviewed were about lap band experience. Because it is 'newer' I was really worried about the port being damaged. I asked my surgeon about his experience with post-bariatric patients, I asked how many lapband patients he had worked on. I asked if he would move my port and if he knew how to suture it back down so it was accessible for future ajustments. I asked if he thought a lower body lift was my best option and asked for other recommendations. I told him exactly what I wanted and asked for his honest opinion to make sure I had realistic expectations (I am learning that even with that I was still expecting much more I also asked him to show me what my results would look like. He was able to pull and pinch areas to show me what my midsection would look like aswell as thigh/butt (I swear it is flatter now but that is a whole other bitterness;) ) I also asked about recovery time, how much time I would need off of work/gym etc. I met with my surgeon several times before I committed and I think I beat every one of these questions to death along with random others that came alone but I am neurotic!