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One more question. A friend suggested I do a search for other centers like Blossom. Does anyone know what kind of search parameter to google? Everything I’m doing just brings up regular Bariatric centers vs self pay places like blossom. Somewhere on here I saw TX mentioned but can’t figure out how to find it on the web. Thanks in advance.

Sorry to hear about that. If you meet the requirements, I don’t see why they denied you. Apparently something as small as your medical clearance letter can lead to a denial. I was told to make sure the clearance letter from my physician specifically stated that I am medically cleared for the procedure and that it is medically necessary due to my hypertension. Another issue I’ve heard is that while Cigna covers the procedure, sometimes the employer excludes bariatric surgery. I also have Cigna with a BMI of 35 even and was approved in one day. I was given a checklist of what I needed to submit for approval and can share if you’re interested. Good luck!

You're clearly conflating this person's situation with your own journey. You may be fine and dandy with eating candy floss or twinkies or whatever you like—and if you are, and you are satisfied with the progress you made. Bravo. It's no one's business but yours. But no one is actually giving YOU advice in this thread. The distinction worth making it that they're replying to the OP, who ISN'T fine and dandy. They are discouraged. Unlike you, they are unhappy because they are losing weight more slowly than they'd like. They came here for advice on how to change that. Fact: It's considerably outside the experience of almost everyone here that a nutritionist would suggest regularly consuming a sugar drink as part of a bariatric diet. Fact: The OP is experiencing the EXACT result one would predict from loading up on sugar. The weight loss they would like to experience is slowed. Fact: Outside of blood sugar issues, no one actually needs to routinely consume sugary drinks. No one is being holier than thou. They're pointing out the obvious. You can argue about this food or that food and the benefits of carbs. But an empty calorie sugar drink hardly seems like the right rock to die on. I guess I don't understand why you would fight so hard against the suggestion that they make a change in their diet to see if it improves weight loss. I mean, it isn't a question of whether or not they have the "right to eat carbs" or "carbs being evil". It's a question of whether eating less sugar will result in faster weight loss for them. I guess you can argue it won't, but I see whole lot of data points around here that indicate otherwise. Peace.

Hello maintenance peeps! So I’ve had a weird week: Did 3 workouts  yesterday (one of them was low-key, mostly stretching) and worked 10 hours. It was so busy at work that I didn’t get enough calories in, but I got in about 50-55gm Protein (before 5pm). After my last Pilates class I was home at 7:45pm and hubs had dinner ready: pork tenderloin and a salad pack. By the time I got home I was STARVING. this wasn’t head hunger, I was legit HUNGRY. For some reason, the pork didn’t look appetizing at all and I dove straight into the salad mix. I dumped 1 cup salad mix (usually have 0.5-0.75 cups with 2oz meat) and wolfed it down within 5 mins. A whole cup of salad mix in 5 minutes. That wasn’t the worst part tho. I was still starving after that 5 minute and like an idiot went in for.....MORE SALAD. I was about 4-5 bites into another half cup when I got the worst intestinal cramps. Thought I was gonna die and had to put down my fork ASAP. spent the next couple of hours miserable on my couch and then didn’t sleep well all night. I’ve been battling intense nausea all day and have maybe had 24 ounces of Water and 200-300 calories today (1/2 a Premier Protein, 3 bites out of a P3 thingie, and half a pack of bariatric cream of chicken soup). I’m just now starting to feel quasi-normal again, though my tummy still feels slightly full. I was able to make it through work, but had to cancel tonight’s Pilates class. Has anyone else ever done anything like this to themselves and how long does it take to not feel as if your sleeve is full even when you’ve had next to no food in over 24 hours?

Dr. Shillingford in Florida is $10,500, all inclusive. Blossom Bariatric in Vegas can be as low as $7,000. Call and give them your info and they'll give you a price over the phone.

Hi November sleevers! Going on 3 months 2/4. It’s been like a 2nd job, but feeling a little bit better. I’ve also experienced a lot of weakness and low energy. Rest on the weekends. Through this course of bariatric it was discovered that I have a condition called Hereditary Hemochromotosis. Surgeon did liver biopsy during sleeve and I was dx with iron overload Scale of 0–4 my liver iron overload was at 3. Good news no cirrhosis. Along with dropping about 2.4 lbs per week I just started aggressive phlebotomies to pull iron off my organs. It’s been tough, but I rest on the weekends and pace self to be able to make it through the work week. I’m down almost 40 lbs. Trying to increase my calories to 700, like others I’m just not able to eat much and I’m full. When I look back at where I was in May when I went to the seminar... I’d have to say even through I’m weak, mentally I’m gaining strength. Regaining my old self. Thank you everyone on this thread and site for encouragement. It’s great to read about others, struggles, challenges and know we’re all here to lift one another up. Gloria

as someone else said, this whole thing is more of an issue when you're early out, but here goes: 1) take protein powder or protein bars with you (I don't eat protein bars regularly because I'd abuse them, but when traveling, they can sometimes be a godsend when you don't have other options). I also used to take beef jerky and cheese sticks with me (cheese sticks can be left out of refrigeration for several hours). Eating on the road - chili, ordering a grilled chicken sandwich and ditching the bun, getting a taco and just eating the innards. 2) that first year, I switched most of my lunch and dinner dates to coffee dates. I later felt safe doing dinner and lunch dates again, but I try to limit them because it's so easy to go over my calorie range on days I go out. And yes - I usually get an appetizer or order some "safe" meal and take half of it home with me. And absolutely I feel comfortable doing that. I have a number of skinny and normal-weight friends who eat like that all the time! 3) I cut down on my cooking a lot when I was in weight loss mode, but I'm cooking about as much now as I did pre-surgery - I just make (mostly) bariatric-safe dishes.

From what I heard from another bariatric buddy is that what they look for is if you can handle the extreme life change with food so that you don't continue with the habit that got you there in the first place. Sent from my SM-N975U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, fellow lap banded and future RD. I sympathize with your struggle. I lost 115 lbs and have rebounded almost 25% with a unhealthy rapid gain of 12% my UBW in 3 months. There are not established energy requirements for bariatric patients - at least no one agreed upon measures, though there are practitioner or article specific ideas. Calculate your basic energy requirements using an online Mifflin St Jeor calculator. You should never go under 1200 calories a day without a significant medical reason or supervision by a healthcare practitioner and definitely not at your height. The basic way to estimate protein requirements 0.8g x kg method. (kg = lbs/2,2). Unless you are under physical stress, such as when you had surgery these needs might be elevated a bit but 0.8 g is the DRI. Consider seeing an RD who takes your insurance for really tailored educated energy requirements, especially since you are concerned about a specific macronutrient. Try to find one that specializes in bariatrics (search through ZocDoc or get a referral from your surgeon), as she make understand the weight rebound common with Lap band patients, have creative, targeted strategies for LB patients and also recipes that are Lap band friendly.

I had full RNY bypass in 2005 and lost approximately 80lbs. I was able to keep the weight off consistently for about 10 years until I suddenly lost the “Feeling Full” after meals and the weight started to creep back on. I struggled with almost a constant feeling of being hungry, which I had never had, after the RNY bypass. I returned to my original surgeon to no avail. His feeling was that I must be doing something different and not following the same lifestyle. I was referred to another Bariatric doctor who found a gastric fistula (essentially an opening in the pouch), and via surgery installed a metal clamp (also referred to as a bear paw). While this seemed to help initially, something still was not the same as it had been for the first 10 or so years. After much research and visiting several other Bariatric Specialists over the last few years, all while the weight slowly continued to increase, it was recently discovered that a portion of my pouch had attached and formed a connection to my original stomach, thus allowing food to be processed by both the new RNY pouch/digestive path as well as the original stomach/digestive path. Also the metal clamp previously installed was missing, and probably passed in the normal digestive process. This leads me to where I am today, having been informed that the best solution at this point is for a RNY Bypass revision. They will be going in and separating the pouch from the original stomach again, and suturing/stapling both sections off. I am waiting for the official revision date/insurance approvals etc, but the doctors office does not think it will be an issue at all. Fingers crossed that I will be back on my way to weight loss soon.

While I usually disagree with much of what you push, I am a proponent of the controlled drinking alternative to alcohol addiction. But where we disagree is that for WLS, controlled drinking runs parallel. With controlled drinking, one can potentially survive the addiction, but while doing so be vividly aware that they are still drinking (and becoming intoxicated). With WLS there is a bunch of bizarre and completely wrong "advise" out there that when, what and how much someone eats (or doesn't eat) does not somehow correlate directly to weight. The controlled drink argument under that same scenario would be" I control my drinking, but I don't become intoxicated". the AMA should fund a study to determine the correlation between short and long post WLS surgery failure with people reading bad advise on Bariatric forums.

Yes she is an actual bariatrics nutritionist with 20+ years experience in bariatrics.

Hi Seimmaj. Just as there are bad doctors there are bad nutritionists. I have spent months reviewing bariatric eating plans from hundreds of hospitals and the most important factor is cutting out ALL refined sugars from our diets. It’s really alarming that a nutritionist would tell you it’s okay to drink regular Gatorade or anything containing sugar. Even adding a cup of regular Gatorade to 32 oz water is sabotage. Powerade zero is delicious and has less sodium and zero sugar and I add water to it because after four weeks of absolutely no sugar I can’t stand the taste of anything sweet. Maybe your nutritionist is under the false assumption that all artificial sweeteners are bad, but stevia isn’t artificial and doesn’t effect glucose levels. It is simply a fact, attested to by the thousands of people on this site, millions of doctors, and years of research that any refined sugar, especially after bariatric surgery, will prevent weightloss and even cause weight gain. Think of your new stomach as a newborn stomach and ask yourself if you would give Gatorade to a new born baby. If you don’t believe us, maybe attend a group session for bariatric patients or maybe ask your surgeon their opinion. Wishing you a successful journey.

Mexicali Bariatric Center is the only place I’d consider for revision surgery (VSG to RNY). Good luck! http://www.mexicalibariatric.com/

Have you actually counted how many calories you are consuming in total from foods and the calorie drinks? If you think your weight loss is slow its because you are very likely consuming a lot more calories than you should be for the post op stage you are at. Is your nutritionist actually a bariatric nutritionist?

most of us are told to get 60-80 grams or protein a day. he may be telling you that because 180-ish is probably about an average low weight for a bariatric patient, but there are lots of us who have pushed through to a normal BMI. Just keep following your plan, logging your intake, and exercising. It's really up to you how low you want to go. and yes - you're most likely in a stall. My first one lasted two weeks - and I know someone who's first one last 3.5 weeks (although that's a bit unusual). Mine also tended to last longer the closer I got to my goal weight.

I am so thankful to all of you that has posted your journeys, My Doctor is referring me to a Bariatric Center in March when my Insurance changes. Your comments have eased my mind some. Thank you....

sorry, messed up that last post. This bariatric surgeon explains why it's so important to keep to the plan. It can really hurt your surgery. If you can't drink protein drinks... I couldn't either... then ask your nutritionist what you CAN drink or eat. Do they recommend you are on mushies now? That'll be things like applesauce, refried beans, yoghurt etc.

Some history: I am a 29-year-old American woman living in Denmark on a residency permit with my husband and his kids. We tried to get pregnant for a while, but after many failed attempts, we decided to bring our concerns to an OB/GYN. I was diagnosed with PCOS and was asked to lose quite a bit of weight before they would help via fertility treatments. It has been a struggle to get any assistance at all in regards to PCOS related symptoms because of my weight, never mind the fertility issues that come along with it. I decided to go for bariatric surgery, as recommended by my GP. Meetings held & requirements so far: A week prior to my meetings, I was required to get an EKG and blood test done. 12/09/2019 (141kg / 310lbs) - I had my first meeting with one of the doctors at the diabetes center. It was basically just the start of a medical journal. He got my starting weight, illnesses, medication, and allergies. I was told that I need to lose 8% of my current weight, which would put me at 129kg / 284lbs. He told me that it looked like I would be offered surgery since I met the requirements (a BMI over 35 with concurrent related diseases, which, for me, is PCOS, sleep apnea, and a history of hypertension), but I would find out on my next visit. The day before I left on vacation (12/17/2019), I weighed 136kg / 299lbs! While I had a great time visiting family, I ate way too much unhealthy food and shot back up to 142kg / 313lbs when I returned home (01/09/2020). Yikes! 😩 I managed to get the weight back off before my next visit though! 01/15/2020 (135kg /297lbs) - This was my second meeting, but this time it was with a senior doctor. He described the pros and cons of each option for surgery. Due to me having a history of occasional acid reflux and heartburn, he suggested that I go with the bypass surgery. However, he told me that I could choose for myself. I have decided to stick with what he recommended. By the end of the conversation, he offered me the surgery (as I figured at this point 😂) and set up an appointment for me to see a dietitian. He also said that my EKG and blood tests came back normal. Within two weeks of the previous meeting, I had to send in a stool sample. Upcoming meetings: 02/18/2020 - My first appointment with a dietitian. 03/06/2020 - Normally, I would be required to attend a patient seminar with other overweight people prior to surgery, but because I do not speak fluent Danish, I will have to participate in a 1-on-1 meeting with the details of how the operation takes place, how to prepare, and how to eat/live after the operation. This is a plus to me, as I am normally uncomfortable in large groups of people. As of today (01/26/2020), I weigh 133kg / 293lbs! With this current rate of weight loss, I imagine I will have met my goal weight for surgery by the time I have my first visit with the dietitian. This both delights and worries me, as I am not sure how they will take this information. I was told during the meeting with the senior doctor, that once I lost the weight, I would simply call up the clinic to tell them and I would get my surgery date some days later via email. However, the emails I received from the clinic prior to these meetings thus far have confused me, as they don't seem to suggest the same thing. Here's the list of requirements that I am still supposed to meet besides the upcoming appointments I have listed above: Lose at least 8%-12% of what I weighed the first time I visited the clinic and maintain that weight loss until the day of surgery. I need to have regular conversations (via meetings with a dietitian at the clinic or telephone) with approx. 4 week intervals to discuss: Agreements and goals for progress and weight loss Dietary changes Exercise Smoking and drinking alcohol Medical diseases Then, it says: after 3-6 months, I am to have a status interview and then a team of specialists will assess whether I can be offered an operation. 🤔 I guess what I am confused about is that I thought I was already offered the operation, but just needed to lose the required weight before I could get a date! Furthermore, if I lose the weight before my first meeting with the dietitian, would I really need to have so many more meetings after that? Eh, I guess I will make that phone call once I reach my goal weight to find out where I go from there. I am hoping it's as easy as the senior doctor said it would be during our meeting! Anyways, that's enough from me for now. I'm Steph! I recently joined the FB group and ended up finding my way onto the website. I look forward to writing with you all more in the future! Good luck, everyone! If anyone else has experienced a similar situation in the Scandinavian countries, I would love to hear what clarification you guys had gotten! And sorry if I sound totally spoiled -- I know the US insurance companies require a lot more in order to cover the operation! 🙈

Very fond of getting a second opinion... especially when it comes to anything surgery related. Add the fact that you’re not underweight and meeting nutrition goals. Sounds like a good reason not to have a bariatric surgeon and a nutritionist treat anomalies with the cliver.

At my first meeting with the bariatric surgery program (12/17/19) I asked about the pre-op diet. I was told that the latest research shows that liquid fasting for 1-2 weeks prior to surgery does not benefit the patient, but actually causes distress, so they no longer require it as of a few years ago. For the pre-surgery diet, they now require that for 2 weeks, you have one small meal a day, and the rest is liquids. I was so happy to hear that because a month seems like a REALLY long time to be on liquids only (if you have to do liquids for 2 weeks pre-surgery and 2 weeks post-surgery.

Dr Francisco Sauceda in Monterrey, MX is highly regarded on realself and in the WLS community for post-bariatric plastic surgery. After his patients are discharged from the hospital, they recover at the Hampton Inn hotel and his amazing nurse Paty visits you everyday; she helps you shower, checks your incisions, and replaces the bandages. Dr S also visits you at the hotel daily. As far as food, there’s options at the hotel, an HEB supermarket nearby, a number of restaurants, and you can order from Uber Eats. There’s a shopping mall, food court, and movie theater nearby too. 12 days at the hotel and up to $600 towards your airline ticket are included as part of your quote, as well as all post-op visits (MD & RN).

@Hop_Scotch Yes - actually that's the original concept, although a lot of people have taken that idea and run with it, some so far as to creating whole works of art with it. Here are some examples that I was thinking of: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19957500/bullet-journal/ https://myinnercreative.com/using-my-bullet-journal-for-weight-loss-tracking-planning-and-71-examples/ I like these spreads from Etsy, but I'd rather make my own: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/475115332/bariatric-surgery-weekly-food-exercise

I had MGB in TJ in April 2017 and it resolved my acid reflux, which was very severe pre-op. Life was great, lost a lot of weight, but 10 months post-bypass I developed bile reflux. I knew it was this because I would throw up greenish-yellow liquid, and then it was confirmed via EGD, along with Barrett’s Esophagus. My gastroenterologist and PCP were unfamiliar with bile reflux and did not know how to treat it, no medicines they recommended helped, but I found a great out-of-state bariatric surgeon (who also specializes in complex revisions) who was able to treat me. In July 2018, he repaired a hiatal hernia and performed a Nissen Fundoplication on me and since then I’ve had zero acid or bile reflux issues, which have been confirmed via EGD (2 of them post-op). He considered revising me to RNY but during surgery he was able to do some magic so that I didn’t need that extra procedure. And as the final step in my weight loss journey, I’m scheduled for plastic surgery in mid-Feb 2020.