Search the Community

I am on soft foods here was my day yesterday BF: 1 packet sugar free maple brown sugar oatmeal with 1 scoop of Genepro protein powder and splash of sugar free salted caramel syrup -159 cal total L: 2 oz refried beans, 1 oz cheddar cheese soup, 1 oz red enchilada sauce, 2 oz avocado - 158 calories total D: Ricotta bake with unflavored protein powder mixed in - 200 calories total Snack: Dannon light and fit key lime Greek yogurt- 80 calories Also had a bariatric hot chocolate for 90 calories Total for the day 686 calories, 86 grams protein, 48 net carbs, 15 grams sugar, 21 grams fat and 12 grams fiber. I have started exercising again and found I need to keep above 600 calories or I just drag butt all day. My weight loss has tapered off but I am not worried. There will be good weeks and bad weeks, but it will all average out.

Not everyone is "driving them self nuts with the scales". Many of us are perfectly capable of weighing regularly and still keeping it all in perspective. There is not only one path to weight loss success. What works for you may not work for someone else. There are a lot of bariatric rules I do not follow. But logging all my food and weighing myself regularly was critical to my success in my weight loss phase, and continues to be now that I am in maintenance

I definitely see your logic here, but I’m working with a trainer, and I have some very specific fitness goals I’m trying to achieve. Weekly weigh-ins, measurements, and progress pics are necessary. If he adjusts my diet, he’ll have me step on the scale a couple of days later to see what effect it has on me. He’s worked with bariatric patients before, but this is type of loss is making him scratch his head too. Thanks for your input tho!

Right! Are you having bypass or vsg? I’m going to Tijuana, because my stupid insurance stopped covering bariatric surgery this year.

I’m very pleased to meet another WFPB post-bariatric athlete here! Although I’m not as active as you, I’m somewhat athletic (active 7 days a week with hill hiking, race walking, distance cycling, squash, cardio, weights, sea kayaking, downhill skiing, etc. and currently training for a triathlon in August), and once I’m into maintenance, consuming enough (and the right types of) fuel for workouts is – and will continue to be – an ongoing experiment for me. If you, like me, were athletic at any point in your life prior to weight gain or WLS, then you’ll know that athletes need to eat more frequently than non-athletes, no matter what type of food lifestyle they’ve chosen, typically at least 6 meals per day – 3 meals and 3 snacks, depending on the intensity of training. So my best advice is to structure every meal and snack so that they support your workouts. The timing of all meals and snacks should support optimal performance and recovery, so for example, if you train after work, save one of your snacks for about 1 hour beforehand, and eat dinner within an hour after completing your training session. Obviously you’ll also have increased nutritional needs for optimal performance and health during long distance cardio training and events such as cycling. The typical recommendation is that endurance athletes get 60% of their calories from carbohydrates on training and event days. To calculate this, take your calorie intake for the day and multiply it by 0.6. Then divide that number by 4 to get the number of carbohydrate grams you need daily to support optimum performance. For example, on a 1500 calorie per day diet, that number is 225 grams. Carb needs will go above and beyond this on days with longer training sessions but you might not be able to hit such a high number due to space constraints or fear of dumping, so all you can do is increase your carbohydrate count slowly over time to see how your body reacts, making sure to use a variety of high quality complex carbohydrate sources such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The mixed grain cereal you’ve mentioned in other posts is ideal. Immediately prior to an endurance training session or event, the typical recommendation is for an athlete to ingest 1-3 grams of easily digestible high quality carbs per kilogram of body weight (bananas, figs, etc.). Bariatric athletes won’t reach that number, so the goal would be to increase carb consumption before an event to a level at which you are physically comfortable, then note any performance improvement. Foods high in protein and fat are digested more slowly, so are usually avoided in the hour before an event. Just keep experimenting with pre-race fueling to see what works best for you. During a training session or event, endurance athletes typically take in 30-50 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Bariatric athletes will need to spread this out in smaller portions (protein bars, energy gels, dried fruit, lightweight hydration back packs with added electrolyte and carb powders, etc.). After a training session or event, endurance athletes usually consume about 15 grams of carbohydrate within 30 minutes of finishing. One to two hours later, another portion of high quality complex carb rich food with some protein mixed in is needed for muscle recovery (i.e., banana with peanut butter, a glass of Ripple milk, etc.). I have read studies that indicate that glucose ingested while exercising is less likely to lead to dumping syndrome, but this is an individual thing to be approached extremely carefully, but in general plant-based whole foods like fruit do not cause dumping syndrome as far as I’ve read and can be used in place of sports drinks and gels. To address any increase in hunger due to training, or to supplement in order to maintain weight, in the past I found that low calorie high nutrient shakes are ideal (i.e. Ripple milk, a few nuts and/or seeds, ½ c berries, a handful of raw dark green leaves, and 1-2 tbsp of blended pea/soy/rice/hemp/chia protein powder, and if needed, a handful of steel cut oats that have been soaked in water overnight to soften). Most Americans, as well as virtually all WLS-post-ops in maintenance from what I have read on these and other boards, consume too much protein, but endurance athletes actually do need a bit more protein, anywhere from are 1.0-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. Remember that all plants have protein in them, and to count their protein towards your daily intake. Re hydration, I monitor this closely, particularly at my early stage post-op (I use a hydration pack and will continue to). Taking a before and after workout weight on a calibrated digital scale is an excellent way to determine hydration status. If the post-workout weight is lower than the pre-workout weight, you’ll be able to track exactly how much water was lost through sweat and respiration. In terms of micronutrients, some endurance athletes may have increased needs for vits a, c, and e, as well as iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. Get regular labs, keep taking vits, and rehydrate with electrolyte drinks or powders (I like Ultima Replenisher). Finally, investing in a WFPB bariatric nutritionist is worthwhile because calibrating nutrition for a post-bariatric athlete is both difficult and very individualized. Parts of what I’ve written here comes directly from notes I made during sessions with my own WFPB bariatric nutritionist. I will also try to put together a brief recommended reading list within the next day or two. Disclaimer: These suggestions are intended for bariatric endurance athletes in maintenance ONLY. If you are exercising at a low to moderate intensity for less than 2 hours per day for 6 to 7 days per week, you don’t need extra nutrition, calories, macronutrients, or micronutrients to support your exercise or recovery, and doing so will only hinder your weight loss or cause weight gain.

Ya'll are all ahead of me. I still have a few more days of liquids. I mentioned a couple of days ago that I was in my groove with the liquids, but I TAKE THAT BACK because today was tough. I was hungry. 😟On a positive note, I've lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks! I didn't walk today because it was icky outside, and I didn't do my Yoga either because I just didn't have the energy. I'm averaging 88g of protein a day, getting a minimum of 64 ozs of fluids, and 450-550 calories. All the foods ya'll have posted sound wonderful right now! My vitamins: Bariatric multi vitamin with iron-1X day (I ordered on here) Liquid B-12- 2X a day B1- 1X a day D3- 1X a day Biotin- 1X a day Chewable calcium-2X a day at noon and before bed

HI all, I am new here. I am looking into these 2 doctors in Mexico. Dr. Ortiz works in Obesity Control Center and Dr. Cueva in Renewal Bariatrics. Has anyone done the sleeve with either of them and how has it been? I'm looking for references on both. Thank you very much

I'm also on a bunch of prescription meds from the bariatric center Calcium Vitamin D (I was low) B-12 Iron (also low) Biotin Multivitamin chewable 2/day On my own (with approval) I also take cranberry, apple cider vinegar, and collagen. Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

One of the things I have been using is Rodan & Fields skin care line. I use to have horrible skin from years of being a millwright in a steel mill. I had sun damage, freckles, horrible acne and acne scars. I use the Reverse Lightening Regimen and have the Derma-Roller with intensive renewing Serum and my skin has improved greatly. I started using these products about 4 years ago so I was concerned that when I had WLS 17 months ago, I would develop a turkey neck like I had seen on other people. I have been fortunate that it is not that bad - my husband only sees it when I look down. Even though I am 50, I see it is tightening up so if you can work on it over time, I recommend some type of roller to use 2 times a week and a good skin care line. I even saw a video where a woman used a roller on her postpartum belly to help firm it up. Unfortunately, I have way too much excess skin for that to work so I am looking into plastics for that.

Hi Zyad. During my research I’ve printed out no less than 20 different nutrition guidelines. This is from Brigham and Women’s Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

I guess I wasn't sure if there was a scientific reason for bariatric patients? Other than the normal protein fills you up and keeps us from eating other "bad" things. I don't drink many protein shakes now days and haven't in a couple weeks. I'm only 8 weeks out.

I had my surgery at Reston Hospital Center and was very happy with my care. They use a team approach so there were a lot of people looking after me, and they all were good and almost too attentive! Of course I can't comment on the hospital's food since all I was allowed was water, diluted fruit juice and broth... 😁 My surgeon was different, it was Dr Fitzer of Virginia Bariatric Surgery. He and his staff also are wonderful. There seems to be no shortage of excellent bariatric surgeons in NoVa...it sounds like you will be in good hands!

the above poster is right - none of this is normal. In fact, I've been hanging out on bariatric forums for five years and have never heard of half of this stuff happening to anyone (dementia, losing use of legs, etc). I think something else must be going on here. Consult with a doctor for sure - no one on the internet is going to know how to deal with this.

Anytime that I see someone contemplating a revision, I would advise getting a second (and even third) opinion, both from the perspective that revisions are typically more complicated than a virgin surgery, and also the reasons for the revisions are more varied, and this is where the perspectives of different surgeons with different experiences is most valuable. Strictures and twists like you are describing are an indicator of technique problems (which isn't to say that there is something particularly quirky with your individual anatomy that would have caused problems with any surgeon, just that they are frequently associated) so it is quite possible that another surgeon who is more experienced specifically with the sleeve and sleeve related surgeries may have some other ideas of how to tackle your problem. There are some surgeons out there who routinely perform some very complex revisions (such as converting a problematic RNY to a DS) and this is the type of doc that you would like to consult with, as they would be best able to straighten out your sleeve (and if they concur that an RNY is the best approach for your particular problem, that provides a lot of confidence in deciding to go that route.) I tend to like DS surgeons for sleeve problems as they typically have a lot more experience with the sleeve and correcting sleeve problems (as the sleeve is a part of the DS, most of them have been doing sleeves for over twenty years, while most bariatric surgeons have been doing them part time for 5-10 years, and some less. https://www.dsfacts.com/duodenal-switch-surgeons.php gives a very incomplete listing of DS surgeons, and unfortunately, there aren't any very close to you - NY/NJ/PA area is the closest, but probably worth the effort; most can do initial consults over phone and email. Dr. Roslin in NYC and Dr. Greenbaum in NJ both have good reputations in the DS world for complex revisions. As a side note, the mini bypass isn't often done in the States as US insurance rarely approves it, and it has never been accepted by the ASMBS.

Interesting. I don’t take bariatric vitamins yet my blood level is still on the higher end. All of the bariatric vitamins have added iodine to which I’m allergic. It’s true of course that sublingual or liquid will be better utilized. If high blood levels possibly signaled deficiency than one would think doctors would know this. They don’t seem to know much about vitamins in my opinion. sometimes deficiency is a symptom of a disease and not the cause. But they insist on supplements without investigation. my iron levels are normal, but my saturation is low, my iron binding capacity is the high end of normal, and my ferritin is low ... so I don’t know if it is actually related to my surgery or something else going on. it’s hard getting doctors to give answers when it comes to vitamin levels. Since they know so little. I studied these things and realized it’s more complex than people realize and vitamins have risks and side effects similar to medications.

OK I just read the literature from one brand of bariatric vitamin (this was NOT an objective medical research report - it was issued by the company that makes this particular vitamin - so being a former librarian at a research university, I'm never 100% confident of that type of source). Anyway, it says it has a much higher dosage of B12 in its multivitamin than is present in standard multivitamins. I read in another place that RNY patients absorb less than 1% of the B12 they take in through their stomachs (because intrinsic factor is produced in the lower part of the stomach and the duodenum, both of which are bypass during RNY surgery). so perhaps these bariatric vitamins account for that by including super mega doses of B12, knowing that their RNY patients are only going to absorb 1% (or less) of it. I'm not sure - but I've always heard we ("we" as in RNY patients - not sleeve) should take it sublingually or via injection, because of the lack of intrinsic factor needed to absorb it.

If this is the case then why is it in every bariatric vitamin? The body definitely absorbs some of it orally otherwise bariatric vitamins wouldn't include it and it would be taken separately.

I had blood test at 6 months and again at 10 months. Both times B 12 came back at 2000 or just under. I take 1 bariatric vitamin that has a high does of B12. The Md didn't seem concerned. I can't cut back on it since it is in my all in on e vitamin. I also read conflicting information that its no big deal and also that it could mean i am not absorbing it and should be given via shot or sublingual. I just don't know what the people on here take for a multivitamin is they take it separately. Do they take a bunch of separate vitamins?

I would think the amount in the bariatric multivitamin wouldn’t be cause for elevated levels. Unless you have other concerning symptoms or your doctor expresses concern than likely you have nothing to worry about.

I'm only taking a bariatric multivitamin from celebrate that has B12 in it, as most if not all do. Everything else is coming back within normal ranges so I'm not worrying too much about it, I'll see what my surgeon says about it when I see him soon. Funny enough I'm kind of a jacka$$ when it comes to taking my vitamins, somedays I get all 3 capsules in but most days I only get one or two.

Hi Aqua... did you have the sleeve, lap and or complete bariatric bypass?

mine has always been high. When it got over 2000, the PA at my bariatric clinic just suggested I cut back a bit on my B12 dosage since it was a waste of money to continue taking as much as I was taking (since my level didn't need to be that high). He never once suggested that having it that high was dangerous, though. p.s. mine hovers around 1200 now that I've cut back on my dosage. There are several people on another internet forum I'm on who like to keep theirs at around 1000 or above - they feel kind of crappy when it falls below that. Mine's never been below 1000, so I don't know...

Hit my personal "OMG that scale said WHAT" moment in November. Did some blood work, some intense research, soul searching, and asked for a referral to the local bariatric surgery clinic in December. Got the appointment set in January. First meeting with the surgeon on Tuesday (2/11/20). It's with Michelle Toder in Bangor Maine. She seems to have mixed reviews on the internet, but I'm still excited to get this journey going. I've told a couple people close to me that I'm pursuing this change with mostly positive feedback. But because of where I'm at in my life, this community and the supports from the paid professionals are who I'll have for a while. Super excited, and just had to say HI!

Oh also, the entire reason I had this surgery was bc I have (had?) gastroparesis and severe GERD and bile reflux. I am overweight but in otherwise good health and fit and active. My weight didn't bother me. (I mean I'm not mad at the loss lol) If I was going for weightloss I can see the benefit of the sleeve. I just didn't have a choice. My bariatric center was an accredited center of excellence too and my surgeon top rated. I really liked him! Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

my doctor just switched me from the bariatric fusion chewable vitamins to the bariatric fusion capsules because the chewables were making me nauseous and sick, did this happen to anybody else? it’s been 4 months since i’ve had surgery and the first month i was okay but then little by little i was getting sicker and sicker. i tried all the different flavors but just could not stomach them. i’m also considering trying the bariatric fusion hair skin and nail vitamins- has anybody tried those and noticed a difference?