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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.

I eat from Ramekins or mini appetizer dishes with these tiny appetizer utensils. These force me to take little bites since they are smaller than my daughter's doll spoons. I buy boxes of them from Amazon. It comes with teeny plates, bowls and utensils. The perfect size for bariatric survivors. Sent from my SM-J737P using BariatricPal mobile app

I had a sleeve done three years ago and will be going in for a revision to bypass in March. I really want to do more to keep myself on track, and thought about having a dedicated bullet journal just for this - goals, trackers, etc. Of course, I already use apps to track food and macros, water, step count, etc, but they are in different places and, having just started bullet journaling for another part of my life, I’ve realized how much I miss actually writing things down and having more space to write about high points and low points, as well as a place to keep photos, etc of my journey. I’ve done some research online but most bullet journals just have a one page spread for the month tracking exercise or water or whatever, there are very few ideas out there about setting up a journal for those of us going through bariatric surgery (pre- and post-op diets, liquid/purée/soft food stages, etc). Just curious if anyone out there has set up a journal for themselves and are willing to share the kind of spreads they made. I’m currently sketching out a few ideas and will share as soon as I can make them somewhat decent.

Also this guy, whos instagram also features plant foods aplenty. Hes australian. Ive just realised you asked fot bariatric cookbooks.. to be honest i own zero bariatric books and just track macros myself!!

you're right, probably not bariatric patients - but for normal people, 2000 calories a day is pretty standard. So is 225 carbs. Unfortunately, it seems like few of us bariatric types can eat like that and maintain our weight. Not fair, but, it is what it is...

sounds like you might need to CUT calories, not increase them. How many are you eating in an average day now? I can maintain on 1500-1700 a day - but some people maintain on less than that - some even on 1000-1200. That range is going to be different for everyone. Start logging your food in an online tracker and after a week or two see what your average is. Then cut it by like 100 calories for a couple of weeks. If that's still not doing it, cut another 100. Rinse and repeat. You'll eventually find the spot where you're starting to lose weight again. p.s. There are definitely people who can maintain on 1800 calories, but that is pretty high. Even my 1500-1700 range is on the higher end for bariatric patients - a lot of people can't eat that many and maintain, unfortunately.

we have that issue with PCP's as well. I switched insurance last year so I'd be in the same network as my bariatric surgeon so my yearly appts with him would be covered (before, it was all self-pay. Well, the surgery itself would have been self-pay with my current plan, too, but oddly, they cover the follow-ups and labs). Anyway, finding a new PCP was a nightmare. Pretty much nobody takes new patients. And I don't even live in a small town or rural area - it's supposed to be a gazillion times worse there because of doctor shortages!

This is wonderful! I’ll be honest and admit that I still very much feel like a bariatric patient. I too don’t eat all of the food that I prep and log, so even though my logs say one thing, the truth of the matter is that many times I’m eating 3/4-7/8 of the food I’m packing and logging. I wish MFP had an option where you could just autocorrect the calories and macros down by 10-20% across the board bc then that would be a lot more accurate. My carb struggle is a very real and daily thing. Yesterday I logged over 40gm and it felt very odd and reflexively I wanted to cut back today to “make up” for it. Gotta get over that mindset bc I’m in the high 130’s and I don’t want to slide too much farther down. It’s a mind game. I’m wondering what on earth my subconscious is doing , and I’m working on working through it.

@mousecat88 bread is a tough thing for me too. I haven’t had it in a long while but it’s an issue Because of my chronic illness and constant nausea and gut issues as well as loss of ability to taste properly. But even as a kid I’d want a bagel with butter over any other foods , plain and simple. I struggle with metabolic disorders and inability to exercise. Back in let’s say 2008 my weight was up to 215 + lb but bariatric surgery was not an option back then. I fought so hard to lose I fought the sugar addiction and went strict low carb and low calories. The lowest I got was 124lb. But my illness kept getting worse as it still is. It’s chronic and lifelong. And I have many medical conditions. At some point when we moved states I needed to restart my efforts after so much stress. I found a low carb bread and it was great. they make low carb bread, bagels, thin pizza crust, pastas. the ingredients are good, it’s a balance of fiber and protein. Their website is: http://www.greatlowcarb.com i was losing weight. Until I wasn’t. I can’t say it had anything to do with their products. I was eating healthy, counting carbs and calories, eating healthy fats, etc. my worst thing was loving sweet kale salad with Gardein veggie foods like crab less crab cakes or cauliflower rice, etc. here I thought I was eating healthy things and my weight made a sudden jump. Actually it started while I was still strict low carb, low calorie. Went from 130-160 in weeks! Tried to get help from doctors and nothing. Decided to add more veggies and less meats. I mean who gets fat on veggies? And healthy fat like avocado? apparently me? So it scares me to dip into those foods even the healthy options. It’s hard finding foods when my tastebuds don’t work normally and haven’t in a long time and never got answers and plain toasted bagel with butter for some odd reason was always a comfort food. The low carb version actually tastes better. i end up limited on foods due to food allergies and eating foods that trigger it just enough to make me ill where I pass out Asleep from low oxygen and swelling, but not anaphylaxis. I think we all have a food we crave for certain reasons. I’ve dealt with my addiction in a way. And just put on my plate what I’m going to eat. But still don’t understand what caused the past gains when my eating was good. I probably veered way off topic. Sorry.

I just had my one month w/my surgeon, and dietician. I am cleared to go to the gym and eat solids but I feel I’m not there yet, food-wise, just by listening to my body. I’m stilll doing protein shakes, yogurts and some Bariatric broths to be sure I get all my protein. I can still only eat a small amount in a sitting!! Bit feeling good 💪🏼💪🏼

I've had several colonoscopies through the years--this is just the first after my RNY. I probably should call my bariatric surgeon's office to see if there is anything in the prep peculiar to bypass patients. Izucks, the prep sheet I have has the same directions as the one you posted.

I don’t know why all bariatric surgeons don’t recommend ab binders after surgery. I was absolutely miserable the first three days until I remembered I had to wear one after the tummy tuck so why not after gastric sleeve. I immediately felt better after putting on the ab binder and within two days all of the bloating and swelling was gone. I did read on here that a few people woke up from surgery with ab binders already on them so there are a few surgeons who know how important they are for recovery. When I sneezed without the ab binder, day 3 post-op, it felt like the inside of my tummy ripped apart!! Good luck!!

I'm in a strange place five years out and maintaining. I'm not focused on being a bariatric patient. I no longer obsess about the"bariatric rules" It's because I live a healthy life out of habit. I identify more with the fitness community. I am ready to move on and hopefully continue to maintain in the years to come. I know I can always come back if I need to.

I've decided to start all over with appointments at the bariatric center I'll be getting surgery with. They know exactly what insurance needs so it'll be much more simple. I'm losing 3 months of progress but I'd rather do this now instead of getting to month 6 with my current doc only to be told it was done wrong. I didn't do this originally because it's a long way to drive each month but my sanity is worth it! 😋 Thank you all for your feedback!

Syntrax nectar chocolate truffle made with fairlife milk is what I use. If all else fails you could just drink fairlife milk. Add sugar free chocolate syrup to it or drink it plain. The bariatric pal store offers sample packs of the syntrax nectar. Those are the best flavors that I have found to date.

Hello. I had surgery at Blossom Bariatrics in August. I too, flew across the country. I have also been an OR nurse for a long time. Blossom is TOP notch. You will be given absolutely the best care beyond every single person you meet. Do not cheat with smoking. I have read in their literature that your surgery will be cancelled if nicotine positive. Also nicotine impairs healing. I chewed nicotine gum for years. Try wearing a patch and taper off. If I can do it u can! They saved my life. They r there for you. Lean on your fast track coordinator when u feel weak or down. [emoji4] Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

@soccermonster31 - Yeah, growing up in the 80's/90's there was a LOT of misinformation about weight loss and management. Eggs were terrible for you, white carbs were optimal for fat burning (lol), coffee was the devil, and margarine was soooo much healthier than butter! I'm not angry with my mom. I know she did the best she thought she could and probably thought she was saving me from obesity. I'd love to be support buddies! When do you plan on revising? It'll be a while for me - we're going to move in the next few months and I want to be settled in our new house before undergoing a surgery. For now I'm gathering information and planning to do a consult with a bariatric center in Indianapolis. Fun story: I got my lap band in December 2015 and the surgeon, without warning, shut down his practice in January 2016. I had to go to a bariatric center 50 miles away for my fills and counseling when I'd anticipated he'd be right there down the street whenever I needed something. My lap band did not have a great start, and I wasn't super impressed with the bariatric center I was referred to. Luckily I have some choices!

I am a veteran and use the VA for all of my medical and primary care. During some clinic visits this fall, I suggested to my doctor that I might be interested in getting Bariatric surgery. She gave me some reading literature and suggested I do some homework prior to making any requests formally. In my 12/26/19 visit, I asked her to make my request official and we started me on the journey. For you fellow Veterans out there, the VA supports weight loss surgery basically as potential long term health for the veteran as well as potential cost savings associated with your health long term. My process started with getting an appointment referral from my doctor to get an appointment to meet with the Move Program Coordinator and ultimately withe a Move Dietitian and Nutritionist. From there, you must participate in the Move Program for 3 months (easy) and they sent me home with a scale and blood pressure cuff to monitor. The unit has built in wifi and sends your daily weight and blood pressure to the Move Coordinator daily. Ultimately, you must lose approximately 10% of your body weight (or at least show the ability to lose weight) and graduate from the Move program. To help my process, I was prescribed a weight loss supplement, multi vitamin and Saxenda (injection weight loss medicine). Basically all are to help stimulate your appetite loss, it works! I weighed in this morning (1/21/20) and after 25 days, I am down 15.5 lbs from 351 lbs. My goal weight loss prior to surgery is 35 lbs and am I am on track to graduate the Move program on 3/26/20. After you graduate the program, your Move Team will then present your case to the Surgery Team (assuming you meet the criteria, graduate and lose the preliminary weight). Once approved, you just need to get on the schedule for surgery. I am not sure what that process entails yet, but I was told to plan on surgery between mid April to mid May. I will continue to update this process, but I wanted to assure Veterans that we too can get this surgery done within the VA.