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Check out Amazon or Bariatric Pal.com for vitamins, shakes, protein powders etc. I am 1 wk out from my sleeve surgery and my program said I needed the following. In either the Bariatric advantage or Celebrate brand. I found bariatric pal.com to be cheaper due to promo codes or reoccurring ordering discounts. I also take D3 2000iu, 2xday, B12 vit orally and Biotin daily. Good luck

This is my first post! Hope it's okay. Today I talked to the dietitian. I'm not stalled out but I wanted to make sure I was correctly on track. She recommended 500 cals/day. I'm 6 months out and I've lost 99 pounds after RNY. Here's the kicker! The last three times I've seen the nurse practitioner, she's recommended I eat "more" calories, because my activity level is too high for this amount of calories. Also, the last time I went, she told me I hadn't lost enough weight. So I've seen the nurse practitioner three times. The first time, I was eating 500 cals/day, and complaining of exhaustion and dizziness. She gives me the ok to up to 600 cals. The second time, I was eating 600. She didn't say anything about my rate of weight loss, but again recommended adding more. She did not mention a specific number. Third time, I'm eating probably 700, she tells me I haven't lost enough and that again, I need to up more. I ask for a specific recommendation and she says that I need to let my morning weight determine my eating plan. I stopped exercising after this visit since my activity level is clearly "too high." It's been maybe 6 weeks since I saw the NP, so in an effort to get back on track after Christmas, I called today and asked for a recommended amount of calories. There's a long distance bike ride in my hometown in April that I'd like to train for. After all, part of the reason I had this surgery was to be able to do more things. The dietitian says to stay on 500 cals until I lose 75% of my excess body weight, and then I can up it to 600 MAX. What?????????????????????????????? In her defense, I didn't mention the long distance cycling or anything but I did mention I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week and riding the bike for 45 minutes. I guess maybe I didn't tell her explicitly enough that I'm actually exercising and not just slowly riding the bike? I don't know. My husband checked the bariatric road map they gave us when the program first started and apparently at six months you're supposed to just be "walking" and not really getting your heart rate up. I know bariatric recommendations are like the wild west out here and no two programs are the same. I know that I should be listening to my dietitian. But how is it possible that these two people are so far off? I was eating 800-1000 calories because I calculated my total daily energy expenditure, and 1000 should have me losing 2 pounds/week. Why aren't they on the same page??? SW: 316 CW: 217 75% excess body weight: 186 GW: ????

I think you are right. When the little one was nursing more for nutrition I had to up my carbs to keep my milk supply. But obviously that shouldn't be an excuse anymore...she gets comfort and immunity protection from it but eats regular food for her nutrition. I hadn't even thought about that - after she was born I got used to eating carbs due to the milk supply thing (whenever I'd cut them I'd dry up) and hadn't actually stopped to think that I don't need to do that anymore! Seriously, it's like I've forgotten how to be a bariatric patient! I literally had to go back and look at old blog posts to get some menu ideas, before finding myself back here. Doesn't help that one of the bariatric podcasts I found when trying to get back on the wagon had a nutritionist that pushed carbs saying that if you don't eat some you will crave them. Now, obviously, that woman hasn't had an eating problem, because my own experience says that isn't true. But hey, she told me to eat carbs, so I listened to what I wanted to hear instead of what I know has worked. So thank you for the tough love! No carby stuff so far today!

Yeah, I agree. MFP is crazy, I need to go back in and fix it. The 1822 was with it adding in exercise calories. Oh, and I'm still nursing the 2 yr old, which maybe gets me a few extra calories burned, but 1400 is too many. But, I was feeling pretty pleased as it was at least fairly healthy compared to the peppermint bark and gluten free cookies and mac and cheese I'd been eating recently, lol. Sort of baby stepping back down. I lose fairly well on 1300 if I'm exercising and nursing, I think..I probably need to go back and check. This was the automatic calorie set from MPF, but as a bariatric patient I need to reset it. I'm also looking and I got too many carbs, which maybe is what is setting me up for those cravings at night?

I did "food funerals." I had the foods once more before my surgery and it was able to make it easier for me to transition. I've also been on the search for bariatric friendly recipes so that way, post op, I might be able to have a healthier version of said delicious food, but in a healthy, not gonna make me extra sick way, hopefully. *fingers crossed*

I assume so. The bariatric office said it just happens to some bariatric patients. The surgery messes with your autonomic nervous system and your body just forgets how to properly regulate blood pressure. I developed it 4 months post-op. They don't know if it will ever resolve itself or not.

My Bariatric team recommended Miramax for regularity both prior and folliwing surgery. It's not a fast solution, but it does work very well. I still rely on it 17 months after surgery when I encounter constipation.

I have an ESG (not as a revision) and am very happy with the result. This is a copy and paste from my doctor's ESG FAQ https://bmiclinic.com.au/endoscopic-sleeve-gastroplasty-faq/ Can I have an ESG following a gastric balloon, gastric sleeve or gastric bypass? ESG following gastric balloon: Recent research has revealed that people who’ve had a gastric balloon do less well following ESG in terms of weight loss. For this reason, we do not recommend ESG to anyone who’s has previously had a gastric balloon. ESG following gastric sleeve: Endoscopic revision of a gastric sleeve is possible, however the weight loss that results is only approximately 10% of the baseline weight. There are likely more effective options which you can talk through with your Bariatric Specialist. ESG following gastric bypass: Endoscopic suturing is possible via a procedure called TORe, Transoral Outlet Revision.

I've taken a Christmas break from logging. Been doing it on and off, but applying the same rules to my M-F and eating basically the same stuff this week. But having bigger weekend blowouts with food and some alcohol. Those shenanigans will get shut down as of January 2. Last celebration is January 1. And that's when we will also launch Bariatric Accountability Club online in Facebook and our small developing website. So Jan. 2 will be down to basics of the Forever Diet! I'm happy to say that I'm still sitting at 129.4-129.8 as of Sunday! Hope I will stick the landing on Monday cuz I will have to make it official on the ticker. Here's yesterdays food but no daily totals: B1: Protein Latte x 3 (3oz PP) B2: none L: blackened turkey wedge salad with avocado (ate 1/2 of salad and 1/4 of the turkey) + approx 1/4oz brisket + 1/2oz smoked sausage + 2tbsp Better Way Jalapeno Cilantro Ranch Dressing AS: 2 glasses cabernet + 1oz pork skins + 1/2 oz aged gouda + 1/2 oz aged cheddar + 2oz baked brie + 1oz GS apple + 1/2 oz rosemary pecans Din: blackened turkey wedge salad with avocado (ate 1/2 of salad and 1/4 of the turkey) + 1/2 oz prime rib, lean only + 1/2 oz blackened mustard crusted atlantic salmon

That might be true of people on "My 600 lb Life", but for us more "normal" bariatric patients, no way.

Some pain med - I requested Tramadol over Percocet. Only needed it a couple of days and then used liquid tylenol. Some Zofran for nausea - never needed it. Omeprazole. Then of course you need your bariatric multi vitamins with iron. Also calcium citrate, vitamin D, vitamin B-12. All the vitamins are OTC - the best deal you can find for multivits is here on the BariatricPal site.

I've looked at the reviews for a lot of the popular Whole Food Plant Based books, and many of them fall short in different ways. However..... I am absolutely in LOVE with a magazine I just bought: "Forks over Knives" "63 tasty, healthy recipes." It says that it is on display until 3/6/2020. I think I bought it in a grocery store or maybe even WalMart. The color photos are great, the recipes are really good, the ingredients are not too exotic, and it has a great variety. I am making a new dish every day from this magazine. (The actual Forks over Knives Cookbook you can buy on Amazon had some negative reviews that seemed pretty valid.) But this magazine is great. I will definitely buy the next issue as well. I am gluten free and dairy free, as well, and I find that a lot of vegetarian cookbooks/recipes just don't work for me. Plus, there is the bariatric angle. This magazine is chock full of very adaptable recipes. I can substitute GF ingredients quite easily, and for low carb, you just need to avoid the pasta recipes. (I don't worry about the pasta or grains anymore, as I am in maintenance and have a hard enough time keeping my weight on right now. )There are no macros listed, as WFPB relies on the overall, healthy nutritional value of the food, rather than calculating macros. I do, however, calculate the calories and protein in each recipe I make, just to give me the confidence that I am on track bari wise. Anyway, pick up an issue. Price was $9.99 and worth every penny. You could probably also get it online. The sub title is "Winter's Best Soups" and has a picture of a bowl of soup on the cover.

Anyone have recommendations for vegetarian Bariatric cookbooks? Thanks in advance!

Thank you! First, I saw my surgeon, had my labs checked, saw a bariatric CBT psychologist and made a nutritionist appointment for Jan 7th. I’m reestablishing a support team and then going to see what changes I should make. I know my first two important steps will be logging my food and adding in regular exercise.

I am just starting this journey and am really nervous about how to find a great surgery center and surgeon. I recently went to Monmouth Medical Center Bariatric centers seminar and you had to sign up for it and there was only 2 of us that signed up and only I showed up and the nurse and a few other staff where there and they said that the doctors where still in surgery and mind you it was 7pm and there was at least 4 surgeons. My thing is I had a feeling that since there was only two people I felt like the surgeons couldn’t be bothered to come for so few people. I believe this is true because I worked for a surgeon and he thought that way. Just walking into the hospital and going to this thing took everything I had in me and then it really wasn’t even worth it. So anyway I really was looking to see if anyone out there has had surgery at MMC or where they think the best drs are in NJ. PLEASE very nervous and don’t want to die on the table because I picked a bad surgeon. Need help please! Thank you in advance!

Thanks, all! I'm pleased that I can tell psych I'm not underweight, yes, she really thinks so! And pleased that 130 isn't outrageous to the bariatric team. Just taking it slow and steady now, and following the plan. Appreciate all the feedback! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

@KennyM 17 years out. You have done fantastic. Yes, vegan can be done. Link to the vegetarian/vegan bariatric thread on this site below. It may help to read the past posts. They can answer questions from experience. Vegetarian/vegan 101: https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1101-vegetarian-or-vegan-eating/

Beans are a big part of a whole food styled vegan diet, you may also want to reach out to a bariatric nutritionist ito see what advice they can offer

You see @Fatboyslim1 this response was exactly what I am trying to avoid. I am not buying a lifetime supply, I am asking a real question, one that I am hoping to get some solid guidance on. Of course I am going to try it, but I am seeking guidance and depth from people who have gone vegan or professionals in the bariatric space.

Update on my goal weight and current weight. Saw my bariatric team this week and I am not underweight! They told me to tell psychiatrist not to worry. 8 pounds from their goal for me, and more like 15 pounds from my goal. Which they did not disagree with. I was 148 on doctor's scale, fully clothed. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Update on my goal weight and current weight. Saw my bariatric team this week and I am not underweight! 8 pounds from their goal for me, and more like 15 pounds from my goal. Which they did not disagree with. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, transfer addiction to alcohol is very real and a real problem post bariatric surgery. As said, you absorb it much faster (alcohol absorbs in the small intestine and for post-op people we have very little or no stomach left so guess where all that alcohol goes first - yup, the small intestine!). All that said, I plan to drink some at 6 months. I'll be in Hawaii for my 10th anniversary. I'm talking 1 drink a day, maximum. And that's only if I'm well on my way to my goal weight at that time and I will absolutely log those calories!

I’m going to just put this right here....my doc told me a minimum a year. Doc said we now absorb alcohol at such an intense rate that we will be drunk way before we realize it. Doc also informed me bariatric patients are the new AA members. So for anyone that ever findS them selves in that predicament, thank God there is help.

Maybe just go back to soft, bland foods until you can talk to your bariatric team. Could you possibly just have a stomach bug? If you go back to liquids, I don't know why you wouldn't be able to take your vitamins. I was taking vitamins from Day 1.

I would think for the a regular recipe, yes. But I'm thinking you are asking for Bariatric-specific recipes? In that case it if was SPECIFICALLY for those not far out maybe 2 would be better....cuz it takes them forever to eat, LOL.