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I'm 4 months out and have found Bariatric Advantage Meal replacement protein mix is pretty good with water or skim milk. With water it is 27gm of protein and skim milk, 35gms. Puts a good chuck of protein and 8 ounces of fluid right off the top. I'm using this as my breakfast and lasts me all morning. I too have issues getting all the fluids, but the "Nutritionists" say do the best you can. Using sugar free jello initially helped with the proteins, and they were then more concerned with fluid intake.

i agree with sojo and jim. my hub actually took the Protein shakes and a print out of the bartric advantage stuff to walmart to compare. same ingredients and i also consulted with my dr and nutritionist who advised just what jim said: (Bariatric Advantage is just a name. Don't let "bariatric" in the name fool you into thinking is it something special) so i get my Vitamins and Protein shake powder at my local walmart

I just got an Omron on amazon that was $34 plus shipping. This was based upon the recommendation of Dr. Wolkodoff, (www.energyzone.org), after I did a VO2 profile recently. He said as long as it is basic, I could follow along with my zones on all the machines from the result of my VO2 Max test. I have not had the time to post about the VO2 max test, but was really insightful to determine how I should train aerobically. As a result, I am now doing two interval days and two aerobic days as my Anaerobic Threshold was low, and Dr. Wolkodoff said elevating this will allow me to burn more calories in my cardiozone. I did the test of a recumbent elliptical, as my hips won't fit on a regular bike yet. Apparently he did a study about Bariatric patients and VO2 and found the recumbent elliptical was a very good way to test these things as most of us don't fit well on a regular bike. If you are close to Denver, and want to improve your aerobic training and take the guesswork out of it, I highly suggest this test.

Am I allowed to "ditto" what everyone else said? I do agree, though. And I understand how the surgical team could seem invading at times- but that's what they're there for. They're the professionals and truly have your best interests at heart. It is hard to wrap your head around the life-long changes you have to commit to if you decide to have bariatric surgery- I'm 3 months out and I still grapple with food choices vs. wants vs. head-hunger, etc. But that same surgical team that can seem so invasive are the best ones to help you stay on track. If you aren't 100% sure you're ready for a complete (but awesome once you get used to it, imo) life change, bariatric surgery won't be the tool it's meant to be for you.

Looking for Old Goat Buddies just Banded or in the Process. To share are current struggle with the bulge and hopefully make it work for all of us this time. My definition of an Old Goat is a Male of Retirement age or Older just like ME in pursuit of a heather Body that’s able to wear much smaller clothes. Now about me - 70 years old, 6 foot tall since 16 till I got checked for my BMI they tell me I am only 5’ 11-3/4” BMI 42.2 WGT 309 Top WGT 333 Charts say should be under 170 Wow 190 would sure be nice. Live in Kansas City and working with The Bariatric Center of Kansas City and DR Hoehn For me the thought of possible eliminating My Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, sleep Apnea, and Reflux. Or at least reducing the Medication would in itself make the Lap Band worth it and Weight Loss well nothing is required to be said for us. As for the Ladies think you are great have three Daughters and a loving Wife for 44 years would just like to try to make this trip with Old Goats First. But if I have to work with Women younger than my Daughters to get err done than that’s what I will do. I will also post this in the Men’s Room if you would like to Buddy with me.

Agree 100% with Kindle about getting blood work up done. I keep a regular schedule with PCP plus the bariatric appointments. All recommendations might not work same for everyone's body. Also think VsgAnn2014 and I are taking the same Calcium supplement. I can't start back on mine until 7 days out, but they are a good, easy supplement to take.

I had sleeve to gastric bypass in Mexico. Check here on bariatric pal for a surgeon. They have a fantastic system set up for surgeons, package deals including hospital stay, recovery house, personal valet, 2 years nutritional follow up.

I found an article on Cruising after Bariatric surgery: 6 Ways to Stay on Course when Cruising after Bariatric Surgery http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/staying-course-cruising-after-bariatric-surgery

Bariatric Advantage Calcium citrate 500mg caramel flavored... they are very tasty

I am 3 years post-op RNY. For over 6 months prior to my surgery, I walked 30 minutes per day. This really helped my recovery process and reduced my pain level. I told the anesthesiologist that I did not want any pain medicine after surgery. So after I left the recovery room, I received no pain medicine. I didn't really need it because I had very little pain. I was up and walking the halls every 2 hours after surgery around the clock. I could not even tell when my surgery anesthesia subsided. It was a little difficult on the first day to walk the halls because I had to drag around a rolling stand that contained the IV. But by the second day they took this all away and it became easier. I was in the hospital for two days and I obtained very little sleep during that time. I could drink the Water because my taste buds changed and water tasted overly chlorinated. But they had a type of sugar free popsicles that were great. It was basically a waiting game until I was discharged. As I walked the halls, they had several before and after photographs of other individuals that underwent bariatric surgery. It is important to make sure they have a trapeze type bar installed over your bed. It makes it much easier and less painful if you have one.

That's funny because the lady that waited on me back in April 2014 noticed the same thing too with me. My reapplication process only took 2 minutes as there were hardly any people there which was a first in all these years of me getting my driver's license renewed. Anyway, she began asking me what did I do and I told her I had the Lapband done which to her surprise she had been debating on which wls she should do. So I was there another 15 minutes just talking about weight loss. LOL Kudos to you.

Emotional First Aid by Cynthia Alexander (the bariatric one) has helped me a lot.

I think those are what I took during the first month or so after surgery. I then switched to the soft chewables from Bariatric Advantage but only took those for a very short period of time. I now take a calcium citrate capsule that I get from Vitamin Shoppe and haven't had any problems. I've been taking them since October without any problems. They are only 250 mg so I take 2 capsules, 3 times a day. I also take Vitamin D in the morning as well. I hated the taste of the chewables!

@@Holysaro87 I agree with the poster above. Take a deep breath and try to relax. I am going to sound a little harsh with you for a moment here. When you FIRST had signs of something not right it was the time to go and see the Dr. Never mind how you were before your band. You are now a banded patient and vomiting no matter how small. food being stuck, acid reflux, night coughs all of these are signs of trouble and they are NOT normal. No one with a band should be throwing up after eating EVER if they can help it. If you follow the proper band guidelines then you would not be having these issues AND if you are then you need to see a Dr. ASAP a Bariatric Dr. who specializes in the Lapband. OK now all of that said....take another deep breath. I am on your side here. One of the reasons your Dr. may be telling you take the band out is because you are not being compliant with the band rules. There are very specific rules to being a banded patient and you are not following them. Yes we all get caught up with family and friends and FOOD. I totally understand, BUT you must ALWAYS remember that you are a WLS patient and that you have a band around your stomach and it is there and it will not be overlooked and it will cause you trouble if you ignore it. I am compliant in all ways with my band, all the time...? No not all the time, and that is how I learned to make sure that I am now ALL the time. When I am full I stop eating, if I am stuck I pay the price and feel sick and learn that next time I need to cut and chew chew chew and then chew some more. I need to slow down and eat my food and not be stressed while eating. A few months ago I had a mild pouch dilation and had all the Fluid removed from my band due to medications I was taking from being in a car accident that irritated my stomach. I did the 4 week liquid diet and the dilation resolved itself and I am not back on track to getting fills and losing weight. OK take another deep breath... Ask yourself is this band something you want? Why do you have it if you are not going to use it and take care of it properly? If you want to keep your band, follow the Dr.'s orders. Take the fill out, and start from band basics. Go back to the days of early banding. Get yourself some Protein powders and shakes and go from there. You will start to lose weight and you will feel better. Tell your family and friends you MUST be on this diet and not to derail you because doing so is going to cost you and you will ultimately have to have the band removed and worse you can cause permanent damage to your internal organs. So make sure you are ready for this commitment and settle in for a month of liquids, and gaining your health back. You have to take time to put you and your band first. You are right now both at risk.

Excercise is hard for some of us, I am an amputee, have ms and have to use a n elctric wheelcahir most of the time- exercise/activity is really tough but every little bit helps. I have found a couple of dvd that are aimed at people with physical lmitations or severly overweight- one is "the bariatric workout" another is "Chair Dancing around the world" if you google the chair dancing you will find there site has modified tai chi, yoga etc etc in a series of dvd's I am finding that I am at the lowest level on these programs but it is getting easier. I am also making sure that I spend more time in my manual wheelchair when I am at home- i figured that when I have been immobile for so long it was best to try to increase activity in small bites throughout the day. I have also thought of a couple of sessions with a personal trainer and a friend has actually recommended that I look for a rehab specialist who will understand how to address the health problems- i will do that pretty soon when my stamina has improved a bit. it probably would be best if you spoke to you cardiac specialist before starting an excercise program on your own though- as for the smoking, giving up the smokes really should be your next priority, i know it is a tough habit to break but it is jsut so damaging

Beba, at my surgery consult on 12/09 my bmi was 61. My surgeon does all of the bariatric surgeries, but I had already knew that lapband was for me. He made sure I knew my stuff and also asked exactly why I wanted that particular surgery. I had already made lifestyle changes so he was confident that I made a good informed decision and was a good candidate. Weight was never an issue...I was actually worried that he wouldn't do the surgery due to my size, but he quickly told me with a giggle that I was NOT the heaviest he had ever banded. I had surgery on 3/2 and I am doing well and down 37 lbs. So all in all if you have educated yourself and know that lapband (and all the hard work/maintenance afterward) is for you then stick to your guns. Because this is a long term commitment be sure that you're comfortable with the surgeon and his office staff. No one says you can't research others before making a decision.

I'm curious why your Dr. suggested bariatric surgery - and that's not me being cycnical, that's me having a friend who went through something similar. Here's what makes me wonder: "when I went back to only eating one healthy meal a day I gained every pound back and am still gaining." This tells me that food intake isn't the cause of your weight problem, but something medical is. I had a friend who was in the exact same spot, who chose RNY at her doctor's recommendation. The kicker being - without GB, she was aready eating about the same as what she would with GB. "One healthy meal," especially since you're exercising, is not going to cause weight gain. There is something other than food causing your weight gain and the lap-band isn't going to address those issues. My friend, now about 2 years post-surgery, is still morbidly obese only now she's also suffering from LT side effects of her procedure, and has all the other negatives of having her operation. I'd hate to see you in the same spot. Just seems like they're treating the symptoms not the cause...

hey everyone! I'm a newbie here so bear with me I'm Morgan, 13 years old, and I am off to Atlanta (I'm from columbus, about 2 hours away) to meet with the doctors at Emery Hospital for a clinic. Hopefully to schedule my surgery also *crosses fingers* I've been overweight all my life, been going to gyms and used every diet you can name scince I was very young.. even as a baby I wasn't given unhealthy Snacks. At age 10 I was diagnosed with PCOS, and was put on metformin, welbutrin, and effexor. i lost about 30 lbs, but soon gained it back, even with dieting and exercising. Soon I gained it all back. I went to a bariatric docotor and was on Pro-Cal ONLY for about 2 months and lost around 25 lbs. and when I went back to only eating one healthy meal a day I gained every pound back and am still gaining. About a 2 months ago at my check-up with my endo. he suggest bariatric surgery. We researched and read these posts and everything you can think of and decided this was the right thing. At first I was planned to have the gastric bypass, but the doctors said they would only do the lap-band on someone my age. Mymother was more than happy with the decreased chance of side effects. So we got in touch with Emery pedeatric surgery clinic and for weeks have been trying to schedule a clinic. And tomorrow's the day. So all I wanted to know is if ya'll have any advice for me or helpful hints about the things you have to do after the surgery... would love to hear from you. Thank you lots!

My bariatric clinic reaches out to me about once a week. They are so nice but they're in mexico, so I need to find a local dr for follow up blood work.

One of the side effects of sleeve surgery is that many people become lactose intolerant. My Bariatric Coordinator suggested Mootopia or other lactose free milk from here on out after my surgery (once I'm on full liquids).

mmarie, I have not had the surgery yet but I am going to have the sleeve. There is much less rerouting. It is a simpiler surgery. Your surgeon may not do these or not many since it is only been widely done for 5 years I was told. I went to many meetings to find a surgeon that has done quite a few of the sleeves and has had success. I live in a big city but only one bariatric surgeon in our area has done more than 200 in the past 2 years. You still get nourishment with the sleeve you don't with rny. Take time to read the stories on this site and go to different meetings about wls and have it explained there. Ask a lot of questions at the meetings. Lots of luck, Mokee

I'm new here and have been looking for help with some of the problems I'm having with my band. Here’s part of my story. I got banded 6-12-06. I was 400 lbs and in a really bad place. I got down to 314 lbs in about 5 months. Unfortunately, I haven't been doing very well and now I'm back up to 360 lbs. I had a fill in March 2007. This was my 4th fill, now up to 6cc out of a possible 10cc. Prior to this fill it seemed the band was having no effect on me. I was able to eat like I had no band. After this fill I had mixed experiences. Eating Breakfast and lunch was often very difficult. After one or two bites of food it seemed to get stuck. I would take small bites and chew it well, at least most of the time (sometimes I’d forget and put too much food in my mouth or I’d eat too quickly). I would experience pain in my chest and then throw up. Sometimes I forced myself to throw up to try and relieve the pain I was experiencing. Usually this helped but I would be unable to eat anything for the remainder of the morning and afternoon. By the time I would get home from work I’d be really hungry. Now for some reason that I can’t explain, I had no difficulties eating (or some minor discomfort). There was no pain and I would be able to eat just about as much as I wanted as if there were no band in place. Obviously this was the worst time to stuff myself, it being that close to bedtime. This pattern continued for a while and I started putting the weight back on. I went to see my bariatric doctor and he said I was just eating too much at night and the food was just sitting in my pouch all night into the afternoon of the next day so that when I tried to eat there was already too much food in the pouch and I’d throw up. I agreed I was eating too much food at night but I never really bought into the idea that the food was just sitting in the pouch all night into the afternoon of the next day. I tried working with a nutritionist but the problem continued. The doctor sent me for a barium-swallowing test and the results showed I had severe refluxing going on. They prescribed Nexium and after a few months there was still no relief. I still can’t understand why I would experience such problems during the day but by night it was as if I had no bad. Has anyone else ever experienced this? The day problems aside it was my understanding that the band was supposed to prevent you from overeating. Yet in the evenings I could just go on eating until I felt full, which was always after consuming a huge quantity of food (for example 6 slices of a large pizza or almost a pound of pasta). I never could get an explanation as to why I could eat so much with the band. I feared getting another fill because I was already having too much trouble eating during the day. I stopped eating breakfast and tried to have a sensible lunch. Sometimes this worked but too often it didn’t. I couldn’t point to a particular food item either as the cause for pain and throwing up. meat, vegetables (raw or cooked), fruit, grains or other starches have all at one time or another caused this problem. I’ve tried drinking some hot tea or coffee before eating lunch. This seems to have helped in some cases but doesn’t always work. Finally my doctor performed an endoscopy to see if the band had shifted. Everything looked fine is what he told me. On Friday, October 12 I went for another fill, now at 7cc. Friday went ok. I had lunch and a small dinner (at least small compared to what I was usually eating at dinnertime). Late Friday when I was taking my evening medications I experienced a fair amount of pain again. I didn’t throw up but was in discomfort for a while. On Saturday I tried eating about 1/3 cup of celery salad (just shredded celery root in Water, vinegar and sugar liquid) for lunch. Well even after counting 30 chews before swallowing I felt pain in my chest as if something was stuck. After a short period I threw up several times, not food just a clear mucus type of liquid. After an hour or so I felt better but I couldn’t eat anything else the rest of the day. I tried several sips of Crystal Light but this was very uncomfortable. I didn’t dare try taking my medications. Now it’s Sunday. I was able to take my AM meds without problems. For lunch I tried ½ can of tuna (in water) with some Miracle Whip Light on a small potato bread roll. Spent about ½ hour eating it and now I’m experiencing some discomfort and refluxing. Has anyone out there experienced this or know of anyone else who has? I’m just at a loss as to what to do. Any help would be appreciated. Sorry for being long winded and thanks for listening.

I usually don't buy special bariatric anything -- I'm convinced that special bariatric vitamins and calcium and whatnot are overpriced scams. That said, I've been taking the Bariatric Advantage probiotic chewables every day since surgery and I have had zero problems with constipation, nausea, gas, anything like that. I don't know if that's attributable to the probiotic but I guess it isn't hurting! The ones I get are strawberry flavored and taste fine. http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/vitamins-and-minerals/bariatric-advantage-chewable-probiotic-strawberry-90-tablets.html

Hi all, My surgery is on the 23rd. And i just started my 3 week pre-op diet. So far, im doing ok. And havent really had any "hunger" yet. But the Bariatric Advantage shakes aren't very appealing. Anyone have any ideas that i can safely add to the shakes??? THANK YOU

ok - just got off the phone with my bariatric nurse who works for United Healthcare - luckily they use the initial BMI taken at the first visit - so that's ok. Second about the surgeon - she said he was in network but the surgery center needs to be in network as well. the surgery center the surgeon is affiliated with is NOT part of the network - so i have to reinforce with True Results of matching me with a surgeon who is in network and who's is affiliated with an in network surgery center/hospital. this is 'my' surgery - and it's up to ME to make sure I have completed all the legwork and requirements of my insurance - the dr,s' office certainly won't.... time to print out acceptable surgeons and such to have with me for the 2nd visit at true results. thanks again everyone...