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#13 - Even though Autumn is my favorite, I am most grateful for Spring, the time of birth, growth and renewal. Mirror question - actually, my hair was much better in middle school. I think I have finally stopped losing my hair (again) from an illness that I had in April.

I had my last visit with the bariatric team was October 23. I had completed everything the insurance required, which included 3 month medically supervised weight loss program, dietician visit, 2 psych sessions, 6 weeks group therapy, vascular surgeon evaluation, endoscope, and monthly mandatory bariatric support group. A couple of days later, I was called to set a “hold date” to get on the surgeon’s schedule pending insurance approval. The soonest I could get at the location I wanted was December 16. Approval came last Friday, just over 2 weeks, so date was finalized.

I have a PCP for the fact I have a bazillion medical conditions and she isn’t very understanding at all. She thinks she can play devils advocate about things like surgery. Like here I was trying to get answers and help for my weight to where I was at least 208lbs on the doctor office scale and BMI of 40 and she was like oh but you look fine, your weight is fine ... I has to take it into my own hands and find a endocrinologist after the first one I saw was basically an ass about the whole thing. It was the second doctor that finally listened and referred me to Cleveland clinic for bariatric surgery. But my PCP after having surgery and i saw her after her maternity leave , about some post op issues basically might as well have just said oh I told you so (not to have surgery) stuff happens and I knew I was at risk given my list of conditions. My point being we know better than some random doctor does and if we feel it’s the right thing it’s what we do. I didn’t even mention to her my recent surgery Which was also necessary. But she didn’t agree with me the first time I had it. And sometimes crap happens and you have to deal with another surgery. my brain is scrambled. Sorry. Hopefully you can get what you need for your upcoming surgery out of this doctors office. Before you find a new doctor. They should be happy you are just there for pre op clearance and it’s not up to them to decide if you need the surgery or not or to say what they think is fine (insurance isn’t paying) I have to jump through hoops for everything and get referrals for any test or doctor or surgery and the office I go to is terrible at getting these things going. I can’t even get the name and referral for a spine doctor. Would you believe she sent me to one knowing how bad the doctor was and when I tell her repeatedly she ignored me and then finally admitted oh he has a reputation. She gave me a whole speech of what she thinks I should do knowing I can’t do it (or should know) It can be frustrating. But congrats on getting closer to surgery!

Monthly Bariatric checklist November

Okay so this is the way it was explained to me by my bariatric clinic: Insulin-resistance plays a HUGE part in how our metabolisms work and the longer we have disordered diets (binge/purge, or binge/crash diet, or calorie restrict/binge exercise) we mess with all of our hormones and homeostasis signals get their wires crossed and our set points keep going up,up,up, and up. WLS disrupts all of the “bad” data and our bodies “forget” the previous set point. We go into free-fall and actually start mobilizing stored fat for energy instead of our bodies storing MORE fat in response to calorie deprivation. The exact mechanism of action is unknown, but VGS and Bypass have the same effect. Sadly the phenomenon seems to stop somewhere around the 12-18 month PO mark, and then our bodies yet again start recording data and “punishing” us for bad decisions. Metabolic free-fall ends and we better be able to make good choices or else we start the vicious cycle all over again.

Baritastic. Food, water, weight, tracks everything you need and is designed for bariatric patients. I know it doesn't connect with your doc but I'd tell them too bad and that you can show them when you have appointments. Baritastic is that good.

Well, I am pretty new into the endurance events - finished a sprint tri last month and doing a 50 mile bike event in 2 weeks. I am totally experimenting with nutrition at this point - but finding a LOT of energy and good recovery with WFPB (whole food plant based.) It is pretty amazing who many world class athletes use this eating lifestyle to enhance their performance and reduce recovery time. So far, the RX bars which have 24 carbs, but also 12 gm of protein are working for me during training. (I do not eat sugar - it makes my joints swell and I hurt all over. ) I know I need to add some electrolytes to my water, so this week I am looking at some protein/electrolyte additions to see how that goes. It's good to know there are other bariatric surgery athletes out there! You know, only 10% of the US population will ever compete in an endurance event, and very few bariatric patients. That kind of puts us in a very small minority of people who have overcome literally huge obstacles (our own bodies) to achieve athletic goals. Congrats to all!!!

I'm not sure this was from my bariatric team, I will email the actual surgeon today though and see what he says.

I loathe that kind of gain, because most of my bariatric Dr. an appointments are around my cycle for whatever reason.

The BariatricPal Store carries a large selection of bariatric friendly coffee options at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/coffee .

@theexfatgirl - I think you may have already mentioned trying the unflavored protein powder? I apologize if you stated you had already tried it and it didn't work out. I put the unflavored protein powder into my jello and mixed it up (I was allowed jello, broth, sugar free popsicles, and the protein drinks or protein shakes I made myself. I have a bit of a lactose intolerance so was not able to make shakes with milk but I sure wish I could have! I added unflavored protein powder to my broth. I bought a variety box of protein soups from bariatric pal and in my 2nd week, I tried some of those. The one I thought would be the worst for my stomach, cream of tomato, my pouch actually liked but I figure I was just lucky. Also, I have a gastric bypass instead of a sleeve so I have no idea if that made ANY difference at all in being able to tolerate it. I think you said the protein drinks you tried were making your tummy hurt? I was just wondering about this as I have a LOT..and I mean a LOT of abdominal/intestinal cramping in general..and when added to the gas issues..I felt like my stomach..or what I 'used to call my stomach' was hurting so often! I don't know if it was because of my new 'anatomy' and plumbing, but I was given meds to help with this..cramping, spasms..and they seemed worse after drinking protein drinks (again, apologies for not knowing if it applies to both the sleeve and gastric bypass peeps) but I somehow managed to get them down...thinning them out helped a bit. I remember on Day 3 being VERY VERY DISMAYED and a bit angry that my hunger returned. Oh, I knew this was a chance BUT I was very envious of those who went months and even some...YEARS without feeling the return of hunger. I know some posters have mentioned trying to see if different temperatures help with your tummy issues. I found that oddly for me, warm things made my pouch MUCH happier than cold (and of course most protein drinks we drink are 'cold', well the pre-made ones I mean). I also used a heating pad for my abdominal area. Be KIND to yourself. You just had major surgery and your whole body is reeling from the impact as well as the anesthesia. This definitely made me grouchy..not saying it made you grouchy..LOL, just saying how I felt about it. I also had a hard time on my sibling thread although I was generally truly THRILLED for my surgery siblings....I am a slow loser and while I only had a few minor complications, I soon realized that a lot of what I was feeling was simply due to 1) Major Surgery 2) MAJOR MAJOR hormonal swings that I was warned about...3) Feeling in pain/uncomfortable 4) Wondering even with THREE years of preparing on a handful of days..if I had done the right thing. I was on liquids for over 45 days straight so I was VERY VERY frustrated with this. That being said, I only stayed down and frustrated for a few days. Don't get me wrong, I still get a bit down and frustrated but I am able to quickly step out of those feelings now that I'm over 3 months post-op. My surgeon and nutritionist were very encouraging when I was tripping out about not hitting protein goals..they told me to do the BEST I COULD in the first few weeks. I hope one of the suggestions or many of the suggestions are able to be of help to you..and of comfort. I will say my mood did a drastic pick up in weeks 3 and 4....and before I was even 1 month post-op, I was back in my secure feeling of knowing I did the right thing. For others it may take longer, but my fervent hope and wish for you is that you are able to find something soon you can handle to drink/eat and that the beautiful part of your journey starts (we often don't even know it has started until we look back in hindsight). Best wishes to you!! You CAN do this!!

So I just heard from my bariatric team and the coughing trouble comes from the loss of torso muscle. Wow. Time to build some muscle

Hey y'all. I've noticed for the last 3 weeks after I eat I am getting some pretty fierce heartburn. No reflux coming up, just that clean-burning sensation. I had bad acid reflux and heartburn pre-op that totally disappeared. I am taking Prilosec. It definitely doesn't feel like an ulcer or anything and doesn't hurt while eating. It's a very distinct heartburn sensation. Doesn't seem to be correlated to any type of food. Just happens shortly after I eat anything. Any thoughts on this? I was taking Arthrotec which is an NSAID but also mixed with a medicine to protect your stomach lining (prescribed by my bariatric surgeon and later by my primary care for a disc herniation). I stopped that and now I am on Celebrex, also an NSAID but required by my plastic surgeon 10 days pre-op skin removal and 10 days post-op, and also "safer on tummies". Again, this is coupled with the Prilosec. But yeah... heartburny! Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

I have been on point with taking the following: Bariatric Multivitamin 1 x's a day Biotin supplement - found the recommended fairly high dose to take in either Dr. Weiner's videos or that other dr who is hysterically funny and several here follow him Have Celebrate's hair, skin and nails multivitamin (I alternate with the sublingual biotin as I was worried about what happens if you take TOO much biotin) Eating at least 64 grams of protein a day. Dr has me going as high as 80 - I usually end up between 64 and 80 day. Maybe 3 days in past 6 wks where I got less than 64 gms My surgeons started me on the bariatric vitamins when I was pre-op and doing the liquid diet. He knows I added the biotin/skin, hair, nails supplement at same time I also started using Essie nail strengthener on my nails at the same time. My nails started growing so fast, just like when I was pregnant!!! Fast forward to the past 3 weeks, I am about 4 months post-op and my nails are more brittle than I've ever seen them, they tear off so much that the nail beds are shorter than my fingers...they look like a kid's fingers who chewed all their nails off. The ONLY thing I have not been consistent about getting in is the calcium citrate 3 x's per day. Could a calcium deficiency be the reason for this SUDDEN and drastic change?

Day 8. I was really hungry when i woke up but I had some double broth for breakfast with my shake and now i feel full. Since I am down 15 lbs (since I started this journey in April) my plantar fasciitis today (so far) is not painful. I also started listening to this book called Bariatric Mindset Success Live Your Best Life and Keep the Weight off After Weight Loss Surgery By: Kristin Lloyd. She also had the surgery. Good luck today everyone!

Agreed. Okay, so I will say that I’m more of a “tough love” kind of person and can be blunt sometimes. Part of that is decades as a healthcare practitioner (do NOT try to lie to me and tell me that the dog ate your Xanax and you need it filled early) and part of it is that I carry around a lot of mother/daughter issues with my mom. In short, she’s one of the biggest enablers on the planet and then tells lies/omits truth about it. Trying to confront her about it is like trying to punch a marshmallow, so how I compensate is to be brutally honest to the point of being (seemingly) outright rude at times. I used to feel bad about it, but as I get older, I’m more of a “take me or leave me” kind of person. I need to find a good support group— so far I can only find ones online. Both bariatric centers near me have crap format and hours. Meh. Anyway, just discovered this thread. Yay! I’ll probably lurk here more than post bc I don’t log food as often or as thoroughly as I should but I love seeing the menus

I understand your feelings completely and compared- at least to me- it’s normal. Around the second week, I put different spices in my broth to make it taste better and I pretended like it was something different. The grocery store bought bone broth was the worst. But a friend told me about the Bariatric Pal store and I bought the broth - it has 15 grams of protein. They also have drinks with 15 grams of protein that taste good and not too sweet. (Everything I bought prior to the surgery is what I can’t stand now, including the whey powder, shakes, and anything sweet.) It was the only thing I could do to get my protein in at that point. The Bariatric Pal store powder protein drinks and broth ( with my own seasonings added like poultry seasoning, salt & pepper it tarragon, etc) did help. It’s hard and it’s a mind game but it’s only for now- not for always. The time will go quickly. Also, when you start eating purée food, you will feel much better because of the vitamins & minerals that real food gives. I have read & saw on other sites that about the second week post op, people can get emotional. Well, I just knew I wouldn’t - until Day 9 post op hit me & I lost it. I melted down because I tried to do too much that day to shake the feelings of buyers remorse. Then, my hubby went to Red Lobster and had the nerve to bring home leftovers. Needless to say, that was his last time at Red Lobster. I yelled at him, cried (and I’m not a cryer), and I made him throw it out with the trash. Then, I couldn’t sleep & woke him up at 3:00 am & yelled at him again. I had buyers remorse big time. I couldn’t see the forest because of the trees. I had my 1st support meeting that week - which really helped a lot. It wasn’t very long after that where I was able to eat purée food and it made a world of difference! Keep hanging on! It will get better!😇

Hello! I was in the same boat as you! I’m 22 and for the last couple of years I was doing my research on WLS. I had to get my gallbladder removed last year due to having some pain from the stones. My 2 week post op appointment the doctor who did it asked me if anyone has talked to me about WLS. And that’s how I got started, that very same day of DEC 5 2018. Now i am almost 3 months post op. My advice would be call your insurance or even go to your primary care doctor and ask about WLS and ask for a referral to a Bariatric surgeon. Have a consultation appointment and they can actually let you know before continuing the process what your insurance covers and what they ask of your

Honestly for me protein comes after water, but I consider pretty dang important. I can (and do) take my bariatric supplements daily. I haven’t had a single piece of fruit since February and I have zero vitamin deficiencies. Almost all of my non-protein calories are in the form of veggie-carbs and a bit of fat— usually animal fat as I tend to eat very high protein most days. I can consume 700 calories in a day and get in >90gm protein and

Day 9. Another clean day that I was very grateful for. Place that I've traveled that I'm most grateful for? First, I'm extremely grateful for my ability to travel to many incredible places. Reading and traveling is what makes my life pleasurable. My husband and I very early on decided we were going to educate our kids through travel and it has been great seeing other parts of the world with them. I'm most grateful for a couples trip I took with my brother and sis in law (my BFF) to Tahiti. Words can't describe how needed that trip was at the time. My BFF is also a physician, my brother is in a ridiculous high powered job that's even worse in stress and my hubs is an attorney. We got to that Island EMPTY!!!!!! We returned home full, renewed and in love with ourselves. I will be forever grateful for that trip. Gave me an actual measuring stick for when I need a break. B-Side Question: How has your S/O been handling all of the changes since WLS? My husband is the only person I told about my surgery and his daily support and care makes me fall in love with him daily. He's not changed towards me in any way and compliments my achievements. The best part is truly believing based on his actions, that he loves me regardless of my weight [emoji176][emoji176][emoji176][emoji176] Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello! My first post... BRAND NEW here! Hi! I'm (almost) 48 and went in for my surgery back in September of this year. They put me to sleep, woke me up, and said "we can't operate. You have a large mass in your stomach." WHAT??! Long story short, they referred me to OBGYN and I found out I have a cantaloupe-sized cyst parked on top of my good-for-nothing uterus. The OBGYN said she would consult with the bariatric surgeon and if her surgery is without any complications, they could both operate on the same day. She will be the lead surgeon, as the hysterectomy takes precedence, and if there are no adhesions/nothing unexpected, the bariatric surgeon will begin his procedure once she is out. I've googled quite a bit and it doesn't seem as though there is much information out there addressing this type of procedure. I'm a little nervous but I trust that these surgeons will be safe and do what is in my best interest. But it's scary... surgery is scary, regardless. Anyway~ that's my introduction! I'm 5'7", 260 pounds, and expect to look like a 30 year old supermodel this time next year. Or an "improved me." I'm happy either way!

I would go with your surgeons recommendation since most of the folks here are not doctors. I weighed 215 (5 ft 5) at my consult....I’m thinking since I’m at the “lower” end of the BMI that he’d recommend the sleeve. I have reflux so he recommended bypass. Since the surgery, reflux is gone. My BP went from high 140’s/80’s to 120’s/ 70( or less) , the same day. It’s crazy! Do your homework, sounds like you are. Btw, your pcp probably isn’t an expert on bariatric surgery. Good luck with whatever you choose!

I’m sorry that you’re hurting I’m sorry that you’re struggling I am going to call you out though for lashing out very rudely. Whether you like the advice or not, someone took time out to give a response. Yes, maybe the wording was a bit harsh, but please take the message and go back to all of the months of physical and psychological prep that went into this. There are many of us here from decades-long veterans to those surgeried just in the last few weeks that can help. The first 2 weeks are the absolute worst. Your body is tired, your mind is tired and everything is dramatically different. However, I haven’t heard of a single weight loss patient who didn’t know this going in, so refer to your action plan and work the plan. Drink Protein shakes (if possible) Vitamins Rest Work with your NUT and bariatric clinic. They don’t disappear after surgery, they are there and want you to succeed. For the first 8 days post-op, I “consumed” a total of 800 calories. For 8 days. Didn’t hit a single protein goal ANY of those days. Emailed my NUT panicked 3 times that week bc I couldn’t hold in anything thicker than water. Her advice was to relax and not stress too much about the protein as long as the water happened. She was right and within 2 more weeks I finally hit my first protein goal. It took me 3 weeks after surgery to do that, so you’re still good. It won’t always be easy, but life changing measures seldom come easily.

Hello everyone. I'm new to this and am very nervous about this whole thing. I have been seeing my primary doctor for years about my weight and have tried numerous diets and pills thru my doctor. I have UMR for insurance but they go by the United healthcare choice plus guidelines for bariatric surgery. I have received different answers from different representatives through my insurance place regarding the 6 month diet requirements. Does it need to be consecutive? How far back can those 6 months go? Does it have to be doctor supervised or can I show weight watchers logs? My surgeon office initially told me it doesn't have to be consecutive and can go back 2 years. But I was just doing some reading and saw that some people with this same plan had to have consecutive visits and within the 6 months prior to the authorization being sent in. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Yes! Also doing bariatric food coaching/meal plans/books. My old blog I no longer keep was low carb keto. I also had a fasting days healing days blog for a short period. fluffychixcook.com fastdayshealingdays.com