Search the Community

There are some books that helped me: "Emotional First + Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery" by Cynthia Alexander - this one helped me the most. It helps you separate emotions from eating; also, to set up your environment to minimize eating what you have a hard time staying away from. "From the First Bite" by Kay Sheppard "The Bariatric Foodie Guide to Perfect Protein Shakes" Hope these help!

Hi, sorry that you are disappointed. I had a gastric bypass on 3 March 2017 and the surgeon noticed a lot of scar tissue and tissue adhesion during the surgery. The surgery was twice as long as planned. I had to pay for my surgery, (very little is covered by the public health system in New Zealand, and private insurance doesn't cover bariatric surgery here), I'm wondering if I hadn't paid, whether the surgery would have been aborted. I have M.E. and Lupus as well. This journey has turned out to be a lot harder than I mentally prepared myself for.

YEP! Kind of like Bariatric Pal!

There is a recipes section on this site. Not sure if you have had a chance to look at it or not. Also there is a site called "the world according to eggface", it has a lot of bariatric recipes. I would definately suggest making a good homemade chicken stock for your liquid phase. Use carrots, celery, onions, chicken, Water, salt, pepper, garlic if you like it. For most this becomes a lifesaver during both preop and post op liquid phases. Trust me, you will be sick of Protein shakes and needing something warm and comforting to sip on. It helps with hunger too during preop. I made homemade chicken cacciatore using boneless chicken breasts, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, garlic and your favorite marinara sauce. I then vacuume sealed it in 2/3 oz. portions and froze them. When I wanted to eat, I simply dropped one in boiling water to heat through. I bought a vacuum sealed after another bariatric pal suggested it. It is one of the best tools in my kitchen given my need for tiny little portions, especially the first 6 months. I would bring home leftovers from the restaurant and get 2/3 more meals or more out of 1. I made a lot of different chicken, ground beef, ground chicken/turkey dishes. In the beginning casseroles are not recommended. Stick with Proteins with Fat free gravies or sauces to help them slide down easily. I would go to the eggface site to get some good purée ideas. I personally did not do well in that phase and lived on yogurt, Protein Shakes and cottage cheese. Good luck to you!

Hanging my head in shame :think Well Chantal... I feel horrible... feel like I let myself down and you down. I gave in and bought a pack. Not that it is a good excuse... but the frustration of dealing with the bariatric team has been unbelievable. Last week they told me they FORGOT to call me after their review... they decided they wouldn't approve my seeing Dr. Chua until I faxed my food records (two weeks worth) AHHHHHHHHHHHHH... so... I faxed them yesterday... they called me back and said that I am eating too much and too often (duh) and that they want me to be successful so they want me to record two more weeks. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH This is not what they told me at my appointment and I met every single goal they set forth. THis is the first summer I have had off with my daughter... EVER... I wanted so bad to be able to lose enough weight that we could do things like swimming and biking and rollar blading... things I either feel to self-conscious to do or just can't handle physically. So... I am powerless in the bariatric situation and now obviously the smoking. THey knew that I had just quit smoking but it is apparently more important that I adhere to a bandlike diet... it seems they would have taken that into consideration when looking at my food records. Sorry for venting... it did make me feel better and sorry for puffing... but as GOd as my witness... I will quit smoking if it's the last thing I do! I hope you hang in there Chantal... if you can do it... then I know there is hope that I can too! I consider this a setback... not a failure. I just reek... shame on me. Darcy

Hi. I have BCBSGA. They require a Nutrition Evaluation, a BMI of 35 with 1 co-morbidity or a BMI of 40+. My Dr's office submitted for approval on 8/17 and I was approved 9/1; my surgery is 9/22. They don't require a supervised diet or any % of weightloss; but your specific doctor might. I would call BCBSGA to verify your specific plan has bariatric benefits. [They can email you thier gastric policy, which lists their requirements for surgery in detail] Good Luck!

My pre-op diet started today 3/18 anc consists of Bariatric Advantage shake for breakfast and lunch. If I want a AM snack it is to be 6 oz tomato juice or low cal vit c fruit juice. At night I can make dinner or some of the low card ww meals, lean cruisine, etc. PM snack can be 1 oz cheese and fruit, or yogurt and nuts, or another protein shake. I was a bit hungry come dinner time tonight but I think this will be liveable. Only 26 more shakes still surgery.

Hello newbies. This is the time we call adjusting to the band. Your body does need time to heal and process the fact that heyyy, I'm not getting all that food in me. Yes, there will be many days that you're going to feel as though you're starving to death. But guess what???? You're not. You're just not used to eating and drinking this way and it does take time to get used too. Please please follow the plan of your bariatric team. They are the experts and we're your support. Congratulations on being banded and best wishes to you.

OK, now that I've whined and moaned, I pulled out the info from the bariatric program and found the following: I can have a 1 cup salad in addition, and I can make my own dressing for it--woo! So I got up and went to the store, and got a brainstorm while I was there--I can season my meat any way I want--so why not with pico de gallo (chopped raw garlic, onion, tomato, cilantro)? I'm getting excited about dinner. I picked up some asparagus that I'm going to dress with a ginger vinagrette. I just need to get over myself lol, and get creative with it!

The only way you are going to know for sure is to apply. Check your coverage; if your insurance flat out doesn't pay for bariatric surgery, then you will have trouble with them. Mine had coverage for BMIs over 40 or over 35 with co-morbidities.

A thread for those of us banded at DCH by Mr Leeder. I was banded there and have now lost 110 pounds in eight months. I had excellent care from the whole team and everything has turned out well for me. The support is great from the whole bariatric team. How did you get on? What are your experiences? How much have you lost? Have you been to a support meeting? Are you going to be banded there? How are you feeling about it?

My doctor was Dr. Frank Veninga.Thanks to this staff and their thorough paperwork and questions, I was approved on my first attempt. I can't say enough good things about them. North Texas Bariatric & General Surgery 4333 N. Josey Lane Plaza II - Suite 207 Carrollton, Texas 75010 PH 972.939.8218 FX 972.395.1789 website http://www.bariatricsurgerydallas.com/index.html

Hello All, Any insights on Mini gastric bypass VS gastric bypass? I am scheduled for mini gastric bypass in Mexico via Mexico Bariatric Centre on March 12 2016.

Hello Everyone, Let me introduce myself. My name is Enrique “Henry” Cortez, I am the Office Manager for Bariatric Pal Team MX. Having been born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, I have the advantage of growing up in the highly dynamic and always changing bi-cultural environment of the Tijuana-San Diego area and I am 100% bilingual. I have a Bachelors in Communications from the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. I have applied my knowledge and skills in the fields of Government Communications Offices, Television & Film industry, Logistics and Transportation, Customer Service, Sales, Technical Support, Telemarketing and Medical Tourism in the capacity of Team Leader, Supervisor, Coordinator and Manager. What can I do for you? I can help you with your invoice, financing, surgery date and anything related to coordinating your surgery. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding your surgery. Have a wonderful day!

I'm a newbie .My wieight has been a struggle for years.Up and down.Start a diet stop a diet .I had to come to terms with my self about my health and well being.i decided i was ready to take charge and to something about it.I just went to a seminar on 9/21 completed my insurance information and just waiting for the bariatric department to contact me.The ball is rolling I'm excited and a little afraid at the same time . I am open to any and all advice, suggestion, web info etc..

In our program, orientation was really just a high level overview of the bariatric program itself. They had 2 patients who were about 1 year and 2 years out from surgery respectively. They talked about their journey and allowed us to ask some questions. They then had the main nurse who coordinates things come in and speak for a bit, followed by one of the nutritionists and then a short video by one of the surgeons.

The focus of 2016 for me will continue to be centered on my health and weight loss journey. I plan to reach my goal weight by my birthday in March, but even if I don't I will continue my eating plan. I'm a bit of a foodie and love good food and wine but now realize that alcohol may need to drop off the menu along with the recreation of trying out new restaurants. My husband wanted to take me out for a big New Year's Eve dinner at a highly acclaimed restaurant, but when I saw the menu I realized I would be overeating ( several courses were being served) and over drinking. I didn't want to feel the regret of going off my plan and trying to eat all that food or the sting of him paying for food / wine I can't eat / drink. We opted for a fun evening with friends and I was able to take a few healthy appetizers for their buffet. Their celebration was alcohol- free. Surprisingly, neither one of us felt deprived and we had a great time. Even though this is sort of unrelated, I have been the recipient of some of my mom's estate - antiques and household items. Although I really love her, I'm not an antique kind of person contemporary and minimalist is more my style. The realization came that all stuff has been in my garage and storage for about 5 years, cluttering my space with its physical and emotional weight and costing extra money to store. My resolution is to find a way to let go of her things ( keeping the great memories of course) and lose the burden that having it entails. Having surgery has helped me to become lighter in so many ways that I cannot imagine the act of divesting myself of all the stuff I've been holding onto will not further enhance my journey going forward. So many things about having VSG have come as a surprise. I'm looking forward to more NSVs, optimizing my health and helping my hubby as he begins to lose weight too. Looks like we're off to a good start????????????????Happy New Year and wishes for your success to all my Bariatric Pals!

All bariatric surgeries have their success stories. And all can be defeated. Some surgeries are recommended by surgeons over others based on your medical history and comorbidities. If that is not a factor in your case, you surgeon may leave the decision up to you. But if asked directly, most surgeons will make a recommendation for one surgery over another. And as others have suggested, nothing will build your confidence like your own research and you're in the perfect place to benefit from the experiences of so many great folks. Welcome to the forum! You're gonna love the new you!!

One therapy session isn't how therapy works. Therapy's sort of like "eating well," in that one healthy meal doesn't make you healthy. It's a process. I've been seeing a therapist for the last 21 months (mostly once a month) -- started two months pre-op. I've found a great one -- he works with bariatric patients (although not exclusively), so he knows the WLS and obesity territory. I don't know that a therapist without that kind of experience would be all that helpful to someone in our situations. Oh ... and my surgeon told me pre-op when I asked him what does he think distinguishes best between those patients who lose all their weight and keep it off from those who don't, "Bottom line, those who don't lose touch with us, who always keep all their appointments, are the ones who do the best." Very best to you! Your future is in YOUR hands.

Did anyone drink the Special K protein shake for pre op diet...I am drinking bariatric advantage and can only drink 4oz a day its that nasty....anyone have any other suggestions?

Is it true that weight loss with the band is basically the same as weight loss with a diet? And if it is, why have surgery at all? From time to time, a bandster will comment (sometimes in the context of a complaint, sometimes just in surprise or confusion) that weight loss with the band is basically the same as weight loss with a diet. They’re disappointed by this. They expected WLS to make weight loss easier than it is with dieting, and while that's true, it's only part of weight loss success. They may hold the mistaken belief that the band itself is what causes weight loss, but that’s not true either. The band is just a piece of plastic. Although it’s inside the patient’s body, it does not directly affect the way nutrients from food are ingested or metabolized. It releases no weight loss instructions into the patient’s bloodstream, nervous system, or endocrine system. It doesn’t directly affect the patient’s eating behavior or exercise habits. It doesn’t compel the patient to make good food choices, limit portion sizes, eat slowly, or resist the urge to graze or binge because of boredom, stress, cravings, etc. After reading that long list of what the band doesn’t do, you may be thinking that it’s a mighty expensive and not very helpful weight loss tool. Why go through the risk, trouble and expense of WLS when you could achieve the same results with plain old dieting? HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Here’s some news that may shock you: I lost 100% of my excess weight by dieting after my band surgery. My dietitian gave me a food plan to follow, and I followed it. It never occurred to me to do otherwise or to complain about that because my bariatric team had made it clear that I, not my band, was going to have to make some significant lifestyle changes in order to succeed. It wasn’t until after the excess weight was gone, after a big unfill to treat an irritated esophagus and stoma (after swallowing a large, corrosive antibiotic capsule), that I realized how much my band had been helping me by reducing my appetite and giving me early (if not always prolonged) satiety. I had been taking my band for granted – out of sight, out of mind. I suppose it’s possible that I had been experiencing a placebo effect; that my band worked for me simply because I believed it would. If so, it was a remarkable and long-lived placebo effect. It wasn’t until my band was being refilled after a complete unfill (to treat a band slip) when I was 3 years post-op that I experienced a stunning, “Oh, so this is what it’s all about!” aha moment. My experience of restriction then was quite different than it had been the first time around, because I understood more about my band’s effects and how to optimize those effects, and because my body had changed so drastically since my surgery. Whether your 8-ounce water glass is half empty or half full, it still contains 4 ounces. Getting the most out of those 4 ounces is largely a matter of attitude adjustment. You can accept that you have 4 ounces, then make the best of it, or you can give up all together and spend your life in wistful regret. You can find another way to fill your WLS glass – complain to your surgeon, or the band manufacturer, revise to a different WLS procedure – or give up altogether and spend your life in angry regret. Taking the “half full” viewpoint may be easier for me than for others because I’m an opportunist who actually enjoys making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Webster defines “opportunist” as one who uses the art, policy, or practice of taking advantage of opportunities or circumstances, often with little regard for principles or consequences. Since I do have immense regard for principles and consequences, perhaps I’m not a classic opportunist. But I see nothing wrong with taking advantage of opportunities and circumstances when my own careful plans aren’t working or have led me into unknown territory. Resourcefulness has been a handy life skill for me. BUT I WANT IT TO BE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME I do know what it’s like to be disappointed with a purchase, though, be it a band, a blouse, or a bicycle. I want the item I purchase to be suitable, if not perfect, for its intended use. During a shift at my retail “day job” the other day, I helped a customer whose garment size wasn’t in stock. She didn’t want to order that garment – she wanted it now, so much so that she considered buying the wrong size and having it altered to fit her. Before I could volunteer an opinion, this woman uttered the very words I was thinking: “I hate to pay good money for something new and have to alter it. I just want to buy it and wear it.” If I were a better (or pushier) salesperson, she might have bought that garment, but I’m not and she didn’t. If your adjustable gastric band hasn’t (yet) lived up to your expectations, you do have my sympathy. It’s not easy – if even possible – to return a disappointing medical implant, and it’s maddening to have to “alter” it (by dieting, for example) to make it work for you. I could tell you (unhelpfully) that your expectations were not realistic, but it’s also possible that your surgeon educated you well, you’re a “compliant” patient, and yet your band just isn’t up to snuff. According to Doctors Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband, authors of Your Medical Mind, “Medicine is an uncertain science.” No one, not even your doctor, can say with certainty what impact a condition “will have on an individual’s life or how someone will experience the side effects from a particular treatment. Each of us is unique in the interplay of genetic makeup and environment. The path to maintaining or regaining health is not the same for everyone.” Doctors Groopman and Hartzband go on to describe what they call the ‘focusing illusion’. “In trying to forecast the future, all of us tend to focus on a particular aspect of our lives that would be negatively affected by a proposed treatment. This then becomes the overriding element in decision making. The focusing illusion neglects our extraordinary capacity to adapt, to enjoy life with less than ‘perfect’ health. Imagining life with a colostomy, after a mastectomy, or following prostate surgery can all be skewed by the focusing illusion. We cannot see how the remaining parts of our lives expand to fill the gaps created by the illness and its treatment.” Despite carefully-devised formulas and scoring systems (intended to direct resources and money to those most likely to survive) for calculating a patient’s chances of surviving a treatment or illness, doctors are lousy at predicting outcomes. A study in England found that one out of 20 ICU patients who doctors predicted would die actually lived, and most of those who survived had a good quality of life. I don’t think that’s a sign of medical incompetence. I think it’s a sign of the unquenchable human spirit and its enduring will to survive and even thrive against all odds. One of my life goals is to survive and thrive, no matter what. That’s an ambition you can’t get from a medical device or bottle of medicine. It comes from within you, and if you think you don’t have it, or not enough of it, I suggest that you look again. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Went to my support group tonight that is run by one of the nurses from the bariatric office and asked her about the exercises. She explained that the only one they really want me to stay away from is going from a laying down (flat on back) to a full sitting up position. That move is uncomfortable for me anyway so I guess really nothing to worry about :-)

I am 7 1/2 weeks post-op and last week started working out at the gym with a trainer. I was under the impression that 6 weeks post-op you can resume abdominal excercises. Monday I had an appt with the nurse praciticioner at the bariatric office who said that I can no longer do crunches forever and have to be careful with other ab moves as well. Anyone else told this as well? I am aware that the port if stitched into my abdominal wall and that I have to be careful but how can I accomplish a good work-out of my abs then? Any suggestions?

The bariatric nurse in my doc's practice suggested only weighing in once a month at the doctor's office. This worked for me, especially since the scales I could get for home couldn't weigh me. It was difficult but it was a good hting because rather than seeing 1/2 pound at a time I got to see bigger nmbers which were very motivating and I used my clothes and how I felt the rest of the time. I must say for a while at 3 months or so out I did weigh once a week at the doctor's office, but that got old so I went to once a month. As you get down there - you may want to weigh a little more often if it helps "keep you honest" It really is a personal decision.

This whole debacle reminds me of teenagers and a team Edward va team Jacob debate. I know the pro-Mexico contingent is strong here and that's great for them. But there is no fing way I would go there for surgery. If something goes wrong, you're on your own. There are too many variables and considering how rabid people get over the issue it really makes it hard to know how many have had bad experiences who are afraid to talk. Hmm. Sorry you had a difficult time. I hope you are able to fibd an affordable bariatric program at home for your nutritional follow-up s.