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I take a Vitamin I get from the Health food store.. it is called "life's fortune" it is wonderful. It gives you lots of energy. I took the bottle to my doc and he looked it over and said it was fine to take them. I take 3 in the morning and it helps with energy. My daughter in law can take them and within hours can feel a difference in her energy level..it usually takes a couple of days before I "feel" more energized. It is not a chewable but a pill so you would have to be able to swallow pills. In the evening I take 1 flintstone's chewable w/iron and it has a terrible after taste. I also take the Bariatric Advantage calcium soft chews. they are sooooo good it is like eating a dessert!! rhonda

My doc told me calcium helps in the flushing out of fat cells, but I don't know about the rest of the vitamins. I can't stand the bariatric advantage vitamins either. They almost disgust me, but I am getting used to them. I take them anyway.

I don't midn the flavor of mine so much, as remembeing to take them 4x a day. I am good with about 3 of them a day but regularly forget the 4th, and also have problems fitting the calcium in 2 hours apart from the multi. I need an appt reminder or something. I also wish there were a gummy bariatric Vitamin. I have opurity bariatric Vitamins on hand which I bought before meeting with her because i liked the fact that they were one a day. But my nut rattled off a list of things I would need to take a small supplement if I took them. However at this point, if I'm missing my 4th pill a few times a week, based on the differences in levels between the two of them, I might be better off with taking the one a day. I had no idea calcium had a role in flushing out fat. Cool.

Hi -- Curious to find out if not taking a multi-Vitamin can impact weight loss? I haven't been the best at consistently taking mine. I was given the go ahead to take them starting week 3, and I'm just finishing up week 5. I'm not a fan of the flavor and leaves me feeling a bit icky after I take it. Curious to see what you guys thought, if there is any correlation between lack of Vitamins & weight loss . I have an appointment with my DR on Thurs, so going to see what other options there are for vitamins. The Bariatric Advantage berry flavor chewables are not the greatest if you ask me! Don't want to short myself nutrients, nor weight loss so eager to see what my other options are. Eager to hear what you guys have to say.

Everyone is different. The first day of surgery was miserable , but I walked 2 miles on the bariatric floor. I was cleared for liquids and was on lorcet on day 2 - not as spacey as the morphine made me feel. I took no narcotics after I went home the next day. I went back to work at 2 weeks, at a reduced schedule and easied back into full speed by 4 weeks. I lost weight quickly at first but am losing 1-2 pounds a week currently. It will take a long time for me to get to goal but I feel so much better I rate it a success. This is not as good as some , but I am not ketotic and miserable. I hope this helps.

YES… Stress can stall weight loss. I have dealt with this challenge prior to getting sleeved. I was able to loose 65 lbs with low carb high Protein diet and hit a terrible stall when I was very stressed. The stressors affected my life for over 6 months and I did not loose another pound. I gained about 10 lbs over that 6 months and "justified" this as my body balancing out despite the diet. I went off the diet and gradually gained another 10 lbs. Then my PCP changed my thyroid medication and I gained all the weight plus another 10 lbs (getting to 265 lbs) Thats when I decided it was time for bariatric surgery. Now when I get stressed and see the scales stall…. I try to be calm, take a deep breath and tell myself that I am in control of the choices I make so, think, pray and choose what will be best for me.

Dr. Haggerty was my second choice. I ended up with Dr. Denham largely because of location when it came down to chosing. I haven't heard anything about the Kane Center. I know in my research I kept seeing that it was important that they be a "Center for Excellence." I think they have extra hurdles to obtain than the average bariatric center. Keep me posted on your journey...excited about having a partner close by!

I've had a leak almost 9 months now. They have tried everything, sometimes more than once, I go to a large hospital in Seattle. I had a consult last week with a bariatric surgeon and after talking with him, I am really considering getting the "fix it surgery" or Bypass, because I am not healing and I have very little quality of life. But my gastro doc says "just be patient, i'm confident it will heal." As of now I have a PICC line (3rd one) for food. I haven't eaten in a month in a half and the month before that only a few bites of Beans a few times. I am so hungry!!! Of course, my family has to eat so I have to smell food every night and I want to cry. I have a drain tube (the 3rd one) coming out my back. Have lost 2 jobs and was recently given one back, but is now rocky because I can get sick at any given time and they know that. I have went to work a few days then been hospitalized several times and back out for approx. 2 months at a time. I am in pain almost always, have been on pain meds almost every single day. I have been hospitalized probably 10 times ( 5 hours away from my family so no one is ever able to be there with me). The longest stay almost a month. I have to go back (5 hours one way) every couple of weeks and sometimes we have to borrow money for gas just to get there. I has ruined us financially. I do have insurance but I have racked up at least 350,000 dollars in hospital bills. There were months we could not afford dinner for our kids. I can't sleep but a few hours at a time. I try to work 3 days a week just to keep the lights on and food in the fridge, but its obviously very uncomfortable as I am a nurse and on my feet all day. I have very little family support, just my husband who has taken about 6 weeks of time off work to take me back and forth to Seattle (he worries about his job) . In fact, it has ruined several relationships in my family. My parents only live 10 miles away, young and healthy (at least my mom, my dad does have med prob), and they have not showed up one time to ask if I need help while my husband is gone 50 hours a week working. That hurts the worst. I could probably go on and on as you can imagine, but I want people to see how bad it has been for me going through this as I am sure many of you can relate. I was told the bypass was an option from the beginning. But I did not want that, so I think I have been strong and held out for a long time before considering the fix it surgery, or Bypass. I just feel I cant do this much longer. And now my gastro doc wants me to go back to Seattle to have open surgery for a feeding tube in place of the picc line in a few weeks. So this is obviously far from over. This will be my second feeding tube. The bariatric surgeon and his partner act like this is a good idea at this point. Yes, of course they say my chances of complication increase because its a fix it or revision surgery, at about 5%. They seem confident I can have a successful surgery and heal and be back on my feet in about a month. I just need advice, comments, if you have done it and are you happy you did? I am afraid, and I have seen this story on this site where someone went through similar things and still had to have the bypass and of course, says don't go through this for too long because you may end up having to have it anyway. How is the bypass different in the way of eating and quality of life versus the sleeve. My gastro doc said it took one patient a year and a half to heal, but she did. Of course she was much older than me, but still I CANNOT IMAGINE LIVING LIKE THIS FOR 9 MORE MONTHS!!!! Thank you so much, I really need the support and information on this big decision.

I had read this article pre surgery and thought it was good but of course wasn't there yet. Just stumbled across it again and I find it very helpful in a motivational way. I've read some of the guys other articles on his experience and they are really good. http://www.jeremycschofield.com/fitness-bariatric-surgery/ He mentions an exercise tracking app called JEFIT . Has or does anyone use this? If so how is it? I just downloaded it and am going to mess around with it in a bit.

Found this at the local bariatric specialty nutrition store. OMG it is absolutely delicious! Has a very gritty texture from the flax but it is so yummy. So much better than Peanut Butter.

It is a multilevel marketing thing. Good but u end up signing up for delivery that is too much.. look up Celebrate Vitamins for Bariatric Surgery which are chewable and balanced for our needs.

My surgeon and dietitian says that juice plus is a great way to get antioxidants because we can't eat as many fruits and veggies....but that it is not a replacement to a good bariatric multi vitamin, iron, and calcium supplements.

My bariatric doctor told me during my initial consultation that 90% of his patients lose 95 pounds during the first year with gastric bypass. He had never had a sleeve or lap band patient, so that was the only statistic he had on his past patients. To me, 95 pounds in one year would have been amazing. When I switched to VSG, it seemed like 95 pounds in one year would be almost impossible to reach. I was more than ecstatic when I lost 95 pounds five months after surgery. When I lost 140 pounds at 7 months post op, I hit goal. I would love to keep this weight off forever and I know it might be quite a struggle to do so. I've read that most post op patients gain about 10%-20% of their weight back after two years. That would be about a 15 pound gain for me, so I'm trying to decide if I should lose 15 more pounds now.

Hi! I've mentioned this on a forum in the pre-op gastric sleeve group but am hoping for more information from this one. So basically- I have UHC which covers bariatric surgery as long as I meet the requirements which is not a big deal or concern for me. However- I have learned that once my precert is submitted, I cannot schedule surgery any sooner than 6 months from that date. So if I submit and am approved in December, I cannot have surgery until May of 2016. I made sure each time I spoke with them that they are not referring to the 6 month diet/weight loss supervision. This is a year long process...apparently. Has anyone else seen or heard of this? I keep praying that they are ALL confused and misunderstanding the information in front of them, but even reading it, it's pretty clear. I've researched all over the internet and have YET to come across a situation similar to mine. I have to make my surgeon's office aware of this tomorrow as the benefits coordinator was completely unaware when I spoke with her previously about this and mentioned my concern. She didn't think it sounded correct and basically told me not to worry about it. But now I have no choice but to accept what is. Just curious to know if anyone else is in the same disappointing situation as I. Perhaps I'm looking for a buddy to pitch a fit with Or maybe someone to reassure me that this is not the end of the freakin' world and 6 more months is not really as bad as it currently sounds....

Ummmmm. United Healthcare does cover Bariatric surgery. It depends on what your employer (if through work) elected to have covered. My experience with UHC has been top notch and they covered everything but about $500-700 of deductibles.

First, make sure bariatric surgery is covered with the new company. While you're on the phone with them, you can ask them for surgeons in your area. I strongly suggest you create an account on your carrier's website and search through there. If it helps at all, Cigna covers but United Healthcare does not. Also, I wish you the best of luck in your search for a new provider!

Yeah, I know, not exactly an easy thing to ask for BUT I'm having a group of friends over who are past bariatric patients, all in maintenance and I want to prepare something sweet for them- like little shooter Desserts, that are bariatric friendly. My other option is to whip up some homemade whipped cream and add a small dollop. I'm looking to make things pretty- not calorie/fat laden. Any suggestions? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The best reassurance I can give you is that anesthesiologists who are associated with bariatric groups generally have extensive experience with obese patients and are probably your best bet for a safe anesthesia episode. If you share ever aspect of your health with them, being 100% truthful about the good, bad and ugly, they can do the job they need to do. They need to know if you have sleep apnea or suspect sleep apnea, your drug/alcohol usage (both prescribed and OTC drugs as well as any herbal/vitamins/etc), your activity level, and so on and so forth. There's no guarantee for any of us, but we can up the odds we'll get through surgery safely but being honest and trusting our caregivers with all of our information. Good luck to you!

First of all---WELCOME! Why not talk your surgical fears through with a therapist? Couldn't hurt, right? A therapist should be able to see you through and out of your fears. He/she should also be able to teach you some "calming" techniques you can use to ease the stress and anxiety the day of surgery. What goes on "while you're asleep" is best left to the professionals who have spent many many years training --becoming expertly capable of performing your WLS. You will be "napping peacefully" while they are hard at work ensuring the rest of your life will be ever changed for the better. Do all of your pre op research. Read, view, attend, discuss and FOLLOW YOUR PRE-OP PLAN TO THE LETTER. Include in those weeks and months consultations with a bariatric friendly therapist to work through your surgical fears. You can do this. You know it. You have much to do. Get moving! Keep posting and letting us know how your progress is going. I for one, am looking forward to following your successful WLS journey. Best wishes, and WELCOME, Friend.

Mushy, chewed up corn chips won't rip out titanium staples, so stop telling people that alarmist crap. The people that might pop a staple are few and far between. We're not sewn up with bubble gum and fishing twine. I really hate to see people trying to scare new patients into compliance. It simply does not work this way. SEcond of all, OP, you know EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING WRONG. You know what you're eating that is off plan and you know your thinking is off. If you want people to say it's okay, this is definitely not the place for it... Bariatric Pal is known for being... aggressively real. I"m sure your doc gave you a meal plan. Pull it out, stick it on the fridge. Plan ahead and follow it. Because right now, any weight loss you're experiencing is purely due to portion control. In a not very long amount of time, weight loss is more about how YOU help your sleeve and less about the sleeve doing it for you. This is your golden ticket. Don't waste it, because in three months you'll be gaining weight and not sure how to take it off. The pre op diet and every post here, all the links, all the youtube videos are set up to give you the education you need, but it's worthless if you don't plan to actually make changes. THE SLEEVE IS NOT MAGIC. It doesn't work no matter what you eat.

I only visited the one... it probably would have been a good idea to visit 1 or 2 others but I had gotten his name from another bariatric patient and was anxious to get the process started. I had the sleeve done because I was insistent upon it but he was kind of pushy about bypass and didn't listen much to my concerns wrt how bypass would affect me as a college student in particular... and his APN (who I have all my post-op appointments with) seems really against me being on sites like this which I think is kind of weird. So I think I might have been happier with another surgeon/team but my results have been pretty good so it's whatever. If you think the commute might be an issue I'd visit the closer surgeon just to get an idea for it.

I don't think I've given anyone reason to believe I am not fully aware of what the 2-week pre-op phase is intended for. This can be achieved by any calorie deficit, does not require a liquid diet, and you need only to be in immediate caloric deficit for a short time for the liver to shrink. Like I said, great that it worked for you. I have absolutely no motivation not to lift you up. But ceteris paribus, fewer people will get life-saving bariatric surgery if put on a months-long diet to qualify. The surgery is designed to help that diet work. We don't require ACL patients to go to physio 3x week for six months to qualify for ACL replacement.

I have UHC choice plus. Yes there was 6 month diet program but NO additional 6 month wait after that. Sounds like the person you are speaking to doesn't know what they're talking about. Have you called the bariatric resource center for UHC? They would have the best answer.

I was trying to decide between two different programs and went to my second informational meeting last night - made the decision then and there to go with that program after seeing how much more detailed and involved they are with their patients both pre and post-op. They've done over 2K bariatric surgeries in the past 15 years, with almost 400 being sleeves. I like those numbers! SO I handed in my 20 pages of paperwork/history last night, put an insurance referral request in to my PCP when I got home, and await the call to set up my many appointments/classes/tests. Looks like they run about 4 - 6 months on average. My insurance is easy so it will mostly be the surgeon requirements- and since they'll require me to lose about 22 lbs before surgery, that will likely be a major factor in determining how long I'm in the pre-op process. I freaked out a little on the drive there last night. Knowing that this is finally going to happen. I'm finally DOING something solid with regards to my weight. I've been obese since I was 5. I'm 36 now. I can't believe that by this time next year, I have a real chance of not being obese anymore, with a real chance of staying in the "normal" range for life. I can't even imagine what it feels like to be a normal size. It's a bit terrifying, but exhilarating at the same time Yay!

Well I want to thank you for your help and info you were very helpful the lady told me were to go on the wen site. I went to search typed in bariatric she told me the links for the guidelines and anthing esle I needed to know but the guidelines link doesnt show im probaly doing something wron thanks