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I remember Richard Burton, the Actor, saying He was innately painfully shy but nobody believed him. He was such a Good Actor he donned a Facade and nobody knew the Real Richard inside. This has some + but a Whole Lot of - and that was difficult to constantly maintain. What might look like slothful laziness to others might be "You being Kind to You", nobody can blaze forth on all burners without getting a little singed yourself. And in the long run, YOU were not. put on this 🌎 Earth just to pleases others but to live, love, appreciate and respect YOU, when all else fades, How Did You Treat You? Have I always been this bright? Nope, spent years and years, from my parents who werent sure a daughter was a Good Idea, through a husband who thought I should only be an extension of HIM and unto children , at least 1 of the 3 , did and still takes Me for granted, oh I was an Handy Doormat for everyone to Wipe their feet on, not until my Bariatric decision, where I said ITS TIME FOR ME, after the parents and my husband the Late Lamented had died, the children had acheived Adulthood, did I take the time to Believe in ME, that I deserved a chance to LIVE instead of dying OBESE, SAD and in PAIN. And when I finally grew up into Real Person-hood I have been accused of being strident, well maybe I am making up for years and years of being Victorine the Victim--- I am a Thinner Resilent Winner and I'm Living with a new-Found Gusto, had their opportunity to KILL ME, didn't and they'll need to just live with it NOW!

I have started the process and was told I’ll be able to have the surgery in 3 months, provided all tests are good of course. I have cut out sugar in the last 6 days (hardest thing I have done) and decided to order some shakes from a known company to see how they’ll be. They. Came last night and I had one for breakfast today and all I can say is....gross!! I had an iced latte flavor. It does seem to be filling, which is good, but it smells and tastes worse than any shake I’ve ever had (and I’ve tried a LOT). I got the sampler to see what flavor is most palatable. I don’t know if these are the ones my doc will give. Anyone know of bariatric shakes that aren’t gross?

Hey Babe,You Learn As You Go, we all, in each of our Own Ways, did! And like the Loving Bariatric Aunts and Uncles we Are, you're Fine and can do No Wrong in Our Eyes! We'll ❤YOU-- no Matter What Ever Happens- You not only have friends , YOU ARE part of OYR FAMILY NOW!

I started walking around my yard for 10 minutes 3x a day for the first week after surgery. Beginning week 2, and with my bariatric team consent, I began getting 10k steps a day (5k a.m. and 5k p.m.). I'm now 1 month post-op and walk 3 miles a.m. and bike 3 miles p.m. I'm looking forward to adding swimming into my routine this week 😊 I'm released to do all normal activities at the end of the week, so I'll be adding in strength training soon too. The most important thing is to follow the advice of your dr. Good luck and have fun adding in activities that you enjoy!

I take flintstones vitamins and all my test levels are normal.... The bariatric one's are for the birds....

Well , my goal all along has been size 15 Junior/175 pounds. The junior because for a Once very obese 🐤 and now lost feathers, claws and spurs, and probably my break and comb next, joke I already look like a Plucked Pullet in neighborhood of 190, scrawny neck, what seems like sunken- in cheeks, the whole sad train- wreck I think I LOOK like , although most people say I DON'T. I maybe chose 175 because it was a little over one- half the High Weight I once had 2 years ago, and after having Medical personnel say " OMG, You're at least 175 pounds overweight; that number, like a Bad Scar, I just can't escape it showing.Will 175 give me that cherished hope of a Size 15? Not certain, at this point I am either a 18 or 19, depending on which style pallets I'm dabbling in. I do miss Me, some of the old look I used to have, even the last time I was this size, Maybe summer of 1967, I still looked quite different. Although many say I do Not LOOK MY Age, I fear I look closer to the years I really have lived. Will they know ME when I walk into the Bariatric Clinic on August 14th? If they don't, IT IS THEIR OWN STUPID FAULT, not MY CHOICE not to be seen for 4 almost 5 months. Either it is Benign Neglect or I am NOT as interesting as once I was. Nurse Practitioner Valerie has decided to "grandfather" me into Good Health, does not want to do an additional EGJ even though I feel my ulcers are back again, the gnawing sensation eating , drinking milk, or even abstaining from food, nothing seems to relieve it. Yes I faithfully take my PPI once a day, have taken Carafate every 6 hours around the clock since October 12 2018, missed very few doses, probably could count them on my fingers and HAVE a digit or 2 left. But Valerie has made up in her little mind I am all BETTER, a miracle healing, Maybe she Moonlights as an TV Evangelist? Oh it is ONLY MY BODY after all, how dare I believe I might not be PERFECT by now? Oh,I have kept my faith with my surgeon, the Great White Kahuna of it All, I promised on July 17th 2018 if HE would permit and perform my Surgery he would never hear a Whine , Complaint or me saying I regretted Anything about my Road TO and Through RNY and I have kept My Promise! I, on the other hand made No Such Promise to Ms VALERIE Moore, Certified Nurse- Practioner along with her other titles , like Masters in Nursing, Advanced Practice Validation/ Certification and GOD himself knows What Else. I am basically placid, sweet- tempered, put up up with enough BS to fertilize A Very Large Garden Plot, but at 73 just how much do I Endure before fighting back at least verbally? I have submitted, rolled over until I can't launder the soil out of my clothes, I would cry at the injustice but turning the " Other Cheek" gains one 2 bruised cheeks and permanently Red Eyes and Ragweed season is nearly over, can't pass this off as Allergies as I once did. So better off or worse? I am thinner, look better, almost have a figure that Appears like a More Average Woman. But to gain this, I had MAJOR surgery, elected to make myself an Gastrointestinal Cripple. Yeah, in theory since I was an RNY, I could be reconnected since I did not lose my stomach, just had it divided into 2 sections, but what Guarantee do I have that ability to. take more than 6 ounces of anything in food, renewed enervation, natural peristalsis and all the things I once could take for granted WOULD work once again ? And Although I know my surgeon has more than adequate skills to effect this, would he be willing to? Would Medicare/ Medicaid fund another and MOST IMPORTANT-- Could I actually survive another? Yeah Alex Brecher did, but He's a Whole Lot Younger and his was to Save His Life, not to. merelyfeel better. Sorry folks, but tonight The.Big Brave Cowgirl has rode this pony until we are both 😫 Tired, stable one or both of us until Sunrise.💦😪&🐎

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a brink and mortar WLS/Bariatrc grocery store?

Here's Dr. Matthew Weiner's take on weight gain and stretching out your tool. It's a common issue. And newbies defend their position to the death: that "everything in moderation" is ok. Dr. Weiner calls it the myth of restriction and malabsorption. Love it! This isn't magic bean surgery. They operate on our tummies not our heads. So we have to do everything we can to address the head issues that contributed to our disease while maximizing the advantage that WLS provides. It doesn't just "magically" end being a tool at the end of our honeymoon periods (anything equal to or <2 years). You still have your tool. But you have to exercise it. I too highly recommend how healthy counseling is for us. Get a referral to your RD for post op loss care and also to a bariatric counselor. All of our surgeons wish that their patients come back to them when they are only at the 10lb regain stage rather than the 50 or 60 or 100lb regain stage. 10lbs in 3 months really needs to be quickly evaluated. It could be your choices, but it could also be hormonal of some nature and you need to have a complete work-up and evaluation. BTW, you should stick around here and get support and provide support. Your journey will help others just like you/us!!!! Here's Dr. Weiner on the subject.

Yes- my hospital is a center or bariatric excellence. After passing the upper GI with the barium study all patients are advanced in their diet. That is when we are also able to sip water and have the diets advanced. So clinically it's safe. It is just a difference in clinical practice. So we are all advanced. I am doing amazing on it.

I recommend working with your psychiatrist for the depression and leave the bariatric stuff to the surgeon. Adding to what others have said, if the depression is a true clinical depression it is a chemical imbalance which likely wouldn't be affected by weight loss. Now if the depression is more behavioral related weight loss could possible positively make a difference. Best wishes to you.

i take bariatric pal multi vitamin 1.. once a day it has all i need including 45 of iron plus 1000 mg vitamin b 12...

My names Don Moe, and I'm a recovering food addict. I've been addicted to sugar and carbs my entire life. Like most, I've dieted and exercised and had a lot of success over the years, but it never lasted and the weight always came back and then some. For me, bariatric surgery saved my life. It was have surgery or get ready to live life as a 500 lb male. It was a last ditch effort to save me. I was on a collision course with death, one bite at a time. Consuming well north of 4500 calories a day I ate whatever I wanted when I wanted. My life, like my weight, was completely out of control. My surgeon told me... "stay strict to the program and you will lose 170 lbs in the first year". At my 6 month check in I was 170 lbs down. By month 14 I was 250 lbs gone. It's been a wild roller coaster of a ride. the ups and downs have all been worth it. For me, my bariatric journey has NOT been one focused on weight loss. To me, weight loss was a by product of getting my eating disorder in check. I had the VSG in February of 2017. Since then it's been a mental journey on discovering who I was, but more importantly who I wanted to be. A lot of the old me died the day I had surgery. I don't even know who he was. A lot of him, the parts I loved, I kept, but for the most part I've completely re-invented who I wanted to be from the ground up. It caused me to make some VERY difficult decisions in my life, which included me ending an 18 year marriage, because it was what was best for me. It's not been easy. Early in my journey, I decided to be accepting of my choice to have surgery. For me, that meant being completely transparent and open and willing to discuss my journey with others. From the start it caused many people I met, to my utter shock, to tell me that I was an inspiration and huge motivator to them on their journey. This got me to thinking. If my story can motivate and inspire others, what could your story do for others on their journey? Last year I started a pod-cast called WeighInRadio. On any weight loss journey, the weigh in, is most often the most stressful part. Our guests join us on air monthly to "weigh in" on weight loss topics so you can determine what works for you. Our hope and goal is that you will take bits and pieces from each of our guests and episodes allowing you to custom tailor a weight loss plan that will work for you. The podcast supports people, not specific weight loss methods. It's not just for bariatric patients. From South beach to surgery, from Atkins to Keto to traditional diet and exercise we support and discuss anything and everything that could help you on your weight loss journey. Its a grass roots movement created by the people for the people and our growth has been amazing! If anything over my 40 years, I've learned one thing as it relates to weight loss. So here it is... There is no magic one size fits all solution to weight loss. Shocking right? You have to figure out what will work for you, and it will only work for you. Could it work for others? Sure..... but it most likely won't and that's OK! I'm a firm believer that we all contain within us the ability to impact someones life. It our choice if that impact will be a positive one or a negative one. My inbox is always open and I'm more than willing to help any of you in any way that I can. I'm couldn't happier to be joining the bariatricpal community. Message me anytime, and good luck on your own journey of discovery!

I’m just at the beginning of my path and I do some sort of research every day. I’m in a 12 week “Healthy Weight” class required by my insurance before I even talk to the bariatric department. I can call the bariatric department once I’m half way through the 12 weeks. I’m still not 100% sure I’ll have wls. That is why I keep reading the boards, books, and watching videos. I want to be as sure as I can before I make my final decision. I want to do so with my eyes open to the risks and -realistic- benefits. In the meantime, I’ve cut out almost all sugar, went low carb, measure my portions and work out 5 times a week. I’ve lost 31 lb in the last 2 months! I have a lot more weight to lose but this helps me imagine what life might be like after surgery. It helps thinking that these changes are life now, not the exception. It makes me feel more positive I could handle life after wls.

Dunno hon. It depends on your condition and insurance. But you're doing the right thing. The first thing to do is find your new doctor and have them order the tests that will determine if you have stretched your tool and what your options are. They will also look to see if you have any other complications such as hernias, fistulas, stretched stomas, etc. Then they will advise. But while there, you should ask for a referral to an RD (bariatric) and a bariatric counselor and start working on changing behaviors. Cuz a new surgery is fine...but if you don't change your behaviors long term, then you will be back in the same situation. But having said that, there are MANY people who have lost their regain and who maintain today. Hang in there. All is not hopeless!!

I been looking for you all my life...🤣🤣. How has it been going? I am working on these last 10 lbs. that is my surgeons preop goal for me...230. All of my testing is complete, psych evaluation is done. We are purposely waiting until after the 1st of August because my employer is changing the Bariatric Surgery Benefit of our insurance plan (to our benefit) from a 50% coverage to 90-100%) who-hoo. All that savings will be going to supplements and protein drinks😁. If you are willing would you share pictures?

If you don't mind my asking...what's so awful about taking a vitamin every day? They make bariatric chewables that aren't bad. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Besides some hiking every now and then it's all I do with great results! From the start I wanted to lift and keep lean mass while I lost weight. I started with StrongLifts 5x5 and now I'm doing Stronglifts 3x3. After surgery and a 90lbs weight loss I lost a lot strength. The Stronglifts 5x5 has you start with just the 45lbs barbell but you add weight every workout. I've gained about 10lbs during that time but my waist size is the same (Waist size is all I really measure now). Obviously, I feel much stronger! I think heavy resistance training is a great option for bariatric patients!

Yes. My psychiatrist did not want me to have bariatric surgery. I did anyway. And she is very professional and still supports my decision. After all it was my decision! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Do the bariatric pal protein ship to the UK? Or are there any vendors that stock it here? Theres not much variety here to be honest. Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

They often submit all kinds of outrageous numbers to see what sticks and then accept what is paid (particularly if they are under a network contract - then they have no choice but to accept what is paid). But I haven't seen anything that high - 80-100k submitted is not unusual but the normal contracted price is usually somewhere in the 10-20k range, maybe a bit more for a bypass. As to the insurance company asking if you have other coverage, that is just the company looking for someone else to share the cost with (though usually we see that mostly with orthopedic or injury surgeries where there is the possibility of an injury lawsuit or workers comp claim that they can hang it on, but not usually something like bariatrics that they normally have already pre-approved

Hi, All surgeon’s have a little different timeline for solid foods. I am 3 weeks out and in the purée/soft food stage. At 6 weeks it is the normal bariatric diet. Being a bariatric diet and only able to consume little amounts of food you need to make sure you get your protein and healthy foods. To be successful you will need to figure what you can order that will fit in your plan when you do go out. I would do this beforehand. Filling up on bread and carbs is going to rob you the nutrition you need. A couple of bites once in a while of pizza maybe but it certainly cannot be a habit. This is a life changer and it might be best to see if friends would do something else to socialize. Someone had that they now go for coffee instead. It 3 months no caffeine on my plan so it may need to be caffeine free. Make sure you are ready for this because once it is done life changes. My surgeon requires everyone to go to classes to make sure we understood the diet and changes. Good luck to you.

Lot of educational stuff online about bariatric surgeries, YouTube has some great videos describing the surgeries step by step. Maybe you can watch one together or perhaps take him with you to next doctor visit and he can ask questions to the surgeon and staff As for the Endoscopy the hospital should be prepare for all possible situations. most are i am assuming. Ask the questions who , what , where and how until you're comfortable with the procedure. By even concerning the surgery you have taken some control of your life, don't stop now. ask questions ....good luck "you got this "

I’m about 3 weeks post op and have been trying to find a good multivitamin. I tried a liquid kind but it caused diarrhea almost immediately. I also tried the Bariatric advantage chewable multivitamin but it causes vomiting within a couple minutes of taking it, even when I try just taking half. I’m on to regular foods now and haven’t had a negative reaction to any type of food that I’ve tried so it seems strange that I’m having a reaction to the vitamins. Has anyone else had this happen and what ended up working for you?

He agreed that I might be experiencing a decrease in effectiveness and has prescribed me the liquid form. Unfortunately he's gone and prescribed the wrong dose, but I will have to fix that. In other news, I have seen my bariatric surgeon today and he suspects I have a stricture. He said from everything I have described, (vomiting, avoiding protein, etc) he is pretty positive I have one. However, before they do an endoscopy, I have asked for an Upper GI test to make sure. Bah humbug - I wish I could avoid this.

My bariatric surgeon recommended gastric bypass (roux-en-y) for me over the gastric sleeve specifically because I have a long history with metabolic disorders (hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s) and also have PCOS. However, I also have dealt a lot with depression and anxiety over the years and was already seeing a psychiatrist before considering bariatric surgery. I was surprised with my psychiatrists reaction to me telling her I am considering the surgery. Her opinion is that the surgery will cause “malabsorption” issues with the medicine I take - cymbalta is the only one I take routinely and I am in fact trying to wean off of it (medically supervised) completely. She honestly made me feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation, and of course I’m second guessing everything now. Long story short, I have really only been to her twice now (drs keep quitting) and really thinking about asking for a different person to see maybe because of how she made me feel about the surgery.