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@wagyu Click this link to get $10 off your first $75 order. https://www.bariatricchoice.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/180562/ Tons of pre-made Protein enriched foods for bariatric patients! When you get to the page, Highlight over Bariatric Foods, then click on Meals and Entrees

Thanks for the reply Brightfaith I have worked with a bariatric nutritionist for almost a year now. I have met my surgeon. I am currently in therapy for the binge eating and once they sign off then it will be up to the insurance. So far insurance has given me all the hoops I have to jump through before they’ll give me an answer.

Katy, Where are you from - how did you get involved with bariatric surgery?

How much do you have to lose???? I had over 100 pounds to lose and around 5 months out I had dropped around 90-95lbs. There is no average since the percentage of weight loss is the primary indicator for weight loss surgery patients and not actual pounds lost. A patient that has 100+ pounds to lose might lose more number of pounds as someone with only 70 pounds to lose, but it's the percentage of weight loss is what is used to figured "average weight loss" for bariatric patients.

so I didn't want to come back here posting issues & problems. They say talking to people,and writing down how you feel helps a lot,and other woman might be in my shoes or went threw what I'm going threw right now so here it goes... We went to a hotel in New jersey to take the kids to six flags. On our return back home New York we decided"hubby idea mind you" to get pizza. We order a pie it's much cheaper then individual slices,and a liter pepsi once again cheaper then individual soda or drinks. We eat,and finish,and we are now home. All the sudden I hear hubby saying that I like the pizza guy,and he confirm it today.He stated the way I was talking to him,walking. I said I order the food,and that was all. He went on & on to proceed that I like the pizza guy. Then he claim I like him ever since we moved here(that's 13 years go)... I have no interest in this guy. Today I had a appointment with the bariatric doctor. I was late to my appointment,but I went. I also decided it was time to get a fillin since I didn't make plans with my kids,and I was near by plus I got free parking. I was done went home... time passes.... hubby was getting on my nervous,and he was claiming that I don't feed my kids,and telling me stupid things such as if my kids die what money will I be getting? Why would I want my kids to die,and I'm getting money for them cuz they are special need,and even if I wasn't getting money for them I love them just the same,and it doesn't matter to me if I'm getting money or not. Well we got to arguing,and I was yelling to shut the fuck up. He then suddenly said yeah you sure was fucking this morning,and it sure wasn't with me. I told him you are going to have to find a room to rent,cuz I'm getting really tired of you. He then started saying oh you will have to be the one to move. See.... my ass is moving,but I have to wait till NYCHA contacts me,and it won't be till next year. Plus hubby owes me $7,000 which I'm not leaving till he gives me back my money. Plus I'm not stupid.How you gonna bitch about me getting money for my own kids,but have the nerve to borrow money from me. How the hell you think I manage to save money? So hubby pays all the bills,but it's ok he can continue to do so while I wait for NYCHA to get back to me. Oh well tomorrow which is today it's past 3am I go to a building I know that the handyman lets me collect the bottles. So I'm going to be going there about 8:30am this is a Saturday thing Getting money together isn't easy. School is going to start soon,and kids need sneakers,and then I'm so called pocketing there money. Oh please!!! My kids are very healthy this man is out of his damn mind. stupid man!!!

You've certainly thought about the impact and effect this will have on your work place and coworkers. It can be a maddening endeavor.....trying to make it all come together with the least disturbance. Never, for a moment, lose sight of why you are having this wls.....for yourself.....for your health. It's an easy detail that can get lost in all the other considerations. Maybe you can even move things up quicker than December. Speak with your insurance company's patient advocate very carefully and see the specific details. Many plans allow you to use any prior doctor's appointment where you were counseled on weight loss during that visit. My PCP and other doctors each agreed to fill out the simple form (provided by insurance company). Each of these forms, for me, satisfied a month of the 6 months. The only stipulation was that these sessions take place over the last 2 years. Each of my doctors agreed in an instant to complete the simple forms and help me speed up the process. My very first bariatric appointment was on July 1, 2015. We didn't think I'd be able to apply until Jan 2016. I satisfied insurance demands quickly and was eligible well prior to the end of year. My insurance $$$$ benefit wasn't so great in terms of bariatric coverage and ultimately I chose to self fund due to it being cheaper for me than using insurance (sounds crazy, I know). The surgery was in mid October 2015 and could have still been by then or November if I'd used insurance. Find out all the details you can from your insurance company's bariatric folks.....it'll take some digging around....but you can benefit greatly from some "inside insight" from them. Good luck

Check out the following website. It will give you a list of Medicare approved bariatric facilities. Bariatric Surgery

I am a newer nurse and have been working in Outpatient Surgery at a hospital which is a Bariatric Surgey Center of Excellence. I have been on the chubby side my whole life, and even while being in the military for 10 years (not as a nurse), it was very hard for me to make weight every 6 months for weigh-in. I could pass the run portion of the 6 month physical fitness test with flying colors; but my weight, majority of the time, was either right on the line for "max weight" or well over. Now that I am in my mid 30's it is not as easy to lose the weight. Back to the nursing question- I had thought about Lap Band before but it was not until I started working at my current job did I decide to actually get it myself. Every week I have at least 6 or 7 "banders". I also talked to some of the surgeons on a regular basis.I then started doing my research, picked a surgeon, and finished all the pre surgery criteria and got approved. Now I just have to schedule my surgery, which I will do on tuesday. I believe that my knowledge and experience with patients who had the surgery was my deciding factor...........

Hi! I'm sure everyone is different but I had my informational session July 2. After the session I received a large packet of information and forms. My bariatric clinic would not schedule a consultation until I filled out all of the papers in the packet and I also needed my PCP to fill out several documents and compose a letter of medical necessity. I left the session feeling very overwhelmed. It turned out to be just fine, I filled out all of my paperwork in about a day. It ended up taking my PCP 3 weeks :thumbup: to do her part. After I mailed the packet in, the bariatric clinic called me the very next day to schedule my psych eval and dietitian consult. So thats how it worked for me. It seems like everyone is just a little different. GOOD LUCK!

I have been dieting all my life, and they don't work. I didn't want my intestines cut, and pulled out, because there is no going back! So I chose the band. It was good in the beginning. You stick to what your Dr. and Dietitian tell you, and your good to go. You will lose weight. I lost over 120lbs. with a 4cc band. I went in for a fill, I was at 1.8cc, and they filled me with0.2cc. Total of saline in the band 2cc. It blew the band ! I kept trying to figure how could this happen? It's only 1/2 full? Well I quit beating my head of the wall and believe that it was defective. I never had any problem before, and it blew the line, or port. I'm hoping to get in to see a surgeon soon now that I have Ins. again. When I went back to my surgeon, he seen some weight gain, and told his student to instruct me to control my appetite, come back when I have lost weight, and will talk about a fill. Then I was escorted out. I was furious ! This was my last month of Ins. due to being laid off, but no one would let me see him so I was escorted out. I have regained all of my weight, and I am trying threw things that I have learned to cut back. It is hard. I have gotten the attention of another surgeon to see me VERY HARD TO DO! So I weight daily for a call, I will call tomorrow and see if they can work in a outsider. Just so you know. This is a plastic tool, and can break, and will somewhere down the line... So,, make sure you have a excellent surgeon. Find out if you develop a leak will he fix you, Ask questions! Find the answers to your questions before surgery. Then do what you want. Yes it is a Weight Loss Tool! It also works ! The choice is up to you. I know it works, but I know it can come with some problems. I wish you Luck. Shirley Banded 10/31/2006 Dr. Jeffrey Genaw "Chief Bariatric Surgeon" Henry Ford Hospital "Center of Excellence" Detroit, Michigan.

You have very good reasons for having the surgery & questions & doubts about progressing are common. It’s surgery. It changes your digestive system. There is a period of healing & recovery. To be successful for the long term, you will have to make changes to how, what & why you eat & your relationship with food. The months post surgery give you time to work through all of this & certainly therapy, as @SleeverSk suggested, can be very helpful. The surgery also gives you time to develop better eating habits & routines like being more mindful. Will you forget & take a too big sip or bite or eat too quickly? Yes it will happen but your body soon tells you & you’re usually extra careful after the experience. Often all you’ll experience is just discomfort but occasionally foamies or vomiting. Complications after surgery aren’t common and many are related to pre existing conditions or predispositions. The risks are lower for bariatric surgeries than many other common surgeries. I used to control almost all my reflux with dietary choices before surgery (no spicy, fatty or rich food, little carbonation & reduced caffeine) which is why I had sleeve. I still have reflux but it is different & I need meds every day which I didn’t before. I hate taking tablets & often forget. Multi vitamins always make me nauseous but my bloods are good & I don’t need to take them anymore though some sleevers still do. Just depends on your diet & absorption for us. But it is a necessity after bypass as malabsorption of calories (& therefore nutrients) is how it contributes to your weight loss. Dumping can occur with bypass (about 40% chance I think) but if you discover you have it it is simply a matter of avoiding fats or sugars as they are the usual culprits. Some even find they can eat small amounts as time passes. You can also have it with a sleeve but it is less common (30%??). The average weight loss with sleeve & bypass is about the same 65% +/- of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier weight range. Some lose more some lose less. Make a list of your questions to discuss with your surgeon. They’re best placed to answer them in relation to your specific needs, health status/issues & weight loss/gain history. All the best whichever surgery you have.

I use the Bariatric Advantage calcium chews and really like them. They taste like candy to me. I like the caramel, chocolate, raspberry, and lemon.

You can definitely do lower fat and still do keto type diet. if you are on facebook there are some keto groups for women who have had bariatric surgery. I would do turkey sausage, I try and sub turkey for everything pretty much, for bacon, ground meat, etc. I try to not just snack on cheese but maybe eggs every once and awhile, make lower fat deviled eggs as a snack, they're great with everything but the bagel seasoning! I use fairlife skim milk, it's lower carb and high protein. I hope that helps and makes sense lol

These are usually high calorie liquids but no satiety, because they go right through you Dense Protein and firm vegetables/leafy greens will help with fullness and hunger control or try something akin to keto but more bariatric friendly (substitute high fat items with leafy vegetables eg kale/romaine instead of bacon/avocado) Here's an example of a keto meal plan for a week

I know you said you don’t want to travel, but would you consider Las Vegas? I’ve seen lots of mention of Blossom Bariatrics here and on other WL forums. I believe they have an all-inclusive package for self-pay folks that is fairly reasonable. They are also a pretty quick (and cheap) flight from the PNW.

Hi TaterB, This is the reason why so many come to Mexico. There is nothing to be afraid of as long as you do your research. Thousands of patients come to Tijuana for their surgery and most leave with a very positive experience. Check out Dr. Jalil Illan in Tijuana. He has more experience and accreditations than most US surgeons and is well respected in the Bariatric community. You can learn more about him here: https://hospitalbc.com/dr-jalil-illan/ Please contact me if you have any questions.

I close my diary and ignore the message. MFP is not designed for bariatric diets. I like using it to track my food and just pretend I don't see that message. It's just not a big deal.

This is not meant to sound harsh but I invite you to seriously reflect on why you would chose to eat pizza 1) so soon after WLS and 2) after all you did to GET surgery. You are not on Weight Watchers here. You've chosen voluntarily to have major, invasive surgery because your weight is impacting your mental and physical health. To be 20 days out and to eat pizza? Please consider adding a mental health person to your bariatric team. You want to have your head in the game in order to be successful with the tool. Don't put pizza into your body, at least until you are securely at goal, if then. Don't waste this gift.

I had to do a 6 month supervised diet, which was started in Feb, as a requirement with Aetna. The first couple months I lost weight when I checked in with my doc. When I went in May I had gained weight. I had my birthday and fond out that the hospital where my surgery would happen was not under contract with my insurance. I went thru a few weeks of being mad, and upset. But once I talked with the insurance they said they were renegotiating and might be under contract again. So I continued to see my primary for my check ins just in case, but I didn't move forward with anything that would cost me money. I then found out early August that they contract was back in place so I moved ahead and finished what I had left to do to submit to insurance which was just my psych eval, So then everything was submitted and I was approved in less than two weeks. I was never told that I had to lose a certain amount, and I think I ended up right where I was when I first weighed in at my bariatric doctor, or at least within a few pounds.

Thanks all. I called the bariatric doctor before I posted, but didn't think about calling my primary physician. Good idea. Thank you both for your input!! I always like to see what other doctors' tell their patients too. hehe

Hi everyone, I am considering asking my PCM for a referral to see a bariatric surgeon in order to get the gastric sleeve. Are there any other military spouses in the MacDill area that has had success getting a referral? I go to the Brandon Clinic and have an appointment today to talk with my PCM. thanks

I have a lot of food sensitivities, one of which is Sucralose, because it is bonded to the chloride molecule. I discovered erythritol several months ago and used it when a little sweetness was needed. I just can't stomach many of the bariatric products because of the artificial sugars. My question is: Has anyone here had experience with it after a bypass? It is absorbed not metabolized by the body but is normally dealt with in the small intestine.

I like the ones Bariatric Advantage make.

I didn't read all the replies thoroughly, but if it wasn't mentioned, keep in mind that not all employers purchase a level of insurance that covers bariatric surgery. You'll need to see the policy or contact your provider to see if there are exclusions for WLS. If not, then start looking for a good surgeon and find out what your are required to do to meet your providers requirements. Not all Anthem policies are the same.

POST BARIATRIC SURGERY supplements FACT SHEET TALK WITH YOUR PROVIDER, PHARMACIST, OR DIETICIAN ABOUT THE AMOUNTS OF Vitamins, MINERALS AND Calcium THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU. For balanced nutrition, healthy weight loss and malnutrition prevention, you MUST follow a diet that meets these requirements: Calorie Intake 1200 or more calories/day Protein Intake 75 gm or more/day Water Intake minimum 64 oz daily Multivitamins and Mineral Supplements 2 Celebrate complete daily Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) stop Vitamin B12 1000 mcg sublingual 3 times/week Iron 15-20 mg/day (Give separately if not already contained in the Multivitamin and mineral supplement.) Calcium 1000 mg/day (calcium pills + calcium in multivitamin supplements) >>preferably in calcium citrate >>in divided doses >> not to exceed a total of 2500 mg/day in food and pills Vitamin D 1000 units/day (including Vitamin D in the multivitamin, mineral and calcium pills) >>not to exceed 1400 units/day in the pills