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hey Guys thanks for the posts, when i woke up this morning i threw the rolls out i really didnt miss them as much as i thought i did when the impulse came. I started a low carb diet today!!!!!! Ive been a excellent patient for many years with all my injuries, so if the doctors say do this i will to the T. As for me doing diets and weight loss ive failed for one reason or another and after staring and stoping a diet Ill start again monday or after the holiday im just tired of it all. two years ago i walked into a bariatric doctors for a consultation he talked to me and pushed the Lapband, at the time i had three friends who had it done and it worked for one out of the three (the husband and wife) had complications not from lapband. So after leaving his office and talking to family who of course said just lose the weight you dont need another surgery, i put all thoughts of bariatric aside. All this time my mom has been suffering with Lymphoma (3yrs) and while helping her i popped a umbilical hernia and didnt tell anyone except my doctor and wife and maybe a close friend. I had been taking her to chemo and radiation for about 2 1/2 yrs and i just couldnt do it anymore i needed to help myself i forgot all about me and my needs, thats when i knew it was time to see another gastric doctor and get the help i needed for me. I seen my doctor this summer at the same time mom calls and says my aunt has pancreaitic cancer and not much they can do for her, she doesnt live close and mom and grandmom dont drive so ive been doing all the driving a few times a week back and forth 80 miles round trip and if theres traffic....ugh Id do anything for my family as you can see, had a talk with my aunt while she was in bed already thin and in pain but still smiled to see me and knew i love her, i told her what i was doing and she said its the best thing i could do for myself and wished she would be around to see my transformation, i cried she cried and she said she will always be around watching me and i know she will, last night i visited again and she only has days left. As you can see im a caretaker im not ashamed of what ive done always putting family or friends before me but if your like me and are thinking of bariatric help, DO IT and dont look back you have to put you first take your life back as im doing. Sorry for the long winded post i got off track a lil with my family issues andi was going to delete but there might be that other person who is in same spot and it might help...if not it helped me write it down! God Bless Joe

I can honestly say I have been on both sides of this issue. I originally had my band placed in December of 2009. For the first year, I loved my band. I found I did not "diet". I just ate smaller amounts, no longer binged and exercised regularly. The weight flew off. Within about 9-10 months, I had lost almost 80 pounds. I could eat anything I wanted within reason. There really were no foods off limits. I just chewed really well and it worked. The band was the best thing I ever did! I looked good but more over, I felt good. Then my gallbladder began to give me trouble and I started vomiting. Ultimately my band slipped and I developed a hiatal hernia. I had surgery to remove the gallbladder, repair the hernia and I had to have a new band put on. After that the surgeon had trouble finding my "sweet" spot. I would either be too tight or not tight enough. A problem I had never had before. I slowly began to creep up in weight. It took about 8 months but we finally found the sweet spot and things were starting to go good. Then I got sick again. I had to be hospitalized for an illness that forced the doctor to remove all the Fluid from my band again. After that I was disheartened. I hated my band! I began to gain even more weight and decided I was done with it. I went on for about six or seven months and continued to gain back my weight until I was 20 pounds heavier than when I started! Then several months ago, I was looking through some old pictures on my phone and found one of me when I had initially lost those 80 pounds and it brought back a flood of emotions! I began to remember what that girl was like when she loved her band! How she felt, the way she ate and I wanted that again. I returned to the surgeon renewed. We have been working hard to find my "sweet" spot again and are very close. I do experience some restriction and am feeling much better about my band again! I just have a few bad habits that I have developed through my troubles that I need to break. The biggest of those is drinking while I eat. I was able to do that the first go round but I need to stop as I think it has gotten in my way. (By the way, that was VERY hard to confess and see in black and white!) Thanks for reading. I hope my story does not make you doubt your decision. I have just had an interesting journey and know what it is like to both love and hate your band. I hope to keep up on this thread as I have found it very motivating. Thanks to all who have posted.

i have had GERD for about 35 years, quite literally. i was about 5 or 6 when i remember seeing a pediatric GI doc for 'heartburn'. i have been on a PPI for about 20 years now and doing well. i also had barrett's lesions around 2006 but negative since then. my surgeon and I had a very long discussion about either surgery and i was all set to have RNY, but he really feels that I will be just as successful with VSG. I carry ALL my weight in the abdomen- i often get asked when i am due- and the surgeon says that once I lose my belly weight the reflux should pretty much be gone. since I take a HUGE dose of PPI (protonix 40-60 mg twice daily) now, I will stay on a high dose post op for several months until there is some good loss, then start to decrease it. my insurance only pays for ONE bariatric surgery in a lifetime so i am stepping out in HUGE faith and trusting him and his experience in this. i also know that this is a HUGE incentive for me to really stick to my diet and follow the rules to avoid any problems. best of luck!

Yes, I can see that coming. I will see my GP in a week or two and I will ask him, but honestly I do not think he will have an answer as he is not a bariatric surgeon or an expert on this field. The next time I will see my surgeon is going to be in October, hopefully he will have some answers... When are you going to talk to your surgeon?

My weight was going out of control at around 800 calories and less than 20 net carbs a day. I drank lots of water and got plenty of protein and fiber. The same things that had worked for some time just wasn’t working. My body didn’t seem to process fats the same. I kept begging doctors for answers and help. No one even would discuss it or why my abdomen gets so swollen. I was getting sick eating certain foods. At some point when my doctor said maybe I needed my gallbladder out, I decided to look into bariatric surgery. I’ll admit the first surgeon I went to my height was 5’ my weight around 180 but was down a few lbs because I’d just had surgery and felt too sick to eat. My BMI was borderline for surgery coverage with comorbidities for my insurance to cover it. I have plenty, metabolic disorders, spine problems, joint problems, etc. etc. etc. but I never had high blood pressure just high cholesterol. Though my heart races like crazy from orthostatic intolerance. I have glucose intolerance but quit sugar years ago to try to prevent diabetes when I became prediabetic. I got so upset with the doctors appointment I had a meltdown. He talked at me, not to me, made assumptions, didn’t give me a chance to ask questions, said he would only do sleeve. The staff claimed they were going to help but yet I knew it wasn’t going to happen. They were not clear what I needed even though my insurance said it would be approved, the dr office didn’t believe me and wanted a big chunk of change for a down payment that I didn’t have. I wanted to fight it while my weight was still not too high, I feared getting back to being over 200 lbs again. But despite everything my weight jumped another 20 lbs. I finally saw a second endocrinologist (I won’t say what happened with the first) and this doctor listened and understood why I couldn’t take the medications for my metabolic disorders. And she took the situation seriously. she recommended Cleveland clinic and how much easier the process was. She even wrote a letter for my insurance. By then my weight went up to 208 lbs at a weigh in at my general practitioner. I weighed in at the surgeon and it was 203 lbs which was 39.6 BMI. For my insurance my BMI had to be 40 since they didn’t seem to accept my comorbidities. They told me to gain a few lbs. I explained that it was higher at 206 it was just above BMI 40. So they put that on record. I was too sick to eat much. I admit I did have a few small cheat meals, though I never did give in to fried chicken or pizza except a low carb pizza I used to make ... thankfully my insurance did come through. Even though My last weigh in was 203 lbs before surgery at a required nutrition class. I did hate seeing the numbers on the scale get to over 200 lbs even though I was still fighting hard. It was painful really. The tough part was my appointments were afternoon and I’m not a big morning water I always had a protein bar and coffee. The last few weeks I cheated and had a bowl of healthy cereal for breakfast. But oh my point was i have to get transportation to Cleveland clinic and the rides take hours to get me there. It was frustrating and I spent every moment worrying that the surgery wouldn’t happen. Thankfully the doctor knew I needed gastric bypass surgery (especially due to severe GERD) and also was able to help with my gallbladder. I knew the risks of surgery given all my medical conditions and that it would make things worse in some ways but I also knew if I kept gaining that was even worse for me overall. After the one week liquids my weight was 197 I think but after surgery it was back at 203.7 ... it is upsetting to have to go so far to just get help. But honestly, I was on the verge of just giving up. My body and mind wanted to call it quits. I don’t know how to say anything without writing too much and exhausting myself in the process. If the surgery is important , do what it takes to get there. And fight to have the tools needed to get where you need to go.

My mom and I have had some talks like this... i was honest and told her the things that i wish had been different as a kid, such as healthier eating and family exercise. But i also told her that i was an adult and could no longer blame them for my stuffing my face with oreos. Its always easier to blame someone else than take responsibility for your own actions. You need to think about your own relationship with food any why its there. For me i always sabotaged my diets. Why? Because if i was bigger i felt i knew who my friends were and i thought pe op le would expect less of me. Not healthy. I'm still working through that. And yeah coming to a bariatric forum and calling a size 16 "gross" was very insensitive. Many of us dream of the day we can shop in a regular size store.

Texas rooster and Sammy just read and re-read,your storys. First thank you both for serving. Without young men like you 2 I'd be bebopping around in a burkah or worse and since I'm already shaped,like a pup tent.... Rooster if anyone tried to get in your face remind thIem Don't mess with Texas! Sammy" oorah son" proud to know you both on Bariatric Pal. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

The Ketovangelist way of keto doesn't have you mind your calories in that way. Check this link out https://www.ketovangelist.com/the-calorie-hypothesis/ Calories are more of a guide to make sure you don't drop below your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Most folks do well taking an average of their BMR and maintenance calories and using that number as a guide to create their macros. Here's an excellent TDEE calculator https://tdeecalculator.net/ (just don't let it make your macros - it's WAY off) Constantly eating below your BMR causes stalls and gains so that happy medium between your BMR and maintenance seems to prevent that and keep you burning fat and sparing muscle. Have you found an FB group for bariatric folks doing keto? There has to be one. I'm not sure how pre-op keto will translate to post-op since most post-op folks are eating low fat. I'm sure I'll eventually be seeking out a group. Let me know if you find one you like.

I am new to all of this. I met with my bariatric surgeon last Monday and I have just begun my 6 month program. I was wondering about losing weight prior to surgery and then being "too skinny" for surgery. But I am curious....isn't losing 65 pounds on Ozempic prior to surgery a great thing? I have 100 pounds to lose. I would love to be prescribed Ozempic, lose 65lbs and skip surgery altogether. I'm not criticizing, just asking.....wouldn't Ozempic be preferred? Comments are very welcome.

My Psych. Eval. is done and all typed up. I am hoping that it is faxed to the bariatric . I am going to check on it today. The woman who takes care of the insurance told me as soon as she receives all of my information and tests that she will submit it to see if I get an approval. She said it usually takes about up to a week to hear back from the insurance. I am really getting more and more anxious. I have fell off the wagon a few times and my eating got out of hand, but I just try to do better afterwards. I have been going to the Y to exercise and I went to my first AQUA-FITNESS SWIM CLASS. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to going again. I haven't lost much weight. My clothes are fitting better. I weighed 242 the last time I weighed at the doctor's office. With my clothes off in the mornings, I have been weighing under 240 pounds. Two days I weighed 235 and it goes up and down. After swimming on Oct.22 I weighed myself on some doctor office type scales in the locker room after getting dressed and my weight was 239. If I get approved for surgery and get a date I will be starting on the Pre-Op diet so I am sure I will lose some more before surgery. I will let everyone know what happens with the insurance.

I went to NJ Bariatrics not knowing what type of bariatric surgery was right for me. I was banded in May 2008 and according to my scale have lost 80 lbs. I thank Dr. Chau for his excellent care and confidence in me and know that this surgery saved my life. Thank you Dr. Chau and the staff at NJ Bariatrics - Center for Excellence. Flora

What exactly are you afraid of...I'm getting it done on the 10th of November and I am afraid of nothing but dyin! Bring on the hair loss, bring on the pain just keep me alive. So to soothe my fears I went about doing my own mortality study and here's the facts: new lap band studies as reported by Bariatrics Today indicate that 3 of 16,000 died from Lap Band...all three were injuries to the stomach performed by surgeons who have done less than 20. Further, here's a great number 1 in 100 die of a hip replacement, more than 1 in a 100 die of hernia repair, 1 in 5000 die of simple liposuction! I'm saying this surgery has amazing odds! I'll be scared to death til the minute I'm put under, but I have faith that I'm coming out of it to a far better journey!

You can buy them online, I think bariatric pantry has them. You can purchase the sample pack so you can test out the flavors. I added PB2 powder to chocolate chike powder protein with high protein milk-I used a blender bottle to keep it watery. I also used a straw to drink it because the smell nauseated me.

Oh no, that stinks! I have a friend with BCBS OK, and they were told, last year I believe, that WLS was not covered... but I would imagine there are several different plans, and if you have an approval from late December, I don't see how they can back out now! By the way, I live in OK too, just north of OKC proper... I'm having surgery soon, I hope, down in Norman (my friend is a bariatric nurse down there, so I chose that hospital). I think you're the first person I've seen on here from OK, so I just wanted to say hello!

I really, really hate to be treated like I am stupid; one of my "buttons" so to speak. So here I am on Rants and Raves asking for your help. I had gastric sleeve surgery a year ago. I have told no one that I had surgery. So posting this is my way of reaching out to someone besides my husband. After the surgery, my surgeon told my husband that everything went very smoothly. After a few hours my blood pressure was dropping below 70/30, the nurse called "a staff assist." About ten people suddenly yet calmly came into my room, surrounding my bed, attaching equipment etc. I was rushed back into another 2 and 1/2 hours of surgery. My husband and I were told that the surgeon checked and re-checked everything and never could find the cause of my internal bleeding. "It happens," we were told. We accepted that I was one of the few who have complications with gastric sleeve surgery. I was sent home on a step one, liquid diet for three weeks, gradually progressing to full liquids then mushies and so on. I was hospitalized about two weeks after my surgery when I experienced syncope, i.e. I passed out. I was taken off my bp meds. The hospitalist visited me in my room and casually mentioned that he'd been there when I went into surgery the second time. He said that he'd never seen anyone squirt blood like I did and that they used all the factor X coagulant on hand during my surgery. A year passes. I never see the surgeon again. I've been having follow-up visits and lab work at the bariatric center every three months. I recently went to my general practitioner to update my status with her as I haven't seen her since my gastric sleeve surgery. She calls up my surgical records on the computer and there I see what I expect with one big surprise - "Repair Perf Duod/gast ulc- wnd/inj." I was reading the computer screen, over her shoulder, at an angle and it didn't register clearly while I was sitting there. Wait! My duodenum is the beginning third of my small intestine. Gastric sleeve surgery shouldn't involve that part of my body. No wonder I was on a liquid diet for so long. My husband and I had directly asked both the surgeon and the PA why I needed the second surgery. Both told us the same thing, i.e. that I had unexplained internal bleeding. I haven't been back to this bariatric center of excellence since discovering the new information. Now I've poked around and found my online summaries of each follow-up visit. They bear little resemblance to what actually happened at the visits. We did not discuss mal-absorption, nor did I have Vitamin B-12 or Vitamin D deficiencies etc. It looks like "cut and paste" notes to us. So now I know more about what really happened. What should I do with this knowledge? Thank God that the surgeon was able to save my life and just move on? Stay silent, keep up my bariatric exams, while relying on my GP for my real medical care? Call them on it and change doctors? (The PA always responds to my questions with a blank look and then a smile when I have questions. She usually has no answer and never offers to find out anything.) I live in a remote rural part of the state and would have to travel many hours to see another bariatric doctor. This bariatric center of excellence is the life blood of this small hospital as it is nearly empty otherwise. They ran every possible test that insurance would pay for including echo cardiogram and a scan of my gallbladder. There were no babies in the nursery and only a few patients hospitalized. When I was hospitalized with syncope, they sent my nurse home for lack of work when I checked out a day early. She was NOT happy with me and commented that it was a good thing her husband was the primary breadwinner. I know I need to keep up my lab work for the rest of my life. Perhaps my GP cannot order those tests. She seemed really reluctant to be involved in any potential dispute with the bariatric center. Thank you for reading this. Any constructive suggestions?

I was banded in 2007; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again, got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions. The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. This is between 2 surgeons. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight, my band has been bothering me... Found out it is slipped & has to go. They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped. Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid. Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it. I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point. It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!). This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now. So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery first week of January 2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year). I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time. But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again. Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!!

Perth? Hey, I lived in Canberra for 5 years (10 years ago.) Loved every minute of it and would go back in a heart beat, if I could. Never made it to Perth though. Wow, that's really quick. In the US we have to wait 3 to 6 months in nutrition counseling before we get to the bariatric doctor (this is a medical insurance requirement.) It makes sense to get a specialist dietician though. I am sure there are extra concerns to deal with. Do as much research as you can. There is lots to learn and consider. I am glad you have made positive chances on what you eat. Every little bit helps.

This is my first time joining a Bariatric Support group. I would LOVE to have an accountability partner. If anyone is interested. I am close to 4 years out. Have lost 115 lbs, recently regained 15-20. Don't have anyone currently to be accountable to. Want to nip this thing in the bud before it gets any worse.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy New Year! BariatricPal wishes each of our members a happy and healthy year. We hope 2016 is a year you meet all your goals, whether they include getting weight loss surgery, hitting goal weight, or maintaining your loss. Here’s what we have in this newsletter to get you motivated and ready to go. A New Year’s Message from BariatricPal Time to Buckle Down: Here’s How Make Those Resolutions Last All Year! So take a look through the newsletter, then spend a few minutes to set your resolutions. It may help to come to the forums to talk about your goals and whatever else is on your mind! Then you may want to head out the door for a quick walk for a great start to the New Year. Happy New Year! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal A New Year’s Message from BariatricPal We want to wish all our members a happy and healthy New Year! We hope 2016 will be a year that sees you come closer to achieving your dreams. We hope BariatricPal will be an important part of your weight loss surgery support system as you work towards your goals, whether they are to look into weight loss surgery, lose weight, or maintain goal weight. A Quick Look Back at 2015 2015 was a busy year for BariatricPal! The forums have been blossoming. We have a weekly VIP Member Challenge going on. As a community, we hit a total weight loss of 3 million pounds! We also opened The BariatricPal Store! This had been in the works for a while, and it is a thrill to be able to support the weight loss surgery community through supplying healthy foods and supplements. Check the store often to see what’s on sale, and see our blog for the latest store news, recipes, and discounts. More to Come in 2016! We always have more projects up our sleeve. We expect 2016 to be filled with growth and exciting new developments for BariatricPal, so stay tuned! We know none of this is possible without your support, so a huge Thank You to all our members! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Time to Buckle Down: Here’s How It’s the New Year! That means the parties stop, the holiday treats disappear, and the stores advertise healthy foods for weight loss. Breathe a sigh of relief as the holiday food goes away! Easier to Focus There’s a good chance you slipped up a little during the holidays and need to get back on track. Even if you were perfectly disciplined, you may appreciate going back to your regular life. It’s easier stick to your everyday routine when there aren’t as many distractions. Go with a Sensible Plan For most WLS patients, a detox or fad diet isn’t the way to go. The most effective is to go back to the basics, cliché as that sounds. Focus on lean proteins and fill up on vegetables. Drink a lot of water. Eat slowly. Plan ahead. Measure your portions and log every bite. Make a Few Resolutions Remember to make them controllable, feasible, and clear. Here are some examples of better and less good resolutions. Controllable: “I will log every bite of food and stick to my 1,200 calories a day.” Not controllable: “I will lose 2 pounds every week.” You can’t control what the scale says, but you can control what and how much you eat. Feasible: “I will work out 5 days a week, leaving myself 2 days to recharge.” Not feasible: “I will work out every day.” What happens if you get sick, need a little extra sleep, or need to take a friend to the doctor? Did you fail at your resolution? Clear: “I will have fish three times a week.” Not clear: “I will eat more fish.” How do you know if you’re following your resolution if your goal is to eat “more” fish? How much is “more?” Set the Stage for Success Regardless of your specific resolutions, you’ll make more progress in your weight loss surgery journey if you set up your environment to help you succeed. Clear out your kitchen – pumpkin pie, egg nog, and Christmas cookies should be nowhere to be found. Restock it with nutritious foods you need. It should be packed with lean proteins, such as chicken, fat-free dairy products, tuna, eggs, and beans. There should be fresh vegetables and fruit, plus frozen and canned ones to do in a pinch. Round it out with some whole grains such as oatmeal, and healthy fats such as nuts and olive oil. Get your kitchen scale and measuring cups out of storage and put them in a prominent place. Check the gym schedule, get out your workout clothes, and lace up your walking shoes so you’re ready to get out the door for some exercise. There are some extra steps you can take to make progress easier this year. For example, if you’re still gathering information on weight loss surgery and trying to choose a surgeon, make a list of surgeons’ phone numbers and questions so you’re ready at a moment’s notice to make the necessary calls. Make Those Resolutions Last All Year! This year, make it easier to keep your New Year’s Resolutions with a subscription to your weight loss products from The BariatricPal Store. Choose your favorite protein bars, shakes, and smoothies, bariatric vitamins, instant meals, and great-tasting snacks. You’ll be reminded to focus on your goals every time you receive a delicious delivery from The BariatricPal Store! Just select “Subscribe and Save” on eligible products. Receive your products every 1, 2, or 3 months (your choice). Choose the quantity you want to receive. Get an automatic 10% discount on your subscription items. When your healthy meals are delivered year-round, there’s no need to go off your meal plan. You save time and can be confident of being nourished while you lose weight. That’s what we have for this newsletter. We wish you the best in your weight loss surgery journey in 2016, and hope you’ll keep sharing your goals and progress with us on the forums. Again, Happy New Year!

I've got a rant about three different types of calls. 1. The no return call from contractors - I'm having work done on my house, I've called various trades including plumbers, roofers, landscapers and masons. The masonry job is estimated to be at about $15,000. I had a guy give me an estimate last Fall and we parted saying I would call him in the Spring. Fast forward to MARCH when I email him with the photos of similar work that was done at my brothers house (per his request) and with the info on the material I picked out. Crickets. I emailed again two weeks later asking when he might be able to come out again and start the job. He emailed me that he would be out that weekend and would call with the date/time. Crickets. I called him. He said he was really busy but where he had given me estimate last year he would make time for me. (GEE THANKS!) I had a neighbor and a good friend use him last year and they both said he does awesome work but he's hard to get a hold of. He finally called and said he would be out on this past Sunday.........NADA, NOTHING...no call/no show. He better not call me any time soon. I had a tree limb fall off a very high Pine tree and it crashed into my garage in the back of the house. I didn't realize that the branch had actually put a fist sized hole in the roof and damaged it a few more places. I also developed a leak in the main roof after the guys shoveling the roof hit the pipe coming out of the roof from the bathroom with the shovel. I don't know the technical name for that pipe, but it vents the air from the bathroom. I went on Angie's list and looked up "roof repair". I called 8 roofers. 4 of them called me back and "they are only doing entire roof jobs, no repairs", 3 never called. The last guy is great - and is fixing the roof and my chimney (he's putting a cap on it) tomorrow. I will definitely be giving him a good review online once the work is done. 2. No return calls from LICSW/Therapists. I've been looking for a therapist for a while. I went online to my health provider, put in my info and found two therapists that have some experience with bariatric patients. I called one and left a voicemail with my info. CRICKETS. No return call. I emailed another - she initially emailed right away and said she would call me to schedule the following week. Never happened. I called a referral service that my NUT gave me. They called me back right away and gave me the names of two therapists - one of whom I had already emailed and she ignored me. I gave her another shot. NOPE. No return call, no return email. The other therapist who was new to me - I called. I left a voicemail. That was three days ago. Good thing I wasn't in crisis huh?! I am at the point where I am ready to give up. 3. This call JUST happened while I was typing this. I got a call from the "BLANK PARTY" on a recorded line telling me that we couldn't let SO AND SO into the White House and should they send out my party material confirming I would pledge $200 or should they put me down for $100?! H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEYSTICKS NO????!!!! No sweetheart - I don't know how you got my cell phone # but lose it fast and don't ever call me again. The nerve. I don't want to get into politics but both sides are making me ill. I'm not at the point where I'm moving to Canada or going to load up on shotgun shells or anything but the political landscape right now is just downright depressing. Luckily I have an awesome plumber who recommended a masonry guy and I called him today. He's coming out TOMORROW to price the job. He was pleasant and courteous and I'll be making sure that he gets a good review online too if he decides to do the work (and does a good job....I'm figuring he will Ok - RANT OVER. Thanks for listening!

What MD are you using? The one in San Antonio? Sent from my iPhone Im using Dr Garcia at Tijuana Bariatrics.

Ordering off the kid's menu is a great idea, but most placed I have been say you must be a kid and put an age limit on it. Has anyone ever told the restaurant that they had bariatric surgery and needed to order the smaller portion?

What about Iron? Are you getting enough iron in your multi-Vitamin, or do you need to supplement? I tend to be borderline anemic and when I don't supplement my iron intake, I feel very run down and tired. I agree with the others about the Water intake, B12, exercise, and checking with your surgeon/bariatric group and NUT. Something else may be going on that supplements can't fix.

I’m about 5 weeks out from rny gastric bypass and I’m starting to get back to a more “normal” diet. Are there any meal kits out there that anyone knows of? a couple years ago I was in a ldr and my bf used to order 3-4 meals a week. When I visited, it was enough for two and when I was not there, he always had leftovers since they are designed for 2. Since I’m obviously not eating as much as I did pre op, one kit would probably be 4 or 5 meals and that seems so wasteful because I can’t imagine eating the same thing 4 meals in a row. Are there meal kits out there that make smaller portions?

Thanks, Pearldrop! I'll start preparing my bariatric-friendly appetizers!