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Dr. Jesse Lopez is at the Mid-West Institute of Bariatric Surgery. Located in Lenexa, Kansas.

Let me tell you about protein shots! Lol Bariatric Choice has them for 3.79 and it's 42g of protein per shot. I just ordered 4... I'd rather drink a shot than to sip on Isopure all day.... It doesn't taste so good and I bought a whole case of them. Ask me where it is lol

I agree with most of you alls points & I think sadly a lot of people get on here & look for answers instead of contacting their doctor. There are credible sources that say the body does what they termed "hibernation mode" about 3 weeks into the post surgical phase. It's around this time your body is like what happened? And it needs to convert some stores to readily available energy. I think many forget we didn't wake up obese one day so we aren't going to wake up thin. That surgery is just a tool, that diet, exercise & other lifestyle changes must accompany it. And the biggest is moving everyday & owning what we put into our bodies. How can your nutritionist help you if you can't actually tell them what your eating? Plus it helps keep you honest. And yes every program has its own set of rules. Carbs are ok, carbs are not ok. Protein shakes are a good source of protein but you can only have them for so long... Read the materials your program gave you, in need be reread them & call for clarification. We all went thru major changes & have changed a lot of things to get this surgery. We need to remember most mainstream advice doesn't apply to us anymore, and your Bariatric center is your friend. If you have moved since getting your surgery find one locally & see if they can help you out when questions arise. I just want us to all succeed & not fall back on half truths to make something we have learned is not acceptable with our new life acceptable(like eat more lose more). There are times when we are just not feeding our body enough & it will metabolize muscle & not fat so adjustments need to be made. But again your nutritionist & your doctor will know what that magical calorie number is for you based on you & not someone else. Ok off my soapbox ????

Hi folks, I am in the Ocoee, Winter Garden area but I’m just in the research phase, really. I’m registered for that seminar with ORMC Bariatric this coming Thursday, but I haven’t received anything saying where the seminar is held. Could you tell me where that is? ORMC is huge! I’m interested in the sleeve surgery. Thanks.

Where do you live?? I was at Duffy's a week post op, for a party, I explained to the waiter that I was not ordering anything because I just had surgery (didnt even mention it was bariatric) I mentioned to him that I brought some broth, jello, and ice tea. They had absoloutely no problem with that. I have not tried my card yet, but most places where I live, Southeast Florida, you can order of the childrens menu and substitute sides for more healthier ones. Sorry you have had trouble, I would have asked for the manager in that situation, and possibly called the corporate office to explain the situation. Maybe you just had an insensitive waiter.

So you cheated a little on your post-op diet. When you were supposed to be on liquids, you had a few spoons of mashed potatoes or a swallow of yogurt, both nice and soft. Maybe you ate a few Cheez Doodles, but what’s the big deal? They’re like eating flavored air, aren’t they? And the McNuggets you tried during the puree phase? You chewed them really well, and you could only eat three instead of your pre-op portion of six – isn’t that great? No, it’s not great that you could only eat three McNuggets. And yes,cheating is a big deal, and I’m going to tell you why. You’re not going to get away with this one. Miss Jean has eyes in the back of her head. She sees the cookie crumbs on your face and the neon orange faux cheese film on your guilty fingers. SOME DEFINITIONS OF CHEATING The word “cheat” has two main connotations. One is cheating in the sense of lying and deceiving. It’s intentional dishonesty. You know what you’re doing is wrong, but you do it anyway. The other connotation of “cheat” is unfaithfulness. Unfaithful to a vow or promise you made to another person or to an organization. When someone cheats you, do you just shrug and say, “Oh well, he was having a bad day”? Let’s say you bought a car that you thought was brand new, and later discovered that the dealer had fiddled with the odometer and charged you full sticker price for a car with 1200 miles on it. Would that be okay with you? And what if your spouse, the person you trust with your life, cheated on you by sleeping with your best friend, would you be able to just shrug that off? If your child got a B+ grade by cheating on a test by copying answers from the student at the next desk, would you be proud of him or her? And what if you found out that a coworker betrayed you by using the great idea you confided to him or her and taking credit for it when it worked out splendidly? Would you still be eating lunch with that coworker? Or what if you donated money to a political candidate who you admired, and he or she spent it on a vacation in the Bahamas instead of on re-election expenses. Would that be okay with you? Would you vote for that candidate ever again? I’ll take a guess at your answers to these questions. In none of the situations I’ve described would you be happy or proud. In fact, you’d be disappointed and angry. So just how can you think it’s no big deal to cheat on your post-op diet? EXCUSES, EXCUSES I can hear grumbling in the room. I think I just heard someone saying, “I had to eat that mashed potato. I was so hungry and miserable and cranky from being on liquids for a week, I couldn’t stand it another minute.” I do understand very well how you felt, but in the big picture of world hunger, where babies die because their mothers eat so little that they don’t produce enough milk for nursing, your and my hungry misery is a big So What. And someone else is whispering, “My best friend’s surgeon let her eat mashed potatoes on her third day post-op, so it must be okay for me to do that too, even though my surgeon told me to wait until my 15th day post-op. It’s not my fault that every surgeon has a different post-op eating protocol.” While it’s true that surgeons’ eating instructions vary widely, you signed on with your surgeon, not your best friend’s. Presumably you chose your surgeon because you and/or your insurance company believe that he or she is well-qualified in laparascopic bariatric surgery. During your psych evaluation, you affirmed that you understand what the surgery involves and that you can and will follow instructions. You nodded when the shrink asked if you’re ready to make all the lifestyle changes needed for success. You nodded when the dietitian asked if you understood your pre- and post-op eating instructions. You scribbled your own name on a sheaf of release papers to indicate that you were informed about the risks involved and despite those risks, gave your surgeon permission to perform surgery on you. In addition to all of that, you spent weeks or months jumping through hoops to prove your need for bariatric surgery. Perhaps you suffered through a six-month pre-op diet. You had lots of medical tests and evaluations, most of them not much fun, because you were so eager to get your weight loss show on the road. You had surgery, suffered some degree of discomfort from your incisions and gas, and finally heaved a sigh of relief because all the struggles are over now. But then you discovered that there are still more struggles to survive because of that stupid post-op liquid diet. Yet despite jumping through all those hoops, in less than 60 seconds you blow it by popping a Cheez Doodle in your mouth, and justify that with the aforementioned misery excuse. And man oh man, that must have been some really serious misery, because evidently it drove out of your mind all the very good reasons for faithfully following that post-op diet progression. You forgot that one of the most common causes of band slips is the patient’s failure to follow the post-op diet. You forgot that food can get stuck in the stoma or esophagus and cause an obstruction or vomiting. You forgot that vomiting can disturb the position of the band, especially when you’re a new post-op and your stomach is still healing from surgery. You forgot that in order to move mashed potatoes or Cheez Doodles through your digestive system, your esophagus and stomach must expand and contract, which can disturb the position of your band and cause it to slip. You forgot all the promises you made to your bariatric team and to yourself about healthy eating and weight loss success, because you were so miserable and just a few little cheat bites are no big deal. I’ll try to give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you thought that being able to eat the Cheez Doodles without having any uncomfortable side effects or complications like a stuck episode, a PB, sliming, chest pain, esophageal dilation or spasms means that it’s okay to eat the Cheez Doodles. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s a wrong assumption. Cheating eating can cause problems without you ever knowing it until it’s too late. Cheating eating is just plain foolish. YOU’RE NOT ALONE Now here’s the good news. You’re not alone. Nobody enjoys the post-op diet progression. If any of us were good at following diets, we might not need bariatric surgery in the first place. And only infants enjoy a liquid diet. But in a sense, as a new post-op you’re a bariatric infant who must consume liquids because your body isn’t ready yet to handle anything else. Cheating on your post-op diet is cheating your health in a major way. If you already cheated once or twice or ten times, that’s not a good reason for continuing to cheat, so don’t do it again! I believe we should begin any project as we mean to go on. If you can’t follow your post-op diet, exactly when are you going to begin your healthy post-op lifestyle? Are you going to wait until after your first fill, or your second fill, or at some hazy time in the future? If so, don’t come running to me when your scale stays stuck on a number you hate. NOW is the time to begin your healthy lifestyle. NOW is the time to practice good band eating skills and making good food choices and controlling portion sizes. Doing that may not be easy, but it’s not impossible either. Losing a massive amount of weight is a big, tough project, but if you respect your band, it's going to be easier than any of your past weight loss attempts. Let me clarify that: it's going to be easier if you follow instructions. In addition to that healthy lifestyle, there’s another very good reason to stick to your diet. At some point you’re going to have to face up to your past and acknowledge that food and eating have been a major problem for you. The fact that you’re struggling with your post-op diet is a symptom of that. There’s no shame attached to that struggle. As mentioned above, if we didn’t struggle with eating, we wouldn’t need bariatric surgery at all. So I suggest that you look at the post-op diet (and your pre-op diet too, for that matter) as a rite of passage. During this rite, you’ll be painfully aware of just how many food devils you possess, because without food to shut them up, they’re going to be jumping up and down and screaming for your attention. But their wish is no longer your command. You’re going to send them a clear signal: that you’re not going to submit to their demands any more. From now on, you’re going to follow your surgeon’s and dietitian’s eating instructions no matter how much commotion those devils make. You’re in charge now. As the saying goes, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Do yourself a favor, and make it a day without Cheez Doodles!

Hi all, I am now beginning the process for my VSG surgery. The surgeon I am going to have it with is Dr. Spencer Holover in Roslyn NY... he is with the NY Bariatric Group. Anyone had their surgery with him? Please share your experience if you have. I have GHI and BCBS insurance, how long did it take to get the surgery with these insurances in NYS? I am hoping to have my surgery by July🤞🏽.

I got my Lap Band almost ten years ago, and I can't remember if they did pre op blood work and if they did what the results were. I'm almost three months post op revision Bypass now and this surgeon did do pre op blood work, but it was all normal. I've been on continual vitamins/calcium for nearly ten years, so that's probably part of the reason my labs were normal. It's not uncommon for obese people to be malnourished/have low vitamins & mineral levels. If you think about it, for most obese people, the choices that they make/made is part of the reason that gets a lot of us to wls. Fast food, pizza, burgers for the most part has very little nourishment as far as vitamins/minerals go (besides carbs, lol). I'm sure your team will get your levels up to normal before you have your surgery. As a matter of fact, after my pre op labs came back, even tho they were normal, I was started on chewable bariatric vitamins. It was standard protocol for pre op patients. So don't fret, you'll be fine! Best wishes!

Definitely going to look into bcomplex liquid drops. Just the idea of swallowing a big capsule makes me gag. My NUT actually said flintstone Vitamins aren't sufficient. I remember LOVING those! She's a tough one, though. Would you mind taking a few minutes and listing the nutritional facts? I'll list the ones for the Bariatric Advantage complete multi. calories 10 total carbs 2 sugar <1 Vitamin a 7500iu Vitamin C 120 mg vitamin d3 1000 iu vitamin e 30 iu vitamin B1 6mg vitamin b2 3.4 mg niacinamide 50mg vitamin b6 4 mg folic acid 800 mcg vitamin b12 100 mcg Biotin 600 mcg pantothenic acid 20 mg calcium 200 mg magnesium 50 mg zinc 15 mg selenium 100 mcg copper 2 mg manganese 2 mg

Omg I could tolerate the bariatric advantage while doing my preop diet but post op not no but hell no as soon as that Vitamin goes down my mouth starts watering and I have to use everything in my power to not vomit ugh so the dr told me to crush it and put it in my Protein shake so that's been working for me cause I'm determined to finish that big bottle since I paid for those darn bariatric advantage Vitamins haha!!!

My RD recommended two Flintstones Complete per day. It had to be the complete. I too purchased the bariatric Vitamins and they were horrible. Huge waste of money. Some docs recommend prenatal vitamins as well. My levels are doing great with the two Flintstones Complete per day. I also take Blue Bonnet liquid calcium 1 tablespoon 3xs per day. I get it at my local Whole Foods and it goes down fine for me. I also take 50,000 units of Vitamin D2. Thats a prescription. I have low Vitamin D levels prior to surgery and it took about a year to get my levels to come up to normal limits. Hope this helped! Sent from my DROIDX using VST

I have had this for 13 years. Mine started after I had my gallbladder out. It is usually refered to as dumping syndrome, or that is what all of my doctors call it. My bariatric surgeon had really hoped that mine would resolve after my surgery, but it has not. It has gotten a bit better though. I use to have to go as many as 10 times a day. Now it is not hardly that many. You have the same symptoms. My doc gives Questran powder. I couldn't take it though. So I am still like I have been for years...if I have got to go, I have GOT to go.

I have been using it for over 2 years. I love it too. I ws able to buy it from another place, when i put in my zipcode on the Bell Plantation site, It says that a low calorie, low carb ice cream shop called De'lites has it. I have also bought it at the Bariatric center that I go to. i love it ~A bit too much sometimes~ Thanks for the great recipe Miss Georgia Girl.. Keep up the good work everyone. All of you are doing so well....

Welcome all to "Bandsters Hell" During my entire weight loss experience with the band, this phase was definitely the hardest time of all...not to mention frustrating. My first fill was 4 week after surgery...after my first fill, I started to GAIN weight. I can't begin to say how upset I was, all the preparation and anticipation for nothing! To add insult to injury, the staff at the bariatric center started giving me handouts and lectures about counting calories, measuring portion sizes, and all these little self help do's and don'ts to help me stay on track.... I've been on every diet imaginable over my lifetime, know them all inside and out...and what they were telling me was no different! That really got me angry!! I did not need weight loss surgery just so I can do all that again! You think I wanted to have this surgery if I felt I didn't need it??? I'm going to say somewhere 4-6 months after surgery, a few fills later, a lot of hard lessons learned the hard way, (stuck, sliming, pain) and it all started to fall into place.... One year after surgery and I could say it was the EASIEST, most EFFORTLESS thing I could have ever done to make sch a major lifestyle change in myself... I learned to let the band be the band and to get out of it's way... learned to "Listen: to the band" and follow it's lead. Four years later and it is still Heaven! And it keeps getting better as I keep accepting this new way of living..

now I'm curious also. By the time one enters my decade of life,one has disposed of :gall bladder, appendix,tonsils adenoids. a breast or 2, a kidney or OMG 2 and most if not all of your female organs. And a hip, 1 or 2 knees,and even maybe an ankle fused. Fair to say, every thing has been removed or surgically stabelized, and here you are knocking on the front door of the BAriatric God's begging to have your gastrointestinal system monkeyed with. And that is the portrait I see being painted.🎆

I had been considering surgery for years.. At 5'3" and 393 pounds I was super morbidly obese and knew it. Overall, I was still pretty healthy though, and our insurance doesn't cover wls, so I didn't seriously consider it. Then, my liver enzymes started to elevate, and got higher each year I had them done. So I was scheduled to see a liver specialist in February 2020. In January 2020 I had my gallbladder removed and mentioned that I'd be seeing a liver specialist to the surgeon. He said while he was in there he'd biopsy my liver. When I went for follow up he said my liver looked really bad and he didn't see me living past 60 if I didn't lose weight. I'm 49 and was 48 then. He recommended surgery. He was very concerned and compassionate and just the way he said it really impacted me. So I made an appointment to see a bariatric surgeon that day. I had to pay out of pocket for the surgery, but it was worth every penny. My liver enzymes were close to normal last time I had them done. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

You will LOVE the care you receive from Crystal Run!! The entire process is fabulous--from the staff to the private rooms to the pianoist in the lobby. The surgeon I had is no longer there,( I'm 5yrs out) but knowing that Crystal Run is a "Bariatric Center of Excellence", so I'm confident that the new surgeons are of superior reference. Say, "hello" to Janet Kover for me. She is one fantastic knowledgeable and supportive NUT.. You are off to a wonderful beginning of your WLS by choosing Crystal Run. I'm confident of your success and your bariatric journey being a joyful one.

I've had 100+ hours of therapy at http://mocsa.org a few years ago. I was of "normal" weight then. My weight gain took off after I fell down some steps and mangled my right ankle. I had one unsuccessful surgery on it. Later, two ankle reconstruction surgeons told me there was nothing more they could do. I was sedentary and very depressed after that. It doesn't help that I have an autoimmune thyroid condition. I'm not suggesting that more therapy might not help me but a sedentary lifestyle really derailed my ability to walk or do much in the way of weight-bearing exercise. It's been 10 years since I injured my ankle. Morphine is the only thing that even gets close to taking the edge off the pain. (And I tried many other non-narcotic meds first, plus holistic treatments. My PharmD daughter finally explained to me that being dependent on a narcotic for actual pain relief is different from being addicted to a drug when no physical malady is present.) Taking 300mg of morphine per day doesn't give me a "high"; it just helps me move around without writhing in pain. I also take oxycodone for breakthrough pain. Believe me, nobody WANTS to rely on powerful meds like these. It's weird to say, but I often welcome competing sources of pain (gallbladder surgery; lipoma removal, or even my knee replacements) to help keep my brain confused about where the pain is. I expect my bariatric surgery to be no different. There's nothing that my surgeon can do to my body that can overtake the pain I live with everyday. Boo-hoo me.

I have thought about all the milestones (negative) that I hit before finally turning to surgery. These were NOT tipping points for me: -needing seat belt extender on flight -struggling to tie my sneakers -Winded walking to my office or up the stairs -prediabetes diagnosis And so many years of dieting struggles The tipping point was -getting an A1C test of 6.9 and a Diabetes diagnosis. - getting prescribed diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure medications. -And Not being able to go on bike rides with my daughter I felt so hopeless until I finally followed my cardiologists suggestion to attend an informational session for bariatric surgery. After another 4 months of considering all the risks (real and perceived) with taking this step, I could not imagine any other way that I would be able to lose the amount of weight that I needed to get healthy again. Just over 3 months later and 54 lbs down, I am only sorry I was so resistant to the idea of surgery to help lose weight. I feel more than hopeful again. I have a long way still to go, but it feels doable now. And I already feel so much success to be able to move more comfortably and no longer need the medication prescribed just 8 months ago! And I am getting my bike tuned so I can go biking with my daughter on the nearby bike path that I have avoided riding for over 5 years!!

Fat shaming? I realize I might be one of the only ones, but that's truly a phrase I despise. I have had random people make rude remarks about my size when I was at my biggest, but it was rare. I didn't consider it "fat shaming" any more than I call bullying every time someone says something to me I dislike. Like I said, it's just me, but that phrase is like nails on a chalkboard to me. That said, insurance companies don't choose to cover or not cover WLS, your EMPLOYER does. It's truly a bum rap that insurance companies take when people take their ire out on them because they can't get the medical procedures they want. ***IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT*** No, I do NOT work in the insurance industry, nor does anyone in my family. I don't have stock or any other investment in insurance and I don't benefit in any way for sticking up for them. It's simply not true. BCBS VA covered mine 100%. BCBS VA denied my bestie because her company chose a different package. Our old insurance Aetna would only cover 75% five years ago. When our renewal came up, they covered 90%. For some people they cover 100%, for county and state employees in my area they do not cover it at all. Companies pick insurance packages based on the cost to them. If they choose not to cover WLS, that's on them. Your insurance company will cover anything the package covers. No fat shaming involved.

Isn't it amazing how this subject touches a raw nerve in all of us? When people ask me how I lost all the weight, I tell them, "I had bariatric surgery last June and I haven't had a bite of starch, or any sweets, or any booze, or any soda since then... I live on almost exclusively on small portions of Protein and some green vegetables, I exercise almost every day and I feel great! Thanks for asking..." If you spit that all out quickly enough, nobody dares to say it's "easy".

@@jennfred, good for you for insisting on going to the hotel! Really, the Bariatric Pal guys are just fine, and you won't have any problems. @@maggie409 stayed at the recovery house in June, and she liked it. As I mentioned, it might not have been so bad if it hadn't been so darned hot! But the hotel is more what we are accustomed to. Lots of space, all with central air, wonderful staff, and nurses to help if there are medical needs or questions. Plus, my husband went with me, and the Grand is close to all kinds of restaurants, fast food places, grocery stores, etc. so he could go for a walk and pick up some juice, or something to eat for himself without getting out of sight of the hotel. And once I got feeling better, I walked with him over to the Fast & Final grocery store to find some peach juice cuz I was tired of the apple. Just the walk was a challenge, but was so good for me to get outside in the sun and walk on streets and sidewalks and not just in circles around my room. Walk as much as you can. From the minute you wake up from surgery even, if you feel well enough for that. Up and down the hallway in the hospital. Or just back and forth in your hospital room if you need the a/c. INT hospital is not air conditioned in the hallways, just in each room. If it hurts, walk. Seems counter-intuitive, but the walking is what will help the gas to go away (they inflate the stomach area with CO2 so they can see what they are doing during the operation). Trust that you will be fine. Good luck!

The internet is an interesting forum. There's literally no way to know for sure about anyone save for what they choose to type yet there seems to be plenty of experts and judgements. So be it. I guess my main, and only point, was that we're fortunate to live in a time where medical advancements have been able to make our quality of life much better and for a longer period of time. I think all of us have made the investment in a lap band to take advantage of medical technology, all to our betterment. I think, at least for me, losing extra weight will increase my quality of life and I hope that's the case for everyone on this forum. The idea/saying of 60 being the new 40 is tied to medical advancement as well as to what I hope to be a renewed emphasis in our culture on leading a healthy lifestyle. So no, I don't believe 60 = 40 in the literal sense. I do think that 60 in 2007 is much different than what it was in 1957. I see some really amazing people of all ages living incredible lives; and I do believe part of it is mental and part of it is physical. My dad is 80 but I swear he looks like he's in his 60s and acts like he's 40! He's the hardest working person I've ever known and a great example that aging doesn't necessarily equate to giving up on a great life. I hope to follow his example. Best to all of you on your journey.

Hey March 3rd group. Here's a quick update: I'm still fatigued from doing nothing. I don't meet my 64 oz. goal for hydration, I'm only halfway there. So I started with the popsicles this week to help me. I take the Prilosec and the bariatric multivitamins eveyday, without issue now. I don't like the taste, but I will manage. 3/6 incisions have shed the skin glue naturally and looks amazing. Going to start using Mederma and vitamin e oil next week. They itch like hell though and are still a little bit tender. Pooping is not my friend, I'm taking the meds to assist me. I've only went once over this past weekend. I will take the Miralx to aide my body if needed. I want to chew and now... I have to fight this head hunger like everyone else. I'm hungry sometimes, but I will drink a shake or one of my allowed items from the Full liquid diet. Still want a waffle and Turkey bacon or some cashews. I'm down exactly 10 pounds from surgery last week. Sleep is difficult, I'm uncomfortable most nights and I want to go sleep during regular sleeping hours, I can't. I need a little more rest than normal. I finally put on a bra today and full lounge wear.

Thanks for the advice, guys. I ended up having my second cardiology appointment today (it was scheduled for an hour after my original surgery was scheduled.. the irony) but the doctor was sympathetic and super awesome. He was knowledgeable about my condition and cleared me for surgery. He saw where my heart was functionally okay to withstand surgery. He was really excited about my case and gave me some good information and wants to follow up with me. I think it was good that I got all this info because it gives me more faith in doctors where I live and I think I have a solid cardiologist now.. which is awesome bc I guess I'll be needing heart surgery in the next 10 years or so. Honestly, I've thought about going to mexico, but I don't have anyone who would travel with me so that is kind of out. I would travel by myself but you can't do that. I do love traveling and wouldn't care to try the medical tourism because I feel like the insurance nonsense is so horrible. I've seen some amazing transformations (not bariatrics) from Japan and they take great pride in their work and you don't have to go for follow up after follow up like you do in the states. I'm on the hook for $900 for pre-op testing.. which sucks because I thought my insurance would cover that.. but in the end, it's all for my health.