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I use Unjury products (Google the name). Their vitamins are specially formulated for bariatric surgery patients. Note that PROTEIN, not vitamins is the key to forstall or stop hair loss!

Milk of Magnesia is what my bariatric paperwork said to use for constipation. I got some and used it only once. It works, but it makes me sick at my stomach. I shudder when I even hear the name of that stuff from hating it when I was a kid. When I mentioned the constipation to my surgeon, he told me to get some Miralax. It's a powder you stir into your water and it seriously has no taste. I have a very strong sense of smell and taste, and I cannot taste the powder. It works well with no cramping.

honestly i generally don't get too many cravings but i have been at several catered luncheons where something 'looks good' and i will go ahead and take the tiniest little try of it (EXCEPT for sweets, sugar, pop, desserts). none of those. something like the 1/2 tsp potato salad i had the other day, or a tpsp bbq baked Beans i had yesterday. both sat well. scale is still moving. TINY amounts seems to be key for me. i am truly following my bariatric program and eating all foods as directed so i don't feel like i'm cheating, but it's funny because i have found myself counting and tracking like crazy on days when i choose a 'looks good' option!

Oh man this is awful!!! Have you tried Surgical Associates? They have the same surgeons that Bailey does, except they do the surgery at Saint Francis and they have different qualifiers. Dr. Varnell is there too even. I chose Bailey as I worked there awhile back, not because of any other reason. https://www.satulsa.com/main/services/bariatric-surgery/ also, surgery in Mexico is pretty affordable and can be financed. If it doesnt include the flight... Tulsa has Allegiant flights to San Diego for next to nothing... 120 bucks or so round trip with no layovers. You could totally do that too... it was one of the options I also looked into... but for me, since Bailey was free and I had worked there, its just the direction I went. Girl I would recommend this surgery to anyone. I am losing weight awesomely, its pretty easy so far, and I never had a bit of problems with the surgery, pain, tummy issues, nothing. I am not even close to goal weight but I would do this again for sure. Even if I had to go to Mexico to get it done lol. Thats what my exhusband and baby son have done btw and it worked wonderfully for them! No issues at all either. Good luck and I sure do hope you stick around!

You’ve made a commitment to adjustable gastric banding surgery, because you need to improve your overall present and future health. Sounds manageable, shouldn’t be too difficult; the results following bariatric surgery, 1 year, 3 years and so on, will be worth it. So, you have the surgery and, for awhile, it seems like magic, weight is coming off slowly but surely and you are working hard to move toward greater health goals day by day. If all goes well, you will have few bumps in the road, right? Well, that’s the hope, not always the reality. I can tell you this; you are not alone on this journey and you will probably experience a good degree of success with your adjustable gastric band even if you are faced with a struggle from time to time. The challenges and rewards of surgery go hand in hand. The challenges of all patients remain virtually the same: how do we combine all the team professionals, support services, along with family and friends, to make this surgery work for you? It may help to look at the big picture for a moment and remind ourselves of the common issues that weight loss surgery patients may be facing along the way. Here are some common challenges that bariatric patients may encounter at any point in the post-operative journey: YOUR HABITS ARE TOUGH TO BREAK: You are human and make mistakes; you have habits and memories of the way food is woven into your life over the years. YOU ARE BECOMING COMPLACENT: You are very motivated as a surgery patient at the beginning, then become complacent and lose motivation over time, after losing a large amount of weight. YOU'RE OFF TRACK: You experience daily life stress that distracts you from your post surgery lifestyle priorities and commitment to better health. YOU ARE AFRAID TO BE JUDGED: You have gained weight back now that you are 3 or more years post surgery but are embarrassed to reconnect with your surgeon and supports in your bariatric community, patients and professionals alike. In addition to team professional support from your bariatric surgery program here are a few things to consider: CONVICTION: Support and encouragement from family, friends and mentors. Those who have a vested interest in you and your success are the key people who help you post surgery and beyond. Try not to hear all or nothing of what others may say; seek what is helpful to you and leave the rest. Time and education help reassure those around you that your decision to have surgery is a sound one. CONSISTENCY: Staying on a regular schedule with the surgeon’s office consists of regular lap band fills every 6 weeks or more, follow up visits with the nutritionist, regular blood work and support group attendance are ways to promote best results with your adjustable gastric band. SHARING AND RECEIVING: Many patients find the use of individual therapy helpful or a group setting to reinforce continuous learning and lifestyle improvements. This would be recommended in addition to program support group attendance. ONLINE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: Online resources are very helpful as an addition to program as well as personal support. So here are the essential issues of bariatric living: Your consistent awareness of these issues will increase the effectiveness of your weight loss “tool” so you can maintain a long and happy partnership with it. It is an emotional adjustment at times and requires perseverance. You will bicker, even fight at times (with your band) and say things you will regret. Just remember, the band can be very flexible at times and allow you make mistakes but it cannot help you if you do not help yourself. That’s what life partners are supposed to do, right? They provide consistent support through all the ups and downs of life, through good times and bad. You will have a long and prosperous relationship with your gastric band if you work as a team; isn’t that really the goal, after all?

Lucky you.....I wasn't able to select my shakes for my liquid diet...we have to use Bariatric Advantage. ...and my oh my can't wait to have something other than a shake, popsicles, and broth! ! #day8

Yes, I am taking acid reducers, I will try to get more water in. I use the bariatric app and I’m getting more than 64 oz of water a day. But I am am struggling to get my 60-90 grams of protein, shakes make me sick...anything thick anymore make me nauseous these days.

if you're still seeing your bariatric team, I'd start there. Or if not, is it possible to see them again? Otherwise, if you're not still tracking your food intake, start there. Track for a couple of weeks to figure out what your average calorie intake is now. Then try cutting back by 100 calories or so for another couple of weeks. If that doesn't do the trick, cut back by another 100 calories. Rinse and repeat. Eventually you'll find the level where you'll start losing weight. also, start doing some of things we did that first year after surgery (NOT all the way back to shakes and purees - I mean how we ate after the first couple of months - focusing mostly on protein and non-starchy vegetables. Then if you have room, maybe a small serving of fruit or whole-grain carb). if you're having trouble with hunger while cutting back, add in more vegetables - I try to eat vegetables with every meal when I'm trying to lose (I don't always with breakfast, but I DO blend a cup of fresh spinach or kale in with my morning protein shake to make up for it). I also always keep raw veggies (with a dip made from plain Greek yogurt and ranch dressing mix), sugar free popsicles, and sugar free Jello around, too. Healthy fats like avocado and peanut butter or a handful of nuts can also help with the hunger - but just have a small portion of those since they're pretty high in calories. good luck with this. I know it's tough - I'm battling a 10-lb COVID gain right now and I know it isn't easy, but people do it... At least you're catching it at 40 lbs while it's still do-able oh btw - I know a lot of people who've regained who've had success with Weight Watchers, Keto, and/or intermittent fasting - so those might be options for you, too...

I got better advice from my Surgeon and Bariatric NUT than I did in the 5 months I went to see my dietician. She knew absolutely nothing! She was young and had a few years experience but didn't help me lose ANY WEIGHT AT ALL! It was a waste of time but my insurance insisted on it.

I have a question for those who have had Bariatric Surgery. How is your health compared to what it was before? I know many people have major health concern before surgery and they are cleared up once the weight is lost. But has anyone’s health declined? Do you catch the “common cold” more often? Are you on different medications? I’m very curious about this, I’ve heard conflicting arguments.

Yes you have a lactose issue....besides most women need to stay away from dairy...unsweetened almond milk is a great substitute for milk. Surgeons tell us that if your not lactose intolerant you may become that way after bypass. HW 250/1st Lapband 198/2nd Lapband 232/Pre conversion 2/6/13 to bypass 232. Currently 206 Bariatric GW 134, Realistic GW 150

Here's FYI for those that are interested! Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Advantages Reduces stomach capacity but tends to allow the stomach to function normally so most food items can be consumed, albeit in small amounts. Eliminates the portion of the stomach that produces the hormones that stimulates hunger (Ghrelin). Dumping syndrome is avoided or minimized because the pylorus is preserved. Minimizes the chance of an ulcer occurring. By avoiding the intestinal bypass, almost eliminates the chance of intestinal obstruction (blockage), marginal ulcers, anemia, osteoporosis, Protein deficiency and Vitamin deficiency. Very effective as a first stage procedure for high BMI patients (BMI > 55 kg/m2). Limited results appear promising as a single stage procedure for low BMI patients (BMI 30-50 kg/m2). Appealing option for people who are concerned about the complications of intestinal bypass procedures or who have existing anemia, Crohn’s disease and numerous other conditions that make them too high risk for intestinal bypass procedures. Appealing option for people who are concerned about the foreign body aspect of Banding procedures. Can be done laparoscopically in patients weighing over 500 pounds, thereby providing all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery: fewer wound and lung problems, less pain, and faster recovery. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Disadvantages Potential for inadequate weight loss or weight regain. While this is true for all procedures, it is theoretically more possible with procedures that do not have an intestinal bypass. Higher BMI patients will most likely need to have a second stage procedure later to help lose the rest of the weight. Remember, two stages may ultimately be safer and more effective than one operation for high BMI patients. This is an active point of discussion for bariatric surgeons. Soft calories such as ice cream, milk shakes, etc can be absorbed and may slow weight loss. This procedure does involve stomach stapling and therefore leaks and other complications related to stapling may occur. Because the stomach is removed, it is not reversible. It can be converted to almost any other weight loss procedure. Considered investigational by some surgeons and insurance companies. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

Oh-oh, we were on different wavelengths. My reference to being educated was in the sense of knowledgeable about WLS, not about formal education. I was curious about your stance as a professional on the politicization of WLS. Many who have formal schooling or native intelligence are wildly narrow-minded. The reverse holds, too. I suppose I lean toward ignoring the dolts partly because my surgery was long ago enough that the surgery itself has taken a back seat and partly because other things going on in my life take up the time and energy. If, however, I encounter a true Neanderthal or Luddite, I'll be to storm the Bastille to defend the honor of bariatrics and the people who love it.I completely agree FatKellyRN>soontobe<SleeveKellyRN

I’m in New Zealand today, where I have been for the past three weeks. It has been a privilege to work with a number of bariatric professionals from different disciplines associated with the Foundations Healthy Living Retreat. During this five-day retreat, a small group of post-operative bariatric patients live together, eat together, exercise together, learn together and share with one another. Various staff members share their expertise about healthy living. Topics include much more than how to eat well and exercise. Participants learn the importance of focusing on personal values in all areas of their lives, discover the importance of positive self-talk, address self-sabotage and learn the importance of living mindfully. Coping skills, communication skills, and boundary setting skills are discussed. The topics of shame and vulnerability are explored, as well. Participants get what all bariatric patients in all corners of the world need following bariatric surgery: the Foundations of Healthy Living. Hmmm… good name for the retreat! I’m in New Zealand today, where I have been for the past three weeks. It has been a privilege to work with a number of bariatric professionals from different disciplines associated with the Foundations Healthy Living Retreat. During this five-day retreat, a small group of post-operative bariatric patients live together, eat together, exercise together, learn together and share with one another. Various staff members share their expertise about healthy living. Topics include much more than how to eat well and exercise. Participants learn the importance of focusing on personal values in all areas of their lives, discover the importance of positive self-talk, address self-sabotage and learn the importance of living mindfully. Coping skills, communication skills, and boundary setting skills are discussed. The topics of shame and vulnerability are explored, as well. Participants get what all bariatric patients in all corners of the world need following bariatric surgery: the Foundations of Healthy Living. Hmmm… good name for the retreat! What I think as I look around me are the many “non-coincidences” in my immediate surrounding. I do not believe that my being here, halfway around the world, is a coincidence. To begin with, Dr. David Schroeder, a bariatric surgeon, and his wife, Andrea, are, in many ways, absurdly similar in personality to my husband Steve and myself. David and Steve are both kind, intelligent, rational, left-brain thinkers who are mild-mannered and soft-spoken. Andrea and I, on the other hand, while also kind and intelligent, are passionate, passionate and more passionate. Translated, we are thinkers and DO-ers, we are upfront and direct, and are most definitely whatever the opposite of soft-spoken is. Oh, loud. That’s it! Andrea and David are passionate about their work in the bariatric field. They are zealous about the physical health of surgical weight loss patients and are also super passionate about the patients’ psychological health. The Schroeder’s know that the journey of recovering from obesity takes a lifetime and includes the physical and the psychological wellbeing of each person. Andrea created the Foundations of Healthy Living Retreat and they have been hosting the retreats for the past five years. It is definitely not a coincidence that David reached out to me after reading my first book, Eat It Up! Our professional philosophies are very much in sync. My work, with great help from Steve, is all about addressing the psychological needs of patients while their physical needs are being medically managed. David and Andrea, like Steve and myself, dedicate much more than our careers to providing bariatric patients with education and support. We address the WHOLE person, pre-operatively and after weight loss surgery. We put our hearts and souls into the work we do because we are convinced by the feedback our patients provide that they want and need much more than the surgical procedure can provide in order for them to live healthy lives, both physically and psychologically following bariatric surgery. Since meeting in 2011, I have learned a great deal by working with both Andrea and David. The Schroeder’s have twice brought me to New Zealand where I have had the opportunity to learn from and contribute to, the lives and education of their patients and staff. Andrea and David, as well as every person presenting information at the retreat, address bariatric patients from a whole person perspective. Each participant is treated respectfully and compassionately, as a human being who is much more than a bariatric patient. Their emotional support needs are emphasized, as a success following bariatric surgery involves more than dealing with a person’s biological innards. Is it a coincidence that Andrea and David, in New Zealand, know the same things that Steve and I know in the US? We all know and work toward, helping patients and bariatric professionals realize that bariatric patients have tremendous emotional and psychological needs that require attention. Behavior modification by itself is not enough when it comes to sustaining weight loss. If it were, well… wouldn’t more people have kept weight off after diets and bariatric surgery? Is it a coincidence that the bariatric patients I have talked with during individual sessions, along with the participants at the retreats, all from New Zealand, talk about the exact same issues as the bariatric patients I have worked with in the US for the past 15 years? I’m not talking about the physical problems. I’m talking about the lack of self-care this population acknowledges. Not just in their eating and exercise behaviors. These people talk about a great lack of self-value that translates to a lack of proper self-care. The greatest common denominator aside from the physical co-morbidities of the bariatric patients I have spent time with in both countries boils down to this: I don’t believe I’m good enough. That, my friends, is the definition of shame. Our bariatric patients need to heal from the shame that draws them back into unhealthy habits. Healing from shame requires much, much more than a bariatric procedure in an operating room, or “theater,” as they call it in New Zealand. It is not coincidental that bariatric patients across the globe suffer from shame. It is tragic that so few bariatric professionals around the world are willing to provide the full spectrum of care that patients require in order to be able to follow through with behavior modification techniques. Deep shame will eventually extinguish behavior modification efforts. How long before more bariatric professionals get it? How long before more than a handful of patients get the emotional support and psychological care they need after bariatric surgery? How long before we provide a truly comprehensive program to help our patients eliminate shame and establish self-acceptance? The shame belongs to the programs and professionals who do not provide a comprehensive program… because those programs simply aren’t good enough. (Along with the Schroeder’s, I will be offering residential retreats through bariatric centers in the near future. For more information, contact me at connie@conniestapletonphd.com.) I’m grateful for the non-coincidences that have led to meeting Andrea and David Schroeder. I am not surprised to see and hear that the patients in our very distant geographical countries are so very similar. Mostly, I am thrilled to know that there are professionals and patients who know that the Foundations of Healthy Living go way beyond medical care alone! For now, patients can participate in the GAIN While You Lose 10-week program. This is a great way for patients around the country (and the world) to have access to the same topics discussed in the Foundations of Living Retreat. This class includes an hour and a half “lesson,” taught live but available online or via recorded session, followed by weekly homework to make the information applicable to each person’s life. (http://www.conniestapletonphd.com/onlin…/weight-loss-program) Why aren’t we currently doing retreats in the US? Are you, the patients, willing to pay to attend? Are you willing to take the time and spend the money to invest in yourself? Do you value yourself enough to work on your emotional issues? You’ve most likely been willing to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars for weight loss programs, powders, gimmicks and scams. What about actually finding a way to find self-acceptance, a requirement for being able to follow through with behavior modification tools? Patients: there is no shame in having problems. It is tragic to me if you know there are problems, but choose not address them. Please seek the help you need! After all: YOUR HEALTH is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. THIS DAY. EVERY DAY.

Bariatric Advantage has a one a day which I started taking because the chewable made me nauseous. The size is ok about the size of one antibiotic capsule or slightly larger. It does not bother me and there is minimal after taste. The first few days it made me burp but then went away. I found taking them 10 minutes after eating helps keeping them down.

BariatricEating.com - BE, Inc. The number one bariatric website for Protein, Vitamins, and success.

Just wanna say hi fellow Virginians! There aren't any Bariatric surgeons close by here in southwest VA so my surgery is in TN. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks, i dont personal know anyone who has had bariatric surgery so its kind of hard to know who people suggest

Maybe this info will be helpful to someone: So I was stuck at a plateau weight for a couple of weeks, and I was okay with it b/c I know it happens. But then I actually GAINED weight. In fact, I was feeling overall lousy, bloated and sluggish, with headaches and stomach discomfort. Frustrated, I called my bariatric team and they asked me to give them a run-down of what I was eating. I was drinking a protein shake every day for breakfast, sometimes another protein shake for lunch, and sugar-free pudding was my go-to snack. Long story short, turns out I am lactose intolerant, and the protein shakes I was drinking are made with milk protein, a/k/a lactose. What I thought was helping was actually sabotaging my efforts! I stopped drinking the shakes, cut out milk-based products and BOOM started losing weight immediately! I'm told that it is very common to develop a lactose intolerance after VGS surgery. Had no clue.

Everyone has to weigh the benefits vs risks and decide for themselves. Good for you for digging in and doing that work. Wish you the best no matter what you decide. (I love my sleeve and wish I'd done it years ago) Cool article you might enjoy: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/12/7/16587316/bariatric-surgery-weight-loss-lap-band

I was sleeved July 2017 and weighed 233lbs then. I had been through every diet known to google and I would lose a bit of weight, plateau then gain the weight back and more. I am a health professional myself and know that every surgery has risks. However, there has been a lot of research and improvements done such that bariatric surgery is now a very safe procedure. Complications still happen to some but the risks have been significantly lowered over the years. I am one of those people who had zero complications. The surgery is one of the best decisions I made for myself and my health. I have lost close to 60lbs now, eat well and exercise regularly. I am now more positive, confident and generally relaxed. Hope you make the right decision for yourself and your health.

That's a shame. I find that there are people who, for reasons I can't seem to explain, are happy that they have "fat friends" and don't want that to change. I have only told a few friends and all but one were excited and extremely supportive. The one who wasn't, she's someone who can't stand when the attention isn't on her about everything. Even when I told her that I'd scheduled the date and I couldn't wait, she was like "That's great. I can't wait to get my cast off and my wisdom teeth pulled and my cavity filled." (That's a quote. It was a text message.) I was really upset, because for a little while, it's suppose to be about you, not them. What I mean to say is, I'm glad you didn't let them discourage you forever. There are people who try to keep us down and we can't allow that. And I've been considering bariatric surgery for the past year and a half. My doctor recommended it to me a while ago. It took a little while to convince my mother that it was a good idea, she was worried about her daughter having any kind of surgery, but is now super supportive. I'm just glad to have it done now. I'm in college and have health insurance, so why not take advantage of it while I can guarantee that I can afford to do it?

The warning bells that I hear is that you have a PB 3 times a week bc you are going too fast. If you have another fill before you address this the PB's will only get worse and you will be more prone to eating the ice-cream, which is easy and soothing after a PB. I would recommend you manage things to reduce the PB to 1/fortnight the most then determine if you need or can manage another fill. If old habits are sneaking in, yes a little amount of Fluid will help take the edge off, but as others have commented (great to see), re-address your total food intake and exercise levels. Hope this helps Helen Bauzon Specialist Bariatric Dietitian

My friend's surgeon agreed to do my fills and he's charging less than the fills centers and another dr wanted to charge me for the first visit. I have to pay $150 for each visit/adjustment and the fill center wanted to charge me $350 for the first visit and $160 for every visit/adjustment after that. Bariatric Surgery Treatment | Gastric bypass surgery | Lap Band Surgery Houston, Texas | Sleeve Gastrectomy Texas I got 1 cc and he made me drink a bottle of Water before I left to make sure it wasn't too tight. After about 4 sips I had to go throw that water up and he had to take half my fill back out again so I have only .5 cc's in right now. I was really adamant before I got there that I was gonna push for at least 3 cc's to start with and thought it was pretty funny that 1 cc was too tight LOL I think I've been able to eat so much because I've been drinking with my meals and I thought the only reason why you're not supposed to is because it might be painful BUT he told me today that drinking with meals actually makes the food mushy so it doesn't stay in the little pouch as long and negates the purpose of the band. I'm glad to know that and I'll stop drinking with meals now and hopefully get back to losing weight!