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I got banded last month at Hollywood Regional Hospital in South Florida which is a Bariatric Center of Excellence. I was pleased to use the office of Surgical Consultants of Hollywood, which is actually in a wing of the hospital. What was nice was that all my tests, etc. were able to be run right at the hospital. I'm 63. They have informational group seminars quite often right at the hospital.

I don't have the problem, but- the bariatric vitamin I take has iron in it. It's called Bariatric Fusion. Chewable, tolerable taste pre-op. I like it because I am taking 1 pill 4 x per day. I used to take millions of vitamins.

I was given a list of aproved shakes and vitamins at my first visit to the Bariatric clinic. I take Celebrate Vitamins. I ordered a sample package of them and decided on my flavors pre-op. I chose this brand due to price and the ease of scheduling them through my day.

I am doing OK. First few weeks weren't too bad, but I had a lot of trouble with nausea and constipation the last 10 days or so but it is finally subsiding. Could have been several different reasons, but as long as I am feeling better, I don't care why! I still am having issues learning to eat slow enough and chewing enough - mostly with meats - and have vomited a few times but I went back to liquids for a couple of days and have stayed on pureed since. I think I just started the more dense foods too early. I have my 6 week follow up Tuesday, so dr will advise how to advance foods. You will find on here that there are so many different plans, and it can get confusing, so just remember to stick with what your surgeon and NUT (nutrionist) require. They know you and your body. The pain really isn't too bad for too long. I mean I took my pain meds, trust me. It is difficult to bend at the waist for a couple of weeks. But by 3rd week at least it was mostly gone. I have an occasional ache near a couple of the incisions but I think that is when I overdo it (I did a 2 1/2 mile walk with my sister this morning and probably 1 1/2 miles yesterday, so I am sore and tired. Probably shouldn't have just jumped in that far, but I was so happy to be feeling normal!) No real complications other than the nausea and constipation and I think it is partly because I was still taking pain med when I probably didn't need to be (I passed 4 kidney stones since surgery which is unrelated to RNY and have a stress fracture in my foot that is healing). Primary rules - fluids, Protein, Vitamins. It is tough getting in even fluids in the beginning but it gets easier. My sister asked me today what the one thing was that surprised me the most and I said the small amount I can eat. And it varies. I just ate 4 ounces of Soup and it was just perfect. I ate just less than that at lunch and was full. Yesterday, I was only able to get in 2 Tbsp of Ricotta Bake at dinner before becoming too full because it is very dense (check out TheWorldAccordingToEggface.com when you get a minute. It is a bariatric patient's blog and she has some great recipes. @@Djmohr has also posted a few good recipes for us lately.) Have a great evening! And thanks for the reminder about nails. I KNEW there was something I meant to do tonight!

Hi Ladies @Djmohr: That's so amazing to hear that your medical issues are now gone. This is why Bariatric Surgery saves our lives. Thank you for welcoming me. ???? I will definitely take you up on your offer of support. Ahhhhh I'm so excited and scared too. Soooo many things will be happening soon. @Daisee: congratulations on your recent surgery!!! Woohoo!! How are you finding things so soon after? Do you have any pain and how is your eating? My main concern will be lack of Vitamins. I will be making sure to get every Vitamin in me and drink all of my water/liquids. I just met my nurse last week and dietician and it was serious information overload. Lots to do before surgery in October. But I am up for this challenge for sure. Anyways I will let you go for now, I need to finish painting my nails. Hehehehe. Thanks for your messages. ????????????????

The key is never giving up. I failed with lapband and after 10 years revised to sleeve.in 2011. I am maintaining 150 pounds loss! The key is keep on doing your best to follow good health /bariatric rules.

Who is your ins co? *if you don't mind my asking... I have UHC and they use Bariatric Resources Solutions. BRS assigned me an RN that takes me through the entire process. She told me that it has to be six consecutive months of SOME doctor- not necessarily the the same doctor- counselling me on my weight, and exercise. So I was able to use my GP, OB, even the first consult with my surgeon will count b/c he's going to be addressing my weight. When I see they psychiatrist I'll be able to get her to sign my little work sheet as well, so I'm not doing fifty appts in one month!! I've tried to space them out some, and when i did miss an appointment b/c of circumstances out of my control, I was able to use my sleep apnea consultation simply because she advised me that losing weight would help me with the sleep apnea, and encouraged me to walk walk walk!! I hope this will help you!

I've heard of the 3 week stall. But I stopped losing weight at 1 week. I lost 10lb during my 1 week pre op diet and 10 lb the week after my surgery. My surgery was 11/30. I haven't lost anything since 12/7. I use a Bariatric app to track all my food/water/vitamins. My calories have gone up over the past 2 weeks (as expected) from around 300 to 600 and my carbs are higher than I would like (around 35 avg), but I'm finding soft foods are limited. I am not meeting my water goals of 64 oz. I'm getting about 30 oz. If I do too much moving around, my incision sites get really sore so I have not started walking but I do a lot house work and go into my office a couple days a week (not just a couch potatoe, like week 1). Anyone else experience this? Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

really sorry to hear. if your bariatric surgeon isn't moving heaven and earth to get you well as fast as possible (and it doesn't sound like he is), you need to find another surgeon who will help you. they are out there. use this forum to find a good recommendation.

I took it for three months but then weaned myself off of it once I felt like I no longer needed it. I told my bariatric team that I did and they weren't really in favor of my decision. I'm still off the medication because I still feel like I don't need it. I've been off it since September and feel fine. I was on it from June-ish til then. Been off ever since. Hw-273 Sw-226 CW-140 GW-130 Size- 4 or 6, Small in sweats. Small in shirts. depends on how it's cut or made. Bra Size- 38D Surgery Date- April 26th, 2017 RNY "Only those who try will become" FFX

Are you taking little sips and allowing them to go down? Are you on Clear liquids? Did they give you the little one oz measuring cups to help you gauge your intake? Those really helped me. The best thing though, was the bariatric coordinator's advice to change my posture - to put my shoulders back and stick those boobs out, head straight up - and that helps things move smoothly through the new little stomach. Man, I wish I had seen her earlier. That didn't fix everything immediately, but that was the beginning of the end of the terrible pain of day one and two! I am here thinking about you and hoping things will get better. Try the posture thing for sure.

You can find them all at Bariatric Pal Store too!

Oh, but I did get a bariatric eating shake thingie.. it's just a cup with a silver wire ball in it (I think I got it from GNC). It helped mix up shakes, and was only 2 or 3 dollars.

I take Bariatric Advantage VitaBand chewable Vitamins - they are designed to meet the needs of Lap Band patients. Bariatric Advantage - Bariatric Advantage VitaBand Chewable Multivitamin - Watermelon (180ct)

During my visits I always felt that I was treated very well. The staff is amazing specially Bariatric Dietitian - Melissa Sullivan and Physician Assistant - Jason Reese. I would absolutely recommend this Dr. Barba to my family and friends. I felt my lap band surgery was an amazing success! BTW - They are also bi-lingual for any Spanish speaking patients.

I am a nurse who works in the same building (not the same floor) as the bariatric surgery unit. Think I can get in and out of there without being spotted? Have only worked there about 3 years part-time, so hoping I can pull this off! lol!Wear a wig and dark glasses , lol Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using the BariatricPal App

I am so happy to see the regret is fading and your resolve is returning!!! You CAN do this. (Ok-I will be fair and say you have no choice to now. But that choice was yours and you made an informed decision.) I suggest looking online for recipes, or maybe a trip to your local bookstore or library. I have not had my surgery yet, but I am eating the "bariatric diet" of high protein, low carbs and calories. It has been rough at times because it does get boring when you don't know what to eat. But as I continue to look around I find more and more options, foods to incorporate into my life. Just remember the phrase "I want this so bad I can taste it"... That is your life. Your body. Want that future for yourself. It tastes so much better than anything you will ever put in your mouth!

I don't think so. They are calcium carbonate and I was told to stay away. I take a melting hearburn pill daily from the surgeon prilosec. This is a known issue with Bariatric surgery. If the surgeon will not provide a script I would call my primary care or just go the the pharmacy and ask for a melting product or chewable product. I have issues at times still and I am 2 months out.

Charlotte here!! I had surgery on 10/05/12 and I'm down 90#. I had surgery with Dr. Jon Pirrello from Southeast Bariatrics. I had surgery at Northeast Medical Center in Concord.

I'm also in week 9 out of 16 for my weight management program. I have another nutrition class in October and a pre-op orientation class. I have a pre-op appointments with my surgeon and bariatric PCP in November. In addition to those two appointments I have more labs to get. So things are really coming along. I am still shocked that I even have a date. I have gone through the process twice already and was completely denied so I am still gonna be waiting for the actual approval to come through. Ugh my nerves are wrecked. Lol.

I wouldn't recommend buying protein shakes to stock up for after surgery. There are important requirements your nutritionist will go over for bariatric protein shakes. Make sure you are going to a nutritionist (NUT) associated with a bariatric practice or experienced in this field. Please do not go and see a random nutritionist. You can decide what doctor to go with at a later date, the NUT appointments will transfer as far as insurance is concerned. But many bariatric practices require that you see their own nutritionist. You see, different doctors have different approaches to diet both prior and after surgery. Each thinks theirs is the best and sometimes won't operate until you have received the proper training. The best would be to pick a doctor and go with the entire program based on your choice. Research takes time and there are no short cuts for most of us.

Making the decision to have weight loss surgery is a very big deal. It seems obvious to say that when someone agrees to weight-loss surgery they're desperate for help to change the way they're living, or not fully living their lives. Everyone goes into the procedure ready and willing to surgically alter their anatomy hoping for a better future. So why is it that so many will fall short of losing the optimal amount of weight for their health and will actually regain within 3 years much if not all of the weight they lost? Some studies say 1/3 of patients will regain most of their weight post-surgery. I think the number is actually higher because many people who regain simply fall out of contact with their bariatric surgeon and support staff because they feel ashamed, so the statistics do not include these people. So, why do most people regain the weight? What can you do to help insure that you will be one of the successful long-term losers of your excess weight? By examining why people fail you can create a plan for how you will succeed. The government agency, National Institutes for Health (NIH) defines weight-loss surgery as "merely a tool that helps people get a new start toward maintaining long-term good health. The surgery alone will not help someone lose weight and keep it off. Together with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet and daily exercise, surgery will help an individual lose weight and maintain the weight loss.” Please read that a few times. That is how important this quote is! The surgery alone will not help someone lose weight and keep it off. We as weight-loss surgery patients have a history of seeking comfort, happiness and pleasure through food. We wouldn't be here if that weren't true. Me included. The process of surgically altering our anatomies does nothing to remove from us the tendency to seek comfort in familiar ways but assures there will be physical suffering if we do. Post-surgery we will still have the same brain that is used to comforting us with food, and we will still have the fingers and the arms that are used to lifting food to the same mouth to find comfort and pleasure. It is critically important that the WLS patient seek out new ways to soothe, comfort, and find pleasure in their world other than by eating. ONE main reason patients regain their weight is they search for ways to get around the surgery, still thinking of food as primarily a source of pleasure, not a source of fuel that can be pleasurable. This is often done relying on liquid calories, which may pass more easily, like high calorie coffee or juice bar drinks or alcohol. This is also done post-operatively by trying to maintain the presence of “trigger foods” in their lives. “Trigger foods” are often foods from the patient's past that helped cause obesity, do not satisfy hunger but instead create a craving. Many are high-calorie and highly processed, not nutritious. Trigger foods can include chocolate, chips, crackers, bread, cookies, ice cream, pudding, lattes, frapuccinos and alcoholic beverages. Really, any food can be a “trigger food” if there is so much pleasure in the “mouth-feel” or taste that repeating the pleasurable experience takes on more importance than actually feeding hunger. Very successful patients cultivate a mostly trigger-free post- surgical life. Bariatric surgeons and the NIH know the most common reason for regain and the most common post- surgical complication is “noncompliance.” Non-compliance is a fancy word that means the patient is not eating and exercising the way he/she agreed to before surgery. These people “talk the talk.” The successful patient “walks the walk” after surgery and changes how they eat and move. A SECOND reason people often regain beginning in the second or third year post-op is that the “honeymoon” is over. The “honeymoon” generally encompasses the first 12 to 18 months post- surgery. During this time many patients will say, "I could eat all the chocolate and ice cream I wanted and still lose weight. I didn't have to try and the weight just came off.” This is often true because the body has been through such a shock after surgery that it takes months for the body to reset itself and learn to function with its' new physiology. Patients who regain their weight often believe that this “honeymoon period” is the new way that it will always be and don't adopt healthy eating patterns. So when their “honeymoon period” ends as it will they believe that the surgery has somehow failed them. In reality they have failed their surgery! During the first 12-18 months post-op it is essential to develop healthy patterns around food and exercise. This is the time when it is actually easiest to do and to not do so wastes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to begin a great new life with positive momentum. A THIRD reason many patients regain much of their lost weight is a lack of support. Humans are social animals and we desire and need the support of each other throughout our lives. For thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years people coming together as a family or a community over food has been a way we connect with each other. Post-surgery, when the patient isn't able to eat what others are eating or in the quantities others are eating, or others are eating their 'trigger foods”, life can feel very stressful and lonely. This can be compounded by being around unsupportive people or people who want to be supportive but don't know how. Patients fail by not surrounding themselves with supportive people in a safe environment where they also must be accountable for their actions and behavior with food and their bodies. It is key to have a community of professionals and non-professionals who understand the challenges and hardships faced by those carving a new life with a new anatomical structure. There are online and in-person support groups. Even patients who've gone abroad for weight loss surgery can often use the support services available with their local medical group's Bariatric department. Creating relationships that support and assist you in becoming a healthier person and that hold you accountable for making healthy choices are key. These are my top three. What would you add to this list? What plan will you create to deal with the items you add to this list? Who will support you on this journey of your life.....for your life?

As a family nurse practitioner in bariatric surgery care and podcaster of the Weight Loss Surgery Podcast I think you bring up some very important points. However, where I take exception is with the delicate matter of blame, aka “noncompliance” woven throughout your piece. You begin by asking, “…why is it so many fall short of losing the optimal amount of weight for their health and will actually regain within 3 years much if not all of the weight they lost.” When I read this sentences I wondered a few things: Who are you referring to when you state, “so many?" Who has made the decision of what is the “optimal amount of weight [lost] for their health?" And finally, who gets to decide on their “health” to begin with? I agree with you that weight regain happens, but your implication that any regain is problematic is simply not true and perpetuates misconception of success vs failure. There are numerous studies discussing weight regain, too many to highlight here. But for a summary on this issue, one needs only go to the ASMBS website to read the following regarding weight regain: ""As many as 50 percent of patients may regain a small amount of weight (approximately 5 percent) two years or more following their surgery. However, longitudinal studies find that most bariatric surgery patients maintain successful weight-loss long-term. ‘Successful’ weight-loss is arbitrarily defined as weight-loss equal to or greater than 50 percent of excess body weight. Often, successful results are determined by the patient, by their perceived improvement in quality of life. In such cases, the total retained weight-loss may be more, or less, than this arbitrary definition. Such massive and sustained weight reduction with surgery is in sharp contrast to the experience most patients have previously had with non-surgical therapies."” https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-misconceptions You go on to outline three main reasons people regain weight: 1) Eating around their surgery by consuming “trigger foods” that give pleasure but are not nutritious, 2) Lack of practicing appropriate weight-loss-sustaining behaviors in the first 12-18 months which then become habits and carry them forward after the “honeymoon” of rapid weight loss is over, 3) Lack of support. Regarding the first of your arguments, the truth is the biology of our eating behaviors is very complicated. Far way more complicated, in fact, than our conscious brain can control through willpower or skillpower. And even (often?) more complicated than our scientific ability to manipulate our anatomy through the surgical intervention of bariatric surgery. It could be that a person is driven to eat around their surgery because the hormones that drive hunger are stronger than the hormones that drive satiety and surgery did not fix that for them. I am not saying that it is ok to have trigger foods around simply because it’s ones biological imperative to eat pleasurable foods, nutrition and weight loss be damned, but I am saying that biology sometimes trumps all and blaming someone for their unconscious biological imperative does not help them, it only adds to their mounting shame. Unfortunately, we are in our infancy of understanding the hormonal regulations of hunger and satiety and how manipulation of the GI tract changes these hormones. If you are interested in learning more, then I refer you to the work of Dr Randy Seeley, PhD and and Dr Lee Kaplan. Regarding your second and third arguments, I honestly feel that number three, lack of support, drives many of the behaviors that result in peoples struggles after surgery including not practicing healthy behaviors as early as possible. When it comes to bariatric surgery, it takes a village. I firmly believe, that the center of that village needs to be the bariatric surgery practice; the village square if you will, where all gather to learn and connect. When I hear of someone who is struggling I wonder a number of things: Were they educated enough and appropriately by their surgical practice? Just because you can perform surgery on someone, does not mean they are ready. Did they have access to a support group before and after surgery? If they are struggling with anything, including weight regain, after bariatric surgery, did their practice create a culture of inclusiveness and non-bias that is welcoming to all their patients, not just the practices definition of successful patients? Were their family and friends on board and if not, did their bariatric surgery practice create an environment conducive to connection with a new community of support? When a patient struggles after bariatric surgery, in my opinion, it reflects more on the practice than on the person. I realize that is a controversial thing to say that I may catch some heat for, but I stand by my opinion. Sara, I know without a doubt you and I are on the same page when it comes to believing in and supporting bariatric surgery patients long term success, however that success is defined. What I worry about, however, is when we start distilling weight regain after bariatric surgery down to a few patient-centric elements without giving credit to how complicated these issues are; how we are early in our understanding of the science (and we have not even talked about weight regain due to surgical complications because let’s not forget, the surgeries can have their own shortcomings separate from human behaviors); and how much bariatric surgery practices bear the responsibility of patient selection, preparation, and support; what we inadvertently end up doing is what we have done a millions times before and to our patient's detriment- we take the easy way out by shifting the burden of blame back onto the person, the person who has a complicated and progressive disease known as obesity. Sincerely, Reeger Cortell, FNP

So well said....I had gastric bypass over 14 years ago when there was no such thing as aftercare and support of any kind was almost non existent. Since I had surgery I have been volunteering in the WLS community full time and I've been in the trenches every single day. I personally believe that food addiction is one of the prime reasons for regain but many bariatric professionals don't even believe it exists. I am passionate about bringing food addiction into the discussion and I'll share one of my blog posts. It was only because I admitted my addiction that I was able to work on it and I'll be working on it the rest of my life. There is no shame...it is a disease. Here's that post. http://www.bariatricgirl.com/2013/12/now-this-clarifies-food-addiction/

One therapy session isn't how therapy works. Therapy's sort of like "eating well," in that one healthy meal doesn't make you healthy. It's a process. I've been seeing a therapist for the last 21 months (mostly once a month) -- started two months pre-op. I've found a great one -- he works with bariatric patients (although not exclusively), so he knows the WLS and obesity territory. I don't know that a therapist without that kind of experience would be all that helpful to someone in our situations. Oh ... and my surgeon told me pre-op when I asked him what does he think distinguishes best between those patients who lose all their weight and keep it off from those who don't, "Bottom line, those who don't lose touch with us, who always keep all their appointments, are the ones who do the best." Very best to you! Your future is in YOUR hands.