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These were recommended to me by my therapist and nutritionist: Mindless Eating. Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink, PhD The Emotional First Aid Kit. A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery by Cynthia L. Alexander PsyD (this is the only one that I've read) WLS for Dummies

I ordered ENS drink mix from Celebrate Bariatric vitamins...they have a 3 flavor 30 day pack...get your vitamins and water in lol

Hello All, my name is Steve Hudson, I am 43 and pre op gastric sleeve. I weigh about 340, im down from 261 for my pre surgical weight loss. Anyway I write a blog called cutting the fat with a knife. I will post the address at the bottom. What I am trying to do is im going to keep this blog very blunt in cases telling people the things that I feel men need to know. The reason is that I have seen many cases where men avoid the life changing and potentially life saving surgeries because of the stigma that other men have. The macho peer pressure that I am sure many of you have gone through. 1 year post op I will compile this blog into an E-book for men who are thinking about WLS. I even have a few hospitals and weight loss centers that are asking for copies when it is complete. So far almost all the books out there are by women and deal with a lot of womanly issues. I was reading one book and there was two chapters on bras and panties another on pregnancy etc. Not at all a help to me. My surgeon is actually going to appear on the blog as an ask the Bariatric Surgeon byline once a month. OK all this being said, I would like to ask you al some thing now and then to see how your experiences coincide with mine etc. So the first question I would like to ask , I will post it maybe in a top ten type list and give credit to each contributor of course unless you wish me not to, keep it a couple of sentences if you would please. Here's my first question. Was there a final straw, event or moment etc. that made you move from thinking about WLS to actually taking the steps to have it done? If so what was it? Thank you for your help. Even if you do not wish to contribute but wish to check out the blog, I do many video taste tests of various Protein powders, ready made drinks etc, with even more to come. Thank you all for your time. Oh and this book will not cost anything it is not a money issue it will be free to all. I am absorbing any costs myself. http://cuttingthefatwithaknife.blogspot.com

My story is pretty much all on my blog with the tag of bariatric surgery. http://www.theantichick.com/tag/bariatric-surgery/ I'm also a nurse, and am happy to answer any questions people have if you want to IM me or tag me in a thread with a specific question.

IV Tylenol and advil are staples for bariatrics where I work. Every patient gets them (OFIRMEV and CALDOLOR) Im surprised they're not more commonly used tbh

Thank you for responding! Yes, I was looking into dr Ariel Ortiz at occ. happy you had a positive experience. he has great reviews. a friend had it done with dr cueva at renewal bariatrics. Had a very good experience. When I called them the person I spoke to was much clearer than the person I spoke to at occ. also dr cueva is $2500 less. I would pay if necessary more money, but if I don’t need to why should I the only reviews I found about him were all positive but they were on renewal bariatrics Facebook page. I’m having a hard time making a decision.

I'm with you. I renewed my commitment today. I have 58 lbs left to lose. Let's get this done!!!!

This is a copy and paste from the "Tell Us Your Story" forum Yesterday was my surgery. I had a check in time of 12:00 noon. I was very thirsty, as you can imagine! They brought my husband and I back and we worked on some paperwork and the final pre-op weigh in, I was down about 30 pounds since I started with this doctor last June. 13 pounds were from the pre-op diet alone. I also got a huge heparin shot in my leg to prevent clotting and an anti-nausea patch behind my ear. The hospital was running a bit late (they kept apologizing) but brought me to the OR at 1:45. I was having some anxiety laying on the table, but the put me under very quickly. Next thing I knew, I was awake and the nurses were asking how I was doing. I remember replying "Hot, thirsty, nauseous." I'm not sure how it all happened, but the next thing I knew, I was in the big hospital recliner with a bottle of Water to sip and a fan pointed right at me! I felt much better at that point. They wanted me to get up pretty soon after that. Walking was not at all a pain, but I was having trouble focusing my eyes. My DH was there too, and he sent out some texts to the family that I was all done. I passed out at that point. The rest of the evening kind of went on that way: sip, sip, sip, walk, doze off. I listened to music and podcasts to help keep my mind at ease. DH had to leave to help out with the kids at home. I had my surgery at a stand alone bariatric hospital, and there was only one other patient there overnight. My abdomen was a bit sore but not too painful. However, my right shoulder was. Luckily I had brought a heating pad that is helping A LOT. I asked for chicken broth, but before I could try it, I had a dry-heave thing. The nurses waved some alcohol wipes under my nose and that helped it to stop. I waited a bit longer till it had totally passed to try anything else. At abut 5 this morning, the nurses got me up and dressed. I did some more walking and sipping. I had to really play around with the sipping. Too little and I think I was swallowing too much air which was VERY uncomfortable in the esophagus area. To much and my tummy kind of spasmed. Around 7, I had to go back for the barium swallow/X-Ray which was AWFUL. Apparently, the liquid is having a hard time moving into my stomach (refluxing) and is kind of just sitting in my esophagus. She also saw a big air bubble sitting in the top of the stomach. That sort of explains why swallowing has been (and is still) very uncomfortable. Not painful, but really strange feeling. At that point, my husband returned and I got discharged to come home. I'm still having the weird feeling in my esophagus. My surgeon said the swelling there should go down in a day or so. But other than the general discomfort, nothing super acute has been bothering me. I think I might feel a smidge worse tomorrow. I've been drink water, Vitamin Water Zero (the lemonade is good and not too sweet, the mixed berry is good too) and some warm chicken broth. I am trying to take it all slowly. The weather is really sunny day, so I may even take a little walk outside! Please let me know if you have any questions about the surgery, my background or even the pre-op diet!

I'm curious about something.... If you have made the decision to not move forward with any type of bariatric surgery, and you plan on losing the weight and keeping it off in your own chosen method, why did you feel it was necessary to come here and let the world know of your decision? Although there are some people on this website that are still in the decision making phase of their journey, you've made your decision if I'm correct. Did you post hoping that someone was going to try and talk you out of the decision you've made? And if that wasn't your intention, what made you think that anyone here really cared that you decided not to have surgery, not to mention you've continued to defend and fight against other members comments. If you've decided you're not having surgery, then just leave the forum and go on with your life however you chose to live it. Why continue with any conversation at all?

Yes I have a nut. And I will not gain it back. I had bariatric surgery and I do not have an eating problem I am down to 221 I will be fine. I have been a gym rat most my life and I am a runner I just gained this weight after doing the shakes only for a year I have not been heavy all my life. I promise I will not gain it back. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using the BariatricPal App

I am talking to mexico bariatrics Dr. Luis Cervantes, I have done all of my paper work and pd the 500.00 down but I email them and I do not hear back from them. I paid through pay pal so I can get my money back. Just afraid of being scammed. How was the process? And congrats on your weight loss!! GREAT JOB!!

So I am coming up on my 1yr mark. While I am happy that I've lost 142lbs from HW in Feb 2018, 93lbs since sleeve, my weight loss has virtually been stalled. My macros are have been on point(1200-1400 cals, 90-125g protein, 50-60g carbs per day) while walking 4mi six days per week plus 1.5hrs lifting at gym 4-5 days per week. Per Apple watch, I am burning 4500-5500 cals per day depending on workouts but yet scale has not moved in more than 2lbs in two months. Frustrated as heck but I haven't let off the gas pedal. My personal goal is to lose another 35lbs while getting by BF 15-20%. Definitely have much more noticeable definition in arms, shoulders, and legs but yet scale not moving. Could overtraining be the reason for my stall??? Am I just not able to get enough calories in to keep metabolism burning?? Have I reached my loss period??? I am afraid if I lower cals, I'll start to lose my muscle gains. Any trainers out here with experience in bariatric surgery? Anyone go through this??

I agree we are bombarded with weight loss Information and online forums to beat weight loss, diet, surgery, fitness, eating disorders and body image into the ground. Wow, I don’t see many of these topics and being a closeted subjects. To each there own about disclosing WLS. Some may want to shout the lifesaving benefits of WLS to the world. Others may simply be private people that keep their medical info to themselves. Some of us share with only people that are honestly interested. No need to beat your head against the wall with the many people that have negative opinions on WLS. Are we lacking in getting the word out on WLS? No – Google it! About 253,000,000 results (0.65 seconds) TV shows: Many discussing weight, WLS, my 600 pound life, Celebrities sharing there WLS experience, skin removal, diet, eating disorders, exercise, body positivity. Social media: Drs and hospitals advertising WLS, Instagram, bloggers, bariatric recipe site, pod casts, fitness and food log apps, YouTube and forums including bariatricpal. How many of these accounts are WLS patients and professionals? With all this information out there, Many of us don’t feel the need to be the weight loss or weight loss surgery spokesperson. Its not all about shame.. Side note: How many sites and forums on the topc of sex...LOL its a choice on how open you want to be on that topic as well.

@STLoser, I honestly don't even take as many vitamins as recommended, nor do I eat as much protein as recommended. I have done so much research and have learned so much after having this surgery, I was told that I would never really be able to eat many veggies, that was bull, I eat more veggies than anything and I suppose that might be the reason that I can get away with taking a bariatric vitamin every other day as opposed to 3 every single day. My labs/blood work always comes back as normal. My only issue is that I am anemic so I do have to,take more iron than most people do. It wasn't the surgery though, I have always been anemic off and on for as long as I can remember. By the way, I am not promoting not following doctors orders, especially since every doctor has different instructions for their clients. I have learned that there really needs to be more research about these types of surgeries. I know that the moto is protein first, but I have learned that animal protein is horrible for humans to consume from a health perspective and it is not necessary. So many veggies, beans, pasta made out of beans and legumes have so much protein. I do have to say that my taste buds and tolerance of certain foods changes continuously. Many food choices are trial and error. Even the vitamins, for me I would say, has been trial and error. I am glad to find others that have had the surgery, it seems to be rare. I opted for this surgery because it gives a person a better chance at sustaining ones weight-loss. What made you go for this particular surgery?

My nutritionist did go over a vitamin regimen with me. They recommended the Bariatric Advantage Ultra Solo w/ Iron. They also recommended that I take a calcium citrate supplement either 1x or 2x daily. She said that it depends on if I supplement with a protein shake, whether or not I need to take 1 or 2 of those.

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.

You are so right. I had them re-check me at my last visit and I still have a goal weight of over 200 pounds based on my % of body fat, muscle mass, and bone density. Of the 140 pounds I've lost, only 20 was muscle. So now I'm left wondering if I'll be over 200 pounds and still healthy. Interestingly, I went to see a doctor on Friday (not my bariatric surgeon) and he asked if I was planning to lose anymore weight. I said "yes, I'm still fat" and he waved me off saying I was REALLY healthy. I fully intend to get to 230ish, but maybe that's it for me??? Only time will tell.

I am definitely on the moderation band wagon. I eat pizza and wings and drink alcohol and have cake and bagels and ice cream cones in the summer. I eat crap from convenience stores and fast food places. But I do so in moderation while eating healthy, bariatric friendly food 80% of the time. Too much sugar or fried food or alcohol or coffee will give me gastritis and carbonation is impossible. But I didn't do any of these things until I was under my goal weight. And although I don't track or count or measure my food I am mindful of what I do eat and how it affects my weight. I get 60-80g of Protein everyday, at least 80oz of fluids, I take my daily Vitamins and I have my bloodwork checked regularly. If I pop even one pound above my bounce range I go back to strict protein and veggies or even the preop liquid diet until I am back down. You should also know that after a years or two your restriction will lessen and you will not be able to rely on your sleeve for portion control. Anyone can learn how to eat around their sleeve and if you don't address and change your eating habits early on then you WILL regain. You will likely have a harder time than your wife because of her malabsorption I have a couple friends that have had bypass and if I ate like they do I would be right back where I started. There are many ways to be successful after WLS..... VSGAnn and I are nearly identical in our starting weights/heights, final goal weight and maintenance success. But the details of our success are different in a lot of ways. And I'm sure there are a hundred other versions of success out there. But there are also a hundred ways to fail. There are common denominators in the successes and failures, and only you can figure out what works for you if you decide to have surgery. In the end, postop life is about choices, not rules.

But as part of our new eating habits - shouldn't we learn and understand moderation? Shouldn't we learn to be able to have a handful of chips or a cookie or two and that's satisfying enough? Are we really changing our food habits by simply avoiding foods. Sooner or later, we are going to be invited to a birthday party for example and I think it's important that we learn to have a small sliver of cake and be satisfied with that as opposed to what we would have normally eaten at a birthday party or Christmas dinner or whatever. If this works for you - great. But wouldn't you like to have your cake and eat it too so speak. Be able to treat yourself once in a while and be satisfied with a paper thin slice as opposed to half of the cake. Do you really think eating a cookie or two will result into you eating 30 Cookies at one time or do you think that you can probably stop at 2 cookies, because you are happy with the weight you have lost? I guess I just have a big problem wrapping my head around avoiding foods out of fear. I want to eat healthier, but I also want to learn how to eat in moderation. It is so hard to communicate the difference between pre-op and post-op life. I am glad to see you are trying to understand, but in a lot of ways it is a leap of faith. You want reassurance that you can "have your cake and eat it too". I can't give you that assurance. I can just share my experience. My first birthday party after surgery was my nephews'. I sat next to a birthday cake and did not want it. I didn't even want a sliver. If I had eaten a sliver out of politeness, I might have gotten sick, I might have awakened the sugar addiction and wanted more or, I might have been satisfied with that one small piece. I do not know. But, the miracle was that I didn't care to try. I am one year out. I don't fear food. But, I have chosen to be picky. I choose quality over quantity. If I eat bread or starches or sugars, it better be the best: one slice of toasted fresh baked whole grain bread once in a blue moon is one example. I highly recommend that you keep reading, keep asking questions, and keep examining your relationship with food. This is a process. None of us, your wife included, can make this decision for you. Have you talked with a counselor or therapist? They can be a great resource. Have you attended any bariatric support group meetings? Have you considered exploring a 12-step recover group like OA (OA.org)? Have you read books about food addiction, etc.? A couple of books I recommend are: Eat it Up! by Connie Stapleton and When Food is Love by Geneen Roth. Journaling is also a great way to process this decision. It was a long process, but I went from 150% against this surgery with many of the same questions that you have to ready and eager to do it along with any of the "sacrifices" it entails. I was a healthy fat person until I wasn't: almost 600 pounds, disabled, practically bedbound, and without hope. A year after my sleeve surgery I am over half-way to goal and am getting my life back. I haven't eaten birthday cake since before surgery and I don't miss it, but I get to look forward to many more birthday parties and my own birthdays which I am thrilled about.

I have researched so many surgeons in Mexico...have spoken to former patients,,,spoken to journalists who have written about poor outcomes from bariatric surgeries done in Mexico,and decided that I would not go to Mexico for the gastric sleeve procedure due to my due diligence....I do understand that there are people on this website that have had good experiences and I wish them well with good health....those others who tragically did not have a good experience....either by infections, leaks and even death...will not discuss or unable to voice their opinion...what about those former patients who now have no recourse with a surgeon from Mexico( if something went terribly wrong?) The medical mal practice claims go no where....since it is a foreign country...? It is tragic ...there are surgeons in Mexico who make sure to cover their mistakes and their medical training clearly is not the same as in the USA. One of the surgeons that I have looked at states in his resume that he has had post graduate training and a fellowship....NOT True.....all he has are CME(continuing medical education) seminars taken at lovely vacation spots around the world for several days...and then after paying the fee for the meeting....receives a certificate of completion....and posts it on his resume and website....those prospective patients reading his resume would believe that he had years of postgraduate training.....not so....only weekend seminars..... in the USA...a surgeon who does has postgrad work....is in a certified 2 to 3 year Fellowship program at a hospital and then receives the proper training and becomes credentialed... ..clearly, different then several weekend seminars.....after all....there is Truth in advertising....don't ya think ?

Congrats on your sleeve! Once you are back on a solid foods diet, you will begin to feel how much your sleeve restricts the amount of food you can eat. Your other issue is one big old habit that we don't change overnight. The emotional part of this pr ocess, in my opinion, is tougher than the operation. There's lots of tips and tricks you can try to get you started to change your thinking forever about not having to "clean your plate." You'll get lots of ideas here from others. For starters--ditch your big dinner plates. Eat meals from a salad plate and always anything you eat from the smallest dish possible--it tricks your head into thinking you're getting more to eat because the dish is so full. When you eat at restaurants--before you even begin your meal, ask your server to bring the "to go" container and place half (or more) of your meal into the container BEFORE you begin to eat your meal. It's always a good idea to seek help from a bariatric therapist to learn good strategies on how to set up your forever eating and lifestyle plan tailored to YOUR specific situation. There are also a lot of great self-help bariatric books published in the past few years that deal with the emotional stuff.

I take the watermelon bariatric advantage. It makes me nausoues it's so disgusting. It tastes like fish covered in watermelon. It makes me GAG. I try taking with coffee to mask the taste. I recommend something else.

We joined the ACLU this year...and my husband did NOT renew his American Legion membership. And, the ACLU no more promotes NAMBLA than it does Nazis...it just promotes our bill of rights...which says in effect that stupid, weird, hateful people are allowed to exist.

I have a card the Dr. gave me the day after surgery.On the front of the card it says 9.75/10.0cm band. I will be going to Long Island Bariatric Center in Levittown on Mon. for my first fill. So I don't know yet how often or how much they put in, I'll have to ask. But it sounds like you have had the same experience that I've heard from others-that it can take a few fills before you feel restriction?? I think this is a large band and may take more to fill. What is everyone elses experience with fills?

I have the Bariatric VitaBand in cherry flavor. At first they weren't too bad, but now they are gross. I will probably switch to Flinstones.