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Just tried Nectar (Cookies & Cream) that I ordered from bjsbariatrics.com. Not bad really. Filling. You can choose which flavors you want to try in the 11 pack sampler. Pretty sweet.

Hi I'm from beaver county near pgh airport. Surgery 2/28 hope bariatrics sewickley

I had my surgery in Gainesville... I live near Lake City.. Dr. Sarantos @ N. Florida Bariatric Center performed my surgery.. I had my band on Jan 15,2013.. I have lost 60 lbs.. never felt better.

Yes, Debbie was my case manager. Remember, my Options classes were 24 weeks long, so I'm sure things have changed, but we had about 3 visits with a bariatric dr. there during those 6 mos. I don't even remember the name of mine, but he was very thin, tall, dark hair and soft spoken.(I remember I could barely hear what he was saying) Anyway just before the end of the classes was the appt. with the doctor where he said ok, you're ready to go forward after Options and he was ready to put my referral through to West La and that they were taking patients immediately with no wait, (but Harbor City had a 2 month wait). He said I didn't even need any pre-op tests. Well I wasn't prepared to hear that and thought I had another few weeks to make up my mind because at that point I was actually having second thoughts. We decided I would see him again in 2wks with my decision. When I went back I said ok I'm ready and Debbie put my referral through for West LA by mistake (I wanted Dr.Zane at Harbor City). West LA actually called me right away with a surgeon appt. but I had to start over with my referral to Harbor City! That was kind of a bummer, but I ended up seeing Dr. Zane about 2 months later and we scheduled the surgery. There were a few pre-op tests like EKG and blood work, but nothing much. I do remember that the girls that taught Options were a little out of touch with not only how the surgery was done, but they always told us everything would take longer than it really did. I remember the instructor, (Kristen, maybe) was a whole 130 lbs her whole life and seemed to have these stories of struggling with her weight which I could never understand. The nutritionist was a bit condescending to us, and not in the greatest shape, so I was not very impressed with Options at all. I learned more from this site honestly, but still glad they make you go through it, because you do come out more prepared than a lot of people who are self pay and jump right into surgery. Hope that helps. I know you're anxious to move forward, but use this time to really prepare yourself and get used to eating light. You'll get in faster than you think.

It usually means something like they only pay for one bariatric surgery in your lifetime, or there is a separate dollar max, something like that. But only they can tell you for sure. I would try calling them rather than emailing, I find my insurance responds super slowly (if ever) to email. Good luck!

My family doc also does my bloodwork. She wondered which tests I needed and I said, "I can google it for you" and she said, no.. she could get the list. She went out, and came back 10 minutes later with a comprehensive list. So they do have access to these things (or at least mine does). I was short on Vitamin A and D. With all your symptoms, it sounds like it is a given that you're needing some things. Please talk to your doctor about getting that bloodwork done every year. If they refuse, you need a new doctor. Since you are a bariatric patient, insurance companies understand the need for these tests. Hope you can get sorted out soon!

Hi Guys, I am about 7 weeks out from gastric bypass surgery and I have some questions regarding how much I should be able to eat. I have been cleared to eat normal food since week 4 and since then I have been sticking to three meals a day of high protein homemade meals like chili, tilapia baked in salsa, an egg baked in lentil stew, or chicken cooked in crushed tomatoes. I had my surgery in Mexico so my aftercare from my surgeon has been essentially nonexistent even when I called early on with some issues I was having. Additionally, my health insurance here will not cover any weight loss attempts whether it's surgical or non-surgical so I can't afford to see a bariatric surgeon or nutritionist so I am relying on you guy's experience to guide me in terms of what a normal volume of food is at 7 weeks post-op I weight out all of my food and food prep so I know exactly what and how much I am eating at any one time. I am worried that at 7 weeks post-op I can eat anywhere from 4 oz to 6 oz of dense protein mixed with a sauce at a time. This is almost always at dinner time. So my usual breakfast is one container of Siggi's yogurt which is 5.3 ounces. That usually takes me an hour to finish. I feel no restriction when I eat the yoghurt but I feel no need to eat until lunch after having it. My lunches are usually chilli or chicken in some sort of tomato sauce. There I can consume between 2 oz to 5 oz of food. How much I can handle before I feel full varies day to day. Now the biggest issue comes at dinner. I can and have in the last week eaten up to 6 ounces of dense protein and sauce in one sitting within 30 mins. Now usually there will be 4 oz of dense protein 1 ounce of beans or other vegetables and then the remaining ounces will be sauce. Now I make sure to not drink water 30 mins before, during, or after my meals so I know the issue isn't that. And I am eating dense protein like ground beef, fish, or chicken so I should feel more restriction. I read posts from other people and they talk about how they can barely handle 1 ounce of meat at 7 weeks out. But it seems I have an iron stomach. I haven't eaten a thing so far that bothers my stomach or gives me any pain. So I am wondering if the issue is the fact that I am eating my protein with sauce? I have tried dry chicken and even with that I could eat 3 oz at only 4 weeks out with few problems. This seems like way too much food. I know stews like chili are considered sliders but the fact that I can consume 3 oz of dry chicken seems like way too much. Maybe I should limit the amount of sauce I use with my food. Mind you I make my sauces from scratch using canned tomatoes or so I am not using high carb premade sauces. What thoughts do you guys have? What has your experience been? Is my capacity way out of line? Am I pushing things too far? I am really starting to worry that my surgeon may have made my pouch super big and that will hinder my weight loss. To date I have lost 27 pounds since surgery and 42 since my 2 week pre-op diet. Sorry if this super long post it's been weighing on my mind.

FYI After my referral from my Primary Care Physician's office, I received my package from the Health Education Department within a week. The package included a Kaiser book call "Bariatric Surgery Preparation Program Options program" That booklet contained a lot of useful information, answered many questions, and listed what the next step would be for the procedure...which is to attend an informational class about the entire process and procedures. Best of luck for your journey. It's a step towards a happier and healthier lifestyle. Well worth the effort.:thumbup1:

@thin2be: Congrats on getting closer to finishing the Options classes!! I was so happy to be done with them, but I also thought they were super informative. I didn't meet my case manager until after the Options classes were completed. That might be because after the classes, some people decide not to do the surgery. My case manager called me to schedule a post-Options appointment with the referring bariatric doctor. She told me to do the blood work, chest x-ray, and ekg to be completely ready for the doctor to give his referral. They run all your Vitamins plus a whole bunch of other stuff (they took 16 vials from me!). These results are needed for the doctor to give his referal to the surgeon. When I went to my appointment, the doctor was able to review all the results and give his blessing. Now it is just a matter of getting in to my surgeon (which is happening on Thursday!) I went to the classes in Panorama City so it may be slightly different in Corona. Perhaps someone else has gone thru the procedure in Corona? I'm not sure if this is standard for Kaiser.

Let me provide an update on my journey ... This evening (7-20-2010), I attended the third of my scheduled 12 "Options" classes Kaiser Permanente requires before being cleared for a Bariatric procedure. So far, I think the program is superb, and I look forward to the remaining weekly meetings. My classes take place in the Health Education Center at the Kaiser Hospital and Medical Center in Panorama City. The class was described by one of the instructors as a "boot camp" for Bariatric candidates, which is very accurate. By the end of the 12 sessions, each participant will know and understand the actual procedures of the surgery and be ready mentally to make the life changes required for the procedure to be a total success. Prior to each weeks session, each participant is scheduled for an appointment with one of the nurses in the Metabolic clinic. In my case, the appointments are scheduled for 4:40pm. The Options class starts at 5:00pm. At the appointment, participants have an "official" weigh-in, and a Blood Pressure reading is obtained. At the conclusion of this procedure, which takes less than 5 minutes, each participant is presented with an "After Visit Summary" which list the results. The Options group that I am a part of is lead by two Kaiser Health Care Professionals--one leads the classes on odd numbered weeks, the other taking over on the even numbered weeks. On the "odd" numbered weeks. the instructor is a Behaviorist, while on the even numbered weeks, we are lead by a Nutritionist. Both instructors are extremely well trained, knowledgeable, and committed to the success of the participants. The Behaviorist discusses the social and psychological aspects of the procedures while the Nutritionist discuss the dietary needs as well as individual food plans for each participant. Based on your weight, a specific calorie program is recommended for each party. The "rule of thumb" used to determine the correct calorie intake program is for the participant to take his or her current weight, and multiply that number by 10. The resulting number is an estimation on how many calories are required to maintain that weight. One pound being equivalent to 3500 calories, an eating program is suggested to to reduce the number of calories daily for the next seven days. Reducing calories by 500 each day will result in ingesting 3500 fewer calories per week, or a loss of 1 pound each week. Required exercise (in my case, walking) will also burn calories. We are cautioned to remember that your intent is not fully understood by the brain. When your brain is alerted that fewer calories are being consumed, it could signal the rest of the body "starvation" and starts to "slow down" the body's functions as a matter of self preservation. This is why you can do everything you're supposed to do, but the weight doesn't immediately come off. The "plateau" will be defeated as long as the participant sticks with the program and continues to exercise. For me, I thought that skipping an occasional meal (usually) breakfast would help my weight loss efforts ... WRONG. Regular meals help to keep the metabolism strong, which will result in success. Each Options class last for 90 minutes. Prior to the start of each class, participants pick up a packet of notebook pages that covers that weeks subject. Participants also pick blank food and exercise diary pages to be used for the coming week. In addition to information to be covered during that session, pages in the packet contains a number of quizzes and personal information gathering documents. At the beginning of each class, the completed packets from the previous class, along with the completed food and exercise diaries are collected by the instructor. The packets are returned to the participants on the following week after being reviewed by the instructor. Participants are free to discuss either in the group setting or in a individual conversation with the instructor any comment or concerns written by the instructor on the "homework". The class that I am a part of has approximately 25 members with 80% of the group being female. I don't know if it is typical in other classes, but about 1/4 of our class is comprised of Kaiser employees who are interested in having the procedure performed. So far, each session has brought a weight loss for me. While this is important, the real goal is to adjust to the "behavior modifications" required to insure total success for the procedure. We are reminded that the actual surgery is no more than a "tool" to assist in the cause. Success depends on a lifelong commitment to be selective in choosing foods, consuming a well balanced diet, and EXERCISING on a regular basis. The program surgeon recommends that each participant looses at least 10% of their starting weight PRIOR to the surgery. This is designed to reduce the fat around the liver and makes the actual surgical procedure safer to perform. For me, this spoke highly of the program. One concern I had was that If someone were to loose too much weight and reduce their BMI, could this be a reason for the surgery to be denied. I was informed by Kaiser the pre-surgery, candidates are encouraged to loose as much weight as possible, AND the surgical procedure would NOT be refused or declined by the surgeon based on a new pre-surgery weight and stats. My next Options class is scheduled for July 27th. On July 28th, I have an appoint at another Kaiser facility in Reseda for my psychological evaluation, another required part of the process. I will return following that appointment with more info. As of now... My initial meeting with the Bariatric surgeon was on June 8th and my weight was 324 pounds On the day of my first Options meeting on July 6th, my weight eas 316 pounds. On the day of my second Options meeting on July 13th, my weight was 312 pounds. Today at my third Options meeting (3/20/10), my weight was 309 pounds. While I am pleased with these numbers, I must remind myself not to become a "slave" of the scale. My self worth, efforts, and commitment are NOT dependant on a number I read on a scale. The human body is a "complicated" machine, and often exhibits a mind of it's own. I consider the group participants to be the real magic behind the program. It's always nice to be in an environment with a group of people who have experienced the same challenges, and it is nice to exchange and receive information from peers who really understand the struggle of being over-weight, but the warmth and friendliness of the group members is fantastic. Just within my short time in the program, I have had the opportunity to meet some of the greatest people on the planet.

Well guys I ended up selling some land to get 11k and then used a credit card for the rest. Surgery date is scheduled for 4/21 and I gave the cashiers checks to the bariatric coordinator today

I haven't even been to my first consult yet but I am so excited to start the wls process. I know Dr. Chung taught at Harvard med and put together the bariatric program at Capital Health just a few years ago. I was wondering if any of you are her former patients? I'd really like to hear about your experiences good or bad with Dr. Chung as your surgeon. Thanks in advance! Sent from my VS985 4G using the BariatricPal App

Ok can you explain how that relates to bariatric surgery and vitamin issues? Is there any studies on that? You said it is your belief, but can you relate that to a specific issue? Sleeve surgeries are not going to have the vitamin issues, and I've seen one study that shows 2 years out, the intestines compensate for the vitamin issues. If you can help with some research, that would be a lot more helpful.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! It’s that time again…time for a monthly newsletter. It’s a way we can reach out to you about the happenings on BariatricPal and the world of weight loss surgery. We hope to motivate you by sharing ideas and introducing you to inspirational people. So here’s the run-down of this month’s newsletter! • Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s • Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! • FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment Enjoy the newsletter, and then log in to BariatricPal to spend a little time. You can talk about weight loss surgery and whatever else is on your mind, and see what’s on everyone else’s mind! We want to know how your summer is going. Thanks as always for your support of BariatricPal. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s! Remember putting things off this winter or spring? “I’ll do it in the summer,” when the snow melts or there’s a little more time or the days are longer. Well, have you done what you said you were going to do this summer? If not, you’d better get moving! The days are long and hot now, but summer doesn’t last forever. Don’t let it pass you by! Take the Next Step What is the next step in your weight loss surgery journey? Is it deciding about whether to get WLS? Is it deciding on a surgeon, or figuring out which type of WLS you want, or crunching the numbers to fit it into your budget? Is it getting more protein, finding a WLS buddy, or starting an exercise program? Take that step! Don’t wait until summer is over, because things tend to get busier in the fall. If you can get over your next hurdle now, you will be stronger and in a better position to get healthier. Eat Well and Get Active Okay, that’s not a summer special…but you can eat well and get active summer-style! Why not check out a local farmer’s market and see what’s in season? Keep going back every week for delicious in-season produce with a selection that changes slightly all the time, and challenge yourself to make healthy recipes with it. For bonus weight loss points, walk or bike to the market, or at least walk around it a few times to burn some calories. And how can you use summer to your advantage to get active? Without snow or ice, the streets are yours to pound. You can also hit local pools, and trails, and see if your neighborhood park has a circuit training loop set up – many do! To beat the heat, exercise early in the morning or in the evening, stay in an air-conditioned gym if needed, drink a lot of water, and listen to your body. As summer passes, take a few minutes to take stock of where you’ve been and where you’re going. Staying aware can help you stay focused, and make any necessary adjustments to your goals and plans for reaching them. Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! This month, we are thrilled to feature Elode as our Member in the Spotlight! She is a 5’8” travel nurse who struggled with her weight for years. She had been overweight since the age of 12. Her mother and brother are morbidly obese, and Elode worries about them a lot. She says she wanted to get the surgery to motivate them to follow in her foosteps. Elode decided to get the gastric sleeve after gaining 60 lbs. in a year and hitting a high weight of 267 lbs. She got her surgery done in November of 2014, and has since lost nearly 100 lbs! She is down 97 lbs and is going strong. Her main challenge was and still is eating slowly, but she was expecting this to be a challenge and is working on it. Since getting the gastric sleeve, she feel better and younger. Exercise is easier, and clothes shopping is much better, especially since she is not limited to Plus-sized clothing. She enjoys paying attention to what she puts in her body, and watching the scale go down. As a great moment, she points to a recent 8-mile hike that she and her daughter completed for the first time. Elode uses BariatricPal to receive support, and she enjoys keeping in touch with the people she’s met on the boards. Elode also gives a lot of help to others here at BariatricPal. She loves sharing her experiences with newbies. For those who may be struggling with their weight and weight loss surgery, she says to stick with the basics. “Know that it’s going to be hard at times, but remember why you wanted this in the first place.” She suggests writing a list of reasons why you got your surgery and reading the list when you’re feeling down. Thanks, Elode, for being in our spotlight and also for all you bring to the BariatricPal community. We are all grateful for your contributions and are happy to see your success! Do you want to be in the Member Spotlight? Is there someone you’d like to nominate? Let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum or send Alex Brecher a PM with the subject line “Member Spotlight.” We want to share your story in the newsletter! FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment On July 28, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Reshape Dual Balloon for use as an obesity treatment. The Reshape Dual Balloon is one of a few different intragastric balloons available in other countries, and the first to be approved in the U.S. You can read more about intragastric balloons on BariatricPal! How It Works The dual gastric balloons are placed in your stomach and inflated under anesthesia in an outpatient setting. The balloons help fill up your stomach so you are less hungry and not able to eat as much. The balloon stays in your stomach for up to six months. The intragastric balloon is meant to be used only with proper nutritional support for the entire time you have the balloon. ReShape stresses the need for changing your eating habits and staying informed and engaged. Is It for You? The Reshape Dual Balloon is for patients with BMI of 30 to 40 and a comorbidity. The balloon is a non-surgical option that may be appealing for patients at the lower end of the overweight BMI ranges who do not want an invasive procedure. As with WLS, you need to be willing to change your eating habits with the balloon. You cannot get the instragastric balloon if you already had WLS. Weight Loss and Maintenance The balloon is not for patients who are at the higher ends of the BMI ranges. The balloon is expected to help you lose only about 7 percent of your total body weight. If you weigh, say, 300 lb., a loss of 7 percent of total body weight would be equivalent to an expected loss of 21 lb. Another major potential drawback to the balloon is that you can only use it for a short time. If you do not adapt the new eating changes and form new permanent habits before the balloon is deflated and removed, you will regain the weight back. In one study, patients regained an average of two-thirds of the amount of weight they had lost within six months of getting the balloon out. Don’t forget to check out our article on intragastric balloons for more information on how they work and who should consider them! We hope you enjoyed the newsletter and are ready to keep up with your WLS successes…or get back on track if you’ve been a little slack. Don’t forget to visit BariatricPal if you ever need ideas, support, or inspiration.

For those considering plastic surgery after bariatric surgery, I wanted to share the dramatic change that is possible from plastic surgery after weight loss. It has been very powerful for me: life-changing. I waited a decade after gastric bypass to have my plastic surgery and I am ever so glad that I went through with my long-held dream to do so. I am one-year out from facial plastic surgery with Dr. Catherine Winslow (Winslow Facial Plastic Surgery) and body contouring plastic surgery with Dr. Joseph F. Capella (Capella Plastic Surgery). Here are the procedures I had done, cost, and a few details: April 2013 - tummy tuck $7k - general anesthesia, overnight in care center October 2013 - convert TT to LBL, medial thigh lift, extended arm lift, breast lift $18k - general anesthesia, 4 nights in care center December 2014 - deep plan face lift, neck lift, chin implant, upper eye lid lift, SMAS to tear troughs, lip lift, filler $15k - twilight sedation, out patient I spent $40,000 for surgeon's fees, OR, anesthesia, ambulance, care center. I still can't believe I did this. That is a lot of money and it took a few years to save it up. It was well worth it. I lost 50 inches and 50 pounds and 6 pants sizes thanks to Dr. Joseph Capella and a paleo diet and exercise. I look about 15 years younger thanks to Dr. Catherine Winslow. The changes were not only physical. They were emotional. Now I am on a journey to do all of the things I could not do before. I am breaking through all my barriers whether physical or emotional, letting nothing hold me back from fully living a life I love. Some people experience this rebirth after their bariatric surgery, but it took the plastic surgery for me to wake up to life. I invite you to view my transformation video on Vimeo: Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life http://​www.mybariatriclife.org

I went through the Kaiser Options program as well. As much as I am not a fan of Kaiser in general, for their bariatric pre-surgery stuff they are awesome. I hope you got to do the classes... I hope all goes well with you. Also, keep in mind that at every stage of this journey we all have something to learn from and to teach others so don't be a hesitant to post. Your voice is valuable now, too. Peace

The psychologist I saw for my psych evaluation had done a lot of bariatric evals and follow-up counseling and she said that she had seen a huge number of depression cases post weight loss. But a lot of her experience was in lapband, so I think she was referring more to the body image/not having adequate coping mechanisms/dealing with all the reasons we ate to begin with. For my own mental health, I'm planning on starting counseling soon and continuing with it. I know from experience that sometimes I fail in the coping strategies department and would like to be prepared.

My Primary Care PHysician and Bariatric Surgeon recommended the Lapband.. Thank God they did. I have several people in my support group who were sleeved, they are having reflux and/or dumping . The leader of our group had bypass years ago and has lost 250 lbs but lives on Protein Shakes and vitamins.. not sure about your history or how much you want to lose or how fast you want to lose it.. al WLS have good and bad points. For me I did not want my stomach stapled off or re-arranged. My lapband is something that can be emptied should I need nutrition (in case of illness).. All options at your age are to be seriously considered.

I have noticed from others that sometimes after being banded for a while, it is easy to forget or stray from the original guidelines or some banders didn't get adequate information from their centre initially. For starters, I would log what you are eating (ideally through myfitnesspal or something like that that will track calories too). You should not exceed (per my doctor) about 1200 calories per day and should have about 60+ grams of protein. Try not to exceed 1 cup of food per meal and have a planned healthy snack in between meals (piece of fruit) or something. If you are not able to get even yogurt down, perhaps your band is a little too tight which may be causing you to eat some unhealthier items (sliders) that will go down easily and that may be part of the problem. It sounds like you could really benefit from a visit (or 2) with a nutritionist to get back on track. You shouldn't feel so defeated and frustrated with your food choices. I am able to eat most anything as long as I eat slowly and eat small bites. I would urge you to see out one (my bariatric clinic has ones on staff) and they have a lot of great ideas and advice. I truly don't feel deprived and only did when I was too tight and struggled getting solid food down. I also have found healthier ways to still enjoy many foods I loved before but now in a healthier way. There is a website called Emily bites (I believe) and there are many recipes that you make in cupcake pans so they are portioned out into appropriate sized meals. They are healthy versions (ie. lasagna) of everyday foods. I really enjoy them. Good luck to you!

I'm surprised your surgeon didn't put you on calcium citrate + D3 post-op. That seems to be pretty common practice for bariatric patients. I would definitely add D3, especially because it's winter. As for iron, pretty much any multivitamin should at least get you your daily recommended dose. Have you had bloodwork done recently?

Update ITS HERE! Sweet Freema Jones ---they have an uber cute postal person delivering today! Not my usual 40ish tired looking dude. Hey I may be getting old but I still see good! Promised if I would wait until he delivered the next block and a half he would bring it back! Okey Doaky I'll sit right here and wait! A signature and it's mine, all mine! Haven't opened it just yet, Christmas isn't for 3 months, might as well prolong the JOY! But it will be good, Bariatric Pal stuff usually,is. Why enrich Amazon , the greedy. base-born souls they are, when I can shop at Alex Brechers store where things are geared to US?

I dont know if this has been discussed here yet, but I wanted to inform you all a Medicare medical review is nearly complete pertaining to official coverage of the VSG. If all goes well, we should have a peliminary decision at the end of this month (3/30/2012)! A final binding decision will be made no later than 6/28/2012. Offical documentation can be found here.... https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/details/nca-tracking-sheet.aspx?NCAId=258&fromdb=true I spoke with my Bariatric Surgeons P.A. today and discussed the Medicare coverage review of the VSG. He told me based on his attendance at the annual Bariatric Surgeons convention he was told coverage for the VSG is very likley to be approved for Medicare. He did not want to cite names, but did say his information came from very reliable sources close to the review process. He went so far as to say (without prompting) "He would be shocked if the review panel rejected covering it this year". Im starting my 6 month required supervised diet (ie Nutritionist) consultations now to be ready for submittal come October when Medicare updates it's coverage. Those of you on Medicare and Medicade who have been holding out for VSG surgery coverage I strongly suggest contacting your Hospitial's Bariatric cordinator and starting the nessicary legwork now. Starting now, I will have everything needed for insurance approval ready to go the moment coverage goes live. ~Greg

Today I had my first consultation with the ReStart Bariactric clinic in Merrilville, In . I did contact my medicaide insurer and before my appointment and was told that they would cover the sleeve however today the coordinator and the medical assistant both told me that Indiana was not paying for this surgery and tried to talk me into the RNY. Now after reading these thoughtful and riveting post provided by my diligent sleevers, how can i present this info to the staff and get them to at least try to bill for it. Any suggestion? Tommorow I am going to call bariatric clinics around the state and see if any has had approvals with my insurance. Regards, Ciara aka Hopeful Hoosier!

Among the bariatric community there is a raging debate going on: Smoothies vs. No Smoothies. Or, Protein Drinks vs No Protein Drinks. There are many that believe that once you get past a certain point in your bariatric life, you should be able to set aside the protein drinks and focus on actual food instead. Others think that keeping in the protein drinks and smoothies are a good and healthy way to make sure we get our protein count. Those that are the No-Drink advocates believe that protein from food sources such as meat, tofu, and dairy are more easily absorbed and digested, and that the protein count from drinks can be inaccurate because of how much our bodies actually absorb vs. how much the product contain. There is also the fact that many protein powders and drinks on the market are filled with chemicals and artificial flavors that wreck havoc on the body and the digestive system. Something else to consider from this perspective is that many of us become intolerant of things such as lactose, soy, and other foods that most protein drinks contain. Consuming these drinks can cause digestive distress and other allergic reactions. Despite these thoughts, there is a strong case for the benefits of continuing smoothies and protein drinks well after we begin our lives on solid foods. First off, our bodies are actually able to absorb about 30-40 g of protein per hour. If we are drinking a 25-30g protein drink over the course of a half an hour, we’re likely to absorb the majority of that protein. Second, when we make a smoothie using our protein drinks (adding fruits and vegetables to the mix), we are adding vital vitamins, nutrients, and fiber to our diets. For some of us, there’s no way we’d be able to eat what we need in one day, much less in one meal. Smoothies are a great way to get those things in. Third, if you have a food intolerance to whey or soy, there are other amazing alternatives that are just as easily absorbed. There are many great vegan protein powders on the market made with flax, hemp, pea, rice, and other ingredients that contain almost as much digestible protein as whey( look for a good powder that contains a combination of brown rice and pea protein). As someone who personally cannot tolerate whey or soy, these were a godsend to find! Lastly, there are some of us, especially those that may have a band or a sleeve, that have issues with meat and protein. For example, I’m two years out from my vertical sleeve, and often still have problems tolerating chicken and beef! When this happens, we are left with little choice for protein then to turn to drinks and smoothies. The choice whether or not to continue with protein drinks or smoothies is a personal one. Many people tolerate meat and other high-protein foods well, while others might still have problems with them. In these cases, protein drinks and smoothies can be a viable and important dietary supplement! Sources: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/rr-whey-too-much http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wheys-vegan-alternatives-combining-pea-and-rice-protein.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-protein-can-the-body-absorb/ http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/know-your-nutrients/how-much-protein-can-the-body-absorb

Your doctor may suspect that you are a sugar addict. If so, that's why he's barring sugar and carbohydrates. Of course, there are carbs in starchy vegetables (like sweet potatoes) and fruit, but your body processes them differently than bread and sweets. I've been on a high protein/low carb diet pre-surgery, and have eliminated sugar, flour, potatoes, rice, and processed foods. It's been very successful. I've learned a lot reading about sugar/food addiction and have come to the conclusion that I have this addiction. Once I've broken through the withdrawal period I don't crave these things. I have gone off the rails a few times and paid the price. It takes me about two weeks to get through withdrawal all over again. I've been working on this food plan, A Pound of Cure by Matthew Weiner, a bariatric surgeon. I intend to follow it post-surgery, possibly for life. To find out more about sugar/food addiction, all of these books are helpful.