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My bariatric center dietician ( a new one, as of today) has told me to shoot for 145, rather than 140, and to eat no less than 900 calories a day. She says if I go below that, I won't be able to maintain the loss...I disagree. My diabetic dietician ( love and trusted for 10 + yrs.) has said, "hear me tell you that you can "shoot" for whatever goal you want, but 160-155 is a good weight." I am still overweight on the BMI charts I have seen, so I am going by that. I will not be a "normal" weight until I get to 149. Lots of confusing info. from the folks who are supposed to know about this stuff!

@@Djmohr Jess9395 said it best. He said the skin is already pulled, you can see the stretch marks. He said that sometimes things may have to be done in steps and I would get another opinion, but he's redoing it for free (since I'm getting liposuction in thighs). He's an extremely well known surgeon in bariatric patients in our area, so I don't feel like he's a bad surgeon or anything. I would love to see your pictures.

I agree barimelts are edible I have liquid calcium from bluebonnet and the Bariatric Advantage chews. I agree with surfer girl those chewables are not bad. The bariatric advantage chewable calcium tablet is gross awful. I don't think I can bring myself to finish bottle. I wish I could find a good multi in liquid-- is that even possible? Or a b50 chewable that was not sickeningly sweet or was liquid. I have capsules for that one that I break open and it is awful tasting.

Completely disagree with Alex. This person does NOT need the support of this group. They need the support of a properly trained mental health and psychiatry staff. Medically it is not safe for someone already at a healthy weight and with an eating disorder to get any type of bariatric surgery. Comments that have been made by the original poster suggest they have NO idea what this surgery and what life after it entails. You think she can't still binge on watermelon?! Shoot all you have to do is purée that. Steak might be harder but I seem to recall a thread about someone "accidentally" eating a 20oz steak pretty fresh post op. How many times has it been said: "they operate on our stomachs, not our heads." I sincerely hope this is someone just trolling. That would make a lot more sense than knowing there are surgeons willing to put reasonably healthy, "normal" weight people through this procedure.

You know that I could very much easily lie about everything you just asked me about. Right? Cuz answering those questions doesn’t prove anything really. But if I told you the truth, I got my lap band surgery in March 2015 in South Korea. Korea has different cultural views regarding weight so I was accepted as a lap band patient. I was in Korea because I was taking a semester off from college because my eating disorder was really causing me a lot of stress. I started out as 139. Believe it or not there are many patients much lighter than me who have gotten the bad. My surgeon takes extra care in making sure lighter patients lose weight extra slowly to not cause any harm to our health. I lost steadily at a rate of two pounds a month until I got to my lowest of 108 pounds. I came back to the states to finish my last semester of school. Because I don’t have a doctor in the states where I can get a fill, I got a slightly tighter fill than I would have gotten normally because I probably wasn’t gunna get another fill until next summer. Everything was smooth sailing after my surgery. Quality of life improved IMMENSELY. I was soooo happy with life, just feeling normal and in control of my life again. However, during labor day weekend I was in Michigan back home ( my school is in Chicago) and I was out having adrink with my friends. Some of my previous meal was still in my pouch so the alcohol that I drank wouldn’t go through. I started to salivate, get red in the face, tear up etc. so I had to go throw up. When I threw up, for the first time ever, I felt an extremely sharp pain in my stomach and I started to get rolling waves of intense pain all through that night. Now listen, I was back home just with my dad ( cuz my mom and brother were still in korea) and my dad DOES NOT know that I have gotten the lap band ( he would think that I am CRAZY). So I didn’t’ tell anyone and thought that the pain would subside the next day. I had to drive back to Chicago the next day for school. As I was driving back, the sharp pain intensified to a point where it was excruciating for me. I didn’t know what to do. I was 2 hours away from Chicago so I called a bariatric surgeon in Chicago (from google) and told him my situation. He told me to drive to the west suburban hospital near Chicago. So I drove two long hours where I was finally able to get my band completely drained. I still had pain so I had to spend the night at the hospital. The total of the bill that night was roughly 13000 dollars. The reason why I’m saying this is because I then realized that maintaining my band in the states was gunna be extremely difficult. What am I gunna do if this happened again? Get another 13000 dollar bill?!?? And fills in America are SOOO expensive. In korea a lap band fill is about 30 dollars with a free upper GI with every adjustment. You know that x ray thing where you drink barium and costs a fortune in America? Well that comes complimentary with your fill in korea. Because I travel back and forth from the states and korea at months and years at a time, I realized that the lap band will be not effective for me. And mostly I was scared that the pain would return from the band if I got it filled. Out of fear and desperation that my life would return to that out of control, binge-eating state, I have thought about getting the vsg. I talked with my surgeon back in Korea and surprisingly found out that a very small number of low bmi patients have gotten the vsg out of their own personal reasons as well. My surgeon explained to me that although we are very rare cases, that vsg has been successful and have also improved the quality of life for those who have gotten it. Anyways. I’m flying off to korea during thanksgiving break to have my band removed. After coming back to finish my finals for school, I’ll be flying off again in December and getting my sleeve on the 26th. The reason I posted this post was to hear some thoughts that experienced sleevers had because you can never do enough research about such an important decision like this one. The reason why I chose not to reveal the name of my surgeon is because I was afraid that ya’ll would look him up on google and write him terrible reviews and send him hate letters, because he REALLY doesn’t deserve that. He has been so compassionate and understanding about my situation that he realllyy doesn’t deserve any of the negativity. He is board certified. In fact he is considered one of the top bariatric surgeons in Korea, even a professor in the field of bariatrics at a prestigious university in South Korea. He is like a celebrity surgeon, appearing on TV often and such (I’m not saying that just because a doctor comes on tv they are good docters… all im trying to say that he is not in the least sketchy at all lol) NOW as you wanted to know the pricing of everything. I paid $8500 for my lap band I’ll be paying $4000 for the removal of the band and $8500 for the sleeve. Everything was self pay. Anyways that’s everything, bare and naked. You can take it or leave. I’m not here to prove anything. I just didn’t want ppl who honestly gave me frank and good advice thinking that I was some liar writing this post of my own entertainment. Anyways thanks for reading

I live in Alaska and there are only two surgeons in the entire state... if I'm correct one only does gastric bypass and the other does the different procedures but neither provider is considered in network so instead of 90% insurance coverage I will only have my surgery covered at 80%... my insurance only covers the first $30,000 at the 90% for in network and then 80% after the first $30,000 but my surgery would cost me 20% plus my deductible and the maximum out of pocket doesn't apply to bariatric surgery... I also know WLS is pricey in Alaska but I don't know exactly how much... I'm at a crossroads because I love the idea of having my surgeon local especially because I'm leaning towards SADI-S over VSG but I'm concerned going the insurance route will cost me more than just going to Mexico. Any advice or recommendations? I don't want to go through all of the testing only to find out I can't afford surgery locally even with insurance. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hey there! I was wondering if I could get some feedback from individuals who have combined bariatric surgery with the ketogenic diet, and what your progress has been with it. Specifically wondering if you've seen it maximize your weight loss.

If you have any questions about the basics of what is done in the surgery, and what your new GI tract will look like after each option, the videos at the Cleveland Clinic down in the description of each procedure provide a pretty clear overview. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/bariatric-and-metabolic-institute/weightloss-options

Good for you for trying to work through this early. I do agree with the others that you don't need to go to the liquid diet to see if you can do it, you just have to do it when the time comes. Take 1 day, 1 hour, 1 minute at a time if you have to and keep your eye on the prize. Don't think about how long it will be, it will be over before you know it and then you will be on the post op diet. For now, start focusing on small changes that you can maintain. I read somewhere that it takes 13 days in a row to build a habit, and one to undo it. Try working on simple things like: 1. Eating good quality dense Proteins. chicken, turkey, beef, pork, seafood. Some of the best food I found after surgery is fish and shrimp. Low in calories, filling and stays with you. Also lobster and crab....I am alergic to those but used to eat them years ago and if I could I would eat them often. 2. The biggest habit of all is ensuring you are drinking a minimum of 48 to 64 oz of Water every day. It really is one of the hardest habits to build but will make you very very successful early on. If you cannot drink water, add SF crystal light to it but drink every day all day long. 3. Use a smaller plate to eat off of. I use a very small Cereal bowl, even now 23 months post op. My 1 cup of food looks like a lot and many times I cannot finish it. 4. Chew chew chew your food. You need to pay close attention while you eat and go very slowly. This really does give your brain time to get the signal for your stomach when it is full. This rule is very important because one spoon or forkful after surgery can mean the difference between pain in your chest and vomiting. I don't vomit, but if I eat more than I should my stomach hurts very bad. It is a sharp pain as if something is stuck but it's not, I just ate too fast or too much and it can ruin a meal post surgery and make you miserable until it passes. 5. Just get a little more active everyday. If you don't walk now, start. Go a little further every day. It will help you during recovery. 6. Get rid of all the junk (yes, Cookies too) in your house. Remove Pasta, rice, bread, sugary sweets from your pantry. Donate all of the processed packaged goods like that blue box of Kraft Mac and cheese that was in my kitchen. No More soda or caffeine at this time either 7. Stay away from fast food! If you need to eat out, go to Panera and get a Soup and salad or to noodles and company and get a buff bowl. Very healthy options here. 8. Start buying lots of vegetables, fresh and frozen are best. Learn to cook them to your liking so you eat them with your dense Protein. 9. If you don't cook, take a cooking class or two, you will need them. The best foods for you are the homemade ones that you know what is going in them. Pinterest has really great healthy recipes and even some that are not so healthy but you can change if you are a cook or learn enough to get bold. There are also a ton of Bariatric recipes that could help you. Now I am not saying do this all at once. I started with 1 or 2 as I had a nine month process. I would work 1 or 2 each month and before I knew it I was no longer drinking anything but water and I was very well hydrated. I also stopped watching tv while eating just so I could pay more attention. There are other rules for after surgery but this should be a good list for you to focus your efforts on. Don't try to do everything at once. Lastly if you are a smoker you need to quit now! Give your self time to get back that addiction. It is not an easy one to break and most surgeons will not operate if you are a smoker. It is because your body heals poorly and for WLS patients when the nutrition is much harder the first couple of months you don't need to be healing poorly from both smoking and lack of nutrition. Sorry for the long post but my nutritionist gave me a simliar list after my first meeting and I was so thankful that I was able to use my waiting time. It helped me lose 152lbs. I now weight 158 and have been at goal since March. This has been the best decision I ever made for myself. I have an exciting new life because of weight loss surgery.

I've got BCBS of Michigan. Did my 6 months and all prereqs, and the insurance "navigator" at my bariatric group submitted the request for me. Got my approval letter within a week! Am set to have surgery December 5th. Feeling excited and ready to go:) Having sleeve.

So after a tiny bit of digging, I find that Aetna may be the best choice. Aetna no longer has a requirement for how long you've had to be morbidly obese (gods I hate even typing that word) (before it was 2 years) Like the other health insurances, there is a required pre-surgery weight loss program. But unlike the others, Aetna has the shortest. If you enter a multi-disciplinary surgical preparatory regimen like the one offered through Beaumont’s bariatric surgery program you only have to do it for 3 months before you're approved (assuming you meet all the other requirements. This is opposed to the 6-month requirements I've seen or even the 12 months that my current insurance offers. Bye, bye, Molina! Just in case I'm going to wait until the seminar on Wednesday so That I've had a chance to talk with the surgeon. His name is Daniel Bacal. I don't know anything about him, but his picture makes him look like a straight up dad he has great bedside manners.

I'd say drink a ton of Water (at least the 8 cups a day). If you can, drink it plain since some sweetners in crystal light/mio can make it seem even harder to give up carbs for some people. Then, if you can get a good balanced Protein shake mix like Bariatric Advantage, drink those for 2 meals and then about 3 oz of meat and some veggies for dinner. If you need the 2 Snacks between meals stick to high protein/low carb ones like cheese sticks, nuts, or maybe a carefully selected yogurt. You can do this!

Hello all! I’ve been going through this journey for a painstakingly long amount of time! I’ve been trying to get the gastric sleeve surgery for years. My old insurance started off telling me they do cover the procedure, so I went 6 months into the process for the program coordinator at the hospital to call me last minute and tell me that it was not in fact covered under my insurance. So at the beginning of this year when it was time to choose a new policy, I specifically picked one that would cover it. I even called to confirm. BUT! When I received the updated overview of coverage for 2020, they had JUST amended the policy to exclude bariatric surgery. How crummy?!? So since I cannot win, and insurance companies do not want to play nice, does anyone recommend or has had surgery at Blossom Bariatrics in NV? I’ve read testimonials but only from their website and YouTube page. I wanna hear from an actual patient, so I know it’s not all fluff. Their website also states their doing $6K pricing right now. So is that everything? Even without insurance? If anyone has any insights, and can tell me if it’s legitimate. Please let me know!! Thank you all!

Great Question! My moment was being told by my doctor that I had insulin resistance and that I needed to watch my diet, lose weight, and exercise or I would soon have diabetes. Suddenly at age 49 I realized that I was all out of tomorrows. As in I'll go on a diet tomorrow. From that moment it had to be TODAY or I would end up with a serious chronic illness. I gave myself 6 months to lose weight and get with the program and told myself that if I wasn't able to do so, I would have surgery. I gave it my best try. I lost weight, I exercised, and all symptoms of insulin resistance went away. But just as with so many times in the past, I found I couldn't maintain my new way of living permanently. So here I am. With normal blood sugars. And a renewed spirit. Nancy

I did drink soda before my lap band procedure but after the surgery I stopped drinking it. I think I lost the desire for it (among many other things). It just didn't taste the same as it did before the surgery. I had the lap band procedure in May 2008. I had numerous fills and unfills. On a recent trip to Kauai, our kayak tipped over and when I climbed back in (with help with our guide and my husband pushing me back in from behind), I thought I broke a rib. I later learned in emergency after a catscan and x-ray that it wasn't my rib or spleen, but that my lap band slipped! It was a freak accident. I had it removed several days later when I got home by my bariatric surgeon who put it in. He says I can wait 5 weeks and have it put back in. I am still debating with myself whether or not I want to put it back in. I was in the hospital for three days taking it out because I had to have numerous tests to see if my stomach was damaged from the band slippage. I have thousands of dollars of out-pocket costs. The insurance pays for most of it but I have to pay a portion too. Having my band slipped, meant that I could not swallow liquid or food and even my saliva came up! I feel much better since it was taken out. The slippage was something that I thought would NEVER happen to me. I am fearful that I will gain my weight back that took so much effort to lose and I will gain more. I am eating the same as I was before my band slipped and exercising even more. One of my bariatric surgeons is confident that I can do this. If not, I am having it put back in. For now, I am taking care of myself and recovering from my surgery. If there is anyone out there who is recoving from having the band taken out, I would appreciate hearing from you. My band was taken out not out of choice but out of an emergency. My band was so traumatized that they could not put a new band in after they took the old one out. Is there life after having your lap band taken out? If so, what kind of life? I've been changed on so many levels just having the procedure and living with the band for over a year. Can I keep my weight off? Can I lose more?

I know that Dr.Dominguez in Covington La accepts medicaid if anyone needs that info. Please list other Drs that you are aware of that accepts in Louisiana, please.

I have Blue Cross, and I had a switch done with a BMI of 35.9. I'm very lucky in that my doctor is the head of the bariatric fellowship department at a big teaching hospital, and he basically set the Blue Cross standards. He even got any kind of pre-op dieting waived. You just have to meet with their dietician twice a month while going through all of you pre-op testing. I was turned down, but I actually went to the Blue Cross office and sat in the lobby until someone from appeals came down to see me and I asked her to schedule a peer to peer confernce with my doctor. It took me staging a sort of sit in, but they scheduled the call and I was approved the next day. Talk to your doctor about qualifying co-morbidities. If he can tell them why he thinks the switch is the best operation for you, you can likely get it approved at any BMI.

Ok my bariatric family I need your help with something. Many of you already know that I am a chef and restauranteur and I may be embarking on a new venture with the medical group that performed my surgery. Here's the deal: I'm sure you've all seen Smart Ones, Weight atchers, etc. meals in your grocers freezers. How ould you feel if there were Bariatric-specific meals available to you in the same freezers? I'm not talking bland food either! I mean flavorful food that you'll love! What are your thoughts? I'm even thinking of producing foods specific to the eating stage you're in God before anything, Family before anyone, Home before anywhere. Priority..

I am feeling remarkably well. I honestly couldn't get a straight answer from drs prior to surgery about how it might play out. Chronic fatigue dr said to be aware that surgery can always be a cfs episode trigger. My bariatric dr said in the patients he's seen, they have generally improved at least a little. Pain is an issue and can't take anti-inflammatories. But, dr also said the surgery can sometime knock down inflammation. Compared to my normal, I'm feeling great. And I'm hoping it lasts, but after 30 years of cfs, find it hard to not anticipate the downturn. But, doing my best, following all drs orders and getting all necessary nutrients, fluids, and movement for proper healing. And pacing myself. Plenty of rest both before and after surgery.

You definitely need more Protein. Did your surgeon or NUT give you a protein target? Mine is 100 grams and my surgeon's basic range is 80-100 grams. Try searching Bariatric Center of Excellence manual to see if you can find some post-op food plans. I am surprised your surgeon didn't give you any post-op guidance. Best of luck with your recovery.

Well I think that when people reach out for help from regain, they're looking for advice from others that experienced regain and what worked for them. Obviously not every approach works for every person but MANY here have found great success conquering their regain. For me, when I had regain and saw my bariatric team, they told me all the things that I knew they would say- do a post opt diet, go back to protein shakes, portion control, etc. A health issue required me to achieve nutritional ketosis and that's actually what helped me lose all of my regain and more. I conquered the health issue and lost my regain and have maintained over 5 yrs.

Spoke directly with my Bariatric Director this afternoon about Medicare's VSG decision. She reviewed the CMS memo decision and agreed with my interpretation that this decision was a good one and coverage appears imminent. While the fine details for Medicare contractors (ie hospitals) have not yet been released, she did say everything looks like a go and I will be the first patient she submits for Medicare approval next month! For those of you who have not yet had the opportunity to get a personalized nod of approval from your hospital, read this and you should feel better. This is a summarized analysis and decoding of CMS's VSG memo from The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). A true authority in all matters concerning Bariatric's. http://asmbs.org/2012/06/access-to-care-alert-the-cms-final-decision/ At long last the wait is over! If you have state Medical Assistance (Medicade) this is good news for you as well. With very few exceptions, coverage and requirements for Medicade mirror that of Medicare. I suspect that state MA will recognize the VSG no later than October when coverages for all states go through their annual update. If you have not already begun taking the necessary steps to complete the requirements to be submitted for Insurance approval, NOW is the time to get started!

I am the Bariatric Coordinator for Dr Travis Eggl - the Bariatric Surgeon here in Lubbock Texas. I am happy to help answer questions and be a resource.. My name is Tiffany Willis...please let me know how I can help... I also had the Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Oct 2012 and have lost 327lbs.... Love and Live life!!

Are you for or against smoothies and protein drinks? Here are a few reasons why blending it up might not be such a bad idea for some people! 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

Please help science by completing an ANONYMOUS online questionnaire. We are interested in the opinions of adults who have had bariatric surgery and body contouring surgery within the past five years. http://yale.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2blFHEywu0OsYDP 1 in 20 participants will win a $50 electronic Amazon.com gift card Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health HIC: 1501015172