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Vets- I have been following Keto for about 9 months, lost about 48 lbs. Feeling good. I hate the word 'diet' but want your opinions: I'm thinking about changing it up and going completely back to a post-bariatric type eating- low carb and higher protein. I've been tweaking my diet a bit but don't want to screw myself up. I have 10 lbs that I need to lose before some medical testing in about 4 weeks and wondering if going back to low carb/high protein vs Keto would be more successful (by successful I purely mean burn off some fat)?? thoughts?

Is there a local bariatric program where you live? Maybe you can call them up and ask them if they have a support group.

WHOOP WHOOP!!! 4 years post op, I am finally getting the scale to move again and my regain is officially gone. I was doing some Keto type eating, but now I'm trying to cut back the fat so it's more like a 'bariatric' type eating, just a low carb, high protein thing. I had been losing nicely for a long time then the scale completely stopped. What I THINK was happening is that my body had adjusted to ketosis and I was probably taking in a little too much dietary fat so I wasn't burning my own fat. Now that I've tweaked it my regain has dropped off and I'm back 'on the move'!!!! Hoping for a good 7-10 lb loss over the next month before I have some medical testing

@Tealael Doctors, including bariatric surgeons, know very little about the effects of most meds out there when it comes to helping those of us in the bariatric community feel confident about the meds we take, prescription and OTC. I'd be interested in seeing the list they've compiled and their reasons.

My diet isn't entirely meat free, but I do eat a lot of fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, tofu, etc. My advice: Work with a dietitian who has done bariatric diet follow up for people eating a vegan or vegetarian diet. it's a bit of a special niche...but if you look, you'll find someone good. Make some calls. Avoid regular pastas....but give the protein pastas a try. They're excellent!

Unfortunately even most nurses seem against bariatric surgery. There is such a huge prejudice against this still in the world. So sorry you told your coworkers. I agree with Bryn. Just remind them it’s none of their business how much time you’ll get off of work. That’s between Human Resources and yourself. Hopefully they will find something else to gossip about in the meantime. Working in a mostly female environment can be so brutal. Full of catty and judgemental women, ugh. Just focus on you and taking care of your health. Best of luck.

I agree, I have been contacting them daily. I am a cash patient. I feel that they are just pushing me thru. Just really nervous. My insurance has a bariatric exclusion. I know if I went through insurance every thing would be checked.

Yo @ markuspak where in our fair State are YOU located? I am in Central Ohio, in Mount Vernon, 14 miles from the Geographic Center, and approx 48 miles NNE of Columbus, where I will have my RnY surgery September 5th At OSU-Wexner Medical Center. My surgeon is Dr Bradley J Needleman, head of Bariatric Surgery and Metabolic Weight Weight Loss, yep the top dog in that kennel! Saw you said in another posting you were in Ohio. Will be sending you good healing wishes for August 13th.😝

Hi, Everyone! I have started blogging about my weight loss surgery journey. The hardest thing about preparing for surgery, for me, has been the mental preparation for social situations. While I have no problem discussing the surgery with my family and friends, it's acquaintances, neighbors, employers, clients, etc that I worry about. This isn't an invisible surgery. People are going to know that something is going on when I very quickly lose half my body weight! And they are going to have questions and comments. They are probably going to be well-meaning---I think most people are very well intentioned. But I am still trying to prepare for how to respond. I'm afraid of people judging me for having the surgery. This surgery is going to result in my size very quickly shrinking and I'm afraid of what people will say or ask. I've never existed in the world as a person with a healthy weight. I don't know what that is going to be like socially. I'm also afraid that everyone is going to be celebrating the "new me" and being so nice to me that it is only going to make me that much MORE aware of the discrimination that overweight people experience everyday. I'm doing this for my health but I know I'm going to be super sensitive to preferential treatment as a new-found skinny person. Does that make any sense? Anyway, I am processing all this on my blog and I wanted to share the link with you guys in case you find my ramblings helpful. I am just getting started! My surgery date is August 1st! Here's the link to my blog: www.nourishingheather.com Here's a recent post: Before Surgery Photos It’s only sixteen days (yes, I’m counting!) until my bariatric surgery date. The surgery I will be having is called a sleeve gastrectomy. It is an inpatient, laparoscopic surgery. My surgeon will make five very small incisions on my abdominal area and use very small instruments to remove about 85% of my stomach. I have done a TON of preparation for this surgery and am feeling very excited to finally be able to use this tool for weight loss! One of the requirements of my surgery center is having preoperative photographs taken by their staff photographer. Photographs are also taken postoperatively for comparison. These photographs are another tool, along with things like weighing oneself and taking body measurements, that help weight loss surgery patients see their progress. I absolutely loved my photographer. Her name was Marsha and she was an absolute joy to work with! Her studio was clean and comfortable. She was efficient and kind. I enjoyed interacting with her and I know she is rooting for my success! She sent me the photos a few days ago and I am so stoked to share them with you all. I am smiling in these photos because I am proud of myself! I am proud of the work I have done over the last year to qualify for surgery. I’m also a pretty joyful person in general, so smiling in photos is just part of being me! I’m also wearing my favorite flowery leggings, so that’s probably part of it! Calling plus-size and fat women brave for doing things smaller-sized people do is belittling and insulting. It suggests that living in our bodies is an extraordinary feat, and we’re somehow heroes for…what? -Jenny Trout, https://www.self.com/story/fat-bikini-brave Now, I know that there are people out there who absolutely do not want to see fat bodies. Some don’t want fat people to exist and they certainly don’t want to see us in only a sports bra and spandex. I’m going to trust that those folks have found some other blog to read, because here at Nourishing Heather we aren’t going to apologize for existing. And we’re going to celebrate every bit of our journey, not only the glamorous bits! Don’t those leggings just scream summer! I love them! I’m gonna sign off to make some supper. Tonight I’m whipping up a frittata and plan to devour the last of the raspberries that DH’s mom kindly brought over to us. DH is traveling for work this week and then headed directly to a gather with his brother this weekend so I’m dining solo this week. Whenever I’m cooking for just myself it’s basically the egg show, you know? Starting this Wednesday, I’ll be following my two week preoperative eating plan and it will be nice to be able to get adjusted to that without anyone else in the kitchen. Though I do miss my DH. Be Well,

I know nothing about tattoos, but that's not why I'm writing. Don't apologize for asking questions, Cheyenne. Don't put yourself down because you have doubts about your questions or because you assume people will judge you or think you are "ignorant." Have confidence in yourself. Don't devalue your thoughts, questions, or opinions. You obviously spent time and effort composing a clear, concise, and well-organized set of questions about a topic that is of interest to those in the bariatric community who share your passion for tattoos. So, next time you post a response or start a new topic, don't apologize. Okay? https://www.bustle.com/p/22-little-ways-women-are-expected-to-apologize-for-their-existence-every-day-30296 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/bustle/23-things-women-apologize-for-all-the-time_b_5915414.html

If you do a google search and look at images, you will see some surgery photos. I do not think they are nasty, but some might. I've seen photos of what they have removed being held up by one of the surgical nurses. It's quite dramatic. I've not specifically searched for it, but I bet there are even entire surgical procedure videos (actual, not just animated). Sometimes they will narrate what is going on and those are the ones that are most helpful for me. I've also found that both of the bariatric surgeons that I have seen are more than willing to answer questions during the appointments. Some doctors are in and out so fast that I cannot even remember what I wanted to ask. The surgeon that will be doing my surgery (Dr. Eric Volckmann) took over 45 minutes with me and answered many questions - to the point that he has referred me to an additional surgeon to address the other abdominal issues that are lingering from my past abdominal surgeries. I did not feel that he was hurrying to get through the appointment. So, ask away when you meet with your team.

I had not seen that post where someone cheated on their pre-op diet and was canceled. Wow... You say that you are already three months into your journey. That's great! Keep it up. The hold you need on your eating habits needs to come from you. You cannot hope that everyone around you will do what you need to do for you. It's your body, your weight loss. YOU must make it happen for you. It would be nice if everyone around me at work would quit bringing in donuts and muffins every day, or the cafeteria had a bariatric-friendly menu, but those things are not going to happen for me. I am accountable for my journey as well as you are for yours. If they continue to do what you are describing, do not let it be an excuse to fail. You can do this! You know this in your heart-of-hearts. You would not have started if you really did not want to do this. We're all here to listen... and if you need to, you can private message me too...

I was addicted to diet drinks for many years, as I got fatter and fatter. Last February I had a Saddle Pulmanary Embolism and almost died. While in the hospital my respirologist would not let me have any pop - so cold turkey it was. I never started drinking it again, thanks goodness. Then after starting the Bariatric program in August of last year my nutritionist started pulling me off everything else in preparation for surgery. First iced tea (it was sweetened), then carbonated water, then caffiene. I'm now 6 weeks out, and have had regular coffee a couple of times. No problems with it but I find I don't need it. I imagine I will go back to the occasional diet drink after 6 months or so, but I don't need it like I used to.

@Briswife15 Hopefully, the psychologist you visit will have some background in evaluating potential bariatric patients. We're actually a scary population for most health professionals because it exposes their lack of knowledge about what bariatric surgery involves. My psych evaluation was a 20-minute appointment that assessed my readiness to commit to the lifestyle changes ahead. When we were finished talking, she took a blank page of letterhead and wrote, by hand, a short letter "psychologically" clearing me for surgery. Psychologists know zilcho about meds, by the way, because they aren't medical doctors; they're either licensed social workers or PhDs... and neither can prescribe medication. Not that you wouldn't know this. Sometimes I can't stop my fingers from talking my hand off!

Hi, Missouri- Lee's Summit, yes, I'm quite upset and concerned! Thanks for your support, and the info you posted. My bariatric surgeon requires a psych evaluation and hopefully the psych he sends me to will be more encouraging and helpful than my personal psych. I have the mindset that I'm going to have the RNY, and get healthy finally (I have a lot of comorbidities). I don't want to be freaking out about possible medication problems. Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

My insurance plan had no penalty for gaining weight during the pre-op period. I merely had to make weight-loss attempts for six months, successful or not. Do you know what your bariatric benefits say?

@Briswife15 That doesn't sound right. The overall health benefits of weight-loss surgery shouldn't be dismissed outright because of an unknown bioavailability issue that most likely can be managed with dose experimentation. There just isn't enough research out there for him to declare, "Don't get surgery!" This puts you in a very fragile and frustrating position. Bariatric medicine is something too few doctors understand, so is it any wonder that they prefer avoidance -- hey, it's easier, right? "Surgeons and psychiatrists often practice in very different professional circles. There is often no rounding service for inpatient psychiatric consultations available unless patients proclaim suicidal ideations. There is a mutual reticence of psychiatrists to care for perioperative patients who may be having GI symptoms, and surgeon reluctance to manage psychiatric issues when a consultant is not readily available. When patients with significant psychiatric conditions suffer a loss of stability on surgical floors, it can be very difficult, time-consuming, and disconcerting for surgical teams to manage. Patients are presenting for bariatric evaluation with significant psychiatric disorders with increasing frequency. Existing data do suggest that the benefits of bariatric surgery in terms of weight loss are real, and that surgical outcomes should be good. There is a glaring lack of any information regarding the effect on the person as a whole to guide us as surgeons. The best evidence continues to suggest that in carefully selected patients, bipolar disorder or other Axis 1 disorders are not a contraindication to bariatric surgery. This requires a means and willingness for surgeons and psychiatrists to work closely together to deliver coordinated care and to ensure that recommended follow-up is achieved. Currently, this is not an easy task in most institutions. Lastly, while patients with significant psychiatric conditions may not be contraindicated for bariatric surgery, neither is bariatric surgery a treatment for these conditions, and this fact does not always match up with preoperative patient expectations. This is an area that is ripe for research." See: Clinical Challenges of Bariatric Surgery for Patients with Psychiatric Disorders. Commentary on: “Lithium Toxicity Following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4063371/

My appointment went great. Super fast and easy. Had a blood draw, BP reading, and meds discussion - was outta there in 25 minutes!! Two days earlier, the bariatric nurse taught a 2 hour class on everything the patient should know before surgery day about expectations, instructions, things to buy, etc. it was super helpful - I had read a lot of the info already from the books I received months ago, but to hear it made a huge impact and answered a bunch of questions I had about things (my meds, day of surgery, etc.) My mom came with me so she could hear it all too which was nice. How are you doing?? Are you taking 2 weeks off work after surgery? Megan

And @AshMarie794,@clsumrall,@Chrisb428, this is Frustr8, I'm lagging behind a little but I'm a-coming. Put me down for September 5th At 7AM edt at my hospital of current record OSU- Wexner Medical Center in Columbus Ohio with my surgeon, the one I really wanted, Bradley J NeedlemanMD, head of Bariatric Medicine and Metabolic Weight Loss there. Since I am at 7AM, that means I am the first case that morning, let,the rest of the traffic pile up behind me. First time in a long time I've got preferential treatment anywhere. And Ash Marie, I understand what is going through for you, how many times has my journey stopped, started, had to overcome roadblocks, quagmires, all my fears drowned in my tears, now I am joyfully looking ahead, and I think I can do this, it's my choice, my commitment, and mine will be the final victory. Would you believe I can choose the duration of my prep diet? They ask for a minimum of 2 weeks,max of 4, they of course recommend 4, I'm told that ensures easier,recovery and possibly better healing. Yeah but what my bari-buds have related, I will be hangry, tempermental and the only thing that will keep me from blowing someone or something up is the fact I will be week and dizzy with hunger. My high school class reunion will be the 11th, 55years, I warned you I AM OLD, actually the youngest in my class, but still OLD. So do i commit to 4,3,or2 weeks? And I have an ornery landlord wanting to sell my house. Think his greedy wife wants the money for God knows what, fix their own house, go on a cruise, put money in their daughter's college fund? I have an. insurance settlement coming to payment in mid August, greedy Jenny wants us out by August30-31. Yep right before my surgery! Do I make arrangements to purchase this place, that he has neglected to repair things in, or relocate somewhere else? So I am pitching things out, been here 18 years, in that time my MIL, a 31 year old son, and my husband died, still have all their stuff stored upstairs. MIL was a photo pfreak, I have several totes-full upstairs, I have no MF idea who most of them are, some have names on them, most don't. As example there is old timy one "at aunt and uncle's house, boy we all had a good time" Aunt and Uncle Who? Nobody left from that generation to ask! Add in mine and Tomkitten's out-of-season clothes. What size am I going to be by winter? I'm a 26 now, how close will I be to my goal of a 15 junior? See underneath all of this flabby fluffy fat I think I am a junior. For a big girl I'm only a C-D, many at my weight are E, F,G. So I am an overgrown tomboy figure, honest. I probably can wear the sweatshirts a while longer but the old beat up jeans and slacks have got to go. Do I dump them at Goodwill, throw them in a dumpster, we have a church run facility in my community, gotten rather persnickity, they want everything freshly laundered, neatly ironed or folded before being put into not,overfilled bags. Must have delusions of being an upscale consignment Shoppe. So think,is me,fighting the fight, scratching my head, holding a premiere protein in one hand, wondering WTF do I do first?😫💦😫

@KimTriesRNY When I say generic drug name, I don't mean generic in the sense of "lesser" or "off-brand". This is more like it's pharmaceutical name. It's real name. Think about the common acetaminophen. Many people refer to it as Tylenol, which is well-known but it's really just a brand name for acetaminophen. Many drug stores (CVS, Walgreen's, Wal-Mart) carry there own brands of acetaminophen with more obscure brand names like CVSHealth or Equate. What if someone went to the hospital and when asked what they take for pain relief they answered. "I take Equate." Giving the brand name, in this case, tells the hospital staff nothing. If you're able to remember acetaminophen, however, there is absolutely no mistake. The generic drug name is not always easy to "remember" or even spell or say, so it's a good idea to write down your meds with their generic drug names, if possible. I often have to admit to nurses and other health professionals that I don't speak brand names. For that reason, I get confused when asked, "Do you still take Xanax?" Yes, Xanax is a common brand name, but I only know it as alprazolam. Likewise, some bariatric patients are given Dilaudid (the brand name) but its generic drug name is hydromorphone. It's not wrong to use a brand name, but there can be confusion. I'm just following the advice of my daughter, and my two sons (who are medical doctors). This is not something I do to appear snooty-toot-toot. I do it because I now understand the difference between a drug's generic drug name and its brand name. If you're not sure what the generic drug name is, describe the pill (color, letters, numbers) and enter into a pill-identifier site this one: https://www.drugs.com/pill_identification.html Brand names for lisinopril include Prinivil and Zestril. Sites like this one identify over-the-counter medication as well as by-prescription medication. When I said I didn't want to bore anybody, I didn't intend to appear facetious; I was really just too lazy to continue with my way-after-midnight post and, truthfully, I wasn't sure if anyone gave a flying fig newton.

I just tried these for the first time and they're pretty good. They remind of white cheddar mac and cheese flavoring. Bariatric Pal has them for twice as much as amazon.com

There are books for children that supposedly prepare them for a parent's surgery, but none seem to address bariatric surgery in particular. I found no YouTube videos that explain a parent's bariatric surgery to their children. I did find a few articles, though, including a past conversation about this topic on bariatricpal.com. I hope these links will help! (They're listed in no particular order. Meaning: the most helpful link might be first, in the middle, or last!) http://www.mydestinationweightloss.com/blogs/talking-with-your-kids-about-weight-loss-surgery https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/209717-telling-your-child-youre-having-wls/ https://www.uhn.ca/PatientsFamilies/Health_Information/Health_Topics/Documents/Talking_to_Children_about_Bariatric_Surgery.pdf https://www.stirthewonder.com/when-a-parent-has-surgery/ http://health.alot.com/wellness/talking-to-your-family-about-bariatric-surgery--3074 http://blog.care4hire.com/surgery/270

This is particularly disturbing... assuming that your co-workers are also nurses. Where is their empathy? I can't believe that their main focus is on how much time you might get off. As for the "nurse" attempting to dissuade you from having the surgery, that's just bizarre. If this had been a procedure for a different disease, ie. a " real disease" , I doubt if there would be the same level of indifference. It's hard to respect people who show such little concern for the health and well-being of others. Just curious, but is the co-worker who is trying to talk you out of the procedure, also obese? Sometimes, it seems, people who don't have the courage to have bariatric surgery themselves or who can't afford it (if not covered by insurance), try to sabotage the decision of those who want the surgery. To hell with your pin-headed co-workers. Where were they in 2013 when the AMA classified obesity as a disease? It is also evident that you are basically a nice person. After all, you still want to be polite even when you tell them to take a hike! (Hey, that almost rhymes.)

My surgeon uses the DaVinci robotic-assisted laparoscopic technique. In fact, he recently flew to Sweden to give a talk on it. My daughter is a PharmD. She insists that I use the generic name instead of the brand name. There are several reasons why it's better to use the generic name instead of the brand name, but I don't want to bore you with the reasons why. Hardly any information is available regarding the absorption of most drugs after a bariatric procedure. Unfortunately, and because the Roux-en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is a malabsorptive procedure, it's particularly disappointing to find next to nothing in the research literature. This information is so important! Fluvoxamine (Luvox) -- Found almost nothing. Lamotrigine (Lamictal)-The impact of bariatric surgery on psychiatric pharmacotherapy has not received much attention, and few specific recommendations exist to optimize medication regimens for this population. Based on the potential for decreased absorption, it has been suggested that patients taking lamotrigine be monitored for decreased efficacy. Unfortunately, you'll most likely have to put up with being a guinea pig when it comes to finding the dose that gives you the result you need to feel "good". By the way, lamotrigine comes in chewable tabs, the largest dose being 25mg. For the regular tabs, 25mg is the smallest dose! Also, why do you take 2x/25mg tabs of fluvoxamine instead of one 50mg tab (which is also available)?

Devrom internal deodorant is rerecommended by bariatric doctors or activated charcoal