Search the Community

Had last weigh-in today and supposed to get surgery date. Bariatric Center not scheduling any surgeries until coronavirus crisis calms down. So my surgery postponed for unknown length of time. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Some insurance companies do not post printable docs online sadly; others WON'T email specifics on bariatric surgery, go figure. I am someone who could get nothing firmly in writing. Fun! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm with you! I had MGB 8 months ago and am down 126 lbs. I run 10k four times a week and am now doing intervals. I'm registered for my first 10k races this spring but cannot find anything that says what or how a bariatric athlete should eat. Like the rest of the mini gastric bypass folks I eat 900 cals/day but I also burn 1200 when I run. I've upped my Premier Protein shakes from 1/day to 3 and increased my fruits to 5 but there isn't a nutritionist anywhere that has a clue what to tell me. I'm thinking of writing as book based on my eating experiment. Any advice?

Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 8 Diet Myths Debunked! Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 1 Negative-calorie foods Some high fiber foods like celery and citrus fruits are claimed to be negative calorie foods. The presumption is that it takes more energy for the body to digest these foods, and thus burns more calories than the calories in the food itself. The truth is that the amount of calories it takes the body to digest food are minuscule compared to the calories in the food. Read a counter-viewpoint and decide what is true for you, “Eating Foods that Burn More Calories.” 2. Muscle weighs more than fat Don’t fool yourself. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight the same — 1-pound! However, because muscle is more dense than fat, having more muscle on your frame will make you look leaner. Also, 1-pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day whereas 1-pound of fat burns only 2 calories — so muscle increases your metabolic rate. Learn about “Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Loss.” 3. A diet is the best way to lose weight In the short-term “dieting,” that is following a prescriptive plan of eating fewer calories for a period of time, results in weight loss. But the weight loss is only temporary and weight is regained when former eating habits are resumed. Instead, find a way to eat healthy forever. That’s the way to lose weight and keep it off. More articles on Eating Healthy after weight loss surgery! 4. An entree salad is the low-cal choice on the menu Salads can be a very healthy choice — or a very unhealthy choice! A general rule of thumb might be the yummier that you make a salad the less healthy it becomes. Watch those toppings: cheeses, candied walnuts, dressing — yikes! Panera Bread’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad has 580 calories, and 30 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat. Compare that to a McDonald’s double cheeseburger with 440 calories, and 23 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat. More Unhealthy Foods we think are healthy! 5. Skipping meals speeds up weight loss Not eating actually slows down metabolism. So to keep your metabolism going eat a healthy breakfast, followed by healthy lunch and dinner, several hours apart. Not eating also can cause ravenous hunger later in the day, which may drive you to overindulge. Check out this Healthy Lunch Solution after Bariatrics! 6. “Light” foods are better Light foods may contain fewer calories or fat, but not without increasing sodium, sugar, chemical additives, or artificial sweeteners. A serving of fat-free cream cheese is only 15-calories less than the real, full-fate version. But the sodium content is 11 milligrams more. Sodium is a major cause of bloating. Add to that, when people perceive a food as light they tend to eat more of it, sometimes consuming more calories than if they had eaten the real version. Read “The Bitter Truth about Aspartame” 7. A gluten-free diet will help you lose weight A gluten-free diet is assumed to be a no-carb diet. That is not true. A gluten-free product replaces gluten-containing grains like wheat flour with non-gluten-containing grains like rice flour. Both wheat flour and rice flour are high in carbohydrates — and gluten-free pastries are high in calories. A gluten-free diet was designed for people with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine cannot digest gluten. Read “Gluten-Free is Unhealthy and Expensive” 8. Over-the-counter diet pills help weight loss The Federal Trade Commission charged four weight loss companies with fraud. The companies charged with deceptive marketing practices include diet products we’ve all seen nationally-advertised: HCG Diet Direct, Sensa Products, LeanSpa, and L’Occitane. Talk to your doctor about your options for safe and effective medications for weight loss, combined with dietary and physical activity improvements. Learn about Getting Active after weight loss. This information was sourced from authoritative sources and is shared for informational purposes only. Use your best judgement and consult with your trusted healthcare provider before changing your diet and exercise habits. Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

@@tracybshaw , call your insurance and ask if you fall below 40, will this disqualify you. My bariatric center requires all patients to ask our insurance this. My insurance (BCBS Ohio) doesn't care as long as you qualify at initial weigh in. @everyone else with thoughts similar to Mexciosleever's, I encourage you to research. It is insanely popular for those with a borderline BMI to make the same decision for WLS as you. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone had any info on bariatric (VSG) requirements with Prestige Insurance (Florida Medicaid)? I was told by member services that it is covered when medically necessary, but they wouldn’t tell me what the requirements were ie., length of time for supervised diet visits, specific BMI info, nutritional and psychic evaluations. I am scheduled for an informational session in Tampa in a week, but I can’t get any info from my insurance or perspective surgery center and it’s so frustrating. Also if you have any other FL Medicaid insurances and know the surgery requirements for them, pls let me know what they are, bc I’m still within the time frame to switch insurance plans. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Just wanted to check in and wish all my fellow December sleevers a very Happy New Year. Had my 3 week post op visits with my nutritionist and nurse today. They went well, and I have clearance to eat anything I want as long as it's healthy, eat a small portion, and chew chew chew. Protein first, veggies next, fruit, then whole grains. They said I was right on target. I start their 8 week post op program next Wednesday, and I start my 3 month exercise program on Monday. (They encourage us to do it longer than 3 months, but 3 months is included in the bariatric surgery package.) Saw my endocrinologist yesterday, and my A1C is lower than it's been since 2009. I am so thrilled I had the sleeve. I hope you all are doing well, and are meeting the New Year with better health and happiness! No caffeine, alcohol, carbonated beverages. No decaf for 6 months. That makes me sad, but the weight loss progress is worth it.

We have Anthem/BCBS of Indiana and like others I had to have nutritional counseling, meet with behavior therapist, release from my family physician, records of previous attempts at losing weight as well as medical records from various records shared with the bariatric surgeon. My original request was denied 16 days after submitting the "packet", but once resubmitted it was pproved within 24 hours.

Any Bariatric vitamin should meet the ASMBS guidelines. More of anything does not always mean better and less does not always mean worse/lower quality. I personally take the ProCare 1x daily capsule (iron free, per my doctors orders based on my lab work) and have had perfect labs since surgery. I tolerate them well and know they meet the ASMBS guidelines.

A little about myself: I am 28 years old and I have been struggling with my weight all of my life. I am tired of being the girl that has a pretty face. I hate how I feel about myself. I have been toying with the idea of doing some type of weight loss surgery for the last few years. For years I was encouraged to get the lap band, which I seriously thought about for a while. Now, after the long term effects of it have come out, I am so glad that I did not do that surgery. In May of 2011 I went to the bariatric orientation at my local Kaiser office. That is when I first learned about the gastric sleeve. My insurance requires everyone to go through a 12 week class before getting any type of weight loss surgery. The days and times that the classes were on conflicted with my work and school schedule so I wasn’t able to start the classes. At this point I wasn’t ready mentally to go through with any type of surgery. So I started counting calories and exercising. In four months I lost about 26 lbs. When I started school I stopped counting calories and didn’t make time for exercise. Now I have gained back each pound that I lost along with an additional 6. I have come to the decision that I now must take drastic measures for my health before I develop any major health problems, while I am still young(ish). On April 17, 2012 I went to a second orientation at Kaiser (my first referral expired). Now I am making time for myself. I start my 12-week class on Tuesday, May 1st. As long as I make each class, which I will, I will be done with the class in mid-July. I should meet with the surgeon late July/early August and hopefully have the gastric sleeve done by mid-August. I have to quit smoking… I started that journey, and it is way harder than I thought it would be. With the future ahead of me, I am determined to get this done. After all, I AM WORTH IT. I have been lurking around for about a week and feel like I have learned so much. I can see what I have to look forward to and I am excited.

Type 2 Diabetes, as I understand it, is insulin resistance. If it is caught and treated early enough, it can be reversed. Type 2 Diabetes is what brought me to the information session on bariatric surgery last September. I realized that I am not going to win the battle by remaining stuck in the cycle that I am in: I could get progressively worse. The doctors tell me that I will most likely not need my diabetes meds after surgery. I actually have a small glimmer of hope for a healthier life.

I was banded on Feb 3rd and have been feeling great. The last day or two I have been feeling very sore over my stomach incision, no pain , but just enough to know that is there.I have not had this soreness for at least 2 weeks. Could I be overdoing it or could it be a sign of a bigger problem. I am still on purreed foods and have very little hunger. Has anyone else experienced this renewed soreness?

Good Afternoon all, I will be banded next friday, the 15th. I was wondering when should I purchase Protein shakes and Vitamins. I've discovered a website that I think I would like to purchase my items from its called Bariatric Eating. Does anyone use them? Thanks in advance.

I take two Flintstones Complete a day (chewable) and one Nature Made Biotin just because my hair is shedding big time and whatever may help..yay! I also take 3 500mg. calcium citrate chews and a B-12 sublingual a day that I purchase from Bariatric Advantage. I'm willing to pay a little more for the Bariatric Advantage calcium because the calcium chews are like candy and fill that void. The sublingual B-12 is minty and easy so I stick with that too.

I got all of mine at CVS. They have great BOGO sales. Chewables and gummies. You can compare the ingredients from the Bariatric vitamins to store brands. As long as you are getting the minimum recommended (per surgeon) amount (1,000mcg b12/1,500mg calcium, etc) you should be fine.

I just posted on this topic the other day. See this- http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/soda-safety-after-weight-loss-surgery.html This from Mayo- foods to avoid, but can potentially re-add down the line- http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bariatric-surgery/in-depth/gastric-bypass-diet/art-20048472 This one says no carb beverages for 4 weeks post op- http://www.upperchesapeakebariatricsurgery.org/QandAsLifeAfterSurgery You will either be able to tolerate it or not. I love my Diet Coke. I'm not apologizing. If I thought it would actually harm me, I'd avoid it. As it stands, on the occasion- once or twice a week- I have it, I order a small and sip it over many hours, usually tossing half away.

If you are still looking for what doctors say that don't buy into the "carbonation stretches the stomach" here is what my doctor has to say about it (and some other myths): http://drmatthewweiner.com/bariatric-surgery-myths/ That being said, he is VERY anti pop of any sort. As to the comment the poster made above about Protein drinks. He also hates those, but sees them as a necessary evil until you can replace them with good food based protein.

I'm in Oregon and my PCP is against it and gave me the same spiel. She keeps telling me she is treating several botched surgeries. However, I call bs because she doesn't seem to know very much about it and only has negative things to say. I'm planning on going with my tax refund in the spring. In my early research I called OHSU, the bariatric coordinator there was very helpful. She said they will always treat people in an emergency and they rarely have any emergencies out of Mexico. She did name one surgeon to avoid and said to be diligent in my research. I joined as many support groups as I could find until I narrowed it down to my surgeon.

Hello! I'm new to VST. A little bit out me and my sleeve journey. I live in Gardner, KS and I will be getting my sleeve done at KC Bariatric by Dr. Hamilton. I started this process last August when I went to their seminar. I was on my 4th supervised diet visit with Nancy their dietician. Then luckily my husband got a new job that has Anthem BCBS and they don't require the 6 month supervised diet. So all that is left to be done is for them to submit my info to the insurance company. My case manager said Anthem usually only takes 3-4 days to get an approval, and they are easy to work with. I can't believe that my surgery could potentially be this month or early next month!! I'm very nervous and excited!!! I welcome any advice from anyone about the surgery and the experiences they have had with KC Bariatric or Dr. Hamilton. Good luck to everyone!! :-)

I am using insurance. I was denied at first, but approved second time around. I'm going with the bariatric program at Wesley. My surgeon is Nicholas Brown. His office is actually at Via Christi St Francis, but he does the bariatrics for Wesley too. My surgery is Feb 4! It's soooo nice to find a fellow Wichita friend

I only found out two weeks ago. I had my surgery in Mexico @ OCC self pay and my regular insurance is through Kaiser. The only thing I told them was that I had bariatric surgery and they said that the bariatric department will monitor me throughout my pregnancy. I haven't got into the details of what surgery I had just yet. They are supposed to contact me within 2 weeks. I did the regular pregnancy blood tests and the results were all within normal range. So far so good, just wish I could drink more fluids easier.

I'm not too far away from Kansas City. I should be getting my surgery through KC bariatric

This happened to me. I changed my vitamin and split the dose half am&pm, it got better fast.Seems lots of people have this problem with bariatric advantage chewables.

I had my open enrollment meeting at work today. They are no longer covering bariatric surgery under our health insurance plan effective January 1. I was going to wait until next year for my sleeve, I am so thankful I didn't!!! I am loving my new tummy!!

I have UHC also. Here is my story so far... I called and got the requirements for the surgery.. have to be over 18 BMI of 40 or more (or 35 with 2 co morbids) use a doc that is in the Bariatric Center of Excellence So i did all of these and found a wonderful doc. Had my appt 2-8, they sent in my paperwork 2-11 and I got a call from UHC on 2-13. I was thinking WOW this is too good to be true. Well it was... the doc i wanted to use was in the plan but his facility was not. Said the only hostpital i could use in Louisiana was Ocshners in New Orleans. That's 6 hours from me!!! They didn't tell me that when i called them TWICE to get the requirements. The funny/odd thing is the doc that I want to use has done MANY people from the place where i work with the same insurance and never had a problem. So the girl that does the insurance wanted the lady's name i talked to at UHC. So she calls her and she wouldn't HEAR of looking into another hopspital. She said I HAVE to use such and such... so she told her to drop my case. She resubmitted it using the hostpital they always use(because i did want to use the oupatient one) and now i'm still waiting. That was on 2-14. I want to call but don't want to pressure them again!!! lol Good luck to all of you all that had no problems!!! Take care!