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So my first appt doc told me to get flint stone complete chewable and now the bariatric coordinator is saying to order bariatric specific Vitamins... What do you use post op?

You said it all in your title, we only fail when we surrender to our weaknesses. But by coming back, asking for support, and renewing your determination, its clear you are not going to surrender to your latest challenge. Everytime you meet and conquer a challenge, you gain something powerful, you are stronger than before. I chose my screen name that is my mantra, to motivate me through the tough times, vincere aut mori= latin for conquer or die. You can do this, again, and you will be stronger for it.

Dump the band. Seriously though, my bariatric program isn't even doing them anymore

Bariatric Pal website has Vitamin Patches. Does anyone know if these are enough of what post gastric bypass are supposed to take and if they really work? Thanks!

I follow him on FB. Asked him about why bariatric pre and post-op diets are so heavy with animal fat and protein, and what physiological benefits that has. He actually answered me. "None. No benefit. Just baseless dogma." His new book Proteinaholic arrives tomorrow and I can't wait to read it!

What the heck is "mindful eating" anyway? It might sound like some hippie thing, but it backed by real science. You'll be losing weight and feeling great again, all while enjoying food to the fullest. Check it out here! Mindfulness basically just means paying attention to something - without judgment. Mindful eating is paying attention to your food, and to your appetite cues - again, without judgment (that's the hard part!). Dieting vs. Mindful Eating: Diet = Weight gain: 95% of people who diet will regain the weight they lost within 5 years. 2/3 of those people will regain more than they lost, ultimately resulting in overall weight gain. All about willpower and rigidity. Relies on external cues. Restrictive and depriving. Food & body are the enemy. Mindful Eating = Weight loss: Studies show that mindful eating programs result in weight loss, fewer calories consumed, lower fat intake and increased self-confidence (Timmerman et al., 2012) All about trust and acceptance. Relies on internal appetite cues. Permissive and satisfying. Food & body are the ally. Which would you prefer? For me, I'd much rather give mindful eating a shot. Especially since dieting was what led up to most people having bariatric surgery in the first place. Step-by-step how to eat mindfully: Pick a calm and quiet place to sit down and eat. Check in with your hunger. Are you physically hungry? If not, wait until later when you are hungry. The food will be much more satisfying if you enter the experience hungry. Choose a food that will be satisfying. Give yourself permission to eat that food without judgment (toward the food or yourself) or guilt. Use all of your senses - look at the food, touch the food, smell the food, taste the food, feel it in your mouth, move it around and notice the way the texture and taste changes as you chew. Chew slowly and thoroughly. As you swallow, feel the food going down your esophagus and into your stomach. Notice how the food feels in your stomach. Ask yourself if you want more. If so, take another bite and repeat until you feel satisfied. At the end, take a moment to express gratitude for the experience, for the food, and for your body. Carry the awareness of mindful attention to other areas of your life - you'll be shocked at what a big difference this makes! Be patient with yourself. The practice of mindful eating is just that - a practice. Your mind and attention will wander, you will inevitably catch yourself judging yourself or the food. That's ok - it's normal. Just notice it, and return your attention to the experience. Practice this as often as you are able. Of course, it's not possible to eat mindfully 100% of the time, so don't be rigid with it. As you get more skilled at mindful eating, it will become more effortless and second nature. See, I told you this wasn't just for hippies! Mindful eating is very doable for all of us. We just have to make the conscious decision to do it. Paying attention to our food and our bodies allows us to get infinite more pleasure out of life. Give it a shot and let me know what you think. Share your experience in the comments below. What was it like to pay close attention to the taste and texture of the food? What was it like to refrain from judgment about yourself for eating the food? What surprised you about mindful eating?

That is awesome! I became eligible for bariatric surgery based on BMI after 2 years of a happy relationship. So, now it is time to take off all this weight and become happy and healthy. Of course, my fiance has only gained about 15lbs and can probably take it off in 2 weeks.

helpmomofteenagers and smilinginside, I tossed my card a long time ago, so I don't remember exactly what it says. But it, for me, was a credit card sized laminated card that was written by my WLS Clinic that said that I had had bariatric surgery and that the restaurant "should" be willing to let you order off the childrens menu, or the lunch menu. It gave the name and address of my Clinic.

Heather, can you share a bit of info about this book? I'm looking for advice/recipes/techniques for how to eat properly with a band. Especially before i get my first fill in two weeks. Now that the honeymoon is over, my postop weight loss has ended, and I'm juggling between bandster hell and eating too much at mealtimes. That, and feeling like I'm on a "few pounds up, a few pounds down" teeter totter. I went to a local bookstore today, but found nothing about bariatric cooking. Anyone else have suggestions? Thanks, everyone. Dave

Actually they aren't. They are made from boiled cow skin and boiled horse skin. They are the worst quality protein on the market and are not endorsed by the American bariatric...whatever it's called. They are not a complete protein source by any stretch and they are not all whey. Some are part whey and part collagen and some are all collagen.

Hello MamaAsh, Have they told you how many Duodenal Switch operations he has done? The sleeve is the first part of the Duodenal Switch without all the cutting and rearranging of the intestines. It is less evasive, it can be done lapriscopically or open. I was done with 5 incisions, but Dr.Husted here in Somerset Ky. told me that now he does it with only One small incision. I heard that the incision is 3-4 inches long. I will get to ask him Dec. 1 the day before I have surgery how big the incision will be. He has a very nice reputation as a surgeon and years of experience with many different procedures. He has a website. He is the one that started an approved procedure called a Vergito, Which has 3 kinds of procedures wrapped into one, if I do understand it right. He has some really good reveiws. Also you may want to read this article about the sleeve: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article is very good. I explained this in an earlier thread about the ghrelin. I find it so interesting that I am going to post it on here again, that way maybe more people will read it. Thank you!! .HomeLocal NewsNational NewsYour ExpertsFamily Health Watch: Local News Weight loss surgery curbs appetites, has advantages over gastric bypass from KY3 News Story Updated: Nov 2, 2009 If you're looking into surgery to lose weight, doctors have one more option up their sleeve. The procedure is faster and less complicated than gastric bypass. Ophelia Brown had weight loss surgery two months ago and, so far, she's lost 35 pounds. "I don't breathe as hard. I don't get tired as easy," said Brown. The procedure is a new approach in bariatric surgery called sleeve gastrectomy. "We remove three-quarters of the stomach, so the new stomach has a new shape, looks like a sleeve or a banana," said bariatric surgeon Dr. Alex Gandsas. Unlike gastric bypass, surgeons don't have to reroute the bowel. Other than downsizing the stomach, the anatomy stays intact so there are fewer complications. “The sleeve actually does offer an appealing alternative for those patients who are intimidated by having a major operation such as the gastric bypass," said Gandsas. The sleeve not only forces patients to eat less but they also don't crave food as much because a big part of their stomachs are gone. "This part of the stomach is in charge of producing a hormone called ghrelin, which is responsible for our appetite," said Gandsas. "By removing that, the patient not only will be able to eat less, but will feel less hungry." Gandsas is pioneering the procedure at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore because, he says, the benefits are lifesaving. "Health issues such as diabetes type 2 have been resolved in approximately 65 percent. The hypertension's been resolved in 50 percent, sleep apnea in more than 75 percent," he said. "Already I'm off the diabetes medicine; the blood pressure I just take now and then," said Brown. Now, as Brown's weight goes down, her appetite for better health soars. The sleeve procedure is performed through small incisions. Patients can lose about 60 percent of their excess weight compared to gastric bypass's 70 percent. The sleeve procedure is not yet covered by many insurance companies. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope this helps you to make a decision for the best procedure. You are doing the right thing by researching and asking alot of Questions. Thank you for reading this.

I would contact them again and ask them when they stopped covering bariatric surgery. Maybe you can get "grandfathered in" if it was after the date of your letter to them. Be the squeaky wheel and don't let them off the hook!

Today, Monday November 11, 900am, after 8.5 months of working on getting sleeved , I was approved. There were big mistakes made at BCBS of Illinois which lead to my denials. After nine calls to BCBS, two denials, working closely with the representative from my Bariatric Center, getting a benefit advocate from my companies Human Resources Department, and being very tenacious, it finally came through. Now, it is going to take a few days for my Dr's Office to get the approval in writing from BCBSIL but the office did call BCBSIL to get the approval. I have to go to the pre-op class and then I am set. My advise to anyone that is denied VSG Surgery is to make sure that they get a copy of their policy and the exclusions. 8.5 months ago I was approved to begin the program so this denial came out of the blue. My file became more complicated after the denials. Erroneous information had been added to my file that were not part of my policy. Unfortunately the representatives at BCBSIL read the incorrect information and kept telling me the procedure was denied. Thank you for all of your support everyone. I guess working this hard to get approved really makes me understand the importance of this surgery for me. It gives me, and everyone else that suffers from obesity a chance to have a wonderful, happy, healthy, longer life. Two weeks ago my hope for a healthier future was dashed. Today I am smiling from ear to ear. Again.......it is a go!

supplements can be expensive, so I highly recommend you try samples and single serve packets until you find what you like, then be sure and look for sales. Also, keep in mind your tastes may change after surgery. You can order sample packs of protein supplements directly from the manufacturer (Syntrax nectar, unjury, Quest, etc.) and some stores (GNC, Vitamin Shoppe), and even online stores like Bariatric Choice and BariatricPal. My surgeon's office also had some products (like ProtiDiet). Since it was hard for me to get out and shop pre-op, I liked drugstore.com for vitamins and supplements, too. I buy quest bars by the box from them now. Drugstore.com also carries GNC products. Some of the manufacturers will also send you coupons.

This is what I use- http://m.gnc.com/Dymatize-Nutrition-Elite-Casein-Smooth-Vanilla/product.jsp?productId=71363976&network=g&device=m&creative=125833957874&c3ch=PLA&matchtype=&c3nid=20684467&adpos=1o5&gclid=COGG0eDvh88CFQJehgodpCgMbg&eesource=CA_DF%3A58234906%3AGNC&flavourID=58234906 It is micellar casein, and also has BCAA's in it (branched chain amino acids). BCAA's help with several things, including muscle repair, muscle recovery, and fatigue from exercise. They supply you with the amino acids (building blocks of proteins) you are not manufacturing in your body and must get from exogenous (outside) sources. Is it necessary to take BCAA's? Not necessarily. These foods are high in natural essential BCAA's Almonds Peanuts Wheat germ Oats Pinto Beans Chick peas Lentils Brown rice Corn Beef Salmon chicken eggs Milk Hummus Soy Protein Lamb Seaweed cheese Sesame seeds Cottage cheese Mushrooms Carrots Celery Turnips Some are plant-based, some dairy, some meat Bariatric patients have a hard time getting enough of any one nutrient in per meal/or per day. The target for BCAA's is 3G per meal- but there are three different BCAA's we need -leucine, isoleucine, and valine. And not all come from the same sources. So, if you are working out, having your whey Protein shake mixed with BCAA's right after your workout is ideal because the whey is readily absorbed and targets your muscles, and the BCAA's go right with them- and recovery is easier. Hope that helps! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

1-Go for it. 2-Feel great. 3-Exercise. 4-Roundhouse kick your coworkers in the mug. Generally speaking, people afraid of surgery are people who haven't had surgery. Bariatric surgery has vastly proven to be the best alternative both cost effective and healthwise. I'm willing to bet hard cash against anyone that can bring me a scientific paper from a reputable source that says otherwise. When you go back in a few months and look at this thread, looking and feeling great, you can print it and place it on a prominent place at your workplace.

I had my consultation with the plastic surgeon today. The first thing Dr. Weiss said after I told him I've lost 130 lbs. is, "Well you look great!" And I laughed and said, "Well yeah, with my clothes on!" He asked what my biggest concerns were and I told him stomach, boobs and side boobs (that bit that spills over the top sides of my bra). After I got undressed he was impressed with the amount of excess skin I had. It was funny sitting there and him gathering and poking to see how much is skin. The good news is he said I can get away with an extended tummy tuck, I won't need a body lift (whew!). He said he should be able to remove nearly all of the loose skin, including my stretch marks on my stomach. He showed me where he would cut and I could not believe how high up he would be able to go. He said I should end up with a nearly flat stomach and he and his assistant said I have a very nice body shape/build because I'm a natural hourglass and under my loose skin is a small waist so I will avoid looking boxy like most tummy tuck patients. ???? He said there is quite a bit of loose skin in the breasts and showed me where the nipple should go. Again, I was surprised. We are talking about six inches or so. He also said I really REALLY need implants because I have zero upper breast. I'm basically pectoral muscles and then breasts below that. He wants to remove all the loose skin, some of my existing breast tissue and then put implants at the top where I'm completely lacking anything. Without them I can get a lift but will end up with the man boob look I'm dreading so much. Right now I'm a 36DDD and I told him I'd like to end up a 34DD. He also said he can easily fix the side boob issue with expanding the lower incision line. I asked him about my back rolls and he said they are all loose skin. He basically said there is nothing to lipo. I'm just skin! Which blows my mind because I still feel so fat when I look in the mirror. But he said that could be fixed later down the road if I decide to do any other surgeries. He said there is an increased bleeding risk when there has been extreme weight loss which is defined as losing more than 60 lbs. However, he has never had to give anyone a transfusion and he is very confident I will have no issues since I've never smoked and my skin is in great condition. He does want me to have a CBC done to make sure I haven't developed anemia from bariatric surgery. He said I could probably return to work after a few weeks if I'm sitting but I still plan on taking at least three, if not four. I can begin light cardio like walking after four weeks but no high impact exercise or lifting for many months. Also, no resistance exercise for many months although I can use my own body weight. It will cost $8,150 for tummy tuck only or $15,310 for tummy tuck and breasts. He offered to repair the side boobs for free. The cost includes all post-op care and if I'm not happy with my results he will do a free revision. He said, "If you're not happy with the results, I'm not going to be happy with the results." Now on to the mental/psychological part of this. I had a bit of a meltdown on the ride home. Part of it was because I made the mistake of listening to "Reflection" on the way home and started bawling. "Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show who I am inside?" ???? So I did a lot of thinking. On one hand, I feel selfish for spending $15,000 on myself. I don't feel like I deserve it. I don't know why I feel that way. I also don't know why I feel so weird about implants. I've always had very large breasts. But I've always kind of thought of women who got implants as phonies trying to be something they aren't. Just accept your natural body! But now I'm trying to replace what I've always had. And now I'm becoming more understanding towards those who want/need plastic surgery. On the other hand, when I see myself in the mirror I can see my potential but I feel like I'll never feel complete until this excess skin is gone. I really want to finish my marathon and get the medal at the end, my new body.

Hi. I had my surgery 11/23/15. I measure everything so i don't over eat. I am still at 1/2-3/4 cup total per meal at the most. I've lost 70 so far. I always get in my Water and only 3 meals a day. I never snack to avoid bad grazing habits. That would be my down fall. I don't ever eat any chip type or bars of any kind because I also feel for me this would trigger me into eating my old types of foods. The cravings are gone so this is easy for me. Eat my Protein first and i use reduced fat whenever i can. I am always reading labels and I don't like artificial ingredients if I can help it. I always have a protein drink in the morning with almond milk and that starts me out with 50 grams of protein in the beginning of each day. No caffeine or carbonation. I will drink a protein drink every morning probably for the rest of my life. Makes me feel good and it tastes good too. I use Jay Robb chocolate and i love it. I use the Bariatric fusion chewable wafers and I take 4 per day which is super easy (2 am 2 pm). From what i read I think snacking is what gets people in trouble. Its all about the quantity. I also use the Baritastic app to track what i eat all day. Then i record them in a journal once a week so i have a permanent record. So far so good. For me all this works. For others it could be a different story.

One more thing. If you go to the ASMBS (American society for metabolic and Bariatric surgeons) or something close to that, they have a physician finder. One of the search criteria is to find doctors who will care for other doctors patients. In my area both large practices will treat other patients. For me, that was a huge piece of mind before having surgery.

It IS really important to have follow-up care, routinely, after surgery. This is handled by a bariatric program if you live close enough. If you go a distance to get surgery or move away, your primary care doc can do it. Some family docs don't like taking on bariatric patients, so you'll want to have the discussion with yours to see how he/she feels. My primary doc likes referring patients for bariatrics. She was nervous about Mexico, but did everything she could to help, not hinder. I should mention she is my NEW primary doc. My last one was going to do everything she could to stop me. Bye bye doc! If you want to think about Mexico, I highly recommend getting a nonstop flight to San Diego the day before your surgery is scheduled. It is about a 6 hour flight from BWI, I don't know where you'd be flying out of (PA is a big state!). You would need a passport, and that takes several weeks to come in (about 6 if you don't put a rush on it). That is the first thing to do if you decide to go that route. There are no hoops by going to Mexico. But, it also means you have to educate yourself. You'll receive a diet plan to follow, but everything else is pretty much up to you. I attend my local bariatric support group meetings and get my vitamin panels through my primary physician. I have a GI doctor that I can see if problems pop up down the road. During the initial healing period, if I had a bariatric-related emergency, I knew where my closest hospital that had a bariatric program was located. (An hour away). (Obviously if it were life/death, go to the nearest ER.) If you went to Florida or Michigan, you'd need all these things to be in place too.. not just Mexico. I live in Cumberland, MD. Don't know how close I am to you, but just know you aren't alone...

Just wanted to say Hi All! I'm new to this app and to the Bariatric journey. I'm still in process of trying to get my sleeve. Hoping it happens this summer! I joined here in hopes of making friends and support from those that "get it" any and all advice/suggestions are more than welcome! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Tricare South doesn't list the doctors under bariatric surgeon or weightloss (event though it would be a big help). The bariatric surgeon are listed under 'general surgery' or sometimes 'vascular surgery'. The way I found my doctor is going some of the doctor names on the LapbandTalk website in my area and then searching for the specific doctor's name on the humana-military.com site. My doctor Dr. Craig A Ferrara, DO is in Fort Worth. The surgery went great and I'm definately pleased with my results. It was VERY quick in getting the entire process completed. I went in Late July 2008 for my initial consultation, office submitted the forms and was approved first part of August. I think it was a total of 8 days until I was approved. Didn't know if I was going to be...but Tricare approved it and the rest is 'weight loss' history. PM me if you have any additional questions!!

Ok, I realize this is an old topic, but..... If this guy is 'one of the most respected bariatric surgeons' then we should all be afraid, be very afraid. His website says he is 1 mile from the Texas border, conveniently, that's 1 mile INSIDE MEXICO! I'm fairly certain my 7 y/o daughter could have given a better presentation!! Also, is it just me, or have we as a society become so dumb that we can't spell (or even use a spell checker) or produce a legible sentence?... I'm just sayin'

I also waffled back and forth about having the lap band surgery. In fact, this is the 2nd time I am going through the bariatric program in Binghamton, NY because I was "convinced" by what others said to me about the band failures (people gaining all their weight back). I am still consider myself a newbie and only at the beginning of my journey. But as I read this forum and some others, I see that the success totally depends on you being able to follow your program. This time through the program, I am more than convinced that this is the tool I need to drop 120 lbs I have been desparately trying to lose in the last 20 years. Another thing I've discovered is that the lap band (or any other surgery option) is not the answer by itself -- you have to be willing to work with it to accomplish your goal. You sound like the kind of person that is committed and knows what is good for your body. Keep searching for information and whatever your decision, make it your own and do it because you know you can stay with it. Good Luck!!!! Phyllis326

I have been doing the bariatric advantage shakes. They are meal replacements and YES im hungry!! Lol..my only motivation is that I HAVE to lose 9 more pounds for the insurance requirements. . I was thinking of also trying the protein drink Isopure..since its clear (good for post-op) and has like 30g of protein..any feedback on that??