Search the Community

I am also required to do a 6 month diet documentation. I'm tracking my sugar intake through my fitness pal and keeping my sugar grams below 24 g, since I'm a diabetic. My focus is high Protein (between 80-100 g) and low carbs. So far, I've lost 13 pounds since the beginning of December. My blood sugar levels are thanking me because they are fantastic. I've also started taking a bariatric Vitamin.

Well congratulations to Peaches for selecting you, congratulations on your weight loss, you know, Bariatric Pal is one of the few places you can say " You are less the woman that you used to be" and it will be regarded as a compliment, not a put-down. What a wonderful 6 months YOU have had, and keep moving on toward your goals, and keep updating us as each NSV occurs.

One of my bariatric guy pals brought this up to me last night. He is finding that people at work that would not give him the time of day now want to be friends and meet up after work. Understand this guy has always been out going with a great laugh and smile.He makes everyone around him feel comfortable and welcome.. I can see both sides of this argument. We change our personality, We have our wall down. We are positive and excited about life. We are still getting responses and reactions from strangers. Both male and female. That have never seen or talk to us before? It seems to be both appearance and the inside change. I have no chip on my shoulder about this. I'm actually just finding it interesting. I am married to a good man. But I look and appreciate a good looking man.

The infection is intertrigo candidiasis. Also be sure to take date-stamped photos for your back-up paperwork. Someone working in a bariatric practice (not mine) recommended applying Nair to the usual, closed areas if one doesn't experience the infection. The goal, of course, is to have more ammunition to get insurance to cover reconstructive surgery. I don't know what a Nair burn could be treated with and inducing a Nair burn for the purpose is unethical. No comment.

I dont love my dietician either. She is nice and all but I don't find anything she says particularly beneficial. When I ask her about certain bariatric snacks and recipes I see online, she doesn't really know what I'm talking about. She keeps telling me to email her my questions but then takes days to respond. All she does is reiterate things that were in my wls workbook. I'm post op and have to see her everytime I see the doctor (quarterly for the first year). I just smile and nod in her session and thank her for nothing... A friend of mine loves her though... to each their own...

Here are links to several VSG diets from well-respected bariatric surgeons, hospitals, and clinics around the world. I didn't make this list for the purpose of "diet shopping". It is remarkable how similar the advice is in most of these lists. We all know it: Protein first Lots of protein (I think the lowest plan here calls for 50 grams) Don't drink with meals Drink 8+ glasses of Water a day If your surgeon's plan is not on this list already and it's published online, leave the link as a reply and I'll add it. Maybe we can get this thread added to the stickies. Auckland Weight Loss Surgery (New Zealand) Baker Bariatrics Brigham and Women's Hospital Columbia University Cornell Goodnight Surgical HealthPoint(New Zealand) Highland Hospital, Rochester NY Institute for Advanced Bariatric Surgery Johns Hopkins (diet progression first month post-op) Johns Hopkins (Ongoing dietary guidelines) Johns Hopkins (additional info) Kaiser London Bariatric Group (UK) London Obesity Clinic (UK) Miami HOPE Center Murfressboro Surgical Specialists North London Obesity Surgery Services (UK) Northwest Obesity Center Peachtree Bariatrics Pinnacle Health St. George Obesity Surgery (Australia) St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (Canada) University of Missouri Upper Gastro Intestinal Surgery (Dr. Talbot, Australia) Virginia Hospital Center Walter Reed - Booklet or Powerpoint

What about instead of paying hundreds every month for a 3rd ins which may or may not cover bariatrics, or taking out a line of credit- you just put that money into a bank account and go self pay without getting yourself into a financial situation?

I really hate seeing morbidly obese on my medical records, it just hurts me. When my GP recommended me to the Bariatric program last September, I cried and felt shame. However, I was crying out for help and my GP knew I had health issues due to my excess weight. I'm tall and my weight is pretty evenly proportioned, so ppl didnt know that I was 280. I cried uncontrollably and I have been on this journey since last September 17th, 2018. I'm 249 pounds now and having surgery (vsg) in January 2020, I get my date tomorrow. The Dr. wanted to perform the surgery in October or November, but I have to wait until January to assure I have enough paid time off on the books...I'm going to be working on my fitness routine and mental health, while I'm waiting. It will be here before I know it, time is going quickly.

Okay so one of my friends almost died earlier this year and she’s currently needing to get on a heart transplant list, but they won’t even put her on the list due to her super-MO ( if I had to guess, I would say she’s at least 350+ pounds, and that would be a conservative guess). The answer her docs have come up with? Bariatric surgery to get off a hundred pounds or more, then she can be on a transplant list. Her prognosis without transplant? Not good at all. She’s 46 years old and they are telling her she’ll likely not see 50 without it. Her response? She’s still freaking “undecided” bc she doesn’t want to “lose her current relationship to food” It was an extremely rough convo for me to have bc she’s a highly intelligent woman, but I just can’t believe that she’s honestly thinking about allowing food to literally kill her. For the record, all I did was go over the pros and cons of WLS, and tried my best to not sound like I was trying to convince her, but dang it was tough bc i know what will happen if she doesn’t do it

The decision whether to get weight loss surgery is one of the most important ones you will ever make. If it is right for you, bariatric surgery can give you a new lease on life as you lose weight and feel great. If you are not ready, weight loss surgery can be a painful experience that does not solve your weight problems. If you are on the fence about it, take your time coming to a decision. Even if you are theoretically eligible for it, you might have a funny feeling about it still. Here are five signs that might be saying that you are not yet ready for WLS. 1. You want to know how soon you can have … Whatever “…” may be, if you are counting down the days until you can have it after your surgery, you might be missing the point. This is a lifetime commitment. It is not a 30-day period of abstinence from alcohol or from pizza. If your mindset is that this is a short-term race to goal weight, bariatric surgery might land you where other diets have: at goal weight and then back to starting weight, plus a few pounds. 2. You’re looking for any excuse to be found ineligible. You may technically qualify for weight loss surgery based on your BMI and any obesity-related health conditions you may have, but are you ready? You might not be if you are grasping at straws to come with reasons you that you “should not” have surgery. For example, you practically ask a doctor to disqualify you because your great-grandfather (who was a smoker) died of a heart attack at age 92 and therefore you worry your heart is not strong enough to withstand surgery. (Note: it is absolutely the right thing to do to explore all of your health history to be sure that the surgery is a relatively safe option for you. Just distinguish between real and imaginary reasons). 3. You are seeking fourth, fifth, and sixth-second opinions. Let’s say your primary care doctor recommends that you have the surgery, and you found a surgeon who gave you the go-ahead. It’s one thing to ask another expert for a second opinion, just to be sure that you are making the right choice. It is quite another to ask several more experts for their opinions, hoping that one of them will advise against surgery. If that is the case, it might be a sign that you are not ready to commit to weight loss surgery and the lifestyle changes that are part of that commitment. 4. You are not sure how it would be different than dieting. Bariatric surgery is worlds away from dieting. If you are thinking of bariatric surgery as a new diet that you will follow until you reach goal weight, you probably will not be prepared to sustain your new eating habits for life, and the weight will come back, just like it may have after countless diets. If you cannot explain to yourself why this is different than previous diet attempts, you might end up with the same results. 5. Your SO is doing more research than you. It seems like every day, your significant other or your mom or your sister is telling you factoids about surgery that they discovered while researching online or talking to people. In the meantime, you have not seemed to be able to find the time to look things up. The fact may be that you are just not that engaged, which may be a sign that, deep down, you are not ready to take the plunge.

Does anyone else have issues taking vitamins? I have the Celebrate Bariatric Multi-vitamin chewables. Every time I take one I literally get nauseous and start throwing up like 3-4 minutes later. This isn't the first time I've had this problem with multi-vitamins. I've had this problem with various vitamins in the past before I ever thought about surgery. Has anyone else ever had this problem and does anyone have any suggestions on how to stop this from happening?

I would stay away from hot dogs... i had a sausage around a week and a half ago at a festival.... i ended up randomly puking... i think it may be too early to have something so processed, its way to dense. Soft foods.... eggs, lentils, Beans, legumes, yoghurt, really fine minced meat, fish (that was my saviour). What i did was mix Proteins... eg, i would make lentils and add a dollop of greek yoghurt... savoury mince with eggs, mince and beans.... scrambed eggs, that sort of thing.... i added greek yoghurt to anything that was savoury. Slow cooked chicken, make sure its falling apart... and fish...hummus, bean dip, experiment with recipes... I know you are young, are you living at home? Who will be doing the cooking? You can google "bariatric cooking" for some inspiration

Hey Sleevers! I have a question for anyone in the New York area: Can anyone suggest any bariatric-surgery friendly doctors in the city? Unfortunately, I've had a lot of negative feedback as I've been searching for a primary care doctor in the city: a lot of eye rolling, judgement, and smug faces as they react to my telling of my surgery in December of 2011. I'm tired of it and just want to find a doctor that supports what I've gone through, and go on to become my primary care physician. I was away from the city for a couple of years since surgery and now that I'm back and settling my life here, I'd like to find a friendly PCP to stick with. **I'd prefer an office anywhere in midtown for an easy commute from work..but if its a great doctor, I frankly don't care** THANK YOU <3

Yes, the shakes gave me nausea the first two days. Try a different shake. My favorite are the chocolate coco premier but after week one I was able to tolerate the doctor recommended Bariatric shakes. I hope this helps.

unjury is really good, but only available via their website (as far as I know). I've been using Isopure since running out of the Unjury and it's pretty good. I don't notice any Vitamin taste to them. I'll also make a "dessert" out of my evening shake by adding extracts or sugar free flavoring syrups (got the "recipies" from Bariatric Foodie's Protein Shake book, but I also experiment on my own). I found a bunch of sugar free syrups at the Home Goods/Marshalls in Holmdel recently, but you can find a ton of flavors on Amazon (Torani and DaVinci brands). Even a tablespoon of Jello sugar free/fat free pudding can doctor up a protein shake. And PB2 helps, too.

Wow. Have you been tired and fatigued during the day? Shouldn't push back surgery. They'll just send you for your machine and mask fitting. Should get a lot better after surgery Hey Nurselori, the thing is I never noticed! I have always kept busy with multiple jobs working 11 hr shifts and overtime. Also i finished art school a few years ago and pulled tons of all nighters while in school... I guess i just thought my lifestyle of staying busy and being overweight kept me tired! lol I'm glad I went ahead and did the test my doc had said that out of the bariatric patients he tests 80% of the time they will come back positive even when they have barely any symptoms i hope this surgery fixes it..I'm even more excited to get to October now! Hey! Just checking in to see how things are going for you since your sleep study...

@@Jane1979 Totally understand your concerns. I had quite a few surgeries in the past, but WLS was the only one I was scared off. I was over the moon that I was approved, but I worried lots about recovery and the unknown .... My surgeon has a whole team to look after a patient. I had to jump through many hoops to be approved. Had to have sessions with a NUT, bariatric psychologist, had to be checked out by an Endo, and my heart had to be tested. I was given lot of information for both pre op and post op. I was given 2 folders, one with dietary instructions and the other one with surgery explanations, dos and don'ts, recovery process, etc After I woke up from the surgery, it was all OK, and my fear was gone! I hope you find a great surgeon that has supportive medical team. I hope you can have your coffee. Best of luck, and let us know how you go in September

Someone told me to do this if insurance ever denied a procedure. Apparently the boards that make these decisions aren't doctors. 1. Who made the decision? 2. Are they Hippa certified? (Very imp ????) 3. Can I see their certifications? Insurance resubmitted the paperwork and they were approved. I don't think it was regarding bariatric surgery, but I wrote them down just in case. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You mean Eduardo Zonta. He's currently Dr. Luis Cervantes's personal assistant. Eduardo Zonta used to be Dr. Carlos Altamirano's personal assistant. It's a small world......Dr. Cervantes used to be Dr. Altamirano's surgical assistant. Hospital Guadalajara is covering up this death as they've covered up Dr. Altamirano's patient deaths at the same facility. Please don't select your bariatric surgeon based on price. I suggest doing more research before selecting your surgeon.

Fadstabora, don't beat yourself up. Being in perimenopause you will have fluctuating weight. It is difficult to lose during perimenopause; I know that from experience. Just stick to your plan and you will see results as time goes on. Remember you are not going to drop that weight like you did after surgery, so just be patient. It will come. You do not need to see a bariatric doctor for this. Just calm down and stay on track. Don't get discouraged. I myself feel defeated this week since I did not go back to the gym yet from vacation, and I've eaten some carby things I should have said no to. Mind you I did measure it out and stick to eating just that amount, but still need to get rid of the snacking at night. Always was my problem and still is. I need to occupy myself and quit thinking about food at night. I can honestly say I'm not hungry when I snack, so it is just mindless eating. Ugh. I'll get there. All I can do is shake my head at myself because nobody can do it for me.

I do the Procare Health one-a-day capsule with 45mg of Iron. I have no issues taking large pills, but if you do, you might have to open it and put it in Yogurt or something. They also make a twice a day capsule that I assume is smaller if that's what you need? I looked at the specs on eight different bariatric vitamins and felt like the Procare Health capsule was the best. (It was also the ones my team recommended.)

OMG Jackson? I'm in athens washington co area. which holzer? do you know how many procedures he's done, funny they dont advertise that. is your insurance paying? do you know how much they are? do the do fills. I have been calling all over for fills. Last question, do they do flouro fills. I can't believe holzer does the procedure, that is wild. my family is from Jackson, have you found any support groups in the area. Maybe we should form one, I know the parkersburg library has a bariatric support group. Wow is all i can say, I've been wondering where the se ohio people are

Heather, The specific info is on pages 20-22, under covered services. On pages 21 and 22 is where it talks about the requirement for a supervised diet. As I said, their bullets are really mixed up! The levels are screwy, so it's hard to tell what's a requirement, and what's an 'option.' I'll post it below for you! Number 1: two programs which have been supervised by other doctors, takes a total of 6 months. Number 3: Supervised by Active Health - takes 6 months - just phone calls. Number 2 can be completed through your bariatric center. Takes 3 months. Includes visits with the physician and a nutritionist. The center said our insurance will NOT cover the nutritionist, however. The exact wording is below! *Member must meet 1 or more of the following criteria (1) physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program; or (2) multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen, or (3) Participation in the Weight Management Enhancement Program. (1) Physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program (it's just listed as a sub-bullet, not numbered, so hard to tell the difference) - Member has participated in two (2) or more physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program (including dietician consultation, low calorie diet, increased physical activity, and behavior modification, Weight Watchers, the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, or Sugar Busters), documented in the medical record at each visit. The physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program must meet ALL of the following criteria: (IE. This is two, three month programs at least - so this requires at least 6 months to complete). (2) Multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen: Within 6 months prior to surgery, the participant must participate In organized multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen of at least three months (90 days) duration meeting ALL of the following criteria, in order to improve surgical outcomes, reduce the potential for surgical complications, and establish the participants ability to comply with post-operative care and dietary restrictions: Behavior modification program supervised by qualified professional Consultation with a dietician or nutritionist Documentation in the medical record of the member's participation in the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen at each visit (A physician's summary letter, without evidence of contemporaneous oversight, is not sufficient documentation. Documentation should include medical records of the physician's initial assessment of the member, and the physician's assessment of the member's progress at the completion of the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen). Exercise regimen (unless contraindicated) to improve pulmonary reserve prior to the surgery, supervised by exercise therapist or other qualified professional. Program must have a substantial face-to-face component (and must not be entirely delivered remotely). Reduced-calorie diet program supervised by dietician or nutritionist. (3) Participation in the Weight Management Enhancement Program for 6 months (This is the Active Health program - monthly phone calls). Active Health administers our weight management and smoking cessation programs. The telephone number for more information from them directly is 866-939-4721. They were very helpful when I called!

Okay I looked but didn't see the part that says we could just do a 3 month supervised program through our bariatric center BUT if that's indeed the case that would be GREAT!!!

@@Autumn Fury it depends on your plan and your food stage. If you are on liquids, yes, you should strain out eggs and anything else. If you aren't positive, definitely check in with your bariatric team or dietitian for guidance.