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Hi everyone, tommorow is my five month check up, and last is February 16th before the surgery. I am looking for people who have went through vsg as well as people who are on this journey as well. I'm new to this, still trying to figure out how it all works.[emoji1] Sent from my Moto E (4) using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey guys. I have no problems drinking the protein shakes, but I am getting mighty sick of them after three weeks of almost nothing else. I found this bariatric surgeon on YouTube who makes great videos on all sorts of topics related to WLS. I’m pasting a link here to his suggestions for a better protein shake. For those of you who don’t tolerate the store bought ones, maybe this would be better? It’s at least healthier.

Hey guys. I have no problems drinking the protein shakes, but I am getting mighty sick of them after three weeks of almost nothing else. I found this bariatric surgeon on YouTube who makes great videos on all sorts of topics related to WLS. I’m pasting a link here to his suggestions for a better protein shake. For those of you who don’t tolerate the store bought ones, maybe this would be better? It’s at least healthier.

Really? I’m going through Fairfield Bariatrics (my PCP is St Vincent’s so that’s where I was referred). The requirement sheet told me it’s a mandatory 7 month process. Hoping the 7th month is just a check in thing. Thanks for the reply! Best wishes on your journey!

My group says that eating less than 1000 calories will set you up to have a starvation metabolism that not only can halt weight loss, but also is correlated with less weight loss, and more weight regain in 10 year studies.....because your metabolism is reset to a sluggish starvation level that works against you when you start eating normally again. You really can't eat 600 calories a day forever without suffering malnutrition eventually. My group's protocol was developed by a major medical research hospital (University of Michigan) and is being picked up by Ceadars-Sinai and Bethesda naval hospital this year due to it's superior performance in longterm studies and excellent reputation in the Bariatric research community. There are still old-school doctors who push super low calorie diets post surgically. The weight loss is fast, and people are very happy with fast results. But they often don't last and can result in an unhealthy metabolism that can't handle normal levels of calories later...and eventually result in weight gain. The newer approach is to advance people to eating normal amounts of calories as soon as possible, so that they have the energy to add exercise and boost their metabolisms into athletic fat burning furnaces that last a lifetime and help them eat sensibly and continue to lose weight. My doctor: You get one chance to reset your metabolism with this surgery, why would you want to reset it to a starvation level that conserves every calorie? My nutritionist says that eating under 1000 calories is correlated with more hair loss, nutrient malabsorption, fatigue and stress. Fatigue and stress trigger cortisol...which again, is contraindicated for weight loss. Everyone has their own approach to who they trust and why.... A lot of my family is in medicine. I tend to trust the research hospitals and the empirical data of solid studies rather than the hype of clinics that are more interested in making a buck. I'm much more convinced by a collaborative consensus of what provably is healthiest long term and works. I've been eating 1000-1200 calories since week 3....very comfortably. I'm walking seven miles a day and feel terrific. The scale is moving down about two to three pounds a week and I'm off all my meds. I am loving this new lifestyle:) And I can live with it long term. And that's really the goal in my mind....the forever habits I can live with.

Has anyone ever watched Dr. Duc Vuong’s YouTube videos? He’s a well known Bariatrics surgeon who has written several books on the topic. I just watched one about why you shouldn’t work out after WLS. I’ve been burning about 200 to 300 calories at the gym 5 days a week for about 4 weeks and hit a huge stall for two weeks, and I’ve only lost 1 pound since getting out of the stall. I’m wondering if he’s absolutely right. Everyone encourages us to workout, but if I’m only consuming 400-500 calories a day, which my surgeon says is fine, it sounds like this doctor may be right, especially considering my progress. Has anyone watched it? Opinions? The link is below. Looking for some other comments before trying out his advice and giving the gym up for two weeks as a test run.

Hi.! I think approval time pretty much just depends on your insurance company’s requirements. They consider the ailments that you listed as co-morbidities, which pretty much just aid in you qualifying as a candidate for the surgery, with the exception of fatty liver. I’ve been told that the 2 week pre-op liquid diet is considered a “liver shrinking” diet, most bariatric surgeons require you to do it because most overweight people have fatty liver...best thing to do is check your insurance for what the require. I found mine online. Good luck!

Thanks Bariatric Guru!!

So i have been in here reading many different posts and i have seen some say that the process from referral to approval took a couple months and some saying the process to get to approval took up to a year or more. I have just been given my referral to the Bariatric center but what im curious about is how long does the approval process take especially if you have additional conditions such as fatty liver, Type II Diabetes, high Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, back issues etc. Does the addition of these factors help speed the process up at all?

I've been using Tespo and my dietitian was very supportive of the concept. She's excited to see how my pre-op bloodwork comes back since I've already been taking them for a month. I've got the recurring subscription from bariatric pal...couldnt be easier. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using BariatricPal mobile app

We don't really sell our own brand of vitamins! We do carry Celebrate Vitamins as well as many other Bariatric friendly vitamin brands in the BariatricPal Store. I personally love Celebrate Vitamins. They're a great company and really care about their patients. Support BariatricPal and purchase your vitamin patches from us!

Thanks for responding @AZLoser, Every program that I researched, even the ones here in PA/NJ/NY/FL/VA did a leak test as part of the process. Some did it right after surgery when you are still sedated - inject some barium and check the screen for leaks. Others would do it the next day before discharging you or have you come back in a day or two and drink a very small amount of barium (a tiny medicine cup full, about 2 swallows). Thankfully you are right, leaks are not common, but I believe they are still a concern in the field of bariatrics (one reason for all the caution w/what to eat & drink & how soon), and that the test is a common part of making sure the patient is ready for discharge or is recovering as expected. That said, the gurgling I'm describing isn't the "Hello Down There!!", Standing at the top of the Grand Canyon, massive echoing gurgle from the empty tummy, it is the little foam- feeling gurgle sometimes felt within a few seconds after drinking something (especially if you accidentally take too much at once or it is a new experience (cold/hot, etc.). It's further up in the esophagus - actually feels near the back of the throat, but from watching on the film I could see it was a little further down than that. A couple of my meds I have been on for many years and cannot just stop taking. They do not come in a liquid form, and a few are extended release. For this reason I cannot crush them as I do my other maintenance medications. The one is a decent sized capsule a little smaller than a kidney bean, and the other is a tablet about one and a half times the size of a pencil eraser. I know this is not ideal, nor is it fun to do, but unfortunately is necessary to my overall health. So hopefully, no issues will come from that. Also, I know every program is different in pre-op/post-op programs, but I was told to resume vitamins on Day 7, which is tomorrow. I do not have a follow-up physician at home yet. I had planned to see my PCP until I was able to look up a Dr/Facility on the ASMBS website who states they are willing to follow other surgeons' patients. Most are not until about 3 mos post-op, but a few are. Unfortunately, we are self employed and also moved to a new county recently, so our health insurance changed in December and all my regular doctors except 1 are not on my new plan. I have to see brand new docs in my new county. So that's fun, and a lot to take on while in the early days of recovery. But it's one of the things I will be working on this week, and in the meantime I can go to the ER if anything happens to warrant that. So far I don't think it has, thank goodness. I appreciate your response/feedback and the tip on Dr. Alvarez. Have a great day!

Hi. It has taken a while. I had the duodenal switch in 2007. I started at 400 pounds. Got down to 265 and was stuck for years. 2015 I discovered my fitness pal and Bariatric Pal. I’m at 166 and still losing. My goal is 145 for a normal BMI. I am 5’4”

hi everyone this is my first post- im scheduled for my surgery january 18th 2018-- excited but nervous-- things that are left for me to take care of is-- 1-- appt w. my primary doc to get letter of medical necessity 2.-- appt w. a psychiatrist for my psycho. evalu 3. -- pre op class 4.-- then surgery ---- this whole process has actually got pretty fast for me- i started to look into to this end of Oct 2017 called bariatric surg. office on nov 3rd and had my first appt on nov . 30th.. since then i had a transnasal endoscopy which turned out good . no issues --the amt of weight i would like to lose is --80- 90 lbs-- the main reason why i finally came to the decision to look into wls is-- i couldnt take any longer-- like most of us i have tried pretty much every diet out there and like my surgeon had stated to me i didnt fail the diets they all failed me and now its time to get this right--- i do have a few worries or concerns -- 1- one of the reasons on why im in this boat is i like enjoy food and it enjoys me it scares me - i know once im down the road 6 +mths out i will be able to eat what i pretty much want its just the amt of it 2.- will i be able to do this-- ? thats one of my fears im going to go through all of this and not keep the weight off-- 3. - i feel ashamed im doing this -- which i know is completely silly of me - 4.- but im not telling anyone in my life really ( not yet atleast ) - the only two people in my life at this time that knows is my husband and my supervisor-- ok--well-- i wish everyone wonderful surgeries to come and happy goals to be reached!! good luck to everyone!!

If you had bariatric surgery your anesthesiologist ABSOLUTELY needs to know. They have to intubate you for surgery and sometimes insert oral or nasogastric tubes while you are under anesthesia. If they don't know you had bariatric surgery and insert one of them they could seriously hurt you. Honestly it "probably" won't make a difference in regards to your surgeon, but that's assuming that nothing goes wrong (which while incredibly likely for something serious to happen during a breast implant surgery, is still possible). But if you're not willing to disclose everything with your anesthesiologist you probably shouldn't be having surgery. (I'll note that it's very unlikely they would use an OG/NG tube for a breast implant exchange, but the point is there are viable scenarios where you could get seriously hurt by not disclosing something as significant as bariatric surgery)

Ok, ya caught me. I really don't wanna sell you a watch or ask for any new icons. I do however, want to thank you for making Bariatric Pal such a great place for information, support, and supplies for all things bariatrics! I wish there was some way to give you "likes," but it won't let me. For instance, your latest article on "New Year, New 'You'? really resonated with me and made so MANY great points! I wanted to give it eleventy jillion likes and 'thanks'!!! But sadly, I could not. Hope you have a wonderful New Year and are blessed with happiness, health, and prosperity through the year! Thank you for all you do! Cheers, Mazels, and Happy New Year!!

“New Year, New You” sounds good, but it does not do you justice. Your history is what makes you, “YOU,” and “YOU” are great. What could change, though, as you carry your great self forward into 2018, is your outlook. A few changes in attitude can lead to big gains in weight loss. Life Is Great Actually, life is what you make of it, so you might as well make it great. If you expect it to be great, it probably will be. Some lucky people have a naturally positive outlook; if you do not, you can practice. Get in the habit of finding the positive side of situations, and make a conscious effort to be happy in the moment – right here, right now – instead of wishing you were elsewhere. If a negative thought pops into your head, acknowledge it, then figure out how you can make your perception happier. People Are There for You Something that can make the world friendlier and seemingly easier to navigate is feeling as though everyone is on your side. The truth is that many of them are. You can find out how willing people are to help by…asking for help! Many people are thrilled to help you out, especially if you help them in return. For example, you both win when: You find a weight loss or workout buddy. Be a good listener to someone who needs help with weight loss, quitting smoking, or even a tough divorce, and you may find a sympathetic ear to help you through your tougher days. You carpool or watch each other’s children to free up some time. Some Things Matter Focus on what matters, and you will get better results. These are a few things worth putting energy into. The size of that spoonful. Or bowl, plate, or slice. Measure your food every single time you serve yourself, and you are far more likely to lose weight than if you just guess. The rest of the day. If you made a poor decision, such as skipping your workout or ordering a stack of pancakes, earlier in the day, you can turn it around now because the rest of the day does, in fact, count. Attending your support group meetings. They help you yourself accountable, give you ideas and leads for bariatric foods and products, and keep you connected to the inspiration you had early on in your journey. Lacing up your shoes. You may feel too tired to go for a walk on some days, but trying will at least keep you in the habit, and you may end up having a nicer walk than you expected. Some Things Do Not Matter At the same time, you need to let go of the things that are not important, so you can focus on what is. You may find this concept familiar if you ever had children – the second a baby enters your life, so many other things become unworthy of your time and worry. With weight loss surgery, your focus turns to diet, support, and meal planning. The list of things that do not matter grows. One bad day or meal. Acknowledge your mistake, figure out why it happened, and move on. Dwelling on it or trying to punish yourself will lead to more mistakes. People. At least, people who try to make you go off your meal plan, who tell you that you are failing, and who diminish your hard work. You do not have the energy to spend on these people. It Is My Choice Things somehow seem easier when you know that you have chosen them. Moreover, you can be more dedicated when you know there is no turning back. You chose WLS, and there is no going back after the operation, so…embrace it! Welcome every challenge and triumph, every setback and leap forward. You will find that the steps forward add up more quickly when you take ownership of the journey.

Life Is Great Actually, life is what you make of it, so you might as well make it great. If you expect it to be great, it probably will be. Some lucky people have a naturally positive outlook; if you do not, you can practice. Get in the habit of finding the positive side of situations, and make a conscious effort to be happy in the moment – right here, right now – instead of wishing you were elsewhere. If a negative thought pops into your head, acknowledge it, then figure out how you can make your perception happier. People Are There for You Something that can make the world friendlier and seemingly easier to navigate is feeling as though everyone is on your side. The truth is that many of them are. You can find out how willing people are to help by…asking for help! Many people are thrilled to help you out, especially if you help them in return. For example, you both win when: You find a weight loss or workout buddy. Be a good listener to someone who needs help with weight loss, quitting smoking, or even a tough divorce, and you may find a sympathetic ear to help you through your tougher days. You carpool or watch each other’s children to free up some time. Some Things Matter Focus on what matters, and you will get better results. These are a few things worth putting energy into. The size of that spoonful. Or bowl, plate, or slice. Measure your food every single time you serve yourself, and you are far more likely to lose weight than if you just guess. The rest of the day. If you made a poor decision, such as skipping your workout or ordering a stack of pancakes, earlier in the day, you can turn it around now because the rest of the day does, in fact, count. Attending your support group meetings. They help you yourself accountable, give you ideas and leads for bariatric foods and products, and keep you connected to the inspiration you had early on in your journey. Lacing up your shoes. You may feel too tired to go for a walk on some days, but trying will at least keep you in the habit, and you may end up having a nicer walk than you expected. Some Things Do Not Matter At the same time, you need to let go of the things that are not important, so you can focus on what is. You may find this concept familiar if you ever had children – the second a baby enters your life, so many other things become unworthy of your time and worry. With weight loss surgery, your focus turns to diet, support, and meal planning. The list of things that do not matter grows. One bad day or meal. Acknowledge your mistake, figure out why it happened, and move on. Dwelling on it or trying to punish yourself will lead to more mistakes. People. At least, people who try to make you go off your meal plan, who tell you that you are failing, and who diminish your hard work. You do not have the energy to spend on these people. It Is My Choice Things somehow seem easier when you know that you have chosen them. Moreover, you can be more dedicated when you know there is no turning back. You chose WLS, and there is no going back after the operation, so…embrace it! Welcome every challenge and triumph, every setback and leap forward. You will find that the steps forward add up more quickly when you take ownership of the journey.

Proud Grammy I feel your pain I had trouble getting signed into Bariatric Pal. I feel all better now that I am. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Happy new year! I hope this is the year you heal and move past all the surgeries. Are you working with the Boise St Luke's bariatric surgeons? I'm also in Idaho.

To give a little bit of background on me, I was banded in February 2010, had ok results the first year. By the time the 2nd year came around I was already throwing up most meals, I couldn't eat anything that was not a slider food. So in order to lose weight I had to basically live off protein shakes or not eat which isn't sustainable. So my first year I lost 60 lb every year after that I gained and lost the same 40-lb over and over. Started researching a revision surgery to a sleeve could not get any insurance to cover it so this last July I went to Cabo Mexico and had my revision done. When they did the revision they found so much scar tissue that it took 5 hours. It was all over my liver spleen and stomach. It was a rough surgery and a rough recovery but after about 3 weeks I was okay and I started doing amazing. I started going to the gym it was really easy to eat right and put all those pieces of education on nutrition into place that I had learned while I had my lap band.. at about 4 months post-op I started throwing up often. It got to where I was throwing up dried blood, and even sometimes just liquids wouldn't stay down. So I started seeing a couple different doctors, a GI Dr did an endoscopy and discovered that I have two major strictures with stenosis and gastroparesis in between them. He referred me to do an upper GI series and I couldn't complete the test because the barium wouldn't go down. They did another Endoscopy in Boise with my bariatric surgeon's team and tried to dilate them with no luck. So they admitted me and did some IV TPN (nutrition) treatments and fluids and did another revision to a gastric bypass on Monday December 18th. I was in the hospital for 10 days because they had to do an open incision due to all the scar tissue, but honestly at this point I'm feeling really good. I'm able to drink water and protein with no issues whatsoever, that's something that I never could do with my sleeve until about a month in. Right now I'm just trying to learn how to navigate through the gastric bypass life because I don't know anything about it. I'm not sure what I can and can't eat ect...Once I'm on solid foods I want to find a way to get some nutrient dense food in me.

I happen to agree with Brittany Blue. My surgery is tomorrow morning first thing and I have been freaking out over the surgery, but today I'm at peace, From what I hear this is perfectly normal and the feeling of backing out does go away. Maybe my surgical team did me a favor by making me the first patient tomorrow? Think back to what motivated you to have the surgery in the first place. Don't you want a long healthy life with your wife? Sure you do. I've been worried about excess skin too but my Bariatric nurse said it doesn't happen to everyone. It may not happen to you. This year is our year to shine! Keep your eyes on the prize at the end of the journey.

At 3 months out, I just had blood work. All 17 required bariatric tests were normal (a word not used for me in any context); my cholesterol total was 99 (total) with good going up, bad going down. Triglycerides went from 295 to 93! So WOW! Not any angina since surgery date, and it was 24/7 with two meds. Down from 17 meds daily to 4, plus vitamin. Again, WOW, just WOW! Weight from 198.7 to 148.4 this morning. Best decision we've made about my health in a very long time.

Wellbutrin/bupropion is kinda like legal speed. If anything, that particular one will help you lose weight, not gain. SSRIs are notorious for weight gain, but are sometimes necessary. Just talk frankly with your psych...see what he/she can come up with to help. Also, talk to your bariatric surgeon...they've had some experience with this as well.

Look at statistics. Bariatric surgery is as safe as gall bladder surgery these days. Now look at statistics about cancer, heart disease, diabetes....and how many years being very obese can take off your life. Statistically...you should be MUCH more afraid of NOT having the surgery....than having it. Fearing anesthetic in 2018 is kinda silly. There are SO many precautions taken. In my career I've seen literally thousands of surgeries. Geriatric surgeries. Pediatric surgeries. Trauma surgeries. Some extremely sick and fragile cases. I have never seen an anesthetic death in 15 years. Not saying a freak occurrence isn't possible....but it's like worrying about being hit by lightning. Obesity related heart attacks and strokes on the other hand.... It'll be ok. Go visit a hospital and try to desensitize yourself a little. They're not such bad places:)