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DS, get real -- most people would be angry if a spouse became disabled. If I was the disable spouse, I'd be angry. If I was the healthy spouse, I'd be angry. All of their long-term plans are to the wind. They have financial crisis. Spouse #2 works all day, comes home and has to tend to children and now spouse #1 who chose elective surgery. What sort of saint-like humans are they supposed to be? There are no unicorns pooping rainbows in that household right now. @Thom I, too, have a disability -- a slowly progressive muscular dystrophy. I, too, am choosing bariatric surgery to lessen my long-term deterioration. I have a brother with the same condition as me who worked successfully for a 30-year career and now he's retired in his early 50s. I Can retired at any time, too -- I'm thinking about before my surgery. I have a cousin with the same inherited condition who didn't make good decisions, and has been on govt disability for a decade. When he moves to SS, his income will be in tatters. Its not an education thing -- I'm a PE, but both my brother and cousin never graduated college. One chose to work, the other looked for a way not to work . I would urge you to find a suitable job and contribute meaningfully to your family. You may think you are too nauseous to cook for your kids, but billions of women time immemorial have done this while nauseous and pregnant.

Ok. So here's the deal...It's not ok. You know it's not ok, or you wouldn't be here confessing, disappointed, and sad. So I'm not gonna hug you and comfort you--although we are all human and we all fall. I don't want to reinforce those bad choices with comforting feedback. It's important that we get it right as much as possible, especially in the early days. You only had surgery on 11.06.17 and eating past your restriction can be physically harmful and result in more surgery to repair damage. It's a serious event and you should take it as such. BUT. (And believe me...as a serial cheater...it's a very big BUTT! I cannot lie!) Self flagellation NEVER works. Beating ourselves up for slipping does not erase the slip, prevent physical injury, lessen the mental/spiritual toll of letting ourselves down, nor will it prevent the next event. All it does is leave us with a potentially harmful metabolic event, possible temporary scale fluctuation, and a whole bunch of mental/spiritual crap to deal with as a lovely parting gift. So, the main thing to be certain about is that you didn't injure your surgery since it's still so recent and you are still healing. Also, Dr. Vong (YouTube fame) says that 1 event is not gonna stretch out your surgery, it's the extra bite beyond fullness that we take meal after meal, day after day that's stretches our anatomies. So see? 1 event won't kill us for the most part. Take a deep breath. But the big thing to look at is now that you realize the potential for true harm, what do you intend to do about it? If it were me? I'd take it as a serious wake-up call and an invitation for a come-to-Jesus-meeting with my food relationships/habits/behaviors/addictive nature, et al. Things I would be looking to do: 1. Find books dealing with the subject from leaders in food addictions written by professional/licensed leaders in the bariatric community. 2. Look at pyschological concepts and techniques that help change behaviors/food relationships. 3. Find a local WLS support group or a Greysheeters or OA group and join it asap. 4. Look into being able to afford a therapist. 5. Have an open and honest discussion with your surgeon about your lapse and ask for help. 6. Come here every day and immerse yourself in a culture of people who are deeply working their plan every day so you can receive encouragement and help from an association with like-minded people. I would love myself more and treat myself with compassion while being stern with my rebellious child inside. Kinda tough love (moderated) city. Hang in there. Remember to take deep breaths. And really take a physical status check to make sure you don't have new or more intense/sudden pain, dark tarry stools, nausea, inability to swallow, fever, extra fatigue, etc. I'm less concerned with the "what" you ate--cuz dayum...binge eating turkey is hellah awesome! ROFLMAO. It's the big part of you being so close to your surgery date that spooks me. If you have any new symptoms call the doc asap! Saying prayers for you!!!

Totally forgot to mention that just because we aren't telling the world doesn't mean it's truly a secret. I'm very open and transparent amongst the bariatric community, so much so that i volunteer and mentor patients at my local bariatric surgery center. And i'm in 4 support groups online, trying to help others going through the process. I'm willing to help them in any way possible. I just get easily annoyed with random strangers asking me to many questions lol, when they have nothing positive to gain from it. So people know but it's who i chose to inform.

There’s a ricotta bake recipe on Pinterest for the purée stage. It’s good if you like Italian! Ricotta cheese, mozerella, Italian seasoning, marinara sauce, Parmesan. I searched “bariatric ricotta bake” on Pinterest and it came up. I’m also eating refried beans and Mexican blend cheese. It’s pretty good.

That chicken is not going to hurt you. The point of the liquid diet is to get your body into ketosis. There are tons of people whose preop diets include lean meat and veggies. My only suggestion is to stop solids 2 days before surgery to ensure you don’t have anything in your system. My surgeons office calls for two week all liquid diet. But the NUT and the Bariatric specialist from the hospital both said that it’s about eating low calorie, no carb (essentially), and low fat. Ketosis. They said veggies and lean meats can get you there too. Just measure your portions and limit it to one meal per day.

I don't know how they managed it, but the amazing insurance negotiator at my bariatric surgeon's office submitted my case for bat wings, man boobs, thigh lift, and pannulectomy (tummy flap). It was all approved on the first attempt, even though my insurance plan specifically excludes skin removal surgery resulting from massive weight loss. So, for those of you who want things cleaned up and can't afford it, get a pro to submit your case and see where it goes. You might get lucky! If you're curious: For surgery #1, I paid out of pocket for a part of my tummy tuck instead of the approved pannulectomy, along with my arms & chest which were covered. I had incisions from each elbow down my armpit and across my chest, and 180 degrees around my waist. For surgery #2, I paid out of pocket for some lipo on my chest and scar revision on my waist to make things more symmetrical while I was under for my thigh lift. I had incisions from each ankle up the inside of my thigh then curving out to meet my waist line.

2-4 weeks. If youre really big by bariatric patient standards, id probably aim for 4-5 weeks since youre gonna have a large liver to begin with.

My nutritionist suggested this book for all the bariatric patients and I bought it on Amazon.

I’m looking for bariatric cookbooks or something similar. I’m looking at a few weight watchers ones since they are usually low carb high protein as well, but wondered if there were any good ones out there specifically for bariatric patients. Any cookbooks you like? Thanks!

Cauliflower is a nutritional powerhouse. It is a member of the cruciferous veggie family that includes broccoli, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts. For bariatric patients, cauliflower is a boon to your menu planning as a low carbohydrate food. Cauliflower is a nutritional powerhouse. It is a member of the cruciferous veggie family that includes broccoli, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts. For bariatric patients, cauliflower is a boon to your menu planning as a low carbohydrate food. Cauliflower contains many phytochemicals, which are plant-based chemicals. A diet rich in cruciferous veggies and cauliflower is being linked to less cancer, heart disease, diabetes and eye disease. Eating more of these veggies can lead to healthier bones and a healthier brain. Eating more cauliflower can help fight inflammation and oxidative stress in your body. It’s also a good source of Vitamins A, B6 and C, folate and potassium. In 1 cup of cauliflower pieces, you get about 30 calories, 5.3 grams of carbohydrate and 2.5 grams Fiber. Riced cauliflower is now being used as a substitute for higher carbohydrate foods such as mashed potatoes, rice and pizza crust. Try this fried “rice” recipe. Your health will really like it!

Cauliflower is a nutritional powerhouse. It is a member of the cruciferous veggie family that includes broccoli, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts. For bariatric patients, cauliflower is a boon to your menu planning as a low carbohydrate food. Cauliflower contains many phytochemicals, which are plant-based chemicals. A diet rich in cruciferous veggies and cauliflower is being linked to less cancer, heart disease, diabetes and eye disease. Eating more of these veggies can lead to healthier bones and a healthier brain. Eating more cauliflower can help fight inflammation and oxidative stress in your body. It’s also a good source of vitamins A, B6 and C, folate and potassium. In 1 cup of cauliflower pieces, you get about 30 calories, 5.3 grams of carbohydrate and 2.5 grams fiber. Riced cauliflower is now being used as a substitute for higher carbohydrate foods such as mashed potatoes, rice and pizza crust. Try this fried “rice” recipe. Your health will really like it!

Nothing but compassion for people that have weight issues. I have walk in the shoes of an obese person. I never want to lose that perspective in life. It would turn me away from WLS if someone came up to me preaching how I need to do this. Most people don't want weight loss advice.....Especially from a bariatric patient.

You might lose more than you intend - but if you do, you increase your calories until you are in maintenance. That's totally preventable and not something to worry about. You're not going to starve yourself. Some people lose hair, but some don't. The most important thing to do is follow your docs guidelines regarding protein and take your bariatric vitamins. Even if you do lose some hair, that's a small thing and isn't worth sacrificing your long-term health over.

So I bought my first jars of baby food last night, in preparation for the pureed phase. Let me back up..... I had my nutritional class was this week and a "bariatric class" that was pretty detailed about the different phases of appropriate foods. Baby food was mentioned. They said it was OK to eat, so long as you read the labels. In other words, no added sugar, and good Protein source. Which if you haven't already went shopping for baby food (for bariatric purposes) practically none of the baby food has a good source of protein. The NUT did say that you could add Protein Powder to the baby food that is lacking. Therefore, back to my baby food shopping extravaganza! I purchased 4 different types of baby food. I was very careful to read each label. The picture attached was just one that I purchased. The others were similar as far as nutritional values. These were $1.00 each, btw. Now, my thought process was this.... and this is where my question comes into play. 1. The NUT said that during the pureed/blended stage most people can only handle 2-4oz at one time. Therefore, I feel like this is pretty good bang for your buck. What do you all think? 2. Are there better options?

I am 5’6 with a starting weight of 245. My insurance is MD based Medicare and it’s UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Bariatric surgery is covered by state plans as long as you meet the requirements- in my case, since I had a lower BMI (standard is 40 or less) I had to have at least ONE comorbidity with for me is Type 2 Diabetes. Call your insurance company to find out more!

I think insurance companies are beginning to realize it's financially smarter to pay for bariatric surgery now rather than pay for the plethora of obesity-related diseases later. What's cheaper? $25,000 for bariatric surgery in 2018? Or $40,000 a year for dialysis until the patient dies? By the way, the hypothetical patient needed dialysis due to diabetes that could have been resolved with weight loss. What's cheaper? $25,000 for bariatric surgery? Or $49,500 for bilateral knee replacement surgery? By the way, the hypothetical patient needed a knee replacement due to osteoarthritis that could have been resolved with weight loss. What's cheaper? $25,000 for bariatric surgery? Or $117,100 for quadruple bypass heart surgery? By the way, the hypothetical patient needed open heart surgery due to coronary artery disease that could have been helped by weight loss. If the insurance companies don't pay for weight loss surgery now, they'll certainly pay for the multitude of health issues caused by obesity in a decade or two.

Since you posted this in the gastric sleeve forum, I assume you're interested in the sleeve... Weight loss with a sleeve tends to be somewhat slower than the other bariatric procedures such as the bypass and duodenal switch. Losing too much weight with a sleeve is a very rare occurrence. In fact, the majority of sleevers never achieve their goal weights unless they devote additional effort, so I think you have nothing to worry about. The typical sleever loses 65% to 70% of his/her excess body weight (EBW). Some people (like me) lose 100 percent, while others are nonresponders who lose less than 50 percent of their EBW. If you do nothing other than allow the sleeve to work its metabolic magic, you'll probably lose 70 percent of your EBW. If you work your sleeve to the max, watch what you eat, and exercise vigorously, you'll likely lose 100 percent of your EBW. If you eat a bunch of slider (slurry) foods and eat around your sleeve, you may lose less than 50 percent of your EBW. Again, losing too much weight with a sleeve is a rare phenomenon. The procedure simply doesn't have the malabsorptive component to produce that result in most people, especially individuals like you who have a weight problem for much of their adulthood. Good luck to you.

Hello! This is my first time posting to this site, so first off, hello! A little about me...I am 37 years old and a mother to one 3 year old and a 8 year old step son. I am a teacher, although I work at a virtual school so I am pretty sedentary during the day. Ten years ago I topped out at 269 pounds, with a height of 5 feet, 6 inches. I went to a bariatric weight loss seminar but never pursued it any further. A few months later I started jogging (I have been an athlete all of my life but the weight spiraled after I stopped playing college soccer). I wasn’t a fan of jogging when I was younger, but I fell in love with it. I dropped 80 pounds and kept it off for years. Throughout those years I began to have knee pain. To make a long story short, doctor after doctor told me that if I lost weight, my knee would feel better. Finally, after about 5 years of this and several doctors, a new doctor finally ordered an MRI. Sadly, my knee had been injured years prior and the damage at that point was too severe to be fixed. Cartilage had been torn and as a result of not getting fixed, it continued to pretty much shred. In June of 2016, I had a total knee replacement at 36 years old. Now I have gained 30 more pounds and I am weighing in at 235 pounds. With a BMI of 37.5 and severe arthritis and joint disease, I am starting the process for gastric sleeve. I have two main concerns. 1. My goal weight is 150 (I have been a heavy weight lifter for years, so I weigh more than what I appear to.) I worry that I will lose more weight than I want to, and start to look sickly. I am assuming that you can increase your calories to maintenance when your body is ready, but this is one conversation I want to have with the doctor. 2. I am worried about hair loss. I did a medically supervised weight loss program (phentermine) for a long time a couple of years ago (when it was becoming more difficult to run and my weight was creeping up), and I noticed an increase in shedding a few months after that. My hair is very fine, so it won’t take much for me to look bald. I am sure I have will a million other questions, but this is where I am today. I go in for a referral next Wednesday, so I am months out of actually doing anything. I just feel the more research and preparation, the better off I will be.

My experience was great to say the least. I was picked up with my friend at the Holiday Inn. (We came early to go to the San Diego Zoo) We went across the border to the Oasis of Hope hospital, which I believe now they have a brand new hospital just for bariatrics. It was very nice and clean. The staff was all great. I was sore for a few days, but nothing major. I haven't had any complications and I've had a lot of success with my weight loss. I never felt unsafe in Tijuana and the valets were always close by. I would do it all again if I had to.

I had my surgery in Tijuana, Mexico with Dr.Cervantez at Hospital Guadalajara. My stay was very pleasant the nurses and surgeon were very nice and attentive. I am now back home with no issues and no regrets. The hospital was clean and accommodating, I really couldn't ask more for a hospital outside of the states. Nurses didn't speak English to well but thats not on them. Total cost was about 4400 with flight and all. I was very nervous my first day in the hospital but afterwards with all the attention from the staff I felt comfortable and would recommend it. Went through the company renew bariatrics!

Breakfast : Depends on my time frame in the morning. My quick breakfast items are Dannon light n fit yogurt Jimmy dean turkey breakfast sausage links. (all I do is pop in the microwave) scrambled eggs If I have more time. I love omelettes. You can stuff them with any combinations. Mushroom, green and red peppers onion black olive and bacon or turkey sausage, asparagus prosciutto top with cheese or avocado. Mini quiche: Use a cupcake pan - spray with pam Beat eggs pour into cupcake pan add whatever you like into them...Bacon green pepper etc.... and bake. You can pre make them and microwave them in the morning. Lunch: Smoked salmon salad Pizza stuffed mushroom bites Chicken salad - Canned chicken, diced apple, celery and onion. Light olive oil mayo My dieticians recipe site below. http://insidekarenskitchen.com/bariatric-friendly-recipes/

Your diet will transition as you approach maintenance phase. You will be adding healthy carbs to slow/stop your weight loss. Maintaining is a balance. (I'm three years out) If I choose to indulge in dessert carbs sugar etc. I will see a gain on the scale. I put more time in at the gym. If I have a larger gain I go back to the bariatric basics to get the scale to move. Side note: I also distance run. Training and running I can't eat like a bariatric patient. I eat like an athlete. My calories and carbs are increased with healthy foods. A smaller stomach means eating several small meals to reach my new calories protein and carb goals.. Once running season is over...Back to lower maintenance calories.

No one should go into any surgery blind. Researching, educating yourself and a psych eval will benefit anyone considering bariatrics. I'm three years out and no regrets. I have not lost my ability to choose what I eat. I can eat anything but, to stay successful I choose to eat healthy.

Yes, do a local search for a bariatric clinic/doctor and spend an evening at a seminar. It could prove to be a catalyst, one way or another to your decision.

Go online to find a local bariatric program. They all seem to hold regular seminars for people considering surgery, and they'll be able to advise you if your insurance will cover the procedure. You can also call the insurance company and ask for the weight loss surgery policy in writing.