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You have worked hard to get your results. Congratulations on your weight loss. The further out from surgery the slower the weight loss. Look at all you have done already. You can do this~!!! I'm three years out getting back on track (I had a gain) Go back to bariatric basics hit your protein goals. low carb, Get vegetables in to feel full. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate! log meals in myfitnesspal. (or any food log app) Evaluate your workout. Change it up. Never do the same workout over and over. Increase resistance as you go.

My insurance had no appointment requirements. Just a BMI requirement and other conditions (high cholesterol, blood pressure, A1C etc). I have not had my surgery yet but it has gone like this: July 11th : Bariatric Seminar Beginning of August: Surgical consultation appointment with Dr. Joseph who will be performing my surgery. HE had appointments for me that HE required. Somehow the referrals got lost (later found the phone number for me had a typo!!) so the only Appointment I got by the end of August was the psychologist. Psychological approval beginning of September. First nutritionist appointment mid-September. Appointment for gastroenterologist consult and to schedule EGD: Mid October. Second and final nutritionist appointment: October 18. EGD done last Friday the 20th of October. Cardiologist appointment on November 1st. Travel out of town for pulmonologist since the one here in Tallahassee is scheduling for March! Appointment November 3. As soon as those last two are done, my surgeon's office will schedule me for December. Most likely the week of the 20th. Relatively quick I guess after reading here. I think it's really different insurance to insurance.

Thanks LaLa. That's what I'm afraid of. I will follow up with my bariatric clinic.

Hi everyone. I'm early in the pre-sleeve process (just got accepted into the Bariatric program last week, now 6 monthly weight management visits before surgery can be scheduled). I have GERD that is well-managed with Omeprazole, and I'm wondering what I may experience post-sleeve. For those who had pre-existing GERD that was relatively mild/controlled, can you tell me about your experience after being sleeved? I'm wondering if it's worth considering bypass instead. Thanks in advance for your help!

So I had my 6 months check up at the hospital on Thursday, 1 day before 7 months. I saw my surgeon who could not be more thrilled with me. I have lost 82% of my excess weight. (which is a little strange as I have lost 91% of what will give me a normal BMI) They don't want me to loose too much more weight as I'll start to look sickly. They don't think I'll need any plastics, as I don't have an over hang and my blood results are great (the doctor at my support group will probably disagree. All my values are within range, but some are in the lower end, and since she is a specialist on supplements for bariatrics, she prefers us in the upper range). They also have a score that they calculate, that I don't remember, but it was very high, and she called me a success case. I don't go back until my 1 year check up. (I'll just have blood drawn in 3 months and show my support group doctor) They were actually fully booked for the BIA test, but the surgeon wanted med to have one, so she called and asked if they could fit me in, and they could. They are done by the nutritionist. She was also very impressed when she saw me, and after the test she could not be happier. I have the values for all 3 tests (1 month pre op, 6 weeks post op and 7 months post op) I managed to gain another 4 lbs before starting my pre op diet, so it wasn't at my very highest. The only negative thing was my phase angle. It has dropped. It's a measurement that shows how well your muscles are getting nutrition. That along with my total protein (from the blood test) she wants me to eat more, and get more protein. Other than that, everything was great and she was so impressed, especially how much muscles I still have. All the working out and walking has helped tremendously. I have included pictures from about 6 months and 7 months post up. It's only like 5 lbs between the pictures, but I see several changes.

An attitude I wish I saw more often on Bariatric Pal. Congratulations. That's largely how I look at it too. I am saddened by the people who feel that everything must be 'perfect' for their taste buds or they won't use it even if it can do the job. Power to you, jess9395.

Try some whole milk yogurt. Drink a little juice just to bring it up or regular gatorade , chase it with lots of protein - pureed cottage cheese. Or call your bariatric clinic. The most important thing is to get the blood sugar to stay up to a normal level - if it goes much lower you could have a seizure and worse.

Sorry, correction. Its Bariatric Advantage not Pal Sent from my SM-N920P using BariatricPal mobile app

I gag and can NOT drink any protein shakes. Except Bariatric Pal Cookies & Cream. Hope this helps. Sent from my SM-N920P using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m following a keto style diet which is pretty much what is advised for bariatric dieters. I concentrate on protein, then fat and avoid carbs. I follow the plan that I’ve attached below. I have this on my fridge to remind me.

The closer I get to completing the hurdles before surgery, the more I start to wonder about the rest of my life after I have the surgery. What am I going to be eating? Will I need to do a complete lifestyle change, or just build on the lap band as a kick in the ass? Will I have to re-vamp my entire eating practices, or will the reduction in caloric intake from a much smaller stomach push my weight loss ahead until I'm ready to be more serious? I don't mean to imply that I'm NOT serious about making lifestyle changes. I mean,.... do I need to start off almost immediately with tons of exercise, water, clean foods, etc., or is calorie reduction enough for a start, and then I build? Also, what's my diet going to look like the first few weeks after surgery? Is it liquid? Mushed foods? Solids? Do I need to concentrate on tons of protein, and have no carbs? These are all questions for my surgeon at my next visit. I'm also feeling like my time is almost up. A lot of us do this before a "diet" - practically gorge ourselves, as if we can somehow feel less deprived later knowing that we have had more than enough of what we wanted before the diet. It doesn't work that way, I know. I feel like I should be dieting now. And yet, I don't want to. It can all be very confusing. It doesn't seem like it should be, but it is, just the same. I've often watched shows like, "My 500 Pound Life" and watched the people gorge themselves on burgers and fried food as they drive cross-country to get to their bariatric surgeon. I've wondered why they do this. Now I know why. Because they will shortly be losing the ability to eat this way - this way that they love. And they're trying to say goodbye at the last possible moment. Considering how dangerously obese these people are, it seems counter-intuitive - and it IS. But here I am, following suit. People seem to understand more than I think they should, though. I've had several people tell me not to get my surgery until after Thanksgiving - so I can enjoy that holiday. I'm not listening. I'd love to be losing weight during the holidays for a change. Will I still be able to enjoy my food later? Will my habit of using food as a form of entertainment (going out to dinner) be gone? Will I find that there's a gaping whole in my life where that "hobby" used to be? Or will I still be able to be excited about food, but just have leftovers for days? It's as if I want a magic pill - I don't want anything to change, but I want my body to look different than it does now - and feel different. Will I need to learn how to shop different, cook differently, change my entire world. Part of me wants to hear "no". The other part of me really wants to hear that yes - everything will change. Because I know I'd feel better if it did. What will I look and feel like a year after surgery? 18 months? Two years? Will I wish I'd just gotten it all done sooner? Will I feel like I've given up enjoying food, but not had that result in as much weight as I'd wanted it to? Will I regret this decision to get the Lap-Band? Or will I be full of energy, have my knees hurt less and be able to move more and enjoy new things I haven't been able to do happily for years now? I guess it's not just a surgery - it's an adventure. One with an as-of-yet unwritten ending.

My name is Mallary, and this is the story of my wls. Height: 5'3" HW: 250 CW: 125 I began my journey just like many others. Being tired of carrying the extra lbs, frustrated that I couldn't shed them, and feeling like I was out of options. On top of that, I also had a mix of feeling depressed, unattractive, and overwhelmed from failing normal diets that seemed to work for everyone except me. My first surgery was actually the Lap Band in March of 2012. I would instantly take that decision back if I could. I lost 40 lbs here and there over the course of a year. I felt like the Lap Band had failed me. Or maybe that I had failed it. So, I researched, and found that the most common solution was a revision surgery, from the Lap Band to the Gastric Sleeve. So I researched and found a great Dr,. There were no insurance set backs (I was extremely lucky for this), and on May 2013, I had my Lap Band revised to the Gastric Sleeve. My starting weight was 246lbs. I instantly began shedding weight. I was so ecstatic to finally see the numbers on the scale going down! I was finally on the right track! I was losing weight so fast, it was hard for me to fit in my work clothes for longer than a couple of weeks, so I was constantly shopping at my favorite thrift store, and for the first time, I was going DOWN in sizes! I feel the need to add into my story that almost the entire duration of my weight loss journey, I was also taking my add medicine, adderall, which I feel played a pretty strong role in how much and how fast I was able to shed the extra lbs. At my 9 month mark, I had reached my goal weight of 129. But I wasn't completely satisfied, and I kept losing. There was a point in time where I was seriously overworking myself. I was managing a very busy salon and was also the lead stylist. Most weeks I worked 80+ hours. This led to me actually getting too thin (I was down to 103lbs) something I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined happening to me. For the second year of my journey, I was very good at maintaining my weight, and the scale never tipped above 125. I was fine with that, as it was healthy. Then came the ongoing downhill slide... I'm sure many of us have been warned about the risk of developing gallstones as a result of rapid weight loss. Any bariatric doctor should seriously emphasize this when a patient is even considering and form of wls. You'll see why, just keep reading... In September 2015, I was having celebratory weekend for my boyfriend's birthday, when I began feeling sick to my stomach. A few short hours later, the sick feeling had escalated to sever abdominal pain, so bad to the point where I couldn't even stand up straight. My boyfriend rushed me to the nearest er. They did tests and scans, and came back to tell me that I had a form of colitis. I spent a few days in the hospital hooked up to an iv of antibiotics. Then I was released. 2 days later I returned to work after a week off being ill. I was doing my first client of the day when all of a sudden I had an extremely sharp pain in my abdomen, and a sick and prickly heat feeling took over my entire body. I called my mom, and she rushed to get me and took me to a different er this time. After blood tests and imaging, the doctors told me that I had Acute Pancreatitis, most likely caused by Gallstones and that my gallbladder was packed full of stones. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital, waiting for my condition to improve so that the doctors could take me in for surgery to remove my gallbladder. But my test results were getting worse, not better, and they finally rushed me in for an emergency surgery. After my gallbladder was removed, I spent a couple more days in the hospital recovering and then was discharged. That round all ended a week before Halloween. So I had basically missed an entire month of outside life being trapped in the hospital, waiting. I spent the next year in and out of the hospital with constant gastrointestinal issues and complications. 3 times I was in for a condition called intussusception. What happens is part of your intestines telescope, folding in to each other, causing a bowel obstruction. 1 sever episode of intussusception, the doctors had to go in surgically to repair it. It is now October 2017. 2 years after this down hill slide began, and I am still not back to 100%. I have constant digestive issues and constant bathroom issues. I forget what it feels like to feel like a normal human being. I forget what it feels like to not be constantly aware of my insides, becaus3 I am always in pain or discomfort. My life almost literally revolves around the bathroom. I don't leave the house a lot, as a result of it. This is a warning to any one considering any weight loss surgery. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my body now. That will never change, or cease to amaze me. Getting the Gastric Sleeve surgery was completely life altering. I was able to come out of my very deep shell and was suddenly overcome with this amazing feeling called CONFIDENCE. I never knew that feeling before wls. But I have an incredibly strong sense that, had I never undergone weight loss surgery, I wouldn't be battling the issues that I am today. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

My Story, Post 1 First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Ilene. Many places I go with the monachre "DRS_Are_Best" and other places I use the name "Goodbye Fatso". I started a video blog about six weeks ago (the link is below....feel free to link and subscribe) detailing my journey as the mood strikes me. I am sure to keep everything honest and truthful. I just joined Bariatric Pal yesterday, so I'm still trying to find my way around and discover the best forums. But here is my story to date. I will keep posting on this thread as things develop. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWykljcE5G14S1syNzG9tWg?view_as=subscriber I started this journey back in May, 2017, after making the decision (along with my husband) that the time had come to do something about my weight. I'm now 46 years old (was 45 at the time) and had been struggling with the weight for pretty much all of my adult life. I have tried so many diets and was always successful at losing the weight, but it always came back, and then some. I just couldn't do it on my own. And that's where surgery comes in. I need the help of a smaller stomach to help me get to my goal. After seeing the doctor (Dr. Barry Greene in Rockville, MD), we discussed the options. I was there with my husband (whose surgery was on October 4, 2017), things started rolling. I started undergoing all the tests that they request. Chest X-Ray, Abdominal U/S, bloodwork, psychiatric evaluation, etc. all had to happen. I learned I have gallstones (but am completely asymptomatic) and I still have to have the endoscopy/colonoscopy (scheduled for October 25, 2017). But in September, they set my surgery date of November 15, 2017 (where they will also be removing my gall bladder). Which translates to liquid diet starting on October 25 (24th because of the clear liquid diet required the day before a colonoscopy) which is just a few days away. To date, I have lost nearly 50 lbs (started at 376lbs) with reducing calories and developing the proper protein/carb/fat balance, but my willpower is G-O-N-E!!!! It's been really hard since school started again in September. But when the liquid diet starts and the choices of what I eat pretty much end (if I'm not allowed to eat food, I will follow the rules), that should improve. But then I have to deal with 5 weeks (yes, I said 5....that's the practice for this doctor) of liquid diet (with one meal / day that first week). I thought this was hard to date. This is about to get much harder!!!!

99% of bariatric patients seem to be able to tolerate protein shakes. I couldn't. I just couldn't. So.. I got my protein early on through milk. Now, I'm lucky milk didn't bother me, but LOTS of patients have issues with milk. Sometimes it's all milk, and sometimes it's just the stuff with lactose (so they can tolerate lactose-free milk and there are lots of alternative types of milk.. nut milks, etc. Read labels for protein and sugar content.). Bone broth (store bought or slow-simmered homemade) has a lot of protein in it as well. Broth is considered a clear liquid, whereas milk is a full liquid. Even though I couldn't do regular protein shakes, protein kefir was more tolerable (40g in 16oz!). Broth doesn't have sugar in it, but milk and kefir both have a lot of naturally occuring sugar (and the protein kefir I found had added sugar as well). Most programs caution patients against consuming too many sugars. Dumping could be an issue for some. Diabetics could have issues with blood sugar problems. Mostly sugar is just thought to slow weight loss. I wasn't diabetic, and it turned out that I don't dump (you won't know until you try stuff). I didn't care about weight loss during the healing period.. so I chose to not worry about those natural sugars. Once I was onto solid foods, I was able to decrease the amount of liquid dairy (sugar) I consumed. This is where you have to pick the path that is right for YOU. The most important thing during the healing period is to not advance the texture of your food (liquid, purees, soft, etc.). The next most important thing is to meet your protein and fluid goals however you have to. It's like a full time job these first weeks, figuring out what will work for you. Good luck! (Jess has some excellent advice about how to make protein shakes more palatable.. try those first before ditching protein shakes altogether).

I have a small lump-charcoal grill (a Kamado Joe Jr.).. (and I'm just learning how to use it) so I can't be terribly helpful when it comes to electric ones. Sorry The grilling community is as active on message boards as bariatric folk, so I bet you can find some good tips on one of those boards.

Aha! You aren't even on an antacid. You need to ask your doc about starting one. (Bariatric patients all need to be on antacids for several months postop). Since your doc's office is likely closed today, you could try asking your pharmacist if an antacid would be ok. Pepcid complete (over the counter) is what I take, but I have no way of knowing if it might be a bad idea in YOUR case. You are the best! I will call my surgeon tomorrow and see if he can prescribe an antacid. Greatly apréciate your support.

Aha! You aren't even on an antacid. You need to ask your doc about starting one. (Bariatric patients all need to be on antacids for several months postop). Since your doc's office is likely closed today, you could try asking your pharmacist if an antacid would be ok. Pepcid complete (over the counter) is what I take, but I have no way of knowing if it might be a bad idea in YOUR case.

I agree. I’m going to speak with my bariatric surgeon and ask for a referral. Not only to an endo but a new gp. My gp is retiring at the end of the year so not like he will miss me. My numbers haven’t been right since 2005 when I did the radiation. Actually before but just sayin. Not like he hasn’t had enough time to figure this out. My tsh is always low but my t4 has been running normal.

@Lukeadelle ((hugs)) How frustrating!! I'm sorry you're experiencing this. I have an internist for my PCP and he's pretty awesome about referrals. He told me that if this dose didn't work, then he would have to refer me to an endocrinologist to work with me on the thyroid. So far, it's working... If it were me, I'd tell my GP that he either needs to refer me to an endo or I am getting a new GP. Of course, I'd make sure you had your medical records copies ahead of time, and find the new GP and get them ready to input into your insurance and make sure you aren't gonna need this goober for the next 90 days while the insurance changes over your GP of record. LOL. Then I'd get the new GP to refer out. To pick the new one, hopefully you can talk to people to see who they use in your insurance/neighborhood/work, etc. I would think if you had radiation to your thyroid years ago, that you definitely need to be working with an endo. I'd probably ask my bariatric surgeon for the referral. They have a vested interest in having patients reach their weight loss goals. At least mine does. It would make her numbers look bad if I don't succeed and do the follow-ups that will last a minimum of 5 years.

With a blink of the eye, my day is here in 20 hours.... not that I am counting...... I pack my bathroom stuff, clothes for 2 days, a book, my phone charger and phone. Is there anything else I need??? What are things you wish people would have told you before you operation? I know sip, walk, burp, toot.... I did pack several types of chap stick, because a lot of people are debating over what you can and cant have. (Also there was an end of the world crisis when I was I labor and delivery and did not have any...... gosh the torcher was horrible!!! Can not repeat that!!! haha). I am not stressed yet, almost to calm..... I think I am full ready, I think programs like this one have been my study guide to get me down the right path! (thank you Bariatric Pal) IS there anything I am missing... I have waited 5 years for this.... I am waiting for that last curve ball to be thrown at me....This is my 3rd try and damn it I am ready!! (right?)

The condition you are experiencing is called reactive hypoglycemia. A few patients after gastric bypass surgery experience this condition. Reactive hypoglycemia (postprandial hypoglycemia) refers to low blood sugar that occurs after a meal — usually within four hours after eating. Signs and symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include hunger, weakness, shakiness, sleepiness, sweating, lightheadedness and anxiety. These links discuss the condition: https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/4/217 [Most patients with dumping respond to nutrition modification, comprising frequent, small, low-carbohydrate meals. In this article reactive hypoglycemia is referred to late dumping syndrome.] http://www.weightlosssurgery.ca/before-after-surgery/reactive-hypoglycaemia-post-gastric-bypass/ https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/f-j/PD 7972 Reactive Hypoglycemia after Bariatric Surgery.pdf

I implore you to please start counting protein. The average, typical woman needs 46g/day, a guy needs 56g/day. Bariatric patients digest protein surprisingly well, but there still may be a small deficit to our absorption. Studies have shown that patients that consume less than 60g/day lose muscle mass. The body also doesn't store protein. It has to be eaten daily. Those that have a typical stomach can eat 5 times the food that we can, so it's not hard for typical WFPB followers to meet their protein needs. We have special needs.

I'm so glad that you posted this. Bariatric sleeve surgery ruined our entire family. As a result of my husband having the surgery done (he's 5'11" and weighed 250), we had to watch him vomit, binge/purge, and now, he's lost so much weight that he resembles someone with a terminal illness. His hair is significantly thinner and he looks like he's aged 10 years. He's less than a year out from the surgery. He's 50, and a retired special ops soldier. He NEVER attempted to lose the weight. Our daughter (8 years old) now has severe body image issues. We cannot sit down to a meal of any type without him eating less than half of what our daughter eats. Our lives were not centered around food before, but EVERYTHING is now focused on "what will he eat...WILL he eat?" I no longer desire him intimately. His mood swings are off the charts. He tells me that he has not lost enough weight, and cites Army regulations for a man half his age. I have no idea how he passed the psych part of pre-op, other than lying. He has a long history of mental issues, and service related brain damage. I. Cannot. Live. With. This. Man. He is ruining our daughter's childhood, and our marriage. Absolutely selfish. If so many want to buy into the "this is the most wonderful thing", and get angry when the few speak the truth, we can't help that. My husband has already had cardiac issues, vitamin deficiency issues, kidney stones...I cannot begin to imagine what his life will be like in 2, 3, 4 years. I won't know first hand, because I won't be here. My daughter and I deserve a stable environment. I don't think he'll live beyond that.

I was wondering do the vitamins that we have to take I have to be bariatric vitamins or can they just be multivitamin or can it be just a regular multivitamin Sent from my SM-T350 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey hun yes I am !!! I live in Winston but will be having my surgery through novant health bariatric of Rowan Sent from my VS990 using BariatricPal mobile app