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Hi there, I had my RNY July 2, 2013. My blood work has been spot on!! I do have high B12 so I had to cut back on my sublingual vitamin. I also feel like I make a great choice of what vitamins I take. I know there are lots of peeps and DR.'s that say FLINTSTONES with IRON are ok. My Surgeon told me from the start that I have to be on BARIATRIC vitamins for the rest of my life. I use to take 12 different medications and 100 units of Insulin 2 times a day. Now I am off all of the insulin...I now take 4 medications. Plus my vitamins. I will take that anytime!! BTW plus I am able to get out and exercise!! Plus I lost 132#'s and gained only 8 to 10 #s!!! That is a win-win for me!! Hubby had the Sleeve done and I know plenty of people have had Sleeves and were very successful, he has lost 135# in 16 months. He isn't compliant!! I also got to my goal weight in 6 months. Just as a comparison. Just remember any surgery is a TOOL!! You still need to put in a whole lot of effort and time!! KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!! Good Luck in your Journey!!

I am not the best at remembering vits, but you may not see the point, but you are not super human. It is a standard recommendation not out of thin air, but from research on what has shown bariatric patients need. Issues may not show up from day one, does not mean they never will.

I am hoping the info I have is wrong. I know that the surgeon is very particularand cautious and the fact that I work on the bariatric unit there would be no way around it, if that is the case. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Bariatric surgeon Duc Vuong, MD has a YouTube video titled, “Why You Should NOT Exercise After Weight Loss Surgery.” It is 27 mins long and very interesting. I also enjoy his other videos on YouTube.

Sorry to hear about your stricture -- yikes, what a unfortunate development! BUT, congratulations on your weight loss! From 265 to 219 -- that's 46 pounds! 75% of excess body weight in a year is the average loss with bariatric surgery. Assuming that is about 86 pounds (you don't list a height, so I assumed a goal weight of 150 pounds), you are more than half way there and its only been 2 months. Good job!

I forgot, cookbooks is helping me a lot, especially for us in the Bariatric Family

You know if you’re just going to complain about women I don’t think ANYONE wants to hear it. Also statistically the majority of people who get bariatric surgery are WOMEN. Wanting to lose more weight doesn’t make you greedy by the way. People just want to know if they’re doing something wrong or can improve their results by doing something similar to what someone who is losing more is doing. Quit hating. No one needs that. If you’re going to just be rude to the people here that are offering their help and me then GET OFF MY POST.

Breakfast for bariatric pilots on the go.

I'm 13 months out after sleeve. I worked with a personal trainer, in the gym, lifting until 2 days before surgery. (Would have been the day before, but the schedule got wacky and had to go into the office.) I started developing some muscle definition before, but I've lost 105 pounds, so its' much more noticeable now. I was a competitive athlete many years ago and that form is coming back into shape. I'm certain it will be more visible after plastics (my first consult is next week). Under the hanging skin/fat, you can see the definition in my legs and arms and waist. Will I ever have a six-pack? Nope. Even in my best shape never had one. Now, I try to get to the gym 2x week and I fence (as in en garde) for about 5 hours a week. If I say so myself, my butt looks great! (My hubby thinks so too.) I would suggest you start working out to the extent you can now and see if you can find a trainer who has worked with bariatric patients. We modified my routine post op, but I was in the gym on a recumbent bike for 45 minutes 5 days after surgery. I was cleared at 3 weeks to start light lifting, and fully cleared at 6 weeks to lift as I wanted. You got this. Semper Fi, Marine! (From the daughter of a Gunny - may he rest in peace.)

From your other posts it appears that you had gastric bypass surgery around 16 months ago. Your blood needs iron to work efficiently. Otherwise you become anemic. So if you lose blood then you need to replenish the iron. This loss of blood can be caused by many things, such as a severe cut or a bleeding ulcer. Women lose blood during menstruation. Many times, low iron levels can be controlled through iron supplements. Around my 2nd year post-op, my blood work detected my low iron levels. The chemistry of the iron supplement is important. My surgeon directed me to use ferrous sulfate for the best absorption. So I began taking 65mg daily. After a year, my blood work showed I was too high, so they are having me scale back on the iron. It is important to put a 2 hour separation between the vitamins that contain iron and those that contain calcium. So in my case I found that what works best for me is to take the iron supplements just before bedtime. Several years ago, blood began to appear in my mom's stool. She became anemic and was rushed to the hospital and received a blood transfusion. In her case, the cause was she was bleeding internally due to the fact that she was taking Excedrine as a pain reliever. An Extra Strength Excedrine contains 250 milligrams of aspirin (a blood thinner). [that is around 3 times the recommended low dose rate of 81 mg.] She was popping 3 or 4 a day for over 3 years. We reasoned this was causing her to bleed internally. We completely took her off Excedrine and any products containing aspirin and she healed up within a few months and the condition was corrected. According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. Aspirin is a NSAID. Other NSAIDs are Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Naproxen, Meloxicam, Celecoxib, Indomethacin, Ketorolac, Ketoprofen, Nimesulide, Piroxicam, Etoricoxib, Mefenamic acid, Carprofen, Aspirin/paracetamol/caffeine, Etodolac, Loxoprofen, Nabumetone, Flurbiprofen, Salicylic acid, Aceclofenac, Sulindac, Phenylbutazone, Dexketoprofen, Lornoxicam, Tenoxicam, Diflunisal, Diclofenac/Misoprostol, Flunixin, Benzydamine, Valdecoxib, Oxaprozin, Nepafenac, Etofenamate, Ethenzamide, Naproxen sodium, Dexibuprofen, Diclofenac sodium, Bromfenac, Diclofenac potassium, Fenoprofen, Tolfenamic acid, Tolmetin, Tiaprofenic acid, Lumiracoxib, Phenazone, Salsalate, Felbinac, Hydrocodone/ibuprofen, Fenbufen.

I hope that you find the answers that you are seeking. My reason for having surgery boiled down to the sheer amount of food that I was able to eat in a single sitting. I wasn't a huge processed food snacker. I was able to eat 5-7 cups per sitting, which didn't hurt me when I was eating veggies and brown rice. It did hurt me when I ate something bad though. Unfortunately, eating 8 slices of pizza, and 5 tacos on a cheat day derailed my progress during the other 6 days of my diet. I didn't have surgery with the hope that it would make me not want pizza or tacos. I had it with the hope that I would possibly be able to eat 1-2 slices of pizza or 1 or 2 tacos. I also knew that cutting that 5-7 cups down to a more manageable 1-2 cups would make a huge difference in the amount of calories I was taking in on a daily basis. I really had no idea that I would be eating 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup of food per sitting. Since surgery, I have had both pizza and tacos. I have made them myself though. Cauliflower crust pizza loaded with veggies, a very tiny amount of sauce and a very tiny amount of mozzarella cheese. Veggie sausage, egg white and spinach tacos made with 1/2 of a Flat-out light wrap. I could eat a little over 1/3 of a 9" cauliflower crust pizza, and it would be just over 150 calories. The tacos would be a little over 160 calories. That is a win in my book. I once took a month long nutrition class (for insurance purposes) that said that you can contribute at least 20-30 pounds of your excess weight to each group of bad foods you eat. If you eat salty snacks, sweets, fast food, drink alcohol.....Each of these groups can really pack on the pounds. I think that everyone must realize that this surgery doesn't help as much if your problem is snacking on processed junk or eating fast food unless you yourself are willing to change. 5 ounces of candy is A LOT of calories. 5 ounces of Doritos is A LOT of calories. 5 ounces of ice cream is A LOT of calories. These are all sliders, have almost no nutritional value, and will not make you full. Even a small cheeseburger and small fry from McDonalds will carry almost 550 calories. Have that 2 or more times per week, and you could still wreck your progress. There was a bariatric doctor that said that if you want to be successful in weight loss, you must do the right things at least 90% of the time. You will have stalls, but you can still lose fat during these stalls. Get back to your program. If you must snack, find healthy snacks that you like eating. I like crunchy veggies and raw nuts, but have an occasional turkey roll or two (turkey breast slices, cream cheese, chives). Remember, no surgery is going to overcome the brain's urge to eat junk food or processed food. You've got to learn to have that every loooonnnnggg once in a while, and hopefully, in the case of junk food....Make better choices about what you have. You can have a salad anywhere. Just don't pile on the dressing, croutons and/or tortilla strips. LOL! You can do this. It won't be easy. I won't be fun. It WILL make you stronger. It WILL be worth it in the end. Good luck my friends!

Yeah.. average joe. But, keep in mind, Mr. Average Joe is counting every calorie (probably eating 1500) and going to the gym 6 hours a week. And for all that, he gets to see the scale move 8lbs a month. Average weight loss for bariatric patients seems to be about 15-25lbs the first month, and 8-14 pounds for the next 5 months, then less after that. A very common scenario I see here is women's starting weight 240-260lbs. They reach goal (or close) at about 7 months postop. From 7 to 12 months, they drop another 10 lbs (2 pounds per month). I noticed this because I'm 6 months out, and started 50lbs heavier than my surgi-buds. They are all getting very close to goal, even though I'm still 50lbs away. Over and over, I've seen we are in sync virtually to the pound! My losses began around 3lbs a week, but now has slowed down to about 1-1.5lbs a week. My calories have been higher from the start, and I don't exercise. So that is likely why I've kept pace with lightweights who are eating less and exercising. 13lbs in a month sounds an awful lot like 3lbs a week to me...

When u say "Typical weight loss is 4-8 pounds a month", I assume ur talking about an everyday average joe who hasnt had bariatric surgery? Curiously, do u know (or anyone know) what the average monthly or weekly weight loss rate is for someone, female in particular, who's had gastric bypass? I know everyone's different but I assume there is an average out there communicated somewhere. Just curious.

Here's a post you made back in 2014: "Husband is getting bariatric surgery in 1 month and I'm pretty scared. He's 350 lbs, hasn't had sex with me since 2013, and out of the blue in January tells me he's been looking into getting "the sleeve". I thought it was a very good move, and was very supportive of him, but now I'm worried. I'd been reading up on the procedure, and over and over again, I hear that 85% of marriages fall apart in 2 years after surgery. The truth is, my husband's been very pushy, ever since we were engaged -- I hate conflict, and I let him have his way almost always. I'm now about 30-50 lbs overweight (I was 20 lbs overweight when we were married, and he was about 250 back then.) I'm feeling very bad about my half-hearted attempts to lose weight, but now I'm feeling frantic, like I need to be thin before he is, or I'll look like the frumpy old wife he needs to get rid of so he can enjoy his new life. I haven't lost weight, and feel that once he does start losing weight, his pushiness will get even worse, as his ego goes into overdrive and women start flirting with him (which I hear is very common after WLS, even when the patient is still mid-weight-loss) and he'll become a NIGHTMARE. I already feel ignored, like I'm not even female, let alone the woman he worked so hard to win over. All I am is a paycheck and a maid, and I fear he'll be grinding me down even more when he's flirting back and hitting on women in front of me. I've had boyfriends do that to me before in the past , and even when you do up and leave, the damage to your self-image doesn't ever really leave you. I thought my husband was different, and I'm afraid he won't be. I'm not looking forward to being thrown away while my husband enjoys his second adolescence." ----------------------------------- Here is an interesting article that may or may not apply... https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolution-the-self/201412/codependent-or-simply-dependent-what-s-the-big-difference%3Famp

The revision that you are contemplating, a RNY to DS is a very complex procedure, so tread very carefully and research, research, research. I haven't been as up on the DS world as I used to be (my wife is 12+ years out on hers,) but 4-5 years ago there were only about a half dozen surgeons in North America that one would trust to do this revision, none of whom were in Mexico. A virgin DS is already a step up in complexity to an RNY or VSG, which is why there are relatively few bariatric surgeons that offer it; the revision from an RNY is another step up from there. The Mx doc with the longest DS experience that I;m aware of is Dr. Gilberto Ungston (he was the only doc doing them reliably in MX 4-5 years ago, and had been working on training others to do the DS. Whether he is tackling the RNY/DS revision, I don't know, but he would be a good place to start if you want to keep it in Mx. You need to find people who have had that specific procedure done by surgeons that you can consider. I have run into a few people who have had it done, as I have dealt with a couple of the Calif surgeons who do the procedure, and it has been very worthwhile, at least if done by the right surgeon. You can't depend on advertising or online profiles of surgeons, as many will say they do this or that procedure and then sell you on what they actually can do once they get you in their office (something like a distal RNY is sometimes offered as "DS-like" revision that doesn't work nearly as well). It gets even trickier when you are self-pay as you don't have an insurance company on your side as an enforcer - a doc saying that he is doing one procedure and billing insurance for it and then doing a different procedure is guilty of insurance fraud, and the companies take a dim view of such things. So, you need to be extra careful when you are self pay, whether in Mx or the US. Good luck in your search....

I mean lung disease is a vague term. For example many bariatric patients have sleep apnea, which is technically a lung disease. And theyre encouraged to get bariatric surgery to improve it. I think the severity of it will play a part too. Its certainly not completely contraindicated. I have had patients who came in for lung surgery with plans to come back for bariatrics later in the year. Just an educated guess, but I would think the major determinant would be if bariatric surgery will impair your ability to successfully treat your autoimmune lung disease in the long term (ie frequent use of steroids). But I think the odds are it wont be much of an issue

As your lung doc suggests, this is something for your bariatric surgeon to answer. This is an unusual situation for these forums, so there isn't much experience here with this problem, and even those few who may have something similar, the situations can be quite variable between cases. You may have to get opinions from several bariatric surgeons, as something that may be intimidating for one may be "no big deal" to another, depending upon their backgrounds - you may find one who has prior pulmonary experience. As an example, patients are often required to do a "liver shrinking" pre-op diet, sometimes with the surgeon threatening to close them up and send them home if they haven't complied and shrunk things enough, while other surgeons basically laugh at the idea, having developed techniques to work around a fatty liver. So, I suspect that your problem can be managed, though you may have to look around some to find the right surgeon.

This is painful to admit. My worst fear has come true that I would blow this. I have lost 30 lbs since my surgery in June but have only lost 3 lbs in the past 2 months. I was doing well but the last stall messed with my head and I’ve gone back to old habits of snacking, grazing and mentally obsessing about what to eat. I eat very highly nutritious clean foods (I’m an aspiring gourmet cook) and occasionally grab 5 pringles or a spoon of ice cream when my kids have It out which feels like a compulsion I can’t control. For one solid month I was staying under 1200 calories, 75 grams protein/day and no loss and yes that includes every gram I put in my mouth. And it was taking every bit of my will to stick to that. I’m grateful my recovery was a breeze, no problems drinking water and getting my protein in. But I feel the same as I always have. My cravings are not changed. My appetite is the same and I can eat anything. Of course now I can only eat about 6 ounces at a time. I wait to drink water as long as possible because it does wash the food out of my stomach and I am hungry about every 2 hours. And I read what you all say. The scolders who say why do you eat foods you aren’t supposed to? And I wonder why you all who are able to stick to your food rules need this surgery? I wish I knew what makes me different. I am seeking a therapist to discuss this because I can’t stick to food rules after seeing no results after more than a month of white knuckling it and nothing happened. And my message is it’s true this is no magic tool because I feel the same as I always have. I have quit gaining which is good but I still have at least 70 lbs to lose. I’m 40, feel super healthy, always have lots of energy, I am passionate about many things in my life, I sleep great, love my job and personal life balance and I’m grateful for my health. I’ve been walking since surgery in fact the nurse who tried to wheel me out of the hospital said I was the first bariatric patient that ever asked to walk out at discharge. I have felt normal since day one! I am scheduled for metabolic testing and I’m curious to see what I’m burning daily and hoping I can get motivated again. I’m so down about this and back to feeling powerless like I did before surgery.

I also was told that sleeve stretching, at least to any meaningful extent, was a myth. A bariatric surgeon (not my own, but someone with videos I've found to be useful) explains it here beginning at the 1:10 mark: If you're losing weight beyond your goal and what is healthy, then consuming healthy "slider" foods could help, like more caloric smoothies. I can't drink milk, but I know that full fat milk packs a lot of calories, a fair amount of protein, and is fast to consume.

Well, so I'm back to this arena. I had a Realize Lap-Band put in back in October 2009. Since then, I have lost a grand total of ... wait for it ... 0.0 lbs. Dialed up the band saline level to the max allowed, went through four bariatric doctors, one of whom tried to sell me on an MLM, and two left the industry or otherwise ghosted me. It's been ... a helluva ride and a helluva disappointment. I clearly did not do the research needed and chose the wrong procedure. I felt zero decrease in hunger with the band, and while it of course made me eat much slower, it did absolutely nothing to quell hunger. I have felt hungry pretty much 24/7 for the entirety of this damn thing. And no, I didn't lose weight and then slowly gain it back, except for a bit on the first month post-op. My nine year weight history has been a flat line. I understand I'm at least a little bit unusual, but a) I'm probably not that unusual and b) it's the truth. So I'm back, on track for a VSG on 1/25, and doing self-pay as work insurance has a very strict, absolutely no exceptions allowed one time max on bariatric procedures. They are "graciously" paying for the band removal, subject to my $6k HDHP annual deductible. (Hence delaying until January - I'll hit my deductible for the year for anything that comes up post-op). Researched Mexico but decided to pay more to stay local - I'm a Virginian and Mexico is far. I might have felt differently if I lived in the Southwest or West Coast. Anyway. Has anyone else had a failed band - no complications, no leakage, just no weight loss - and then succeeded with VSG? I want to hear your stories! Brian

Most hospital bariatric programs have counselors, take advantage of that - you have the money. There are many problems regarding relationships that you have had that are definitely about self esteem. You have to like yourself and be the real you - not the reactionary you - which is how you are presenting by the venting you have posted. The boards are here for all that support when you need to vent, but we can't fix it for you. I think you know what to do. I am 5'2" and weigh 222 and surgery is in two weeks.

So, a few things, in no particular order - Your BMI based upon height and weight is generally one of the most significant criteria. So if you weigh 210 and are 5'2" - your BMI would be 38.4, which would qualify under most insurance policies. (Generally over 35 will get you covered if you have coverage in your plan for bariatric surgery). But if you are 5'7 - that makes your BMI 32.9 which might be too low for surgery - so knowing your BMI and what your insurance plans requirements are is the biggest factor. Second - losing weight is not going to change how your father or your mother in law treat you. Losing weight is not about changing them, its about making changes for you. Your father's comments and anger will still be directed at you. Your mother in law will still treat you the way she does because your husband has never stepped up and told her that she cannot treat his wife like that. (I was married to a guy like that - we got divorced. Easiest 160 pounds I ever lost.) Your relationship with your husband appears to have issues that have nothing to do with your weight. It sounds to me like you have a lot of work to do on yourself. From what I am reading, it appears you have some self-esteem issues which need to be worked out and bariatric surgery isn't going to fix those. You have to go into this for the right reasons - and part of that is getting your head right about why you were overweight to begin with. Then you need to drill down and do the hard work on yourself. I had VSG one year ago. I now weight less than when my husband married me. Am I thinking of leaving him? Absolutely not. Why? Because I love him and he loves me and we work on our relationship every day. I have my own work I need to do - I still see myself as the fat girl I once was. Please find a counselor to work on yourself before you head toward surgery. If your head isn't in the right place, it will not work. It's not magic. It is a tool which requires commitment for the rest of your life. I wish you luck and peace.

The 3rd Annual National Obesity Care Week (NOCW), October 29th through November 4th, seeks to ignite a national movement to ensure anyone affected by obesity receives respectful and comprehensive care. [Insert your organization’s name] is proud to join the Campaign, which was founded by The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. All NOCW supporters recognize the 5 Reasons to Care: Obesity is a serious disease. Weight bias is faced by many. Healthcare providers need to have positive, helpful conversations about weight with their patients Science-based weight management options are available for treatment. We need your help passing the 2017 Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). Although we must educate people about these 5 reasons to care, we must also address barriers to care, such as weight bias in both society and among the medical community. We need more voices – your voice – to reach our goal of achieving better care. You can join us and take action to change the way that you care about obesity by taking the Take 5 Pledge. The Take 5 Pledge is intended to inspire action by addressing the 5 reasons to care and encourage us to change the way that we care about obesity. More information about National Obesity Care Week and their Take 5 Pledge, including information and resources, is available on www.ObesityCareWeek.org. Mark your calendars, and join us in recognizing National Obesity Care Week, October 29th – November 4th.

BariatricPal joins National Obesity Care Week 2017: Take 5 Pledge to Change the Way We Care Today, more than 90 million adult Americans currently have obesity, and in the last 20 years, obesity rates have doubled among adults. It’s time to change the way that we care about obesity. With obesity on the rise, our organization, alongside other organizations, must attack this disease from multiple angles and unite to overhaul the treatment of obesity. At [insert your organization’s name], we recognize this challenge and the important role we can play. The 3rd Annual National Obesity Care Week (NOCW), October 29th through November 4th, seeks to ignite a national movement to ensure anyone affected by obesity receives respectful and comprehensive care. [Insert your organization’s name] is proud to join the Campaign, which was founded by The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. All NOCW supporters recognize the 5 Reasons to Care: Obesity is a serious disease. Weight bias is faced by many. Healthcare providers need to have positive, helpful conversations about weight with their patients Science-based weight management options are available for treatment. We need your help passing the 2017 Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). Although we must educate people about these 5 reasons to care, we must also address barriers to care, such as weight bias in both society and among the medical community. We need more voices – your voice – to reach our goal of achieving better care. You can join us and take action to change the way that you care about obesity by taking the Take 5 Pledge. The Take 5 Pledge is intended to inspire action by addressing the 5 reasons to care and encourage us to change the way that we care about obesity. More information about National Obesity Care Week and their Take 5 Pledge, including information and resources, is available on www.ObesityCareWeek.org. Mark your calendars, and join us in recognizing National Obesity Care Week, October 29th – November 4th.

I'd work closely with your bariatric team. there maybe something that's holding things up for you, or it may just be a momentary glitch. I've heard of others having their weight loss stall. don't give up!