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They make bariatric multivitamins without iron. Most companies make them. I take pro care health with iron but I know they make one without as well as one with a lower amount of iron.

I understand, but the problem is that for most obese people, the number these simplistic calculators spit out is way too low. None of them take into consideration that obese people have things like enlarged hearts, denser bones, more blood volume, extra skin, etc. in addition to the fat. While some of those things will eventually change over time, it's not nearly as quick as the fat loss, especially for bariatric surgery patients. I've seen way too many people shoot for weights that are unrealistic and frankly would be unhealthy for them. That's why I said pick a higher number and reassess there.

I’m on a two week liquid diet and it’s been a killer (again! This is my second bariatric surgery.) I can have protein shakes or greek yogurt for my ‘meals’ every three hours. I would be lying if I said I had been perfect throughout this process. I’ve slipped up a few times by stealing a fry off my husbands plate or eating a couple of olives when I was simply sooo hungry. I’m going to have the hiatal hernia repair during my surgery on the 29th and the revision to RNY, as well. The GERD burns me up a lot of the time so I take esomeprazole in the morning and Pepcid in the evening. And thank goodness for Tums during the day!

MDT = multi - disciplinary team? Bariatric MTD perhaps mean you are to undertake some further actions with staff whose specialty is bariatric services? Doesn't sound like its all finished yet to me, but yes, its all guesses/speculation until you speak to the relevant person.

was where you were in 2020. I had my gallbladder removed, found out I had fatty liver with hepatic fibrosis, and was told I would not make it to 60 if I didn't lose weight. I was 48 at the time and just turned 51. I underwent the SADI-S on July 23rd, 2020, and lost 205 pounds. My high weight was 393 pounds at 5'3" inches tall. My liver enzymes are now in the normal range. Only you can decide if wls is right for you. It might be helpful to take your boyfriend to your appt. With a bariatric surgeon. Research as much as you can. Hopefully he will come around. There are people on this board who have family members and spouses aren't supportive. Luckily there is lots of support here. Your bf may just need to learn more about it. In the end, he will have to understand that this is YOUR decision. Good luck to you. Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

Ive been referred for wls at guys and st Thomas. Im a little confused. So thanks to covid thibgs have changed and i know its a long wait for the NHS. I did the online session with the dietitians and psychologist as group session. Got a f2f at the hospital recently were they did the bmi, bloods medical history and talk to the dietitian. They said i don't have to complete tier 3 as ive done tge equivalent before seeing them. My bmi is 57 so they said it would straight to surgical options. Got sent the copy of the letter they send to your gp with all the blood results and medical and Kings obesity score on and at the bottom it says Outcome - attended f2f, discharge, bariatric mdt Does that mean its going to the surgeons to consider or that i didn't meet the criteria and have been discharged altogether etc etc. That 1 line in the whole thing is bugging me beyond belief. Anyone got any insight into their process or had similar and what was your outcome?

I just was sleeved on 8/16. I have been over 300 pounds for YEARS… but as long as I was able to do what I wanted and needed to - I didn’t see the need. Last year I hit my heaviest weight ever at 382… and I was like NOPE this isn’t happening. I worked my butt off to loose weight and had a good start. Then I got sick and we found out my liver was enlarged (like 3x the size it should be) and my fatty liver was progressing to NASH and my liver function tests were concerning my drs. Finally I was ready to consider surgery. I lost about 55 pounds from my heaviest leading up to my pre surgery diet (over about 9 months). I had a few set backs with having covid during that time. My endocrinologist was pleased with my liver reduction (through palpitations) and knowing I was scared about surgery told me if I kept making progress I could hold off on surgery if I wanted. But I was to worried that there would always be another “set back” and my liver wasn’t anything I wanted to mess with. I lost another 12 pounds on my pre op diet. I asked my surgeon how my liver looked after surgery (there was a chance I was also going to end up with a liver biopsy in addition to a hernia repair) and she told me my liver looked fantastic and to keep doing what I was doing - no need for the biopsy. There’s no guarantees that weight loss would reverse my liver condition - but it was my best shot. However I was told if I did nothing it certainly would continue to deteriorate. I’m not quite a week out. I’m sore - occasional movements hurt, at times a bit nauseous (not horrible) and I’m sick of the liquid diet … but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I have confirmation I’m on the right track and that means the world to me. I’m not looking to be a particular size or weight, I’m working towards being healthy and that includes my liver, joints and over all well being. My husband was supportive right from the beginning to do whatever I wanted to do. At times I wavered because I was scared - but he was my rock and honestly I think not doing something scared him more that the surgery (he was scared too). He sat in my drs appointment when the dr explained what the progression of my liver from NAFLD to NASH meant and what to expect if I didn’t make some real changes. My only advice is find a bariatric program you are comfortable with. It took me two tries. Have your boyfriend come along if he’s able and if not take someone you trust to be objective and SUPPORTIVE. Having that support helps. Also if you have a therapist talk to them about it - your concerns, fears, hopes for the outcome. And if you don’t have one, consider finding someone who deals with bariatric health. I see mine every two weeks and we always touch on where I’m at in the process - it has helped. No one can tell you what the right decision is for you, but I do hope you have support whatever you choose to do. Best of luck and please update how you are doing no matter what you decide.

Pre surgery I suffered from severe IBS (I think?). I actually don't have a clear answer. I had daily, debilitating cramping and issues with the bathroom...also, gas, bloating, and just the worst pain. Funny, when I wasn't eating after surgery, all of my GI issues went away. I am gluten, dairy, egg, soy, sugar free. Doesn't seem to matter, I am sick. My life doesn't feel worth living because these issues are so bad and so painful. I've been trying to take my bariatric vitamins and they are making my GI distress so much worse. I've even tried Flintstones, and I can't do those. I spent 1/2 my day or more in bed or on the bathroom floor writhing in pain...every day. Does anyone have any advice on the vitamins? I am scared because I had bypass, so I know I have to take them.. THank you.

I actually bought several different vitamins, from several different companies, and in a few different forms (capsules, chewables, soft chews). I've heard some people have issues with one or the other post-surgery. I'd rather have them now so I have choices if I end up needing them. I figure eventually, I'll be able to use them, even if I can't stomach some of them early on. I doubt I'll waste entirely them unless they are just really terrible. One thing I have not done is compare standard off-the-shelf vitamins to these supposed bariatric ones. I really want to know if there's a difference?

So I just wanted to point something out here. GERD and an ulcer are not the same thing. Having experienced both, I can say neither is fun. Certainly someone could have both conditions, but most likely, what you are experiencing is one or the other. Ulcers are basically a place where the lining has been damaged. These are most common in the stomach, but can occur in the esophagus or small intestine as well. ALL bariatric surgery patients are at some increased risk of these occurring, but they can happen to anyone, including non gastric surgery patients. GERD is a chronic condition due to recurring episodes where excess acid enters the esophagus from the stomach. Almost everyone has occasional acid reflux, but GERD is when this happens repeatedly. In most cases of GERD, the valve at the bottom of the esophagus is damaged or not working correctly for some reason. (Note that long term exposure of the esophagus to excess acid from GERD can cause an ulcer in the esophagus, but I digress.) Bypass patients almost never have problems with GERD, because the small pouch has very few acid producing cells. Sleeve patients on the other hand are more likely to experience GERD than the general population. This is thought to be due to the sleeve putting extra pressure on the esophageal valve. Both groups (sleeve and bypass), are subject to ulcers and are at more risk of them than the rest of the population. How to know the difference? WHERE it hurts is the biggest tell. if you are having a burning sensation in your chest or throat, that's likely GERD. Ulcers typically hurt in your belly. If you are having this issue, talk to your healthcare provider ASAP. Both conditions can have serious complications and you should not tough it out or hope it will go away.

Hi guys I am living in Cairns Australia and am in desperate need in some more participants for my latest study on the psychological effects of lockdown on Bariatric patients being conducted in Australia. Pleeeeease can you do my survey if you can spare 5 mins! I would be sooo grateful - and it will be contributing to a good cause. I will publish results here too. TOTALLY ANONYMOUS AND ETHICALLY APPROVED. Ashley Ristanto https://cqushhss.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bP1q5U3xXHlWZfM Edited 3 minutes ago by Ashley Frizell

Hi guys I am in desperate need of some more participants for my latest study on the psychological effects of lockdown on Bariatric patients being conducted in Australia. Pleeeeease can you do my survey if you can spare 5 mins! I would be sooo grateful - and it will be contributing to a good cause. I will publish results here too. TOTALLY ANONYMOUS AND ETHICALLY APPROVED. Ashley Ristanto https://cqushhss.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bP1q5U3xXHlWZfM Edited 3 minutes ago by Ashley Frizell

I did keto a while back and had the keto flu for about a week. The bariatric diet and keto are actually the same except bariatric diet wants your fats 50 or less per day and keto wants HEALTHY fats higher. I did the bariatric diet for 2 1/2 months and my body hated it. I would stall over and over. I decided to switch to keto again and I haven't had a stall in the month I've been doing it and have steadily lost. No keto flu this time, tho. But it's normal and goes away. I keep my calories between 1000-1150 per day (I work out and need the extras so my body doesn't think it's starving and hold on to everything). I keep my carbs between 25-35 per day. My protein stays around 75-85 per day. My fats are usually around 70-80. And I'm completely sugarfree or very low sugar (such as certain fruits or veggies). I work out for 45 minutes per day, and I generally take in around 75-90oz of fluids (depending on the type of workout I did that day).

I don't know of anyone right off hand, but what you could do with that time is do your six-month supervised diet, if your insurance requires it (many do - but not all). I had to switch insurance companies to get WLS coverage. I decided in June of 2014 that I wanted to get surgery, but my new insurance wouldn't kick in until Jan 2015. So I asked if they would accept my six-month supervised diet requirement if it was done under my old insurance company. Turned out yes, I could - so that's what I did. So I already had that out of the way when I entered the bariatric program in Jan 2015.

I had consults for almost a year before surgery and my surgeon told me as long as they weren't extended release tablets, then I could have them after bypass. Medications were high on my list on concerns since I have asthma and a mental health condition that I wasn't willing to mess around with. I've found there is so much variability among bariatric surgeons with meds, diets, etc. that it's so hard to compare experiences, but yeah, they were giving me pills at the hospital pre-op day 1.

There seems to be some confusion in this thread and it's not clear from the original poster, what's meant by "Steroids". There are 4 things I suppose you might mean, so we should probably clear that up: Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Since the OP is female, I doubt you are on this, as it's typically prescribed for older males with low testosterone. Anabolic Steroids: I also doubt the OP means this as these are highly controlled drugs and only prescribed in very limited circumstances. That said, a lot of bodybuilders abuse these. (Ever hear of "Roid Rage"?) Corticosteroids: These are commonly used medications typically prescribed for inflammation. The most common oral example would be prednisone. It would be rare (but not unheard of), to be on this long term as the side effects can be worse than the inflammation it purports to treat. NON-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories: As the name implies, these are NOT steroids, or even related to steroids. They got this name because they were originally developed as an alternative to corticosteroids. Common examples include the over the counter medications ibuprofen (Advil) and Naproxen (Aleve), as well as the prescription drugs meloxicam (Mobic) and Celecoxib (Celebrex). Typically this is a class of medications that doctors like you to be off of for bariatric surgery because they can cause stomach ulcers. I'm assuming the OP meant one of the latter two, but don't know for sure?

I had one after plastic surgery, but not bariatric surgery.

I always feel bad for my waiter when I go out to eat because they will usually come over and ask me if there is anything wrong with my meal. I just tell them that I had a stomach surgery and don't feel like eating and then I take my meal to go. When I am out with people outside of my family, I usually order something small and cut it up and use my fork to mix everything on the plate together and move it around to try to make it look like I ate more than I actually did. (This is a technique that small children often use to try to convince Mom that they have eaten enough dinner. I have often wondered how many other bariatric surgery patients have done this in an effort to not offend a host. ) You can also just box up half of your meal before you even start eating and just say that you are trying new eating habits if anyone asks. Buffets are just a no go for me unless they have to go options (pay by weight of meal). Even though I am several years out from surgery, after my doctor started me on Ozempic last year (for diabetes, not weight loss), I have been unable to eat more than a few bites of food at a time. My stomach literally feels just like it did a few weeks after surgery. Consequently, I have lost more weight which is great but I have to say that the daily nausea is getting old at this point.

So, we’re jumping forward to May 2021. Picture this: I’m about to talk to my cardiologist at my 1 year surgery follow-up and am getting nervous. Mentally I’m going through all the things I’m going to say to convince him I’m fine, and that he should definitely approve me for WLS. Turns out, I was worried about nothing. He went through the standard checkup stuff and at just about the point that I was ready to go into my well rehearsed sales pitch, he actually asked me if I was still considering bariatric surgery. Imagine my surprise at that one! When I said yes, he didn’t hesitate to say he was fine with it and didn’t see the heart surgery as an issue at all. He just became my new favorite doctor. I walked out of his office ecstatic and ready to call the bariatric center to get the weight loss surgery scheduled right then. I mean if they would have taken me in tomorrow, I was READY. It was late in the day though, so I decided to wait. Turns out waiting was a bad choice. I woke up the next day with horrible back pain. I’d had back issues for many years, but it had been mostly stable for a while. Now I was experiencing a bout of sciatica that was so bad, I had little to no muscle control in my legs. Great, more health issues to deal width and once again bariatric surgery would have to wait. Let me jump forward a bit here. It took a few months, some new meds, some injections, and some aquatic therapy, but the back was feeling tolerable, at least. I was finally ready to call the bariatric surgeon’s office. Remember me saying I should have called sooner? It turns out they had a 2 month backlog for “new” patients. You see, because I had been out of the program for almost 18 months at that point, I basically had to start over. Fast forward to September 2021 and I finally get to meet with a PA and start the “intake” process. I then did the standard psych evaluation and 6 months of dietitian visits required by my insurance company. The surgeon also decided that I needed to do an abdominal CT scan with contrast. Not sure if this was typical, or something “special” just for me. Unfortunately, once again something wasn’t right. This meant the surgeon wanted a closer look, which meant more testing. Pro tip, if you ever get told you need to do a fluoroscopic swallowing exam, see if you can get out of it. Seriously. This was probably one of the top 5 worst exams I've done. I went in thinking it would be no big deal and was much more worried about the endoscopy they also were planning. Turns out, I had it completely backward. I slept through the endoscopy, but the swallow study just was miserable. After a few tense days of waiting for results, my surgeon’s office said they found a couple of issues, including a hiatal hernia, but I was okay to proceed to surgery! Now it became a waiting game for insurance approval and surgical scheduling. (Apparently they are still way behind and not able to accommodate a full surgical schedule due to a COVID-19 induced backlog.) After an eternity waiting, I finally, finally got scheduled for September 20th. I just thought I was anxious before. Now the waiting really begins!

Hi there! It's nice that you have so many people wanting to do such nice things for you! Maybe try and distract them- I don't need food, I'm on a particular post op diet, but you could pick me up the new book by whoever/or the new movie/or stop by and take a little recovery walk with me? Congrats on being on this side of the surgery! That first holiday can be a little rough, but knowing it will be different helps you plan for that. My Mom literally sent us a 7 lb. cinnamon roll cake for the first holidays after my surgery. No joke. I was really firm in explaining that I wasn't going to accept these type of gifts from her going forward and we were able to get rid of it. Even knowing that I had the surgery, she still sent this(?!) it helped when my nutritionist pointed out that this kind of thing says more about the gifter than the recipient (truth!) Half the holiday will be putting food on your plate and moving it around. That's part of the social aspect of the holidays + food. Don't worry about everyone and what they're thinking- just take the food and toss it (or give it to someone else as you can) Put things in your napkin. The good news is that at holiday gatherings, we tend to move around a lot to socialize, so you're not usually at one table with one person, so they don't get the opportunity to super judge your plate. Most people won't notice or care, but you'll wind up with one person who just wants to be extra special about it all. Bring some snacks and things you CAN eat easily for yourself or to share with everyone else if it's a potluck. People didn't really notice the weight loss on me until I got to the 40+ lbs. mark. Then the comments started (but so did the compliments!) As I got further along, I felt braver (I originally planned to tell no one except immediate in my home family) and was able to tell extended family, a few friends (lost a few, but whatever- again, it's a reflection of THEM) and a few strangers like neighbors who got really needle-y about what was wrong with me/how I was doing it. The first time I was in a restaurant and said "xyz.......because I'm a bariatric patient." I thought my poor hubby was going to fall over! Let me know if you need anything!

Hi everyone! I had VSG surgery two and a half years ago (Feb 2020) I'm finding that there are days (most days) when I feel like I am my best, strongest, healthiest self and then sometimes there's a day or two where I'm the most frail, delicate, exhausted, fussiest critter in the world because of my VSG needs. Is this pretty normal, do you think? Sometimes navigating "new normal" things really frustrate me and make me feel like I am weaker because I have different needs than a "normie" does. I get to drink all of that water, again. Not enough water= confusion from dehydration which is REAL. It seems like it gets hard when the differences post VSG are really obvious: my boss pointed out that I didn't each much at a lunch, because she thought I was nervous- so I disclosed my surgery to her privately and then she understood, or a stranger will comment on how strange it is when I am waiting 30 minutes to drink water before/after a meal. These are usually people that didn't know me when I was obese, so I get it, it's a little out of the ordinary to strangers. But I deal with it. And then I go to an outdoor festival and there is a no outside food policy and I'm left with eating half of a greasy burger patty with my bare hands, no, I don't want the fries or the bun, thanks- but because no forks either, for some reason- but protein, is protein. These are things that *I* have gotten used to, but sometimes they are still incredibly frustrating. (Venue got an email with some suggestions!) Anyway, do y'all need some bariatric friends, so we can have safety in numbers? Because I am yet to encounter someone who openly eats like me in the wild. It's not really that disruptive all the time, but there are times when I'm just like...... WTF did I do to myself? (and why didn't I do it sooner?!) No negativity from me, really. I have no regrets. I just wish I had people to help me navigate!

Hello Arizona_Guy! Saw your post and have been meaning to reply. I’m in Phoenix and after going back and forth on options available to me to assist in managing my weight, I decided on the ESG (I used Plication here because ESG isn’t offered in the surgery drop down!) procedure. I learned that Dr Rahul Pannala / Mayo Clinic is a leading Gastroenterologist with many subspecialities who has also been working in the bariatric field. I met with him and his team and felt very comfortable and at ease with them. From my first consultation thru my procedure I heard from someone on the team: the dr, nutritionist, nurse for my procedure prep etc. weekly. They answered all my questions and Dr Pannala patiently talked thru some last minute anxiety issues I was experiencing 2 days before my date! I was extremely fortunate in that when I first had my consultation on June 21, I was advised that my procedure date would likely be in August, possibly even September. I lucked out because Dr Pannala had a surgical cancelation so I was able to get my July 29 date! I know, suhweet! The pre-procedure protocol isn’t too bad, apply anti-nausea patch night before, clear liquids 1 day before (I did 2) and that was it. I weighed in at 195.4 the morning of the procedure, 202.8 when I returned home some 6 hours later, lol. Since home I was on clear liquids for the first two days and have been on protein shakes and taking Liquid IV thru last Sunday. Sunday afternoon I made my tasty chicken veggie soup and have been having that puréed for one of my meals each day this week, the rest protein shakes. I typically have one premade and one homemade, gotta switch it up! So, that’s where I am now. I am feeling very good about it all and believe I made the right decision for myself. If you have any questions, Arizona_Guy, ask away!

Hmm, that probably why my program actually doesn't want me eating fruit at all in the pureed stage. They even caution that raw fruits are not well tolerated early on and that they are best held until at least 2 months post-op. Seems like it would be a good choice, but bariatric tummies don't seem always fit our preconceived notions.

Hi, I sure did. At Baptist Medical Center downtown. I was self pay. (My insurance would not cover it) after everything i paid roughly around $18-20K. The surgery went great, The hospital was great, Recovery was great. My surgeon was Dr Hodgett. I shopped around. This one in particular was a bit more expensive than others but i liked the place and what they offered. Here is their website. https://www.baptistjax.com/services/bariatric-surgery

Well done, that equates to nearly 18lb a month which is pretty good, not slow at all, probably a high rate for that starting weight. Hair loss is quite common after weight loss surgery, you can read about it below. As long as you are reaching your nutritonal requirements it should be fine within three to six months (may be longer though). Some people use supplements for special shampoos/condiitoners. https://mercybariatrics.com.au/hair-loss-bariatric-surgery/#:~:text=The most common type of,percentage of hairs falling out.