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Ooh. What about the protein shots they sell right here on bariatric pal. Maybe they would be better for you.

Hi everyone, new to Bariatric pal but excited to be here. I’m a few days out from my surgery on the 22nd and I’m starting to feel nervous. Hospitals have never bothered me in the past but for some unknown reason I’m fretting over having to stay this time. Hoping this anxious feeling passes quickly so I can enjoy the journey.

Yeah, there's a definite bias of information (unintentionally, of course) when you frequent bariatric spaces. I've been on this board almost a year, and I really enjoy it, but at five months post-op, one thing I've noticed is the vast majority of people who were posting regularly a year ago, or even 3-6 months ago, are not here any more. That's a lot of diverse experience that goes away, and I would guess that the people who remain are a combination of those who are the most dedicated (possibly to the extreme), those who get the most out of social interactions, and those who experience the most complications in their journeys, along with people who return after several years to get back on track because of significant regain or needing revisions. The people who are hitting their goals easily, losing weight at an average pace, eating and exercising in a way that isn't particularly noteworthy, maintaining within a reasonable weight range, and generally living life without stressing about bariatric issues, quickly become underrepresented voices. So it's easy to start thinking that the average person struggles a lot at every stage, can barely eat or drink for months, exercises like they're training for the olympics, tracks every bite of food and never strays from their macros every day of their life, experiences all the most severe complications regularly, and will gain back all their weight plus some if they even dare to glance at a piece of bread or a dessert on someone else's plate let alone allow a bite to pass their lips. It's easy to become very obsessive about it (raises hand: yes, that's me). And in a situation like after surgery where a lot of things change at once, sometimes it feels like the more you can control and anticipate, the better. At least it does for me. But my advice would be, especially when you are feeling particularly anxious about something, to think about whether there are perspectives you aren't getting that might reduce your anxieties if you were able to hear from them. Like, if there were 20-30 people who used to post in your surgery month group and now you're down to 4 or 5, what might those other people say if you asked them about the thing that is worrying you? My guess is, if they're not posting anymore, it's usually not because they're suffering in silence.

I have no guidance or experience to offer for the surgeon selection aspect as I went through the public insurance system where I live and once you go to the obesity clinic and they accept you (high BMI etc.) then the government takes care of the costs for pre-op testing, surgery, post-op tests and consultations. I did get a list of their surgeons to pick from, which I did and met her a few months out but then she didn't do the op for some reason and no-one ever had the decency to tell me, I only found out after the surgery! For the vitamins I was told to take the special bariatric ones just for the first year and then after that it was ok but if anything showed up in future blood tests to possibly start taking them again. I am only a year on from my surgery so I have decided (for now) to continue with the batch of bariatric vitamins I have at home and then just switch to basic over the counter ones going forward and not panic if I miss a day or three!

Happy Friday everyone! 😁 Hope we are all doing well! It is bloody hot in the UK today so I am doing my best not to melt in my office 😩 My bariatric nurse has flat out told me I need to be eating more, and I am really struggling to get on top of this. She tells me to aim for 20 mouthfuls per meal 😥 I will keep pushing myself by eating more frequently, but I would love to introduce more fruit into my diet. Are there any fruits which I should stay away from to avoid dumping with the bypass? I know berries are like the gold standard, but I am a bit nervous about other fruits! So far I have only had some raspberries and kiwis 🤣

I just got my labs and EKG today. I’m really hoping that’s okay because the lady put four of the little sticky things under one of my boobs. They have always put them on both sides so that was weird. The dr looked though and didn’t say it was bad or anything. I actually just had one like a month ago but they said they wanted the labs to be within a month of the surgery so I said let’s just do it again just in case. I don’t want anything to push my surgery date. Im trying to get back into the habit of taking my vitamins too. It’s really hard to remember them. I take the procare health multi and bariatric advantage calcium chews but i did try the bariatric pal ones and they aren’t bad. I just want to ask the NP about them before I make that switch. I bought the bariatric advantage chewable multi for the first month. That’s awesome to hear about the smoking. I quit a while ago and it’s definitely an accomplishment. I remember it being kinda freeing that it was one less thing I always had to keep track of and worry about. And now I don’t now how I ever was a smoker. I smell it and it takes my breath. It’s so weird. I meet with the NP tomorrow to verify but I think my liver shrink diet is supposed to be a week long. If so, that means next week I will do a low carb diet to prepare. That’s not required but I just don’t want to go from eating like I do now to the LSD. If I’m correct, I will be starting that process this Tuesday. I am trying to tie up all my loose ends by next week. I don’t want to have anything extra to do the week I am on the liver shrink diet. I figure I will take that time to get my house in order. Every surgery I ever had I sit here and look around at what I could be doing if I wasn’t physically restricted so I hope to get it all done this time.

I'm in Ireland and our healthcare system is totally different. Might your first port of call be your GP? They should know what is allowed on the NHS and what isn't. Also I had a sleeve and I know that can be revised to bypass but not at all sure what the options are for a revision of bypass. But someone more knowledgeable will be along soon. I'm so sorry that having stuck to the rules and lost so much weight your medical condition has contributed to a regain. This is every bariatric surgery patient's worst nightmare. I hope you can get back in control.

So I have been making sure that I hit 100g or more of protein every day. I typically am low carb (under 60g) low fat (under 20g). I like to be adventurous with my food and I enjoy finding new recipes that fit into my macros. However, this last month I have been trying to find recipes that are yummy and fulfill my sweet tooth without going for the ice cream, or candy. One that I discovered was a Greek Yogurt Cheesecake: 1 container of Greek yogurt (i have used Dannons light and fit , 1Tbls of SF FF Cheesecake pudding mix, 1TBL of reduced fat whip. its 115cal 12g of protein, .5g fat and 15g carbs. (you can use any variation of yogurts and pudding mixes). Carbs are higher that I would usually eat but if you have a hard workout day and have it to spare this is the best treat! Also I did not know that Splenda made a brown sugar?! So diced up apples with some spray butter and 1tbls of that brown sugar and bake to soften. You can add it to a little plain Greek yogurt or eat it as it with a dollop of low fat cool whip. I have been finding that I need to have stuff like this in my diet in order to not go off track. Not everyday, but days where all I want to do is eat chocolate or ice cream. I have been following this mom of 3 that lost 50lbs through exercise and diet, she has a ton of recipes. All her single serving recipes easily make 2-3 servings for us bariatric folk, but its healthy and realistic for those people who don't want to restrict forever. Anyone else have some yummy recipes?! Or does anyone think this might cause a slippery slope?

I have to say Im happy you choose the VSG over ESG. Every time I see someone post about ESG, it’s always about insufficient weightloss. But to your question, All things being equal, I would go with the surgeon with the best supporting staff because they will be with you long term. They will see you more and help you more often than the surgeon who you may see twice pre op and once post op if your surgery is uncomplicated. Normally after all the required testing is done, your case will be submitted to your insurance for approval. Once approved they will schedule you for surgery. In the meantime you can double and triple check your coverage to make sure your policy does not have a bariatric surgery exclusion, that the hospital and surgeon you choose are in network, what your copay will be, etc. Bariatric surgery so routine now that they can usually predict an insurance outcome unless you skip/don’t fulfill a key step. Good luck!

I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow to let her know that I want bariatric surgery & get a referral for my surgeon. Are there any certain things I should bring up to my Dr? I have no doubt she'll be on board with the surgery. Anything in particular I should say, or ask for? I've been told that I have sleep apnea by other Drs after having gall bladder surgery & colonoscopy, so I will ask for her to get a sleep study scheduled. I just assume I'll need one. I spoke to my insurance, United Healthcare Choice Plus, and was given their list of requirements for approval 😕 & I will provide her with that list. I don't want to forget or miss anything that I should discuss. I appreciate any tips/suggestions. Like everyone else, I just want this to go as quickly & smoothly as possible.

Ooh, that actually sounds pretty good! You just reminded me that I have a nice NSA barbecue sauce (from whatever Guy Fieri's brand is, lol) in my fridge. I used to love bbq chicken pizza, I wonder what kind of bariatric-monstrosity I could come up with. I know I have some protein wraps from FlatOut in my freezer that I haven't worked up to trying yet.

Had my MSK appointment yesterday to discuss my poorly knees and go through my X-rays. Turns out my knees are, and I quote, ‘riddled with arthritis’ and I will need both replacing. It may sound odd but it’s kind of a relief that the pain I feel is justified if that makes sense? The areas of pain on my knees marry up with the worst areas on my X-rays. She did explain that weight loss wouldn’t get rid of the pain but would obviously help with regards to the replacements and quality of life afterwards. I really did appreciate her honesty because the last thing I would want is to think that getting the weight off would make the pains go, and then be disappointed or blaming myself when that didn’t happen. So, can’t have any replacement op until I can get weight off - that’s a given so I was prepared for that. She did say that I was ahead as I’m on the Bariatric pathway which is a huge help. I’m booked in for steroid injections in both knees in 2 weeks. I’ve had these before which weren’t successful but I’m happy to try again, just in case! A couple of weeks after that I will be contacted by physio to see if the injections worked and to have some physio if so. 3 months after that I will be back to see MSK and discuss next steps. It was a huge help that the MSK person was also recovering from a knee replacement op that she had in January. She also needs both replacing and should hopefully have the second before this year is out. She explained recovery and how long it takes etc. It sounds 😬 but needs must and all that. Hopefully, by the time I’m 60 (4 years to go) my weight will be gone, my knees will by done and I will be able to run around with my 2 grandchildren 😊

I was given cream of chicken soup with bits in it at the hospital day 1 after surgery. I was still hopped up on anesthesia at the time and called a nurse in to question why. She took my spoon and looked at it, then said the bits weren't big enough to cause a problem???? I thought well...it is a bariatric hospital so I ate it. It did taste wonderful and thankfully nothing got stuck in my incisions but I still question it. In fact a relative of mine recently had WLS and on a phone consult within week 1 with same hospital nurses, was told to try a bit of bread for nausea??? I immediately remembered the soup they gave me and am now really questioning the nurses at that hospital and their knowledge of care for bariatric patients. I tried calling them to inquire about their iffy advice but never heard back. I need to call my bariatric team nutritionist to give them a heads up. As for OP question about salty cravings. Soup. Bouillons, strained cream soups and my fav... egg drop soup strained from a local Chinese restaurant. I even used a Vitamix to pulverize any bits that could cause problems later on. Good luck on your journey @Sami2209.

They are yummy! I also am scared of losing hair, but from what I gather there isn't much we can do about preventing it - but it'll only be temporary if it does happen I just take the gummies to make my hair in a better condition as it is now! Definitely! I think some vitamins like B12 & D, the absorption is actually quite poor in tablet form, so the sprays help with that! Oh bless her I know that can happen with some people! So I paid privately in the UK, and it is a 2 year package of aftercare that includes: 1 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse 4 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse 8 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse 12 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse nutritional screen blood test 10 days before 6 month appointment 6 month post-op appointment with a dietician 9 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse 12 month post-op appointment with a dietician and a follow-up with the psychotherapist 15 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse 18 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse 21 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse 24 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse

That is a lovely idea I use: Lactulose: 4-5 5ml spoonfuls per day Dulcoease: 1 5ml spoonful in the evening before bed I have only stopped using these in the last 5 days as my bowel movements are more regular, and to be honest, the dulcoease is very hard hitting, so I wouldn't use that unless you are really struggling with constipation. Just try and eat enough fibre, and drink enough water throughout the day Per day I take: x2 A-Z multivitamin gummies (even though the recommended is always 1, my dietician said bariatric patients should take 2) x1 spray of Vitamin D per day x4 sprays of Vitamin B12 x2 Hairburst gummies

Hey everyone! I really wanted to reply to everyone individually but I ended up just running out of energy - but reading your replies it made me feel a lot more confident in what I am doing. I appreciate all of your advice. I had my 8 week post-op appointment with my bariatric nurse, and she did say that I am probably eating too little, and this could be being driven by the fact I am not drinking enough. So, goals going forward is to drink more water, and to have breakfast! I feel good overall though, dizziness seems to have stopped 🤞 I just need to find some low sugar snacks to bring with me for my tattoo appointments on Tues & Thurs...hmm...

I’ve got a list from my surgeon to bring to the hospital, plus what I’ve noted from other bariatric patients. List includes: ID card and insurance, comfortable clothes, shoes that are good for walking, socks, a heating pad, phone and charger, book, dry mouth spray, water flavor packets, lotion, and lip balm.

I fully agree, I chose the sleeve initially because of what I read from YEARS and YEARS ago, with the complications and all that with the bypass. Had I just listened to everyone who tried to talk to me about the bypass TODAY and the bypass of 15, 20, 25 years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of complications and problems and additional surgeries. The bypass today is nothing like it used to be. In the end, you have to do what you feel is best for you, but please do your own research, have an open mind, and have an open and honest conversation with your primary care doctor and your bariatric surgeon about how you feel and why. Revisions are tough, and I can tell you from experience, the regret of not listening to anyone else because I let my fear take over, my lack of actual research on the bypass because I had made my mind up about the sleeve, and the subsequent complications, work and time lost, additional surgeries, and ending up with a bypass in the end anyway made it all not worth it. Just try to keep an open mind and do research and talk openly and honestly with your team about everything before you make a hard and final decision.

August 7th isn't too far away! You're close to the preop diet. I started mine a few days ago and it's testing me, but I knew it would. If I were a smaller person, I don't think it would be such an issue. If I weren't having appetite issues even before the diet, things would be easier, too. What's helped has been sipping on broth or slurping on sugar free Jell-O all day. I go slow with those so it feels like I'm eating/taking in more than I am. I'm only nervous about one thing: the gas pains immediately after surgery. I've never had surgery before, so I am not sure what to expect. I want to have a realistic expectation of pain before experiencing it. I know I will handle it better that way. Luckily, I have a few family members who have had laparoscopic procedures before and we willing to be honest about the experience. I've been avoiding stories online of others' experiences of that moment, because we all have different pain thresholds and it's too easy to go down the rabbit hole of scary stories. Especially with AI/algorithms thinking we want to see the worst of the worst. I want to share why I made my decision to have the SADI-S vs a sleeve or bypass. While I cannot speak to what things will be like after surgery, I am confident I'm making the correct decision for myself. I'm in my 30s with no kids, but would like some. I have been struggling with my weight ballooning up and down for the last 20 years. At my heaviest, I was over 320 pounds. I hit that as I made the decision for surgery. I didn't know what surgery I wanted, so I started doing research into the best bariatric surgeons in my state. I read through their websites and looked at reviews for the surgeons through my insurance provider, google, yelp, and other such websites. Then I asked a few friends in the medical field which doctors they would want doing surgery on them. All of that narrowed my list down significantly. I ultimately went on gut instinct and don't regret it at all. My surgeon is amazing. Her teams is extremely supportive. Here's some information she gave me on my options: -- Gastric Bypass: She does not recommend the procedure to any patient. It has more points for potential surgery complications and, in her medical opinion, the highest chance for weight regain. -- Sleeve: potential to lose 70% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance for complications. -- SIPS/SADI-S: potential to lose 80% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance of surgical complications. I want to have children, and she advised that the SIPS/SADI-S (there really needs to be a better name for this) is the best choice to allow me to get pregnant a year or so post-op (depending on how I'm doing) and reenter weight loss when appropriate post-birth. I will have to work very closely with my weight loss team throughout the entire pregnancy, but it really feels like a bonus to have more support. My surgeon's office also recommends patients to very talented specialists for all surgery clearances. They all treated me like they were part of a huge team dedicated to helping me get through surgery clearance. It was amazing. I was given a packet with all the possible issues I might encounter post-op, what can be done if they happen, and how to avoid them in the first place. When I read through it spelled out in black and white, it's easy to see what my life would need to be to avoid a horrible experience. The most embarrassing ones are noted as being most common with gastric bypass than sleeve or DS. Most of these complications can be avoided by chewing well, not drinking during meals, and not overeating. One of my doctors said I am going back to being a baby again, digestively. I will need to reteach my body how to process what I eat and not be afraid to push back milestones if I'm not ready to start the next leg of the journey. I'm definitely anxious. The unknown is always scary. I'm confident at the same time because of the team I'm working with. And because of the support I have at home. I know I'm extremely lucky to have the surgeon and support I do. It's definitely a burden to afford this surgery right now, but I don't believe I will feel that way in 5 or 10 years.

So, I am almost 2 months post-op, and I am due to have my 8 week check-in with a bariatric nurse. My friend also had the same surgery as me, just the day prior, and she has had this check-in already. She was told that at the current stage we are in post-op, we should be eating 900-1000 calories a day!! 🫠🤯 I genuinely don't think my body is capable! I think I eat around 400-500 on a good day, and I mean a REALLY good day (which is rare), and around 300 on a normal day. Maybe I need to have more protein shakes? I don't know. The prospect of eating that much seems so daunting, and I really get full on what I am already eating!

I never had reflux or gerd so I was a fantastic candidate for the sleeve. And after the sleeve, the gerd was so bad I was on 80mg of Nexium TWICE per day PLUS pepcid for break through and TUMS if really needed (and I was always doing all of it, sometimes still with no real relief). I developed so many polyps from the incredibly high amounts of PPI over a long period of time that I needed 4 endoscopies to remove them. I also developed gastritis and esophagitis. I was told I had no choice but to have the revision to bypass. So 13 months after my sleeve, I was back in the hospital having the bypass. The recovery was SO much faster and easier, the gerd was cured almost immediately, getting my fluids down was so much easier, my only real regret is that I had the sleeve at all. I just wish I had gone straight to the bypass to begin with. If you already have gerd, I STRONGLY advise at least thinking about the bypass instead of the sleeve. The bariatric surgeon may not even give you the sleeve as an option, so maybe start considering the bypass as a viable choice.

that's not why some insurance policies require a six-month supervised diet. They require it because they want to see if you're able to stick to a diet long-term, because they don't want to fork over thousands of dollars for patients to have an elective surgery only to blow it big time by not following their clinic's plan. On top of that, some surgeons require that you lose a certain number of pounds before they'll let you have surgery. I lost 56 lbs on my six-month supervised diet, and no way were they going to tell me I couldn't have surgery because I could obviously "do it on my own" (and honestly, fewer than 5% of people who lose a lot of weight can maintain it for more than a few months. Bariatric surgeons are well aware of this fact)

Hurray! My endoscopy was a success today 😊 No pain, no memory, no issues, all clear ready for the next step on my bariatric surgery. I’m thankful that I was put in for today’s list after someone cancelled as I was told that it was normally a 6 month wait as they on have 1 list per week for deeper sedation with only 4 patients on said list. Here’s a turn up for the books - the snotty Sister from yesterday’s phone-call was at the sister hospital today and sought me out to apologise to me 😮 To say I was surprised is an understatement but I’ve accepted her apology and I’m moving on. Thanks for all the support yesterday. It meant the world to me and showed me that I wasn’t being unreasonable. 💜

Just got my surgery date 7/23 for bypass. Just bought all my vitamins from Bariatric Pal. Stocking up on shakes, protein powder, yogurt smoothies, soup, jello. I do 10 days of liquids preop starting this Friday with the last 3 days being clears only. Going to have my steak Thursday night tho! 😂😜

I was surprised today to learn I don't have to do an all liquid diet except the 24 hours before. I have to follow an 800-900 calorie diet for the 11 days before eating food from my bariatric food store. So I'm glad it's not just going to be having liquid, till after the surgery! 😀