Alex Brecher

Good luck!!

We refer many patients to them at BariatricPal TeamMX and we've only heard back good things from patients that have used them.

How do you know whether weight loss surgery is for you? Will it be the weight control solution you have been searching for for years? Or will it be a decision you regret? Nobody can answer that for you, but here are some considerations as you think about whether weight loss surgery is for you. The Qualifying Criteria You are not a candidate for bariatric surgery unless you meet certain criteria set by your surgeon or, if applicable, your healthcare coverage plan. The standard criteria are: Body Mass Index (BMI) over 40 or BMI 35 with an obesity-related comorbidity, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or sleep apnea. Confirmation that your obesity is not caused by an underlying condition that would make weight loss surgery ineffective. A psychological exam to show that you are capable of sticking to the post-op diet and lifestyle changes that are necessary. Previous documented attempts at losing weight with diet and exercise. Ineffectiveness of Previous Efforts Weight loss surgery is a last resort, not a first try at losing weight. It is for patients who have been obese for years and who have tried to lose weight using lifestyle changes, such as a modified diet plan and a formal exercise program. Many weight loss surgery patients try “every diet under the sun” before deciding that it is time for WLS. They may have had trouble losing any weight at all, or may have lost weight initially but been unable to keep it off. Readiness to Change Weight loss surgery is just the beginning. The way you eat after weight loss surgery determines how well you will be able to control your weight for the rest of your life. You need to be ready to change if you want to be successful with weight loss surgery. No longer will you be able to down a pizza or hit the drive-through on a whim. Are you ready to possibly: Give up coffee and regular and diet soda? Cut sugary treats and fried foods, especially with gastric bypass? Pass on the alcoholic offerings at home, parties, and restaurants? Count protein, slash carbs, and measure portions? Addressing Other Issues Weight gain does not always take place in a vacuum, and weight loss does not solve other problems you might have in your life. First, identify why you became overweight in the first place, and what is keeping you from losing the weight. Is weight loss surgery the answer, or do you need to first deal with an abusive relationship or lack of self-confidence, for example? Emotional eating is a common reason for weight gain. If you tend to eat your feelings away, you are best off figuring out other ways to handle your feelings before you get surgery. Can you use walking as a form of therapy? Maybe you can join an in-person or online support group to turn to when you feel sad, lonely, or angry. If your emotional eating is related to a specific problem, such as stress at work, your best bet may be to handle the problem before getting WLS. That could mean finding a healthy coping mechanism, or it could mean getting counseling to help you work through the source of stress. It could even mean finding a new job, as scary as that sounds. Consider Replacement Addictions Replacement addictions are common after weight loss surgery. They happen when you give up food – which can be an addiction – for a different addiction. Instead of turning to food for comfort, entertainment, or companionship, some weight loss surgery patients turn to “replacement addictions” or “cross addictions” They may take up smoking, or start to abuse alcohol. Replacement addictions can also be healthier than eating; some weight loss surgery patients become gym rats or take up gardening, sewing, or other hobbies. As you consider weight-loss surgery, think about the possibility of food addiction being replaced by replacement addictions. What role does food play in your life now? What do you see replacing that emotional or physical role after surgery? The decision to get weight loss surgery requires a lot of soul searching for most candidates. These points can help you work through some of the doubts you may have as you try to decide what is best for yourself.

Can you try deleting your cookies and cache and testing again? Do you have the same issue on Chrome?

Good morning! What Operating and Operating System are you using, please? If possible, please provide a URL as an example as well please.

Omar Lliles Acosta A few years ago there was an individual named "Omar Lliles Acosta" accused of raping or sexually abusing weight loss patients in Mexico. It's been recently brought to my attention that he's back in business and marketing surgery once again in Mexico. It was never proven that he raped or sexually abused patients but I'm 100% certain that he's a dangerous and drug addicted felon! Omar was recently arrested for carrying hundreds of narcotic pills and an unlicensed firearm. Tijuana, Baja California (GH) As part of the actions of the December Safe operation, the State Preventive Police (PEP) detained a subject with hundreds of psychotropic pills and a firearm. The detention took place when the elements in the circular on the boulevard Sánchez Taboada observed a subject aboard a Tahoe pickup truck that circulated in excess of speed, without respecting the signals of transit. Noticing this action, they reached the subject and one of the agents caught sight of what appeared to be a firearm near the passenger seat, so that the suspect was stopped and stopped short. After being intervened, he was identified as Omar "N", 41 years old, Who showed a marked nervousness for which he was asked to descend and was made a precautionary body review without finding anything illicit. When inspecting the interior of the vehicle was found a firearm, 1 charger and 6 cartridges also found a package containing 201 psychotropic pills of the brands Clonazepam, Dormicum, Domizolam and Alprozalam. The detainee was placed at the disposal of the corresponding authorities who will be in charge of determining their legal status.

Hey BariatricPal members! Here’s your chance to motivate others and keep your own weight loss on track. You know weight loss surgery success is all about the food. Well, maybe not ALL about the food, but mostly! Eat the right foods in the right amounts, and you will hit your goals. To help, I’m starting a new feature: “What’s on Today’s Menu?” It’s your daily chance to share your meal plan and give yourself a boost in weight loss by: Helping you plan the day’s menu – so you’re more likely to be prepared. Focusing on foods – so you choose the right ones. Keeping you accountable – because you’ll want to be able to be proud of sharing healthy choices! Giving you ideas and motivation – as you read other members’ meal plans. I’m looking for help here from a BariatricPal member who is determined to succeed. Are you willing to step it up and be a leader? Each day, you would create a new conversation where BariatricPal members can all post their menus. It’s a great chance to give back and to stay on track. Please post here about your thoughts about this idea, and if you want to be that model BariatricPal member! Thanks!

You may already know that you should think about the quantifiable aspects: think numbers. You want to know how much weight that surgeon’s patients tend to lose, what kind of complication rates does the surgeon see and which types of complications do they tend to be, and how much experience the surgeon has in terms of lifetime surgeries and current number of surgeries they performed per month. But what about the rest? What about “bedside manner” and all the things it includes? Finding a surgeon with great statistics may not be enough to guarantee that you have found the best surgeon for yourself. There are some less definable characteristics to think about. Explains well Your surgeon should be able to explain everything you want to know in terms you can understand. If you are the type of person who needs to question every detail, you need a surgeon who is willing to take the time to explain everything you want to know at the level of detail you are requesting. Don’t accept “because I said so” as an answer. Even if you are not the type to ask many questions, you still need to be able to communicate with your surgeon. You need to understand basics such as your surgery options, what to expect in the hospital, and your pre-op and post-op instructions. Keep looking for another surgeon if the one you’re considering now cannot explain well. It is the surgeon’s responsibility to do so; you are not “dumb” for not understanding. Treats You with Respect Basic respect can make your entire experience more pleasant, safer, and more successful. “Respect” is complicated, but it can include some of the following. Treating you as an individual rather than giving you cookie cutter treatment. Taking your concerns seriously. Giving you information to help you make decisions, rather than forcing decisions on you. Discusses risks and expected weight loss seriously with you, and does not make unrealistic promises about surgery safety and impossibly fast weight loss. Is Accessible There may be times when you have a question or concern that cannot wait until your next appointment. Is your surgeon accessible? If not, does your surgeon have someone else you can call at any time? Find out what happens if you need to contact your surgeon, or a nurse or the nutritionist, during or after business hours. You want to be sure you are in good hands at all times. Focuses on the Future You’ve heard over and over that weight loss surgery gives you a tool, and that the rest is up to you. You’ve also heard that this is a change for life, not a quick fix for a few months or a year. Your surgeon should be giving you that same message. Stay clear of any surgeon who does not discuss the future with you. Be wary if the surgeon seems to believe that his surgery will be enough to get you to the weight you want. As much as you may want to believe it, it is not true. You will need to eat right and work hard for years to get your weight under control, and you need a surgeon who will support you every step of the way. Gives You Confidence No matter what happens in your life, which decisions you make about surgery, and what triumphs and challenges your weight loss surgery journey includes, things will be better if you feel positively about them. Your surgeon can help by giving you confidence that: He or She will take care of you no matter what. He or She believes in you. You are making the right decisions for yourself. This can be difficult to judge, but see how you feel after walking out of the surgeon’s office. Do you feel excited and hopeful? Or do you feel overwhelmed and daunted? A few nerves are normal, but you should also feel that you can do this. If not, find a surgeon who does let you feel self-confident. Fantastic surgeons are out there, and you deserve one, but you may need to put in some effort to find one. After checking out the statistics, you may need to depend on your gut to help you make the right decision. You can go into surgery with more confidence when your surgeon is communicative, respectful, and positive.

It’s still chilly and the weather is still variable, but spring is on its way. With less wind, ice, rain, and snow, and more sunshine, you may be thinking about more outdoors activities after being cooped up all winter. Any extra movement you do will help with weight loss and health, and getting outside for some fresh air and natural light can boost mood, too! Are you going to pick up with your morning or evening walks as the days get longer? Have you been itching to go for a hike after losing weight this winter? You can even bump up metabolism and burn a few calories walking around the block before sitting down to lunch at work, or parking at the far end of the parking lot without worrying about trudging through a pile of snow. How will you take advantage of the new season to support your weight loss surgery journey

575 and above.

How do you explain this http://www.frontera.info/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Policiaca/19122016/1161004-Detiene-PEP-a-sujeto--con-arma-y-pastillas-psicotropicas.html ? Doesn't sound very gentleman to me....

Yup! Dr. Illan has tried reaching out to FaceBook but hasn't had much luck dealing with them. Let's get the word out so everyone knows who they're really dealing with!

We charge the same price ($39) for the Syntrax Nectar at the BariatricPal Store.

Dr. Corvala is one of the great grandfathers of weight loss surgery! He taught many of the bariatric surgeons in Mexico as well as proctored many US surgeons back in the day. He's very highly respected and you're in fantastic hands. Please let us know how things go!

Most of us change our diets dramatically after weight loss surgery. It is easier to focus on the junk foods we give up, but a lot of us end up discovering new, healthy foods that taste great and are fun to eat. They may even end up satisfying certain cravings in specific ways, such as having a chocolate protein bar instead of a chocolate bar, or crunching on bell peppers and yogurt dip instead of chips and ranch dip. These healthy foods may be foods you never thought to try before, or they could be foods you didn’t used to like but now taste better since your taste buds have gotten used to healthy choices. They could even be foods you used to like, but that you forgot about as your diet grew poor and you gained weight. What is your favorite healthy food discovery since weight loss surgery or since starting a pre-op weight loss diet? How did you discover it? Is it something that you use specifically to replace a food that’s no longer part of your diet? Or is it just something you enjoy eating and that fits into your current meal plan? Share your food finds here – maybe you’ll enlighten other members on foods to watch for!

Looking into weight loss surgery and deciding to get it is exciting. You are probably happy about the prospect of getting your weight under control for the first time in years, if not ever, and you are probably eager to make progress your journey. Unfortunately, you may find that some of your family members and closest friends do not share your enthusiasm for Weight Loss Surgery. Instead of sharing your excitement and promising their support, they may express concern about your decision. They may even “forbid” you to get Weight Loss Surgery. How do you deal with family members and friends who are against Weight Loss Surgery? Bariatric surgery is known for being tough on relationships, but there are some things you can do to try to win them over. At the very least, you can go forward with your Weight Loss Surgery plans without letting family members drag you down. Why Does It Matter? Support during your Weight Loss Surgery journey can help you succeed. It is motivating to know that the people who love you are on your side. Through the long days of diet restrictions and dramatic lifestyle changes, your journey will be easier if your family members and friends pitch in however they can, whether with verbal encouragement or concrete changes such as avoiding eating off-limits foods in front of you. Still, it is important to remember that you CAN succeed, whether or not you get the support you hope for. Get to the Heart of the Matter First, make sure you know why they are against your weight loss surgery. It is often because they are afraid for your safety. They may know people – or know people who know people who know people – who had complications from Weight Loss Surgery. You can talk to them about the real risks of surgery – using statistics rather than hearsay – compared to the risks of remaining overweight. Still, do not assume that your safety is why they are negative about your decision. It is important to let them express their concerns and to address them directly. These are some other common reasons why your family and friends might have a negative gut reaction to your exciting news. They may be worried that you won’t be able to stick to the Weight Loss Surgery diet, and that you’ll be disappointed with the results. They may think you don’t need it. A lot of family members have trouble seeing how overweight you are, and understanding how much it interferes with your life and health. They may feel insulted. Parents especially may feel as though they have failed if they see you, their child, opt for surgery. They may feel threatened. Your significant other, for example, may be comfortable in the relationship you have had for years, and may worry that the way you feel about him/her will change as you lose weight. They may not know what it means for them. Friends may worry that you won’t want to hang out with them anymore, especially if your time together tends to revolve around food or if they think of you as their dependable “fat friend.” Whatever the true concern is, address it directly. Reassure your friends and family that you are doing this for you, and that you will not become a different person. Offer Them a Role Some friends and family members may feel overwhelmed by your news of Weight Loss Surgery, and that can lead to their negative response. Surprisingly, offering them ways to be more involved in the experience can actually help change their minds. They may feel better about your WLS once you tell them the details about the prep, procedure, and diet, and may even be grateful if you let them know specifically what they can do to help. Address Meal Times Directly Food is central to relationships at home and in social settings, so it is understandable if your loved ones are worried about how your upcoming Weight Loss Surgery will affect the time you spend together. If you think this may be a concern, discuss meals at home and in restaurants with your friends and family. Let them know that you will still be present at the table and interested in being good company, even if you are not eating as much as them or ordering the exact foods that they are. If you are comfortable with the situation, they are more likely to be. Agree to Disagree In most cases, family members mean well. It may be hard to remember or see in the heat of the moment, but they often do genuinely want the very best for you. If you have already tried your hardest to convince them to support your Weight Loss Surgery decision and they are not ready to do so, your next hope is to keep them as an ally in other aspects of your life. Hopefully, you and they can agree to disagree about your Weight Loss Surgery. You can let them know that you respect their opinion and will not be pressuring them to support your WLS. In exchange, you can ask them to continue to be your friend regardless of whether you are a bariatric surgery patient. Be Patient Sometimes, it just takes time. Your own Weight Loss Surgery success may be the best argument for why your loved ones should support you. It may take weeks, months, or a year, but they may come around as they see how happy you are, and as they realize how much they miss you. Bariatric surgery is a lot easier when everyone you love supports your decision, but that’s not always the case. Don’t let resistance from family members and friends get you down, though. They’re probably trying to act in your best interest, and in most cases, you can still get Weight Loss Surgery while keeping strong relationships with them.

It really depends what device you're using? I'm on my iPhone at the moment. Attaching a screenshot. You can see "Click to choose files". Click that to add a pic.

We've been lagging behind in the Vegan department. We really don't have much yet. We will be adding more Vegan-friendly products later this summer.

The weight loss surgery diet is strict, but there is an entire industry of weight loss surgery products to help make your journey easier. There are reduced-calorie, low-carb, high-Protein versions of foods from Cereal and pancakes to Pasta and wraps. Also, of course, there are tons of convenient Meal Replacements and Protein shakes and bars to fight hunger at a moment’s notice, no matter where you are. Even though there a lot of weight loss and weight loss surgery foods, there may be some others that you would like to see. Is there a certain flavor of Protein Bar or Protein shake that you would love to try, or are there any high-carb, high-calorie off-limits foods that you wish you could find in a low-carb, but still tasty, version? Or maybe you can think of something that would make a pre-op or post-op liquid diet easier that you haven’t been able to find in stores? Share what you would like to see on shelves as you lose weight! If you are lucky, you might discover that another BariatricPal member knows where you can find that dream food!

It takes a lot of work for you prepare for and recover from weight loss surgery, and to continue to lose weight and get healthy. With all that focus on yourself, it sounds strange that you could be neglecting yourself, but it often happens. If you do not work on strengthening your self-respect, self-confidence, and self-love, you may not be as successful in your weight loss surgery journey. Here are some easy tips for building a little rapport with the most important person in your life: you. Recognize Your Greatness You would do everything you could to recognize the good things about someone else if you were building a relationship with them, and you can do the same for yourself to build your relationship with yourself. It can take some practice to get into the habit of recognizing your good qualities and your good choices, so get started! Don’t forget to appreciate: Every milestone, whether a weight loss milestone or a non-scale victory. Each good decision you make, such as packing a lunch instead of leaving it to chance. How energized and proud you feel after eating right and exercising. Your new inner strength for recognizing what’s important – your health – and setting aside what’s not – a few moments of short-lived gratification when you visit the drive-through. Your efforts and resolution – because what you are doing is not easy! Reward yourself when you deserve it Little gifts can make your appreciation seem sincerer, and motivate you to keep up the good work. Give yourself treats regularly to reward yourself for any progress you made, or “just because.” A night curled up with a box of pizza is no longer an option, but there are plenty of far better ways to show yourself “I love me!” A massage or spa treatment. New workout clothes or other new clothes. A new app or fitness monitor to motivate you and show your progress. A morning sleeping in. Getting your house cleaned. A makeover or parts of one, such as a new haircut or different color nail polish. Be Your Biggest Supporter Consider what a supporter does, and figure out how you can be your own biggest one. It can take some effort, such as planning ahead to pave the way for healthier choices, such as packing breakfast the night before so you do not go through the drive-through, keeping a pair of walking shoes in the car so you can grab a walk anywhere whenever you have time, and putting each of your surgeon appointments and support group meetings on your calendar so you cannot forget. A supporter is also your biggest advocate. Speak up for yourself when needed, whether it is to tell the server at the restaurant that you need smaller portions and you would like the sauce on the side, or whether it is to tell your mother that you are doing this surgery for yourself because you need to. Your advocacy may include being firm with the surgeon about your preference for the surgery type you want. Don’t Deprive Yourself Telling yourself “no” constantly is no way to build a loving relationship! Grow the love by giving yourself treats. Just make sure they are on your diet. You might end the day with some Protein Cocoa or Chocolate Caramel Crispy Bites, sneak in some BBQ Zippers for an afternoon crunch, or greet the weekend with Protein Pancakes and a Protein Omelet. There are plenty of recipes online for healthy alternatives to favorite comfort foods from pizza and fried chicken to ice cream and brownies. Balance Tough Love with Forgiveness Honesty is the foundation for any strong relationship, including this one. Call yourself out when you make a decision you’re not proud of or you find yourself slipping into a slump where the scale starts creeping up or sweets start sneaking their way into your diet. At the same time, realize that you will not be perfect, and accept that fact. Develop a plan for when you catch yourself off track. Your plan will probably include recognizing your mistakes, forgiving yourself forb them, considering what led you to make them, and resolving to fix them. Build a stronger relationship with yourself, and you are setting yourself up for better success in the short and long terms. It takes some practice, but the results are well worth it.

Thanks for the screenshot. We are working on this now.

Can you explain what you're not seeing exactly? What type of a device are you using to view the forum?

Thanks!

No matter who you are, you need help during your weight loss surgery journey. There are all kinds of decisions to be made, from which type of weight loss surgery to get to whom your surgeon will be to how much of which kinds of foods to choose as you lose weight and how to handle plateaus. Who are your sources for information? Do you depend on online resources and BariatricPal members? Do you have weight loss surgery patient friends who can guide you? Did you choose your surgeon based on your doctor’s recommendation, or maybe based on online directories with reviews and ratings? Share your resources and we can all get ideas on where to go for good advice on weight loss surgery!

The BariatricPal Store carries a pretty wide variety of over 60 Protein bars that don't taste like cardboard! We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all products sold. Personally, I try staying away from Protein Bars. I'll eat them when I'm on the go and don't have time to grab real food.