Alex Brecher

There’s no question that support is one of the biggest keys to success after weight loss surgery. Bariatric support groups can be a major source of support. They come in all forms and play all kinds of roles for different patients. As a way of helping other BariatricPal members who may be looking for a support group or who would like to get more out of their support systems, here are a few questions that I’d love for you to answer! Which support groups do you belong to? Are they in person or online, such as BariatricPal? How often do you attend meetings or login? Did you find them through your surgeon, or did you find them another way? What do you use your support systems for? Is it generally for information about weight loss surgery? Do you get ideas about food and recipes? Do you look for recommendations for products and healthcare providers? Is it to make friends that you can meet outside of the group? Does the group help keep you accountable? Do you feel as though anything is lacking from your support groups? What would you like to have that you do not already get? Thanks for your help!

@@mollydeez, It is great that you are giving up caffeine so early. If you think you feel bad now, you would feel so much worse going through caffeine withdrawal at the same time as facing the pain of surgery and all the other stress that comes with surgery! I would really suggest fighting through the caffeine withdrawal symptoms – like that headache you had – now rather than later. I know it is hard now, but it will be harder later. Good luck!

@@gustavio, Congratulations on your surgery and on getting to this point in your diet! The best thing to eat is what works for you. How can you get in your Protein and stick to your calories while sticking to your budget and not spending longer than you want in the kitchen and still enjoying your diet and life a little? It’s up to you! Yes, it’s probably “best” to eat all fresh foods, but for most of us, that’s just not an option. We don’t all have enough time to go grocery shopping and cook a lot while working, taking care of family, working out, and fulfilling whatever other obligations we have in life. Sure, frozen meals are fine. Just read the labels to make sure you know your portion sizes and are getting the protein you need. Lean Cuisine and other frozen meals can help you keep your meal plan interesting and easy, which are both important for the long run. In general, I would suggest thinking about food choices as a combination of choosing what you want versus making the healthiest choice. So, if you want a burger, choose a ground turkey patty on lettuce instead of fatty beef on a bun, or choose whole wheat crackers instead of refined white crackers. Even with frozen meals, some have whole grains and a serving of vegetables, while others have refined grains and more starch than veggie. Yes, it is normal to be cold after weight loss surgery. You are not eating very much, which means you are not giving your body much fuel to burn and keep yourself warm. You will continue to be colder than you used to as you lose body fat, since fat helps insulate you. Just think how much fun it will be to buy new sweaters in smaller sizes, and to enjoy summer a little more instead of dreading the heat!

@@iloveorganicmilk, I am glad you posted on here to ask. Before even looking at your low BMI, I would worry about you looking into the gastric sleeve as a solution for binge eating disorder. It is not, unless you binge in response to actual physical hunger. If that were the case, the gastric sleeve could help by reducing hunger. However, BED is not a “hunger” response, and if you have it, I am guessing you do not stop eating when you are full. Yes, the gastric sleeve diet will tell you to stop eating when full, and to make healthy food choices, but will you be able to listen? As others have brought up, you can always eat around your sleeve. If you ignore your body’s signals and choose the wrong foods, you can easily out-eat your sleeve. BED is an emotional or psychological response. Even someone who has a BMI of 50 may be better off trying counseling or some sort of therapy before looking into the gastric sleeve, and then continuing therapy even after getting surgery to work on the head issues. Now, about your BMI. It is up to you and your surgeon, but I don’t know why any surgeon would feel comfortable performing permanent weight loss surgery when you neither need to lose weight nor have a condition that the surgery is designed to treat. Good luck to you as you work to overcome BED. It is a tough one to deal with, but you can do it!

@@facebro29, Congratulations on your surgery! Day 2 is a really good time to have a breakdown. All the factors are working against you: you are in pain; you may be realizing that this is forever and you now have no choice; you have not lost much weight yet; you cannot get comfortable; you can barely even drink water….etc., etc., It is hard, but the good news is that this is often the toughest part, and it usually lasts only a few days post-op. You are doing a good job by walking as much as you can to manage the pain. It is also good that you have the right attitude, such as drinking as much as you can but not beating yourself up over it. Good luck, and you will feel better soon!

@@fancypants11578, As you know, hair loss is common after weight loss surgery. You have a lot of great suggestions here. All you can really do is do your best, and hope that you are one of the lucky WLS patients who does not lose too much hair. Along with staying nourished and taking good care of yourself, luck plays a major role in how much hair you lose. You have gotten a lot of good ideas for Vitamins, with Biotin being the most common one recommended for healthy hair. Along with vitamins, there is general nutrition, since the malnourishment that can happen after WLS can lead to hair loss. Do your best to get in the Protein that your surgeon and nutritionist recommend, usually around a minimum of 65 grams a day to start, and often more than that eventually. You can also try to prevent hair loss by taking very good care of yourself. Hit your Fluid recommendations or go past them every single day, even though it is really tough after WLS when it is hard to swallow or you feel full or you don’t like the taste of Water or flavored water. Try to get enough sleep and lower stress. I know they are easier said than done, but even being aware of how your lifestyle can affect hair loss may motivate you to look at your entire life and take good care of yourself. Good luck! No matter what happens, think of the benefits and also remember that your hair will grow again.

@@Ebony Rose, Congratulations on your surgery! Thanks for telling us your background so we can go through your journey with you with a greater understanding! I am so glad it went well for you and you are happy with your choice. Thanks for all the updates. It is great not only to know that you are doing well, but it is also good to learn what you are feeling and thinking at each stage before and after surgery. It helps us all know what to expect. Good luck as you keep moving forward!

@@Boudala, Congratulations on your surgery! I know it is difficult right now, but take heart. You are in what can be the toughest post-op period. The few days right after surgery can be just as you described, with a lot of abdominal pain, plus feeling gas in your chest and the desire to burp. It makes it mentally tougher when you have challenges like missing your little son! If you want chicken broth, why don’t you have it? As long as it is clear broth, it can just count towards your Fluid requirements for the day, and it might help you feel better. The feelings of hunger that may not be hunger are also common, although they are confusing and frustrating! Sometimes what you think of as hunger can actually be pain from your surgery wounds. It is difficult to tell. At this point, you will probably just want to get down whatever Protein and fluids you can tolerate to try to hit the goals your surgeon or nutritionist gave you. Then you can work towards recognizing hunger and fullness as you continue to heal and are feeling a little more normal. As others have suggested, you can use walking to help manage the pain. The more you can keep moving, the better you will probably feel. Try to stay positive and remember that this will pass, and probably very soon. Life will look a lot better when your son is back with you and you are not hurting so much! Good luck!

I initially banned the OP because I thought she wasn't real person and just someone trying to garner attention and cause trouble. After having a private conversation I realized she was a real person and unbanned her. I don't agree with her stance and don't condone getting surgery when one has an eating disorder. I don't ban members for that, though. I keep these forums open to everyone and we don't discriminate. You can (politely) explain your stance why you feel she's making a big mistake but there's no need to call any member names. That was the only point I was attempting to make.

Is there an echo in here?

Let's please keep this conversation civil. It's against forum rules to call other members names etc. Let's just be NICE. if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it here.

They did do that but I also unbanned their original account. Please stop calling this member a troll. I think they can use all the support can get .....

This member has been banned for trolling.

I'm not writing any of this in an aggressive tone or anything. but just wanted to say, that a post is way too small to explain my complete life journey. this post was just meant to ask thoughts about what people who had the surgery thought about my decision to get the sleeve. my starting weight was 135 when i got the lap band in march 2015. (I got down to about 108 pounds from the lap band). this past labor day weekend, I got extreme pain from my lapband so i had it completely drained. thats when i decided that the lapband was not for me. (then i gained to 125 with my band all drained) I'm getting my band removed during thanksgiving and then having my surgery the day after christmas. This is not a joke people, nor a troll. I'm seriously just asking for thoughts about my decision. I'm not here to provoke or anger anyone. Just please leave your educated thoughts about my decision if you have any. thank you Who is the surgeon that did your original Lap-Band surgery and which surgeon is doing your sleeve?

When I had surgery in 2003 I didn't tell a soul since I knew that everyone (friend's and family!) would try to talk me out of my decision to move forward. I felt guilty about hiding this big secret from them. It was the BEST decision I ever made! Years later most of my family and friend's are pro-WLS since they've seen how it positively changed my life.

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.

Those are automagically added based on the # of posts you have.

I LOVE Brussel sprouts and eat them at least once per week. My kids HATE the way they smell when I cook em I usually either use fresh ones and cut them in halves or really small frozen ones. Sprinkle a little olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper and roast them for 30-45 minutes. Delish!!

We're spoiled in NY. They sell the pomegranate seeds in plastic containers. Great for us lazy people. Check out this video on how to actually get the seeds out of one:

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and sweet new year!

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! I hope this newsletter finds you well and making progress towards your surgery, weight loss, and health goals. Now that summer is officially over, it’s about time to take advantage of what autumn has to offer to help you lose more weight. We hope this newsletter will help you do that, and here is what you will find. Ready for Weight Loss Anytime, Anywhere Appreciating the Weight Loss Surgery Journey Autumn Weight Loss: Take Advantage of the Season Take a look at the newsletter for some inspiration and ideas. Then, why not put what you learned to the test by planning the next stage in your weight loss surgery journey? The BariatricPal forums are always there for encouragement and support, so you can be confident that you’re never alone in your journey. To your health! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Ready for Weight Loss Anytime, Anywhere Your best bet for sticking to your weight loss surgery diet is to be prepared. For starters, you can stock your kitchen with fresh vegetables and fruit, chicken, tuna, yogurt, and other lean proteins, and instant protein breakfasts and entrees to use in a pinch. There may be times when you need something even faster, and you can be prepared to get a healthy meal or snack anytime, anywhere. Shakes, Bars, and Snacks A healthy snack can give you needed protein while curbing hunger, but putting together a fresh snack is not always practical. Protein shakes, protein bars, and protein snacks, such as protein chips and protein pretzels, can do the trick when you are time-crunched or have other things on your mind. You can find the calorie-controlled, ready to use choices you need at The BariatricPal Store. New to our store? Use coupon code BPNLSEP2016 for a 15% discount on your first purchase! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Healthy Options at Every Corner No matter how careful you are to plan ahead, life can throw a wrench into your plans. When life happens, you can be caught empty-handed and starving. Even then, you can find something that fits into your weight loss surgery diet. Fast food restaurants have a lot of bad options, but they have some good choices, too. Whether you are stuck with a coffee shop, a burger joint, a pizza parlor, a sandwich shop, or another type of national franchise restaurant, you can fit something into your WLS diet if you order carefully. You might want to consider your options ahead of time so you can be confident in your choice when you have only a few quick minutes to decide what to order. These are some likely possibilities to look for. Eggs and cheese from a breakfast sandwich. Chicken or turkey breast, a burger patty, or cheese from a burger, sandwich, or taco. A side salad or green salad with chicken breast. Fat-free yogurt. You always have the choice of how much to eat, so do not ever pressure yourself to eat too much just because you received too much food. Also, you can pick and choose what to eat. Never feel obligated to eat the bread when all you wanted was the chicken breast inside the sandwich, and feel free to pick out the shrimp and vegetables from a rice bowl, while leaving the rice untouched. Appreciating the Weight Loss Surgery Journey There is a lot to think about from the moment you begin the weight loss surgery journey. Goal weight may be at the front of your mind. Also at the forefront are probably milestones such as getting through your pre-op diet, having surgery itself, progressing to solid foods, and, if you are a lap-band patient, finding the green zone with your band. On top of all that, you need to focus on working hard day in, day out, on following your WLS diet. There is truly a lot to concentrate on as you chase weight loss surgery success. That is good because it can keep you focused on track, but it can keep you from noticing some of the great things that are happening every day of your WLS. Making an effort to notice these exciting moments on a daily basis can keep you motivated and make your entire journey easier. Recognize Great Choices On a daily basis, you are faced with countless choices that affect your weight loss surgery journey, from what to eat to whether to exercise. No matter what else happens in your life, you are in control of your choices. If you make a habit of noticing and praising yourself each time you make a good weight loss surgery choice, you will be motivated to make more good choices. They build on each other. Here are a few choices you might recognize. They may seem small, but they show your commitment to your weight loss, and they add up to big results. Measuring portions instead of eyeballing them. Packing a lunch the night before so you don’t rush out of the house empty-handed the next day. Getting up to walk in the morning instead of rolling over in bed. Making the effort to go to your support group meeting instead of staying at home. Phoning a friend to talk through your feelings instead of drowning them in food. Enjoy Daily Progress You will not hit a major milestone each day. The scale will not go down each day, or even each week. But you can still progress in your weight loss surgery every day. When you appreciate your progress, you can see the links between your hard work and the benefits that it leads to. In turn, that can increase your motivation. All kinds of progress can happen on a daily basis. Many of them will be NSVs (non-scale victories) that can pop up at any time. For example, there might be that first day when it takes you a moment to see that the skinny figure reflecting back at you from the shop window is…you. You might find that you ar Or, you might realize that you chose to order the grilled chicken salad instead of your old go-to of nachos supreme not because you had to, but because the salad actually sounded more appealing for your new palate. Autumn Weight Loss: Take Advantage of the Season Ready or not, summer is over and the chillier weather is coming in. You might as well embrace it, though, since autumn can be a great season for weight loss. For one thing, the distractions of summer vacations are over, so it is easier to focus on routine, including the routine that you know will get you to your weight loss goals. Here are a few more ways you can take advantage of fall for weight loss. Walk outside in the invigorating brisk air instead of avoiding the summer heat. Snack on crisp fall apples, or bake them with cinnamon and serve them with Greek yogurt for a guilt-free dessert. Discover winter squashes such as acorn and butternut as one of the most nutritious starch choices you can make – packed with fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. Find a local farm where you can burn calories picking apples or pears. Curl up with a hot cup of protein cocoa or cappuccino on a chilly evening. Go to a gym regularly, since they are fairly empty at this time of year. Get creative as you think of ways that the fall season can help you lose weight, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes along. Whenever you have ideas or need ideas, hop on over to BariatricPal and get those conversations going! I hope you enjoyed the newsletter and got some inspiration from it. You are always welcome to share your questions and comments over on the forums, and I hope you will! Have a great fall, and thanks for your support. · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

Weight loss surgery success takes a lot of work and it’s nearly a full-time job, especially in the beginning. However, you can soon see the results of your efforts as you lose weight, gain energy, and watch the scale drop. What do you find most freeing about WLS and weight loss? Is it getting to shop at regular-sized clothing stores? Is it feeling free to say “No, thank you” to foods that you used to feel compelled to eat? Is it being small and energetic enough to go on airplanes, to movie theaters and restaurants, and on amusement park rides with your family without giving it a second thought? Is it being able to spend less time managing your medications, doctor’s appointments, and CPAP machine? Share what you find most freeing about WLS surgery success!

Many people find that they become more patient when they go through certain life events. Life changes such as becoming a parent and going through a serious illness can make you change your perspective on what really matters in life, and what doesn’t. You may notice that you become more focused on the important things in life, such as health and family, and more patient about the things that just aren’t important, such as long lines at the grocery store or getting a red light on the way to work. Weight loss surgery is definitely a life changing event, and it can change your perspective. It requires you to focus on your health and how your new lifestyle meshes with your established life. It can also try your patience, as you are sure to see when you hit a plateau or do not lose weight as fast as you had hoped! As you progress through the weight loss surgery journey, have you noticed any change in your perspective? Are you able to stay more focused on what matters, while adapting more of a “let it go” attitude towards the little things? Or are you the type of person who gets more bothered about the little things as a way to make sure you do not get too anxious about the big things? Share your thoughts and observations!

@@chicken Lady, It is kind of you to be concerned and to reach out. 11-year-old girls are very tricky! They gain weight, and most of that weight is fat. I would take a wait-and-see approach, especially if she has healthy habits such as enjoying physical activities and basically eating healthy. If she doesn’t have healthy habits, maybe her mother can encourage a few behavior changes, such as taking carrots instead of Cookies for an afterschool snack, or enrolling her in a dance class. If you and her mother really suspect that she has endocrine problems, her mother needs to handle it, but carefully. Rather than saying “we’re going to the doctor to find out why you’re gaining so much weight,” she needs to phrase it more as going for a checkup to make sure everything’s good. Whatever you (and of course, her mother) do, I would be extremely wary about her feelings. If she thinks you or her mother or anyone she respects thinks she’s fat, she might become fat just to cope. Or she might develop an eating disorder. It is hard watching someone you care about possibly go in the direction of developing weight problems, especially when you know personally how much they can take over your life, but 11-year-old girls are very delicate, and their feelings need to come first at this stage in their development.

@@fatgirlsvelte, Thanks for the update, and good luck to you! It is wonderful that you have found a weight loss path that is working for you, and we are all rooting for you and proud of you for finding your way.