Alex Brecher

Yogurt has natural sugars, but the Greek ones are lower in sugar. Ralphs (west coast) and Kroger (Midwest) have a low-carb yogurt that’s low in sugar. If you’re not against sugar substitutes, artificially flavored yogurt is a good way to go. Some have been mentioned on this thread. Cinnamon helps, too. So does cocoa powder if you like chocolate. Also, I’ve found that changing my attitude helps. I was brought up to think of yogurt as sweet – my favorite used to be the fruit-on-bottom apple-cinnamon kind – a ton of sugar! Now I tell myself that yogurt is not supposed to be dessert, and changing my expectations actually helps – I look forward to the lack of sweetness now and enjoy the plain types.

MrsDixon, Thanks for sharing your experiences. You are right – it is good to have everyone’s experiences so people can make their own decisions based on the best information. I am sorry you are having such a rough time. I think you are experiencing what it is like to be on the wrong side of the statistics; it is great to see something that works, say, 90% of the time, but when you are in the 10%, it’s not as much fun. I will say, though, I think there is an excellent chance things will get better for you. I know it feels like forever and you have had a lot of bad luck. But, you are still not far out from surgery, and this is the point in time when a lot of WLS patients feel at their lowest points. I hope you are able to stick with it and find something positive to hang onto, and you eventually are glad about your WLS decision.

Ashley1213, It will get better! And I’m not just saying that because you asked me to! You just got your stomach cut out. It hurts. A lot. But it’s healing, and it will feel better every day. Make sure (nag) you help it feel better by following doctor’s orders to a T. Don’t even think about cheating on the post-op recovery diet, because that can put you in more pain and make weight loss harder down the road. It’s also really hard mentally right now, and that can make you feel worse. This is the first time you can’t change your mind and back out. It’s done, and it can’t be undone. That’s a scary thing, and it can take a while to get used to. Also, now that you’re actually experiencing it, the whole weight loss surgery journey may actually be becoming REAL, and that’s scary, too. Hang in there, and it’ll get better, and you’ll look and feel great! Good luck, and keep us posted!

First, congratulations!! Thank you for all you contribute to this forum. It is wonderful to see your success and hear about your battles and victories. As for buying multiple colors of shirts and other clothes when you see them in your size…I totally get that! I completely remember how hard it is to find things that fit, and how NOT FUN clothes shopping was. When I found something that fit, it made perfect sense to buy multiple colors so I wouldn’t have to go again, and also in case that size/style disappeared and I wouldn’t be able to find anything I’d be able to wear again. Maybe it’s like pizza and doughnuts were…you know…you couldn’t have just one. What if they disappeared off the face of the earth and this was your last chance? So you’d have to have several slices of pizza and a few doughnuts. At least, I did.

The weight loss surgery diet is pretty structured. Your choices are so limited on the liquid diet (a little chicken broth, anyone? Oh, no thanks, maybe I’ll go with beef broth instead for lunch today!) and on the pureed foods diet. Even once you get to semi-solid and solid foods, you don’t have much flexibility since you need to eat your Protein first, your veggies next, and there’s not much room left after that. So it makes sense that once you find a meal pattern that works, and meals you like, that you stick to them. Soon, it becomes a habit, and maybe a rut. For me, I’m perfectly happy eating Greek yogurt with blueberries every day for Breakfast. Some chicken breast with broccoli makes an easy dinner. A tuna salad makes a quick lunch. For snack? Apples seem to come up quite a bit! So, I guess you could say I’m in a bit of a food rut. Between lack of time, lack of desire to cook (you could call it laziness, I suppose), and the fact that it basically works and I’m happy with it, I eat pretty much the same things day in and day out. What are some of your food ruts – either your favorite meals or your regular daily menus? Or are you a little more motivated or more of a foodie, and you switch up your foods all the time?

You decide to get WLS so you can lose weight and get healthy. You know it won’t be easy, but often, people assume you’re getting WLS because you’re lazy, or you feel guilty for taking the easy way out even though you know that’s ridiculous. Fair or not, there’s often a lot of guilt involved with WLS. Do you (or did you) feel guilty about deciding to get WLS? Why? Was it because of outside pressure, or did you just feel guilty? Do you still feel guilty? How did you get over your guilt? Do you feel the need to justify your decision? For me, I was lucky. My family was supportive, and I guess I didn’t really look at other people’s perspectives. I just knew I needed to do something, and I did. By now, I am proud to say I have the lap-band, and my ability to live a happy life is all the justification I feel I need.

Thanks for all of these great replies! I hope these will help future bariatric surgery patients find a surgeon that is right for them. You have all come up with some good ideas for what to look for and what to run from.

These are some good (or bad) ones! It’s actually interesting, and nice, that these items’ nutritional information is available. It really helps us out to be able to look up the info. Now, whether or not we choose to do so, and to act in a healthy way based on what we learn, may be another story… Gowalking, Yes, I definitely agree! I really hate when I think I’m ordering something healthy or low-calorie, and I find out later that it’s not. Those are calories I can never undo, and they’re not even the result of me “going off my diet.” Plus, I hate the feeling of being tricked by the restaurant into thinking they’re serving me something healthy. Gmanbat, Where do you hang out? I’m not going to any of those places!! Babbs, shirataki noodles or spaghetti squash, low-fat Laughing Cow cheese, low-fat parmesan, and seafood: that should get you a version of seafood Alfredo that’s not too high in calories or carbs! ShrinkingPeach, Thanks for posting this info! I keep hearing about the regulations that are coming, but haven’t been sure quite when they’d take effect, and what they will apply to. This helps!

It’s hard to believe it, but July 18 marks my 12-year Surgiversary! 12 years ago, I weighed 255 lbs (at a height of 5’7”). That was at age 25, after years of being overweight and yo-yo dieting. I got the lap-band on July 18, 2003, under the skillful hand of Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding in New York, and the rest, as they say, is history. I have my life back and it’s better than ever. I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I have a wonderful family with the best children ever, and I have the health and energy to be able to keep up with them and be a real part of their lives. I am also thrilled every day to be able to advocate for weight loss surgery patients through BariatricPal, working with major obesity, WLS, and medical organizations, and I am so grateful for the lap-band and getting my life back. I also want to thank BariatricPal members and supporters. When I founded the boards right after my surgery in 2003, there wasn’t much other online support out there. The discussion forums helped me through some tough times, and I am so glad it is able to help others as they approach surgery, recover from it, lose weight, and maintain their loss.

I'd like to clear up some things..... 1) We informed LTVSG that we can no longer allow them to advertise on our site or be affiliated with them. 2) We did remove the LTVSG topic. I am sorry it's inconvenienced some of our members. You can easily receive and provide the support necessary on BariatricPal, but please do not mention LTVSG in the topic or posts. There were multiple reasons why we stopped our relationship with LTVSG. Initially, I was extremely excited that we were able to have a company offer Gastric Sleeve surgery for only $3000. I know so many individuals that can't afford to have surgery in the states or at more expensive surgeons in Mexico. I thought it sounded too good to be true and usually you get what you pay for but I went along with it since I've had a good relationship over many years with the individual running LTVSG. I received a few PMs and emails from members that had surgery with LTVSG who were very unhappy. I decided to investigate these claims myself and found two major issues: JL Prado Surgical Center is a subpar surgical center and has many issues. LTVSG is trying to bait and switch customers by trying to upsell them at $4500 for a better Hospital or surgical facility. I hope this clears up the issue.

Thanks for reporting this issue! We're going to get it fixed asap. From now on, if you have any technical issue, please make sure to post it in the Website Assistance & Suggestion Forums. That forum is monitored 24/7 by myself and BP staff. We don't receive notifications about other topics posted across the forum (unless you "mention" me in the post...thank you CowgirlJane!)

It can be frustrating when you don’t fit the mold. It feels like no matter how badly you follow the instructions and do what everyone else does, you can’t because of something outside of your control. You might live in a rural area that doesn’t clear the streets in the winter, so you can’t walk outside. Or maybe you’re vegan but you can’t tolerate Beans anymore – so how can you get in your Protein? Or maybe exercise is hard because it’s painful for you. Whatever it is, there’s a good chance someone else knows what it’s like, and can offer support if not solutions. This is where you can come for support for special needs. Enjoy the forum!

I think this had something to do with the way you copy and pasted it - not sure what exactly, but there was text background color which we don't have on here...and a ton of back to back spans. Were you using Word or other software to edit the post at some point? I've edited your post and it's showing up fine right now for all mediums.

I'm going to see what we can do to fix this problem asap. Thanks for reporting this issue!

Correct!

No, you're covered regardless if the complication occurs in Mexico or the US. Almost 99% of complications that do arise are normally discovered while the patient us still in Mexico.

This issue has been resolved.

We've updated the YouTube video that was initially included in this article.

WOW! I almost had a heart attack from just watching the commercial

Think you don’t have time to commit to losing weight and getting healthy? Think nobody has a less healthy relationship with food than you do? Then you haven’t met Robanne Robin. She’s a mother of 3, a motivational speaker, a diabetes prevention educator, and a weight loss and fitness coach for kids and adults. She’s also a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patient. A Lifelong Struggle with Food Some weight loss surgery patients have nothing but memories of being obese. Robanne did struggle with food her entire life, but her ordeals included battles with anorexia and bulimia as well as childhood obesity and morbid obesity as an adult. By the time she was 37, she had high blood pressure and diabetes, and had two trips to the ER. She was close to giving up. That was at a weight of 300 pounds. The Decision and Her Surgery Robanne knew her health was the result of her weight. She researched the various WLS possibilities and felt Roux-en-Y was the best option for her because of the long-term success rate. Also, she had a friend that had lost 100 lb. after RNY. She got her surgery in 2009 with Dr. Brenda Cacucci at the St. Vincent Bariatric Center of Excellence, in Carmel, Indiana. A Personal Decision with Family Support The decision for Robanne was personal. She explains she had enough on her mind at the time of her surgery, and was not in a place to be able to justify her decision to friends and family. So, she only told them about the surgery after she got it done. She also did not want to deal with judgmental people, since she was scared and uncertain at the time. Her friends and family were supportive when she told them. She says her children “were particularly excited that ‘mommy would be able to jump on the trampoline with them some day.’” Now she says she is “strong enough to believe in my path,” and her results show it. She lost 150 lbs. and now weighs 150. Overcoming the Challenges and Becoming a Dancer Robanne faced the same challenges many WLS patients can relate to. It was tough to get in her dietary supplements and drink her protein shakes. In the beginning, exercise was a serious challenge – so much so that she tried to convince herself she didn’t need to exercise. Luckily, she went to a group exercise cardio class, which happened to be a hip-hop dance class. She was too embarrassed to quit, so she stayed in class…and says it was the best thing that could have happened! That class changed her life. She loved it, and learned that exercise could be fun and not dreadful. But she took it much further. Robanne worked at it, and now teaches seven hip-hop classes a week. She leads group exercise classes for the Obesity Action Coalition's national conference. Look for her at their next conference in San Antonio in August! Robanne’s also been selected as a national national spokesperson for the Y.. She’s appearing in a national commercial rolling out this year. It is currently on the air in Seattle, WA and starting to pop up across the country, and you can take a look on . Tips from the Top Anyone who’s lost and been able to keep off half her body weight probably has a lot of good advice, and Robanne is very willing to share it. First, she says to try new things. If you’ve been sedentary and overweight for years, she says, how do you know what you like? So try everything! Also, “keep it real.” You’re not in the best possible shape right after surgery, so just work up to the tougher workouts instead of jumping right in. You don’t want to get hurt, burned out, or discouraged. Fitness is about being strong and pursuing health, not about a single number on the scale. Another piece of advice comes in the form of one of her favorite quotes. "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible"--St. Francis of Assisi. And finally, stay focused. Robanne says, “Every day, I recommit to do what it takes to stay successful.” A Day in the Life What does a typical day look like for 6-year WLS veteran who’s lost half her body weight? Something like this, at least for Robanne. Coffee...with cream. Breakfast: 1-2 packets of plain, heart healthy instant oatmeal sweetened with Splenda. First morning snack: Greek yogurt. Late morning snack: 1-2 hard-boiled eggs Lunch: some kind of chicken (usually grilled), on a bed of mixed vegetables (usually salad). She uses salsa for dressing. First afternoon snack: something crunchy like Skinny Pop popcorn. Second afternoon snack: a slice of cheese, and handful of turkey, or some kind of lean protein. Dinner: lean protein, 1/3 cup brown rice and broccoli or a small salad. Every other day: a protein shake. Plenty of water. Robanne says she’s a creature of habit and keeps eating what she likes. The key for her is snacking on protein instead of carbs for the most part. She splurges on occasion on something like a cookie or something chocolate. But, she says, eating too much sugar and refined carbs makes her feel less bad. She sticks to whole grain carbs instead of white. And exercise? This hip hop instructor is no slouch! She teaches 6-7 classes a week, including 2 days with 2 classes each. She also does weight training to keep up her muscle mass. She has 2 days off each week. More from Robanne If you want to learn more about Robanne, take a look at her Get Your Strong On site. It details her work in motivational speaking, weight loss coaching, and promoting corporate and kids fitness. You can also check out her inspirational video called “ .”Robanne wrote her story in a book, “Half My Size,” which she’s offering at a discount for BariatricPal members. You can order yours for $10 each with free shipping! The book is her story along with the lessons she learned for overcoming obstacles. And for more ways to connect with Robanne…check out her bariatric motivation page on Facebook and give her hip-hop workouts a try!

This comes up in the media sometimes. They’ll list the calories, fat, sugar, or sodium content of a few shocking menu items. The worst part is that these numbers aren’t so farfetched or rare. People really do order and eat these items, and the numbers really are as high as reported. Those shakes, pizza, appetizers, Pasta dishes, and even salads can have one or more days’ worth of calories and all kinds of unhealthy nutrients. What’s the worst restaurant food you ordered – knowingly or unknowingly, before or after surgery? For me what comes to mind was a salad at a Mexican restaurant I went to a few times with my family. It was described as a “mountain,” and that was fairly accurate. And while it did have a mountain of lettuce and tomatoes, there were more than a few additions in there to drive up the calories. It had chicken, Beans, and cheese, plus guacamole, and.it was served on tortilla chips with melted cheese. And the amount of dressing needed to dress that salad? I don’t know, maybe a half-cup? A cup? I’m guessing the entire salad had between 2,000 and 3,000 calories. It was awfully good, and I ate the whole thing.

I was talking to a friend who was trying to choose a bariatric surgeon. She was telling me about this surgeon who had great reviews and who seemed like a super nice and organized doctor who made her feel comfortable. I asked her about the nutritional support she’d get after surgery, and she said if she had a problem, she could call a nutritionist. I asked if the nutritionist was affiliated with the surgeon, and she said no, the surgeon told her she could go online and look for an outside nutritionist. To me, that was a red flag. Nutrition is so critical to WLS success, yet this surgeon doesn’t even work closely with a nutritionist that he regularly sends patients to? So, I was wondering, when you were (or as you are) looking for a bariatric surgeon, what did (or would) you see as a red flag, that might something to be concerned about and follow up on? What would be (or were) your deal-breakers when choosing a surgeon?

Thanks for reporting this issue. We're investigating and I'll update this topic as soon as I have an update.

Debbie3sons, I know what they do in some science labs where food and drinks are forbidden is put a small table outside the lab where the workers can put their food and drinks. Or can you possibly take a water bottle with you to the bathroom each time you go? Just go frequently.

Hey, BariatricPal Members, You know how important it is to stay accountable with your weight loss surgery diet. Why not post your daily menu here? It'll help you stay aware of what you eat, and it'll motivate you to hold yourself accountable for making good choices. Plus, you can give others ideas on what to eat...and maybe get one or two ideas from other members. So, looking forward to seeing what you're eating!