SoulGlo

The geriatric fashion styles constantly inflicted on us.
And is it too much to ask for bigger bra sizes to come in colours other than white or black? Big chicks like colour too.

I don't see the issue. As long as their behaviour or work ethic doesn't affect or increase my workload why should i care? These businesses and corporations have no loyalty to their employees and will fire or cut an employee that has been slaving away for the company just as easily as they would get rid off of an employee that's been slacking off.

The geriatric fashion styles constantly inflicted on us.
And is it too much to ask for bigger bra sizes to come in colours other than white or black? Big chicks like colour too.

You might take a few moments to think about what you say Chuckster and the approach in which you say it.
Yes, I am offended by your choice of words as you describe yourself. Mostly because you clearly assume that every obese person on here is exactly like you were. This in itself is what set me off. I truly believe your statements can do more harm than good on a site like this. I just hope any newbies do their research so they understand the risks. You state that the mortality rate for the medical field in general is high, that may be true but the numbers for WLS are quite low.
Well, I have news for you, we are all different and have different issues. I was not a glutton, nor was I lazy. I was able to lose the weight many times only to gain it back over the long haul. I happen to have several auto immune diseases and a metabolic disease that all works against me every single day. I worked 70 hours a week, would come home and cook a healthy dinner for my husband and I. I then would go for a long walk or hop on my treadmill. I did not sit my butt on the couch and hang out and stuff my face.
I believe there are many people just like me that go go go and do not sit on their butts.
I understand your need to share your story, it is quite incredible. I believe there is a better way for you to share it without offending people by assuming we are all just like you.
Clearly you think you have all the answers, the truth is when it comes to the success of WLS on an obese patient you clearly don't have all the information.
I wish you the best of luck and hope that you continue to do well. For now I choose to spend my time helping those who need and want it. I won't waste another minute on your opinions of the medical field and weight loss surgery.

(Yeah, what she (Scarletwitch19 ) said !!! ) Chuckster, you may be a scientist, and score high on the black and white facts scale , but you lack tact, diplomacy, and some social skills. To come on a WLS forum that offers support and encouragement to those who have or might have WLS surgery and spout off about how wrong we are , and if we would just diet and exercise we wouldn't need WLS , shows how little you really do know. (Really ? Diet and exercise and I'll lose weight ? Golly gee whiz ! I DIDN'T know that ! I guess good ol' Chuckster from N.C. has FINALLY come up with the answers we've been waiting for !! Thanks for clearing that up for us on the WLS forum !! )

Ah....
I see.
So looking over your posts, it's my opinion that your tone is almost of superiority over those of us who have chosen the WLS route. I do hope I am wrong about that.
The words and phrases you used could be construed as quite offensive if I was the delicate type. Examples? Hedonistic, vulgar, self medicated, glutton, the thought that "paying seems absurd", "self induced caloric poisoning". Now I assume that all this is negative self talk and you don't at all mean to imply that these words apply to all obese (or formally obese) people.
I'm very happy that you found YOUR solution, but I will remind you that this is a WLS support forum. We are not here to downplay or denigrate anyone's choices regarding how they choose to loose their excess weight.
I will not take the time to tell you about my experiences with traditional weight loss and my success with WLS as I am fairly certain my words would only bore you. Your obvious disdain for the medical profession is apparent but I owe my life to my doctors, not only in my weight loss efforts but through other medical procedures that had nothing to do with my former obesity.
My hope for you is that your weight loss efforts will continue to be successful and your health will continue to be excellent. I know mine will be despite the fact that I chose a route that you clearly find objectionable.

I trust mine but I have had several horrible nutritionist in the past. Prior to looking into WLS I saw 3 separate nutritionist. One insane lady kept asking me to eat chicken breast even after I had explained I was vegetarian. The worst one was one I was sent to by my endocrinologist. Once she started telling people it was okay to drink diet soda, I knew I was done with her. I then saw a holistic nutritionist who I really liked. Unfortunately her practice was nearly 2 hours away and she was too pricey for my budget.
Finding a program that was willing to actually have a conversation with me about food options and work with my allergies & vegetarianism was a deal breaker. I don't like to eat a lot of processed and artificial foods no matter what the calorie count. I needed someone who understood and could accept that. If I felt that wasn't going to happen I would have kept researching programs. I do think you we need to take some responsibility and do a little research on our own, but I expected to have a reasonable conversation with my nutritionist. I like and trust the person I have now, but I understand why many don't.
Speaking for my self, I am limited in what knowledge I can share in an online forum. When someone post that they aren't losing but they are following a good eating plan, however they also have medical issues, I think the wise thing to do is direct them to their medical team or nutritionist. It's not a cop out, it's just understanding the limitations of how much support you can provide in an online forum like this.

My nutritionist was in to the whole low carb approach. That wasn't the plan I wanted to go with so I've just been doing my own thing. I just make sure I get enough Protein, take my Vitamins, and then try to focus on things that make me full. My weight loss has been steady so far.

I trust my nutritionist. They are specialized towards bariatric surgery. When you consider that there are two phases to bariatric weight loss surgery - the losing phase and the maintenance phase. I found their advice spot on when it came to the weight loss phase. But after you reach the maintenance phase, I don't observe a well defined plan in place.
My body changes as I transition through the process. In the beginning fats and sugars were rejected because that portion of my stomach was cut away. But after about a year, my intestines have evolved to process fats and sugars. Therefore what might be good advise at the beginning is bad advice later on.

I kept getting shuffled around to different NUTs through the entire process. Some were leaving, new one's coming in. So I don't feel I got any solid information or formed a good connection with anyone where nutrition was concerned. The NP is always better for me to talk to, than anyone. I have a new NUT now, who is fresh and new, and tells me, "we don't count carbs" and we want you off all Protein shakes. Well, not counting carbs....that's kind of how I got here to begin with. I count carbs, calories and Protein and see how I am doing at the end of the day.

Nutritionist/dietitians as a whole are hacks. Sorry. That is how I feel about them. Most of them just repeat the food pyramid or whatever they have been told.
That being said at a bariatric center of excellence, they have most knowledge, are specifically trained in this area and know what works best for patient outcomes.
I do think they include too many carbs, but I have been and off and on low carber for years. I know that most carbs are a trigger for me so I avoid them.
A lot of people would entirely avoid the whole thing if they thought they could never have carbs again. Some people just can't function like that, but they can control themselves maybe. It seems like they design these plans to make them appealing to most people but when you talk to them one and on one and tell them your personal concerns they will easily tailor something to your needs.
It is really just about finding what works for you. I have a whole book on what to eat and not to eat, There are some things I am ignoring because they are triggers for me, but I am not stepping outside the weekly limitations either.
I think people just need to apply some common sense to these recommendations so they work for you and your needs.

I've done this all without using any kind of NUT post surgery. I find the bariatric forums much more informative.

My NUT is great and yes, her primary instructions for me have always been "focus on Protein and water".

I am lucky that the NUT is part of the surgeon's practice and they are a "Bariatric Center of Excellence." I saw 2 different NUTs in my required appointments, and both were really helpful.

This isn't specific to WLS, but I find that nutritionists in general have vastly different opinions about what a typical diet should look like. The education background and degree requirements for nutritionists don't seem to be particularly standardized. That being said, I think more often than not NUTs at bariatric clinics at least agree on lots of Protein and Water. I have a pretty balanced one who feels that healthy carbs are fine and don't need to be limited as long as you get protein in. The idea is that it isn't possible to overeat carbs if you are actually getting the amount of protein in that they say. Also, it is important to eat fruits and vegetables, both of which have carbs, to have a nutrient rich diet. I am suspicious of any NUT who says no to all carbs and any NUT that says bread and Pasta are okay, especially in the beginning.

My NUT was ridiculous. She had no knowledge of WLS and she tried hawking her MLM Vitamin catalog on me.
I saw her the required amount of times, assembled nutritious portions of plastic veggies and meats on a plastic tray under her direction for 15 minutes and was approved for competency.
My surgeon and his NP were my sources for diet and follow up meal plans. I loved my NP. She was helpful, knowledgable and in tune with my process.

I was just wondering how many forum members really had faith in their NUT/Dietician and that their prescribed advice would not only help them progress through their journey but also make sure that their plan would assist them in achieving the best outcome possible?
During my time on Bariatric pal, I noticed that whenever a question is posed, someone will often respond with 'check with your nut/dietician' but what if that person's nut is incompetent and not forthcoming with needed information?
I personally don't trust or have much faith in my Dietician team or their prescribed plan. First all, the diet plan that they give to patients is too relaxed and imo is not that conducive to those really want to reach their ideal goal weight and maintain it. The plan is too carb friendly, they give diet examples using rice, Pasta or bread and no real emphasis on keeping carbs low in order to better facilitate weight loss. I thank my lucky stars that I decided to really do research and go on bariatric forums or else I would have been still chowing down on breads and pasta like nobody's business.
Also they're a reluctant on giving you an answer to a lot of questions, Tbh I have given up on asking them anything because I’m always left unenlightened. On a number of occasions, I have asked about ideal carb and fats allowance per day and they always hit you with ' Just focus on Proteins and water' which isn't entirely wrong but I feel that they fail to realise that there's many loopholes in just hawking that advice and ignoring other finer details . For example, I could eat a McLand, sea and air burger from McDonald’s with loads of Water and be covering the objective of getting my Protein and fluids. Technically I would be following their advice to a tee but in actual fact I would have just congested 116g of carbohydrates. If I could change my dietician team I would but things are not that easy with the NHS (UK).
What about you guys? Do you trust your NUT/Dietician?

I was just wondering how many forum members really had faith in their NUT/Dietician and that their prescribed advice would not only help them progress through their journey but also make sure that their plan would assist them in achieving the best outcome possible?
During my time on Bariatric pal, I noticed that whenever a question is posed, someone will often respond with 'check with your nut/dietician' but what if that person's nut is incompetent and not forthcoming with needed information?
I personally don't trust or have much faith in my Dietician team or their prescribed plan. First all, the diet plan that they give to patients is too relaxed and imo is not that conducive to those really want to reach their ideal goal weight and maintain it. The plan is too carb friendly, they give diet examples using rice, Pasta or bread and no real emphasis on keeping carbs low in order to better facilitate weight loss. I thank my lucky stars that I decided to really do research and go on bariatric forums or else I would have been still chowing down on breads and pasta like nobody's business.
Also they're a reluctant on giving you an answer to a lot of questions, Tbh I have given up on asking them anything because I’m always left unenlightened. On a number of occasions, I have asked about ideal carb and fats allowance per day and they always hit you with ' Just focus on Proteins and water' which isn't entirely wrong but I feel that they fail to realise that there's many loopholes in just hawking that advice and ignoring other finer details . For example, I could eat a McLand, sea and air burger from McDonald’s with loads of Water and be covering the objective of getting my Protein and fluids. Technically I would be following their advice to a tee but in actual fact I would have just congested 116g of carbohydrates. If I could change my dietician team I would but things are not that easy with the NHS (UK).
What about you guys? Do you trust your NUT/Dietician?

I think its more of the posts that say stuff like, "I know I'm not supposed to drink, but I'm doing it anyway at 2 weeks post op.. " and there are quite a few like that..
But I agree..

I agree that some docs don't have a comprehensive program that some of us have experienced. As a result, it appears that many people simply don't know what they can or cannot do at various stages. This is a good place to ask questions. However, in some cases it seems as though the patients simply have limited info from their WLS team. That's very unfortunate.

Let's just say that 20 year old read this post, I would bet she will not be back to this forum. There goes her opportunity to read and learn valuable information from this site. I saw her post, as I saw this one. This is why people stop participating. If you see something that irritates don't respond. I bet there will be others that may take a moment to express their concerns and what they have learned along the way.

Exactly. I don't think a lot of times these forum veterans and other judgmental posters realise that their hostile approaches to questions deemed as 'stupid' may be putting off others members from seeking needed advice for very valid and pertinent questions.
I find it slightly odd that some forum members are yet to figure out that not all things are created equally especially in terms of the realm of surgery/ medicine and medical programmes. Some folks are berating others for knowing about guidelines about alcohol post surgery but just to illustrate my point about all clinics not being made equal or to the same standards, my bariatric programme/clinicians haven't stated much about alcohol post op apart from a nurse saying that i should bear in mind that if I drink, I would now be intoxicated faster and from smaller amounts'. Nothing about damage to the pouch, empty calories or cross addiction.

wow reading some of these post actually make me not want to post here. If you find a question to be stupid simply don't answer it. Some people actually don't know or they have a very crappy NUT that isn't really helping them be realistic. Others haven't come to the conclusion that weight loss surgery isn't magic yet. oh and BTW 20 year olds arent all immature. If you consider yourself a "veteran" try actually helping instead of belittling people. try to remember how people were towards you when you were first starting

There but for the grace of life and a lot of hard work go I........
It's so easy to judge and be righteous and push some else to the bottom of the heap. The harder way is to try to understand and relate.
Maybe we can choose to remember that we all reached a point where we would do ANYTHING not to feel the pain of being obese. And my guess is that for all of us we tried many times and many ways to lose weight before we were successful. Even with success, every day I know that I can fall off the wagon and once more be humbled, pick my self up and try again.
For me food obsession and addiction is always waiting for me. My mind can always try to fool me into taking that bite of something that starts the downward spiral.
This blog is a way for us to remember that we were once there too. Let's be honest.....we could be there again!

You're spot on. Even 'veterans' start out ignorant and clueless and hopefully someone answered their queries and questions in a respectful manner so they were able to build up their knowledge bases in order to progress into knowledgeable veterans instead of chiding or humiliating them.
Not all bariatric programs are made the same. Some bariatric programs make ensure their patients are fully informed whilst others are more lax when it comes to informing their patients. Therefore,some people have more gaps in their knowledge than others.
I don't understand why if someone is so annoyed by 'these stupid questions' then don't just skip the thread and erase the question from their minds and move on? What's the point in posting a reply just to whinge or belittle the asker? Unless they're a masochist or a touch sadistic