anonmom

To be clear, I 100% agree with seeing a therapist who can help you with the issues that got you to this point. *BUT* there is no reason that therapist has to be associated with your bariatric center. I actually find it sad that a bariatric practice would use a part time artist/therapist to approve or deny people for surgery. I went for my psych eval because it was a hoop that I had to jump through for insurance coverage. But I also see my own therapist twice a week and I am 100% honest with her about everything I have ever done in my whole life. The counselor who did my psych eval and my personal therapist have 2 very different roles in my life. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for the replies! I know you are both right about making sure I get my Protein in and just cutting sweets and white flour out completely and limiting other starches. It is so weird to me that it is relatively easy to not eat those things if I just stay completely away from them, but if I have one single bite I end up on a binge. I was using a food tracker before, so I started that up again today. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before to log my Water intake in the food tracker, but I'm doing that too, starting today. The other tough thing for me to cut out is alcohol. I know that it is considered empty calories, but it seems silly to quit drinking now when I don't even have a surgery date yet. Did any one else here decide to wait until you actually have surgery to quit drinking? I mean, I guess I would actually quit a week before, when I'm on the liquid diet. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

You are making me laugh (thanks for that), my husband said I needed to downplay my whole life....LOL....not just drinking and partying. I should have lied and future reference. So many changes we go thru life, imagine at 56 I would have to worry about my party life in my 20s and 30s....geez, who'd have thunk it!!!! Right? I do understand that some people don't take the idea of surgery seriously, but I would think they could weed those people out without disqualifying anyone who has anything negative in their past. If you do decide to try for another psych eval, I would strongly suggest answering the questions as if they were asking about the past 5 years. Maybe I shouldn't be giving advice yet, since I don't even know if I passed yet, but I felt pretty sure that if I talked openly about my past, this guy would not be able to look beyond that. Good luck! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I just did mine yesterday. It was awful. About 2 hours of interview, taking with the guy, him asking about my past (childhood, education, relationships, drugs/alcohol, hospitalizations, eating disorders, diets I've tried, family history, etc, etc) and then another 2 hours doing standardized tests: the MMPI (567 questions) and three other ones (one about values and satisfaction with life, one about eating habits, and one about depression) that had about 50-60 questions between the three. Basically, I lied and worked to keep my lies consistent. I truly don't think that drug use years ago affects whether I will be a good candidate for surgery at 40 years old. So I told him I had never used drugs, never had any problems with the police. I said I probably drank too much in college, but definitely downplayed the amount of drinking I've done in my life. I'll find out in 2 weeks if I was convincing! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Thanks! I liked the surgeon at the second practice, so I'm tentatively planning to go ahead with her. Right now I'm just worried that I can't gain any weight between now and my second dietician visit. I feel like I'm in the middle of a month-long food funeral Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

What makes you think losing weight will affect your body's need for psych meds? I ask out of honest curiosity, because I feel like I've always had to fight to get the meds I need. For me, losing weight should help me reduce painkillers, antiinflammatories, migraine meds, etc., but I have no intention of changing my psych meds unless my tolerance to them goes way down, in which case I would reduce the dosage, but not cut them out completely Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I am hoping to have my sleeve done in early December, but the pre-op diet is killing me. I can do it first thing in the morning when I have a lot of will power, but as the day goes on I find it harder and harder to make myself eat those stupid pea-sized bites of food. For those of you who has this same issue pre-op, how is it going now that you have actually had the surgery? Are you still frustrated by the tiny bites, or does eating that way feel more natural now that you have your new stomach? Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for all the replies! I'm really glad to hear that many of you seem to feel the way I do. I think slowing down my eating, chewing each bite thoroughly, taking smaller bites, eating more mindfully, etc. are important. But when the dietician says I should be taking pea-sized bites, it seems impossible. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I would start working out and start figuring out what is problematic about your relationship with food. Track your calories and exercise and weight and then you can make adjustments as the months progress. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I have been gaining, gaining, gaining weight steadily for over a year now. I would work hard and lose a pound or two, even ten pounds once when I had a terrible stomach flu, but then gain it right back and keep on gaining. Now that I have my surgery consult set up, I am suddenly losing weight! What the hell? I need to keep my BMI up right now. It does me no good to lose just enough to get down to a BMI of 39.9 My consult with the surgeon, and my first dietician visit, is tomorrow. Then I need to have a second dietician visit at least 30 days later. Will it be OK if I lose a little weight between the two visits? Has anyone been turned down for surgery because their BMI is no longer at 40 at the second dietician visit? Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I have mild GERD and was told that there is a treatment for it if it gets worse after getting a sleeve. It is called stretta. I don't know how it works, but they say it is effective. For me, I am only interested in getting a sleeve. If you have RNY, you have to take supplements for the rest of your life. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I'm also 230 pounds, but with my height that puts me at a BMI of 40. I don't have any of the official comorbidities that would allow me to get the surgery with a lower BMI, but I have knee problems, back problems, sciatica, etc. I'm 39 and in my opinion that is too young to feel as tired and slowed down as I do. The heavier I get, the harder it is to lose the weight again, and I've never been able to keep it off after losing it anyway. I've only told a few people that I'm planning to have WLS. The few comments I've gotten have been pretty respectful, since I've only told people I'm very close with, but it is still tiring to feel like I have to respond to them. I had planned to be very open with people about the surgery once I had a date set, etc., but now I'm thinking I'm just going to keep it to the people I've already told. And even then, I think I'm going to cut back on the details. My partner and my best friend are really the only ones who need to know exactly when I'm having surgery, because they are the ones who will be helping me out during recovery. I normally tell my parents everything medical, but my mom in particular would be nervous about me having surgery, and I don't need the extra stress of reassuring her about *my* surgery! Since you have the date set, I assume you have thought this through and decided this is the best choice for you. So don't let anyone else's opinion get in your way. Good luck! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I've never heard of anyone doing bariatric surgery as an outpatient procedure. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

There are 3 bariatric surgery practices in my city that are covered by my insurance. One is not an option because they will not accept anyone with my diagnosis. I made appointments with the other two and one of them has stuff right on their website about their post-op diet being focused on whole, healthy foods; which is something that is very important to me. The other one, I called to ask some questions and one of the nurses called me back today. I asked about the post-op diet and she said they tell their patients to use either Boost High Protein shakes or Carnation Instant Breakfast. That sounded super sketchy to me, so I googled the ingredients and they are awful! All corn syrup and sugar and oil and protein isolates. Should I consider this a red flag? Has anyone here had surgery with a practice that uses commercial supermarket shakes like that? Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

All three practices are bariatric centers of excellence. I'm surprised that there seems to be such a difference in nutritional philosophy between the 2 programs I'm choosing between. I feel like we all got to this point of seeking surgery due to overeating overprocessed foods, so it is strange to me that that is what this practice is promoting as the best source of nutrition during the first critical phase of healing and weight loss. I told the nurse that I often make smoothies from kale, berries, seeds, nuts, a banana and some juice or soy milk, and that I was wondering if I could do something like that instead of the Boost or Carnation Instant Breakfast. Her response was that while that "sounds healthy" it wouldn't get me enough nutrients, especially protein, during the first few weeks. To me, this sounds like they are taking an extremely reductionist approach to nutrition. I could see if she said I would need to make sure I was adding enough nuts and seeds to my smoothies to get enough protein. Or if she said that I would need to add a scoop of protein powder. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Well, I've talked to the nurses at the other 2 practices in town and neither have that policy, so I made appointments with both! One of them seems to have the focus on eating healthy, whole foods that I am looking for, and I meet with that surgeon in 6 days, so I'm very excited about that. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

You look fabulous! I am currently 228, wearing XXL/1X/16W sizes. Your "before" selfie could totally be me: very pretty, but obviously overweight. I have my consult next week, and hope to have surgery in 2 months, after the required nutritionist visits. If I could be down to a large, and have my face look as skinny as yours a couple months after surgery, I wouldn't care what the scale says! Muscle weighs more than fat, after all. From what I've read on here, it is really important to meet your fluid goals, so just work on that and enjoy your brand new look!!! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Does anyone have a surgeon/nutritionist who allows you to use real food as soon as possible post-surgery? I understand that my stomach would be healing at first and I would need to be on a Clear Liquids diet for a few days, but I really don't want to lose the weight by eating processed shakes and bars. Before I decide whether or not to have this surgery, I'd like to see if there are options that will allow me to consume mostly whole foods, from bone broth to kale/fruit smoothies to small portions of meat and tofu. Does anyone have a post-op diet like that? I figure I will have to add Protein powder to my smoothies at first, but don't want to be stuck taking Vitamins and minerals and supplements forever when there are so many good foods that supply the same nutrients. Thanks! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Just an update: the first practice I was considering (Fairview U of MN) told me I was not a candidate for surgery because they do not operate on anyone with borderline personality disorder, regardless of that person's stability and support systems. So I moved on to another practice on my list (Alina Abbot Northwestern) and right away the focus in their introductory videos, etc. was on building a sustainable, healthy post-op diet of whole foods. I'm feeling like this will be the right practice for me! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for all the support! The most frustrating thing was that she said it was their practice's policy because they didn't want to destabilize someone who was mentally stable by doing the surgery, because it was such a big lifestyle change. It made me feel like my level of stability wasn't a factor, or even was somehow a negative factor. I did leave a message for another practice and they called me right back and said they do not have the same policy, so I'm working on their paperwork now! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for all the replies! It helps to hear what different people are eating at different points in their healing and weight loss processes. I definitely get the need for Protein powders at first when you can barely eat anything, but need protein for your body to heal. I actually just bought a hemp protein powder to add to my morning smoothies to see if I liked it, and it is pretty good. But it is just 1/4 cup of powder mixed in with a bunch of real food (soy milk, kale, frozen fruit, nuts, seeds, a banana, etc.). I guess I'm not too worried about directly after surgery when everything is swollen and it is hard to eat anything. I know there will be lots of bone broth and smoothies during that part and not much else. I just don't want to take this drastic step if it will prevent me from being able to meet my body's nutritional needs naturally in the long term. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App