Born in Missouri

"Eat less, move more" is the simple way to stay slim, but some scientists now suspect body weight is much more complex. One area of research is "obesogens" which are chemicals absorbed from the environment and food that are thought to disrupt the way hormones operate, potentially leading to weight gain. Research by Harvard University found that women (men less so) struggled to maintain weight loss after higher levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were found in their blood. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/pfass-chemicals-environment-body-weight/ http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002502 https://coach.nine.com.au/2018/07/26/11/10/obesogenics-chemicals-weight-gain

I found some information that might address some of your concerns. "High B12 levels in the blood are not necessarily a reason to panic, as they can stem from a number of different causes." Two reasons for increased levels of vitamin B12 include: 1. Your B12 test was carried out too soon after taking B12 supplements. 2. The body is failing to use the B12 correctly. High levels can be followed up by a test called the MMA Urine Test and works by measuring the methylmalonic acid in urine, which determines how much B12 the cells actually receive. The test can be carried out comfortably and quickly ay home. (I don't know where to get this test.) Another testing method is a blood sample test. It is known as the HoloTC test, which measures the B12 bound to its specific transport molecule, transcobalamin. http://www.b12-vitamin.com/blood-levels/ There are some cases where high levels of B12 are of concern but don't get ahead of yourself. You seem to be under a lot of stress and that makes you worry even more. Ask your doctor, for your peace of mind, to order more testing. It's interesting that you stopped taking B12 (and your other vitamins) for three months prior to your 1-year check-up. Maybe your body isn't able to use B12: "Usage issues occur when the body isn’t capable of properly utilizing vitamin B12, leaving it to accumulate in the blood. It is possible that a B12 deficiency can occur despite high B12 blood levels... if vitamin B12 isn’t correctly binding to transport molecules and thus is not able to be used by the body..."

@James Marusek. I mistakenly thought your list was in response to my request. I just now noticed, though, that your list has been pinned. How were you able to have your comment pinned? Do you have administrative powers the rest of us don't? I made the initial request to compile an exhaustive list of terms (that included more than just abbreviations) but, apparently, my request for administrative assistance went unacknowledged. Talk about feeling dismissed. Oh well.

Your words convinced me. SOLD! Wait. I've never had a lap band or a sleeve or any other weight-loss surgery that might benefit from a conversion to bypass. It's just that your succinct comment convinced me that if I HAD to take action of some sort, I'd definitely listen to you. I had my bypass on June 13, 2018. Apparently, I got it right the first time. Lucky me. Lucky for others like me. I'm happy for you. I'm proud of you for fighting the good fight with your insurance company (talk about a soulless corporation with the horse sense of used toilet paper). It sounds like you've tried to make good decisions since the beginning... but your journey abruptly headed South. But... finally, FINALLY!!! ... you're on a superhighway that will get you where you've wanted to go all along... again, I'm so very happy for you. Keep us posted. Your journey is one I'd like to follow.

@SueperGaland @MIZ60 Thank you for the comparison photos. Just what I hoped to see. I'm glad you mentioned that the Thai food was 1 cup (your order) because I was only able to see a difference. A description of what was in the omelet was helpful also. I'm only guessing about the yogurt. The shot is a close-up so I don't really know how much that is. (I usually make my own yogurt, so I'm not familiar with most of the commercial sizes.)

I love how you wore the same necklace and a sleek (yet also black) outfit. Beautifully defined legs and a nice waspy waist. The new slender you looks taller, too. Your face is beautiful, before and after, but in the after photo, it's wonderfully taut. Do I see dimples in the after photo? I'm only 43 days post-op. One year seems like forever away.

This beats a postponement any day. Sounds like a serendipitous sign of good things to come. Watch out, world, here comees Elizabeeth!!

I never thought about this way. Intriguing.

In case there's some ambiguity as to what I mean by "successful": I didn't intend to suggest that losing weight prior to surgery equals success. For me, being able to stick to a challenging all-liquid regime for an entire week (without drinking my daily Diet Dr. Pepper) and knowing that this is what would be required of me after surgery -- that's the success I wanted to experience. That would be my pre-op positive boost.

Brilliant, T. We definitely need more fun, original, and helpful threads. I'm making an attempt to get something helpful started (the mini WL dictionary/glossary*), and now you've come up with this fun AND helpful idea. I'd also be interested in seeing typical meals with honest serving portions (pre-surgery, even before the ALL-LIQUID pre-diet). The subsequent photo(s) could be a typical meal(s) AFTER surgery (post-healing). There might be some significant time lapse between the photos. The BEFORE photos could be honest re-creations meant to show one's previous unhealthy food choices and less-than-ideal serving portions. Tip: Place a familiar object (edible or non-edible) on or near the plate so we can get a reasonable sense of scale.

If this isn't a suggestion you're eager to support, I doubt if it's worth the time and effort required to even get started. For the glossary to be meaningful and easy to use, it needs to appear as one cohesive assemblage on a dedicated page in ABC order -- and not in little, repetitious batches in different formats, presented by different posters, some of whom don't proofread for errors or typos.

No, you're not the only one. There's a pretty good explanation, too. I did a little research: Researchers at the University Hospitals of Leicester looked at the relationship between taste, smell, and appetite among 103 patients who’d undergone gastric bypass surgery between 2000 and 2011. Nearly half of the patients polled reported their sense of smell changed following weight loss surgery and 73 percent noticed changes in the way food tasted. Topping the list for patients experiencing taste changes is increased sensitivity to sweet foods and sour foods. Reduced tolerance and cravings for sweets and fast foods are common changes are reported by many patients. Some patients may become so sensitized that even Protein Shakes and powders taste overly sweet and are difficult to tolerate. (Some tips that may help include thoroughly chilling the Protein shakes to improve taste.) Food aversions usually develop immediately following surgery and may lessen or disappear over time. In studies, animal Proteins top this list with patients steering clear of chicken, steak, ground beef, lamb and cured meats like bacon, sausage, and ham. eggs, dairy products including ice cream, cheese and milk and starches such as rice, Pasta or bread also ranked high on the list of disliked foods. Interestingly, very few patients reported aversions to fruits or vegetables. Some patients even report loving veggies like broccoli or cauliflower even more. Patients may feel turned off to foods for a variety of reasons including smell, appearance, texture or consistency. Sometimes a change in preparation method can help improve tolerance. Simple adjustments like stewing meat instead of baking or grilling and poaching eggs instead of frying may prevent the often-reported feeling of food “sticking” on the way down. While the exact cause is unknown, many experts believe sensory changes occur as a result of fluctuating hormones in the gut and their effects on the central nervous system. This gut-brain axis as it’s known and its relationship to bariatric surgery is a subject of much research and speculation. In a nutshell, the nervous system relays countless transmissions about your hunger, satiety, and cravings each day between your GI tract and your brain. Because the carriers of these messages are affected by changes in weight and the removal of a portion of the stomach, it is highly likely they have an impact on taste, smell, gratification and other sensory perceptions. Leptin and ghrelin are hormones that are known to have a prominent role in the relationship between hunger and satiety. Ghrelin also plays a role in determining how much of what we eat is burned for fuel versus stored as fat. Weight loss alone results in an increase in ghrelin, which explains why we tend to feel hungry as soon as we restrict calories and begin to shed pounds. Surgically induced weight loss, however, in which a portion of the stomach is removed or bypassed, reduces the production of ghrelin while restricting the volume of food consumed. This unique combination explains, at least in part, why bariatric patients are able to eat less but not feel hungrier as a result. Leptin also plays an important role in telling your body when you are full and how calories are stored. It is believed that weight loss improves the body’s sensitivity to the messages leptin delivers to the gut and brain. This, in turn, may result in greater food satisfaction with smaller quantities and less flavor intensity.

Thank you, James. Wow. That was a quick response-- and only one hour after I posted my request for help with weight-loss words, acronyms, abbreviations, etc. Woo-hoo.

Thanks, James. A definition for some of these terms would be greatly appreciated -- not for general medical abbreviations, but for words (and corresponding abbreviations) used primarily in the world of bariatric and metabolic surgery.

I’ve been exposed to dozens of new words and acronyms since my weight-loss journey began. Unfortunately, all of this new-found knowledge is pasted here or there or rattling around in my head. I’ve found a few bariatric vocabulary lists online but none seem to be complete. With the help of others here (yes, you @nibble and @Little Kansas Kitty), I’d like to start compiling a glossary of terms to help new forum members (like myself) learn this new and dynamic (ever-changing) language. At some point, perhaps Alex Brecher will provide us with an area on this site for our glossary to live and grow. I welcome any ideas to help get this going. First, as I see it, we need to identify the words/abbreviations/acronyms, etc. for our little dictionary: foamies, dumping, transfer addiction, etc. The definitions, for the most part, should be original. We can’t just copy/paste or infringe on the definitions created by others. Any English teachers out there? Editors? @Alex Brecher @Ken S. Is this something that you’d consider helping us put together? Is there a place, a sort of sandbox, where we can start adding words/definitions and then continue to edit this list?

I've been seriously thinking about compiling a bariatric surgery / weight-loss glossary of terms and I thought, "Oh! A new word to add." Good thing you corrected your post. I would have wasted time looking for the definition of a term that doesn't exist.

When my youngest son was a toddler, he saw a sparrow-hawk grab a small baby bird in our backyard. I thought it would be a disturbing moment for him, but he just turned to me and said, "Look. That big bird is giving that little bird a ride!"

@nibble. Like you, finding out that obesity-is-now-a-disease was the impetus to find out if my insurance covered bariatric surgery. Fortunately, I didn't give up when my first phone call reached someone who mixed up my plan with another plan that did not have bariatric benefits. I became a squeaky wheel after that until I knew my benefits backwards and forwards, and if anyone tried to insert a requirement that wasn't in my plan, I let them know! One of the "requirements" that someone tried to convince me was a part of my plan had to do with not being allowed to gain any weight during the 6-month physician-directed weight-loss attempt. My plan required only that I do those six months. There was nothing in my plan that "punished" me for gaining weight during those six months. I've noticed several posters on this forum, primarily younger women, who aren't confident in being good self-advocates. Stop apologizing for everything. Stop allowing gatekeepers to keep you from getting the information you need. To make good decisions, you deserve to have all the facts. Read. Ask. Read some more. Keep asking. A librarian.. .. I considered library science for a while, but ended up getting a B.S. in health information management. Of course, that's not what I do for a living. Who else has a degree or degrees in areas that they don't work in?

@nibble. I had no problem reading the article or the letters. Thank you for sharing your personal story. I have no doubt that those researchers were happy to hear from you. People are often quick to complain, but how many people actually take the time to let someone know that their work touched you in some way. Your letter helped to break the bubble that researchers like Sarah work in. Everyone wants to make a difference and to be recognized.

@nibble. Don't argue. You are that good! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into getting this information to me -- and to others here who are interested. Woohoo. I found another (case)study-buddy!! Knowledge is power and sharing is caring.

@nibble I am speechless. You wrote to the AMA and they wrote back to you? Wow! That's fantastic. How did it feel to pour such powerful emotions into a letter and then send it to the very people who had a role in our collective abilities to have life-changing surgery? Without that disease classification, insurance companies would not have included bariatric surgery as a covered benefit. I COULD NOT OPEN THE DOCUMENT. Boo-hoo. Thank you so much. Your idea to write that letter profoundly impressed me.

People with severe obesity who undergo bariatric surgery have a higher risk for fracture both before and after the procedure. “To minimize the effect of bariatric surgery on bone, guidelines should be followed and the importance of adherence to supplements and physical activity should be reinforced among patients and healthcare professionals." https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/bone-mineral-metabolism/news/in-the-journals/{7e479b49-f551-4de5-a2c2-03b0718b1bdf}/fracture-risk-increases-with-bariatric-surgery IMPORTANT: Take your supplements! Vitamins! Minerals! And don't forget to excercise!

Men with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery reported an increase in sexual function and experienced an increase in sex hormone levels in the months after the procedure; however, a reported increase in sexual function among women with obesity who underwent surgery did not rise to significance... https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/obesity/news/in-the-journals/{495cad94-7580-4c27-a9b4-29fd9163e99a}/meta-analysis-bariatric-surgery-improves-sexual-function-in-men-but-not-women. . . . . (Note use of people-first language: men with obesity, not obese men/ women with obesity, not obese women)

@BajanSleeve All I have is a baby-killer possum living under my front-door steps. She's killed three seasons of baby red birds in my bushes. I finally had the bushes pruned down so they wouldn't nest there anymore.

@Bajansleeve. I dragged the photo onto my desktop for a closer look from the neck down. It's hard to believe that your doctor had surgery. Won't it be great when someone says the same about us? "You had weight-loss surgery? I never would have guessed. You're just so slim and trim."