Uomograsso

I had to switch surgeons after completing my insurance companies requirements because the initial surgeon wasn't part of a "center of excellence." The second surgeon got all my records from the first and submitted them with no problem from the insurance company. Don't worry about losing weight, just make sure you have met the requirements set by your insurance company.

Today is 1 month and 1 day since I had my VGS surgery. And I can’t tell you all how happy I am to have had this surgery. It has made all the difference in the world to my life. I have 10x the amount of energy I used to have, almost like I have a bounce in my step again.
My SW: 260
My CW: 217
GW: 175-180
It just seems like it’s really working.
What I wanted to share with some people that seem to be struggling with the weight loss is that I have made my diet mostly Keto. I understand carbs are just as important during the recovery time, but being more keto has helped the weight come off faster. Faster than even when I was not eating much after the surgery. I am really surprised by how fast it is dropping now... I think I’ll be at my goal weight before I even know it. Because of all this new found energy, I have been able to do so much more. I want everyone to be this happy 😃

When you lose a lot of your excess body weight, you'll have a lot of new found energy for hiking. Don't think of WLS as cheating. I think some people's bodies work against them and the WLS evens the playing field. Almost all my relatives are extremely overweight. There's a combination of bad genes and bad nutrition in my upbringing working against me. My advice is to forget all those bad habits and less nutritious food you used to eat. Establish a new plan. Avoid sugary drinks, fried food, and processed foods. Create new favorite foods. You'll find 6 weeks on a liquid diet will allow you to forget all your old cravings and really reset your likes. As you add in nutritious food, your brain will crave these new foods. It is really easier to prepare all your meals at home. Avoid fast food restaurants. Bring a sack lunch to work everyday so you control what you eat and stick to your plan.

Yep, you know what you’re doing is not helping you & the only person who can get you back on track is you. The process is not easy. It takes a lot to examine your eating habits & implement the changes you need to make to be successful. It can be quite stressful which could be why you’re turning back to your old comfort food.
As @catwoman7 said you’re in the prime weight losing time. Grab this opportunity with both hands. There’s a lot of us who at some stage have been tempted & sometime we may weaken & slip. But if we want to be successful we pick ourselves up & get back on our journey.
Get rid of the food that tempts you down the wrong path out of your house. Prep meals ahead & freeze so all you have to do is reheat. Quick & easy. I’m a big believer in freezing individual meal portions. It helped me stay on track & not consistently worry about what I was going to eat.
Good luck.

I don't think it is coffee, but caffeine. I could have decaffeinated coffee and tea. I did ask my surgeon at my 6 month checkup and he said one or two cups (caffeinated coffee) are OK, just don't go nuts with it.

Don't buy too much as your tastes or whwt you cwn tolerate may change after surgery. Also the amount you need willbe drastically less for quite a while. Better to buy in small quantities until you figure out what works and doesn't work.

I did 3 oz refried Beans with unflavored Protein Powder, mix it in after heating up the beans. You can also add some cheese to the beans. I used a Tbsp of queso dip for cheesy refried beans.

This week I am 4 and a half months out from gastric bypass and down 113 lbs! I am 20 lbs away from goal but more importantly, I've gone from a size 28/30 barely fitting to a 12/14 depending on jeans or shirts and slacks. The red outfit I have was in a photo from yesterday; the outfit has been in my closet through a move from one state to another and 5 years as a 'goal oufit' that I was always depressed to think to never even come close to wearing!
I was jumping up and down when this size 14 outfit easily slipped on yesterday. I honestly teared up seeing it finally come unfolded and the tags come off. Well, we are in NY, it's COLD and by the time winter subsides, I will be out of this outfit for summer and down at least another size so I'm wearing it in the house now lol. I still remain amazed at how much easier it is to move, breathe and even curl up in a ball or take a bath. I can work now in a very physical job and feel tired but not excruciating pain; it's absolutely unreal to me and delightful.
     

SAMMC Bariatric Clinic: Weight-loss Surgery, Nutrition and Hair loss (whmcbariatric.blogspot.com

Weight-loss Surgery, Nutrition and hair Loss
by Jacqueline Jacques, ND
Original content: http://www.obesityaction.org/magazine/ywm22/wlsandhairloss.php
Typically, about 90 percent of hairs are anagen (in a growth phase) and 10 percent are telogen (in a dormant or resting phase) at any given time, meaning you are usually losing a lot less hair than you are growing so you don't have noticeable hair loss. But sometimes this can change.
A common fear and complaint of bariatric surgery patients is post-operative hair loss. While for most of us as people, our hair is an important part of our self-image and body image, it is not very important to our bodies. For this reason, nutrition can have a great impact on hair health because when forced to make a choice, the body will shift nutritional stores to vital organs like your brain and heart and away from your hair.
Hair loss has many causes. The most common type of hair loss after weight-loss surgery is a diffuse loss known medically as telogen effluvium, which can have both nutritional and non-nutritional causes.
Growing and Losing Hair
Whether you are aware of it or not, for most of your life you are always in the process of both growing and losing hair. Human hair follicles have two states; anagen, a growth phase, and telogen, a dormant or resting phase. All hairs begin their life in the anagen phase, grow for some period of time, and then shift into the telogen phase which lasts for about 100 to 120 days. Following this, the hair will fall out.
Specific types of stress can result in a shift of a much greater percentage of hairs into the telogen phase. The stressors known to result in this shift, or telogen effluvium, include:
High fever Severe infection Major surgery Acute physical trauma Chronic debilitating illness (such as cancer or end-stage liver disease) Hormonal disruption (such as pregnancy, childbirth or discontinuation of estrogen therapy) Acute weight-loss Crash dieting Anorexia Low Protein intake Iron or zinc deficiency Heavy metal toxicity Some medications (such as beta-blockers, anticoagulants, retinoids and immunizations) Weight-loss Surgery and Hair Loss
Nutritional issues aside, bariatric surgery patients already have two major risks of major surgery and rapid weight-loss. These alone are likely to account for much of the hair loss seen after surgery. In the absence of a nutritional issue, hair loss will continue until all hairs that have shifted into the telogen phase have fallen out. There is no way of switching them back to the anagen phase.
Hair loss rarely lasts for more than six months in the absence of a dietary cause. Because hair follicles are not damaged in telogen effluvium, hair should then regrow. For this reason, most doctors can assure their weight-loss surgery patients that with time and patience, and keeping up good nutritional intake, their hair will grow back. Discrete nutritional deficiencies are known to cause and contribute to telogen effluvium. One would be more suspicious of a nutritional contribution to post-bariatric surgery hair loss if:
Hair loss continued more than one year after surgery Hair loss started more than six months after surgery Patient has had difficulty eating and/or has not complied with supplementation Patient has demonstrated low values of ferritin, zinc or protein Patient has had more rapid than expected weight-loss Other symptoms of deficiency are present Nutrition Iron
Iron is the single nutrient most highly correlated with hair loss. The correlation between non-anemic iron deficiency and hair loss was first described in the early 1960s, although little to no follow-up research was conducted until this decade. While new research is conflicted as to the significance of ferritin as a diagnostic tool in hair loss, it has still been found that a significant number of people with telogen effluvium respond to iron therapy.
Optimal iron levels for hair health have not been established, although there is some good evidence that a ferritin level below 40ug/L is highly associated with hair loss in women.1 It is worth noting that this is well above the level that is considered to be anemia, so doctors would not be expected to see this as a deficiency.
Zinc
Zinc deficiency has been tied to hair loss in both animal studies and human cases. There is data linking zinc deficiency in humans to both telogen effluvium and immune-mediated hair loss. Zinc deficiency is a well-recognized problem after bileopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch, and there is some indication that it may occur with other procedures such as gastric bypass and adjustable gastric banding.
In 1996, a group of researchers chose to study high dose zinc supplementation as a therapeutic agent for related hair loss2 in patients with vertical banded gastroplasty. The study administered 200 mg of zinc sulfate (45mg elemental zinc) three times daily to post-operative patients with hair loss. This was in addition to the Multivitamin and iron supplements that patients were already taking. No labs for zinc or other nutrients were conducted.
Researchers found that in patients taking the zinc, 100 percent had cessation of hair loss after six months. They then stopped the zinc. In five patients, hair loss resumed after zinc was stopped, and was arrested again with renewed supplementation. It is important to note that in telogen effluvium of non-nutritional origin, hair loss would be expected to stop normally within six months. Since the researchers conducted no laboratory studies, and there was no control group, the only patients of interest here are those who began to lose hair again after stopping zinc. Thus we cannot say that zinc would prevent hair loss after weight-loss surgery, and further study would definitely be needed to make this connection.
A further note: The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for zinc is set at 40mg in adults. This study utilized a daily dose of more than three times that level. Not only can these levels cause gastrointestinal distress, but chronic toxicity (mostly associated with copper depletion) can start at levels of 60 mg/day. Information related to this study has made its way to many a support group and chat room – even to doctor's offices – with the message of "high dose zinc will prevent hair loss after weight-loss surgery." Patients should be advised that high dose zinc therapy is unproven and should only be done under supervision due to the associated risks of toxicity. A lab test to check for zinc deficiency would be best before giving a high dose such as this.
Protein
Low protein intake is associated with hair loss. Protein malnutrition has been reported with duodenal switch, and in gastric bypass to a much lesser degree. Little is known about incidence, as only around eight percent of surgeons track labs such as total protein, albumen or prealbumen. Limited studies suggest that patients with the most rapid or greatest amounts of weight-loss are at greatest risk.3
With surgical reduction of the stomach, hydrochloric acid,4 pepsinogen5 and normal churning are all significantly reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, pancreatic enzymes that would also aid in protein digestion are redirected to a lower part of the small intestine. It is thus likely that maldigestion, rather than malabsorption, is responsible for most cases. Some studies have also implicated low protein intake.6
Research also indicates that low levels of the amino acid l-lysine can contribute to hair loss and that repletion of lysine stores may both improve iron status and hair regrowth. In a study of anemic patients with hair loss who were supplemented with 1.5 to 2 grams of l-lysine in addition to their iron therapy, ferritin levels increased more substantially over iron therapy alone.1
Many individuals believe that supplementing with or topically applying the nutrient Biotin will either help to prevent hair loss or will improve hair regrowth. To date, there is no science that would support either of these presumptions. While biotin deficiency can cause dermatitis, hair loss is only known to occur in experimentally induced states in animal models or in extreme cases of prolonged diets composed exclusively of egg whites.7
Other
Other nutrients associated with hair health include Vitamin A, inositol, folate, B-6 and essential fatty acids. Hair loss can also be caused by systemic diseases, including thyroid disease and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and is influenced by genetics.
Conclusion
Hair loss can be distressing to bariatric surgery patients and many will try nutrition themselves to see if they can prevent it. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that early hair loss is preventable because it is mostly likely caused by surgery and rapid weight-loss.
Later hair loss, however, can be indicative of a nutritional problem, especially iron deficiency, and may be a clinically useful sign. Educating patients about the potential for hair loss and possible underlying causes can help them to make informed choices and avoid wasting money on gimmicks that may have little real value.
About the Author:
Jacqueline Jacques, ND, is a Naturopathic Doctor with more than a decade of expertise in medical nutrition. She is the Chief Science Officer for Catalina Lifesciences LLC, a company dedicated to providing the best of nutritional care to weight-loss surgery patients. Her greatest love is empowering patients to better their own health. Dr. Jacques is a member of the OAC National Board of Directors.

here are the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery guidelines. They list what supplements all WLS patients should take, as well as those specific to each surgery (they call the sleeve "SG" or "LSG" here)
you don't necessarily need bariatric-specific Vitamins, although they do make things a bit easier. But any Vitamin routine is fine if it fits into these guidelines. I've never used bariatric-specific vitamins. My multiple vitamin is just two Centrums (or the generic version of Centrum - both CVS and Walgreens have them - as well as some other places). I then take a few single-vitamin supplements that are required for RNY.

https://asmbs.org/app/uploads/2017/06/ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf?/app/uploads/2008/09/asmbs-nutritional-guidelines-2016-update.pdf

Two months in, 28.6 lbs lost after surgery, 86.4 total loss. I’ve tried a lot of stuff that people report issues with, like chicken breast, food with spice, etc. No issues with anything. I absolutely know when I’m close to restriction though!

I bought smaller pants online, and they turned out to still be too big. I’m definitely having some issues figuring out sizing! Trying not to invest too much in clothes though, because I want to still keep going. I’m halfway to my goal weight!

One month in, 16.4 lbs lost after surgery, 74.2 lbs total loss. Feeling great, just started on soft foods. Basically just eggs and cottage cheese at this point. Hit a huge milestone- I now have less than 100 lbs left to lose! I’ve got a long road but I’m heading in the right direction.

Almost 5 1/2 months out and down 77lbs! The first picture was taken the night before surgery... I'm thankful I have it for comparison. This Surgery has saved my life in so many ways.
Sent from my SM-G981U using BariatricPal mobile app

My heaviest weight was 445 lb. When I started dieting in July 2019 prior to surgery I was 427 lbs. My surgen wanted my BMI to be at 50 before surgery. My surgery weight was 335 lbs. Almost at my one year surgivesary and I am around 200 lbs.

you can get sample packets of most/all of the Syntrax flavors in several places - including directly from Syntrax, on Amazon, or here on BP.

So I've recently been hired for a new job. As part of the "Welcome Kit", this company sends new employees a company T-shirt. They sent a size medium and in the past, I would have known there was NOTHING I could do with a medium T-shirt except maybe hang it up and look at it. It would have been just another one of those small indignities that you have to live with when you are bigger than the rest of the world. But today, the T-shirt fits perfectly and I'm starting off my new job without a reminder that I'm different from everyone else. How sweet it is!

I worked remote prior to the "pandemic" breaking out. I had surgery on a Thursday. Was out of the hospital on Saturday. Took the next week off and returned to work on the following Monday. I was tired all the time and went to bed about 8 pm every day for a couple of weeks. I think you shouldn't have much of a problem with your plans. Good luck!

First, I know there is a large population of WLS folks who don't drink carbonated beverages, so if you are one of those, this will not interest you. Look Away!
Soooo....I am big carbonated Water drinker, drank the stuff pre-wls, and continued to do so after surgery (starting around 2-3 months post op). The literature my team provided advised against it, but when I brought it up with my surgeon & nutritionist, both had no real objection.
Our household probably goes through 10 or so 1.5 litre bottles of carbonated water a week (of which I probably drink 6 or 7 of them myself).
I have long been considering a Soda Stream but the idea of having to keep buying C02 tanks put me off. I had also considered setting up a DIY carbonation system but laziness kept getting the better of me.
Enter Sparkel.
I got this as an Xmas present this year, and after using it for a week, I am a True Believer. It doesn't use CO2 tanks, but instead uses "carbonators" that interact with water and through some chemical process produces C02 that is injected into liquid.
Broken down, these carbonators cost .65 cents (Canadian) to produce 750ml of carbonated water. Which by itself, is already a savings vs. store bought carbonated water (after the initial cost of the unit is recouped). HOWEVER, being an avid Reddit reader, I discovered that these "carbonators" are basically citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (i.e., baking soda), which, when bought in bulk, reduces the cost of making each 750ml bottle of water to just .14 cents (Canadian)!! The initial cost of the unit is $129 CAD, so these savings would be realized at around the 8 month mark.
In short, this thing is a hit at my place. We have tried carbonating everything we could get our hands on. Water (of course), Juices/Ciders, Wine, Vodka, all good. Milk, coffee, Tea, um...probably an acquired taste, lol. My fave is Mint & Cucumber infused water. The fam loves our version of Ginger Beer (water, ginger Syrup & ginger slices).
While I totally love this thing and plan on continue using it multiple times a day for days on end, there are a couple things that could be improved upon:
Speed of carbonation. I've seen the traditional CO2 tank-based units carbonate a bottle in about 30 seconds or less. This one takes about 3-5 minutes, depending on your desired level of carbonation. Cost of the proprietary "carbonator" powders...but this can be circumvented by buying the ingredients in third-party bulk. Handle seems flimsy...I feel like I need to be careful pulling the handle down lest I snap it in two...I feel like it should be made out of stainless steel instead of moulded plastic. The unit needs some "feet" underneath. I often drip water everywhere, and since the bottom of unit basically sits flush to the counter, I feel like this is a electrocution accident waiting to happen. The bottle size is could be larger. 750ml is basically a single serving in my house, so having to make a bottle for everyone at 5 mins a pop can get time consuming. So.....if you are a carbonated water person, I wholly recommend this product (so far...we'll see how it holds up to daily use in a few months from now..). The few Cons with it are well worth the Pros.
I am not affiliated with Sparkel in any way 😁 lol


medium 3 sm.mov

I’m just under two weeks away from my Tummy Tuck, BL/BA, and arm lift. I’m nervous and excited! This truly feels like my reward for all of the hard work I’ve put in to lose my excess weight. I’ve got my cute swimsuit picked out for my before & after pic which I will post here. For those who’ve gone before me, any last minute advice?

New Year, new beginning.
Sent from my [smartphone] using BariatricPal mobile app

Im no longer just alive, im actually living now. This was an experience ill never forget and i cant wait to go again. This has always been one of my goals but i was too heavy to do it. Making dreams become reality. Im loving this whole process.

Today is my 1 year surgeversary and despite everything going on in the world, its been a pretty good year. Since 12/31/2019 I am:
- Down 120 lbs from surgery (161.5 total)
- in the "normal" BMI range, for the first time in my adult life
- almost half of my weight (and will be when I reach goal)
My favorite NSVs
- My knees, what finally got me to have the surgery, feel SO much better
- I'm walking most days, anywhere from 1.5-2 miles and it feels so good both physically and mentally
- I want to be out and experiencing life again, v. being so tired at the end of the day and just wanting to sit on the couch
- I eat completely differently from before, and I have so much more energy
- Clothes fit so much better! From 2x-3x to a Medium in tops.
- Standard bath towels fit

You should have received Vitamin requirements from your doctor or dietitian. Follow their recommendations. Below is breakdown of requirements I received. They may want you to start with chewable vitamins at first. I use one a dat capsules now. Just make sure whichever you choose, make sure it meets requirements. Also, if it contains Iron you cannot take Calcium supplements within two hours of taking vitamin. I buy Vitamins from this site to support them hosting this forum.

My only regret was that I didn't have this surgery years ago.