Esi

Thanks for the update. We appreciate your feedback and will take it into account.
Here's a photo from the side of our newest boxes. The BariatricPal logo isn't very noticeable.

Update: The latest return label is back to BP Store! Thank you! 😀👍🏻
Unfortunately, the newer boxes being used (Netrition) have a larger Bariatric Pal printing…sigh…at least there are a couple other brands listed next to it. So it’s harder to assume. I would love a plain shipping option.

Ugh! It’s not a fun part. I will agree with the other posts about cutting it shorter, perhaps shoulder length or shorter. Curls will help fill in the gaps.
Although my hair started growing back after about six months, at almost 2 years it is still not back to how it looked before surgery. I still have parts around my forehead that are only 2 inches long, I hope they are the last to fill-in.
But definitely worth the trade-off! Hang in there, it will get better.

Our hair can be such a strong representation of how we see ourselves soo losing it like this can be stressful & difficult to accept. I cut mine to just above my shoulders. My hair looked thicker, bouncier (didn’t have all the weight of my long hair pulling my remaining hair down) & the shorter strands didn’t look so scary in the bottom of the shower or in my brush. Plus it takes less time for your new growth to catch up to the shorter length. You can always grow it again to a longer length if you want.
Try not to let it stress you more - you don’t need the extra worry to add to the loss. It will slow back to its usually shedding rate in about 3 months.

Don't stock up too much--your tastebuds can change and a lot of people grow to hate their first post-surgery picks because they associate it with feeling lousy.

When it came to purée foods I had to stick with foods that are supposed to be purée because I have issues with consistency but for people who don’t you can have a lot more variety. You can purée almost anything. Just add more sauce or gravy to thin it even more in the beginning and be creative with flavors.

I had the Loop DS, but my stomach is a VSG stomach, if that counts? And, I'll be 3 years post op next month so I don't know if I count, but... my tip is to take the weight loss phase and use it to learn how to eat in a better and more sustainable way. Make healthier choices, but allow yourself the freedom to eat the things you want in moderation (i.e not all the time). If you start to put on weight then monitor your calories (though in year 2 you WILL put on anywhere between 5-20 pounds back on average, or so I've been told by my surgeons office. I originally put 21 pounds on due to a med I was taking and once I stopped taking the med I worked on getting the weight off and was able to lose half the weight I'd gained, but I can't get under 186 pounds no matter what I do. I'm okay with it though as long as I stay in the 180's, but if my weight creeps into the 190's I start monitoring my calories closely to see if I'm eating too much. Which I usually am lol. I cut back and the weight comes back off, but stalls once again at 186 😒).

I’m three yrs 7 months post surgery. I’m about 3lbs heavier then my lowest weight (2 of which are above from where I initially settled). I eat about 1400 calories a day & don’t really exercise apart from from resistance exercises, sit ups & stretches (wouldn’t burn 30 calories 😁).
I am pretty careful with what I eat & there are certain foods I don’t eat or eat very rarely. Some are foods that don’t sit well in my tummy like bread, Pasta, rice, quinoa, cous cous & starchy vegetables. Others are things I’ve realised I feel better without like sweet foods. I don’t eat fast food like burgers & rarely eat takeaway like Chinese, Japanese or Thai - only with others & make careful choices. I don’t consider this a diet but just how I eat. Some may think I’m fairly restricted in what I eat but it’s only with certain things & I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything.
I still have cravings - salty foods are my challenge - but I understand the why & the when behind them like craving salt after I eat yoghurt (🤷🏻‍♀️). Sometimes I surrender though I’ll have some salted macadamia nuts, a couple of multigrain rice crackers (carefully as they’re a slider food) or roll some cucumber in salt.
I changed some of my cooking styles & use have incorporated some alternative ingredients & more if others. Like I use an air fryer or oven more & incorporate more lentils, pearl barley & Beans than I did before.
I don’t track as such but I do random checks of portions, calories & nutrients. I still keep a close eye on Protein, because I have an absorption issue, & on my Water intake. I weigh myself a couple of times a week just to keep myself on track & honest.
A lot of how you manage your maintenance into the future is a personal thing. My body, how it works & what it needs, is different to yours. My lifestyle will be different. How I want to live my life & the demands on it is likely different too. And you may be more or less active than me. Health, age, etc. are a considerations too. So how I choose to eat may not work for you or for anyone else. Same with the other changes & choices I’ve made. Best advice is to experiment with different eating styles & cooking styles, introduce new foods, reintroduce old favourites, etc. & see how you go. It just need to be sustainable, complementary to your lifestyle & you’re happy & healthy.

4+ years out for me.
i still track all my calories and weigh myself every morning. if my scale shows an upward trend for an extended period of time, i make adjustments in calorie intake for a while....though i haven't had to do these "adjustments" since i upped my personal acceptable weight limit by 5lbs over a year ago. i found that the effort to maintain a lower weight was just not worth it. yes its a small amount, but not having to worry about those extra 5 lbs and being able to maintain my current weight with little extra effort with my current eating habits and activity level is golden to me.
p.s. i do dedicated exercise about 3-4 times a week
p.p.s. not sure if it's worth noting that i also inadvertently practice 16:8 IF (i don't normally eat until after noon out of years habit; and i generally stop eating around 7-8 so i sleep on an empty stomach..habit created after wls to avoid nighttime regurgitation.)

If you order from the Bariatric Pal store:
I sent this message to customer service about 5 weeks ago, and they said they would look into it. The same thing happened AGAIN today. 😡
If you agree, please consider sending them a note, too.

*****
Dear BP Store,

Until this week, all of the products that I have purchased from your store has come with a return label that indicates “BP Store.”

However, my latest package contained the words “Bariatric Pal” on the label.

It might seem small, but for those of your customers who are not public with our surgery choice, this can be revealing, embarrassing, and could even lead to our health information inadvertently shared.

Would you please consider changing the return label to the old “BP Store” label? Most of the products I get from your store can be purchased from other places, and I may need to consider this to protect my health information.

Thanks for your consideration!

I would have said groceries…but the food I eat, along with Protein supplements, is better quality and more expensive.
Restaurants: there’s the savings! The one day a week we eat out, my meal costs half of what it used to.

The grocery bill went down though because I went from not eating lunch & morning & afternoon tea to eating them it wasn’t as much of a drop as I expected.
But boy oh boy replacing clothing was an expensive process. Was being very careful & buying very little as I was losing predominately just to supplement my old smaller sized clothing. I got caught because when I was at about goal I started buying more thinking I’d stabilise but I kept losing & dropped two more dress sizes. Had to be refitted for bras three times, twice replaced my knickers, twice replaced pyjamas & have shoes that are smaller than what I used to wear but bigger than what I wear now. The additional cost not many talk about.
Plus it’s so exciting to be able to buy beautiful clothes, underwear & shoes in small sizes & things that are flattering & fit properly. Addiction transference??? 😁😁😁
Donated a lot of things, gave away a few shoes but still have quite a few clothes & shoes that are one or two sizes too big. Just in case.

Unfortunately, we never rid ourselves of those old habits & cravings. All we can do is recognise them for what they are, identify what may be behind them (stress, emotions, boredom, etc.) & learn strategies to manage them & take away some of their power. And yes, therapy can help a lot.
In the meantime look for something to distract yourself. Go for a walk, play a game, craft, read, clean out a cupboard - sort out those clothes that are starting to get too big, watch a movie/documentary/ TV program, ring a friend, check social media & this forum.

Can you physically remove the temptations? I know it’s not always easy if you live with other people who don’t follow your food requirements, but if you can, keep the demon’s food out of the house. Get rid of anything you have that you don’t want to be tempted to eat. Donate it to a food bank. Anything you can’t donate (e.g., perishable food like baked goods), it will usually disappear pretty quickly if you leave it in the break room at work.
Grocery pickup/delivery is a game-changer (I’m a big fan of Walmart Plus, but a lot of stores offer this type of service). I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve set foot in a grocery store in the past year. I have a saved list of my standard weekly grocery items (mainly fresh and frozen produce, meat, and fish), and anything else I need, I just add to my cart ad hoc throughout the week. I never have to look at the demon’s foods. I don’t have to walk through the bakery aisle and smell the cakes and donuts, I don’t have to walk through the cookie aisle and see the new Oreo flavors. I don’t have to resist temptation every time I go in the pantry because I have nothing that I shouldn’t be eating, I do have healthy(ish) treats that I eat every day so I don’t feel deprived. (Yes, I eat a lot of artificially sweetened foods. Maybe not the “healthiest” choices on earth, but the perfect is the enemy of the good.)

If you order from the Bariatric Pal store:
I sent this message to customer service about 5 weeks ago, and they said they would look into it. The same thing happened AGAIN today. 😡
If you agree, please consider sending them a note, too.

*****
Dear BP Store,

Until this week, all of the products that I have purchased from your store has come with a return label that indicates “BP Store.”

However, my latest package contained the words “Bariatric Pal” on the label.

It might seem small, but for those of your customers who are not public with our surgery choice, this can be revealing, embarrassing, and could even lead to our health information inadvertently shared.

Would you please consider changing the return label to the old “BP Store” label? Most of the products I get from your store can be purchased from other places, and I may need to consider this to protect my health information.

Thanks for your consideration!

If you order from the Bariatric Pal store:
I sent this message to customer service about 5 weeks ago, and they said they would look into it. The same thing happened AGAIN today. 😡
If you agree, please consider sending them a note, too.

*****
Dear BP Store,

Until this week, all of the products that I have purchased from your store has come with a return label that indicates “BP Store.”

However, my latest package contained the words “Bariatric Pal” on the label.

It might seem small, but for those of your customers who are not public with our surgery choice, this can be revealing, embarrassing, and could even lead to our health information inadvertently shared.

Would you please consider changing the return label to the old “BP Store” label? Most of the products I get from your store can be purchased from other places, and I may need to consider this to protect my health information.

Thanks for your consideration!

If you order from the Bariatric Pal store:
I sent this message to customer service about 5 weeks ago, and they said they would look into it. The same thing happened AGAIN today. 😡
If you agree, please consider sending them a note, too.

*****
Dear BP Store,

Until this week, all of the products that I have purchased from your store has come with a return label that indicates “BP Store.”

However, my latest package contained the words “Bariatric Pal” on the label.

It might seem small, but for those of your customers who are not public with our surgery choice, this can be revealing, embarrassing, and could even lead to our health information inadvertently shared.

Would you please consider changing the return label to the old “BP Store” label? Most of the products I get from your store can be purchased from other places, and I may need to consider this to protect my health information.

Thanks for your consideration!

haha I don't prefer them as a "wrap" I agree with the odd rubbery texture. But, I use them in lasagna in place of noodles and you don't notice the texture. Works perfectly!

Three years post-sleeve here and my body still doesn't like tortillas and I can only have a forkful or a single spoonful or potatoes, rice, or carbs.

I forgot about Pasta in my previous reply… I haven’t eaten regular pasta since my surgery. Shirataki noodles are pretty good if you take the time to prepare them correctly, but it’s kind of an involved process and I’m too lazy to do it often. Zoodles (zucchini noodles) are ok; I prefer them cooked in the air fryer so they’re not so soggy. I love spaghetti squash (delicious roasted in the air fryer), but it doesn’t really taste like spaghetti.
Radishes are a good substitute for potatoes in Soups and stews. They don’t have much flavor, but they have a similar texture.
I don’t do Keto (super low carb) and I don’t think it’s sustainable long-term for most people, and also not necessarily good for bariatric patients because it’s a high-fat diet, but I do try to avoid sugar, white flour, rice, potatoes, etc. Most of my carbs are from low-starch vegetables and legumes.

My plan has had carbs from Pre-op to now. Most of my carbs come from 2-5 servings a fruit a day. I am not a Pasta person (unless it Siamin Soup 😍) nor am I a bread person, so I usually eat rice and wholesome grains from crackers.

So much this.
I know many people are afraid to keep "the evil foods in the house" because they trigger binges/overeating for them. However, others need the opposite: knowing that they can have it anytime they want it to prevent binges/overeating.
In the beginning a lot has gone to waste, indeed. With time I refined the technique so to say. Now I have a freezer brimming with food and many shelf-stable items. When it comes to highly perishable items that don't freeze well I still sometimes have to throw out something but usually the permission to get it when I want/can get it is enough (thinking e. g. about that vegan croissant I can only get when I'm home on weekends and they need to be eaten the same day or they're no longer tasting good).
From time to time I bring an open package to work before it goes bad (or one that's reached the BB date) and people are happy about the goody.

Somewhat shallow post ☺️

I am frustrated with my hair. It’s been about a year and a half since surgery. It has been thin, and different textures/thicknesses. I got the wispy ends cut off, but it all looks dry and weird. Like a wig, or cotton candy, or something made of straw. Not like life before surgery. (I am so happy I had the surgery and would do it again.).

I tried hot oil, different conditioners, blowing it dry differently, styling differently. Dermatologist said I could try Rogaine, but not sure I want to risk more Hair loss.< br />
Any suggestions from those of you who experienced something similar? I usually go to a discount salon for trims, but feel like I may need further assistance. Do I call a salon and ask for someone who works with post-surgery hair?

That's the Holy Grail of bariatric surgery. Well done you / lucky you. Proves it does happen for some of us!!!

I also had a completely arbitrary goal of 120 lbs (it was the midpoint of healthy BMI range for my height).
I called goal at 127 lbs instead because i felt I was looking too skeletor-ish.
Like @Arabesque, i started to increase calories to stop weight loss, and was able to do so about 3-4 months later, but not until I lost a few more pounds and settled into 115.
I was 118 even this morning, and i don’t look nearly as skeletal as i did when i was calling a 127 goal (i’m 4 years post op, btw). I basically eat whatever i want (luckily i don’t nor want too eat much anyway) and i dont feel food-deprived in any way nor exercise beyond what my lazy ass is willing to do (lol). But i am way more active than I used to be pre-wls. In a nutshell i can stay at my current weight with little to no effort given my current lifestyle.
soooooo this is my long winded way of saying that weight goals are moving targets and that what u want/are satisfied with now may not be what you want/are satisfied with later. If you are satisfied with the efforts you are putting in (or not putting in) to sustain a weight, then, i say Goal Acheived.