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Thank you Vinesqueen and Jack- I just needed to stop beating myself up over some damn corn chips- it's a good thing that the days of "flogging" are over..... I did take a nice 2 mile walk last night- made some healthy chiken salad and renewed my faith in myself! I was overly concerned about the hardness of my port area- thinking I had somehow stretched my pouch- I think it's just scar tissue- Anyway- Cheers to you both- (with my Peach Propel in hand) Take care. Viva La Band!!

These are a few of my favorite (weight loss) things: 1. My iPod Shuffle. I love, love, love to listen to music that makes me want to move my body. I actually make excuses to go to the gym just so I can put my headphones on and get lost in the music while I'm on the elliptical. 2. My Polar heart rate monitor. It's a basic unit, but it's really all I need to keep my heart rate in the training zone. I don't like to exercise without it. 3. My Spinning shoes. Spinning is my favorite exercise, and somehow just putting them on says "Athlete" to me. 4. Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal. I have it every single day for Breakfast, and absolutely crave it. 9g Protein, 8g Fiber per 1 c. serving for 190 delicious calories. 5. Breakstones 2% large curd cottage cheese. That's my favorite post-workout snack. It's creamy and delicious, and packs in 11g protein in 90 calories. 6. Edamame. I love the frozen pods (which remind me of one of our southern staples, boiled peanuts), and the wasabe-flavored freeze dried ones. 7. My local lap band support group. We have an awesome bariatric coordinator, who does a wonderful job to get us inspired and motivated. Tami

It has been recommended to me and I keep hearing this pop up that if my Dr. does a scope prior to surgery and finds a Hiatal Hernia that I may receive some assistance with insurance. Just curious if this has happened to anyone out there. I have Blue Cross and there is a specific exclusion in my plan for bariatric surgery. I had a surgeon tell me he has seen some patients save up to $4,000 after discovering a hiatal hernia. TIA

This all sounds logical & If you've begun the process, more than likely you are seriously *thinking* about going through with it. No one else has to live in your body so as always, the choice is yours alone, but I personally would only take bariatric surgery advice from a Bariatric Surgeon (same for Neuro, Cardiology or any specialization) I bet anyone would be hard pressed to find family & friends telling them to continue to walk on a broken ankle, struggle to see without glasses or leave a dangerous bacterial infection to run it's natural course because that's what nature intended. In fact in our times modern medicine and technology, it's commonly understood that intervention is often necessary to live an optimal life. Do whatever gives you that option. Good Luck ♥️ Side Bar: I personally believe the stigma, fear and disapproval surrounding bariatrics can be born from the perception that an obese person has fallen to the vices of greed, gluttony and sloth. These semi subconscious ideologies are deeply rooted in our Westernized society as seen in the parabolic work of Dante Alighieri or philosophical writings of Thomas Aquinas.

Hey Lorin, so how did it go today? Not as well as I had hoped. It looks like I likely won't qualify for insurance to pay for the surgery. I am a little taller than I thought, so my BMI is below 40 and I do not have any comorbidities (I did have back surgery for a herniated disc due to being overweight and have hypothyroidism so when we submit to insurance we will try including those). If we are going to try the insurance route I need to do a medically supervised diet for 6 months. The nurse practitioner and bariatric coordinator both said to not lose much weight though during the 6 months since my BMI is already below 40. The self-pay cost would be $18,025. I think I am going to check with one more surgeon in town to see what his self-pay prices would be (he is also at a closer hospital to my house). I will probably go with the surgeon with the cheaper self-pay price, so that if insurance does deny after the 6 months of dieting I can move forward with a loan. Awe, I'm so sorry. I'm kind of surprised they knew already that insurance wouldn't cover it. I think I'd call them myself. I know it sounds like a 'hell no' idea, but I've read so many people going to a specific place in Mexico and having it done. An all inclusive place, one week stay, for 4k. At first I was thinking they're crazy but thousands of patients go there with rave reviews. But if I was self pay and could afford it, of course I'd go with a qualified doctor state side. All I can say is don't give up. Do you have sleep apnea by chance? Have you ever had a sleep study? My three things that will qualify me with my insurance is my bmi, hypothyroidism, and sleep apnea. I don't have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes-->knock on wood. But I too had something thrown at me today that I sort of thought was a possibility, but hoping it wouldn't be the case. My doctor wants me to have the ds done and I just don't know how I feel about that. It would be broken up into two surgeries, sleeve first, then in 6-12 months the ds part. I just don't know. That is the mac daddy of weight loss procedures. I'm not sure why he and his nurse practitioner was so persistent to get me on board. Yes, I want the sleeve but I am trying to have an open mind because he really does know what he's talking about and has seen the outcomes thousands of times. But it's not like they're doing the ds at my first surgery anyway, so not sure why the pressure to get me to jump on board quite so soon before we give the sleeve a try, unless of course, it's to bill insurance even if the first surgery is the sleeve. I don't know why he doesn't say 'ok, sleeve first and if the results stop coming in, let's go ahead and do the ds.' That sounds reasonable.

I am almost 5 years post-sleeve surgery, and last fall, in a Covid-Cleaning frenzy, I threw out all my old, post-surgery information. As usual, as soon as one pitches something, they need it. I have just had hiatal hernia surgery and am on a full liquid diet, but on Wednesday I can move up to the post-surgery soft diet- except I don't have my food lists anymore! Can someone list what's on a soft food diet, or describe what types of foods I can or cannot have (probably easier)? I've looked this up online but didn't find any soft-food diet that seems to be specific to bariatric weight loss patients, and I'm not sure our soft food diet would be the same as what is prescribed for the general public. TIA!

Thank you for your comments. I have another post op appointment this week and I'm going to discuss some things with them. My daily goal is 80g of Protein and 60oz of h2o. I have a hard time hitting both goals on a daily basis. I need to be better about logging my food to monitor my intake. I am always very conscious of what I eat. Limit carbs to a minimum, Proteins first, and add veggies. The sleeve forces you to be a meal planner and some days it's tough to get it all in. My gym does offer sessions with a personal trainer but all I hear it eat, eat, eat. Although eating is the key, it's hard because 8 hours a day I am on the go in a fast paced work environment. I usually grab a snack mid morning and mid afternoon and it's usually in the form of a Protein Bar. It's quick and easy. I will definitely ask my Bariatric team if they know of trainers in the area that works or has worked with WLS patients. Someone a little more familiar with the procedure may help. Kyle

Technically speaking they would be the same except a bariatric soft would focus more on proteins than just general calories. This would include easy to chew foods that are also easily digestible. This list will give you an idea of what to include and stay away from. Keep in mind though that actual liquids are ok with soft foods, especially after hernia repair.

Why isn't your hubby coming to your rescue? Don't let them take away your joy. Once you have the surgery, they can't undo it. In about a year, you can tell them, "I told you so." I am a domestic violence survivor and lucky to be alive. If your man is not intervening for you, then you should examine your relationship. Why would you love someone who allows you to be treated that way? Why are you still there? (Those are questions my doctor asked me when I came into his office with a bruise the size of a seven ounce steak on my arm). Bariatric surgery has a way of exposing the raw dynamics of our relationships and lets the truth come out. People feel like they have the right to speak on our health choices, appearance , and future bit**iness. You are finding out how they really feel about you. That includes your hubby. It's sore, but effective in opening our eyes. I wish you the best. Bottom line is you are an adult in charge of your own health care. Do what you need to do to get healthy and happy. Eliminating the negative people in our lives is where most of us start. I wish you good luck and good health.

I have posted the same comment on several people's posts about the pre-op diet. That is strictly done for insurance purposes. It does NOT need to be done for surgery. This is what was explained to us by the bariatric surgeons. They just need to document that they told you to do the diet and you are able to lose weight- meaning you are committed. That is the only reason. So dont stress out about keeping an all liquid diet like that.

Check out BariatricEating.com - BE, Inc. The number one bariatric website for protein, vitamins, and success. for a slew of recipes.

If you're willing to travel over 2000 miles to go to Mexico (2090 miles from Chicago per google earth), you also might want to consider Dr. Tersigni at Bay Bariatrics in Coos Bay, Oregon (2341 miles from Chicago). Bay Bariatrics is a certified Center of Excellence and Dr. Tersgnin recently lowered his self pay price, in the surgery center, to $10,000. Bay Bariatrics - Steve Tersigni, MD - Coos Bay, Oregon I wish you success in your search.

Since my band I see a physician that does my fills. He works with the surgeon as well. He is a natropath as well as other things and ordered a lot of tests for me. He has put me on some caps. called Gluco-support that I take with each meal to help with the insulin. I have found out that I have a dairy,wheat and soy intolerance so I was fighting a losing battle with weight loss before. He also ordered a stack of caps. from the US from the Health Institute for me that are packed with vitamins. I had low Iron, Magnesium, Zinc and too much copper,oestrogon and insulin. I take heaps of caps. but it will only be for a couple of months to get everything working again. I have heaps more energy so something must be working. I am just lucky that this man was employed by the Bariatric surgery to do these tests on lap banders to help diagnose any problems. Good luck seeing your Dr today. Yes a fatty liver can be helped by diet. Saleel22

@@LovinSoul Agree with you completely about it being an individual thing! I think if you have a sleever with the knowledge, will, and staying power to stick with it, weight loss will be successful and maintained! I'm just gonna throw this out there, too. I think because the sleeve may take a little longer, I think some of us go through a little road weariness. Especially those who have more than 100+ pounds to lose, and it's taking a little longer. I think as time goes by, the determination found at first wanes a little, and maybe a few bad habits sneak back in, or complacency kicks in. IMO, I think that may be the reason we see some sleevers stall out at say 100-130lbs lost and never really get to goal. Or it could be genetics, also. My favorite bariatric doctor Dr. Weiner seems to think so. I dunno. I just tend to see it quite a bit. Anyone else agree?

I had watermelon yesterday and it was delicious. I sucked on it for the juice and I have no shame . It settled well and now I kinda don't like watermelon anymore lol. It was good and all but I believe that my tastebuds have changed a bit. For example, I used to love Premiere Protein during my pre op stage, but now I gag when I drink it. I don't have anything against the brand, but my bariatric nurse as well as my big sister (a bypass patient) stated that your taste buds change post op. Has anyone else experienced this? If so I would love to hear about it. Sent from my SM-G360P using the BariatricPal App

You lost 55 pounds in six weeks (down 125 pounds total) and you’re questioning your decision? That’s an amazing weight loss already! Remember, the less you weigh, the slower the weight comes off. I definitely understand being obsessed with the scale but I encourage you to focus on NSVs also. And think about long-term goals. I know it’s going to take me about a year to lose 115 pounds, so I am taking it day by day. I recommend working with a bariatric therapist or seeking behavioral strategies from Overeaters Anonymous or a mindful eating program to learn to stop eating when full. It can be really tough especially when you love the food you’re eating. But, this is a journey and a battle and we have so many resources to help us. Good luck!

I was told 5-6 small meals and concentrate on protein. Two tiny meals is not enough. This is probably the reason for the slower loss and feeling tired. Talk to a nutritionist with Bariatric Surgery experience. You need to eat more and get enough protein.

RavenClaw & Jachut - I'm sending my prayers to the both of you for continued strength and certainly for healing. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in Nov., 2010 (banded Oct. 2008); I was finally getting down to a good weight for myself. As soon as I found out I was going to have to have two surgeries, chemo & radiation - I visited the bariatric office and was unfilled. I'm still not sure if that was a good or bad idea and probably will never know, for sure. However, during the AC / Taxol treatments [8 total] and 2nd surgery, I managed to gain all of my weight back. During chemo - if I wasn't sick on the stomach with the taste of metallic in my mouth - I was dealing with extreme fatigue and severe bone aches. So - I can say that I know what you mean. I did in fact lose my appetite a lot... but I just kept eating anything and everything that my DH put in front of me - trying to find a 'taste'. Loading ketchup on everything.. ugh. Now that I am towards the end of radiation, I've finally made an appointment for a fill. I'll go today for the fill and see if this helps at all. When I went for my unfill, the bariatric doc told me not to worry about my weight - but to focus on healing. And I did. I 'thought' slightly about the weight, but I just kept eating. Thinking it might make me feel better. So - I think we just have to heal and worry about our weight later. We are blessed to be around after such a diagnosis. But, I do want to get back on track, ASAP. Best of success to the both of you and any others who are faced with this nasty mess.

Hello everyone! I was just sleeved on 10/16 and my doctor doesnt have me starting my Vitamins until I'm in stage 2 of my diet which won't start until after I see him again on 11/1. There's not a whole lot out there by way of bariatric Multivitamins but the main ones I've seen are Opurity and Optisource. I do see that OptiSource is available at Walgreens, which I love that I could just go pick it up but it requires you to take 4 pills a day! Opurity only requires one and all the reviews of it on their website are great, but a quick jump to Amazon shows people saying it's DISGUSTING! My bariatric coordinator mentioned it tasted liked sweettarts, and OptiSource like tang but wanted to get some more thoughts. Thanks =o)

My orthostatic hypotension is really bad. Like preventing me from doing my favorite exercises and I lose vision/get super dizzy almost every time I stand. Since my bariatric office was just like "hopefully it'll get better some day", I went to my primary care yesterday and was prescribed Midodrine to raise my BP. I've only taken two doses, but from what I understand it doesn't build up in your system... it wears off after about 3-4 hours so I have to take it 3 times per day and keep a log of my BP. I don't seem to have any side effects other than it's making my head feel REALLY tingling, like when you lose circulation in your foot or something... but "the internet" says that's a common side effect. Has anyone taken this medicine? Did it help? Do you taper off eventually or did you need it foreverrrrr? It wasn't the cheapest of my meds. =/ I tried adding salt and doing leg flexing, etc, before standing but that didn't help at all... so now I'm at the prescription option. I'm currently sitting at my desk and rapidly standing up every so often to see if it's helping and it is. LOL. My coworker is like... wtf are you doing.... hahaha.

self pay Bariatric Pay Mexico. https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/486-mexico-self-pay-weight-loss-surgery/ The owner of this site (Alex) bariatricpal will delete any negative reviews of bariatric pal Mexico off this site. Note a surgeon has left their employment. Many have not received their refunds and the office and Alex are not giving explanations. Please read the reviews on this link from yelp . The owners and affiliates cannot edit or censor comments from clients. https://www.yelp.com/biz/bariatricpal-tijuana Alex will most likely delete this post.

Reading your story just now has brought tears to my eyes. I have had severe obstructive sleep apnea for around 10 years now, plus fibromyalgia. My number one reason I am having this surgery is to hopefully be rid of this horrendous disease. My quality of life has deteriorated each year due to exhaustion and not taking it as serious as I should have. Wearing the awful mask while being an insomniac is a feat in itself. Please take this seriously, I know you will. I had a gastric band done in 1986 and was unsuccessful. Had it removed in 2005 by the doctor who is going to now do my sleeve. Thinking I could never have bariatric surgery again, I went to him in January 2013 with a painful large hernia. It was just like we picked up from 8 years ago. I had never even heard of a gastric sleeve until he told me before he could address the hernia I had to lose 50 plus pounds. So here I am finishing my 2nd of the 3 month insurance requirements and can't wait. By the way, when I went to him in 2005 I weighed 203 (1986 was 250), now 8 years later I weigh 208. Can't seem to jump over this barrier. We can and will overcome this weight and sleep apnea thing we deserve it. My thoughts and prayers are with you, sweetie!

I searched online and found this under FAQ: Lap Band Surgery, Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery to Lose Weight, Obesity Management Asia What I don't understand is they say the band can be tighter in the morning,(changes in Water retention) but the band can't be tighter during flying. so I'm guessing that some people that have problems with tightness might be flying in the morning or since the morning tightness is associated with water retention, perhaps some people eat something before the flight that makes them retain water, they get tight and blame it on fyling instead of the food they ate??? Maybe they ate salty airport food? I am flying soon, I think I will make sure not to eat something salty and I will stay well hydrated. There are also old threads about this, that you can do an "advanced search" to find.

They're right 16 lbs. is fantastic! You can buy Optifast from Bariatric Advantage.com. They have lots of stuff - vitamins, protein shooters, etc. Check them out.

After feeling tired and crummy for a couple of weeks now I'm looking for some new Vitamins to try. I was using Vitafusion gummies but if you read the label they really aren't all that great nutritionally speaking. I bought some One A Day Women's vitamins and they are great but a little hard to swallow. I'm looking for something chewable instead. I know there are several brands. So far I've looked at Bariatric fusion and Bariatric Advantage. Do any of you recommend one brand over another? If so why? Are these really chalky tasting like the kids chewable vitamins?