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I am also a nurse in the "neighborhood" and have friends that have had both of those surgeons for bariatric surgery and other....you should be happy regardless of who you end up with....:whoo:

This may be slow in coming but I've come to realize something...this change is truly a process and is very, very different for each person. Prior to having surgery, my physician and his staff provided me with tons of information at each appointment. I have a wonderful binder (my bariatric binder) chronicling step by step, and day by day things from vitamins, what to expect before and after surgery, pre-admissions, examples of meal plans, what kinds and times to take in liquids, etc. It is so informative and I refer to it at least 20 times a day. During my appointment, my doctor as well as the on-staff nutritionists adamantly steered me away from certain carbs. I was under the impression as soon as something sweet or some bread like substance hits your palate I'd regret it instantly. It was/is because of this that I have stayed on point. That and I'm only 3 weeks post-op. Anyway... I've read the occassional post where someone may have had a weak moment (nope, I'm not judging) and they never mention getting sick. How can this be??? Of course this is his profession, but I now know my doctor is really committed to steering me away from the potentials of what contributed to me having the surgery in the first place. Yes, these things could possibly make me sick but why go there. He's actually aiding me in my lifestyle change by assisting with changing my mind set. Just one more reason why I love, love, love the bariatric staff at Temple University Hospital!!!

Similar stories: two bariatric surgeries, and we are celebrating our 44th anniversary in May. I agree with ms.sss. Bariatric surgery is a lot like having kids--it'll make good relationships better, and doom the ones that were in trouble from the onset. Sounds like you have a good start!

I hope pre op diet instructions and guidelines were given to you. No one should go into WLS uninformed. If you did not receive any guidelines, please call your bariatric team and ask for them. You deserve to know what you're getting into, what to expect from your surgery as well as from yourself. There are many many WLS programs within the WLS community. You need to find the guidelines that are YOURS. Others on this site can only give you what THEIR guidelines were/are. You're special and deserve to know your special "road map". You will feel much better equipped when you have YOUR facts. Have an exciting WLS journey!, but remember to stop every now and then, and enjoy the moment as well as the journey.

I was banded 12/11/08. Up until last week, I have been that extremely LUCKY one that had never felt hunger since banded. On 1/19/09 I had my 1st fill 2.5 cc in a max 4.0 cc band. I know my eyes want more than I need so measuring is a must 1/2 cup per meal is what I eat. Since 1/22/09 I caught a case of whooping cough...turned into bronchial inflamation... 4 trips to GP 2 antibiotics, then Prednisone(10 days) and steroid inhalers... This past week I have been STARVING. My meals aren't doing a thing for me ... thank heaven for work ... I can't get to food and my DH is trying to help by distracting me... when I can't take it anymore I get a prepackaged piece of string cheese or some type of protein. It hasn't helped my mental state that the scale keeps going up ...6 lbs this week. I'm trying hard to stay on the program and I feel I'm not that far off. I did call and talked to my support bariatric nurse today. She said it is the result of the Prednisone and I still have as many days as I was ON Prednisone that I will be feeling the side effects that many days OFF and could continue to gain. Encouraging ...yuck. She encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing...if I have to stick with the solid protein...Once the Prednisone is out of my system my body will turn lose of everything it was hanging on to. All this said I still have the urge to eat everything and the kitchen sink! I want to scream, rant and rave. So thanks for keeping me at the keyboard right now...It is so nice to have all of you that understand and help me out. I keep telling myself this is only a short term situation and it will get better... I guess I kind of got spoiled with the no hunger thing! Anyway thanks for letting me spout off. Deb Highest lifetime wt. 386 1st visit to dr. 376 Surgery 343 Today 315

Well I get the saliva and feeling I have to vomit. Same feeling I get when I have the stomach flu. When I over eat or don't chew, I have real pain. But eating too soon after vomiting always brings this feeling. As for the post above, I just want to add, you owe no one an explanation. If you are under the weather or feel like you are going to vomit in public all you have to say is "I think I have a bit of the flu coming on". It won't be the first time someone has been ill in public that does not have the band. As for me now, I haven't eaten for 4 days although I am able to get some bariatric drink down. I have known I am going to have dental surgery and I guess the stress has closed my band opening. Let us know Angie when you get a surgical date.

I joined a couple of bariatric support groups on facebook and listened to those that have gone through both procedures to help me make my decision between the sleeve and the bypass. After a lot of research I have decided to go with the bypass and here are my reasons why: 1. Sleeve is not recommended for people with heartburn and acid reflux and I have a problem with this. 2. I noticed a lot of people that have had the sleeve reported frequent stalling of weight loss as well as more frequent regain as opposed to bypass patients. 3. I also need the discipline that gastric bypass provides. Just knowing I may dump from eating something bad (whether I actually do or not) is enough to stop me from eating it. I am afraid that knowing I would be able to eat whatever I want with the sleeve is going to make me do just that, and that may lead to overeating since I have problems with portion control and eating when I am not hungry. Good luck with whatever you decide Phynale! Btw I am 392...

Hey all! Woah, I didn’t mean to make this so long, but I’m a rambler. This is my first post and I'm not sure if it belongs here, but it’s going here lol. I’ve been battling depression and obesity since I was a child. I hit 200lbs when I was 12, and although I was an active dancer in highschool and walked so so so much (my friends and I were mallrats with no cars) and saw a nutritionist in my junior and senior year, I was probably around 215 when I graduated. For a 5’2”, 17 year old girl, that was already morbidly obese and it just went up from there. I was definitely in survival mode for the next few years, on a few antidepressants, working and going to school, just trying to live. The earliest data I have from my FitBit and MyFitnessPal has be at 275lb in 2016, and I know I went up to the 290s in 2017, because 2017 is a blank on my trackers, and knowing me, I was too ashamed to record it. The next I have is 273 in 2018. I went off my antidepressants around the end of 2017, and while I was mentally “white-knuckling” it, I started losing weight. But it was very much a lose 10lbs, gain 15-20 cycle. Then my birth control made it worse. At the beginning of this year, I was stuck in a plateau of 231, and I talked to my doctor about my disordered eating, and she got me a therapist and I got myself a personal trainer. At that doctors appt, I almost asked for a referral for surgery, but chickened out and asked for a therapist and a nutritionist instead. Love my therapist, but the nutritionist wanted me on a 1200 cal diet that didn't mesh with disordered eating at all. An important note here, is that my mother, who has passed, had the RYGB circa 2002. So surgery has always been in the back of my mind. After a series of unfortunate events in March, I lost 10lbs rapidly and realized my bmi (40) was at the cut off for surgery with no comorbidities. At the beginning of April I asked my doctor for a surgery referral. She offered me Wegovy or Saxenda, but I really can’t see myself using injectables for the rest of my life, so she went ahead with the referral. Had the first consultation a little over a week later, did a few zoom classes, completed forms, did the psych eval (actually awful), and today I got an email saying my insurance approved me and my program would contact me soon for a date. My reasoning is that I see my trainer twice a week and my therapist and I are working on my relationship with food, but I’m getting older and I have that historic lose/gain cycle, and my weight has been a source of unhappiness literally my entire life. Surgery isn’t going to fix everything, I know that, I’ve talked to my therapist about that, but she and I agree this would be a great tool for me in conjunction with the other changes I’m making. My trainer, who is a family friend, doesn’t like the idea. But she’s only known me as an adult, she doesn’t see that a lifetime of yo-yo dieting and trying to stay active isn’t cutting it when I’m still carrying an extra 100lbs. A close member of my family wants me to do keto again, because that was my biggest diet win, but that also didn’t mesh with my disordered eating in the long run. Since my consult, I’ve lost about another 6lbs, firmly putting me where I was when I was a teenager, which is a surreal feeling, but it’s being used as proof that I can “do it on my own.” Honestly, my mindset is that I’m eating less in preparation for surgery. There’s been memes shared on instagram stories of people who I know must know I want to get wls done, calling the surgery “body mutilation” and how “surgeons regret performing bariatric surgeries because it's unnatural.” It makes me doubt myself, like is this just my depression wanting to “mutilate” myself, or is this me trying to overcome my depression and finally do something for myself? What was it for my mother? I was too young to ask her these questions and now I can't. This is a very long post to ask; I’m doing the right thing, right? Am I being rational and making sense? I know I can lose the weight, but keeping it off is constantly clawing and if I slip now just a little, the lose/gain cycle could catch up, and I'm so tired of it.

In all honesty I'm not counting calories...because what I'm eating I know won't add up to more than I should be doing (1200-1400). I focus on protein first, with a goal of 60 gm a day. I personally don't believe protein keeps us fuller any longer than anythign else, that has more to do with how tight your band is and what consistency your food is (for how long it'll linger in the upper stomach). What protein DOES do, when you lower the caloric intake your body is used to, is cause your body to spare muscle mass and focus on utilizing enrgey from fat stores instead. If you're not meeting that protein requirement, the body will burn less fat and go to muscle instead. So, my goal is 4-5 ounces of protein three times a day (ground turkey, chicken, fish) and 1/2 cup veggies. I try to limit my carbs but do eat granola in my greek yogurt at least once a day and occasionally I'll indulge in a small amount of rice (1/4 or less). If I'm running short on protein I'll so Bariatric Addvantage powder in 8 oz nonfat milk (yum) or a Muscle milk Light (yuck). I've also done Jacks Links (?) beef jerkey cubes in a pinch, but I don't like their sodium content.

I am on a facebook group "Bariatric Nutrition with Dr. Susan Mitchell" and recently she posted an article from a peer-reviewed journal that said there wasn't much evidence for not drinking after you eat long term. However, I find it hard to drink when I'm really full. I never wait after drinking to eat - my surgery center never said that was an issue. Congratulations on maintaining so long! That's amazing! For the anemia, see what the specialist says. What did your GP say? Iron needs to be taken at least 2 hours apart from calcium. And it might upset your stomach. There are preparations that are better (slow iron). You might try to get back in touch with your surgeon, too, if possible, but you seem to be doing great on your own. It's inspirational!

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.

I use Bariatric Fusion Vitamins. If you go with these, they're the only vitamins you need to take. They're chewable & you take them three times a day- a little pricey, but I get them through my doctor which is cheaper & then no shipping costs... I take those, biotin & my antacid prescription. Good luck to you.

Really enjoying Big Train and Chike. Both available online and recommended by a bariatric RN.

Hi Beegirl! food is an addiction for some people, including myself. When you've had a bad day at work or are craving something because you are bored... Food seemed to be the only thing to make me feel better. In the bariatric program I attended, we had to see a psychologist to be cleared for surgery. One of the best things she told me was that I needed to be able to decipher whether it was my stomach telling me I was hungry or if it was my mind. I learned more about my body that way... If my belly rumbled... I was definitely hungry. Another thing I learned is that just like smoking, addictive eating is hard to break. So whenever i crave that cheesecake, I try to do something else that will focus my mind, my hands, and my tastebuds. I'm starting to take up cross stitching... Why? Because it keeps my brain focused, my hands moving, and I'll have sugar free Jello or crystal light near by just in case. I hope what I say helps, but either way, I know what you are going through... And you have to continue to fight girlie! You got this!

@Doodle210 if you consider Mexico, you might want to add Dr. Illan to your research. Dr. Selim Jalil Illan has been assigned as a Master Surgeon and Surgeon of Excellence. This means that he achieved both Mexican and US standards of quality, safety and care for his patients. He is also a fellow in the American College of Surgeons (FACS), the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Feel free to contact me for more information michelle@hospitalbc.com 619-202-4405. https://drjalil.com/ https://hospitalbc.com/

I am currently 23 days post VSG and down almost 27lbs. I was a complete rockstar with my liquid diet protein, and water goals, but I started the pureed portion last Wed, I was shocked that I had absolutely zero pleasure or “this tastes good” after eating. I’ve been highly surprised by this and have looked up quite a few studies how Bariatric surgery alters hormones in the gut and brain that cause this satisfaction from meals. I was never a large overeater, but I did consider myself a Foodie. My tastebuds have also completely changed and things that I used to love such as coffee and certain protein shakes all taste horrible to me. Has anyone else experienced this? I know some of my meals would normally taste good to me, but everything is completely unappealing and I force myself to eat. Has anyone experienced their tastes coming back to once they once were, or feeling satisfied with a meal? On another note, it appears that some of the studies show that patients that had these taste changes were more successful in the long run keeping the weight off and the total amount lost was higher.

I am having my surgery on Friday this week! But I did buy some Bariatric chewables from my local Walgreens and they are $27! They are the only brand of Bariatrics that Walgreen carries in the store. I also found that GNC has a sublingual B12 for about $10 that I'll buy when I get home.

I never had any need for bariatric-specific treatment post-op. I had lots of questions, but those were all easily handled via phone, email, or Skype with my surgical team. The only physical follow-up I've needed is blood work and monitoring of my vitals, which my PCP has had no trouble handling. I had visits and blood work with my PCP at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, and now just as part of my annual physical.

charlie and klaker I know there are many cookbooks out there concerning bariatric surgery their is one of those "for dummies" book i do have it "somewhere", don't remember the title go to your bookstore - they can help you hopefully others will chime in good luck kathy Thanks ProudGrammy My NUT told me about the Dummy's cookbook for post bariatric patients as well as "Eating WELL AFTER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY" by Patt Levine and Michelle Bontempo-Saray. I bought the Kindle version for iPad through Amazon for $9.99. It looks great!

charlie and klaker I know there are many cookbooks out there concerning bariatric surgery their is one of those "for dummies" book i do have it "somewhere", don't remember the title go to your bookstore - they can help you hopefully others will chime in good luck kathy

I think the OP has challenged us to look at reality. it can be a little discouraging to do this while you're working really hard and looking for the best outcome possible. Statistics back up most of what s/he said in the OP. People do regain weight. Statistically, it's a fact. There are also people like Introversion...who almost replace their food addiction with a health obsession. No offense, Introversion, I absolutely admire you....but you're unusual. Most 120 pound women are not as active as you, not doing the cardio you do...and certainly can't eat 2200 calories a day. You're in top athletic shape and that's incredibly cool....but you're not the norm. I think we can learn a lot from studying outcomes of whole surgery populations, particularly long term studies. If you've ever looked at the "estimated weight loss" calculators...you know that different people have different results. There's a big difference in weight loss between the top 20% and the bottom 20%. Some can be attributed to behavior and choices, and some seems to be the luck of the draw (or the curse of the draw...lol...depending on which way you go). I know one thing that has changed recently, is how doctors and dietitians are approaching calorie intake in the weeks after surgery. The old school of thought was to take advantage of inappetence and have patients lose as much weight as possible during the honeymoon phase of surgery by restricting calories severely. There used to be more tendency to limit patients to 500-800 calorie diets for months after surgery. And yep, people lost weight fast. What we're learning now, however, is that that rapid weight loss and super low calorie diet can reset the metabolism to a starvation level that actually can inhibit weight loss after a while, and can be correlated with more regain years down the road. A newer strategy being increasingly embraced in the bariatric community is to move patients up to a 1200 calorie diet as soon as possible after surgery, and encouraging exercise early on. This idea is to reset the metabolism to burning through a normal number of calories ASAP...and giving patients the energy to exercise hard and safely. Food choices are extremely important, but addressing exercise habits in resetting metabolism is becoming increasingly more important. Bariatrics is an emerging science. We're learning so much about the science of gut flora interactions, the roll of hormones and addictive behavior, genetics...all sorts of variables. Will your body pick a set point that is difficult to overcome? it's an excellent question. One I don't think we have a solid answer to, yet. Lot of different theories and a lot of studies to consider. It's fascinating stuff.

I've been hanging out on various bariatric forums for about five years. Most people who regain say it's because they've fallen back into old habits. They're eating too much and they're eating crap again.

You need a new bariatric surgeon who is experienced at revisions. Best of luck to you

Hey guys, just a little something to keep you encouraged. For me, the pre-op phase was the hardest part of my journey. I am currently 9 mos. P.o. from gastric bypass. I love my tool and wish I had went forward 3 years Ago when I first started this journey. I had lots of questions, but I wanted to know what life was like after the procedure. I wanted to hear from people who were experiencing it. So, this is my info..sw 264 lbs. , cw 186 lbs. Medical issues before surgery...hypertension, diabetes, pcos, infertility, lupus, heart murmur. I currently only take a low dose hypertension pill ,but they will evaluate that at my next post-op appointment. Life is good and I have had zero complications, zero visits to the hospital after surgery. Im grateful for that! I started a YT channel ( under my name Bariatric Blondeshell) that addresses the pre op phase and what life is like for us after surgery. I hope if you check it out you will be encouraged afterwards! Keep pressing on everyone, you deserve this!

No, I don't, sorry. I only know Aetna because that's the insurance I have & they sent me the link. You might try a Google or Bing search for BCBS bariatric surgery criteria, surgery for morbid obesity, medical necessity criteria & similar & see what comes up. I did find a few for BCBS when I was looking to compare criteria from different companies, but not Florida. Remember that this is medical necessity criteria, not insurance contract coverage. First, whatever the service is needs to be covered by the contract. Then, even if it is medically necessary, if the contract excludes it, it would not be covered. Unfortunately, bariatric surgery is excluded in the contracts many employers purchase. That was always one of the most difficult things to try to explain when I worked as a clinical review nurse. Hopefully, now that obesity is classified as a disease in & of itself, surgical treatment will be an option for many more people.