Hi, BariatricPal Members,

I hope you are doing well!

BariatricPal provides a social platform that is safe and welcoming for the weight loss surgery community. The main goals are to provide information and encouragement needed to allow for healthy weight loss and better patient weight loss surgery outcomes. I am always trying to figure out how to improve BariatricPal to better achieve these goals, and today I am coming to you for your input on a potential new opportunity called BariatricPal Local Chapters.

BariatricPal Local Chapters…a New Way to Connect

With BariatricPal Local Chapters, you would get to meet BariatricPal members in person. This could speed up your weight loss by expanding your knowledge about success after weight loss surgery, increasing your accountability to yourself and your Local Chapter friends, improving your boosting your confidence. Plus, you might make new best friends for life! Each BariatricPal Local Chapter would be defined geographically, so that you would belong to the location nearest to your home.

I am considering the following items:

• Monthly or quarterly meetings.
• A fun or educational activity at each meeting. Examples include preparing a weight loss surgery-friendly meal, filling out a customized meal plan, or going for a group-wide nature walk.
• Presentations by surgeons, nutritionists, other professionals or bariatric product companies at local meetings.
• Annual national meeting of BariatricPal Local Chapters in a location such as Los Angeles, New York, or Huston.
• Option to go on an annual cruise

What Do You Think about BariatricPal Local Chapters?

• What I would like to ask you for is what you think about the above suggestions. Also, what are your answers to the following questions?
• Would you be interested in attending regular local chapter meetings in person?
• Would you be interested in being a leader (or co-leader)?
• Would you like BariatricPal to provide agendas for meetings?
• What additional support could BariatricPal provide to encourage your participation and/or leadership?
• Should there be limits on the minimum and maximum numbers of members that each Local Chapter can have?
• What other ideas do you have?

Please join the conversation thread below to let me know what you think about BariatricPal Local Chapters. I really value and appreciate your opinions, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Thanks again!

I'm for it in the a Richmond VA area. I've already met 5 people from this board and some of us have formed a mini group. Our hospital has a group but it meets irregularly, so...

Interested!

Count me in...Richmond, VA area would be closest to me

I would definitely be interested in being a leader or co-leader in my area. I live in Southeastern Massachusetts; the local area includes New Bedford, Wareham and Fall River. I am a teacher and really enjoy meeting people; getting to share ideas and experiences in person would be fantastic! During the summer, my availability would be quite open; during the school year I could certainly do monthly or twice-monthly meetings during evenings or weekends. I'd love to develop group activities like Couch-to-5K , joining Color Runs/ROC Races, or charity walks/runs, as well as addressing the educational aspects of pre- and post- WLS living.

I would love to find local people, since I have just relocated to Arizona and have been off track for some time. Thought of going to weight watchers again, but being a sleeved, things are different now. I just seem to get back on track and have never reached my goal, but have not given up. Hopefully we can connect with people that live close.

I am still having trouble understanding how to post on the veteran's forum………...

Anyone in the Tucson/Oracle Az area? Would love to meet and share support.

I'm in Houston Texas and would love to be a part of a chapter . It would definitely serve a greater good!

Hi, BariatricPal Members,

I hope you are doing well!

BariatricPal provides a social platform that is safe and welcoming for the weight loss surgery community. The main goals are to provide information and encouragement needed to allow for healthy weight loss and better patient weight loss surgery outcomes. I am always trying to figure out how to improve BariatricPal to better achieve these goals, and today I am coming to you for your input on a potential new opportunity called BariatricPal Local Chapters.

BariatricPal Local Chapters…a New Way to Connect

With BariatricPal Local Chapters, you would get to meet BariatricPal members in person. This could speed up your weight loss by expanding your knowledge about success after weight loss surgery, increasing your accountability to yourself and your Local Chapter friends, improving your boosting your confidence. Plus, you might make new best friends for life! Each BariatricPal Local Chapter would be defined geographically, so that you would belong to the location nearest to your home.

I am considering the following items:

Monthly or quarterly meetings.

A fun or educational activity at each meeting. Examples include preparing a weight loss surgery-friendly meal, filling out a customized meal plan, or going for a group-wide nature walk.

Presentations by surgeons, nutritionists, other professionals or bariatric product companies at local meetings.

Annual national meeting of BariatricPal Local Chapters in a location such as Los Angeles, New York, or Huston.

Option to go on an annual cruise

What Do You Think about BariatricPal Local Chapters?

What I would like to ask you for is what you think about the above suggestions. Also, what are your answers to the following questions?

Would you be interested in attending regular local chapter meetings in person?

Would you be interested in being a leader (or co-leader)?

Would you like BariatricPal to provide agendas for meetings?

What additional support could BariatricPal provide to encourage your participation and/or leadership?

Should there be limits on the minimum and maximum numbers of members that each Local Chapter can have?

What other ideas do you have?

Please join the conversation thread below to let me know what you think about BariatricPal Local Chapters. I really value and appreciate your opinions, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Thanks again!

I would love this too. I have a support group but only 2 days a month and I seem to end up missing a meeting. Having a bigger group may help to have more meetings. I would love to be apart of this also and getting certified to help. I am also in texas.

My surgeon's office offers support, already. It is not convenient for me due to the date and time of them and distance, he is an hour away and they are either in the evening or Saturday, both not something I am willing to do at this time. Perhaps if it was set up with people I "know" and in a closer more convenient area, I would love to attend. Karen

Great idea. Love the idea of group walks.

Edited February 26, 201412 yr by Sleeve219

As I stated earlier, I am interested. In the Lincoln, Ne area and would love to be a co-leader.

Love the idea Alex!! I wouldn't even mind being a leader... Not sure there would be enough people in my area though! I live in a big county but not sure about people who have had the surgery, I only know of 2 others... Currently I have to drive 45 min. To go to my monthlong meetings and so I normally do not go.

I have been working my tail off trying to get one set up in my area... there seems to be support for everything but this...A lot of red tape...I am so interested in this. i feel it is time to let it out of the closet so to speak.....

Thanks Alex..

How would this work in Canada?

Where I am there is no support at all. Everyone who learns of my surgery act as if I flew to the moon and back......I need a good solid program of encouragement and learning.....

I love the idea and would love to have an opportunity to co-lead. I'm 3 hrs from Seattle but would make the trip monthly to meet others and grow from their experiences!

I believe a structured agenda would really have a lot of benefits and would allow us to continue the topics here online.

Hope this pans out!!

I forgot to mention that we would be open to training group chapter leaders and co-leaders. We plan on offering free Bariatric Support Group Leader certification courses (23 CE's) to members that are interested in assisting us.

Count me in!

What Do You Think about BariatricPal Local Chapters?

LOVE THE IDEA!

• Would you be interested in attending regular local chapter meetings in person?

Yes!

• Would you be interested in being a leader (or co-leader)?

Yes, most definitely!

• Would you like BariatricPal to provide agendas for meetings?

Yes, but I think that it would help for them to be a more of a guideline that the leaders and co-coordinators of the groups can follow but gear their groups more toward the dynamic of that given group.

• What additional support could BariatricPal provide to encourage your participation and/or leadership?

I love the idea of offering education to the members interesting in taking on the leadership of a group, and that should be something that is updated as more information learned to stay current with what is going on in the medical field and be able to share that information with their members.

• Should there be limits on the minimum and maximum numbers of members that each Local Chapter can have?

I don’t think there should be limits on the number of members but I do think that there should be a council of people who run the group kind of in the vein of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer etc. to help run charters that are over 50 members.

I also think it may serve to have a person from each type of weight loss surgery modality have a role in a combined group for an area. As well as people in all different phases of the journey.

• What other ideas do you have?

I would be great to have an international charter that we can all belong to and perhaps hold an WLS conference annually or bi-annually where members from other countries and states might be able to get together for a fun filled healthy weekend that might include seminars and/or presentations on nutrition, exercise, exercise equipment, meditation, etc. as well as some entertainment.

Edited February 25, 201412 yr by lisacaron