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 something in northeast Dallas.

I'm very interested in this. I would love to help organize or lead or co-lead. I'm in Louisville, KY.

_{YES! WE HAVE NO SUPPORT GROUP IN MY AREA OF ANY KIND AS FAR AS I KNOW.}

I think it's a great idea and I'd love to take part. My surgery is tentatively scheduled for May and I think support is very important.

My only suggestion is to be sure to hold the meetings in a handicapped accessible location as I am in a wheelchair. I think some folks who are still at the start of their journey may also have mobility problems.

Yes! This is what I have been looking for. Great idea!

Alex, great idea for local BP chapters, meetings, etc.

As a physician and as a VSG patient, I could assist in this process. Also, my surgeon is one of the leading surgeons/Bariatric surgeons/ endoscopic pioneers. Maybe there's some way to partner. How might this discussion be furthered re: "details," once you might have some?

Again, great idea.

Sounds terrific!! I would love to be a part of this!!

Would love one in southern ma/ri border !!

Great idea! Count me in too.

I wouldn't mind hosting any online/virtual support groups as well. That's a really fantastic idea!

I love the idea and my surgeon is a 2 hour drive from my house so unless they do virtual support group meetings it will impossible. So I will be looking for something.

I'm in 100%

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your responses and helpful suggestions! I really appreciate your enthusiasm and feedback. Your positive reactions have made me confident that BariatricPal Local Chapters can become reality in the near future.

Below, I’ll try to answer a few questions that were raised in this conversation.

Can BariatricPal provide help finding local venues where meetings can be held?

Yes! We can provide a general list of suggested places to try, such as local church buildings, schools, parks and hospitals. We can also provide a letter or email that you can send to local contacts to ask if you can hold Local Chapter meetings at these places. We can work with you more if you need it.

How long is each meeting?

It depends on the meeting’s agenda and on the group dynamics set by the group leader and the meeting’s participants. A meeting with a simple lesson and discussion might be as short as an hour, while a meeting that includes a group walk and a cooking lesson might take two or more hours.

Are “+1’s” allowed?

Spouses and other close supporters are absolutely welcome at special events, such as any national meeting or cruise that BariatricPal might sponsor. Some weight loss surgery patients are uncomfortable having non- weight loss surgery patients or candidates present at meetings, so we are still deciding whether they are welcome at regular Local Chapter meetings. What are your thoughts?

How will we know if meeting locations are accessible?

Since many weight loss surgery patients may be dealing with mobility issues, accessible Local Chapter locations will be marked with a special icon to indicate that they are wheelchair-friendly.

You have suggested a lot of great ideas for BP Local Chapter meetings! These are some of the activities that it looks like you may be interested in.

• Grocery store visit
  
• Lessons led by your group leader. Topics may include:
  
  • Reading nutrition and ingredients labels
    
  • How to start and keep a food journal
  
  
  • Getting back on track and how to battle plateaus and weight gain.
  
  
  • Replacement and transfer addictions
  
  
  • How to beat mental/emotional hunger (“head hunger”)
  
  
  • What to do when your friends or family are not as supportive as they could be
  
  
  • Food choices: what to eat, what not to eat, and healthy meal ideas
  
  
  • Workout support: how to start exercising and stay motivated for the long-term.
  
  


• Meet at restaurant so that everyone can work together to figure out healthy food choices


• Lectures from a visiting expert, such as a bariatric surgeon, nutritionist, skin removal surgeon, or psychologist.


• Periodic clothing exchanges


• Outside activities, such as walking for fun or training for charity runs/walks which your entire Local Chapter can participate in together.

The consensus so far seems to be that most of you would like some guidance on agendas for Local Chapter meetings, but some flexibility would be helpful, too. That way, BariatricPal Local Chapters everywhere can feel more unified and group leaders are supported in their efforts, but Local Chapters can have the freedom to customize their meetings to their members’ needs.

Again, thank you for the discussion and your enthusiasm. Please keep the ideas coming!

I'm excited. Regarding +1s -- I like the idea of the meeting being closed and just for people who have had the surgery and then having special days for friends/families etc where group members know in advance.

I would be interested. There are several bariatric surgery groups in the St. Louis area that regularly hold support meetings.

Edited March 6, 201412 yr by ribearty

I would greatly prefer that the meetings to be closed - i.e. no +1

Thanks for compiling thoughts Alex