The Journey to a New You website is designed to serve as both a quick reference guide as well as an interactive community for you to learn, share and support other bariatric surgery patients.

Here’s what you can expect to find at your fingertips on the site:

• A constantly growing collection of recipes and helpful nutrition information. Wherever you are on the spectrum of bariatric surgery (before, during or following surgery), we will be sharing useful meal strategies and delicious dishes to support your weight loss goals.
• Access to frequently-asked questions. The most detailed person may think he or she has asked every possible question before undergoing surgery, but often we cannot anticipate all of the situations that will arise. This site will offer a robust database of questions and answers to be updated regularly that will cover a variety of issues related to every step of the process. And if there isn’t an answer and a need to address it, the site offers the flexibility and open communication setting to pose it so our team of surgical, nutrition and lifestyle experts can answer it for you. More than likely, if it’s something you want to know, you’re probably not alone.
• Real-life people and their stories. Through the site, we here at North Florida Regional Medical Center can tell you what to expect following bariatric surgery but the most compelling explanations are going to come directly from people like you, our patients. You will get to hear directly from men and women of all ages and backgrounds and at different stages of weight loss discuss what led them to this option, what the experience has been like and how well they’ve achieved their original goals. These featured stories can offer real insight, inspiration and education about what to expect for a realistic weight loss timeline and what is truly possible to achieve.
• Useful solutions to everyday challenges. As you begin to lose weight, you’ll discover areas of interest for which you may have questions about unexpected daily challenges, such as dressing the transitioning body or getting a mental handle on weight loss and its potential impact on relationships. The site features a wide range of articles on a number of these everyday topics. You’ll have quick, easy access to these suggestions from us and from other members of the community as they begin to share their own solutions.
• Opportunities to connect. Thanks to the beauty of social media, we’ve been able to re-connect with friends and family and stay in touch as people in our lives transition into new jobs or move away to new places. Consider the community here at Journey to a New You like another family and it’s here to stay. The people contributing information, sharing their stories or perhaps just starting down their weight loss path following surgery – the location of all of these people is irrelevant. What matters most is that all of you share a common goal and in some cases common challenges or personal circumstances that have previously made long-term weight loss difficult. This site will not only give you a chance to regularly enter a dialogue with others who are either going through the same stages or those who have already been there, but it will also give you a direct line to the medical team and support staff for quick answers, helpful suggestions or simply some words of encouragement when you need them.
• Latest news about online or in-person learning opportunities. If the other regular site guests are like family, think of this site as the modern-day family “newsletter.” Expect to look to this site for the latest information about upcoming events, seminars, support groups being formed or even online events or tele-classes available on subject matter of interest to those going through bariatric surgery and those managing a new way of life following it.

We’re so happy that you’ve found us and can’t wait to hear from you about your own personal journey.

The Internet has completely changed the face of how many of us retrieve information. Granted, you need to be able to trust the source but there is a wealth of information about weight loss surgery available as you begin your journey toward this new healthy lifestyle. If it’s been a while since you underwent the procedure, take a look at the list because you’re bound to find some new valuable resource that can help you in your continued weight loss maintenance efforts.

• Lap-Band. This is the official website for the manufacturer of the system, Allergan. Visit this site for specific information about the banding procedure itself and some helpful diagrams and animations.
• Weight-control Information Network (WIN). This is a great resource available to the public through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and National Institute of Health (NIH). Various informative publications are available in both English and Spanish including this one on Bariatric Surgery. The site also includes important statistics, research and data about obesity and its impact on particular demographics.
• ILOST. The International Laparascopic Obesity Surgery Team has established this website as a means of educating both physicians and those considering the procedure. Based in the UK, ILOST features detailed information about the surgery and plenty of post-surgery data including a section on adjustments and what the entail; diet and nutrition suggestions after surgery; and a comprehensive list of FAQs.
• WebMD’s Weight Loss Surgery Health Center. This special section of the popular medical website is devoted exclusively to content directly related to various bariatric surgical procedures, including adjustable gastric banding. Topics like Steps to Prepare and the Effects of Weight Loss Surgery address the whole picture of undergoing a weight loss surgical procedure and offer additional tools and information for your use.
• Bariatric Advantage. This website is primarily an online catalog of nutritional supplements designed specifically for weight loss surgery patients, but its FAQs tab is reason enough to check out the site. Get answers for some of the more common questions related to typical vitamin, mineral and nutritional needs of many bariatric surgery patients. For free samples of Bariatric Advantage products specifically formulated for needs after Adjustable Gastric Banding as well as after Gastric Bypass, please contact the Center and let the dietitian know you are interested.
• Unjury. Similarly, we recommend you check out this other product-based site, a series of protein powders that many of our patients use to ensure they get the proper amount of daily protein. The site even offers protein diet guides specifically for weight loss surgery patients pre-surgery, immediately following surgery and long after the procedure.  We carry free samples of Unjury in our Center, and we also have all flavors of the full-sized Unjury jars (17 servings per jar) available for sale. Please contact the Center if you are interested.
• My Big Life. This is a relatively new online weight loss surgery social community that’s member-based and features bloggers sharing personal insights as well as articles about different phases of the weight loss surgery journey.