ONTARIO residents
Bariatric surgery, whether done in Ontario or elsewhere, is life-changing and can be overwhelming. We’re here to support you on your journey.
Monica Bashaw, MScA, RD
Book a virtual appointment with our specialized bariatric dietitian.
Work with Monica, our bariatric dietitian (registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario), from the comfort of your own home with our virtual appointments! Whether you’re still preparing for surgery, you’ve recently had surgery, or you’re years after surgery, she is happy to help. You deserve to feel confident about how to fuel and nourish your body.
Monica has been working with bariatric surgery patients since 2014. She started her career in bariatric surgery at the Montréal General Hospital and now currently divides her time between Bariatric Surgery Nutrition and a private bariatric clinic (Weight Loss Surgery Inc). Monica is bilingual (English and French) and is known for her warm nature and pratical advice.
***NOTE: This service is for Ontario, Québec, NB, NS, and NFLD residents only!
Support for BEFORE and AFTER your bariatric surgery
It’s never too early or too late in your bariatric journey to reach out for support. You don’t have to do this alone!
Top 4 reasons why Ontario bariatric patients used our services last year…
Before surgery - People who were planning to have bariatric surgery and who had many questions needing answering leaving them feeling anxious and unprepared (e.g. How will eating change with surgery? Are there foods I’ll have to avoid for life? Is it really normal to have so many digestive issues like diarrhea and nausea? How much weight will I realistically lose? Will I have to count calories? What about carbs?). Not only do you need to be aware of the physical and physiological changes that come with your particular bariatric surgery, but also the emotional and psychological ones too. Whether you’ve done a lot of research already, or you just don’t know where to start, we’re here to share our expertise with you in counselling thousands of bariatric patients.
Less than 1 year after surgery - People who recently had surgery (both locally and abroad) who were struggling to put all of the recommendations together to nourish themselves in a way that was enjoyable (e.g. Am I meeting my protein goal? Do carbs belong on my plate? But then there’s no room for vegetables? And what about dessert, will I have dumping?). We also tackled digestive issues like vomiting, reflux, diarrhea, constipation, difficulty digesting certain foods, etc.
Longer-term after surgery – People who were 2, 5, 12+ years after surgery who were looking to make changes to their diet. For these clients, we start with a full bariatric evaluation and then we start where the client feels ready to make changes. Common areas of concern were weight regain, not feeling full or satisfied at meals anymore, emotional eating, night eating, fear around “failing” their surgery, eating for a new health concern (e.g. high cholesterol), etc.
Pregnancy – People who were pregnant or planning for a pregnancy. These clients wanted to make sure they were doing everything they could to have a safe and healthy pregnancy. Accepting pregnancy weight gain was a topic of much concern for these clients. FYI - We have a course on pregnancy after bariatric surgery.
Most hospitals don’t have time to give individualized care and the companies who organize surgeries abroad typically cut off care once your feet are back on home soil.
We think you deserve better. In fact we know you deserve better!
New Patient Evaluation
$150 CAD
Our 45-minute New Patient Evaluation session will give you a FULL overview of where you’re at and a solid plan for the direction you want to head in!
Includes:
Full evaluation of your current diet and food habits.
Trouble shooting of tolerance issues (e.g. nausea, vomiting, difficulty with certain foods, constipation, diarrhea, etc.) and other concerns.
Feedback and discussion on eating behaviours (e.g. grazing, night eating, etc.).
Review of vitamins and natural health products.
Summary of appointment (i.e. goals, recipes, suggested resources, etc.) emailed to you within 48 hours.
Follow-up Appointments
$95 CAD
Our 30 to 45-minute Follow-Up Sessions are the next step after you’ve completed your New Patient Evaluation.
Includes:
Assessment of progress.
Feedback on 3-day food journal (if completed).
Further tailoring of goals.
Summary of appointment (i.e. goals, recipes, suggested resources, etc.) emailed to you within 48 hours.
FAQs
In what parts of Ontario do you offer bariatric surgery nutrition care?
Given our virtual approach to nutrition counselling, which we have been doing since 2016 (way before the pandemic), we can consult all residents of Ontario from the comfort of their homes. Whether you live in or around Toronto and the GTA, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton, Windsor, Guelph, Waterloo, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, or even Cornwall, we’ve got you covered!
Do you offer services for other Canadian residents?
Yes, we do! At this time our Ontario dietitian can offer virtual nutrition counselling for bariatric surgery to residents of Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.
Are appointments only virtual?
Yes, we only offer virtual appointments using a secure video platform. This enables us to offer you appointments on your lunch break, on your day off and in the evening. It takes practice to conduct a virtual consultation efficiently. Over the years we’ve perfected our approach using a practical and easy-to-use only software to be sure we offer an effective and efficient service.
We know you all have busy lives! Virtual appointments are incredibly convenient…
No travel time.
No paying for parking.
No having to take a day off of work.
Is online nutrition counseling just as effective as in-person?
Yes! Research shows that online counseling is just as effective as in-person counseling, not mention more convenient!
I’m ready to book my first appointment. What are the next steps?
Awesome! We can’t wait to meet you :) The first step is to book a 15 minute call with a local dietitian. On the call he/she will explain how working together works and we’ll set you up with the next steps.
Do I have homework before my first appointment?
Yes! For new clients, we will send you a link to make a profile in our client E-portal. Once you’ve created a profile, you’ll see a questionnaire to fill out and a waiver to sign. Your dietitian might also request you complete a 3 day food journal in the food journal part of the E-portal before you meet. You can log your meals and snacks with photos (WAY LESS WORK than most apps) or by written text.
Is your dietitian a registered dietitian or a nutritionist?
Rest assured, our dietitian is a real registered dietitian! She is registered with the CDO - the College of Dietitians of Ontario - and is upheld to the standards expected of a healthcare professional in integrity, ethics, and keeping up with the latest evidence in research. This also means that she can issue insurance receipts.
Can your dietitian issue insurance receipts?
Yes! Our dietitian will issue you an insurance receipt after payment which you can provide to your private insurance or to claim as a healthcare expense on your taxes.
