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I always have a 1/2 lara bar before workout and 1/2 after. Complex carbs make a complete Protein and so therefore will bring sugars back up. Don't do this starving thing too often because we are susceptible to reactive hypoglycemia.

I'm having the same issue! I have momentary energy, but no stamina. It's hard to exercise because it just totally wears me out. I get my walking in, but to do more than that is almost unthinkable. Since I made 6 weeks out last week, I decided it was time to try to get back on the golf course. I walked 9 holes, with my push cart. By the third I felt that horrible exhausted/depleted feeling. I pushed through it, but it definintely took some of the joy away from being back out there. I haven't been sticking to a calorie limit, but a Protein goal set by my NUT (60-80g/day). This keeps me just under 800 calories a day. I'm wondering if I need to up the calories a bit. It's hard to do without adding carbs, since I'm getting enough protein. A bit perplexing! Maybe I just do it, say the heck with worrying about carbs, and see how it goes. My weightloss has also slowed to a crawl. 15lbs in 6.5 weeks. I've all ready stalled, and now it's just starting to inch down again. My pcp appointment was a short time ago, and my thyroid, Iron levels, and B12 are all fine. So I don't think it's a Vitamin deficiency, nor my thyroid (I have hypo). I would like to feel good after I exercise, not need to nap!

Long time member but i haven't posted anywhere in ages, but I used to be on the Lapband board. I was a long time very successful band patient i was orginally banded in Jan 02 (in Canada, pre FDC approval) lost weight at a great rate. My first band (Innamed) slipped a total of 3 times before it came out for six months, I also had surgeries to move my port and another because my tubing disconnect. Next we went to the J&J band and it was great until it slipped badly, I had it for about 6-7 years and it worked like a charm, restriction was great most of the time, lost to my goal size and then it self tightened and i left it there because of travel, personal stress etc and i thought it would release on its own when i went for a defill it completely slipped around my esophagus and it was horrible. With the J&J I had a port revision surgery in there too. Then we tried a 3rd band it never worked right, I couldn't get restriction because if we did more than i had instant reflux etc. I revised to the sleeve last week with a new surgeon in Philadelphia who told me the band was basically around my esophagus and i had no pouch which is why I had no restriction and why I could not be tightened any more. But I lost about 150 lbs in 12-16 months and maintained that loss for 10 years plus, with little to no effort. In the meantime because of the band with no restriction, some prescribed evil steroids that I had to take that put 30lbs on me in a matter of 8 days... (they change your brain chemistry in weird ways) hashimoto's disease (hypo thyroid) fluctuations for the last few years and a few other things I gained about 70-80 lbs that I could not lose weight I tried. I went gluten free and dairy free, nada, I tried the HCG diet lost 20 lbs gained it back and generally I don't eat more than 1500-1700 calories per day including when I am drinking wine, eating out 3 meals a day etc. I hired a trainer, almost went paleo not quite. Now in talking to my surgeon he has said there are new studies showing band patients 9-12 years out who suddenly gain weight they can't lose for love nor money. They try everything and it won't come off more restriction, calories restriction etc. So we made a joint strategic decision to go to the sleeve since I knew the risk, what type of lifestyle change I was in for, portion control etc. wouldn't be a problem since i had it already. In our conversations we talked a lot about Ghrelin which is produced in the stomach and it makes you hungry, when you are feeling that craving to overeat or binge typically it is ghrelin and obese people produce more ghrelin than non obese people typically with some exceptions. We also talked about leptin which makes you feel satiated and is produced in the brain. With the sleeve, about 70-90% of the ghrelin produced is surgically removed with the part of the stomach they remove. i am curious have you noticed a difference in how hungry you get, cravings and the satiation of cravings ie: I can eat two bites of cake vs. I want the whole cake now? Have you also noticed the full feelings getting different than before from the leptin. My surgeon has said in his conversations with his patients they noticed their cravings reduced which helps them with portion control and in making better choices which helps a number of other things. In other words the brain and stomach don't conspire to make cheetos seem like a great dinner choice or ben and jerry your best friend. Overall I eat very healthy without a ton of junk food in my life we cook at home, we make our own stocks and Soups etc. to help get me through the liquids phase. But we do eat well and drink wine, we might be foodies (we are told we are, I just like trying new things). I have never eaten out of control even with the last band and no restriction just trying to lose weight has been terrible, depressing and frustrating. Especially after my first experiences which was I lost well, ate well, exercised and it worked like it was supposed too. I am a consultant and I travel for my job excessively so hence the eat out three meals a day most of the time I don't have a choice in that, but you can make healthy choices even in eating out and I do. I look at fats and calories along with Proteins and make good choices. Any thoughts you have I would appreciate and any advice you have I would love to read. Thanks for reading and good luck

Hi I'm Jamey. 45 yro mother of two daughters 24 and 21. I'd say my weight issues started in college. My freshman 15 was 30. I married young and it was an abusive relationship, I lost some weight remarried and became a widow at 29. Goodbye normal body forever!! I'm now married to the love of my life and my girls are both going to be married in the next year or two. My highest weight was 325 (hysterectomy and hypo thyroid helped NOT) but by the day of my surgery which was just Tuesday 9/23 I was down to 289. My goal now is 165 but I'll maybe change that when I get to that point. Nice to meet you all.

Was hypo now hyper. Still on 800 calories a day Going to specialist today to get more info

Today I am officially one year out and I have a normal BMI. I just saw my nutritionist and she didn't recognize me at first. Which is funny and really nice. She also said she is very proud of me. Even though I developed Reactive Hypoglycemia which only 2% of Gastric Bypass patients get I wouldn't change a thing about having this surgery. The pluses out way the minus of getting this. It's been an educational journey which I will continue to take from this day forward. I wish all of you great success on your journeys too. Thank you for reading this.

I have reactive hypoglycemia presurgery. My surgery is in 3 days. 2 sisters have had the bypass. They both can have a few bites of the sweets but anything more and they dump. I am having the bypass. I was set on the sleeve, but after talking to a lot of people including the surgeon, and research, I decided bypass was best for me

Oh, thank you, for mentioning the Facebook thing. I'll be careful not to do that since I have decided, for now, not to tell anyone, except my husband. I am pretty sure I will share with friends and family, eventually. I just don't want to have to deal with any commentary/opinions for now. My side of the family is a little too honest at times. I remember, I hadn't seen my brother for about a year. I had had a baby, and when I saw him next his first statement to me was not even hello but a straight up "Boy, you have put on a lot of weight." Rude! When my children say something reactive like that, I always reming them; 1) You can have a whole thought process in your head but the world doesn't need to know about it and 2) If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all. Hope your hip recovers soon. How did you get hurt?

If he is the kind of guy that shots you down before any real conversation gets underway, consider a letter. Write down all your feelings towards him first and why you are worried. Add statistics and anything you think may get through to him. End with how you would love to support him through the process (weight loss or bariatric surgery) towards a healthier him. Also, make sure he has sometime to read it and ponder about it. Not just an hour. Sometimes it's hard to get all your feelings out in a conversation before his reaction makes be reactive causing the whole thing to spiral into an unproductive conversation. Good luck, raising the issue is the right thing to do.

as a mom who had 2 homebirths, nursed my toddlers, co-slept with my kids (we didnt ever use a crib), and now homeschools... i am used to people being intrusive with me. in the homeschooling community we have what we call the "pass the bean dip" technique.... meaning when someone asks an inappropriate question or makes an out of line comment, you make a non-response... such as "hmmmm" or "interesting" or "thats a lot to think about," and then say, "pass the bean dip please (insert any distracting phrase)," then say nothing else. i have found that a bored smile, looking past the person's shoulder and then asking them something about themselves is a great technique. people LOVE to talk about themselves, its an awesome distraction! here's an example: pushy boss: you need another morning off for a doctor's appt???? what's going on with you?? why do you need to see the doctor again?? you: "the doctor ordered a test. that was when they scheduled it. its pretty standard." PB: what kind of test? why? you: the doctor ordered it. thanks for your concern. its pretty standard. PB: whats wrong with you? you: its a pretty standard test. *gentle smile* did you see sons of anarchy the other night? it's my favorite show! what's your guilty pleasure? do you want to go get coffee? did you see its going to be 80* this weekend? PB: uhhhhhh you have to be firm, non-responsive and patient. but it works wonders. if you are defensive and reactive, she will have the upper hand... which is what this is all about. so be calm, stand your ground and realize that you have the labor laws on your side.

Were you hypo or hyper?

To the OP: I think you've got your research straight and your head on straight about this. I would not have chosen the bypass route for myself. I started at 235 pounds and am 5'5". Didn't want or need lifelong malabsorption, anemia, potential reactive hypoglycemia, or more potential complications. Go for the sleeve. Only one little caveat -- is everyone but you in your neighborhood getting a bypass because the local surgeon has a lot more bypass surgery experience and not so much sleeve experience? If that's the case, I'd be a little nervous. What you want is a surgeon who has beaucoups experience and success doing the surgery YOU will have. Just a thought.

You may have already done considerable research about RnY. But there are some very significant medical complications and side effects with the RnY that the sleeve doesn't (usually) trigger. For instance, * significant malabsorption and anemia issues requiring very serious Vitamin, mineral and other supplements for the rest of your life (more than with the sleeve) * reactive hypoglycemia -- as many as 72% of RnY (bypass) patients have it; it ain't a minor thing at all. "Reactive hypoglycemia is a late complication affecting up to 72% of RYGB patients although it seems to occur also after SG, in about 3% of the cases." See http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01581801 * more complicated surgery and more surgical complications with RnY than with gastric sleeve That's not to say that there aren't some diagnoses / patients for whom gastric bypass is the better choice. But IMHO you should choose bypass ONLY if you have those diagnoses. The choice between bypass and sleeve is not a simple 6 of one, half-dozen of the other proposition.

Your TSH is something that is a routine test that is done with all your regular labs. I was thought to have hypo thyroid because my tsh was a little high and I had the classic symptoms. Let me tell you this, the medicine the Dr. gave me called levothyroxine was the worse meds I could have ever taken. It makes you gain weight terribly. Rashes on face,hairloss, isomnia (severe) and hot feeling all over our head. I am on the road for a bypass and even if you have a tyroid condition don't let that stop you from your surgery. The meds you get for the thyroid won't make you lose weight even if they regulate your thyroid. You may gain because of the meds. I have spoken to so many patients who gained weight and had bad side affects from those meds. Other people I spoke to had the by pass and their levels stabilized and got better. Those of us that have metabolic syndrome like I do or Diabetes like I do will run the risk of a slow thyroid because that is the natural corse of things when our bodies are fighting to stay alive in an obese state. So please, do not do what I did, become afraid and post pone the surgery or cancel it because you think you don't need it or some miracle thyroid pill willfis your issues and make you suddenly stop gaining weight or thin. Chances are if you are here, you need ths surgery. I needed and wanted this surgery for many years and would come on herer to read horror stories that scared me away. I regret that and will listen to facts and people who have been there done that. So go forward and stay positive. Our Thyroid is not our only problem and will not solve the bigger issues at hand. Good Luck.

I have hashimoto's disease but my thyroid levels are still showing normal. Although, I have most if not all the symptoms of hypothyroidism. I go yearly to my endo for blood work but he has not put me on any medication since it always comes back in the normal range. I figure it's a matter of time though. Is this the same thing you have and are your levels normal or hypo?

Accompany your firstborn to her/his university, and then say goodbye. My heart goes out to all the parents going through these separations at this back to school time of year. Whether you are watching them walk into kindergarten or dropping them off at their dorm...it is just one more step of theirs towards independence. Which is, of course, a great thing. Anyway, suddenly my band is newborn, with a level of restriction such as I've never known. And this reminds me how our bands are so reactive! Heat, stress, cold, colds, some mention flying (that's not one of mine), our bands inhale and exhale along with us. It's something you can't know until you are banded (and something I wasn't educated on by my surgeon, but that's ok). I was just about to go get another fill but I think I'll just take advantage of this "free" restriction before facing the needle again. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying fall (if in the northern hemisphere) or spring (if below).

Please share! Today I took a bike ride. How long I've neglected my body and pretended it didn't exist. I hid it and was ashamed of it. I put it behind closed doors and fed it garbage and didn't move it. I pumped it full of pharmaceuticals and acted like it wasn't part of me. My spirit was dying and I didn't care. I didn't understand that my body and my spirit are connected. Until I began to care for my body and heal it, I had no interest in healing my spirit. I only cared about how I felt at any given moment. If I felt nervous, I had to fix my nervousness. If I felt happy, I had to pump up my happiness so it wouldn't end. I didn't understand that these reactive impulses were not benefiting me. They were survival techniques but I didn't know I was merely surviving from one feeling to another. Today I look at and care for and watch and pamper and plan for and decorate and embrace my body. I find myself wanting to do the same for my spirit. I'm understanding that they go together. It's not a task on a check off list. It's a change in perception and awareness. How many times have I said that nothing will change unless everything changes? I know it in my head. Now I feel it in my body, and I sense it in my spirit. How do you feed your soul?

I just talked to the psych Dr but when I look in my records he diagnosed me with reactive disorder when I've been diagnosed bipolar since I was 16 but whatever, it seemed easy enough.

I just had the most aggressive phone call with my surgeon, Dr. Cirangle. I had my sleeve done Monday (5 days ago) and left the hospital on Tuesday. I was given liquid pain meds (hydrocodone-something) - and it was prescribed as 10-25ml every 4-6 hours. I was taking the meds on a reactive basis and on Weds, the IV drugs clearly left my system and I was in horrible horrible pain. I called his office, his physician's asst. almost scolded me for not taking the pain meds as subscribed and that I should take them regularly every 4 hours if I was in that much pain.... BEFORE I got pain. So I did. Exactly as told and as it was prescribed on the bottle. I took my last dose this morning around 4 AM and my husband went to the pharmacy to get the refill. They said they couldn't refill it until Monday. So I called the Dr. Cirangle and was berated and told that I was taking too much and that I shouldn't even be in pain 5 days post op. I did the math. 1 pint = 473ml Prescription called for 25 ml every 4-6 hours. 473ml/25ml = 19 doses 24 hours a day/4 hours = 6 times a day I should take the meds 19 doses, 6 times a day = the medicine should last me for 3.16666 days. I'm on day 5. He said it was supposed to last for 10 days. Am I missing something??? And at day 5 should I not be having sharp pains where I can't stand up, roll over, or bend over? (He says no.) I have discoloration/brusing like color around the area that I have the pain. No where else do I have this discoloration. I'm supposed to have a follow up this week. AND I never want to see him again. I feel so violated after being so vulnerable to trust and be open to him only to be screamed at and told to "stop being so dramatic." Feeling totally alone and so upset. There's one thing to not have bed-side manners... it's another thing to be a complete asshole to your patients who are reaching out to you for help.

I do, too. I am bipolar, as well, and I am so afraid that I will "crash" when I have surgery - or become hypo manic/irritable. food is a very important mode stabilizer for me.

From my research, reactive hypoglycemia is pretty common about 18-24 months after WLS. I have it and noticed it mainly at night when I would have a carb snack with my evening meds. I have to have a small amount of protein with every snack and meal.

Your body will level off and gain and then maintain. I am there right now. It is a difficult process but it is none the less part of this journey. Caloric intake may be a factor and keeping a 5 lb up or down goal. You may have to up your calories to not lose any more. I now weigh myself once a week and I watch the 5 lb limit. It is definitely something to get used to when all you have ever wanted was to lose weight.... I suffer from reactive Hypoglycemia and am having a terrible time with it......I am so concerned I will gain too much back because of it.... Nevertheless keep a watchful eye on it and enjoy a little bit of freedom from the opposite of trying hard to lose the weight.

I've had 2 bouts with reactive hypoglycemia. One was from waiting too long to eat dinner and one was from having a migraine and not eating enough before I went to bed. No fun I have apple juice in my fridge so if i have a reaction I drink an apple juice and eat a hard boiled egg. A friend of mine does apple juice and a tablespoon of Peanut Butter. I'd love to hear what other people do as well.

I have too. ( Reactive Hypoglycemia ) But it was after the sleeve. And only a few months ago! I eat 6 times a day and very little refined sugar. I eat complex Protein. That means a carb with a protein and it seems to be working better for me......

I figured out that my night sweats were being caused by reactive hypoglycemia. I have to be really careful with what I eat close to bed time.