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Had my surgery 11/20/12 and was 315 the day of surgery. Most people don't believe me because I am 6' tall. I carried my weight well, but at the end of the day I was morbidly obese. I did get down to my lowest of 175 but that was short lived. Insert a bad relationship, holidays and a breakup and you have an increase up to 185-190. I am over it. And it is waaaay too close to 200 for my taste. That allll being said. I need help from my fellow veterans. What are you all doing to get to target and maintain? I need some guidance and I'm not afraid to try new things. I had to stop Crossfit due to an injury that is finally appearing to have healed. I would dearly love to hear as much as I can from you guys. I may not post as much but I do read what you guys share. Oh by the way, I also am experiencing reactive hypoglycemia and I'm trying to address that as well. Thanks in advance!!!!!

Hi I've just been searching for this topic as I've recently realised I have just started showing symptoms of Reactive Hyplogylcemia. I'm exactly one year post-op sleeve surgery and I had no idea us sleevers could suffer these symptoms. I'm a vegetarian so trying to cut out carbs has been a huge challenge for me and must admit that recently they have come back into my diet and my weightloss has also stalled. I now find that if I try and exercise in the mornings I have a massive hypo attack, the shakes, sweating, low blood sugar, feel like I'm going to faint, need to sit down and then an urgency to eat something. I then continue to feel terrible for the rest of the day like I'm all washed out and very tired even though I've done almost nothing. This is a very worrying new complication of the sleeve surgery that I did not sign up for and I'm trying to find out as much as possible about the condition so I can learn how to manage it. I'm confused as to whether I need to cut the carbs or increase them? I've been eating about 1,000 calories a day but burning around 2,700 cals per day (I wear a BodyMedia monitor so I know exactly what I'm using). I'm now really worried about this new development.. I'm seeing my surgeon next week for my one year review, I will be asking about this as from what I've researched, it seems as though there are a lot of people post bariatric surgery complaining of the problem and not much can be done from what I know??. Mine so far has been manageable but I am very worried it might get worse and I've read some people having their Pancreases removed which seems very extreme!. Any help or advice would be gratefully received. Prior to surgery I had PCOS, under-active thyroid and had been told years ago that I was insulin resistent but I never had diabetes. I must say, had I known about this complication it would have made me consider very carefully whether I should do this? Please has anyone any advice as it is worrying me a lot??

Hi I've just been searching for this topic as I've recently realised I have just started showing symptoms of Reactive Hyplogylcemia. I'm exactly one year post-op sleeve surgery and I had no idea us sleevers could suffer these symptoms. I'm a vegetarian so trying to cut out carbs has been a huge challenge for me and must admit that recently they have come back into my diet and my weightloss has also stalled. I now find that if I try and exercise in the mornings I have a massive hypo attack, the shakes, sweating, low blood sugar, feel like I'm going to faint, need to sit down and then an urgency to eat something. I then continue to feel terrible for the rest of the day like I'm all washed out and very tired even though I've done almost nothing. This is a very worrying new complication of the sleeve surgery that I did not sign up for and I'm trying to find out as much as possible about the condition so I can learn how to manage it. I'm confused as to whether I need to cut the carbs or increase them? I've been eating about 1,000 calories a day but burning around 2,700 cals per day (I wear a BodyMedia monitor so I know exactly what I'm using). I'm now really worried about this new development.. I'm seeing my surgeon next week for my one year review, I will be asking about this as from what I've researched, it seems as though there are a lot of people post bariatric surgery complaining of the problem and not much can be done from what I know??. Mine so far has been manageable but I am very worried it might get worse and I've read some people having their Pancreases removed which seems very extreme!. Any help or advice would be gratefully received. Prior to surgery I had PCOS, under-active thyroid and had been told years ago that I was insulin resistent but I never had diabetes. I must say, had I known about this complication it would have made me consider very carefully whether I should do this? Please has anyone any advice as it is worrying me a lot??

While I do have both a dog and a cat, most of my animals are a bit more cold-blooded. In addition to the dog and cat (and chinchillas), I have 10 cornsnakes, two boas, two geckos and a bearded dragon. Although in fairness, one of the geckos and the beardie belong to my daughter (but she's 10, so I help a bit with them) Pictured are Maya (dog), Boo (cat), Cupid (hypo Honduran boa), and Toothless (pastel bearded dragon)

Update I I Ok so the Doc says I have severe obstructive sleep apnea with low oxygen and failure to up oxygen levels after an apnea event, plus hypo ventilation. So I am waiting to be fitted with a fashionable CPAP machine as we speak. Lovely. The only thing I can do is turn around my attitude, so I am happy that we have discovered the problem, that the office is working my insurance issue and that I may experience what I have read can be life changing sleep after receiving this machine. And guess what? I get to install it myself :-D

I am a horse of a different color. I now have Reactive Hypoglycemia..So now I eat 6 times a day...I am eating more complex carbs now to keep my sugars settled....I think that my caloric intake has gone up..But I am still losing weight and am getting where it is no longer a good idea..... Everyone is different! But at some point our bodies are supposed to level off and we need to maintain within 5-10 lbs.

wondering if anyone has any insight into this post WLS? i get so sore several days after i exercise... 2, 3, sometimes even 4 days later... it's really making me miserable and curtailing my desire to workout. i have just pushed thought the soreness and gone and worked out again, but then i am doubly miserable later on. i have talked to my chiro, a good friend who a very experienced trainer and done research online, but i have not found any revelations about why this might be... i eat my Protein, drink my Water, take extra magnesium and glutamine... i warm up, stretch, follow all the suggestions. there have been some concerns in the past i might have fibromyalgia, but my "C reactive protein" markers in my blood were back down to normal before the surgery... maybe i need to have another blood test? anyone know anything about this being specific to WLS? or maybe this is just me and not connected at all.

MichiganChic got it right. So that being said, I'll going to address a few things I learned with whatever medical resources I have. Please note that I have a local medical school with the best librarians in the world, and I use those resources a lot. I realized I don't have all of them on me, so I'll go this weekend and get specific references. Always pays to ask your doctor as the references I have come to 2 different conclusions (regarding Protein binding of calcium, whether or not its charged on the negative areas or truely is free of the protein molecule itself). I'll try to keep to the "lighter" end of things so you get useful info rather than a lot of scientific snooze material (or as my sister calls it, my reading & video material). Calcium: Several ways calcium can be measured: Serum blood Ionized Urine (24 hour collection) Differences between blood levels and ionized levels is serum blood calcium (what you find in a BMP (basic metabolic panel)) is your total calcium level, whereas the ionized calcium is the free in plasma type only. ** My sources differ on this** Serum blood calcium measures calcium that is attached to albumin/globulins or Proteins AND the free or ionized calcium in plasma OR it attaches to the negative charged sites on protein OR it is bound to proteins, bound to anions, and free/ionized. Parathyroid hormone & Vitamin D regulate your calcium. However, the kidneys assist in getting rid of the excess, so if they are not functioning right, you can find this out by doing urine studies. Many molecules attach to proteins or other blood particles and use them as a sort of "ferry" to get to where they need to be. If you have problems with abnormal levels of proteins like albumin or globulin, this may be one reason you need ionized levels checked. I'll list some items here that would be pertinent to us. Normal ionized calcium levels with high total calcium levels is called pseudohypercalcemia. It can happen due to hyperalbuminemia (basically an edema type condition where the Fluid leaks from your cells surrounding the tissue) or excess Vitamin D. Normal ionized calcium levels with low total calcium levels is called pseudohypocalcemia. It can happen due to hypoalbuminemia from liver/kidney disease. Low ionized calcium levels with low total calcium levels can happen due to parathyoid issues, Vitamin D/Magnesium deficiencies, and high phosphate levels. High ionized calcium levels with normal total calcium levels can happen due to hypoalbuminemia, parathyoid disorders, or acidosis. High ionized calcium levels with high total calcium levels can happen due to parathyroid issues. I'll stay away from high levels because lower levels would make more sense to us, excess Vitamins A & D would probably be the main causes for us. If you have lower levels, hypoparathyroidism, malabsorption, osteo types of problems, but mostly Vitamin D deficiency would be the big issues. Increases in pH levels in the blood, aka alkalosis, will cause more of the calcium to bind to the protein molecules and will decrease your ionized calcium levels. Decreased in Ph levels in the blood, aka acidosis, causes less of the calcium to bind to the protein molecules and will increase the free calcium levels. I add this due to authors' interest, as since the surgery, metabolic acidosis and alkalosis seem to be my buddies. Acidosis in the hospital after the surgery, alkalosis doing a number of endurance athletic competitions. When you get these tests done, make sure to review things such as your other electrolyte levels, PTH levels, Vitamin D, and phosphorus & magnesium. A change in this electrolyte can cause or be influenced by changes in other electrolytes. Calcium is excreted out of the body in urine and feces (a few other things but those are the most important). An increase in pH, alkalosis, promotes increased protein binding, which decreases free calcium levels. Acidosis, on the other hand, decreases protein binding, resulting in increased free calcium levels. Total calcium measurements, as you've seen, can be misleading. If you have hypoalbuminemia, you will have normal ionized calcium levels but total calcium levels decrease. There are ways to compensate for that, what I cheat and do is look online for the medical calculators. If you have kidney or low bicarbonate or serum albumin levels, you should measure the ionized free calcium to diagnose hypo/hypercalcemia. A few of the reasons to test the ionized calcium would be liver or kidney issues, abnormal total calcium issues, parathyroid issues, numbness or muscle spasms around the mouth, hands or feet. Drugs that can increase your ionized calcium levels would be things like thyroxine. Drugs that can decrease your ionized calcium levels would be things like heparin, epinephrine, alcohol. Urine tests measure how much calcium gets excreted out by the kidneys. It can look for problems with the parathyroid glands or the kidneys, or to check and see where the body is getting calcium from. Normal levels for urine calcium can be anywhere from 100-150 to 300. A calcium free diet goes from 5-40, low diets are 50-100 or 150. High levels can be caused by kidney issues, taking too much calcium, too much parathyroid hormone, and very high Vitamin D levels. Low levels can be caused by too little parathyroid hormone, low Vitamin D levels, and not enough calcium and/or malabsorption. If you show up with higher levels of serum calcium, lower levels of urine calcium, and possible bone loss changes, what is happening is that your body is leeching calcium from the bones (bone loss), causing the higher levels of blood calcium, the kidneys are holding on to the little bit you have and not urinating it out (low urine calcium).

Well not really. I drank muscle milk which had either 9 carbs or the 100 calorie version that had 4 carbs. So definitely no spikes from that. I did lower my basel on my insulin pump. It definitely helped taking less insulin, but still had a few hypos. Drank orange juice for that. It was definitely tough, but well worth it.

I'm 42 with Celiac. Had Lap Band in 2005. Had acid reflux and couldn't eat with the band. Had Fluid removed 2 years ago. Just wanting to know if anyone has celiac, solution to not loosing chunks of hair, how soon you can go back to a desk job, drive to work etc. I"m in the approval process right now. Hope to know a date soon.

Hello, I'm 42 and had the lap band surgery back in Jan. of 2005. Recently had issues with reflux and not being able to eat. I had the fill removed from the band. Gained lots of weight. I have celiac, thyroid issues and I'm worried about of all things with gastric bypass surgery is the hair loss. I have beautiful thick hair. I'm in the approval process right now. Wanting to know what anyone knows about hair loss and if there is anything to prevent this from happening. Anything prior to surgery I can stock up on Biotin in my system. Just thought I'd ask this crazy question. Also, want to know how soon a person can drive/go to work after this surgery. I will have the lap band removed and the gastric bypass done in one surgery.

My feet used to burn up when I was having a hyperthyroidism flare, I would put a tub of cool Water in the room with me to stand in and cool off my feet. It was like my body heat was escaping through my foot bottoms. .. You might want to check your thyroid, are you on thyroid meds and have now lost weight? Or have ever had thyroid issues? (Sorry, on my phone, can't see your stats) This was when I was in my twenties and had hyperthyroidism so bad they were taking about taking out some of my thyroid, 20 years later and my thyroid is hypo now...

Here are a couple sites so you can look at it yourself..K http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthyeating/reactive-hypoglycemia.html http://chealth.canoe.ca/condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=73

in the last five years i have done a lot of research on how to reduce inflammation in the body without drugs. i have issues, but managed to reduce my reactive C protein markers down into the normal range. my MIL has lupus and my good friend has both scleroderma and fibromyalgia.. all autoimmune disorders related to abnormal inflammation in the body. PM me your email or FB info and i will send you a few things. you can also like my FB page "whole health wellness" where i post a lot of things on reducing inflammation thru natural means.

For what its worth. Last year my bmi was 3o. I weighed170. Mind u ive been obese always...205 at age 21. Ik 5 ft 4. But menapause has reactivated my weight gain with a vengeance..yep im on thyroid meds...so i go a year ago and talk to a Doc hear in Va who says why to thin,,,,great. Could go to mexico. But just not for me...so here i am a yera later now 185 still being told u r too thin to qualify. So 12,000 later and a trip to NC and Im sleeved..for me it was the only option.,! At worst Ill stop gaining at best ill get healthy under 150 Keep tuned in

Hi guys, i have a quick question and I will keep it short to save you time. Does anyone have hypothyroid and chose to get the bypass? I was on my path to the r n y and suddenly got diagnosed with hypothyroid which is horrible (slow thyroid). Makes you feel weak, can't lose weight, super fatigued, brain fog, joint pain, headaches and hair loss and dry skin. Oh Joy! I'm also insulin dependent diabetic. Icing on cake here.... So I'm wondering will I have a double dose of what everyone else expects while recovering from r n y surgery? Any advice is welcomed as I have become you tube obsessed and online research gonna make me bonkers. Thanks in advance.

Post op 3 days. Need to loose 40 pounds very realistic since i am. 57. And have hypothyroid.

All us HYpos. Need to support each other..Im so worried it wont work...im doing everything tight I was sleeved 4/24. Lets all be each others support team...we are slow looser from what I read but truth is I was not looseing before sleeve I was gaining.13 lds last year 15 each year prior..so looseing steady even if its only 2 a week. Ill take iy...any one haveing issues with hiccups or gas in shoulder....also are u crushing your thyroid or taking hole.

I'm fortunate to work at a hospital so I just had my hemoglobin checked. My HGB was 14.5. I'm going Monday for a bigger gamut of lab tests for my 5/1 appointment with my primary. Not really sure what's going on but I did read about something that is making me think I am experiencing this. Reactive hypoglycemia. Happens in 15% of people that have some kind of stomach surgery. We shall see. I will post about what they say.

Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia What is non-diabetic hypoglycemia? Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Care Guide Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Aftercare Instructions Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Discharge Care Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Inpatient Care En Espanol Non-diabetic hypoglycemia is a condition that causes the sugar (glucose) in your blood to drop too low. This can happen in people who do not have diabetes. The 2 types of non-diabetic hypoglycemia are fasting hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia. Fasting hypoglycemia often happens after the person goes without food for 8 hours or longer. Reactive hypoglycemia usually happens about 2 to 4 hours after a meal. When your blood sugar level is low, your muscles and brain cells do not function properly. What causes non-diabetic hypoglycemia? Fasting hypoglycemia: Certain medicines or herbal supplements such as fenugreek, ginseng, or cinnamon Alcohol Exercise Medical conditions such as liver disease, hypothyroidism, and tumors Eating disorders or malnutrition Stomach surgery or hemodialysis From what I have read it suggest something to eat or drink. I am going to try a cup of milk when I wake up tonight. I will let you know how that works. Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia What is non-diabetic hypoglycemia? Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Care Guide Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Aftercare Instructions Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Discharge Care Non-diabetic Hypoglycemia Inpatient Care En Espanol Non-diabetic hypoglycemia is a condition that causes the sugar (glucose) in your blood to drop too low. This can happen in people who do not have diabetes. The 2 types of non-diabetic hypoglycemia are fasting hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia. Fasting hypoglycemia often happens after the person goes without food for 8 hours or longer. Reactive hypoglycemia usually happens about 2 to 4 hours after a meal. When your blood sugar level is low, your muscles and brain cells do not function properly. What causes non-diabetic hypoglycemia? Fasting hypoglycemia: Certain medicines or herbal supplements such as fenugreek, ginseng, or cinnamon Alcohol Exercise Medical conditions such as liver disease, hypothyroidism, and tumors Eating disorders or malnutrition Stomach surgery or hemodialysis From what I have read it suggest something to eat or drink. I am going to try a cup of milk when I wake up tonight. I will let you know how that works.

Im hypo been so for 30 years but the past 3 have gained 30 lds. Today i pray is my new start getting sleeved. I hope i can loose. Self pay. Lots rideing on this. My health. And finances.

I totally agree about the reactive hypoglycemia -- sounds like the classic symptoms. If your sugar is very low, also carry glucose tabs with you as that will raise your blood sugar straight away, then the nuts/protein bar can sustain it from there. I'm afraid the latter two don't have enough immediately available glucose to keep you from going so low you pass out. If there's not enough information on here about it -- you can also read a lot about it on Thinner Times. It's a relatively frequent side effect of RnY and DS, less so for VSG, but not unheard of. Good luck and feel better!!

I have reactive hypoglycemia now(I'm in no way a dr, not giving you medical advice at all). I have it now that I've had surgery, but also had it when I was younger. The things you describe are what I feel when I have an episode. Go search reactive hypoglycemia in and there is a great post from RJ's beginning on the subject. Mayne you can relate to some of it. I would start to carry around a baggie of nuts with you everywhere you go. Or a Quest Protein bar. Something with fat and Fiber both. The nuts and a cheese stick pick me uo fast when I have an episode.

Wow, Jewell, you are an amazingly strong and determined caregiver. I was also sleeved on 2/4. I just want to encourage you to stay where you are in prioritizing time for yourself in your current life that requires so much from you for everyone else. You are right, you need to take care of you first in order to care for everyone else. It sounds like a very sad and challenging time for your family with your husband's illness. I appreciate your need to do all you can to be there for him and see him through as long as you can...what a lucky man to have such a dedicated wife. I also believe that our psychology effects our weight loss and body's response to the physical changes. I noticed you said you felt full from the salad, are you still eating your Protein first? I am a slow loser as well, I've lost about 20 pounds since surgery and this is with regular workouts, strict adherence to dietary requirements, and even logging everything into a food journal. I've reached a point that I really honestly don't care anymore about the numbers. I see lots of evidence of a healthier and better lifestyle emerging. I encourage you to keep things simple in all ways possible as your life is pretty demanding right now in ways you can't control. I do these things, they work for me... if it sounds like bits and pieces that might work for you great... if not, no harm sharing. I always start my day with a Protein shake (I use zero carb from GNC/Vitamin store), I mix with with vanilla almond milk and thus start my day with 20 oz of fluids, 50 grams of protein, and a good nutritional boost. I just won't let myself have anything else until I am done with the shake. I don't love it or hate it, so it takes me a good while to finish it and I feel full all morning long. When my shake is done, I pour a glass of Water (calorie free fluids) and focus on finishing before moving on to any real food. Lunch(ish) is always 2-3 ounces of some protein and a vegetable (I will make turkey meatballs/meatloaf on sunday and portion freeze for week, or sometimes a turkey chili things that make the rest of my busy week easier). I always finish my protein and just barely get to the vegetable. I think the key for you is going to be planning out your week so you don't just eat throughout the day in a reactive way to how your day goes. Here are some ideas of things you can make ahead and then have ready for quick healthy meals during the week: hard boiled eggs (I've done deviled too just to keep it yummy and fun) meatballs (I make them with ground chx/turkey...email me if you want some of my recipes) chicken breast/strips (easy to prepare ahead and portion out keeps well for days, and can freeze for later) seasoned hamburger patties (I make them about 4oz before cooking, they cook down perfect for me) lean pork chops Quick to cook Proteins (but don't keep as well): shrimp and fish I buy the small vegetable portions, frozen steamables as side dishes that are quick and easy for myself. I usually serve half and save half for next meal (I never even finish the half because I eat the protein first. As for dinner, well I cook for my family and plan those meals for the week too. I have noticed I sabotage myself "tasting" things and enjoying the cooking process and often can't eat cause I feel full and mostly, i didn't focus on protein! What I noticed is it leads to me eating as soon as the fullness goes away (more like snacking). I just don't do that when I force myself to eat protein first! By eating protein first I seem just full and satisfied for much longer. I always pour a drink when I am done eating. I force myself to drink a full glass between meals. Yes, I will wait 30 minutes typically, but mostly I just naturally wait because I am too full to want to drink. By pouring it though, I know I have to have it before food is even a thought. I agree... water, water, water! Or whatever fluids work for you. Lastly, move around... exercise is important for your psychological health and feeling good. I HIGHLY recommend you do what feels good and you enjoy whatever that is. Put music on and clean/dance have fun everyday. Do whatever you need to do to make sure it isn't a chore! I even turn the music on in my car and do a lot of dancing in my seat . Just tensing and flexing, and using your body even in the car is fun, feels good, and get your blood pumping. You need some feel good outlets in your world right now! I wish you the best and hope that you are able to carve out some time for yourself to just feel good and enjoy this process of transformation regardless of how fast or slow it passes. Take care of yourself and please keep us posted. I would love to Celebrate your successes with you. Keep coming back here for support and know that you are not alone in this. HUGS