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If I don't eat enough Protein I drink a protein juice drink. I like the flavor and it is from Syntrax....nector. They have some cool flavors. I also have protein meals from Blissfull Wellness. I like their hot chocolate. They range from 15 to 30 g of protein per serving. I have just found out that I am reactive Hypoglycemic so now instead of eating 4 times a day I have to try to eat 3 meals and 3 Snacks. I had no idea that I could get that but they said they did not want to tell me because why add another thing onto what I have already have..But like me I got it so they say.LOL I drink 64 oz of Water a day. Ii love water and when it gets closer to summer I will drink more....I can't handle boiled eggs. They are too dense for me so I eat scrambled. Weird to be able to eat it one way but not another. I try very hard to make food interesting and different as much as possible. I eat so many different kinds of things now. Except. Beef it hates me. Pork does not care for me either. But I eat a lot of Beans and legumes, peas, nuts and seeds like squirrels do..lol If I am shopping it takes me forever to buy food because I always look for salt content. Calories and amount of protein. Their are a lot of tasty recipes on Pinterest for salads and healthy meals that look and taste great. I never count calories and I eat very slow....I sometimes can eat more then I need and other times I can't eat much. But I put a plate together. Protein, veggies and carb and I always eat the protein first. Then the veggies and last but not least the carbs. I am a true believer that we need everything in our diets as we live in the real world. But in moderation and balance..... Hope this is what you were looking for.....

I have heard of others farther out getting hypo glssimic. I think that is how you spell it. Also if you have high blood pressure medicine it may need adjusting. No matter how you may think your doc feels your health is more important. Maybe call you primary doc. I hope all gets better for you soon.

Sorry you have been having some problems. Here in the U.S. we are required to have a lot of blood work done before surgery. This includes thyroid tests to make sure our thyroid is working properly. I was prescribed thyroid medicine 2 years ago (I don't remember if I was hypo or hyper) anyway, I hadn't been taking that medication and when I went for my recent test my thyroid was fine. I hope you get leveled out and start seeing the weight loss you are hoping for.

yup, i had this when i was pregnant. i highly recommend getting a blood sugar monitor to check blood glucose levels before and after eating and exercise to see how food and exercise affects you. it's different for everyone. some people get high surges and then drops. some people are only reactive to high GI foods, so people are reactive to not eating enough carbs, some people have sudden drops whenever they eat. if you track your BGL you will be able to more easily treat it.

Wow I am so sorry to hear this. Trust me I understand your frustration. Often times our system reactive instead of proactive to most things. It's seems logical to approve a person for weight loos in order to prevent the person from other issues such as diabetes and heart conditions which are more costly then just performing the WLS. I hope you do not go into debit but I know how important it is to get this done.

Hi; I have not read about this topic on here and so I thought I would share my latest health issue. I found this article on it and thought others might find it interesting because it does happen to WLS patients more then you think! What is reactive hypoglycemia? After bariatric surgery you may experience reactive hypoglycemia: • Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar • Reactive hypoglycemia is having low blood sugar after eating a meal or snack This may happen after eating foods that are high in sugar or simple carbohydrates. It is thought to be related to dumping syndrome. How do I know if I have reactive hypoglycemia? You have reactive hypoglycemia if you have: • any symptoms listed below a few hours after having a meal or snack and • these symptoms go away after eating or drinking What are the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia? You may feel one or more of these: • hungry • sweaty • shaky • anxious • dizzy • weak • sleepy • confused What should I do if I think I have reactive hypoglycemia after having a meal or snack? Having low blood sugar is not good for your overall health and can be life-threatening. • If you think you have reactive hypoglycemia, check your blood sugar. • If your blood sugar is less than 4 mmol/L, you need to treat it to bring your sugar above 4 mmol/LWhat is reactive hypoglycemia? After bariatric surgery you may experience reactive hypoglycemia: • Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar • Reactive hypoglycemia is having low blood sugar after eating a meal or snack This may happen after eating foods that are high in sugar or simple carbohydrates. It is thought to be related to dumping syndrome. How do I know if I have reactive hypoglycemia? You have reactive hypoglycemia if you have: • any symptoms listed below a few hours after having a meal or snack and • these symptoms go away after eating or drinking What are the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia? You may feel one or more of these: • hungry • sweaty • shaky • anxious • dizzy • weak • sleepy • confused What should I do if I think I have reactive hypoglycemia after having a meal or snack? Having low blood sugar is not good for your overall health and can be life-threatening. • If you think you have reactive hypoglycemia, check your blood sugar. • If your blood sugar is less than 4 mmol/L, you need to treat it to bring your sugar above 4 mmol/L. Follow the steps on the next page. If you do not have a meter, talk to your family doctor, health care provider or the diabetes educator in the Bariatric Clinic to get a meter. When your blood sugar is less than 4 mmol/L: 1. Take 15 grams of a fast acting carbohydrate right away. This will raise your blood sugar quickly. Examples of fast acting carbohydrate include: • Chewing 3 to 4 dextrose or glucose tablets (read the label) or • Drinking ¾ cup (175 ml) of juice 2. Wait 15 minutes and check your blood sugar again. 3. If your blood sugar is still below 4 mmol/L treat again with one of the fast acting carbohydrates listed above. 4. Repeat these steps until your blood sugar is above 4 mmol/L. 5. If your next meal or snack is more than 1 hour away, you need to have a snack that contains carbohydrate and Protein that fits into the stage of diet you are at. Examples of Snacks are listed on the last page. You may feel like eating sweet foods like Cookies, cake and candy. Even though these foods are high in sugar and can raise your blood sugar, your blood sugar will go too high too fast which is not safe. This can then lead to another low blood sugar because too much insulin is released. How can I prevent reactive hypoglycemia? You can help prevent reactive hypoglycemia by following your diet guidelines for bariatric surgery. • eat 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks each day • space meals and snacks 2 to 3 hours apart • eat protein at each meal and snack time • avoid skipping meals andsnacks • avoid or limit alcohol depending on what stage of diet your are at • avoid or limit caffeine depending on what stage of diet your are at • avoid sweets like cookies, cakes, candy, pop, juice and sweet drinks Instead of sugars and simple carbohydrates, eat complex carbohydrates because they release less sugar over a longer period of time. Having a complex carbohydrate with protein will slow this release even more. Try putting any of these together when they fit the stage of bariatric diet you are at: Complex Carbohydrates • whole wheat crackers • whole wheat bread • whole wheat pita • whole grain rice • potatoes • cereal Protein • nuts • cheese • meat • lentils • peanut butter • eggs • yogurt Here are some snack ideas to have after treating a low blood sugar: • crackers and cheese • pita and hummus • nuts and yogurt • melba toast and Peanut Butter

Well, I had an attack the other night that almost landed me in the hospital. I got so weak and dizzy, broke out in a sweat all over my body and my husband said i felt like I was burning up. what did it. A 1/4 cup of ice cream. Yup... I have not been eating enough for the last little while and I have been full after a few bites and it has caused me to have this episode. In the hospital they gave me ice cream when I couldn't eat and it jump started my eating again. Well my hubby thought it might work again so he got me some ice cream and no sooner had I swallowed it then it wanted to come right back up. And it did. Then I laid down for a bit and it helped. I decided to call my sister and talk to her for a while and she said she noticed right away that something was wrong. Any way some almonds and G2 brought it around some slowly. My husband said he would put me to bed so he helped me into the bed room where I quickly fainted dead away. Somehow he got the rest of my pills into me which I don't remember and then I woke up the next morning feeling like I was beat up badly. My husband had looked it up on line and sure enough it is called reactive Hypoglycemia. It can happen to WLP because of the slow break down of Protein in our bodies and the fact that food does not stay in the stomachs very long. We have to balance complex carbs and protein together for it to stay at bay. So after talking to my dietitian I am now eating 6 times a day. 3 meals and 3 Snacks. That is what she recommended. each time a complex carb or protein. So there it is....Another thing to deal with!

I am seventeen months out and I do not count calories. Never have. I eat Protein first and then veggies followed by my carb whatever that is. Breakfast I eat Raisin Bran with 2% milk. I find it keeps me regular. After 1/2 hour I drink a tea with 2% milk in it and take my morning pills and Vitamins. Noon I always eat a 1/2 sandwich with real meat and cheese on it. Sometimes I eat a salad with wheat hearts or legumes. Or crackers with hummus..I make sure they are complex carbs..As they are much better for you. I then take some more vitamins and at three o'clock I have a second tea and take more of my vitamins with that. Meanwhile I drink 1/2 bottle of G2 Gatorade mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with Water. That is 32 oz of water right there. I get that down before early afternoon and I fill up my 32 oz container with water again. This time with lemon water or just plain water. I then eat dinner and have protein of some sort. I love fish and chicken but will make lamb too..I eat a lot of Beans and seeds and wild rice...I always try to make my meals pretty and interesting so that even though I am not eating a lot I feel like it is special. Dinner has always been my favorite meal. After dinner I wait and at nine or 10 I have a few nuts and seeds or fruit depending on my mood. Sometimes I have a hot chocolate and ( diet one ) make sure I finish all the water for the day. Before bed I take the rest of my pills with orange juice like clock work because the Iron works better with orange juice. There are things I love to eat and others not so much. I will eat a Smart for Life bar instead of lunch if I am on the road going somewhere. The days I work out I eat added to the list above a 1/2 larabar before workout and 1/2 after. My daughter makes them for me and they are so good. I am very, very picky now when it comes to quality. I deserve quality. So I make sure I have it. I hardly ever weigh myself. I think it is harmful to our minds because we become obsessed with the numbers instead of what we need to concentrate on. And that is our need to change how we feel about food. Fix the brain, we fix the body. Working out has caused a problem for me as I now have reactive Hypoglycemia. It came on hard and fast. So now I have to change my program to accommodate that lovely problem. So added to what I said above I started today after talking to my dietitian, a snack at 11:00 and a snack at 3:30....one cheese the other yogurt or nuts protein of some sort. I believe that we can tell how we are doing by the clothes we wear. I think once I hit maintenance then I will weigh myself more and be concerned if I gain and lose 5-10 lbs. One thing you need to know is that if you are not eating enough your body will shut you down. It will protect itself so you have to be careful how you treat it. This is not a race this is a change of life a learning experience and one that did not happen over night and will not be repaired in a few months. Hope this answered some things.

Here is the run down... Had vsg 2 years ago. Lost 180 pounds. Pre-vsg I had a slew of health issues. PCOS, high lipids, high blood pressure, diabetes...you name it, I had it. Now...I am 10 weeks pregnant. I see a high risk ob with consultation from my Bari surgeon. However, I now have to eat every hour or two and for the first time in my life, I am constantly hypo! Docs are ok with 1 hour post meal bs at 70. My body is not. I also had two miscarriages pre-vsg and was constantly hyper with them. I am struggling to keep weight gain at a minimum but loading carbs is zapping me! Any advice?

yeah, that is super low. what did they recommend for you about the low blood sugar? did they suggest you get a glucometer to track your BGL? some people just cant do carbs that low. i did the slow carb diet (as recommended by my doctor) several years ago... it's no processed carbs, lots of lean Protein and non-starchy veggies and a small amount of fruit. i felt really crappy. recognizing my symptoms from when i was pregnant, i asked my doc for a script for test strips and got a coupon for a free glucometer. sure enough, i was low! (fasting BGL: 86) even after my morning coffee with 2 sugars. guess what? my birthmom has reactive hypoglycemia too! i need at least 100 grams a day too feel "normal" and not feel like i am in outer space. (i hated the feeling of ketosis after my surgery too... though some people claim they feel great when in it) so you should go with what is healthiest for you. i would ask for a script so you can track your BGL... fasting, before you eat, 15 minutes after (some people shoot up really high after they eat.. also bad for the body, so good to know), 1 hour and 3 hours. if you write down all this info, along with what you eat, you will have a better idea how to manage it. not everyone reacts the same to the same food, which is why everyone needs to listen to their own body when it comes to eating. (ie, some people can't tolerate dairy, despite the doc saying eat two dairy servings a day) tracking your BGL will take out the guess work and give you concrete info to go on when making decisions about what and when to eat.

hypoglycemia means LOW blood sugar. it means you arent eating enough carbs to keep your blood sugar up. some people make too much insulin and have surges when they eat. its called reactive hypoglycemia. i had it when i was pregnant. you need to eat more carbs. eat carbs from whole unprocessed foods. 20-30 grams isnt enough to even feed your brain. increase to 50-70 grams and see if it changes how you feel. make sure you do it first thing in the AM, since you are probably waking up with low blood sugar. as the PP said, always eat a carb and a protein together.

It could be mild reactive hypoglycemia. I get it with carb-heavy meals but more extreme and need to be careful. Try adding a bit more fat and protein to your meal and reducing carbs a bit. You can test your blood sugar using a tester you can get at the chemist. It shouldn't go much below 4. Test when you are feeling worst.

I have been hypothyroid for many years, had the surgery 10/31/12 and lost 107 lbs. Last March I became hyperthyroid for some reason for a few months, then dropped and became very hypo again. The endocrinologist says she has no idea why it happened. I think it really contributed to hair loss, but not too much to weight loss. She put me on tirosint, a thyroid replacement medication that is more expensive but believed to be better absorbed in our small stomachs. My levels have been steady since. The thought is that once one has thyroid problems they are more likely to have more thyroid problems down the road. We just have to stay vigilant.

I wanted to comment on your statement of, " not so fat" smh people tell me that all the time and say o you shouldn't do the surgery just exercise. Which pisses me off I do exercise but having hypo thyroids is so hard so hard to lose weight. I need a tool that can help me stick my toe in the door then I'll bum rush my way in lol . Here's me now just getting my appointments in order hoping for a may date...

2005 I was banded. I loved my band. I was able to have two healthy children in 2007 and 2009. I got serious about my health and weight in 2010. I hit my goal weight early February 2011. February 12, 2011 my band "slipped" when I tried to eat and I instantly threw up. I knew instantly something was very wrong with my band as the pain was so severe I couldn't walk. I was writhing in pain. 10 out of 10 pain... I had never experienced pain like that before. Ambulance took me to the ER. Dr's ordered a plain X-ray as well as a CT scan. Same radiologist read both scans and reported that there were NO abnormalities. In the X-ray my band was at the base of my stomach.... my stomach was up in my chest, and the band was at 130 degrees NOT the typical 45 degree mark. My stomach had actually prolapsed up through the band and the band was cutting of the blood to my stomach. They tried to send me home. I refused. They transferred me to another hospital hours later, where the doctors also relied on that report of "no abnormalities". But unfortunately my scans weren't sent with me when I was transferred. The next hospital didn't do there own scan for over 24 hours. I had 2 endoscopies while I was there. The first one showed my stomach full of blood and that my tissue looked purple. Second one my tissue was black. I was there for about 37 hours when my vitals all changed. Blood started coming out from my nose and mouth. They rushed me into surgery. I had to have 4 blood transfusions and I almost died. My stomach was black when they opened me up. Dead. 98% of it. 22 staples from my belly button to my sternum. They were barely able to piece me together with a roux en y bypass. I have EXTREME dumping. EARLY AND LATE. I am constantly in the hospital with my blood sugar in the 30's and 40's after I eat. I have reactive hypoglycemia and it's only getting worse. I used to have it fairly under control with my diet.... but it's been getting harder and harder to do. My entire life has changed. I'm scared of food now. I struggle to keep my weight UP now! It's such an emotional roller coaster. I'm very thin now... I typically weigh in at only 115.... and I've been as low as 105. If I had to do it all over.... I would never have been banded. My kids suffer because mommy is too sick. I'm scared to drive because my blood sugar tanks so quickly that I have no warning signs. I'm at risk of seizures and comas when it gets that low. I can't keep a job, since I'm not reliable. I get sick constantly. I'm desperately trying to find a way to afford a service dog that can help scent when my blood sugar is tanking so I can eat sugar and prevent the awful episodes.... but they are extremely expensive and insurance doesn't cover it. I get dizzy, sweaty, my heart pounds, I can't talk or walk, I can't form complete sentences, my tongue, hands and feet go numb, my body basically starts to shut down. I can't eat too much sugar or simple carbs, as they set off these episodes. But if an episode occurs, I have to eat a lot of sugar for my body to get back to normal.... BUT not too much.... or it will send me into another episode. I was only 29 when my band slipped. I just want people to know what can happen. That they know the TRUTH of it all.... and that hopefully the doctors treating us can take it seriously. If they had diagnosed me right away, any surgeon could have removed my band instantly and my stomach wouldn't have died. PLEASE educate yourself before making your choice about weight loss surgery AND make sure you are educated if YOU ARE banded. Most doctors know very little about lap bands... so if you experience a slip, you need to be your own advocate and demand an x-ray, ct scan AND a barium swallow study in real time. THEN you should ask to see the scans yourself and have them explain what they see. Chances are that you will know more about lap bands than the doctors :-( I wish I had educated myself more about the risks, and I wish I had learned that my obesity was much more of an emotional issue for me, rather than a physical issue. If I had only figured out my emotional addiction with food and stuck to diet and exercise...........x-ray.pdf

Well we all have our stories and with them we have success and failures. My is failure but it will be a success soon. I started out not knowing how sick I truly was. I had a stroke and 3 TIA which are like mini strokes, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Hypo- thyroid, A blockage in the vein in my brain and a ton of minor problems. After surgery I had a bad infection that was caused by the hospital staff and a Minor heart attack. With all this I do not regret having this surgery. So remember that we are all not a like and the horror stories are not every bodies. I did loss some hair but it was a lack of vit. Also some of the stories are about people not being honest with themselves and have problems afterwards. Good luck I hope it helps.

I had to start seeing an endocrinologist because my PCP wouldn't do anything for mine? I just had all my labs done for surgery so it must be OK otherwise I think they would have said something??? Trust me you don't want it done it hurts!!! I cried both times they did it, and I have a high tolerance for pain!!!! It is very hard to lose weight with a hypo thyroid and very easy to gain it and that's why I am having the surgery too!!!

Oh I get this condition also (although haven't attempted to get a diagnosis). I didn't know it was formerly classified as a medical condition. Mine came after running for long distances on my tread mill and doing cross fit. I found rolling and lacross ball mashing helps temporarily and is required almost every day. What really helps though is when I purchased the following reactivator shorts from Intelliskin: http://www.intelliskin.net/products-men.php I do not know if there are woman versions of these, but I think they might be unisex. It is designed to align and correct hip alignment and other flexor issues. The difference in how I feel when sitting all day or after working out where hips reflectors are used (eg running, squats, wall ball throws, Olympic lifts, kettle bell swings, etc) is night and day. As a bonus, my athletic agility and explosive performance is also way up because I am not constantly dealing with SI or psoa pain. Instead the hips function as they are supposed to. They are great. Kind of pricy though. Doing air squats with these on is awesome and they allow me to go really deep. Doing the deep air squats actually helps a lot in managing the symptoms. Plus they feel really good to do in a sensual way (endorphin release).

I had my yearly physical with my pcp today. Great news, I am officially going off my blood pressure medicine. He wants me to try stopping the gout medicine too but I told him I'm scared intil I'm maintainingmy weiggt and not losing anymore. We're going to check again in 2 months but it was so good to hear all my labs were perfect except potassium. I had really high c reactive protein before surgery (close to 20) and I was 3.5 today. Yay!!!

My surgeon told us that there is a nerve that gets impacted just after surgery that can cause flushing and heating. Not sure if it can get inflamed again or be reactive for other reasons??? Maybe some swelling pushing on something?

Hi Coops, Well, here is what I would try if you are interested, and remember, it's never too late and I believe you can do it. Let us know how you do. Good luck! Kickstart yourself with 2 or 3 days of just liquid Protein shakes. I found this sort of "reactivates" my sleeve and gets my head back on. It's hard to do after eating somewhat normally, but it does get the restriction fired up again (at least for me). Start writing everything down again - MFP or other Measure your food. I have started eyeballing things, not a great habit to get into... Get that Water in! 64 oz minimum, you know the drill. The same old routine: firm protein first, then vegs, then carbs. Plan out your exercise regime. Maybe split your time between cardio and strength training. Cardio will burn fat, strength training will build muscle, which will raise your metabolic rate over time.

I wish this forum would reactivate, and all of us "late baby boomers" could socialize. I had my surgery done on Aug 22, 2013. At my highest weight that I know of (Jan of '12), I was 327. When I had surgery last August, I was 271. I'm now at about 219. I don't really know my actual weight bc I only get on the scale at the doctor's office (I have scale issues.... LOL). I'm 53 (going to be 54 at the end of next week). My husband is 54. We joined a gym in June of 2013, and we are there SIX DAYS A WEEK. He's lost 50+pounds by working out and making better food choices, we are both in better shape NOW than when we were in our 30's and 40's.... Seriously! Keep posting, LET'S TRY TO GET THIS "FIFTIES" THREAD GOING AGAIN!!!!

I suffer from hypothyroidism which was never there untill the birth of my daughter. Since then its been a struggle for me and weight which prior I had zero issues with. I'm concern how my hypo will play out with me losing weight after VSG. from the few people in other networks I've heard their meds have decreased, and they seem at least some to lose weight at a slower rate, than someone without hypo. Would love any who has hypo and had wls to please give me some insight thank-you and GOOD MORNING TO ALL LET TODAY BE A PRODUCTIVE SUPPORTIVE DAY!

Good morning! I am feeling discouraged today . I see so many of you where you are having great success with losing weight and here I am and it's just slowly coming off! I know that I should not be comparing myself to anybody else. Since surgery Jan 20th I have lost a measly 12 lbs. most days I get all my fluids in and almost all of my required 60grs of protein. According to my NUT I can eat anything I want as long as I chew chew chew. I am keeping it to mostly soft foods. I have hypo thyroid/Graves disease which has always made it hard to lose weight . I was really hoping that with the surgery I would be able to lose faster. Maybe I am being to hard on myself after all 12 lbs in 3 weeks is still good better then WW or any other diet I ever tried!

I asked my doctor how he knows how much is in there. He said that during the fill, he actually removes all the fluid, checks the hypo, then re-injects the fluid, plus the fill amount.