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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.

Holiday celebrations are all about food, right? Save up every year, to overeat and not keep yourself in check. It’s a losing mindset from the get-go. The end of the year is really about memories, gratitude and those who we care for in life, not just the Thanksgiving feast or the Christmas Day buffet. What makes a holiday special also makes it filled with emotions and triggers that enable our unhealthy excessive eating behaviors to be acceptable at this time of year. A few things that may sound familiar and affect many of us during the holiday season are: Family traditions and ethnic backgrounds with food memories that have followed us through life. Trauma, hardships or losses that make holiday cheer tough to enjoy or even tolerate on some levels. Falling back on a diet mindset and thinking it’s ok to eat recreate old habits from October 31-January 2. Awareness of mental and emotional struggles feeling more acute during the holiday season. For bariatric patients, an immediate fear presents itself: “How can I survive all the parties and family celebrations while embracing my post-surgery food choices so I don’t lose control with holiday eating and drinking this year?” The practical answer: Prepare for it, just as if the surgery was ahead of you. Think and plan for success with the least amount of guilt and destruction possible. Holiday foods are not “rewards” or “treats” or a reason to fall off the mindful thinking that you use every day. We all have family and cultural traditions of holiday foods, and the meanings behind them; that often follow us into adulthood. The connection is to people, not food itself. Holiday time often intensifies many people’s mental and emotional struggle with life issues. Food can often be an immediate distraction and way to receive immediate gratification in tough times. The trouble is, the stresses and issues remain after the food is consumed. Often, alcohol consumption increases at holiday time as well, so mindset is altered by allowing more uninhibited behavior to prevail. Using good judgment often decreases as well. So, if we can use the model of being prepared and accountable for ourselves, what would it look like? Think of the season on your terms. Where can you plan and take the lead on making good choices for yourself while still feeling the holiday spirit? Find control where you can make food to bring to others parties or meals. Host at your home to take pressure off of yourself. Be honest and ask to be considered when food is being prepared and served so that you can also taste but be flooded by the excessive choices and behaviors all around us. Find ways to relax and refresh so you are not overwhelmed or drained by the holiday madness. Keep a journal of your thoughts, fears, successes and challenges to remind you of the proud journey you are on now. Use meditative activities to bring a more even and peaceful attitude to the business of the season and the potential for burnout and self-destruction. Give of yourself to others that need to be uplifted. Find a community, group hobby or counselor if the season is troubling of extremely unmanageable. Many times the holiday triggers are too hard to handle alone. Ask for help and know that you are being proactive (helping yourself) instead of reactive (always behind and at the mercy of others decisions and actions). The key is to stay connected to the resources, the people, places and things that bring successful experiences to us, and avoid harmful or undermining circumstances that reinforce low self-esteem and bad, and often destructive, behaviors. As a bariatric patient, being accountable is helping yourself stay focused on a positive and productive mindset with help provide a fulfilling and peaceful holiday season each and every year. Yes, this is you, enjoying your life during the holidays.

@@Wayward Traveler Hey! Thanks for the reply, I have ventured to the gym twice. The first day was just 40 minutes on the treadmill, I found medium incline and a moderate walking pace was my best bet. I definitely feel like running is a little far off, I get the feeling that the jarring motion would make the balloon... uncomfortable? I can't say I feel it specifically in my stomach, but I'm aware of the weight of it and it can move a bit. For instance, if I'm in bed and I roll onto my right side to turn off a lamp or grab my phone I can feel the balloon sort of bear down on the remainder of my stomach. It's not painful by any means, but certainly peculiar and unpleasant. I think if I were to run any great distance/duration I might get the same sensation in an up/down kind of way (I'm trying to avoid saying the balloon would 'bounce' because I feel it's pretty secure in situ, but it would definitely maybe push as I move up and down). So running, short term, maybe for a warm up or something I think would be fine, but not as a complete form of exercise. At least not for me after only one week. Today I tried my hand at the cross trainer, basically fine, though I did get a little... er, fullness (?) around the diaphragm (not heartburn, but like something was sitting low in my chest?) when I started to get a bit too high intensity, I think it was the twisting through the torso that caused that. I calmed it down by shifting my hands from the long moving grips to the short, stationary ones for a minutes or so, so that I twisted a little less. So, anyway, I was pretty happy with the outcome. Now, Krav Maga! Oh my goodness I love it! I started it last year and I have zero regrets. Not only is it a great workout, but its a useful skill to have under your belt. The practice I go to is for people 18 and above and it's pretty serious about what it does, but that works for me because no one is there to waste time. For my first class I rocked up feeling like I'd be this loser 30 YO woman, far too overweight and surrounded by hotheaded dudebros tripping on testosterone. I persevered only because I had watched a doco years ago about Krav Maga and had promised myself I'd investigate when I moved to an area that had a class. Anyway, so I was expecting some sort of quasi UFC thing: not at all what happened. People there came from so many different backgrounds and fitness levels. Young women, older women, fit guys, unfit guys... you get the point, all different and all there just to learn. The class is essentially at whatever difficultly level you require, if you're a beginner there's a grade for that and other students to work with, I progress when I am ready. Some people pick it up quickly and some don't and that's fine. You stay at your level until you are confident to move on. It also isn't really a 'martial art' as much as it is a system of self protection. You won't see people competing for belts (or at all, though there is a grading system) because in Krav Maga the best fight is the one you see coming and can avoid altogether (or with a swift knee to the groin). The warm up is typical of any fitness class, jogging in a circle, a few push ups (on your knees if you need to), sit ups, stretches. Then usually it's about learning new techniques then consolidating them with a partner and protective pads. The part that I found most challenging when I began (and still struggle with) is the confrontational nature of it. I'm not sure why (because it seems obvious in hindsight) but I was shocked in my first class to realise actual people would be attacking me (in a controlled and force-appropriate way, no one was trying to beat me or anything). I think the first thing we drilled what getting out of a front-on chokehold so there I was with a stranger trying to choke me. I learned very quickly that I freeze and panic in aggressive situations, but now that months have passed and I'm slowly teaching myself to have more reactive and useful responses to stress (not just in terms of physical violence, but in very useful situations like unexpected traffic panics, dropping things etc). So the thing that I hated about the class at first is actually the cause for one of the things I love about the class: I haven't just gotten fitter, I've become more situationally aware and better at handling pressure. As for backs and knees, my class is about working with what you've got, so if you're older or have injuries you learn to compensate and work with what you can do. Plus I'm sure you'd be able to opt out of any drills that cause pain. I'm sure all classes and teachers vary a bit. My class is affiliated with Krav Maga Global, and I know they are everywhere but it can't hurt to get in touch with the people near you and see if you can get in on an info session or beginners class. In my experience if you actually like what you're doing it won't feel so much like having to work out. For me, Krav Maga gives me those few nights a week that I can look forward to and work on myself, that fact that there's an element of fitness is just a bonus. I am so vey keen to get back to class and I'm aiming for the first week of June. @@flamingfeather_fly The balloon is a Fluid filled orb placed in the stomach to inhibit appetite and limit space. I have an Orbera but if you'd like to know more I'd suggest looking at Google.

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

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.

@@bellalulu -- I wasn't functioning at all I had just had my 2nd baby and I was dragging myself to work, would come home and collapse and not get up until the next morning. I was so exhausted all the time. I went to the doctor and demanded a test because I worked for the company that made synthroid so I knew all the symptoms. I told the doc I was either hypothyroid or I was going completely crazy. Guess it was maybe a combination of both! Gained about 40 pounds in 6 months before I got the test and found out my thyroid was basically dead. Of course, once I went on the meds, I didn't lose the weight. Not quite fair being hypo can put the pounds on but the meds don't take it off.

I have hypo thyroid and I was sleeved on June 17 ad I have lost 37 pounds just in the first month!

I have hypo thyroid as well. I'm 5 1/2 mos post op and have lost 92 pounds so far. 74 since being sleeved. Still have 50 to go. I was surprised at my 2 month blood work that my T4 was actually high and my Doc had to decrease my meds.

I deleted and reactivate and still having the same issues

Hello Everyone! I just created my bariatricpal account. I am 5'2 and 1/2. I'm curious if they will base my BMI off of 5'2 or 5'3. I'm also right around the 200lb mark, give or take a few pounds. I am hoping to get approved for the surgery because I am 35 and already on medicine for high blood pressure and I'm hypo thyroid which makes it a b*itch to get the weight off. I'm getting mixed reactions from my family about deciding to meet with a weight loss surgeon. I just really want to be healthy for years to come. I don't want to follow my father's path and end up having heart issues in my later years. I just wanted to say hello and I look forward to being involved with this group. I want to thank each and everyone one of you for being on here to get support and provide support! You are my friend!

Interesting that you are losing hair with hyperthyroidism, I thought it was with hypothyroidism, which I have had since 1995. Hair loss was a big issue for me and as one of my major symptoms. It resolved itself quickly once I went on the Synthroid. I wonder if you have had the thyroid issue prior to your surgery, but were just unaware, as these things tend to creep up very quietly? I have read that a lot of folks have (especially) hypothyroidism, but aren't aware of it, and attribute a lot of their symptoms to other things. Did you have your levels checked prior to surgery? Might want to ask about that. My sleeve surgery was 12/3/14, and as I have had the hypothyroidism AND hyperparathyroidism (including surgery for both issues), I am checked every 3 months. I have not had any changes in either case because of the sleeve surgery. Just was checked about 2 weeks ago, all is well there. The meds they prescribe for both hyper and hypo seem to take care of the issues, from what I have experienced, and from what I have heard from others, as well. Good luck to you!

My doctor called me about 48 hours after I got my lap band plus had given me his number in case I had any issues and said to call. That was several years ago. When my lap band was removed in February 2017, my current doctors office called me the following day to check on me. I appreciate the follow up and think it is very thoughtful of them to do this as I know it can be time consuming. But let's face it, there might be little things going on that we don't think anything about and by asking you a couple questions and giving you an opportunity to tell them how you feel you very well could proactively catch any post op complications before they get worse rather than wait a few days until you are miserable enough for feel justified to call them to ask if XYZ is normal. Better to be proactive rather than just reactive. 🤗 Sent from my XT1635-01 using BariatricPal mobile app

I am in a very similar situation and am hoping for some advice. I was banded in July 2007 and since then have lost 70 of the 170 of my goal. There was a lot of time in between fills as I moved to Ireland two years after being banded and then to India for six months where I lost 40 of the 70lbs and now I'm back in the US. I went in for a fill about a year ago and then around 4 months ago started having issues where I was vomiting nasty black tar in the middle of the night and had HORRIBLE reflux. Just yesterday it was determined that my band had slipped slightly. My band is now empty and will be for the next couple of months, I only had 2cc in my band in the first place and now my nurse is telling me I can NEVER be that full again :-( this news to me is basically telling me I'll be basically empty forever! I'm so discouraged and I don't really know what to do. Has anyone ever been told after a slippage that they can never be as full as they were when the slippage occurred? Also what are some opinions on why I may be stalled? I was diagnosed with hypo thyroidism and am currently not on medication. (long story short my husband doesn't really understand the culture of being medicated here and he doesn't feel I should be "wasting money" on taking medication for hypothryoidism. He thinks that me being overweight is simply my fault for not eating as well as I could be [even though in my opinion I don't eat THAT badly]) on top of that it's hard for me to get my Protein in because he is also a vegetarian and thinks that meat and cheese is bad for you and god forbid I be able to convince him otherwise. I'm at a loss, I don't understand why I'm not losing anymore and I don't know what to do about my hypothyroidism and I'm not sure what to think about never being able to go above 2cc again either! please help!

Yes, I do get hungry every few hours and I also get reactive hypoglycemia if I allow too many carbs into my diet. When that happens it can be a vicious circle. Instead of eating 3 regular meals a day, I eat 5 or 6 small meals ensuring I get dense Protein. It does help with feeling hungry inbetween. There are also times when I am truly not hungry but my brain is telling me I need to eat something. I fight that head hunger all the time using distraction. Having gained 7lbs between thanksgiving and now, I have to get myself back on track 100%. I may do a 5 day pouch reset just to help get any sugar out of my system which I think will help with that hunger every few hours.

yes. I'm hypo. I've lost 157lbs from my recent high of 287lbs. I'm in normal BMI and weight range and am my final Goal #3.

You'll be fine. Take a friend and make a day of it Mine and DH's are Feather/Down too. Mine has a hypo-allergenic cover (which is great at stopping "poke-through"), but maybe we have a feather-fungus of some sort? I understand the legacy thing, my quilts were handmade by the various women in my family. I remember waking in the feather bed at my great-aunts cabin and how my nose was nearly numb from the cold room. Inside the bed was as cozy and weightless as a hot bath. Sticking your toes out and reaching for the floor was an act of courage. You should at least wash the pillow and dry it on high with a clean shoe. I use a small plastic bottle glued shut and filled with split peas. I read a statistic once that said most of a pillows weight after 5 years was not good stuff. I think it said that they double in weight. Please don't ask what the stuff is, OK? *gagging sounds*

1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp 1 cup fresh lime juice 10 plum tomatoes, diced 1 large yellow onion, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, or to taste Place shrimp in a glass bowl and cover with lime juice to marinate (or 'cook') for about 10 minutes, or until they turn pink and opaque. Meanwhile, place the plum tomatoes, onion and jalapeno (and avocados and celery, if using) in a large, non-reactive (stainless steel, glass or plastic) bowl. Remove shrimp from lime juice, reserving juice. Dice shrimp and add to the bowl of vegetables. Pour in the remaining lime juice marinade. Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to mix. I love this on seseme tortilla chips 2 avocados, diced (optional) 2 ribs celery, diced (optional) chopped fresh cilantro to taste salt and pepper to taste

This is my first post. I had Roux-en-y (RNY) in September 2009 by Mr Date in The Luton & Dunstable Hospital in England. Have gone from 26-stone to around 16-stone. All seems pretty well except I suffer from Hypoglycemic events even though I am not Diabetic. Anybody else get this? Also I have Terrible-Tinnitus and my life (day and night) is becoming a living hell. Anyhow that's enough from me, any replies GREATLY appreciated. Bye-4-now - Neil :-)

A search of the internet shows that others reported problems with balance after RNY surgery. There are probably several potential causes. For example a Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause dizziness. Some people experience reactive hypoglycemia after surgery and this can lead to dizziness. Also if you were diabetic prior to surgery and are still taking some blood sugar medicines, your dosage may need to be adjusted. Normally at the 1 year mark they have you undergo blood work. This allows them to fine tweak your Vitamins. Make sure when the time comes that you undergo this. Here is some discussion about this topic. http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/lightheaded-and-dizzy-after-gastric-bypass-surgery.html

I've seen a number of posts from sleevers about Reactive Hypoglycemia which, for people who have had gastric surgeries, can happen when food passes too quickly through the digestive system. Maybe this is what some of you have been experiencing?

Reactive hypoglycemia is a form of dumping. There are 2 basic forms http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=134&ContentID=107 Also http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia Dumping more common for bypass especially if sugary foods gets "dumped" into small intestine quickly without usual stomach to digest it. But is happens to 10-15% of people who have had a partial gastrectomy (which the sleeve is) whether for weight loss or other medical reason. True dumping would not last overnight. It resolves itself in a few hours at most. Hopefully sooner! And it would have cardiovascular symptoms like palpitations and also flushing, etc. Falafel a are deep fries and not full of sugar so may not have been dumping precisely. This could have been just over eating for the sleeve which would also make you feel yucky but not dumping. I ate a falafel too quick a couple weeks ago and felt pretty yucky for a while. In any case hope you feel better soon and remember to eat very slowly any new food.

I want to clarify something here for those that are following along at home. A random blood sugar test can be used to indicate diabetes, but just because your blood sugar is less than 200 mg/dL, does not mean that you don't have diabetes. An analogy would be this: if you weigh over 600 pounds, you are definitely obese. Just because you weigh less than 600 pounds does not mean you are not obese. I'm diabetic, but my blood sugar was never over 200 mg/dL any time I checked. As I mentioned, it's much more common to use A1C and fasting blood glucose tests to diagnose diabetes. Fasting is good because blood sugar fluctuates throughout the day. It should be at its lowest point after an 8 to 10 hour fast, so for most people, this is first thing in the morning. The other common test most diabetics are asked to do is "postprandial". This means after a meal. Now timing after that meal is subject to some debate, but typically 2 hours after eating is used as the "standard" for diabetics. For everyone, even non-diabetics, your blood sugar will start going up roughly 10 minutes after starting to eat. While this is heavily dependent on what and how much you ate, in a non-diabetic, your postprandial blood sugar should peak within about an hour of eating and should be back to normal in 2 to 3 hours. For diabetics, this normally does not happen as fast, so the peak blood sugar concentration is typically closer to 2 hours after eating. In short, most type 2 diabetics are asked to take a postprandial reading 2 hours after eating. Both fasting and postprandial readings are used to determine how well the disease is managed. For example, a high fasting blood glucose test might indicate that your diabetes medication needs to be adjusted. Another example might be if the post prandial reading is actually lower than the fasting number. If this is a consistent trend, it might indicate reactive hypoglycemia.

I definitely recovered a lot faster than pre-surgery when I would be so tired after a severe hypo attack. I think I might have been a little dehydrated too. With summer here and getting more exercise i, I need to increase my Water intake past 64 ounces.

@It's all new Did you eat very low-carb during your weight-loss phase (first year)? A pattern I think I'm seeing is that those who a year or two after losing weight begin to suffer from post-bariatric reactive hypoglycemia are those who ate very low-carb for a long time. This doesn't happen to a lot of VSG patents (less than 10% -- maybe closer to 3% say some studies). But for those to whom it happens I understand it can really cramp your lifestyle. What do you know about this kind of hypoglycemia and its cause(s)?

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)