VanishingAct

Technically your heart would beat faster if the cause was solely due to dehydration. If your vascular volume is low (ie dehydration) then the heart can't pump as hard (ie blood pressure) so it compensates by beating faster in the presence of dehydration. That said keeping hydrated will play an important part in warding off dizziness and headaches but it's not the cause of the lower heart rate. Again a lower resting heart rate is usual a good thing and represents the heart working more efficiently

Kmbrlycool, A lower resting heart rate is a good thing! It means your heart is contracting more efficiently and can in turn work at a slower rate. It's quite common to have a lower resting heart rate post weight loss and even more common if you've been conditioning your heart with cardiovascular exercise like walking or jogging. My resting heart rate pre-op was usually around 86 and now it's usually around 54 (my surgery of 5/24/12). Sure the average resting heart rate is 60-100 but as long as your pulse is (easily palpable) and the capillary refill in your fingers and toes are brisk then it's safe to say that your heart is efficient at that rate. That said it is imperitive that you keep yourself well hydrated. If I'm not well hydrated then I get dizzy when standing up from a sitting position (orthostatic hypotension) One last thought, if you're on any cardiac medications then it's a good time to review with your doctor whether or not you still require cardiac medication. Hope this helps

I make a habit of making sure I've had Protein recently before giving in to any head hunger. I've found that once I eat some sort of food (ie string cheese) then the things that are bad for me don't seem so tempting. That said, I still get cravings so this is what I do... 1. Drink first and foremost. 2. Review recent VST threads on my I-phone. Many times just hearing/seeing other peoples success sparks a super hero within me where I can fight off cravings 3. Go for a walk/jog. Many times contemplating the calories I would tack on for the day if I gave into my craving doesn't seem worth while after I just spent the last 30min trying to burn off 1/4 of that. 4. If I have a craving all day for something sweet/rich then I'll allow myself to indulge by having a little Peanut Butter. It seems to quiet my craving and frees me from beating myself up afterwards because I know I at least got some protein in. 5. Oddly enough, if I find myself craving something starchy like baked cheetos or a pastry, I have discovered that if I grab a pickle instead then my craving goes away. Not sure why or how a little pickle could conquer such a big craving but it works for me so I use it as my go to craving killer.

I would be concerned that the pins & needles / numbness (aka peripheral neuropathies) and fatigue you have been experiencing are related to Vitamin deficiencies. Specifically, B-12 and/or potassium in regards to the pins & needles/numbness. Whereas, the fatigue you have been experiencing may be related to a B-12 and/or an Iron deficiency. How have you been doing with getting your Vitamins in? Also how do you think you've been doing with maintaining hydration? Although dehydration wouldn't be a sole reason for your symptoms, it could definitely be a contributing factor.

Incredible progress. Keep up the awesome work. Thanks for posting, I love seeing progress pics.

1. cheese - Gorgonzola, sharp, mozzarella... You name it, I love it. Lately I've been in a kick of blue cheese crumbles on celery sticks. 2. Beef Jerky (favorite is the target brand) 3. Pickles - Not sure why but I've been craving salty foods ever since surgery. I'm quite happy though to have traded my sweet tooth.

I primarily use the chocolate but I like the strawberry and cappuccino too. Using a full scoop though is way to sweet for me so I use 1/2 a scoop with 8oz of skim milk to total 19.5 grams of Protein. I'm 3+ months out and don't need to be on Protein shakes anymore but I still have 1 a day because I enjoy the flavor, convenience, and the nutritional benefit.

This used to happen to me as well, especially after working a 12hr night shift. I found if I eat protein (usually a protein shake) an hour or 2 before bed then I don't wake up starving 6-8hrs later. I know that it's controversial to eat within 2hrs of sleep but I found that my body needed the protein to sustain me. Hope this helps.

You'll love these. This is the bottle I use too! They are great for at home and running errands but I love having them at work (hospital). The cap keeps everything clean and free from germs which is much better than sucking on a camelback straw that's been exposed to the environment. Target usually carries them in the sporting goods section for $9.99