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My webpage documents my first year out only. }Have you gain any weight at all even if you manage to lose it in the 7 years? Oh boy! It is incredibly easy to gain weight. At one point, I was up 27 lbs! I worked really hard and lost it. Right now I'm up 8 lbs so I'm back to working it off again. It's way harder to lose now {Have you gotten preggo during the 7 years? No {Can you eat more then ever or do you limit your food intake? I can eat a lot if left to my own devices. I still need to use journalling to keep the weight off and to lose. I have to account for every bite. It's too easy to eat mindlessly. That's what gets me in trouble. {Do you exercise? I am extremely active. Mostly walking. 3 miles is a slow exercise day for me. {Have you had any plastic surgery? None. I've lost 140 lbs or so. I've learned to live with my wrinkles. I'm 42. {How do you feel now compare to 7 years ago body wise health wise mentally physically? Physically awesome. Health is awesome. I have some issues like osteopenia, reactive hypoglycemia and anemia but they are easily managed. To not get out of breath by simple tasks, to shop in normal stores, etc is wonderful. Body image is totally screwed up Dawn

My doctor once told me I have reactive hypoglycemia and well that's unfortunate that it could get worse now that I've gotten wls. I've episodes pre-op for a few years and my doctors solution was "make sure you eat regularly and stay away from the triggers when you don't".

Congrats to you for taking control back! I am also in a similar boat. I lost about 80 pounds in the first few months. Then I started going the wrong direction and gained 50 back. 6 weeks ago I decided to get my butt up off the couch and sign up at a fitness center. And I reactived my fitday account so I could start tracking calories again! And I dragged my fiance with me too lol! In the past 6.5 weeks I've lost almost 30 of those 50 pounds and am feeling great. It was hardest to get to the gym. But once you go, you get into a routine and its easier! You have lots of support here! And also, now that we know how HORRIBLE it feels to regain the weight we worked hard to take off, it will hopefully serve to motivate us to make it work!

I'm looking into having the lapband surgery next month and am wondering from most of you out there, is it really worth it and will I be happy with the results? I've finally convinced my husband to let me have the surgery. I've lost some weight on my own, but can't seem to get the rest off! It's been 2 years and I'm slowing creeping back up. I need to lose about 80 pounds and have tried everything. The doctor finally said that he would do it. I have hypo thyroid, so my metabolism is very sluggish...I just look at food and gain, if you know what I mean. Will I throw up alot? There are just so many questions. Please advise. Thanks so much, Luisana

I looked up dumping syndrome two weeks ago and reactive hypoglycemia came up there are I believe two tests I’m going to ask for them thank you Catwoman 🙂

I have hypo thyroidism and I hope this surgery helps my condition. I had surgery on 12/15/10 and I am still on 200mcg or levothyroxine. I will be having some blood tests soon and I hope The weight loss has helped

I went to doc today and finally - after a year - got an answer to why my port was so painful. :eek: Come to find out, I have a high waist, so - every time I bend over - it causes brusing and swelling in the port area:eek::eek:. To clarify, my port is right in the place my waist naturally bends, therefore, it causes the muscle and stuff to rub against the port causing brusing and swelling. I am so happy to find out about this. I am going to have to have the port lowered to relieve the pain, but knowing that I was not going crazy or being a hypo made me feel better. :smile: Point of the post is this: If you are having pain with your port - this is not normal - don't wait a year like I did - make your doctor LISTEN - to you - I did not do that - once I got the attention of the nurse that does the fills, she looked at me an understood the cause of my pain. I don't look forward to the possibility of another surgury - but I am so relieved to know it was not all in my head!!!!:smile: Hope this has been helpful - anyone with this difficulty - feel free to email me and I will try to give you as much info as I can. :lol::lol::redface::drool::smile2::drool::thumbup::lol::lol::ohmy::drool::eek::drool::drool:

I've checked a few sites, and vomiting/nausea isn't listed for reactive hypoglycemia. It's more dizziness, weakness, palpitations... You should probably get that checked out regardless. I'm not sure what's going on - but even if they end up suspecting hypoglycemia after all, it'll still be a good idea to get it checked out. edited to add that I did just see a reference to nausea as a symptom, but that's to the hypoglycemia that diabetic patients sometimes get. Reactive hypoglycemia (RH), that some RNY patients get after the first year or two post-surgery (and it's usually NOT related to diabetes), sounds like it's a little different. Are you diabetic? I think you should probably contact your PCP so they can do a workup. Something isn't right. Plus the RH that RNY patients get is a reaction to sugar. It's sometimes called "late dumping", although it's actually reactive hypoglycemia rather than true dumping. But you said you don't eat sugar. That's why I'm thinking there's something else going on here...

I too was 5 lbs heavier post op the day i got home from the hospital. I was so depreessed, being hypothyroid as well. I felt so defeated . i knew I lost weight on 2 week pre op. To then gain weight on sf jello and popsicles. I called the drs office in tears of course. I am 5 days post op now and am scared to get on the scale again. However, I can see weight loss in my body. Still# pts hypo scale

You will probably need to reduce your meds as your weight comes down so best see your GP and discuss! Might be you can step down to just the metformin initially which should not cause hypos.

So, I know it sounds like this is a great problem to have, but... I had my SIPS (modified Duodenal Switch) surgery just about 2 years ago. Since then, I have gone from 268 to 98 lbs. (I'm 5'1.") I haven't had my period in almost a year. I don't fit into adult sizes anymore (even J Crew petite 00 is too big!) and have to shop in the kids section. I get reactive hypoglycemic reactions 1-2 times a week (even from just half a glass of orange juice.) I'm permanently on iron supplements due to chronically low iron, hemoglobin, etc and these make my stool really fun lol. I had skin removal surgery (abdominoplasty + brachioplasty) in late October 2018 when I thought I was done losing weight (at 125) but then the weight loss randomly started again and I've lost an additional 25 lbs since the skin removal, which makes it less effective (still very happy I got it though!) I'm a bit torn, because on the one side, this surgery has been HUGELY successful. I'm still not technically underweight for my height since I'm so short. But I'm hating all the comments I'm getting that I'm too skinny, why am I still losing weight, the weird looks if I have the reactive hypoglycemic thing where I'll be super nauseated, lightheaded, and shaky for 20-30 minutes. Has anyone else experienced this? If so - what did you do?

Check this out. I'm ready to look 21 while knowing what I do at 47 now. How about you? Paring pounds through weight-loss surgery doesn’t just make people feel younger — it may actually rewind genetic signs of aging, according to a small study of obese bariatric patients. Stanford University researchers found that the chromosome caps known as telomeres, which typically get shorter as people age, actually grew longer in certain people who had gastric bypass surgery. “If your telomeres get longer, you’re likely to reverse the effects of aging,” said Dr. John Morton, Stanford’s chief of bariatric surgery and president-elect of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, or ASMBS. The improvement wasn’t large, only about 2 percent to 3 percent in telomere length, said Morton, who is presenting the study Friday during ObesityWeek 2013, an event hosted by the ASMBS and the Obesity Society. But the benefit was greatest in those who were sickest — patients who were not only heavy, but also had problems like chronic inflammation and heart disease. And it was a surprising finding that invites more research about the genetic effects of bariatric surgery, Morton said. “This is the first study to look at surgical weight loss and telomeres,” Morton said. “We know that surgery has a big effect when it comes to weight, but this is literally at the genetic level. It was nice to see confirmation at least that it would improve.” The study didn't show that weight-loss surgery smoothes wrinkles or prevents gray hair, of course. But Morton said patients often wind up looking younger. "You do have some actual visual changes beyond weight loss," he said. The patients were mostly women with an average age of 49 and an average body mass index of 44.3, which is considered morbidly obese. Body mass index is a ratio of height and weight, with a BMI of 18 to under 25 considered normal. A person with a BMI of 44.3 might be 5-feet, 9 inches tall and weigh 300 pounds. On average, the patients in the study lost 71 percent of their excess weight through gastric bypass surgery, which makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. Their levels of C-reactive Protein, or CRP, a measure of inflammation, dropped more than 60 percent and their fasting insulin levels, an indicator of dangerous metabolic syndrome, declined four-fold, the study found. But, notably, in patients with high levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and inflammation before the operation, their telomeres lengthened, compared to patients with lower levels, Morton said. That makes sense, said Jerry Shay, a cell biologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who was not involved in the study. People who are overweight often have dramatically shortened telomeres, Shay said. Those are lengths of DNA tied to Proteins at the end of chromosomes, often described like the plastic caps on the ends of shoelaces. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter, eventually reducing so much that the cell stops dividing, and dies. That doesn’t mean that the person dies, Shay is quick to add. “The length of your telomeres doesn’t mean you’re going to drop dead, it just means that something’s going on. It’s a biological sensor of the stress and damage that is going on in your body.” That said, Shay says the new study’s findings shouldn’t be interpreted as if weight-loss surgery is the fountain of youth. A 2 percent or 3 percent increase in the length of telomeres is well within the typical margin of error for the tools used to measure them. It will take more robust studies and careful documentation to convince him of the effect, Shay said. “I don’t think the answer is bariatric surgery. People need to take responsibility for their own health." The Stanford researchers say further studies are needed to confirm the effects of weight-loss surgery on telomere lengths — and the direct effects of telomere length on actual health results. http://www.nbcnews.com/health/weight-loss-surgery-may-reverse-signs-aging-docs-say-2D11600482

The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. Weight loss is achieved after surgery through volume control. You begin at 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal and gradually over the next year and a half increase the volume to 1 cup per meal. With this minuscule amount of food, it is next to impossible to meet your protein daily requirements by food alone, so therefore you need to rely on supplements such as Protein shakes. Back to the point of Dizziness. It might be due to several factors. For example if you were taking medication prior to surgery, they may need to be adjusted. This can especially be true for medication to control blood sugar and blood pressure. Also there is a condition called reactive hypoglycemia that some individuals encounter after weight loss surgery. Dizziness or lightheadedness is also caused by dehydration. In order to get a handle on the cause, you might want to evaluate when it occurs. For example, do you experience this first thing in the morning when you get out of bed or when you get up after sitting down. Or do you experience this a few hours after a meal? Do you experience this all the time?

Also anyone else have hypo or is anemic ? Does it affect anything ?

You have to go on that new inventors show with the new elbow screw for weight loss Jack, you could make millions!!! HA!! It is just so comfortable to fall back into those old eating habits...it's easier than to actually have to think about what is going into our mouths or to think about it and then throw that thought away because the food is so satisfying for the moment. I am getting on the scale in the morning and I know some crying will be going on afterwards and I hope that will kick me into shape because I am sure to have gained weight this week. Good thing the PMS is done though so I should be less reactive to my cravings hopefully. I'm still not back on track, but hoping to be so soon enough I've still got to lose another 75 pounds and the second half will be sooo much harder than the first half!

Let's see..........hype.....hypo......here it is.....hypocrite.....

I still have restriction but nothing like I did. I used to eat 4 bites and then feel so full. Then around 18 months like 5 oz now I can eat a full burger. Not like a huge restaurant one but a fast food one. Eat pretty healthy. Mostly nuts, cheese, meat veggies but I do have whatever I want in moderation. It's just not my daily diet. It's def harder to maintain the further out I get I'm not hungry but I just can eat so my h more do I have to be more cautious of what I eat. I weigh every day because of this and try to eat dense Protein at each meal so I get full faster. I still do a protein shake each day for bfast. I also now have pretty crappy Iron levels. Just did labs Saturday. I also now have reactive hypoglycemia due to eating small amounts so I have watch my sugars. Y eating very balanced food not high sugar n not going too long without food

My big question is.."what is normal"? I take Synthroid, I think a little higher dosage is what I really need, but because I fall into the "normal" range with the dosage I'm taking now, my dr won't up the dosage. I still have all the symptoms of hypo, but I'm in the "normal" range. Errrr! To me it's nothing more than stereo typing people. Why couldn't we just do a test run on the higher dosage for a few months then if there's no diff, then drop back. JMO

I understand that obesity is part of my history and will always play a part in my future. Whether I gain the weight back or not. I have been through a lot because of my choice of WLS. I had been through a lot before the WLS. This I understand everyone. This I see. It is an addiction. I am a food addict. I know that! I own up to it! No issues there. It's the word! It's the meaning of the word! I don't know a single person who thinks that word is okay except for maybe one who has the exceptional ability to push it off like it has no meaning. To me they use it like a title. Not a diagnosis. Not every heavy person is the same but they put us all in the same pot! Paint us all with the same brush! I hate it. They can't take that extra minute to write "Reactive Hypoglycemia." That would have been the purpose of my visit to the dietitian. Not a diet to lose weight. When the Dietitian is confused. That tells me that the form was not filled out properly! That's all I'm saying here.

What an unfortunate incident! I am sorry it happened to you and made you so upset. It sounds like it was an innocent but difficult to forgive mistake on the clinic’s part. It also sounds like it was just coincidence that it happened to you (a successful WLS patient). It is unfortunate, but true, that diagnoses stay with you for pretty much forever on your health record! At least it’s a good reminder of where you’ve been and how far you’ve come. Regarding the hypoglycemia, it is does seem possible that it is reactive hypoglycemia. One thing your doctor might test for – if you haven’t already gotten this done – is your A1C levels, which are a better indicator of blood sugar levels over time. About carbs: is it possible for you to consider eating small amounts of “healthy” carbs if that seems to be what your doctor suggests? Or do you feel that even healthy carbs like oatmeal and whole wheat Pasta would be trigger foods or too hard to keep under control? Anyway, sorry you had to deal with this mistake!

Recently I had similar issues, from eating protein bars. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778 I gave up protein bars, no issues.

I was diagnosed with hyper. I had to take an iodine radiation pill and go back to the endo next week to see if it is going hypo, I am also trying to get approved for the band (Insurance wanted my tyroid checked, after the six month weight loss, that is how I found out I was hyper). The endo and Dr. Snows office said I should not have an issue getting approved with a hypothyroid.

Some people get that with to much sugar or fats. It could also be reactive hypoglycemia I would contact your surgeon.

Hi, I found the perfect thread here! You speak my language girl. I was banded last September, lost about 20 lbs, and have been at a dead standstill. I have been trying to check back in here to lapbandtalk for some reactivation of motivation. Life just gets crazy, and I always put my eating stuff last. But I have been so much less happy by not paying attention to it. I put up a few signs around the house a couple days ago "Think about more than just this moment", so that when I am reaching for dumb foods, I think about how it is not getting me where I want to go. I have a serious problem with food allergies, and, I have been "clean" for three days now of dairy! Thats huge for me, cause I love cheese and dairyqueen. Two BIG no-nos. Next week I will be going off wheat. Thats huge too. When I first came back to lapbandtalk about a month ago, I wasn't ready for the change, but I wanted it. And today, I have 3 clean days under my belt, so hang in there! Your motivation will come, just keep reading peoples comments and give your brain time to process!

Hi all! I am 18 months post gastric bypass. The experience has been great and I have not had any complications. My biggest issue is reactive hypoglycemia. When I eat too much sugar and/or carbs, my blood sugar tanks about an hour after. Does anyone else struggle with this? Any tips or tricks to better manage? I know it is completely diet related.