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Good luck to everyone having surgery this week! I saw my GP to check in last week and had her take me off my one extended release heart med. Pulse went from super low to more normal levels, but my BP is also more reactive so that could be fun. I have my endoscopy tomorrow... woohoo. Not. Fortunately my best friend is taking me, so I at least get some time with her to get me through the process while the rest of the family is at work/school. I've been doing protein shakes for breakfast and lunch with veggie snacks after school around 3 and protein/veggies for dinner for the last 2 weeks, and I can really tell how the hunger is diminishing if I stick to that and not "cheat". Helps me not feel as worried about the milk only diet starting on the 11th.

Hi, y'all! Whew! I have a lot of catching up to do. I've been reading when I can, but was so, so overwhelmed with work and life last week. I'm sorry! I think about you all all the time. Things are okay here--just busy. I just finished doctoring a manuscript, and now am back with just my usual workload....whee! I feel free! Weight-wise, I juggled the same 1.8 pounds from my last fill (3 weeks ago) until this past weekend, when it finally started going DOWN. I'm not at the sweet spot yet, but getting close enough that I have to listen to my band much more carefully. Talk about a learning curve! I have not yet fully mastered it! Now I'll go back, read, and re-read so I can properly post ETA: Okay, here goes: Amy--Congratulations on your excellent loss so far! You are doing so, so well! Regarding fills, every time I’ve had a fill, the doctor has used fluoroscopy to assess restriction. For safety purposes, he won’t go beyond a certain level---but that level does provide restriction. The caveat is that it provides restriction right then and there; that means that, two days hence, I may not have it. Chances are, even being taken to the brink of sweet spot at Filling #1 will be ephemeral---you may enjoy restriction for a while, though. Especially since you still have enough to slime (congratulations! LOL) I think it’s kind of a misconception, though, that we have a great deal of input for the first fill. Certainly, we give feedback to the doctor about what we are feeling. But we can’t specify, “I’d like you to fill ‘er up,” or “Take it easy today, doc.” I would wager you’ll go in, and see a line of 100 syringes, all filled with exactly the same amount of saline. For my doctor, that’s 4 ccs. For the first fill, all patients get around that much---or a little less, depending on what fluoro shows. Denise-- I’m so impressed that your diabetes is being nipped in the bud! In terms of future health predictors, this is the biggest big deal I can think of! Congratulations! Your most recent illness sounds horrendous. I’m glad you’re finally on the road to recovery. What a lousy way to lose weight! You mentioned a baby sweater. Are you a knitter? (ETA: Okay, I just saw the frog hat, so I have the answer to that question---TOO CUTE!) I am aching to learn how to knit; I can do the very basics (cast on, knit, purl, cast off), but have never acquired the skills to actually make something. Would you say that the best way to learn is to take classes at a knitting shop? I wonder if there are any in this area---my aunt had one with marvelous, gorgeous, sumptuous wools. Hm. Maybe that will be my career in my dotage. Re: potassium and blood pressure--there’s a complicated cell action-potential explanation I’ll skip (unless you want it!). But potassium is critical to maintaining heart function and blood pressure. Christie--congrats on your great loss! Under 250---awesome!! I’m so sorry you’re sad about your brother’s impending deployment. It must be so hard for you. What is your brother’s name---I’d like to keep him in my prayers. Also, I am an excellent care-package maker---if you ever get the sense he needs a boost, let me know and I will send him goodies. My daughter’s lobster is deploying to Afghanistan soon, too. Abby is crushed and so, so scared. When he enlisted, his mother was beside herself. She’s very, very proud of him, but there is such ambivalence. Those men and women sacrifice so, so much for us. Bob--Are you tired of Farmville yet? Leigha-- Yes, I do think so. I think that the real, hard, using-your-whole-body physical labor can be a better workout than many gym regimens. My body agrees with me, this morning, too! Take your vitamins! They are not like processed food (whatever that means lol)! If they are good-quality bariatric vitamins, they are made to be readily used by the body. Green smoothies are fine, but they address only a portion of the micronutrients we need. (Track on Fitday.com for a while---you’ll be surprised to see what you’re missing out on, even with a good multi! I take my bariatric multi, cal-mag, biotin, selenium, pantothenic acid, CoQ-10, and vitamin D. Why? Because over time, I noticed that even with my multi, and upping veggies, etc, I was missing out on those nutrients. When you reorder protein, consider Bariatric Eating’s PURE unflavored protein. IMO, it “disappears” better than Unjury, and it’s less expensive, too J It’s a bit of both, myth and fact. In most people, the body does an exquisite job of maintaining blood sugar within very tight parameters. If you eat sugar--or foods easily broken down into sugars---the pancreas responds by producing insulin. Insulin “ushers” sugar molecules from the bloodstream into cells, where it is used for energy. In most people this is seamless, and blood sugar is brought back to within normal limits very rapidly. Some people experience reactive hypoglycemia, though. Instead of going back to “normal,” they crash. And that does, indeed set up cravings. For MOST of us, the craving that follows sugar or simple carb consumption is NOT physical---it’s just in our minds. We like the stuff. We miss it when we’re not eating it. Simple as that. Re: your fill decision. I’d hold off, if you think it might make you too tight. It may be a “free” fill, but I bet the Unfill won’t be free! I just moved out of the free-fill zone, too--thank goodness I only have a $30 copay--my doctor charges $250 with fluoro. Bobbie--I’m so sorry you’re on the rollercoaster. Job loss is so stressful; we’ve been there more than once, and it can be so hard to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I hope you get GOOD news very soon! In the meantime, I am so glad you’re making use of resources available to you. Re: calories. I do think their source matters, particularly when stomach space is finite. Right now, I concentrate on protein--because I’m still figuring out how much real estate I have in there, and it’s the most important for cell maintenance and repair. But when I reach goal, I plan to eat a balance of lean protein, veggies, heart-healthy fat, legumes, whole grains, and fruits (the latter two in more moderation than many people, based on my own peculiarities of metabolism). While there are as many opinions about the proper mix of macronutrients as there are people with opinions, I do think the general consensus is that the foods going in should be nutrient-dense rather than junky. (At least most of the time.) Anne--I’ll trade you beautiful New England for Illinois pollen and farm dust. (I live in an area that was, until recently, exurban. Out my front window is a farm; behind me (though not visible) is the usual Generica: Home Depots, Applebees, WalMart, etc. No wonder I have an identity crisis. Congratulations on your losses! You are going to be in SUCH a good place when you have surgery! Hummingbird--I am laughing so hard at your NSV. Hammered shit! That’s the best expression I’ve heard in a long, long time. I totally understand getting the warm fuzzies from other people’s deterioration in appearance. Count me in with the mean-spirited bunch, but there have been times when about all I’ve had going for me is the good genetics that keep me looking younger than many of my peers. (Of course, there IS the fear that it’s just that the fat is plumping out the wrinkles, and I, too, will look like hammered shit when all is said and done LOL! This is why I am already researching plastic surgeons.) Dottie--I think we’re in much the same place, fill-wise. I have days when I think I’m (almost) there, and days when I’m sure I’m not! I hope your fill tomorrow gets you where you need to go. Stacie--I’m so sorry you’re experiencing so much stress. It’s good you’re seeing your doctor on Thursday. I bet you’ll find that as your anxiety diminishes, so does your need to scale-hop as much. Compulsive stuff like that tends to be tied to anxiety… It will get better (((Hugs)))) Karen--it definitely sounds like you need a fill! And TWENTY pounds from goal--you must be ecstatic. Or frustrated, depending on the day! I wonder: I see that you’re very focused on restriction (as we all are!), but also referring to foods you “can” eat. Is it possible that you could substitute others, and reach your goal in a less-frustrating (and maybe more comfortable) manner? I mean, just ‘cause you can eat bread and pizza doesn’t mean you should. Don’t get me wrong--I think all of our lives have room for those foods. But if you’re really pushing to reach goal, maybe they should be reserved for further down the road? Just a thought---worth the paper it (wasn’t) written on! Jacki! OMG--LOOK at you! Awesome. Congratulations on your running! You must be SO proud of yourself! I am in the market for a new bike, too. Lee Anne--welcome! I’m glad you’re joining us! Whew! We're a prolific bunch! Have a great Monday, everyone!

as a mom who had 2 homebirths, nursed my toddlers, co-slept with my kids (we didnt ever use a crib), and now homeschools... i am used to people being intrusive with me. in the homeschooling community we have what we call the "pass the bean dip" technique.... meaning when someone asks an inappropriate question or makes an out of line comment, you make a non-response... such as "hmmmm" or "interesting" or "thats a lot to think about," and then say, "pass the bean dip please (insert any distracting phrase)," then say nothing else. i have found that a bored smile, looking past the person's shoulder and then asking them something about themselves is a great technique. people LOVE to talk about themselves, its an awesome distraction! here's an example: pushy boss: you need another morning off for a doctor's appt???? what's going on with you?? why do you need to see the doctor again?? you: "the doctor ordered a test. that was when they scheduled it. its pretty standard." PB: what kind of test? why? you: the doctor ordered it. thanks for your concern. its pretty standard. PB: whats wrong with you? you: its a pretty standard test. *gentle smile* did you see sons of anarchy the other night? it's my favorite show! what's your guilty pleasure? do you want to go get coffee? did you see its going to be 80* this weekend? PB: uhhhhhh you have to be firm, non-responsive and patient. but it works wonders. if you are defensive and reactive, she will have the upper hand... which is what this is all about. so be calm, stand your ground and realize that you have the labor laws on your side.

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure I fit into that category because I was on clear liquids the first two times, and I have been following my liquid protein diet to a tee since coming home. It sounds like reactive hypoglycemia happens when someone eats the wrong thing and spikes their blood sugar, which then falls rapidly as well. It's definitely good information to have though, for when I'm further down the road I will keep it in mind when tempted!

I had RNY so I know it is not the same, but I have Graves Disease so I had my thyroid ablated with radiation iodine in 2011 so I have no natural thyroid function and take Synthroid replacement every day. My med did not absorb properly post WLS (and my endocrinologist told me to expect it), so I was hypothyroid for a while and had to up my med. Synthroid can be particular so it would seem reasonable that the balloon could mess with absorption but it would seem odd that you would be enough hypo-thyroid in just 10 days. It could have occurred prior to your surgery and just now revealing itself? Also remember that you have to be consistent with taking your med and eating - i.e. at least an hour after the med, no Calcium within 4 hours of med (or if you do, just do It consistently), etc. Not sure if that helps, but I thought I would throw you what I knew...

It is called reactive hypoglycemia and I have had several episodes over the last 22 months. It usually happens if you eat too much sugar in a day and can be difficult to stop the vicious cycle. Your body starts to get used to that higher sugar level and when you don't get it, reactive hypoglycemia kicks in. I have gotten it when I start my day with cream of wheat and don't follow it with a high Protein snack. I eat a lot of fruit so that is where my usual sugar comes from and that will cause it. You have to find your happy spot where you can have some sugar in your life but not enough that your body wants more. I have talked with my Bariatric doctor about it and he suggested if I am going to have something sweet or carby like Cereal, I need to follow it with high protein snack within an hour or so. That has worked for me as I am not willing to give up the fruit I eat. I have since refrained from eating cream of wheat on a regular basis. I do have it once in a while though

Oh my gosh, how cool is that!!!...That's weird how they can test your metabolic rate. I'm hypo and have to take thyroid meds. Can't wait to see what my results are! I guess it's to see if you will be a fast loser or slow loser. Is that the purpose of the test?

My hypothyroid is under control, hypo makes u gain weight by slowing your metabolism. I do look for stevia. Consulted a family friend who is Batiatric surgeon , he said there are certain ppl genetically such that this surgery will not benefit and we cannot test for those genes yet ☹️☹️☹️ I hope I’m not one of them. I’m doing my weights n getting steps in ! I’ll cut all carbs for two weeks n see if my weight changes.

I have reactive hypoglycemia, and I've been totally fine since surgery. I think because I'm eating high Protein at every meal, it keeps me stable for longer periods. I did talk with my doctor about this, and he told me that if I ABSOLUTELY started to get shaky & needed to eat something in between meals, he suggested that I split my meal; eat half at mealtime, and the other half in between. You can break your calories up throughout the day, but the reality is, the band is built to work on three meals a day. And I have to say, I've been totally fine......for the most part. The only time I've had a blood sugar episode, is if I eat something higher in carbs than protein. My body lets me know!

Hello! Any gardeners out there? Trying to reactivate this thread.

Morning ladies. Wow, yesterday was a tough one. Looks like not only for me. Karla, hugs darling. Remember I am here for you if you need me. You are very strong. It will amaze you how strong you will be able to be when the time comes. Believe in yourself. I know it's very hard for you, but you are strong. Phyl, amazing. Super amazing. All i can say is WOW! Candice, I hope you are staying home with Peter today. You two need a little alone time. Kari, missed you. Trust me, I am right there with you. My depression is kicking my butt. Stay here with us. We will try to help you through it. Okay...therapy was very hard yesterday. Most of the time I was crying. Michael, according to the therapist, was sitting there completely blank. Imagine that. She wants me to read up on attachment disorder and part of his diagnosis list was reactive attachment disorder. So I looked THAT up...more tears. Then Jeff came home and I finally had it out with him. MORE tears, actually break your heart sobs. The afternoon ended with a migraine. Finally at 8 or so I was up and feeling human. But Jeff didn't want to bring up the problems we had discussed at noon...so I guess he just really doesn't give a flip. grrrr. Anyways. Today is a new day and I hope it is better. I'm still feeling crappy but no worse than yesterday so I'm pretty sure it isn't swine flu. Body aches and cough, but no vomit or worse, no fever or chills. I'll get over this too. Okay...going to crash on the couch while Jai watches a couple of her shows. Have a great Wednesday everyone. Hugs!

Morning folks. Sorry - gone all day with my 6month check-ups! Good news is that I have another 6 months under my belt of "dating NED" and am good for another 6months. Yippee! Interesting news is that I have to wear an "event monitor" to see why I'm having skipped beats, and we're trying to figure out how to get rid of my last bp med. More scary news...we went to a new restaurant for lunch yesterday and I split a cup of chili and burger balls and came home, fell asleep, and woke with a 36bg! I have my first reactive hypoglycemia attack and it was so so so scary. Sweating profusely, heart racing and skipping, shaking so much I could barely navigate or use my arms/hands, could barely coordinate a thought to speak. And had to forceably make myself go get a can of pineapple juice (only juice in the house) that I keep for making a marinade and some unsweetened applesauce to try to get my bg back up to normal. I was successful in doing that (thank you God). But holy whackadoodle! It was scary larry for a while. Also before saying BS, you'd be dead at 36bg, we use a Fora brand bg meter which I "think" may read low by 10-15points from bgs measured with drawn blood. But it was still very dangerously low, I'd say at least in the mid-40s to low 50s judging on how discombobulated I was and how bad I felt the rest of the day. I also got my fasting insulin back and it's awesome! It went down from 14 to 2!!! So my IR is in remission right now it looks like! IF appears to really be working metabollically for me. My bg this morning was 76. I am planning on doing an 18-6 today but will watch it. @GreenTealael so MAN! I can relate to your posts now about your RH or dumping. I think it may be very similar? How are all of you doing?

had a scary night. Wasn't feeling well yesterday, headache, body ache, just over all blahness. Made sure I ate some dinner (albeit not a great one) and went to bed. Woke up at 2:30am with the shakes and cold sweats... stupid reactive hypoglycemia. Hubby got me some apple juice and then after about 20 mins I got up and ate a boiled egg and just slept the remainder of the night in the recliner. Got to remember to eat even when were are sick... :\ Hope i don't get sick much....

Good for you! I am tattoo free, but appreciate them on others. I am just so happy in my skin anymore. Today when I got home from the gym I felt strong. It's amazing and a gift. I am officially off of all of my medications except my gout medicine and I feel like a teenager. My 1 year appointments with my nut and surgeon on june 25th and am really hoping to be in the 120s by then (hovering between 133 and 135 right now). My labs were done last week and I already looked at them and the are perfect. My b12 was in the normal range but at the lower end so I wonder if he'll bump up that supplement? Everything else was perfect which thrilled me including C reactive protein which hasn't been normal for me in 10 years. Can you tell I'm happy??

Woo I got my blood work back from my physical... Here's a summary: You aren't dead.... yet! Damn my doctor was right! Actually, and more seriously, my bloodwork is really good except one small aspect. My C-reactive protein is slightly elevated. This reveals my #1 peeve about the medical profession. "Your C-reactive protein is slightly elevated, we will discuss this at your follow up appointment in 3 months time". Fantastic, I'll just go ahead and worry for 3 stinking months about what "C-reactive Protein" does! (Actually, I already know what it does, and what I need to do about it, but still the frickin doc's office could have told me!!) "Fumes quietly and stomps off back to work"

This was a hard thing for me too. I was a perfect eater for about a year after my surgery, and then I started bingeing out of no where. It got bad and I was scared that I was going to ruin my band. So I decided that I needed to be in control and decided to see a therapist to work on my binge eating disorder. It was something that was a problem before surgery, but sort of "magically" disappeared after, but then came back, rearing it's ugly head. One very helpful thing that made me feel more in control when I wanted to binge was a tracking sheet she had given me. It makes you write down on a chart the date and time, hunger level (scale of 1-10, 10=stuffed 1=starving), feelings and thoughts, food/quantity, place/context, if it was planned or unplanned, was the eating mindful or reactive, hunger level after, and feelings and thoughts AFTER eating. The hardest part for me was that you are supposed to start writing down the first 3 things (listed above) WHILE it's happening. For me, this made me feel like I might have the power to be in control because it made me actually think about it/face it WHILE it was going on. That then made me feel empowered to have something small and gave me the will power to wait the binge out and know that I would be okay. Maybe this would be helpful? I just know that it really helped me, so maybe my sharing this will help others. I will see if I can scan and upload a copy of the chart at work tomorrow if anyone is interested.

Daisy, I have no words of wisdom, I still get about 2-3 emails a day from POF. I thought i had temporarily suspended my account but did something to reactivate it. Most of them are just so... wildly inappropriate matches for me. I think you get best results initiating contact with men who interest YOU. I sometimes feel like these guys are just casting a net to as many women as possible without even considering if our location, interests and other things even make sense. I also think OKCupid is a better online service, but I DID manage to cancel my account on there. Depending on how things go... if I decide to start dating again next year I am thinking about trying some other ways to meet people like speed dating or something. Somehow, the online thing seems to deliver me a zillion possibilities but so rarely are they actually interesting to me. If I do restart online - it will be OKCupid because I found higher quality matches there over POF or Match.

Hiya all, I'm new to here and just was wanting to make contact. I am insulin dependant diabetic with sever insulin resistance, I am 1 week away from rny surgery and on day 3 of the pre surgical prep. From what I have seen I don't really have much to moan about, as I am still able to eat actual food, but wondered..did anyone else have extreme cravings, headaches, insomnia, low mood, and agitation when doing the prep? Also did anyone feel just generally really unwell? It's only day 3 but it's kicking the hell out of me. I am able to have the following each day (which I know is more than most), but am worried that I am maybe eating a bit too much to shrink my liver, or that I am just getting it all wrong. The hospital have me the following diet: Breakfast - 1 weetabix Lunch- small portion of lean meat or fish, salad (no dressing), 2 crisp breads or a slice of bread Dinner- small portion of lean meat or fish, 3 small potatoes or 3 spoons of rice, vegetables 1/2 pint of skimmed milk per day (to be used in tea or coffee and my breakfast) A sugar free & fat free yoghurt No sauces no alcohol no fizzy drinks I had a hypo today I am currently 106kg, I weighed 122kg at the start of my journey 2 years ago. I have gone from a 44 inch trouser to a 34/36 inch. Am having the surgery for diabetes reasons not so much for weight loss. Thank you in advance for any replies xx Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks Jamie, I thought it was a lot. I wonder if I should reduce the carbs a bit. I thought it might be to prevent hypos..which I have had anyway Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Pam and Sugarbear-I have to wait for 8 weeks May 8th I believe for the fill. I will write today and ask about earlier. Now, it's really going to work out fine schedule wise because I have my parents visiting until the 7th and remember I have to fly to France.I have a question for you guys though, my dr. here, primary, says he is very familiar with ports and would be happy to do any fill/unfills. What do you all think about that? Too risky? Too technical? Too much of a speciality? Just would save me an enormous amount of time and money. For the first 2 I would prefer to go back to the lovely Dr. Frering. I don't have a big plan pam. i like lo carb lots. I am planning just to limit, limit and get going on the exercise. i am walking and using the bike. I do the bike throughout the day 10 minutes at a time.I am finding out that it is much easier for me to eat at dinner than the day..anybody else? Pills, the only one i take is a vitamin and I split it. Any hair losers? Should i freak? Mom is bringing Nioxen and bioten. Can you reccomend anything else? Pam you are so funny with the eggs LOL I love eggs. I found out recently that i am highly reactive to them, I miss them though. Last nite I made Thai meatballs with ground pork..YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And pasta with peanut sauce. Do you guys eat salads? Is there anything to avoid? Man, I bet that takes a while to eat ugh? Special hi to Karen- how's dad holding up sweetie?Are you taking care of yourself? Ok- off to start the day.BBl

Could really be a number of things for many of you here. I use an at home monitor and I was having low blood pressure 88/58 etc. .. For those who speculate orthostatic hypertension diagnosis can be confirmed with the tilt table test mentioned by a poster in this thread it could also be,for those with bypass, reactive hypoglycemia (occurs like 3 hours after eating something substantionally Carby) which u could use a cheap glucometer or borrow a friends during an episode to test if your blood sugar is low. For those who want a diagnosis after having low blood sugar it can be confirmed with lab test gtt (glucose tolerance test) extended 4 hours

Please share! Today I took a bike ride. How long I've neglected my body and pretended it didn't exist. I hid it and was ashamed of it. I put it behind closed doors and fed it garbage and didn't move it. I pumped it full of pharmaceuticals and acted like it wasn't part of me. My spirit was dying and I didn't care. I didn't understand that my body and my spirit are connected. Until I began to care for my body and heal it, I had no interest in healing my spirit. I only cared about how I felt at any given moment. If I felt nervous, I had to fix my nervousness. If I felt happy, I had to pump up my happiness so it wouldn't end. I didn't understand that these reactive impulses were not benefiting me. They were survival techniques but I didn't know I was merely surviving from one feeling to another. Today I look at and care for and watch and pamper and plan for and decorate and embrace my body. I find myself wanting to do the same for my spirit. I'm understanding that they go together. It's not a task on a check off list. It's a change in perception and awareness. How many times have I said that nothing will change unless everything changes? I know it in my head. Now I feel it in my body, and I sense it in my spirit. How do you feed your soul?

Thanks Freckles, Wendy did a complete unfill and then refill last time I was there, so I know the amount is accurate, possibly if I can have a tiny amount in it will reactivate the band and start me losing again, I need all the help I can get. Other than that I need some stress in my life that always tightens the band, perhaps I'm just too chilled out after my holiday.

Hello All I haven't had a good day. The stress is mounting as I am trying to finish my diploma coursework, have a new job with so much school preparation etc and a 10 year old that is behaving like a teenager! Bl***y hormones! Stress really made my band very reactive today at lunch time and it wasn't pleasant believe me! I had to come home from school as I couldn't stop heaving. Finally, after about an hour I lost my boots and am now feeling a little better. But it was awful. I agree that it some days one thing will go down really well and other days it may be quite the opposite! Just a complete nightmare. Wish I hadn't got out of bed!! Anyway, upward and onward - come on Marine don't let the side down. Have a good evening all.

cool! I am apparently in need of some oxytocin. If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, it's that bonding hormone that women release when they're getting support from each other. It calms down your stress reactivity, etc.