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Hi Selene, Those of us who have been on VST for a while (I'm about a 1 yr veteran) see this type of post a lot! I'm going to repost a mix of many different responses I've given to this type of question. Hopefully you'll find some of it useful! Here goes........... This is a VERY common time for your body to stop and take stock of what's happening. You've had major surgery and are in active healing mode (and will be for several months more to come!). Generally speaking, the body is constantly adjusting to it's environment and reevaluating what it needs to do biochemically to adapt. So if you're losing weight in "patches" (as most of us do), it's because your body is reacting to fewer calories, changing food amount/type intake, hormonal shifts, exercise (or lack of), etc. You are not a static human being that is identical all the time, so your body needs time to "catch up" to the current situation. By the time it does, you've moved on and are introducing whole new set of variables. If you look at my signature line below, you'll see my weight loss record and how many pounds I lost each month (and still losing). It starts out quick and then slows down. Many stalls along the way (had my worst one yet last month......about 4 weeks stalled!). In March I lost 3.7 lbs over the entire month and I was happy because it did actually move down! As long as you stick to your plan consistency will get you to your goals. This journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Use this time to build up your new good habits, work through frustrations with a balanced approach and try not to be reactive to the scale. I know it's exciting to finally see the weight drop off, and you want to be at goal NOW! But we didn't get up there fast, and we're not going to lose it overnight either. I'm more than 11 months post-op. I have about 50 lbs left to lose and I suspect it will take at least another 6-8 months to lose those last 50 lbs. I'm okay with that! After about 6 months you will be adapting to major lifestyle modifications regarding your food intake type and of course quantities (and probably have incorporated significant exercise into your lifestyle as well). Your physiology and metabolism needs time to adjust. Measure your progress in other ways (fitness level, clothing fit, body measurements, stamina, quality of sleep or energy levels, etc.). The scale can be deceptive and demotivating at the best of times. So keep your eyes on the prize, stick to your plan and don't let stalls stop you. You just keep on "keeping on". The stall does break (believe me). You just have to not give up! Your overall trend will be down and if you can find a way to measure body fat, it is a much more accurate picture of what is happening. I recently purchased a body fat analyzer which will help me know better what is going on with my weight loss (I want my muscle % to stay or increase!). It's not a sprint..........though it's hard not to be excited for this major change and want it NOW! It's a marathon and we'll get there as long as we keep putting one foot in front of the other, stay informed and actively aware of what we're putting into our bodies, how we're burning off calories and what we need to do to achieve our weight loss and fitness goals. You can do this! Take body measurements, and if you MUST weigh yourself daily (I get it....), then remember to take the ups and downs with grace and stay on your eating and exercise plan, regardless of what the stupid scale says (good or bad!).

I haven't been on this board in over a year, but I see this thread has been reactivated so wanted to put in my two cents. I was sleeved by Dr. Kelly in March 2012. I booked directly with him and had no problems doing so. I was originally going through a Lighter Me, and then chose not to do so after the Dr. they wanted me to see after they stopped working with Dr, Kelly had some really negative issues posted on this forum. I did know about the patient death with Dr. Kelly but did my research and found many people who had been happy with their experience with him. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about him, he came to see me several times before and after to make sure that all my questions and concerns were answered about the surgery. I felt that he honestly cared about my well being. As for my surgery, he did a great job. I had no complications, and my incisions healed really well. Weight loss surgery is hard, don't kid yourself otherwise. You can't eat very much for quite a long time afterwards, and it takes a while to kind of return to feeling "normal". I did have my sister go with me to Tijuana so I didn't go by myself. Anyway, just wanted to voice my opinion that Dr, Kelly is a good surgeon in my opinion and I have no reservations about recommending him to anyone who is considering surgery in Mexico. As for my weight loss, I am down seventy pounds from my surgery. Should be more, but...that's me, not Dr. Kelly! Currently a size ten, started out at a size 18. Very happy I had the surgery, it changed my life. Everyone has to make the right decision for themselves, but if you are considering a surgeon in Mexico, I would definitely recommend you consider Dr. Kelly.

dettie211 in response to "what is RNY" it is just short for Rouxen-Y gastric bypass. AZbanster thank you for explaining, that is more than I've gotten out of my three doctors. And the strangest thing is I'm borderline hypo-thyroid which has just developed last year (running another test next month). I have been worried about Grave's Disease as it does run in families and my mother had it. But she didn't have a thyroid problem as that was the first thing they looked for. Anyway this forum is great. As there are noticeable other problems other than just slippage, acid reflux, erosion of which have come up in studies. Haven't read anything on the heart or thyroid until now.

It did not effect my surgery date for next week 4/23/13, I just found out I was hypo thyroid a month ago.

Hi, I was diabetic before surgery, no medication now BUT I have been having was is called reactive hypoglycemia. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reactive-hypoglycemia/AN00934 Check out the mayo clinic info at this url. It happens to me about 3 hours after a meal, my blood sugar will plunge to about 50. Which is low. This is actually one of the know side effects of RYN - but - not one talked about too much - and it a bummer and a scary one. The "cure" is to drink about 1/2 cup of a sugary beverage such as juice or regular soda or eat sugar tablets - BUT - this can cause problems in RNY patients. I personally have to eat a snack - which will also work. I find it happens when I have not been careful to eat a balance of carbohydrates during the day and have one meal with a high concentration of carbohydrates. In theory it is easy to prevent but in practice difficult sometimes to implement. I would suggest discussing with your DR and/or nutritionist right away. It is daaangerous.

Hi fellow tall sleevers! I am 6'1" and was 325 pre-op and 288 this morning so down 37 lbs 6 weeks post-op. I hope to reach 220 eventually. I am very shapely but carry most of my weight in my butt, hips and thighs. I also am hypo-thyroid so I expect my weight-loss to be slower than some. Now that I'm starting to eat more types of food it has already slowed to about 1.5 lbs a week as apposed to 4.5 a week. Kinda bummed by the slower loss rate but as long as I'm losing it's OK. I think it's true people often don't realize that a tall body can carry a lot of extra weight and not look like people's idea of what "fat" people look like. I had a couple of nurses who were involved in my pre-op testing say that I didn't look "fat enough" for the surgery. But my BMI definitely qualified me. I try very hard not to compare my weight or weight-loss to others but it happens inevitably. Right now I think I've left the honeymoon stage and am in the nitty-gritty stage of having to work at my weight loss. Pre-sleeve I would have been sabotaging myself by now! Sent from my iPhone using VST

Since you haven't given any specifics regarding whether you are pre or post-op; what food stage you're in, what your eating habits are, and even if you're male or female, it's kind of hard to answer! Generally speaking, the body is constantly adjusting to it's environment and reevaluating what it needs to do biochemically to adapt. So if you're losing weight in "patches" (as most of us do), it's because your body is reacting to fewer calories, changing food amount/type intake, hormonal shifts, exercise (or lack of), etc. You are not a static human being that is identical all the time, so your body needs time to "catch up" to the current situation. By the time it does, you've moved on and are introducing whole new set of variables. As long as you stick to your plan (be it pre-op, post-op or whatever), consistency will get you to your goals. This journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Use this time to build up your new good habits, work through frustrations with a balanced approach and try not to be reactive to the scale. Better yet, measure your progress in other ways (fitness level, clothing fit, body measurements, stamina, quality of sleep or energy levels, etc.). The scale can be deceptive and demotivating at the best of times.

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?

Hi thank you for this. I'm only two weeks out but have already reactivated my membership at the gym. I will start with light weights when I start next week...thanks again....

They are a non reactive metal (titanium) so it's pretty unlikely

I have a wonderful recipe for crab cakes. I don't know how it stacks up nutritionally but it doesn't use a lot of breadcrumbs for filler so it is better than most. I 'fry' them on a pancake griddle with just a little oil so it's not a diet-buster. I'm happy to share it. I made these when my husband and I had a food truck. Big seller! Cajun-Style Crab Cakes 6 Slices white bread 1 tsp garlic, minced 2 eggs 1lb crab meat ¼ c heavy cream 4 green onions 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 5 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled ½ tsp dry mustard 1 tsp Cajun spice mix Salt, to taste Tear up bread slices and grind in a blender or food processor. Add eggs, cream and lemon juice to form a heavy batter, then remove to a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Fry in oil or on oiled grill. Serve with Creole Honey-Mustard Sauce. Creole Honey-Mustard Sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil 6 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tbsp green peppercorns, crushed 6 tbsp sour cream 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp honey 1 shallot, minced ½ c dry white wine 2 tbsp Dijon mustard In a small, non-reactive saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the peppercorns, pepper, and shallots for about 3 minutes or until the shallots are translucent. Add the white wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated. Let cool. Add the remaining ingredients and check the seasoning. Oh, the sauce is DIVINE!! Enjoy.

I get the heart racing thing once in a while since surgery. I did read something about reactive hypoglycemia that might be my cause. It's supposed to be more common in those that have stomach surgery, especially weight loss surgery. It would make sense since the heart rate increase is usually a little while after I eat and causes many of the symptoms mention here.

I am nervous if I will know if I am dumping or not. I have bad reactive hypoglycemia and that and dumping have the same symptoms but different cures. I feel better if I eat something when I have a hypoglycemia fit, but dumping, you need to rest and not eat right?

I know for me I was kinda forced to share with coworkers because they over heard my conversations with the Drs office. I'm a person that's almost reclusive so I don't have friends outside of work. So I said all that to say I didn't willingly share with coworkers because of the stigma, reaction, snide remarks & jokes. To heal and be successful I must focus and not be consumed with judgement. No one wanted me to get this surgery not even my family. So I had the surgery 2 days ago and I trusted one friend to be there for me. People really don't understand that we are doing this to improve our quality of life. To have a long life and be proactive instead of reactive to health issues. I know when I go back to work people will be watching & talking but that's ok. I only want positive reinforcement..So I won't be discussing it. It's important we keep positive along our new journey. I know how u feel and I refuse to allow doubt in my life no matter what. Do I still feel ashamed, yes but I'm praying that will go away.

Hello, I was hyperthyroid but had all symptoms of hypo. My blood level is normal and has been for 10 years but my hypo symptoms have not gone away. I am getting sleeved on March 28, 2013 so I hope this doesnt prevent my weight loss. I dont think it will. I am on the preop diet and have lost 15 pounds since March 14 which is 10 days.

My name is Alisha and I am 26. current weight 216, height 5.2 I have family history of diabetese, stroke, cholestrol, sleep Apnea, hypertension, kidney disease. Infact my mom has all of these conditions on top of morbid obeisity,, she is currently in the process of gastric sleeve surgery. When I went with her to her appointments I had a realization what uf I become this in the upcoming years. So far I dont have any comorbiditys but I am very overweight and ubhealthy weight wise. I have done many diets and programs only to gain all that back. I thought since my mom has sleep apnea, I might too and that will help me getting appricedr. By the way my bmi is 39.5 I have thyroid and currently take methimazole 5mg. I also have chronic constipation and chronic fatigue syndrome due to thyroid. My thyroid is hyper BUT I have all the symptoms of hypo, I know its weird, the docs cant seem to explain that either. Anyways when I went for my sleep apnea results and it appears I don't have it, but the doc suggested to get MSLT done.. It is multiple sleep latency test since i.have all.the apnea symptoms. Did anyone else had to go through this? Iam so scared that I won't be approved by my insurance. I have no other Comorbidities but due to my family history I am very prone to all these problems. I am seeing a bariatric surgean and finished all their requirements like nut, psych, barium swallow, ekg,.blood work etc. I so hope this works out, I really want a.fresh start to being healthy. thank you for listening, this forum has been a great treasure and I truly appreciate each and everyones input. Alisha

I was diagnosed hyperthyroid but all my symptoms match hypo. Does anyone else have had this? I am so confused, but I hope that my sleeve surg will affect.my thyroid positively. I will have it in april

TES, I am also Hypothyroid. I had Graves Disease and had a complete Thyroidectomy two years ago and have been Hypo since. I wonder if that is why i lose slow too?

I was connected to sliding scales with insulin pump in hospital. My insulin was monitored by my diabetic consultant. My rates dramatically changed after operation. No complication post op! No problems with infections. No leaks. Had a test 6 weeks after my op. All was good. Left hospital 48 hours after surgery. Weight loss was spectacular in the first 6-8 months. It slowed down later on but with help from yoga and pilates classes plus lots of walking body shape is continuously changing, for better! Took me up to 4-6 month to up my energy levels. Problem mostly with finding a correct balance between carbs an proteins. Not enough carbs means very tired and slowing down with a weight loss. You will soon learn by trial and error! Had a great support from my pump clinic: meeting with my nurse every month to change my pump's settings. Insulin resistance "vanished" after 6 months!!!! Wonderful! Today, over 2 years after my surgery, I'm nice UK size 16. I'm full of energy and my body is still changing shape. I eat absolutely everything in small portions.I eat in public places and attend dinner parties. I don't advertise that I had VSG. It's my business only! When pushed and questioned: "have some more" I very firmly respond- "no, thank you". No explanation added. I love my life and wish I had this done years ago. No bigger problems with hypos now than before sleeve if anything situation is better. Good luck!

I know this thread is pretty old but I wondered how you were both doing. Has your weightloss kept coming off? I'm 6 weeks out from my sleeve after having my band removed 4 months earlier, my surgeon said the band had slipped and there was a massive amount if scarring that he wanted to heal for a while before doing the sleeve surgery. I had my band for about 6 years and had not lost any weight after the first 20kg. I was happy enough because it at least stopped me putting on any more weight. I started having chest pains and after all the tests to make sure it wasn't my heart my band surgeon thought the pain could be due to my band so he ordered a barium swallow. The barium swallow technician found something far more interesting that he said I needed to get checked immediately. I had nodules on my thyroid. i had told my gp that I felt there was something wrong with my thyroid but he pretty much told me it was in my head. Anyway in a whirlwind week I was diagnosed with cancer and was in hospital having a total thyroidectomy and six weeks later high dose radiation therapy. My life has not been the same since. Even with the sleeve I can't loose weight. I found a really great dr who found out that my body didn't convert the thyroxin into the t3 hormone which is the active thyroid hormone that our body's use for everyday functions. I've been on that for 8 months and its made no difference. I still have all the hypo symptoms. Today he has decided that from looking at my blood tests my body isn't absorbing the t3 med so now he is changing that and increasing my dose. He says I should notice a huge difference in about a week and a half. I'm hoping that now instead of losing about half a pound a week through sheer starvation that my body will start releasing some of these terrible fat cells it seems to love holding onto. I'd love to hear from anyone else who had had thyroid cancer and been able to feel good again AND be successful with losing weight with their sleeve. Cheers Tracie

Yes, my blood sugars go down when I am feeling hypoglycemic. Here are my "numbers" that were tested in the hospital and are where I cannot go: Blood sugar of 190 - I begin to shake and have rough hypo symptoms Blood sugar of 170 or below - I pass out (Most do this when blood sugar is 130 or so) So, in my first nutrition meeting today, they said they are sending me to the Joslin Diabetes Hospital, which is luckily right across the street from the hospital I have chosen for my surgery. Hypoglycemia has been a huge problem of mine since I was a kid. Diabetes is new, and all over my family history.

Reactivated my fb please add me kristy Kirby Paquette

Good luck with your surgery on the 6th! So glad you are doing well with the liquid diet Timing sounds great! I am looking forward to my first appointment tomorrow for blood work and group nutrition session. Then, they make the appointment with the surgeon after that. I will work with nutritionists to be stable on the "hypo" end of things. I'm on Metformin 2x/day, so not much for meds. I've always been hypoglycemic. I'll just have to have a plan for that. Again, all the best to you on the 6th!

Why is that? Are you on insulin? Oral or injected with T2 you should not be hypo if you don't eat every 3 hours. Either way, I'm T2 and have been on the liquid diet for 13 days and everything is fine. I had to cut my meds drastically but doing great and lost 15 lbs in first 4 days. My surgery date is this coming wednesday the 6th. My first appointment was mid January. I got insurance approval in 5 days so no having diabetes will help not hinder. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

I got dizzy too for about two weeks. I also had some nausea with it. For me it was around week 10 and 30 lbs down. The doc thought it was vertigo and said sometimes people loose the fat pad in their inner ear with rapid weight loss. I wore a scopolamine (sp?) patch for about 10 days and it helped. (I even went to Disneyland.) warning this did make my vision blurry and I had to make the font really big on my computer for a while. Another poster mentioned hypoglycemia. My doc suspected that and had me test 30 min after eating. Apparently there's a phenomenon card reactive hypoglycemia where you overproduce insulin.) Hang in there!