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Thanks. I need to be proactive about this. Reactive is what got me to 300lbs!

To Floridays: I really don't who to blame. but I think all 4 factors come into play somehow. I blame myself for getting angry and giving up too soon, I blame the doctor for not being understanding enough or listening to me when I told him in all honesty that I was following the rules, I blame my slow metabolism because it can interfere with weight loss. I didn't want anyone to baby me. I wanted someone who would listen to me (even though we disagreed) and not to accuse me of things that I was not doing. And I do not have hypo/hyperthyroidism at all. I was misdiagnosed. As for calories. I kept a food diary and logged in everything I ate in my fitness pal. I was consuming 600-900 calories a day. There were days when I would consume 1000 calories. I followed each stage of liquids, mushy foods, and so on. I drank nothing but Water and when I got tired of water I mixed in crystal light. Don't assume that just because I didn't include my food intake and calorie intake that I wasn't following the rules. And I never said I ate until I was full, in fact, I never mentioned that at all. My portions were eaten out of a 1 cup tupperware container. Everything I ate was baked, boiled, broiled, grilled, or steamed. And there was always food left over on my plate. Just because you were extremely successful doesn't give you a right to be pompous and throw the fact that you lost LOTS OF WEIGHT, especially at the faces of those who weren't successful at all or not as successful as you were in your weight loss journey. Kudos to you though for losing all the weight and kudos to your tenacity to keep going until you reached your goal, but please understand that everyone is different, that everyone's body works differently, and that the lap band does not work for/or as well for everyone. Please understand the frustration that comes with not losing weight with the lap band because it is a real thing that many lap band patients go through, but are reluctant to admit out of embarrassment and people like you who are quick to assume that we didn't work hard enough or don't exercise enough. I did work my butt off just like you did and would lose then the weight I had lost would come back despite eating right and exercising, changing the exercises and changing the amount of calories. And I wanted it as much as you did but apparently you were more successful. Please don't forget the frustration that comes with losing weight and gaining weight. I know you are thin now but don't become a mean thin girl please. And I think a new doctor would help and for you to tell me otherwise is ridiculous. I'm pretty sure you have changed doctors in your life time and have had family members or friends who have needed a change in doctors. And if you say that the band does 70% of the work then you better believe that I was contributing that 30% to lose the weight but I wasn't as successful as you were. I also want you to know that I am trying to turn this around and that in this process I am trying to reassess what went wrong and trying to work on those wrong things. You were overweight once too and please don't forget the pain and frustrations that come with that. I'm not coming on here to get "babied" I'm coming on here to receive support in continuing my lap band weight loss journey.

I know ive seen other posters refuse because of the possibility of dumping... i would ask them if i can get out of it... maybe u could get a home monitor n test instead for say 2wks... i believe thats what she did... id tell them ur OBVIOUSLY not in gestational diabetes! And have done 2 that should be sufficient... Also i wouldnt worry too much about the 67... hopefully if u get a monitor, you'll have it to be safe... but it sounds like reactive hypoglycemia... i assume u dont eat a lot of carbs, being a sleever... so all that sugar in the drink (esp on top of a pastry ) just threw ur system for a loop n it got over excited and made too much insulin... id think the WORST thing u could do is go shock it again! Try explaining that to them n see what they say... i wouldnt risk ur job but if they understood more maybe theyd b satisfied In the mean time... no carb binges for u! Lol Good luck!!!

Dont be dissapointed in yourself you are doing so well...the pcos and hypo may slow things down but they arent going to keep you from losing. Stay positive girl...youll get there!

Your story is exactly like mine! My name is Michelle too.. Are you me?! I'm also wondering what life with hypo is like after surgery.

Hello all, I was sleeved in May and have lost 62 pounds. I was hypo as well and feel great. My doctor has taken me off all meds, including blood pressure and colesteral, amd synthroid. I do get my labs checked and everything is great! You all might have to come off the meds too.....its wonderful! Good luck!

I haven't been around much since I had surgery. The site went nuts and wouldn't load properly for the "formative months" after surgery, so I kinda quit coming around. But I find myself really needing to connect with you guys on the maintenance issues these days. I hope you'll have me back. Before surgery, I was not a dieter. Diets clearly weren’t working for anyone else, not in the long-term, so I didn’t really bother with any certain plan. Instead, I exercised and tried to be aware of what I ate. Clearly, that didn’t work for me. I ended up, at my highest weight, at about 235 pounds on a 5’1” medium frame. On a recent Disney World vacation my hips, back, and feet hurt so much that the thought of going back made it clear that either I had to lose the weight or I’d be one of those people on the motorized scooters at the ripe old age of 34. The greatest gift of this surgery was the clear guidelines and the months following surgery in which, while unable to eat as I used to, I changed my approach to eating and understood that I can manage to eat anything I want, just not everything that I want. I recently celebrated my 1-year anniversary. In that year, I lost 100 pounds, with my lowest weight being 134.4. The upsides of surgery are undeniable and I have no regrets. This was the verry best decision I ever made for myself. I’m a bit of an introvert and misanthrope, but I find myself jubilant for days when I get some appreciative attention. No one has flirted with me for years and it feels great. I have become a bit of a clothes horse (LOL) and have a great time shopping and dressing, things I never cared about in the past. I generally just feel a whole lot better about myself and the world, I find. But learning to maintain my new habits, my outlook, my motivation, that is where I find myself struggling. I’ve noticed since I made it into the 130 pound range that eating has gotten noticeably harder. It could be timing, my weight, my body’s adjustment, my mental state, or any combination of factors. But suddenly I find myself in a place where my past handle on controlling my eating has become completely unhinged. I’ve tried the “let’s just get back to basics” approach a few times and then found myself right back to the bad habits. So, what are these basics and the bad habits? Here is the score: Daily 60-70 grams of protein daily – easy, peasy without fail 64 oz of water – I think I’ve been pretty good here, but I recently began to really push water I hopes that it might solve some hunger issues. Weekends are my only big concern and I’m actively working on it. 2 Bariatric Fusion multi-vitamins daily – like clockwork I exercise (cardio, strength, and core) 3 times a week without fail, shooting for a 500 calorie burn each time. I also use my heart rate monitor when I walk the dog and track what calories I burn. I track my food, even my crazy binge eating days, every day on myfitnesspal.com and my food diary is open to my friends. I’m “HeatherTakesCharge” if anyone wants to find me. I am still trying to lose, so I try to keep my net daily calories (after exercise calories burned) to 800-1000. I find myself well over 2000 calories too often. My ultimate goal is 125 pounds, though I’m not overly concerned with it. As long as I’m not going up, I’m pretty happy. My biggest scare happened last week. I woke up one morning and found my weight above 140. Something has to change. My blood work, taken every 3 months since surgery, has been perfect. No issues. I can comfortably eat a HUGE amount of food compared to the limited number of bites I read many of you saying. My restriction is definitely there, but not like I’d hoped. I’d love to go back to the days when I could only eat a handful of bites at a time. I feel physical hunger pangs as well as dealing with head hunger. For the first 6 months, I could easily eat a piece of candy and satisfy my sweet monster. Now, even thinking about eating something sweet sends me into a monster craving to which I too often give in and in a ridiculous, binge eating way. It is SO scary. I swore I’d never eat like that again, yet here I am. I have intense acid reflux without medication, but my prescription Prilosec controls it well as long as I don not forget to take it. I battle reactive hypoglycemia occasionally. If I get a handle on it quickly, I can recover. But sometimes it just ruins my day, both calories-wise and by making me feel ill for an extended period. My food intake during the day is usually exemplary. It is the time I am at home when I make the very worst choices. My partner is fighting some insecurity and self-esteem issues, leading to what I consider deliberate attempts to sabotage my eating. Her answer is, “You did this to yourself. I’ll do what I want. You make your own choices.” Therefore, at least at home, I am unable to keep out the foods that I find most damaging. And she is the primary cook. I try to make my own dinner sometimes, but if I do it constantly, this also becomes a point of contention. Her choice of meals or places to eat out NEVER consider how it will impact my diet. The sabotage extends to the gym as well, with at least one melt-down a month about how my trips to the gym are ruining her life. Seriously. But that is a whole different issue, I know. I’ve dealt with the relationship issues successfully in the early months, so I know I can continue. But it is simply one more strain on the bigger picture, you know? So that is it. My head isn’t in the game any longer. I feel myself becoming more and more depressed and fearful that I’ll slip into that old “I’ll eat what I want” person who can not find the motivation to get back on track.

I changed my thyroid medicine and wanted it rechecked b4 heading down there next month. I also included some typical chemistry panels and liver enzymes, also c reactive protein. I'm a member of Life Extensions and you can order the lab from them and go to certain facilities and have it emailed to you in a few days. It cost me about 150, but worth not having to try to get copy of my lab from pcp. I'm anal about keeping my records in chronological order (ha- first born of course).

I'm 40 years old, from Canada and am going in for my sleeve on October 16. I have followed my liquid diet completely, and am excited and very nervous about my surgery. I have PCOS and Hypo Thyroid, and am hoping that this will finally set me free so to speak. My top weight was 243, I am now 225. I wish everyone health and success!

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

I finally think I have it figured out. Today I ate sushi and then ate a couple of fries. I mean I ate a small fry. It was one of those days when I was so hungry I just took what I could get. NEVER AGAIN!!! EVER EVER EVER! Basically I ate WAY TOO MANY CARBS...This is not dumping. I thought it was caffeine a few months back...but it isn't. So yeah...I will never eat a carb heavy meal again! Reactive hypoglycemia occurs in people who do not have diabetes. It's a different type of hypoglycemia than the one that affects people who have diabetes. Although the causes are unrelated, the symptoms of both kinds of hypoglycemia are the same. Symptoms of hypoglycemia: Trembling or weakness Lack of coordination Drowsiness or confusion Headache Dizziness Double vision Convulsions or unconsciousness What is the cause of reactive hypoglycemia? The exact cause of reactive hypoglycemia is still unknown, but there are several hypothesis that might explain why it can happen. Sensitivity to epinephrine, a hormone that is released in the body during times of stress. Insufficient glucagon production. Glucagon is also a hormone which has the opposite effect of insulin. It raises blood glucose levels. Gastric surgeries can also cause reactive hypoglycemia because food may pass too quickly through the digestive system. Enzyme deficiencies can also cause reactive hypoglycemia, but these are rare and occur during infancy. How to manage reactive hypoglycemia Limit foods with a high sugar content, especially on an empty stomach. For example, eating a doughnut first thing in the morning can trigger a hypoglycemic episode. Eat small, frequent meals and Snacks. Eat a varied, high Fiber diet, with adequate servings of Protein, whole grain carbs and vegetables, fruits, and dairy foods Carry pieces of hard candy with you, for those times when you feel your blood sugar dropping. What to do if you are having a hypoglycemic episode. Eat or drink something that is a fast sugar source, such as orange juice, regular soda, a few pieces of hard candy, or sugar cubes. This should relieve the symptoms within 15 minutes. Avoid choosing chocolate as a sugar source. The fat in chocolate makes it absorb more slowly and it won't raise your blood sugar up as quickly as you need it too. Make sure to eat a small balanced meal after the symptoms are gone. This will prevent another blood sugar spike and consequent drop.

I'm just one person, but I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypo) and I had lapband done in Feb 2011. I had a personal trainer I worked out with for 6 months and worked out at Lifetime Fitness with him twice, sometimes three times a week, and worked out at home also. I bought a Polar to monitor my progress. I started jogging along with my walking regimen. lost 30 lbs--that's it. No more. Not one ounce, not one gram. It is September of 2012 now, and I'm still sitting at 30 pounds down. I went through intense feelings of guilt, disappointment, every negative you can think of, that was me. It still is to some degree. I am now coming out of my funk, well over a year later, and realizing that I have to live my life anyway, that I might just be fat the rest of my life; but I don't have to be out of breath all the time, and I don't have to be tired all the time, so the working out has started up again. Just be prepared, and be informed. Good luck.

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.

I don't "dump", but I did get reactive hypoglycemia from months 2-5, though it's rare now. (Meaning I eat sugar and then crash hard and feel sick, dizzy and exhausted until it processes.) Now I can have a cookie, or a scoop of ice cream, but I don't realy crave it anymore, and it doesn't taste as good as it used to, and I knwo that if I eat too much, I'll feel ill. I take a bite fromt ime to time, but meh... not my thing anymore.

can i just say that thing is driving me crazy. I have turned the sounds off and everything and everytime I change pages it reactivates. I even tried logging out and the chat was still there.....

As anyone else gained a little weight during the 6 month supervised diet? I gained 4 lbs during the second month and haven't been able to lose it. I'm going into month 4 and am incredibly nervous about going through all of this just to be denied. I do have a letter from my PCP stating that I have trouble losing because my thyroid isn't yet regulated (I'm hypo). I'm 29 bmi of 40 with asthma. Back problems. Reflux. High cholesterol. Medicaid insurance. So nervous!

5 of my 6 sisters as well as myself have thyroid disease/conditions and we all have children,,my mother also had hypo and had 8 kids. I'm sure if you let your thyroid condition go and not treat it, it would cause all sorts of problems.

not quitting smoking could be really detrimental to your surgery, so i'd honestly at least try to quit. i've seen some surgeries where people didn't stop smoking & it messes with your healing time, your skin as well as other stuff.. it's not pretty. "Smoking does two things in terms of the cardiovascular system that anesthesiologists area concerned about. First, smoking increases the amount of carbon monoxide attached to hemoglobin in the blood. This has the effect of decreasing oxygen supply. Carbon monoxide also makes the heart pump more poorly, also decreasing the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the body. Second, nicotine increases the amount of oxygen that the body needs. So, oxygen supply is being compromised at the same time that more oxygen is being utilized. Smoking obviously also affects the lungs. Among other thigns, smoking causes an increase in the amount of mucus secreted while at the same time decreasing the ability of the lungs to clear these secretions. In addition, smoking causes the small airways in the lungs to be narrowed and more prone to collapse. The end result of these effects are an increased susceptibility to infection, chronic cough and increased chance of pulmonary complications. Lastly, smokers also have increased sensitivity to stimuli and increased bronchial reactivity, increasing the chance for bronchospasm and other life threatening pulmonary processes. This is not just theory. There have been multiple studies confirming that smoking increases the incidence of pulmonary complications after an anesthetic as much as six times. Smoking has been shown to be an independent risk factor for complications ranging from complications of lung function to wound healing to cardiovascular events such as heart attack." source: http://anesthesiolog...es/12012003.php also: Q: What specifically does smoking do to inhibit healing and recovery from surgery? A: Nicotine closes the blood vessels responsible for bringing oxygenated blood to the tissues. In addition to its healing power, oxygen also fights infection and helps to keep tissue alive, as well as being instrumental in delivering important medications like antibiotics. Furthermore, smoking clogs the lungs, and thus increases risk of pulmonary infection such as pneumonia. Q: What are the worst-case scenario consequences of smoking before and after surgery? A: Smoking significantly increases the risk of severe infections, pneumonia, and tissue death. Q: Are there specific surgeries that you will refuse to perform on a smoker? A: Certain procedures which involve a lot of pulling or altering of blood supply would present more risk for a smoker. These procedures include face lifts, tummy tucks, and the use of tissue flaps as in reconstructive surgery. Q: Aside from quitting entirely, how long do you recommend patients avoid smoking before and after surgery? A: Ideally, the patient would quit altogether. However, this is obviously not going to happen with a lot of patients. Generally, it is recommended that a patient avoid smoking for at least 3 weeks before and after surgery. Source: http://plasticsurger.../smoking_PS.htm

I was diagnosed with hypo hashimotos 2 years ago. My synthroid was up to 175. Since surgery it has dropped to 100. My doc told me the thinner you are it is possible you would need less meds, but it won't cure it, your always going to need some. Since my diet has improved, I stay active and don't get as tired. I still have days, mostly around PMS. It is a pain at first to get the meds right. My doc recommended if you have good insurance or can afford the synthroid, you can tell the difference between it and the generic Levothyroroxine.

you need to take things easy and give your body time to recupe. You arent very long post op and it doesnt matter what sort of surgery you have... you need time for your body to heal... thats paramount at this point. If you are getting dizzy... .try and have a little more sugar in your drinks.. perhaps orange juice? im thinking that hypo might be your problem now. i just had lots of Fluid... mainly Soup that was clear... i had it all the time, as much as i could take in. It helped me a lot, i suffer from low blood sugar readings.

Sleevers are already losing the weight much quicker than regular dieting. Plus, the faster you lose the more loose skin you have when you're done. Malabsorption is neat in that it helps people lose weight, but you also lose a significant part of your intestines that help you absorb important Vitamins. That means you will likely have to increase the number of supplements you take. It's a personal decision, and RNY may be right for some people, but I guess the big points for me were: 1. No intestinal rerouting with VSG 2. Decreased ghrelin production - no hunger makes things a lot different 3. Generally no dumping with VSG - this sounds like it would make me miserable at work/school 4. Intact pyloric sphincter - this takes away the risk of stoma stricture/dilation 5. Fewer long term food/medicine restrictions 6. Delayed reactive hypoglycemia in RNY patients - scares me! 7. Losing weight fast can mean looking unhealthy even though you're skinny - someone called them "fat skinny people" on a thread the other day, which seemed to fit. People who lose weight but a lot of it is muscle, not necessarily the healthiest thing. I guess #1 is the biggest for me. Apparently I'm okay with the doctor taking out the majority of my stomach, but I really don't want them touching my intestines (Is that silly? =p). Maybe make a list of pros and cons for each and see how you feel about it after you lay out your options? You are not forced to have the surgery on the date you're scheduled if you are not sure/aren't ready. If you need to, give it some time. Maybe it is just nerves - I was scared as crap before the surgery and second guessed myself on and off, and now that I'm post-op, I'm really happy I did it. Feel better!

I have to say I am surprised your dietitian would recommend regular rice. Like bread, rice is used as a "filler" in past years when families had a lot less money and food, adding a cheap filler like rice and bread to meal made the meat and other items go further. I also have found that to much rice can affect my RH (reactive hypoglycemia). I know at 4 months I was still eating about 3 oz at a meal, so I went for stuff that I knew would keep me sated longer.

I went for my check up and my doctor realized that after several blood tests over the last year that my TSH levels were high. I didn't know what that meant but I realized that I am almost 7 weeks out and I am so tired that I can't even get up and walk around without feeling like I did a 5K run. I know my vit-D levels are low. I now have to take a 50,000 IU's of Vit-D once a week. My B-12 came back up to normal, now I have to take a B-12 shot. I have to also continue to take Calcium and Iron and I still feel very week. I was put on an anti-depressant which helps a little. The doctor then checks my last blood test and said to me " I think you have a thyroid problem. I replied " I thought high levels of TSH means high functioning thyroid. However, high TSH means low functioning thyroid. After the doctor goes back into my record and realizes that all my blood test from last year showed a problem with my thyroid I had to take another blood test to see if the TSH levels are still high. High TSH levels leads to the following You may experience chilliness or sluggishness or feel weak, depressed and tired, symptoms often labeled as chronic fatigue syndrome. You may have problems thinking and with cognitive functions, have difficulty breathing or experience muscle cramps with vague or specific joint pain. You may be plagued with uncontrollable weight gain, dry skin, constipation, menstrual problems, hot flashes, PMS, increased menstrual flow or have a miscarriage or be diagnosed with infertility. The list of common symptoms of high TSH levels includes weakness, fatigue, difficulty waking up, difficulty losing weight and/or weight gain, roughening of the hair and skin, hair loss, a pale or yellow tinge to skin, brittle nails, intolerance to cold, constipation, depression, mood swings, abnormal menstruation, decreased sex drive and memory loss. High TSH levels can affect a person's overall outlook and mentality. I had all these problems pre surgery. Now I thinking did I have to do this surgery at all. I hope this test confirms my worst fears so I can finally feel normal again. I don't have any energy. Read more: Symptoms of High TSH Levels | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz23woxuHNH Read more: http://www.livestron.../#ixzz23woj9MJF

ive had problems with dizzyness and some tiredness. i dont think my problem is b/p related, but im not sure.( i dont drink enough water) i take olmetec for my hypertension. ive been on it now for the last four years.(olmesartan medoxomil tabs). about six months ago the dose was put up from 20 mgs to 40mgs. my average readings are systolic ... around 140. i used to be hypo... very low b/p. ( with constant fainting). Could you ask for another brand of meds?? most of them do have some sort of side effects. Perhaps this one doesnt suit you so well??

perhaps you could have a glucose drink? or a lozenge? it could be a touch of hypo insulinism.