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I am and have been since 6 weeks before surgery.I had half of my thyroid removed in 2010 for a nodule and when I had my pre surgery labs they came back hypo I am on 0.05 mg synthroid .

I have this same experience. It feels like "dumping", but truly is reactive hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. When you experience this or can feel it coming, eat something with 15 grams of carbs and the symptoms will subside in a couple minutes. Then follow up with some protein.

@It's all new Did you eat very low-carb during your weight-loss phase (first year)? A pattern I think I'm seeing is that those who a year or two after losing weight begin to suffer from post-bariatric reactive hypoglycemia are those who ate very low-carb for a long time. This doesn't happen to a lot of VSG patents (less than 10% -- maybe closer to 3% say some studies). But for those to whom it happens I understand it can really cramp your lifestyle. What do you know about this kind of hypoglycemia and its cause(s)?

Year three was brutal - not for the reasons I have seen from any other sleever out there. In my third year I was taken off my b12 injections and moved to oral b12 - it turns out I don't absorb oral b12 even at high doses. I do not fully understand why, but the method of testing for b12 deficiency is highly inaccurate (if you are getting sufficient dietary b12 you get a falsely high reading, the test itself is accurate 40% +/- which is a huge variation, and it when your b12 level dramatically changes the test somehow "reads" the b12 in your body 6 months previously rather than the current level). Due to my undiagnosed deficiency I spent three months in a wheelchair, saw 9 doctors in numerous specialties, and was ultimately hospitalized for a week before a doctor figured out the correct test to order. The result didn't come back until I was home from the hospital because it takes two weeks to process, and during that time I was incorrectly diagnosed and told I would never walk again. For anyone wondering, the truly useful b12 test looks at MMA levels! I have permanent nerve damage to my hands and feet, have some level of constant pain, but am walking up to a couple miles on good days. The other development was constant fatigue, nearly fainting on a regular basis, and becoming underweight (of all bizarre things!!). I saw doctor after doctor, was in the ER a few times , and couldn't figure it out. Finally the nutritionist recommended monitoring my blood sugar based on the stats about sleever complications. It turns out I have very severe hypoglycemia. It isn't the typical reactive hypoglycemia that sleeves are prone to - where in response to food the pancreas overproduces insulin. Instead, my pancreas overproduces insulin day and night. My blood sugar never gets very high, and randomly drops low - in my sleep, watching TV, in response to exercise, etcetera. I spent a week on a 24 hour blood glucose monitor and found that my blood glucose drops below 55 every day repeatedly, and often drops below 45 and even into the 30's. I am still figuring out why. The important point for other sleevers is to be aware that reactive hypoglycemia occurs around 18 months post-sleeve in 18% of us. I am here to say that hypoglycemia can be a HUGE problem! My research says that most sleevers will have hypoglycemia unawareness, which means won't realize they have low blood sugar until there is a true medical emergency. I recommend to be on the lookout - that is 1 out of 5 of us, and the effects can be pretty severe. As sick as I have been in the third year I would still get the sleeve again. I am happily remarried. My relationships have improved with both friends and family. I know that I can conquer things that I never though possible, and where I would have given up in the past I have the confidence to continue today. I hold my head high, no longer look away when I see someone, and have stopped the negative inner dialogue that followed me everywhere. My preference is that year four is a year of health and healing - and if I could put on some muscle and gain a little weight I would be thrilled.

It’s a symptom of ‘mild dumping’ you have experienced I think. I experienced this a lot in the first few weeks and especially as you begin to learn what foods your new tummy likes and what it dislikes rather loudly too. I’d say it’s due to the advocado most likely. Swap to say a very soft poached egg instead. Try adding advocado in a few days to see if it settles better next time. Just because it didn’t quite settle today means your tantrum provoking baby tummy wasn’t quite liking what you fed it but that’s not to say it will not like it in a few days or in a week or a month for example. new tummy means many foods may cause this slight ‘hypo’ feeling even though you may have eaten these foods prior to surgery with no problems. your tummy is new. Brand new like a babies tummy - yet to try food for the first time. Like some babies will vomit, nappy soils a plenty, be colicky or dislike the food - your tummy should be considered like the babies. this feeling you have described is exactly what we all experience. Dumping is like a blood sugar hypo - in bed sweating / cold / shivering / sometimes with loo trips and vomiting and tummy pain but sometimes not. it can last for mere minutes to 5 hours and nearly always zonks you so groggily that you need to sleep. Energy drain and lethargy is instant. This doesn’t mean you’ll have extra sensitivity to dumping either - it’s literally your new tummy telling you it didn’t quite like what you ate. I hope this info and my experience helps you feel reassured. ❤️🥰

I found out I was hypo in 1976 and have been on thyroid medicine since. Before banding, the weight was so hard to lose. I was banded 09022010 and have lost 24 pounds, which doesn't seem like a lot to me but hey at least I am losing and that is the main goal here. I just had my 2nd fill so hopefully it will go faster but because I do have a thyroid problem if I plateau or it is just slow I don't sweat it. But by all means take your medicine, because it not only messes with your weight but with so many other parts of the body especially the nerve center. Losing weight is already a depressing process but if you are on thyroid medication and don't take it you will get depressed and it will make matters worse. Take it from an old pro. LOL

Hi @@Phoenix40! So last Thursday I went for my Nutrition/Surgeon/Coordinator appointment. I'll describe each appointment below: First you are weighed in and your height is taken Nutrition: The nutritionist is a very nice lady and she will ask you about what type of diet you have been on (I started following the 1200 calorie diet after orientation). You will have to describe what you usually eat for Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Snacks,etc. She also talks about Vitamins and what type you will need post op (this will depend on if you get the sleeve or bypass) and what to expect as far as diet goes in the first weeks after surgery (i.e. liquids, soft foods, etc) She also informed me about the different types of Protein drinks and answered any questions I had. Surgeon: Dr. Hahn was very patient. He went over my BMI, co morbidities, medications, etc to ensure that I would be a good candidate for surgery. He said it would be my choice whether to go for sleeve or bypass as I would be great candidate for either (I don't have acid reflux). We talked about the differences between sleeve and bypass (right off the bat he discouraged from the lap band so we were in agreement about that). He reiterated that regain was possible with either surgery and so is dumping (so it really comes down to the patient being willing to put in the work to not only lose the weight but keep it off). He went into detail about possible complications withe each procedure (ulcers, reactive hypoglycemia, reflux, etc). He then set a weight loss goal for me. Normally they ask the patients to lose 10% of their body weight but Dr. Hahn only requires a 7-8%, of total body weight, loss. For me 7-8% was 19 pounds (I had already lost 9 pounds since orientation and he credited me so I needed to lose 10 pounds to get a surgery date and 5 pounds to get a psych appointment). The only other requirements Dr. Hahn set out for me, besides weight loss, is attending at least one support group, and an EKG (I already finished my bloodwork). Coordinator: She was very pleasant. She informed of what my next steps to surgery are (support group, psych appointment, etc) and that to be sure I call monthly to update them on my weight and progress. Before the psych appointment each patient must fill out a surgery quiz (located in Chapter 9 of the Bariatric binder) and send it in before the appointment. Overrall it was an interesting yet quick appointment. I was told to expect to be there for 3 hours but for me it was more like 2 hours. Sent from my SM-G925T using the BariatricPal App

I choose to look at it a different way. I look at it like I have accountability partners to help me keep from rationalizing poor behaviors and dubious choices. It helps me stay firm and convicted. If I know all eyes (pretend--cuz most people aren't watching) are on me, then I'm not gonna allow the laxness of the moment to take control and allow me to slide. Or to slide "too much." And as for banana, sure your doc says you can eat it. And in limited amounts it's not too high in sugars for a lot of people. But we are each individual, and I'm extremely carb sensitive. So if it doesn't give me reactive hypoglycemia, or high blood sugars, it will absolutely make me hungry within an hour or two. So bananas are on my "no fly" list. I do use banana flavored protein powder though.

I had my op October 2021, Doing great, the weight loss is coming off. 5 and a half stone so far, I feel so much better and able to move more, I am happier thats for sure! However I do have a question......Just recently when I eat, straight after I get all hot, sweaty and shaky and have palpitations almost like a diabetic Hypo(low blood sugar) . However I checked my blood sugar, and it is normal. Am I eating too fast? I have no other symptoms. This is just weird!!! Love & Light

So ever since Friday i haven't been feeling all that great. I was feeling a bit swimmy in the head and my insides actually felt sore. It almost felt like I was coming down with something. Last week I found out my thyroid was way out of whack so instead of hypo i was hyper. My Doc changed my dosage and the swimmy feelings went away. I still felt sore inside and it hurt mildly to take a deep breath. I was thinking because I started taking Iron may be I was constipated, I took some miralax. Friday I felt so full and couldn't eat anything after my attempt at lunch. Well it doesn't appear as though I am constipated and I still feel sore inside and randomly without warning I get a pain in my left abdomen that makes me cringe. It really has me baffled. I don't feel full anymore and am able to eat normally. I am not one to freak out but I can't imagine what it could be. I will be calling the surgeon's office tomorrow. I am 11 weeks out. Does anyone have a similar experience? Just looking for clues.

I definitely recovered a lot faster than pre-surgery when I would be so tired after a severe hypo attack. I think I might have been a little dehydrated too. With summer here and getting more exercise i, I need to increase my Water intake past 64 ounces.

If your TSH was low, then your thyroid levels were too high. Hyperthyroid can be dangerous. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Rapid heartbeat (resting pulse was 120), twitching muscles, shaking limbs, foggy brain, racing thoughts, can't sleep.... But being hypothyroid is no fun either. I think that is where I am at right now. I don't have a thyroid any longer as mine was overproducing hormones and would not shut off, so I had to have it radiated. Now I have to take meds daily, and I think I need to have it upped. My PCP tends to just treat the numbers on the tests. I was a little low, so he adjusted me up to barely get into the normal range, but I still have hypo symptoms. So I have an appointment with my Endo in March. I am hoping to convince him to treat ME and not my test results and bump my dosage up. Test results have a normal RANGE! But it seems so many docs don't want to invest the time in tweaking the dosage to get us to where we feel well and are happy. OK, my rant is over. But I am right there with you!

Well I am hypothyroid. But I've been on meds for about 2 years now. However I had been at 88 mcg's for a long time. But during that time I lost about 30lbs. So when they did a recheck I was in the HYPERthyroid range...however I felt amazing for once, hypo symptoms were gone and I had no racing heartbeats or other hyper symptoms (in fact I was actually losing weight-instead of only maintaining on 1000 calories a day). However due to the TSH number she lowered my levothyroxine dose to 75 mcg's. I believe I was at .19 for TSH. and .3-3.0 is the range...I'm just wondering how much my levels have risen again because I'm struggling to maintain weight right now. It's irritating.

tizzylish My co-morbidities were, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, hypo-thyroid, bad back & knees. I have lost 82 pounds, I now take less medication. Exericse for the bad knees & back try water aerobics. I know you don't want to be in a swim suit in public but it does burn a lot of calories and is easy on the knees and back. There used to be a thread on this site that list the insurance companies and stories of people & the problems and successes of getting approved. Hang in there.

I', hypo-and I have found that for me, it makes a big difference if I'm on my meds or not. I was off of my synthroid for 3 1/2 months due to money issues, and did not lose a pound during that time. I actually gained a couple. I was able to go back on it a couple weeks ago and I've dropped 10 lbs since. And the pills are small enough that I have not had a single problem swallowing them-I take pills larger than that, and my band is pretty tight.

Hello~ I am hypo too but haven't taken my meds since surgery because I was afraid to swallo them lol. So my question to all of you is, The pill doesn't get stuck? I was tld by my reg doctor to dilute the pill in a lil bit of water but it tasted nasty so I didn't do it again.

I'm also hypo, on Synthroid. I've lost 52 lbs since Oct 09 and my doctor said he was going to do some blood tests on my next visit (Oct) to see if they can lower the dosage. I talked to him about possibly getting off the meds once I reach my goal, but I guess I need them forever. It's not like diabetes - where if you eaqt properly and lose weight, you may not be a diabetic anymore. From what I understand, hypothyroidism doesn't go away with weight loss, you just need less of a dosage. Marci

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (autoimmune disorder that causes hypo) and I was sleeved Dec. 18th. So far, I've been doing okay with the loss. I was 20 lbs down on my 10 day appointment, and the doc said that was a good amount for the time period. Still early days though.

@@uni2424 I do not have a thyroid due to papillary cancer. So I am definitely Hypo. I lost 60 pounds prior to getting the sleeve on 12/16. I've lost another 14 with the sleeve. It is very possible to lose weight with hypothyroidism. Just need to make sure you are being followed by an endocrinologist, get blood work done periodically, have your meds adjusted and take your meds correctly. I lost the 60 pounds by eating a less than 1200 calorie diet and exercising on a regular basis. My weight loss was a little slow and had frequent stalls...you just have to be committed to changing your lifestyle.

hi, i am hypo also, i take 112mcg of synthroid 2 times a day plus cytomel 25mg.. i was sleeved on jan 31st and i have lost 16lbs so far....from what i have read, seem like everyone is losing at the same rate as others without hypo,,,,congrats everyone!!!!

yes. I'm hypo. I've lost 157lbs from my recent high of 287lbs. I'm in normal BMI and weight range and am my final Goal #3.

OMG! I am weeping hysterically, so very relieved and grateful to have found you all. I had my surgery on May 23 and am not even down 30 lbs. (my ticker includes weight loss from my high of 335 pre-surgery). I have a handful of legit reasons for being a slow loser(PCOS, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypo-thyroid) and I have a million pathetic excuses (compulsive eating, night eating, rarely exercise), but I am ready to take it to the next level. I have not come to this board in months and to this May board in much longer because I couldn't take the constant reminders of my "failure." But I am done wallowing in it, and plan to renew my efforts. I plan to come here daily and just wanted to thank you all for being here.

Im not a diabetic however sine being banded 8months ago i have been dealing with low sugars. Its called RHG reactive hypoglycemia for me its when i would eat carbs an not include a protein. So for me i am sticking to a low glycemic index diet an it helps

I've read so many times in various threads about people eating super low calories, and it always worries me. And also high fat, high Protein, low carb diets... I wanted to post about the dangers of very low calorie diets and of high fat/protein low carb diets, so here is some info and the sources it comes from: "When you want to lose weight, a very low-calorie diet can seem attractive. After all, the sooner you lose weight the better, right? Well...no, that's not right. Eating fewer than 1000 calories a day can, at best be a short-lived attempt at dieting, at worst it could be a recipe for long term health problems. Your body is not designed to function well on a very low calorie diet. In fact, it goes into starvation or famine mode and tries to preserve essential functions at the expense of the less essential ones. So what happens to your body on fewer than 1000 calories a day? Your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Your body uses blood sugar, made from carbohydrates, for fuel just as a car uses gas (petrol). Without blood sugar, the brain and central nervous system, as well as other bodily systems, will cease to work efficiently. To try to counteract the lack of blood sugar from carbohydrates in the diet, your body will break down fat, which is what you want, but it will also breakdown muscle and other lean body tissue. Losing lean body tissue can be very dangerous. Even organs can be broken down to use as fuel. Losing lean body tissue can also be counter-productive. Muscle tissue increases the resting metabolic rate. With reduced amounts of muscle, your metabolism will slow. When you come off the diet, increased fat cells will form because your metabolism is slow and so your body needs less blood sugar for fuel. It is also a survival mechanism in case of another 'famine'. With very low calorie diets, an imbalance in minerals and electrolytes can occur, which can be dangerous. These govern the balance of fluids in the body allowing nerves and muscles to function. Osteoporosis can be another danger, especially for women. Often dairy products like eggs, milk and cheese are cut out of a very low calorie diet so cutting out a major source of Calcium leading to loss of bone mass. Anaemia (a lack of Iron in the blood) can also be another risk. If taken to extremes, women can find that menstruation (periods) becomes irregular or stops altogether. A lack of serotonin in the brain can be another problem which leads to clinical depression. You might find that the lack of essential nutrients on a very low calorie diet leads to a deterioration in the condition of your hair and nails. One of the great dangers of this kind of dieting is that you can become acclimatised to it. As your body reduces some of its functions, including those of the brain and nerves, and as depression takes hold due to a lack of serotonin, you can slip into anorexia nervosa - a truly life threatening condition. As mentioned above, when you finally come off this diet, you will almost certainly regain all the weight you have lost plus more leading to yoyo dieting, now believed to be dangerous. Altogether, very low calorie diets are a danger to physical and mental health. They are counter-productive and can lead to long term problems as well as a lifetime of yoyo dieting. It is far better to lose weight safely and slowly on a sensible diet." (source reference: http://www.allinfoaboutdietsnutrition.com/index.php?page=21 ) "Low-carb/high-fat diets pose dangerous health risks and may increase the risk of contracting serious chronic diseases. Studies have linked extreme low-carb/high-fat diets to an increased risk of developing certain disease states, including: • Alzheimer disease • blindness and macular degeneration • some forms of cancer • cardiovascular and heart disease • c-reactive protein/inflammation • metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance • osteoporosis • kidney stones This is due to increased levels of saturated fat and dietary protein in the diet, with inadequate nutrition coming from plant-based phyto-chemicals. [/url]Low-carb diets may increase the risk of birth defects and childhood cancers. Bread, Pasta, Breakfast cereals and orange juice — foods that are “off-limits” in a low-carb diet — are fortified with folic acid, a micronutrient essential to the neurological development of fetuses. The U.S. food and Drug Administration currently requires that enriched grain products be fortified with the essential Vitamin folic acid (the synthetic form of naturally occurring folate, or vitamin B-9, found in many leafy green vegetables, fruits and legumes). Since the fortification of grain-based foods with higher levels of folic acid, beginning in 1999, there has been a remarkable 19 percent drop in neural tube birth defects in the United States. Followers of a low-carb diet do not receive the benefits of folic acid fortification. Low-carb/high-fat diets are not more effective for weight loss. According to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are no significant differences in weight loss between low-carbohydrate diets and conventional weight-loss plans. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 9, 2003) reviewed studies of low-fat diets conducted between 1966 and 2003, and found that weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets was associated with length of diet, pre-diet weight, and the number of calories consumed, but not reduced carbohydrate content. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 22, 2003) found greater weight loss with a low-carbohydrate diet than a conventional diet during the first six months, but no significant differences in weight were observed after one year.1 Low-carb diets are perceived to be effective because of the rapid, initial weight loss. However, the weight loss is primarily due to the loss of muscle glycogen and Water — not body fat. Loss of muscle glycogen can result in lethargy and fatigue.1 Foods high in carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, are generally more filling — more “bulky” — than foods high in fat, and less prone to overeating. Foods high in fat can increase energy intake (calories) because they are more energy dense, not as “bulky,” and taste good, leaving eaters desiring more and making it easy to over-consume them. A lifestyle that is high in high-fat foods and low in exercise can lead to weight gain. Carbohydrates, such as pasta, do not make you fat. Consistently overeating calories— whether they’re from carbohydrates, fat, or protein — will make you fat. The only genuine, time-tested principle of healthy, long-term weight loss is to take in fewer calories than your body burns. Low-carb diets may cause cognitive difficulties. Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel that the human brain — the most energy-demanding organ in the body — can use. Muscle cells can burn both fat and carbohydrates, but the brain does not have the “machinery” to burn fat. Depriving the brain of carbs means depriving it of energy — and the shortfall can affect intellectual performance, such as memory and cognitive processing.1 Once the body’s glycogen reserve is exhausted, the brain ends up using ketones, a by-product of the breakdown of fat. Ketones are not the optimal energy source for the brain, and their increase in the body has been shown to impair mental judgment.2 Low-carb diets can make people — especially women — short-tempered. A new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the brain produces serotonin — which regulates moods and emotions — only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates, in combination with very little or no protein. A shortage of serotonin can lead to mood swings and depression. Eating a healthy pasta meal encourages the brain to make serotonin; eating a steak actually stops it from being produced.3 A Healthier Choice According to the American Dietetic Association, the voice of nutrition in America, there are no good or bad foods — only good or bad diets. At “Healthy Pasta Meals,” a recent Barilla-sponsored conference in Rome, Italy, a team of 38 nutrition scientists from around the world concluded that the “Mediterranean diet” is an excellent choice for maintaining overall health. The Mediterranean diet includes abundant plant foods (such as vegetables and pasta); olive oil; dairy products; fewer than four eggs weekly; fish and poultry in low-to-moderate amounts; red meat in low amounts; and wine with meals, in low-to-moderate amounts. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer.4" Low-carb/high-fat diets pose dangerous health risks and may increase the risk of contracting serious chronic diseases. Studies have linked extreme low-carb/high-fat diets to an increased risk of developing certain disease states, including: • Alzheimer disease • blindness and macular degeneration • some forms of cancer • cardiovascular and heart disease • c-reactive protein/inflammation • metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance • osteoporosis • kidney stones This is due to increased levels of saturated fat and dietary protein in the diet, with inadequate nutrition coming from plant-based phyto-chemicals. Low-carb diets may increase the risk of birth defects and childhood cancers. Bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and orange juice — foods that are “off-limits” in a low-carb diet — are fortified with folic acid, a micronutrient essential to the neurological development of fetuses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently requires that enriched grain products be fortified with the essential vitamin folic acid (the synthetic form of naturally occurring folate, or vitamin B-9, found in many leafy green vegetables, fruits and legumes). Since the fortification of grain-based foods with higher levels of folic acid, beginning in 1999, there has been a remarkable 19 percent drop in neural tube birth defects in the United States. Followers of a low-carb diet do not receive the benefits of folic acid fortification. Low-carb/high-fat diets are not more effective for weight loss. According to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are no significant differences in weight loss between low-carbohydrate diets and conventional weight-loss plans. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 9, 2003) reviewed studies of low-fat diets conducted between 1966 and 2003, and found that weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets was associated with length of diet, pre-diet weight, and the number of calories consumed, but not reduced carbohydrate content. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 22, 2003) found greater weight loss with a low-carbohydrate diet than a conventional diet during the first six months, but no significant differences in weight were observed after one year.1 Low-carb diets are perceived to be effective because of the rapid, initial weight loss. However, the weight loss is primarily due to the loss of muscle glycogen and water — not body fat. Loss of muscle glycogen can result in lethargy and fatigue.1 Foods high in carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, are generally more filling — more “bulky” — than foods high in fat, and less prone to overeating. Foods high in fat can increase energy intake (calories) because they are more energy dense, not as “bulky,” and taste good, leaving eaters desiring more and making it easy to over-consume them. A lifestyle that is high in high-fat foods and low in exercise can lead to weight gain. Carbohydrates, such as pasta, do not make you fat. Consistently overeating calories— whether they’re from carbohydrates, fat, or protein — will make you fat. The only genuine, time-tested principle of healthy, long-term weight loss is to take in fewer calories than your body burns. Low-carb diets may cause cognitive difficulties. Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel that the human brain — the most energy-demanding organ in the body — can use. Muscle cells can burn both fat and carbohydrates, but the brain does not have the “machinery” to burn fat. Depriving the brain of carbs means depriving it of energy — and the shortfall can affect intellectual performance, such as memory and cognitive processing.1 Once the body’s glycogen reserve is exhausted, the brain ends up using ketones, a by-product of the breakdown of fat. Ketones are not the optimal energy source for the brain, and their increase in the body has been shown to impair mental judgment.2 Low-carb diets can make people — especially women — short-tempered. A new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the brain produces serotonin — which regulates moods and emotions — only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates, in combination with very little or no protein. A shortage of serotonin can lead to mood swings and depression. Eating a healthy pasta meal encourages the brain to make serotonin; eating a steak actually stops it from being produced.3 A Healthier Choice According to the American Dietetic Association, the voice of nutrition in America, there are no good or bad foods — only good or bad diets. At “Healthy Pasta Meals,” a recent Barilla-sponsored conference in Rome, Italy, a team of 38 nutrition scientists from around the world concluded that the “Mediterranean diet” is an excellent choice for maintaining overall health. The Mediterranean diet includes abundant plant foods (such as vegetables and pasta); olive oil; dairy products; fewer than four eggs weekly; fish and poultry in low-to-moderate amounts; red meat in low amounts; and wine with meals, in low-to-moderate amounts. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer.4" (source: http://www.barillaus.com/Dangers_of_LowCarb_Diets.aspx ) Take care of yourselves! and research the effects of your choices!!! XO Leila

I don't understand it myself and it's very frustrating to put so much effort and work into it and not see any results. It makes me break down and cry sometimes but I keep going. But I will tell you that I stick to 700-860-some calories a day. Sometimes I'll make it to 900. I write EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth in a food journal and I mean EVERYTHING. Ever since I stalled back in July I have become extremely strict with my diet and sometimes have to force myself to work out as much as I do but I get it in.You have a right to be suspicious if what I'm saying is true but let me tell you that I'm being completely honest with you and completely honest with myself. Even in the liquid phase and mushy phase of my first few months with lap band I was unable to lose weight. Back then I was eating nothing but chicken broth, cream of chicken Soup, sugar free Jello, then moved on too mushy foods such as re-fried Beans, mashed potatoes, etc and was still unable to lose a pound with that kind of diet. I kept my portions to half a cup and 1 cup. I have had my thyroid checked because my grandmother had hypothyroid as well as two of my aunts on my mother's side. My thyroid workup always comes back normal. The only thing that the doctor has told me is that I have metabolic syndrome. But a funny thing did happen one time at my doctor's office. My doctor divides his time between his private practice and the hospitals around my city and he had hired a nurse practitioner. I went one day and he wasn't there so I saw this nurse practitioner and based what I told her about not being able to lose weight she prescribed thyroid medication and I picked it up at the pharmacy and I was happy that I finally had the answer to all my weight problems, but 2 weeks later while on that medication, my doctor called all of his patients that the nurse practitioner saw during that time and asked them to come in to re-evaluate her work and he told me I wasn't even hypo thyroid according to any of my blood workups. I asked him about the nurse practitioner and he told me he had to fire her because in his absence she was diagnosing people with illnesses and conditions that they didn't even have and prescribing medications they didn't even need that could also be harmful to them. So he took me off the thyroid medication and explained my numbers to me and told me I had no thyroid problems. But maybe I should see a specialist such as an endocrinologist just in case.