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As a bandster, I have to disagree with this statement. I'm not saying we need to rigidly schedule our meals and never deviate from that routine, but I've found that if I let myself get too hungry I almost always eat too fast and make myself sick. As a diabetic, here's what I have done (and I'm now off ALL diabetes meds since about three weeks post-op). I follow Supreme Band Rule #1 (I made that up, like it?) and eat my Protein first, then my green veggies, then any low GI carb source last (only if there's room). I am eating very low-carb by default. I also eat a little something every few hours, for a couple of reasons. First, until I am off meds for at least a year I still consider myself diabetic and try to avoid hypo episodes at all cost. Second, that helps to boost your metabolism and keeps the weight loss going. As for your original topic of head hunger, I think we all have to deal with that to a point. I haven't found any magic bullet for it yet. :phanvan

About three months after surgery, I started experiencing episodes of low blood sugar, usually after eating something bad for me. I was never diabetic and I've learned to deal with this and have learned what triggers the episodes. I'm 17 months out from surgery, down 110 lbs (20lbs more than goal weight), and have had no other complications. Anyone else with this same issue? Just looking for someone to commiserate with!

I have been hypothyroid for many years, had the surgery 10/31/12 and lost 107 lbs. Last March I became hyperthyroid for some reason for a few months, then dropped and became very hypo again. The endocrinologist says she has no idea why it happened. I think it really contributed to hair loss, but not too much to weight loss. She put me on tirosint, a thyroid replacement medication that is more expensive but believed to be better absorbed in our small stomachs. My levels have been steady since. The thought is that once one has thyroid problems they are more likely to have more thyroid problems down the road. We just have to stay vigilant.

The "Hair loss" is called Telogen Effluvium https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/effluviums#1 It's not really "Hair loss" it's just a larger % of your hair follicles going into rest at once, so when they reactivate they shed the hair they were holding and that gives the appearance of "hair loss". Fear is normal, NSAIDs are not the only pain relief out there, there are options. Pretty much everything you've listed is normal fears, and pretty much, all of those fears, you'll laugh at down the road. I was 370 at my largest. I'm 210 now, I have some extra saggy skin, but it's really not THAT bad and it's totally hidden under even decently tight clothing. Just remember, staying overweight *WILL* kill you. If something was to happen during your surgery, the best place for that to happen, is in a hospital. No one but you can tell you if what you are going to do is right for you. You have to make that call. Weigh out all the pros and cons, and make your decision based on that, no one is going to look down on you for making the best decision for your life that you can.

were you hypo?

Hi there... I am type 2 diabetic. The symptoms you describe sound like beginnings of a "hypo" which happens when your blood sugar drops too low. If you are not getting carbs, this is entirely possible if you are prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Before the surgery you may have always had enough carbs so that you never reached the point of feeling symptoms. Best to see your doctor to be on the safe side.

@@Renkoss I learned my lesson that day with the glucose tabs. My sugar was too low, I couldn't find them and I don't keep juice in my home. I literally tore the cabinet apart and found them and then even struggled to open the container because I was shaking so bad. Now, they sit right on my end table. They are opened and ready to use. I do not use Protein powder at all. Because I have kidney problems I have to be careful not to have more than 70 grams of protein per day. I get that between my one premier Protein shake that I have every morning religiously and my other meals. I have oatmeal or cream of wheat very rarely when I have a craving for it and have learned that I just need to make sure I get that protein snack between. I have found that if you let more carbs into your diet on a regular basis the chance of you developing reactive hypoglycemia is much higher. I try not to let that happen but there are days I simply want something besides protein and veggies. I eat a lot of fresh fruit, dehydrated apple chips and once per day I have a starch in one of my meals. My nut believes in a balanced approach vs. just protein and veggies and so far it has worked for me. Thankfully I only experience that reactive hypoglycemia on occasion. The bad part is when it happens you can actually cause it to go on all day. I have learned to stop it as soon as it happens.

As I understand it (purely from reading research studies, not from personal experience), reactive hypoglycemia is a post-WLS condition more likely to occur in RnY patients than sleeved patients, although it's not unheard of among sleevers. Sorry you guys are having to deal with this. Best to you.

I'm hypo had half of mines removed due to goiter I take pills for it daily was just sleeved on 6th of September Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I do find that snacking leads to stalls and or weight gain for me. I have to be very careful because I also get reactive hypoglycemia so i pretty much eat very small meals all day long. That is a slippery slope and can feel much like grazing which is the worst thing i can do. Early on while in weight loss mode my nut had me drink milk for a snack. it gives you added Protein, turns to a solid keeping you full for quite a while. And.....best of all you can add different types of tea to it. My favorite all time snack especially in the winter is chocolate chai tea. I use the loose tea version from teavanna and steep it for 3 minutes. It is especially delicious, hits the spot with NO added sugar other than what is in the milk. I use lactaid because i still have a lactose intolerance. If i dont have that, i will eat full fat cheese, pepperoni, shrimp, almonds and sometimes bariatric pal hot chocolate or bariatric pal vanilla capacciono.

You will find your balance with all of this. It’s a strange thing to experience for yourself, Right? I can relate to many of the post on how it messes with you when you hit goal. It took time for my mind to catch up and to see myself correctly.(body dysmorphia) It was something I had to work on. Wow. I get it. I would never in my life expect to say the words I need to STOP losing weight. My inner obese woman. *smile* had a hard time wrapping my head around it. People mean well, but comments like you look sick, your too thin, when are you going to stop losing weight. it's not helpful. It's hard enough for you to deal with rapid weight loss. Some of us have reactive hypoglycemia as a slight complication after surgery. Talk with your Dr and get a glucose meter. https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=reactive hypo

@RJ'S/beginning First, you belong here on BP. You are a wonderful host, and you bring a different perspective. All that you have been through makes you uniquely qualified to discuss the painful complications you've had that others would benefit from hearing. If I were going through something like that, I would come to sites like this and look for someone like you, because I would want to know that there is hope. You offer that people. Second, you are a success, and no one can take that away from you, and most certainly not with words. One thing I've learned about the medical community, is that they tend to be single minded in approach, and their single mind is focused around their specialty. If you had back pain and you went to a surgeon, he'd want to operate. If you went to a pain specialist, he'd want to inject you. If you went to a psychiatrist, he'd want to treat you with imagery. If you went to a GP, he'd try to manage it with pain meds. If you went to a sports medicine, he'd try to treat you with physical therapy. All of that's a little simplistic, but you get the picture. I wonder if you aren't focusing too much on his words? Just because he is calling you a survivor, it doesn't take away the fact that you are also successful, does it? It's just semantics, and in truth, he's right. You've survived A LOT, and are still dealing with that outcome. And I think surviving all that you have speaks to your wonderful spirit! I think you should be proud that you survived AND succeeded! He's just simply looking at it from his perspective, and that is treating the reactive hypoglycemia. I do hope he can figure out how to make that happen soon, so you can feel better an move on with the wonderful life you have successfully created for yourself!

My feet used to burn up when I was having a hyperthyroidism flare, I would put a tub of cool Water in the room with me to stand in and cool off my feet. It was like my body heat was escaping through my foot bottoms. .. You might want to check your thyroid, are you on thyroid meds and have now lost weight? Or have ever had thyroid issues? (Sorry, on my phone, can't see your stats) This was when I was in my twenties and had hyperthyroidism so bad they were taking about taking out some of my thyroid, 20 years later and my thyroid is hypo now...

I had to go to a specialist for my reactive hypoglycemia. Nothing is working. I have tried it all so far and have passed out several times. Anyway. I went two days ago and I am not saying the guy was a jerk because he wasn't. He was very nice and said that he can help me....They are sending me to a dietitian that specializes in difficult situations like mine where nothing is working. He said I was a survivor not a success at WLS. He told me that I am going to be turned into someone that Bariatrics does not like and that is a grazer. I am going to eat every hour. All day long. And the food that I will be given will regulate my sugars. This is his plan..... Now back to my shock and hurt over his comment. I said what are you talking about...I am at goal, and thin....He said so what it is healthy we aim for not thin. Sounded right to me. But then I asked if he had ever been fat in his life and he said..NO..Well I said, You have not got one clue what it is like to be fat and what we go through....He said true but I recommend WLS to a lot of my patients because of Diabetes. I said almost before he finished...And then what!? they get the surgery and are left hanging with no support or help from the medical community. He asked me what I meant and I told him that for most of the complications I have had they have sent me right back to my original surgeon. And there were times when it was not necessary. He said. That's not fair. I said that didn't matter it is the way it is around my area. He said that the wait time is now 7 years here. I said well then a person who really needs it has 2 problems right. He looked at me...first they are in a place where you feel they need this surgery and then they can't get it because of the lists.....Why don't you just write a death certificate and get it over with. He told me to stop crying and put myself together. He asked me why I was so upset. I told him that losing my weight was me being a success story and he repeated again. No! I said I am alive and I was dead before just not in the ground. He said look at you...You are weak and sick and now I have to find out why this stuff keeps happening to you. You obviously have unresolved food issues. I said yes doesn't everyone. Doesn't every one go through periods in their lives where they eat to be happy. Look at the new WW commercial. He then asked me if I would like to see a shrink and I said NO..I have been to enough of them to know they know less them me.. ( sorry if any of you are shrinks, it is not personal ) So I left his office after 2 hours of questions and tears and a solution to my hypoglycemia problem...Soon... So I am still upset and I talk to someone I trust and still crying and in the conversation she says to me. I really don't understand why you even bother with Bariatric Pal. They have not helped you and the only thing you could say to anyone is maybe how to live through a botched surgery....Crushed I listened to the rest of the call without much commenting. This place has been a home for me for over 2 years......And then someone says that I have no right to be here. That I am not needed here. This has really sent me into a spin.... I am not looking for compliments. I want to know what you think about the situation. Am I unsuccessful or should I leave this site that has helped me so much? If there is nothing to offer others then my place here is for not!? Am I only a survivor of WLS? Are others going through similar things as I am? I feel so disheartened!

Hi I hope results will come back to normal soon…I am hypo as well.. I think the issue is not the lap band surgery itself the issue is that with unbalanced thyroid level you will not be able to lose that much weight if any so for me it is waste of money and time if you do it with a high level of thyroid you will struggle to lose a pound…Actually I never been over weight in my whole life.. I was always 132 pounds till my thyroid and pregnancy take place and I am now 240 pounds… So Thyroid really affects your metabolism if it is unbalanced. You can go ahead with the surgery and your doc maybe will not stop the surgery but I were you I would wait till my thyroid level is balanced as most of the weight lose will be in your first year so don’t waste this year because your thyroid is not balanced.. For the medication it has to be daily first thing in the morning same time daily and no vitamins with them especially Iron and calcium and never eat anything that has calcium 2 hrs after the medication (milk, cheese ,…) and not to eat for an hr in general.. some people taking the medication at night before bed if they can’t wait for multivitamins, breakfast and coffee for that long ask your doc about this option… not a good idea to forget your bills because this is you have stressing your body one day you give your body the hormone another day not… At the end don’t worry I am sure everything will be all right.. every time I got pregnant my level goes dramatically up and it goes back to normal when I change my dose…

What kind of problems? People generally don't get long-term complications from sleeves. It's not like RnY where people get reactive hypoglycemia and have to have part of their pancreas removed to fix it or get ulcers from the surgery that have to be treated. It's even very unlikely that the sleeve would stretch enough to require a fix. If you mean, what if I don't lose all the weight, it would depend on how little I had lost. If I was 10-20 lb more than I wanted to be, I'd lump it. If it was a significant amount, I would get some kind of intestinal bypass, either RnY or DS. I don't know which one because I haven't looked into the nitty gritty details of either. I'd probably go for a DS but I'm not sure I could eat enough fat to make it work. (I don't like greasy food.) I doubt I would put a band over it because the odds are just too high that I'd have to have yet another surgery to remove it some day and be right back where I started. Plus, the only thing a band would fix is if the sleeve had somehow stretched and was too big and you can fix that by having it tightened instead. Not to mention it rarely happens -- you really have to abuse the thing to get it to stretch. I don't know where you heard that people are putting bands over VSG. I don't know anyone who has done that -- it really hasn't been around long enough to know a lot of people who had revisions. Most VSGers will get a DS if they have inadequate weight loss because they figure they need the malabsorption after all. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

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.

No, no eliminating anything from my diet - I am not eating anything new that I didn't eat pre-op, and I'm not eating anything I don't have permission to eat. My surgeon mentioned it may be a systemic reaction, something I ingested at the hospital. Maybe the thrush prevention mouth wash thing I had to take, who knows. I stopped the heavy duty painkillers about 4 days out. Have you considered shingles? It comes out with stress in the body and is only mildly reactive to steroids.

I'm hypo had surgery Oct 25th and I'm down 32 lbs. Sent from my SM-G900R4 using the BariatricPal App

Benefiber , stool softener, walk walk walk.. 600 steps per hour is doable... walk wherever you are. I walk inside the house in a figure of 8 ... walking moves things along. I had bad bad constipation n I've been sleeved on 25 August. My nutritionist asked me to take fiber gummies too. I add half a banana in my shake + ground flax seed. I'll do whatever it takes to move things along. Stay positive & channel your energy to solving the problem. You'll be good I know it's frustrating.. but you will figure what works for u I promise! Make sure to take your thyroid meds if you have hypo & if u take iron that could slow things down big time too . Tc !

Good point Alex. I will ask about testing for my A1C levels. She did suggest healthy carbs. Both that you mentioned, I am having trouble digesting them. I will look at more legumes as she got excited that I enjoy them. So far this week I have had two attacks. But was able to catch them before they got really bad! I know it is Reactive Hypoglycemia. I was diagnosed with that. But for some reason as I am an emotional person and affected by things around me. It seems to trigger the attacks more then say others who are less sensitive to their surroundings. This is who I am. My nature! I cannot change this part of me. If I/they can't figure out a way to help me then it will be one more pill I have to take daily. Still it does not change the fact that I would do it all over again. To be where I am today!

Was hypo now hyper. Still on 800 calories a day Going to specialist today to get more info

Actually, I am living with worse conditions since surgery then before. I not only take more drugs but I have reactive Hypoglycemia because of it. Other then a bad back I was a healthy over weight person. The chronic co-morbid conditions happened after the surgery. K

I've had reactive hypoglycemia for the last 4-5 years. Definitely talk to an endocrinologist. I got a prescription for the Libre 2 wearable device that allows me to monitor my sugar levels in real-time. The Libre will notify you when your blood sugar is dropping or spiking. You'll learn which foods trigger low blood sugar soon enough. For me, it's sushi and alcohol or any high-carb food.

I can eat both sugar and fat in small amounts with no problem. I have not heard of passing out from too much sugar, I have had episodes of reactive hypoglycemia and that can cause some serious symptoms.