Other Info at 3-month Follow-up

Another thing I wanted to share... my Nut told me I wasn't eating enough. She said I needed to be getting a MINIMUM of 800 calories, preferably, by this time, 1000. She also said I shouldn't let my carbs much below 100... My surgeon agreed. How in the #$@#(#($ am I supposed to get up that high and STILL follow their rules? I'm now officially on 4 oz a meal, and am allowed one snack, but it still seems counter-intuitive. My NUT told me to start drinking a glass of juice to up my carbs and calories... Talk about a big in any other weight loss attempt I've ever tried... *kicks sand* Just when I thought I had the game figured out, they went and changed the rules!

Becky... You nailed it... it's a WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.... All the diets that we tried and failed... all the Fads.... all the all carb... No fats... jus****er.... just grapefruit... Think of all the Crap we have subjected outselfs too... Over 80 years ago some very smart people without PHd's made up a list of the 4 basic food groups and "portion controls". We've let the media and the fast food world shoot the hell out of our common sense. Weight Loss is a multi-billion dollar business. We let the foxes have the keys to the henhouse. We need to get back to basics.... "Stop the Insanity" and "don't forget to wash your hands" It's so simple that we figured it couldn't work..... Kate Z

Yeah I had my checkup a little early and I hated it. First he made me feel I was hiding what I was eating and that I was snacking and that's why the weight wasn't coming off that quickly, then he turned around and told me to add more calories....You go figure....They say stop eating when your full, but if you do this then how are to get all the calories in....hmmm...oxymoron. ---Sabrina

Becky Sue, I can totally understand your frustration at this situation. I had my 3 month post op with my PCP yesterday and I see my surgeon on Friday. The hard thing about this is that every surgeon has different guidelines and there is so much conflicting information about what is the "correct" thing to do. For me, I have to do what makes me feel better. I have also done a lot of independent research on dietary guidelines for Gastric Bypass Patients. For me, I need to eat every 2-3 hours. Sometimes it will be a meal, like a chicken breast or egg salad or fat free turkey and fat free cheese or sometimes it will be a protein bar, or a protein shake. I cannot drink juice because I dump on sugars and juice makes me dump. I try and get in 90-120 grams of protein each day, and I get in about 1000-1200 calories a day. I watch my carbs and try and keep them under 60 a day. Almost everything that I consume has to have some nutritional value, except for liquids like Crystal Light or coffee. If I don't eat frequently I will get dizzy and fatigued. My lab work showed that everything is perfect, and I'm getting in the appropriate amount of protein and vitamins. Every doctor is different, so I wouldn't stress too much on following your surgeons rules exactly. Do what feels right to you, and what makes your body feel better throughout the day. If drinking juice doesn't make you feel good, then drink some milk or yogurt drink, that willl give you protein too. Or eat some string cheese, or soy nuts, or beef jerkey, or sliced lunch meat, or have a protein drink or a protein bar. These are just some ideas, and I'm not disagreeing with your surgeon's advice. Like I said, everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. Good luck on this roller coaster ride! Deanna

Hello Becky, I have not officially introduced myself but I am Teresa Lasseter. I had my surgery on May 26th in Alabaster AL. I live in Huntsville, AL. I have lost 57 lbs. which I am very proud of. I started at 212 and I weigh 155 now. My problem is that I know I am not getting enough calories at all. I probably am getting between 400 and 500 a day (on a good day). I try to eat but I always feel full and when I try to force it I feel like I am going to puke! (I have always hated that feeling, even before surgery). I cannot tolerate much at all. The only thing I can eat at this point is a baked chicken, baked fish, corn and a few fruits. (no carbs at all, no sugar in any form, no deli meats). I can only eat a few bites at a time. I am drinking water only (maybe 34 oz a day and it doesn't go down easy either). Do you think I have some type of obstruction or is this normal. I haven't called my doctor yet. My 3 month appointment is not until the first or second week of September. I am getting a little nervous about this. I don't snack in between meals but maybe I should since I am eating so little. Thanks for any advise. Teresa

Hi Teresa! I always say, when in doubt, call your surgeon. That's what we pay them the big bucks for! I would definately try to get your fluid intake up. That right there can make you feel pretty crappy if you're not getting enough fluids. Have you tried Crystal Light? SF Koolaid? Diet Snapple? Decaf Tea? For me, these are all a lot easier to get down than water. I try and do half water each day, though. Good luck!

I have tried the Crystal Light drinks before and it seems that Nutra Sweet and Splenda do not go down well. That is why I have stuck to water. I have not tried them in a while though. Maybe I should try again. I bought two boxes of the Power Crunch Protein bars because everyone was talking about how good they were and I need to get more Protein in. They are okay but they taste really, really sweet to me. I can't believe that I was so addicted to sugar before and now I can't tolerate it at all. My husband had the surgery almost four years ago and he eats sugar like nobody's business, it is unreal. Thanks, Teresa

I don't go back til mid-September for my next follow-up but there is no way in heck I could eat 100 carbs. I am extremely insulin resistant. If I eat carbs other than vegies and low-carb fruits...I gain weight. Calorically I'm not eating enough to gain anything but my body reacts harshly. It sucks. I don't know what my caloric intake is. I get 3 protein shakes in a day each about 30-35 grams so that's probably about 360 calories a day right there. If I had to guess...I get 600-800 cals a day right now. I'm also diabetic and drinking juice would just shoot my blood sugar up to the roof. I don't like the rules you are being given. Kathy

I'm not fond of them either, but not for any medical reason, just psychologically, it goes against what I've been told for years. The calorie thing I understand, ya gotta keep your calories up if you want to lose weight, I know that, it's just difficult. If I REALLY work at it, I can break 800, but then I feel like I've been eating out of a trough all day... The carb thing - her comment was, we don't want you in ketosis, so you have to keep your carbs up. I know there's a lot of different theories about ketosis and whether it's good or bad. I figure, hey, she's the Nut, she knows what she's talking about, but after doing Atkins, it's difficult to get my mind around. Same thing with drinking juice. Fortunately, I don't have the insulin problems like you, for me, it's all just head issues...