question for the vets

Okay I understand for the rest of my life I should be consuming only sugar free things or artifically sweetened things. I also know that this is impossible unless you make EVERYTHING you consume for yourself.

My question is how is everyone affected by regular sugar after RNY? How much "table sugar" can an average tool handle? I mean if you go to a resturant and your splitting a desert with friends you can't say make my piece sugar free please. Also, certain things are natural sugar (fruits for one); so how much of those sugars are normally tolerable? Also, fruit juices. I have heard some say they get 100 percent juice and just dialute? Crazy or not. Does dumping ever go away or does it just lessen as you get used to certain food or do you dump on anything over a certain amount of sugar or fat forever?

Carbs and fat...how much is too many, early on and on how many months out you are?

I really want to make sure I have a full grasp on this and while I ask my nut I feel better asking you guys for reassurance cause we are the ones actually living with the tool. With everything she told me she manily focused on foods rather than numbers in nut facts...so how can I go out to eat (not planning on it anytime soon but like I went to my friends house today for a baby christening and was lost, so I didn't eat ANYTHING and kept getting questioned) and look at a menu and judge this for myself...thats it I can't!

Thanks for the help. And please I would rather all the just do what your nut says yada yada yada because I know this and I have also gone through 2 nuts and on my third because they weren't realistic enough for me to believe a word they were saying.

My NUT told me to keep my sugar to no more then 3grs of sugar. So I'm trying to keep it down to the 3grs which has helped me from not dumping.

Howdy! 

It's best NOT to start thinking about regular sugar because -unfortunately- you will not be living the rest of your life COMPLETELY sugar and carb free **sho wish I could tho!!**  yes - you will be able to tolerate regular sugar at some point - it all depends on when you let the sugar monster in and how much you feed that ho.  I used to dump off the slightest REAL sugar, and now can tolerate enough to eat half a slice of cake or small bowl of ice cream, etc.  But I sure WISH I could go back to the high dump days - the more you can tolerate, the more you push your limit - it's the food addict in all of us. 

As for carbs and fat - I never counted or dealt with this - my nut and program had me focus on protein and I found that if I get enough of that in - the rest falls in line. 

The further out you get, the more you will be able to tolerate. I was a BIG dumper early out...now at 5yrs post op, I do still dump occasionally but for the most part know what I can tolerate. I will say though as for fruit juice, to this day I STILL cut it with water. But I don't drink juice much, I'd rather eat than drink my calories!

I used to dump bad at first but now there are some things that I can eat again but in small amounts. However at 5 yrs out I know which foods make me dump so I just dont eat them anymore.  when I am out I do worry about dumping from foods prepared by others so I usually order stuff that I have eaten at home or foods that I know have the least chance of making me dump like lean grilled meats and veggies.

I still dump if I have too much sugar or grease (that's my fault for testing the waters though).  It's not nearly as horrible as it was when I was a new post-op but it will still put me on my butt every now and then.


My suggestion is to steer clear for as long as you can...you'll be better off for it.  I was a huge juice drinker before surgery and I have to dilute everything with water now.  I loved watermelon before surgery but now I can't tolerate it. 

The plan is to focus on the protein and getting your water in...everything else will fall in line.