Protein = weightloss?

 I have done exactly what every successful D.S.er has done in the past, and added new ideas from professionals with educational expertise. Growth in new directions is healthy. Sharing these ideas is valuable to all. I am open to suggestions from everyone with a positive attitude. That is to say my attitude is positive.  ;-)

You know, I have a very good PCP in general and I would say he has great expertise in what he is doing. BUT he tells me that that much fat is not healthy. Yes for people who do not malabsorb this is true. But he doesn't understand what a DS is. If I eat three times as much fat as a non-DSer, then I am still absorbing less fat than that person. Just because someone works in the medical field or is a good surgeon does not mean they know rats about our nutrition. My surgeon is great. I love him. He does his job great and he cuts great. But that is what he does. He cuts. He does not get involved in the nutrion aspect. Sadly most NUT's think that the RNY and the DS for example are the same thing. So low fat it is. But the needs of a DSer are different. We only absorb 20% of the fat. So if I eat the small portions I eat with low fat foods, my body is basically not getting any fat.
Just because someone went to medical shool or is wearing scrubs does not mean they should give advise about nutrition to WLS patients.

And do you really think that you are the first patient that is getting this mindbreaking new researched advise from people with great expertise? There are loads of people who get that kind of advise all the time. You lost the weight because you had a DS, not because of the way you ate.

 My surgeon only handles my surgery. My nutritionist hands me a print out of suggested guidelines for D.S. I do what works for me. Eating the fat is fine. I dont have a high colesterol issue. The allergy diet for a few days broke my stall unexpectedly.  I'm not eating low fat long term. Mixing up food choices was a good way for me to get out of my plateau.

 Everyone needs a certain amount of fat in their diet for health. If I have a choice, I would choose healthy fats, and stay away from unhealthy nitrates. Each doctor is trained in specific fields,  no one can cover it all. Medical training is highly specialized. If a doctor doesnt give me solutions to my medical problems, I am the first to find another one. None of my doctors are giving me advice about D.S. nutrition, or any kind of nutrition.

 I have 3 different doctors groups recieving my labs. They each give advice, and I can use their advice or not. My labs are great, so far. I'm happy I had the D.S. Its working for me. I feel healthy, energetic, and am able to exercise at the gym pain free from my hip and knee arthritis, since I have lost 100 lbs. I had lots of pain just walking to the mailbox and walking the dog before surgery.



Back to Basics Boot Camp:
There is a weekend seminar at Grand Health Partners, Grand Rapids, covering new ideas they havent  given their patients yet they told me. It may be interesting to attend if you live close. Its scheduled Sat. March 17, 8-12. They offer seminars like this once or twice a year, open to the public.

 It would be very helpful if people posting here would perminently list their surgical date, start date, curent weight, low weight  to their signature.

Everyone is bring up good questions to ask their doctors, nutritionists or any one they trust to provide helpful information. 

I am interested in what people have done the first year to break stalls. Did you change foods, up protein and fats, add exercise, what else?  I tried upping the protein and fats, as my nut suggested, didnt help me. The vets here have years of experience, share your tips please. 

Maintence diets of people years out from surgery are different from diets used during the first year of major weight loss. Their larger stretched out stomachs, provide the ability to eat more various foods in addition to protein. Some surgeons make particularly small stomachs, mine does. Restrictive eating is the main reason why I had this surgery.

My stomach is still very small, not stretched out to accomodate the large amounts of real food, meat and fat of a typical maintence diet. I should be eating meat protein first  to achieve my protein goals, if thats all I can fit in. Protein first always. I have been making up the difference with high protein shakes to reach 120g protein a day.

In my case there's no room for anything else. No room for bulky starchy veggies, or the fat from around my steak. I do add a few fresh steamed baby green beans, or spinach for fiber, and olive oil for cooking. One cup of anything is all I can fit in with my D.S. at 6 month out, it keeps me full for hours.

"Take time to let the D.S. do its thing" is a good suggestion, but..... I am impatient to achieve goal weight while the window of easy weight loss is still possible. I was advised to do my best to make it happen during this time period.

 

 It is normal to have stalls.  Normal.  You don't have to "do" anything to break your stall.  If you focus on protein,  limit your carbs,  drink plenty of fluids,  and get a moderate amount of exercise, you will continue to lose weight.  It really is that simple.

What is your rush?  You're six months out...the weight will come off....the DS is a marathon,  not a sprint.

Why haven't you told us what your vitamin regimen consists of?  Since your nutritionist's DS guidelines are so off,  you should be concerned about the vitamin recs as well.

Wouldn't eating red meat also help get in more iron. A friend of mine who hasn't had any WLS but doesn't eat red meat or pork ,by choice, was told by her doctor that she had to start eating beef or go on iron suppliments. Her iron was very low and she was pregnant so she chose to start eating beef again and this helped her iron levels a great deal. The fat issue makes sense. If you are eating very low fat and only absorbing a small percent of what you intake, it would be like living fat less...no fat is not good for us. Our bodies need some fat to function properly.

 I have been eating filet M. for the past 3 months, and pork chops, chicken skin, thighs , wings, a variety of cheeses, cashews, avocados, olive oil, tuna w/mayo, salad dressing. Now at 6 months, this new diet was given to me. I will be asking why the change in suggested foods.Monday  I  will e-mail questions.

My iron levels are fine, within the normal range, as are all my lab values. I take Iron/C - Bariatric Advantage Chews daily. I know she didnt give me the wrong diet by mistake, it is titled "Duodenal Switch". I'm going to the "Boot Camp" lecture next Sat, at Grand Health Partners, Grand Rapids. I can ask all these kind of questions every one has brought up.

What calcium are you taking and how much/often?

Listen,  just because a nutritionist gave you something called a "DS diet" does NOT mean it's appropriate!  How many times do you have to hear that from experienced DSers?

A DSer DOES NOT need to be concerned with "heart-healthy" fats.  A nutritionist who told you that DOES NOT understand the DS.

Ask her for the RNY guidelines and see if/how they are different.  

New York B.,
I think you should change your name to NYBeauty, because you give us  healthy ideas, care and empathy through your posts ;-)

Thanks for your concern about my diet and supplements. I have been doing my own thing from the start. Researching the most optimal D.S. diet from highly regarded sources across the country, collecting" second opinions". I live "way out side the box "being the creative person I am, never blindly accepting any advice. 

Atkins Diet:
Been using the Atkns diet most of my life since age 8, and have continued its guidelines since my D.S. All my life my labs have been great, even without vitamins. Now I take a full  regiment of supplements daily. Growing up my family always had a varied fresh diet with lots of  meat, beef , fish, chicken, cheese, and all kinds of protein. I continued this kind of food plan for my sports children and family.  My active sports training in ice skating, skiing and tennis, along with my healthy diet helped build strong bones my whole life.

Bones:
I have had lots of calcium foods all my life- lots of cheese, dairy and ice cream. my Dads addiction to ice cream was passed on to me, my down fall !!!   My husband is a radiologist. He has reviewed all my bone scans. My bones are in great shape, look like a much younger person.

Dexa Scan:
Last month I had an MRI of hip and knee due to pain- results arthritis. Normal aging. My sports orthopaedic surgeon said I would never need a hip replacement, with my dense bones. He liked my intense gym workout. I spend 2 hours 4 times a week with a varried program, personal trainer, 20 weight machines, cardio- treadmill- 3-4 miles, floor exercises and stretching. Exercise makes bones stronger. My baseline Dexa Scan was excellent. Smoking affects your Dexascan. I never smoked.

Cacium  Citrate:
Bariatric Advantage SF Calcium Citrate Chewy Bites- Rapsberry, and Carmel , 250mg calcium with vitamin D-3. I have taken these Since my D.S.-  at least 1800mg or more a day= 6.  Count the carbs here-3g ea. I keep them in my car, purse and pocket. For the past 15 yrs I have been taking calcium supplements, and "D". Find these chewy bites on line or at the GHP store,Grand Rapids. My labs for calcium and" D" are high normal. 

Sandra  ;-)

 How is your PTH intact?  It's not the serum calcium that matters.  But anyway,  you are a newbie...for many DSers,  the malabsorption doesn't make its way into labs for quite some time....as most experienced DSers will tell you, it is much better never, ever to let your levels tank rather than try to fix them once they're low.  You are not taking enough calcium or D.  And you're not taking D in the right form.

Now a question - if you've been "on Atkins" most of your life and your diet has been "healthy" then pray tell how you got morbidly obese?