Hypoglycemia

I am having problems with hypoglycemia and really could use some advice. I have met with a dietician at one of the local hospitals and I really don't think it did me any good. What I was told by her was to increase my carbs; she said to start eating mashed potatoes, corn, squash, crackers, cream of wheat/rice, and bread. I thought these where the bad carbs. Also, she said I should eat 6 times a day.  I have spoken to the dietician at my surgeons office a few times over the phone and she said to go with more protein and only the good carbs; like whole grains, beans, fruits and veggies; she also said to have 6 mini meals. I had RNY; August 23, 2006 and have lost 147 pounds but now it is at a stand still. I am about 9 pounds from my doctors goal. I really could use some advice as I feel like that is all I am doing is eating and eating; I didn't go through the surgery to have to eat all the time. It is really scary when your blood sugar bottoms out and I would like to know how to correct this problem.  And help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks,  Chris

Unfortunately, from what I know about hypoglycemia, one of the ways it's managed is to eat small amounts regularly throughout the day, including some complex carbs each time you eat.  This helps keep your blood sugar within proper ranges.  I'm not hypoglycemic, but I'm 28+ months post-op and I eat 7-9 times per day.  That's just what works for me and I'm still losing 3-5 pounds per month.  I eat slightly more at traditional meal times -- breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- then eat 4-5 "snacks" spaced pretty evenly throughout the day.  I keep my snacks between 100-200 calories for the most part, and I try to eat snacks that have some complex carbs, good fats, and proteins (things like low-fat cheese w/ a few crackers, light yogurt w/ granola, cottage cheese w/ fresh fruit, etc.).  I also exercise a lot, so am eating ~2200 calories per day (and still losing). 

Anyway, that's all the long way of saying that needing to eat 6 mini-meals a day is doable and it will not necessarily sabotage your weight loss efforts and/or ability to maintain.  But it should help address the hypoglycemia issue. 

Good luck on your continuing journey -

Kellie