Let's talk about dumping/SF products....

I will never forget the first time I had "dumping syndrome."  It was a mistake of someone else's...  I tell my Smoothie King story a LOT...  how the night before my surgeon put me in the hospital for dehydration one month after my surgery, I knew my protein level was in the toilet...  so I stopped by Smoothie King to get a PROTEIN shake.  I told the lady, no sugar...  she added the strawberries that had the syrupy sugary stuff in them, and as I sat on the couch slurping away...  you guessed it....  I started to cramp like there was no tomorrow...  then ran to the bathroom.  I thought I was going to die...  I was shaking all over, stomach cramping, head pounding, heart thumping, cold sweat with a weird clammy feeling...  I had to hold a trash can to puke in cause I had to sit on the commode to , well TMI but you get the picture clearly.  I had to go lay down, stomach still cramping, then ran to the bathroom again for another round....  I slept for several hours after that... like my body had just crashed. Now, this is the reason we stay away from sugar.  So, people resort to eating sugar free products (pies, candies, ice cream, a wide array of sugar free products are now offered).  But I have asked myself many times, how many weight loss patients eat sugar free, thinking its SAFE... but it stalls their weight loss, and they eat it innocently enough but have no idea that its packed full of carbs, fat, and calories, or most of it is.   I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter....  Or maybe share some dumping stories.... 

Good GRAVY.. LOL. I hate the feeling when you dump. In the beginning it was a regular occurance and then you get into the swing of things and think you are doing good and BAM from nowhere there it is again. I have not had problems with SF items, even though they are SF I try to limit myself or else I pay in the end by gaining or not losing any weight.

Just remember that sugar is not the only thing we dump on.  I dump on some sugar free things, too much sugar alcohols.  I also dump on MSG in Chinese food.  So if you are trying something you haven't tried before, do it at home and only in small amounts. darlene

Thanks for the info Melinda.  I guess this is why I am having RNY...specifically for the dumping aspect.  I hope I am making since with this.  I am a sugar fiend.  That has always been my problem.  So, I am hoping the "dumping aspect" of RNY will help to keep me honest. I can happily say I have no dumping stories to tell.  But I'm sure that will change in upcoming weeks.   I recently ran across this video on You Tube that shared a dumping experience.  It's not graphic or TMI, but was very informative to me as far as what happens.  The link is below. Hope you have a great day! Gastric Bypass Dumping Story

What also causes dumping for me is fried food.  One day after a haircut/color, I stopped at Arby's to try their new chicken salad.  I sat looking at the marquis to order and curly fries and chicken tenders sounded great...  I ate 2 chicken tenders, 5 curly fries.  I had to stop at Goodys to use the restroom and I was almost an hour from home.  I thought I was going to die!  The grease was a shock to my system.  Actually I have a little more tolerance now to sugars and can have a few bites of desserts on occasion...  so it means I must maintain control...  yet I am still very cautious and sometimes scared of sugar which causes me to stay within normal bounds...  I have had 2 bad dumping episodes, enough to make me NEVER forget!  But that greasy food stuff just kind of jumped up and bit me in the rear.  It was unexpected...  but since I dont eat fried foods, I didnt know what kind of reaction that would give me....

Hey Melinda. I sitll have not tried Smoothie King yet but I hear they are pretty good and they do have SF smoothies. I have just always been scared ot let them make my smoothie and it not really be sugar free (like in your case). Not just with smoothie king but I don't trust anyplace to give me sugar free or "no sugar added" desserts unless I can see a nutritional pamhlet that tells me how much sugar is in it. The "no sugar added' is VERY deceptive! Yeah, I know I love my SF alternatives (especially Murray Cookies). But gees, they are loaded with calories. Like 70-100 calories for one cookie. So, I do not eat them much anymore and when I do, I definately limit the amount I eat. I think that just because something is sugar free and better for you, doesn't mean you should binge on it (which I have been known to do!). But you still have to have control over how much of anything you are eating (good or bad).  I have always been one that says it is not good to deny yourself anything. So, I am glad that there are more sf items out there for people like us who want something sweet but can't tolerate sugar. But in any event, you are right, we still have to control how often we eat those things and how much we eat it in one sitting.

"Sugar Free" or "No Sugar Added" usually means there is added fat. When they take out the sugar they have to add fat for texture, moisture, and flavor. So, we need to be even more vigilant of calorie content and fat content with these items.  Also, the term "Net Carbs" is deceiving because it does not take sugar alcohols into consideration and we must still count them. I do have to be careful of sugar alcohols as I have found myself to be as sensitive to them as I am to sugar. I can still enjoy a few bites of dessert after a meal. I just have to keep in mind my limits and stop before I cross that line. Good topic for newbies and older post-ops too! Good job Mel!

I had my first dumping episode after my Thanksgiving dinner which was the result of eating deep fried turkey...I was in pain for four hours, finally after throwing up at midnight I obtained some relief.

Wow I learned quickly that the pouch is the boss!! I eat only sugar-free banana popcycles now that's about it. But I have kept up with your exploits and advice. Thanks Will