Question:
Need help with nutrition!

I drink carnation instant breakfast in the morning,I put a banana in it, is it fattning hope I spelled that right? I went from 122 to 130 in the past few weeks.I am 11 months post-op and can tolerate about anything that scares me alot because I feel like I am going back to my old ways! can someone please help should I just do the carnation instant breakfast in the morning or what? Please help!    — Marian M. (posted on August 13, 2004)

August 13, 2004
Maybe it has too much carbs for your system. There are better high protien drinks out there than instant breakfast. I think it has more carbs than protien, unless you are using the sugarless. And adding a banana adds more carbs. Or maybe the instant breakfast doesn't have much to do with it, it might be a sodium water retention problem. I gain if I eat too many carbs or drink high sodium juices like tomato or V8. I am 17 months out and routinely bounce up and down 6 or 7 pounds.
   — linda A.

August 13, 2004
I am 2 years out and I go up and down 5 lbs but that is far as I allow it to go. I drink the new Hood carb countdown chocolate milk every morning. It is high protein, low carb and it works great for me..If I eat carbs for breakfast I eat all day long, if I eat protein I am fine. I have no idea why but thats how it works for me..Good Luck!!
   — Sharon1964

August 13, 2004
Yep, sugar....the milk and the banana. Forget Carnation Instant Breakfast, I don't care what the docs & nutritionists say. Most of them are clueless anyway, although well meaning. Go to www.Vitalady.com and order a bunch of samples. Make them with water. If you like them thick, make them in the blender with ice cubes, maybe a Tbs. of SF FF pudding powder or FF Cool Whip...much tastier and MUCH more absorbable protein. Also, to change it up a bit, add some SF Davinci syrups, also at Vitalady.com.
   — Leslie F.

August 13, 2004
Marian, it is unusual to gain 8 pounds in a few weeks at just 11 mo post-op. A few pounds up and down is normal but 8 is alot. Are you doing anything else different? I would not assume that the Carnation with banana is the cause, but look at everything else you are eating and the exercise you do to try to figure out why the gain. The others are right that there are better protein drinks (look for those with whey protein isolate as the main ingrediant) out there for you than Carnations but I would not assume thats the culprit.
   — Cindy R.

August 13, 2004
I hope you're using the No Sugar Added variety of Carnation Instant Breakfast because the other type has sugar. As for the banana, bananas are a high glycemic food--in other words they are loaded with sugars (fruit sugars). Try a lower glycemic food along side of your CIB and maybe that will help or get a protein drink of a different sort--you could be having issues with the milk too. I do canteloupe, steamed apples or something like that. They're much lower on the gylcemic index.
   — Cathy S.

August 13, 2004
Are you using CIB as a 'convience?' I dont belive it has much in it to be worth the calories to use. and I assume your using sugar free. As a convience I suppose its ok.. but not if your avoiding 'solids' I would think something more solid would 'stay' with you longer, maybe your snaking after breakfast? hows the rest of the day going since you mentioned you could tolerate anything what are you eating food wise? Just adding a banana - which is 2 fruit serving wouldnt cause that much weight gain.... Tho personally, I would think eating the banana natural would be better than smoothing it up... then you could reduce it down to 1/2 banana/1 serving.
   — star .

August 14, 2004
Another factor could be what kind of milk you are drinking? Are you drinking whole, 2%, 1% or skim? If you aren't drinking skim, may I suggest trying that out? --Tracy
   — Tracydarlin