Question:
Is it true that you can never consume sugar after roux-en-y surgery

   — suzy C. (posted on January 29, 2001)

January 30, 2001
No that is not true at all. That may be the case immediately post-op when your body is still adjusting. What is true for me is that at almost 9 months post-op I cannot consume nearly the amount of sugar I used to - in other words - I eat more like "normal" people. While, I can eat some sweets, I cannot eat anything that is "sickening" sweet. There are some people who have serious dumping bouts with sugar, but again, this will depend on what type of sugar. And "sugar" is a very general term. Sugar is a carb, so it's not just sugar that people may have trouble with. Bread and pasta are good examples.
   — Paula G.

January 30, 2001
No, some can, some can't. I'm one of the lucky ones in that much more than 6g or and I'm miserable for an hour. I am SOOOOOO glad, because even though people "get away with it" at first, I see so much regain after the 2-yr mark, that I am EXTREMELY thankful that it makes me so ill. I've maintained my goal wt for more than 5 yrs. So, I just do not want to ever get near the stuff. It is poisonous to long term wt loss. I'm not a "sugar virgin", in that I've tasted the edges of forbidden stuff over the years, but it is not a daily habit by any means, even in small volume.
   — vitalady

January 30, 2001
I had a distal rny 9 months ago & I, too, can tolerate a fair amount of sugar. I don't eat it on any regular basis at all & watch it carefully, but I CAN splurge occasionally. However, like the others have mentioned, I am now satisfied with just a few small bites & don't crave it. A dish of berries with a bit of Splenda satisfies my sweet tooth totally. I h
   — Kathy W.

January 30, 2001
I am able to eat 15 g of sugar at one sitting. Most times, I don't crave it or need it or even think about it at all. There is that one awful week a month when I eat a little less than half a candy bar and I am fine. I just need a few tiny bites and I'm okay. Occasionally, I will have one bite of my daughter's dessert, but that is rare and one bite is really enough. And I was a chocolate fanatic before surgery, could sit down and eat three or four candy bars at a time, every day. Quite a change, it's like the doctor cut that part out of me that needed to eat that way.
   — Beth B.

January 30, 2001
I can eat an amazing amount of sugar. In fact, over Christmas, I ate nearly as much as I had pre-op! I never did get sick; however, it didn't seem to satisfy me as much. I think I did it more out of habit than desire. In a bizarre twist of fate, I actually lost 3.5 pounds that week. So, I decided that I needed to get back on the program, because eventually, I was sure it would catch up with me. I've been good, 'cause I've lost 14 lbs. since Christmas! I do not keep tempting treats in the house, unless it is something I don't care for - like ice cream or some nasty packaged cookies for my kids. I've begun a new job recently and everyday (I am not exaggerating - today it was homemade chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake too!)there is a new selection of imported chocolate calling me from the copyroom. My trick is to 'put off' eating it until 11:00, and then 1:00, and then eventually, all the other chocoholics finish it before I can get to it. My concern is not with dumping, but that I will go back to eating 3 candy bars at a sitting and never get down to my goal or ruin my results thusfar. My advice would be to NEVER EVEN try eating sweets post-op...just keep thinking you'll get sick and don't even tempt it. Ah, hindsight!
   — Allie B.

January 30, 2001
Suzy, I'm one of the folks who doesn't have a tolerance to sugar! I can eat like 4 M&M's but more than that and I'll dump! I eat alot of fruit now when I feel the craving for sweets, in contrast my friend who had the surgery a year before me can eat sugar w/no problem but she's also putting on weight from doing that! I'm just as happy to have a low tolerance to sugar because I believe it helped me lose the weight that I have!
   — Carrie G.

January 31, 2001
Suzy, I'm 5 months post-op, and can handle quite a bit of sugar in one sitting. Last week, I ate 14 chocalate kisses one after the other. Last night, I ate a package of Pepperidge Farms Chocalate Chunk cookies (8 big cookies). I have no after-effects at all (other than the fact that I'm sure it's affecting my weight loss). I eat sweets probably 2 or 3 times a week. However, despite this, I now weigh 246 pounds (down from 375) - that's over 70% of my excess weight in those 5 months. I also just got my 5-mo blood work done, and those results were fantastic. So, although you should not try to eat as much sugar as I do, I'm living proof that sugar (particularly in moderation) can be consumed without completely sabotaging your success. Good luck !!!
   — meilankev