Question:
I have a question about sugar intake.....
Is it ok to eat foods that have natural sugar? ie: fruit? etc..... I know that you shouldn't consume sugar, but is a little bit ok? Like if you find something that perhaps has 6g of sugar in the box, would that be too much? In other words, if we can have a little bit of sugar, what gram should we stay under? — Kim L. (posted on April 19, 2003)
April 19, 2003
You can have small amounts of sugar, but how much depends on how much you
can tolerate. I eat 2 or 3 servings of fruit every day and it doesn't
bother me at all. I also do about half a glass of milk every morning and
that doesn't give me any problems either. Try a small amount to start with
and see what happens. I do get my protein in first, but I also know that
we need protein, carbs and fat in our diets for our bodies to function
well. When I say 2 or 3 servings, I mean 1/2 cup of canned fruit (no sugar
added, usually packed in its own juice), a small apple, 1/2 cup of fresh
strawberries, etc.
— garw
April 19, 2003
I am able to eat 3grams or less of sugar, but our bodies tolerate and react
different to sugars and I think I speak for most WLS post-ops. I can eat
fruit, and any kind of cereal I want, but I can't eat sphagetti sauce and
many of the sugar free sweets I get sick on. I know people that still eat
cake and I tried licking the ice cream scooper and dumped!I can't handle
sugar. Best of luck!
— Sandy M.
April 19, 2003
Hi, Kim. I agree with Gar. You will have to carefully test your own
ability to tolerate sugars and fats. I can eat fresh fruits (ONLY after I
eat the protein part of my meal) and I have even 'tasted' (you could say
'licked the spoon') of desserts and things like cake with icing. So very
tiny tastes do the trick. I don't feel deprived, yet I do not eat enough
to harm me. Hopefully for you, as it is for me, your head will work with
your stomach and you will just know when that stuff in your mouth won't cut
it. It's so weird how that all works. Body AND mind. Tread lightly and
really listen to your body. It's a cool trick a lot of us WLS people have
developed. (Open RNY 10/30/02 down 132lbs)
— Ginger M.
April 19, 2003
Most people can handle natural sugar the kinds you find in fruits veggies,
milk, cheese.....
They added sugar is tricky, some people can handle more than others, some
it never bothers, and some it makes the miserable. It is a hit and miss
thing. I went threw the BTC they gave us a guide line of 2 grams of sugar
per meal.
I really try to stick to this, I can say I have had up to 4 grams per meal
with no problems but I have not gone beyond that. Your 6 grams of sugar in
your box did you read your ingredient list to see where the sugar is coming
from ( natural or added ) if its natural there should be no problem if it
is added this might cause dumping depending if you eat the serving amount
and what you can handle.
My two cents is don't mess with added sugar, for some people there are
worse things than dumping, its finding out your don't.
— domestic G.
April 19, 2003
hi i wish i could post anonomys because of what i'm about to say but some
people don't dump (unfortunatly) i had open distal rny and my surgeon said
i wouldn't dump and he was right. i have had an occasional(very) donut and
once had a kid scoop from baskin robbins and it all went down good. no
problems except for the weight loss :-( i wish i couldn't tollerate the
goodies, but i do so now it's about self control...yicks. it was hard to
pass up the bag of black jelly beans but i did. yes. the natural sugars in
fruits and such are a better choice and are usually ok but everybody is
differant. just try thing in the comfort of your own home. have a happy
easter, kimberly open distal rny 11/12/02 -80lbs
— kimberly T.
April 19, 2003
I know of someone whose sugar gram cutoff is 8 grams per serving, and
another who finds she dumps if it's over 20 grams. I've never dumped (I
don't think I do, having had 25 grams in one sitting a couple of times
without dumping). I'd be careful, always, with sugars, but you may find
the limits are very individual and they may change over time.
— Suzy C.
April 19, 2003
Are you asking if sugar will make you sick? No guarantees. Are you asking
if sugar will stop your wt loss or cause regain? Yes, guaranteed. By
eating small amounts frequently, you simply raise your sugar tolerance.
So, say you initially dump on 6g, if you eat 5 g every few hours, soon you
can tolerate more & more til you don't dump til you go berserk on
sugar. And of course, your clothes get bigger & bigger. I have dumped
on fruit and I've gained wt on fruit. I've stayed away from juices, as many
have more sugar g than a real soda! But just last summer, I let myself go
with fruit. I eat 4 meals/day (or meals, snacks, whatever) and made 3 of
them fruit. 8#. Plus MONTHS of carb cravings that made me miserable. I
now know I can have fruit once/day and probably not EVERY day. It's still
sugar. The source doesn't matter to the body. It'll turn my size 3's into
a size 30 in no time if I get thinking that "a little is ok". I
save myself for FROSTING! Fortunately, there are not many events in a year
that include buttercream frosting. 3X a year is a different thing that 3X a
day. I particularly watch hidden sugars, like things that are "no
sugar added", like applesauce, yogurt, and I never touch milk. Do I
obsess about sugar? Probably. Have I already had 2 of these surgeries &
am determined NOT to go back? You could say that with a certainty.
— vitalady
April 19, 2003
I think your question is a good one and I have often thought about this
myself, I think the best thing is to consult your surgeon, doctor or
dietician about your own sugar intake. Everyone is different, everyone's
bodies act and react differently to sugar and sugar products. Personally I
think it best to not consume as much sugar as before the surgery for your
own health. But like I said before you may want to consult your surgeon,
doctor or dietician for firm answers.
— Heather S.
April 20, 2003
Most defintely check with your surgeon, but BTC says no more than 2g of
sugar. And I know that I myself don't want to know if I can tolerate more
than that! However, you can cook/bake with other sugar substitutes or
natural sugars that shouldn't make you dump. For anyone interested, check
out my profile page, or www.freewebs.com/recipes-after-rny for special
occasion recipes, photos, and ordering information.
— Lynette B.
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