A few ?'s from a pre-op
I'm confused. Are we supposed to worry about total carbs or is the grams of sugar what we should focus on? Also, my NUT said to cut out all carbonation because it stretches your pouch. Did you guys cut out all soda. I would eventually like to still have the occasional diet root beer.
Final thing I was wondering about was Flintstone chewables. NUT said these were what they suggest and when I brought up what some of you guys said about them not being complete enough and something like Centrum Chewables being better. She still insisted that they were plenty good enough. Is there really that much difference? Flinstones taste better and are cheaper. What do you guys take? I can't afford those special bariatric ones.
Thanks,
Tammy
Good grief. Please, please, please, find a registered dietician with experience with WLS. Registered dieticians have degrees in nutrition, they have to pass a licensing exam, they have to get continuing education every year, and are regulated by the state. None of that applies to nutritionists. Nutritionists might have a degree but they don't have to. They are not licensed or regulated in any way.
Your nutritionist apparently does not understand the basic anatomy of RNY. Carbonation absolutely can NOT stretch your pouch. Your pouch is like a funnel, with an opening at the top and the bottom. Liquids don't stay in the pouch, which is why they advise not drinking with meals. There is no way enough pressure could build up in a pouch with TWO openings from the carbonatioin to stretch it.
And the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery specifically states not to use children's vitamins that are incomplete (like Flintstones are) and to take a multi with selenium (which Flintstones do not have). A nutritionist that is insisting Flintstones are a good choice is apparently unfamiliar with the ASMBS nutritional guidelines, which are something very basic anyone advising RNY patients about vitamins should be very familiar with.
Do yourself a big favor and find a registered dietician with experience with RNY.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I have seen this message from you a few times now and am so thankful you post it every time! I know exactly what to ask and what to watch out for when I got to my first NUT appointment Tuesday. Actually she is an RD, which I made sure of specifically because you have brought is up over and over.
THANKS!!!
You're welcome.
I know I post it over and over, but I think it really is important.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
She is one of the two Nutritionists/ dieticians (she may actually be a dietician, she has RD and LDN after her name on her business card) at the hospital (Portsmouth Naval) where I'll be having surgery. Funny thing is, she deals with Bariatric patients all the time so you would think she knows all about it.
That is very scary that an RD would not understand the anatomy of the pouch or bother to read the ASMBS nutritional guidelines. I'd find another RD, one that has a clue.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Speaking of sugar. My NUT told me this week in picking a protein shake not to focus on sugar. She said the total carbs and protein should match if at all possible. I bought EAS protein powders at Wal mart because they were the only ones that matched. So far, it doesn't seem to be hurting my blood sugar any even though it contains 17 grams of sugar in one scoop. It does contain 20 grams of protein and 20 grams of carbs. I am really blessed to be in the Mission weight lost program they have great people and the NUT I'm seeing is great. She has told me to kiss carbonation goodbye. I plan to drink 2 beers for old times sake before my surgery just for fun!
Although you may think the nutritionist that you are seeing is "great", if you follow that advice, you will likely find yourself VERY sick very early after surgery. I cannot even fathom why she would tell someone about to have RNY that! Nothing will make you sicker faster than a liquid with too much sugar, and if you are drinking a protein shake with 20g of carbs, it almost certainly has WAY too much sugar for us! OMG. 17g of sugar being ok for a post-op?!? NO, NO, NO.
most of the protein powders that are acceptable for us have only a couple of grams of carbs (like, under 5). Look at the nutritional information for brands like Chike or Unjury or Syntrax. Please do not try a protein shake with any sugar in it after your surgery! (I would also ask the nutritionist if she understands the concept of "dumping", why she thinks RNYers can tolerate so much sugar, and why she would tell ANYONE who is trying to lose a lot of weight not to worry about sugar. Actually, I would get a new nutritionist because this one does NOT know what she is doing.)
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
