How honest are you with your surgeon?

[Shinyhappymommy 2]

So everytime I talk to my surgeon about my diet he tells me that I shouldn't be eating this or that. First it was milk, then noodles, then applesauce (until I explained that it was no sugar added), then potatoes, and he tells me that I need to eventually get "off the sugar." The amount of sugar I'm using is so minimal compared to what I was consuming preband. I use a little brown sugar on my cream of wheat and honey in my herbal tea. Other than that, I am not using high-sugar foods. He doesn't approve of me using any sugar. I don't like Splenda or any other sweeteners. I'd rather have mildly sweetened food than fakely sweetened. Ick.

I think, him being a newer lapband surgeon, that he's a little naively optimistic about what his band patients are going to be eating. I know carbs are evil, but right now, I'm doing the best I can to get by. He's given me pitifully little literature on what my diet should be and then when I tell him what I am eating, he always tells me something I'm eating isn't good. I just don't want to talk to him about my diet! I don't want to disappoint him and I'm not going to lie, but I'm also not going to disclose everything either.

I just want to tell him that as long as I'm losing weight well, that he shouldn't scold me about my diet. I've lost 30 pounds in a month. I think I'm doing okay.

[SherryW 4]

shiny...have you seen a nutrionist as part of your lapband journey? My surgeon has us see one each visit to him. I think it's a great idea and they know so much more as far as what we need to eat and keep things balanced and she offers suggestions to help me along the way as far as substitutes etc. Maybe you can suggest to him you'd like to see one. Maybe your regular PCP can recommend one for you and then you can tell your surgeon that you're seeing a nutrionist and that they say you're eating balanced. maybe then he'll drop the food talk? Good luck!

[jnbwilds 0]

I completely agree with Sherry - ask your surgeon for a referral to a nutritionist - right away! Now, I'm sure my nutritionist might agree with some of your surgeon's suggestions (especially those about potatoes and sugar) but it sounds to me like you need to hear from an expert. And, I agree with you on the weight loss - I'm required to keep a detailed journal, but as long as I'm losing 1-3 lbs a week, my surgeon only glances at it. If I slow down, he'll read the whole thing. (yikes...and what will he say about the fact that I made my carnation instant Breakfast with coffee and Creamer instead of skim milk!)

[Shinyhappymommy 2]

He has a nutritionist, but she's been pretty useless. It's her information that he gave me. Maybe I should look into seeing one here in my town and working with her, though she undoubtedly has little to no experience with bariatric surgery patients. Small town.

One of the problems I ran into is that he'd tell me one thing and then her packet of info would tell me another. Like milk. It's listed on her diet guidelines, but he doesn't want me drinking any milk. I'm not drinking it as a beverage, but I am using it on my hot Cereal and in my Protein shakes.

Anyway, I just thought of a good response when he tells me something I am eating shouldn't be in my diet. "If that's not suitable, then give me better lists of what I can and can't eat during this time, because frankly, I'm just trying to survive without breaking any big band rules."

So how much does your surgeon talk to you about food?

[Gibson 7]

I like your answer. Tell him that you have no intentions of going on a low-carb "diet". That your plan is to eat healthy foods of ALL varieties...in moderation. He can't argue with that.

[Sue Magoo 71]

Hi:

My surgeon hardly even discusses foods. I'm sure that he does if someone's not losing, but he had us go to nutritional counseling before the band, and he also gave us a list of what we could or couldn't eat pre-band, and post-band (for the first six weeks or so). Now, he says everything in moderation, while trying to make good food choices.

I recall after I was a few months in my surgeon had to ask that I was eating enough. So, if you're eating a good variety, and eating three small meals a day, and not more than two Snacks you're probably in good shape. After all, you lost 30 pounds in a month. That will probably slow down alot.

Congratulations on those 30 pounds.

Sue

[jnbwilds 0]

My surgeon doesn't talk to me about food at all. He refers most things food related to the nutritionist. My surgeon's only food advice is a list of things that can get stuck or cause slippage (breads, pastries, rice, celery, steak, etc.)

I'm really surprised by the milk thing. Both my nutritionist and surgeon actually strongly suggest skim milk as a regular part of my diet. Since you have a nutritionist - I'd focus on her guidelines.

[JaxBandster 11]

When I had to go in last week due to some discomfort I was having, I mentioned to the doctor (not my surgeon but the other surgeon in his office) that I had been plateaued for a couple of weeks. He immediately went in on me about carbs, that I was getting too many. Well, I knew for a fact that I wasn't because I had been tracking them. My surgeon allows for 30 gms of carbs a day excluding green vegetables (I don't have to count them). I rarely ever went over 30 including green veggies! I didn't like being automatically assumed to be guilty of eating too many carbs right off the bat. I know they must have a lot of people who cheat on the band, but they shouldn't assume everyone does. Since that appt, I have relaxed a bit on being so stringent and have actually had some bites of mashed potatoes, sweet potato, six nachos, etc. and I have started losing weight again. (I've also started my monthly which could have been another reason I was plateaued!) I'm not going crazy with the carbs, but I'm not being as severe with my intake as I was before. The only thing I have been having to avoid is the milk, just because it's so high in carbs! If I make a Carnation Instant Breakfast with two cups of milk, that is my entire carb intake for the day and then some! The one thing that helps me though is that it increases my calories which I think I have been deficient in (only averaging around 700-800 a day which is why I think I plateaued). Pre-band, I was on the Three-hour diet which did not exclude carbs. It emphasized Portion Control, and daily caloric intake (around 1200 a day). I lost like crazy (60 lbs in eight months) before I started losing control of my portion size and began to gain it all back and then some. I figure I can lose weight like that again and with the assistance of my band, remain successful and not revert back to my old ways of over-eating. I didn't get the band in order to feel deprived. I should be able to eat like a responsible and normal person from the main food groups. I will still eat my Protein first, veggies second and carbs last, but I'm not going to deprive myself completely because I know myself and if I feel deprived, I will binge and fail.

Sorry to get on a rant but it has bugged me ever since that appt.

[coolcrystal 1]

When I had to go in last week due to some discomfort I was having, I mentioned to the doctor (not my surgeon but the other surgeon in his office) that I had been plateaued for a couple of weeks. He immediately went in on me about carbs, that I was getting too many. Well, I knew for a fact that I wasn't because I had been tracking them. My surgeon allows for 30 gms of carbs a day excluding green vegetables (I don't have to count them). I rarely ever went over 30 including green veggies! I didn't like being automatically assumed to be guilty of eating too many carbs right off the bat. I know they must have a lot of people who cheat on the band, but they shouldn't assume everyone does. ). Pre-band, I was on the Three-hour diet which did not exclude carbs. It emphasized Portion Control, and daily quote]

Yes, doctors always assume you eat more than you do. When I had my first appointment for the psych eval that guy told me "to maintain your weight, you must be eating at least 4500 calories a day!" and for a week I tracked my food and I was consuming under 2000 a day. He just assumed that of me which really ticked me off.

I have also reached a weird plataue right now... as soon as I got on my mushy stage I actually gained a few pounds and have only lost one of them... I haven't been able to lose any more weight in almost a week. I was steadily dropping 1-2 pounds a day.. Everybody says its normal especially before a fill, but when I look at what I'm eating, you'd think I'd lose more. Yesterday I had one scrambled egg and one piece of turkey bacon. Then for dinner I had the tiniest piece of grilled fish and 3 tiny pieces of squash and 4 spoonfulls of organic squash Soup... that's it. I was satisfied all day. I'm barely eating any carbs, but I'm still not losing as much as I figured I would... maybe when I get my first fill, but do I really want to be eating less than this???

[JaxBandster 11]

I guess they are just used to having their patients not adhere to the bandster way of eating. But they really shouldn't assume that they aren't just because they've plateaued. I think he will be more than pleased with my results this week!