I was wondering if anyone can answer this question? I have been diagnosed with diabeties about  2 months ago.  Because of this I made my final decision to have RNY.  But pre op how many carbs daily should I be taking in?  I am taking Metformin daily and am cautious about my carbs.  My number went from 250 plus to now around 115 morning and night. I track my carb intake on fitness pal and I am getting around 150 carbs daily.  Is this to much?  Are my numbers at 115 to high now that Im on meds and watching my carb intake? Any help would be appreciated. 

This is not a question for us, it is something that you need to work out with your doctors.  If you are on Metformin after surgery, then you need to determine the right amount of carbs to keep your blood sugars stable.  It is very likely that your diabetes will go completely into remission after RNY and you will no longer be on medication for it.

Yes, which is one reason I've made the decision to have this surgery.  I was diagnosed, given Metformin to take daily and that was it.  No advice on what normal levels would be from my doctor.  She said as long as I keep it under 150.  But the info I've read online 150 is still considered high.  I've not pushed the issue with my Doc because I should be ready for surgery within the next few months.  So that's why I put this question out there to those who've been there, done that.

Lily

Normal range for a diabetic is different from a non-diabetic. My hubby is diabetic.

The reason for the lack of response and hesitancy IS..you are asking for medical advice. We aren't medical doctors.  If we were to give you bad advice, and you followed it and died, it could be construed as practicing medicine without a liscense.

If your GP isnt giving you good guidance...you need to: a) fire her b) seek a nutritionist and c) meet with a nutritionist in the bariatratic surgeons practice and d) maybe consult with an endocrinologist that specializes in diabetes.

I know these arent the "hard numbers" you were looking for but this will probably be THE BEST advice you are going to get on this topic thread. 

Thank you for responding, and your right it makes sense that I should seek medical advice for this situation.  I'm newly diagnosed and it seems Im floundering for answers.

Lily

My husband was diagnosed at 36 and STILL flounders.  Recently, I had to call the paramedics when he passed out from low blood sugar and had his teeth clenched so hard Icouldnt open them to get sugar or gel in there.

Diabetes and MO arent "the end."  They are challenges.  You MAY find that these challenges may have VERY thick silver linings if you let them.  I have two friends that rise up everyday, make the decision to control their diabetes by controlling their diet and are ABLE to do it.  Their physicians are impressed.

My husband gets up and also makes the right food choices. He still needs metformin but he is now 30 lbs thinner (without really trying to lose, just controlling the carbs and making them the right ones), is fitter (because he likes hiking/walking even more now that he is thin), and generally stronger with more stamina.  These positive changes really take the negativity of a  bad event/health crisis.

One of my friends has lost 130 lbs in a year WITHOUT surgery via her medicine, diet and exercise. I am so proud of her. Her son has a genetic condition where he is goingto go blind. He is just 9 and is already starting to have tunnel vision.  Diabetes was her wake up call. She NEEDS to be around longer for him.

You have friends in us! 

Good luck!

Thank you sooo much for that reply.  I have just told my husband the other day that I am taking the approach that being diagnosed with diabeties can have an upside.  Since that time ( 2 months ago) I have been monitoring my food intake and carbs on fit pal.  It was amazing the amount of food and the carbs I was eating!  Now I am very aware of what goes into my mouth.  I'm not always perfect but this disease has forced me to open my eyes.  One question though, if I were not to have RNY sugery could my diabeties go into remission if I lost weight on my own the same way as if I had RNY?  My surgeon told me that there is a good chance I will not need to medically treat my diabeties almost immediately after surgery.  That doesn't make sense to me because immediately after surgery I will still be MO.

I have PCOS and my endo specializes in PCOS and diabetes.

When I was in the process of losing weight subsequent to RNY, she congratulated me because my basic blood labs (i.e. cholestrol, A1C, etc) had gone back to normal.  

I burst her bubble and told her I didnt know why the hell she was congratulating me becasue I was still doing what I did before when I was MO. Specifically, I was still eating a low carb, low GI diet and I was STILL exercising. The only thing was the overall amount of food changed.  But it wasnt like I was gorging myself before.

Her answer.  Hormones. Seriously, somewhere on this forum, the thread exists of this rant.

Anyway, she said there is something about the surgery that immediately resets hormones and/or signalling.  It is just being researched.  A case in point, ghrelin (the hormone that makes you feel hungry; a nifty trick to remember this is ghrelin = gremlin) hormone immediately drops subsequent to surgery. So we dont get hungry.  After about a year, our bodies start to increase the production of ghrelin again and we start getting hungry again.

That is why 1 year after post-op is a "dangerous" time or RNY'ers.  We start to get hungry again and bounce back weight becomes common (i.e. regain).  Also, because the surgery is no longer "new" to us and we have identified new favorite foods, self-policing is diminished.

These are just some potential mechanism that contribute to regain. 

Anyway-speciically back to your question.  It was HER EXPERIENCE that diabetics did not need their medication or as much immeidately after surgery. She had to closely monitor them and continued to do so for about a year and half.

Again..this is HER EXPERIENCE as relayed to you by a friend. It is NOT medical advice.  Nor may it be YOUR experience. If you select RNY, and you have such a positive outcome, consider yourself blessed. But DO NOT EXPECT IT to happen.

The disappointment can be very bitter.

As far as my two friends (one an african american male and the other a caucasian female), they control it with diet. The male lost some weight but he was overweight to obese at most.  Never did they appear to be MO.  The woman always looked "normal."

This gives me much to think about.  I had been researching bariateic surgery since Dec 2014.  Not really sure if I " fit" the insurance required weight.  I was and am still 202lbs 5'2" which is borderline ins acceptable.   But during my research I discovered I was a Diabetic.  So for me it was a no brainier, I had a co-morbidity and I felt the decision was made for me.  My surgeon assured me that the chances of remission were exceptional and I was a perfect candidate for RNY.  I am in the process of all the pre-op  tests but  I am having head games going on.  Do I have this extremely intrusive surgery that will change my way of eating for life with the overwhelming possibilities of complications or do I attempt to control my diabeties with diet.  I know only I can answer that question, which is why I am desperately seeking some kind of guidance from those such as yourself who have gone through some of these issues yourself.

In regards to head games...I can answer this too.

I went through the procedure for approval TWICE (once in late 20s, once in early 30s) before I had the surgery in my LATE thirties.

Yep, I went through all the hoops THREE times before I pulled the trigger.

The first two times, I listened to the voices in my head and was fearful thinking it was a very extreme surgery.  It IS an extreme surgery. But you know what? I was extremely overweight (i.e. 275 lbs).

What happened to me, after backing out of the surgeries, was I got fatter and fatter. I didnt matter which diet I was on or whether I followed it to a tee.  I didnt know that I had PCOS at the time and weigh****chers was very carby. I would stay in my points and gain weight.  As a matter of fact, I gained 5 lbs in a week staying BELOW my points range and eating watermelon. A smart nurse practioner believed me, read my food logs, and figured it out.  She saved my life and gave me the diagnosis which enabled me to get proper help.

So, I backed out, ended up fatter and about 7K poorer from participating in diet programs that didnt work and purchasing their food. I pretty much lost a decade of my life being "locked up" in an MO body.

I hope whatever you pick, you find success.  Life is better than what you are currently living. It WILL get better but you need to get the proper solutions.

If the surgeon things you are a great candidate for RNY, I would go with that.