Ten Mistakes of RNY

1st Mistake: Not Taking Vitamins, Supplements, or Minerals

Every WLS patient has specific nutritional needs depending on the type of surgery you have had. Not only is it a good idea to ask your surgeon for guidelines, but also consult with an experienced WLS nutritionist. Understand there is not a standard practice that all surgeons and nutritionists follow in guiding WLS patients. So, it is important to do your own research, get your lab tests done regularly, and learn how to read the results. Some conditions and symptoms that can occur when you are deficient in vitamins, supplements, or minerals include:

Osteoporosis; pernicious anemia; muscle spasms; high blood pressure; burning tongue; fatigue; loss of appetite; weakness; constipation and diarrhea; numbness and tingling in the hands and feet; being tired, lethargic, or dizzy; forgetfulness, and lowered immune functioning.

Keep in mind, too, that some conditions caused by not taking your vitamins, supplements, or minerals are irreversible.

2nd Mistake: Assuming You Have Been Cured of Your Obesity

A “pink cloud” or honeymoon experience is common following WLS. When you are feeling better than you have in years, and the weight is coming off easily, it’s hard to imagine you will ever struggle again. But unfortunately, it is very common for WLS patients to not lose to their goal weight or to regain some of their weight back.

A small weight regain may be normal, but huge gains usually can be avoided with support, education, effort, and careful attention to living a healthy WLS lifestyle. For most WLSers, if you don’t change what you’ve always done, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve always gotten — even after weight loss surgery.

 3rd Mistake: Drinking with Meals

Yes, it’s hard for some people to avoid drinking with meals, but the tool of not drinking with meals is a critical key to long-term success. If you drink while you eat, your food washes out of your stomach much more quickly, you can eat more, you get hungry sooner, and you are at more risk for snacking. Being too hungry is much more likely to lead to poor food choices and/or overeating.

 4th Mistake: Not Eating Right

Of course everyone should eat right, but in this society eating right is a challenge. You have to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Eat all your meals–don’t skip. Don’t keep unhealthy food in sight where it will call to you all the time. Try to feed yourself at regular intervals so that you aren’t as tempted to make a poor choice. And consider having a couple of absolutes: for example, avoid fried foods completely, avoid sugary foods, always use low-fat options, or only eat in a restaurant once a week. Choose your “absolutes” based on your trigger foods and your self knowledge about what foods and/or situations are problematic for you.

5th Mistake: Not Drinking Enough Water

Most WLS patients are at risk for dehydration. Drinking a minimum of 64 oz. of water per day will help you avoid this risk. Adequate water intake will also help you flush out your system as you lose weight and avoid kidney stones. Drinking enough water helps with your weight loss, too.

6th Mistake: Grazing

Many people who have had WLS regret that they ever started grazing, which is nibbling small amounts here and there over the course of the day. It’s one thing to eat the three to five small meals you and your doctor agree you need. It’s something else altogether when you start to graze, eating any number of unplanned snacks. Grazing can easily make your weight creep up. Eating enough at meal time, and eating planned snacks when necessary, will help you resist grazing. Make a plan for what you will do when you crave food, but are not truly hungry. For example, take up a hobby to keep your hands busy or call on someone in your support group for encouragement.

 7th Mistake: Not Exercising Regularly

Exercise is one of the best weapons a WLS patient has to fight weight regain. Not only does exercise boost your spirits, it is a great way to keep your metabolism running strong. When you exercise, you build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest!

8th Mistake: Eating the Wrong Carbs (or Eating Too Much)

Let’s face it, refined carbohydrates are addictive. If you eat refined carbohydrates they will make you crave more refined carbohydrates. There are plenty of complex carbohydrates to choose from, which have beneficial vitamins. For example, if you can handle pastas, try whole grain Kamut pasta–in moderation, of course. (Kamut pasta doesn’t have the flavor some people find unpleasant in the whole wheat pastas.) Try using your complex carbohydrates as “condiments,” rather than as the center point of your meal. Try sprinkling a tablespoon of brown rice on your stir-fried meat and veggies.

9th Mistake: Going Back to Drinking Soda

Drinking soda is controversial in WLS circles. Some people claim soda stretches your stomach or pouch. What we know it does is keep you from getting the hydration your body requires after WLS–because when you’re drinking soda, you’re not drinking water! In addition, diet soda has been connected to weight gain in the general population. The best thing you can do is find other, healthier drinks to fall in love with. They are out there.

10th Mistake: Drinking Alcohol

 If you drank alcohol before surgery, you are likely to want to resume drinking alcohol following surgery. Most surgeons recommend waiting one year after surgery. And it is in your best interest to understand the consequences of drinking alcohol before you do it.

Alcohol is connected with weight regain, because alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while protein and vegetables have 4 calories per gram. Also, some people develop an addiction to alcohol after WLS, so be very cautious. Depending on your type of WLS, you may get drunker, quicker after surgery, which can cause health problems and put you in dangerous situations.

If you think you have a drinking problem, get help right away. Putting off stopping drinking doesn’t make it any easier, and could make you a lot sicker.

“Dummies” version rewritten by Sally Perez
Original article written by:
Mason. EE, Personal Communication, 1980. Barber. W, Diet al, Brain Stem
Response To Phasic Gastric Distention.
Am J. Physical 1983: 245(2): G242-8 Flanagan, L. Measurement of Functional 

 ***Taken from a friend's blog! I am going to try it, love it, and blog more about it later. Thanks!

If you are pre-op and are looking for something GREAT to do that will be SO HELPFUL to you post-op--here's your ticket--

Put 4 QUARTS of water to a boil in a 10-12 QUART STOCK POT
Take all the skin and all the fat you can off of 3 whole chickens cut into quarters
Put them in the pot.
Add more water to just barely cover the chickens.
Put 2 large whole onions and
3-4 pcs of celery (whole large pcs),
1 large carrot,
1 large parsnip, 
When all the water boils, put the flame on low and let it cook for THREE HOURS. 
You'll see some foamy stuff and fat come to the top, just skim it off.
The longer you cook it, the better the broth will be--it will have more protein the longer you cook it.

After three hours get another large pot or bowl and remove the chickens, the vegetables, and every piece you see.

Then take a HUGE bowl and a VERY FINE strainer. Strain it into the bowl. It will be a clear liquid!!!

Pour it into 4-6 oz portions.

IT IS AMAZING. TRUST ME--I KNOW CHICKEN SOUP!!! 

I cleared this with my surgeon--it is FINE--even if there's a little fat, it's fine--after the portions are refrigerated you can remove the little bit of fat off of it before reheating it.


Taken from another blogger:

I am taking a high dose of A (25,000) because vitamins A, D, and iron are the most common vitamins to become deficent in. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So....here is what my day looks like:
2 calcium  with 1 D in the morning
                hour goes by.........
1 multi vitamin, 1 A, 1 zinc
               lunch time.......
1 multi vitamin, 1 zinc
               bed time.......
2 calcium 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So you are newly post op, what should you take?
Calcium citrate 750mg (one pill twice a day)
D  (either 1000mg or 5000mg) (take with Calcium, one pill twice a day)
A (25,000)
Multivitamin (I like the Equate - Walmart brand for Centrum)
Iron (depending on what your 3 month labs look like)
Zinc (for hair)

Taking the D helps absorption of Calcium.   Any increase in D will depend on blood work. My dose is 50,000 so i only need to take it once a day.  If you are taking the 1000 or 5000mg dose i would take one pill twice a day (take it with the calcium).  

Two rules when taking vitamins:

-You must take your Calcium Citrate (we do NOT want Carbonate or Caltrate b/c they are not as easily absorbed) an hour apart from all other vitamins (only vitamin you can take with Calcium is vitamin D).  

-You must take your iron (only thing you can take with iron is vitamin C) an hour apart from everything else.  

Now that we got those two rules out of the way...let me tell you what i take. First I will list out what i take and then ill talk about them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Calcium Citrate by Equate (Walmart brand) 

2. Vitamin D
Biotech Dry Vitamin D3-50 (50,000IU) (Cholecalciferol) 100 caps/btl   $24.99 at vitalady.com

3. Vitamin A
Bio-Tech Dry Vitamin A (25,000IU) (Palmitate) 100 caps/btl  $7.49 at vitalady.com

4. Multi vitamin Equate (Walmart brand for Centrum)

5. Zinc by Spring Valley 50mg (for skin)
 

I am down 1/4 pound 293.25. It's alright, I will get there when I get my date. 

I have been looking at my house. There is a eat in kitchen, dining room, laundry room, bathroom, 2 bedrooms,  a room that doens't have a use where the door opens and then a living room. 

I think I am going to move the dinner table into the room with the front door, and then put in a tv work out tapes/dvds. Hopefully some work out equipment. I can't really do it in the room with the front door b/c it is to close to the living room, the noise of the two tvs wouldn't work. 

I was able to get a 4-wheeler last night! My fiance has one and it will allow up to actually use his. We can take it riding and camping. It will be nice to have a reason to get away from the tv and the couch. 

Still waiting for my date....grrr.