This may be a slightly gross question...

 

Ok let me start this by saying I do NOT have an eating disorder and this is a real question.  I had a gastric bypass surgery a few years ago to help me lose weight and I am on here now to lose the last few lbs and try not to gain anything back.  However, for anyone who knows about this surgery you know that it can cause you to get sick a LOT.  So now if I eat the wrong thing or slightly too much I get sick.  

My question is how do I count the calories for foods that don't stay down?  Do I count them as if I had eaten the foods or as if I had never eaten them at all?

Thanks in advance for your advice, I really appreciate the help.

first, i don't know.

second, if your surgery was "a few years ago" shouldn't you have figured out by now what you can and can't eat?  throwing up your meals for years isn't indicative of health.  you may not have a psychological eating disorder, but that doesn't mean you're not suffering the physical effects of bulimia.

It's true. You need to get the vomiting under control before you can even start worrying about losing a few more pounds. That's WAY more important to your health and well-being.

It depends on what kind of food it is. Liquid gets absorbed faster, and simple sugars start getting absorbed as soon as you put stuff in your mouth. That's why bulimics don't lose weight-- they aren't actually getting rid of all the calories. Just some of the bulk.

If you're getting sick this often, though, please talk to a doctor. This should be obvious but the people who need it never seem to take such advice seriously.

I agree with the above posters. You should have your intake and food selection under control by now. That's what you had the surgery right? And your stomach should have grown enough that you can eat a little more than in the beginning.

You should get yourself to a doctor, eating disorder or not.

Hard question. I am no expert, and I would really ask a dietitian. Like the other poster... you really should examine your diet more closely, and really avoid what ever causes this for you.

Medically speaking, if you vomited the food up... how many calories you got, really depends on how long the food was in your stomach before you vomited. I would suggest, not counting it... but not eating double either. Truly, if you vomited you probably should not eat anything for a while.... we recommend the BRAT diet for people with these issues when they are sick. [bananas, rice, applesauce and toast] I do not see why you could not do it too. Also...you may want to try a liquid nutritional supplement [i.e. slim fast or ensure]. They are easier to keep down, and you will get more vitamins that way too.

Ultimately, you need to speak with a dietitian...preferably one who works with people who have had surgeries like yours.

Hope this helps.

Hey guys,

Wow, I really appreciate the fast feedback. I had the surgery just 3 years ago and I have spoken to both the doctor who performed the surgery as well as my old primary care doc (she just quit so I have to find a new one) and informed both of them that I still do get sick occasionally. I never do it intentionally and know pretty much what foods will and will not cause me to get sick. I don't get sick every day, maybe a few times a week at MOST. Do you really think this is enough to get health problems like bulimics??

It is mostly when I go out to eat/order take out that it happens. I know I should just not eat those foods but it is so hard to not go out and order a cheese burger and fries when I LOVE them lol. Once I do get sick I immediately feel better and generally try to at least take a few more bites of food so i get something in my stomach.

 

Part of the problem with weight loss surgeries is that it makes your body change, even if you don't make the changes with your mind. After three years, it sounds like you haven't made the mental choices to be healthy.

Ordering something you know will make you sick and eating it anyway is bad. And throwing up a few times a week does have the negative effects bulimia has on your body. Three times a week for three years is very indicative of bulimia. 

You knew when you got the surgery there were foods you'd never be able to eat again and you got it, anyway, right? It's time to suck it up and live with your choices. Go to a doctor and get checked out. Get to a psychologist and ask for help in controlling your impulses and making the healthy change in how you think differently about food.

In just deciding to have the surgery in the first place I think I made the mental choice to be healthy.  I was "morbidly obese" and now I am at a healthy weight for my height.  I have never looked or felt better.

Choosing to get the surgery was the hardest decision of my life, especially since I knew it could make me sick and there are so many people against it.  I have lived with that decision and have never regretted it a single day.  As I said in my previous posts, I do NOT intentionally eat the wrong things to throw up, and I HAVE spoken to my doctors about getting sick. I am also going to LIVE my life however, and am not going to stick to eating nothing but lettuce and tofu (which I don't believe is a healthy diet anyway) and am not going to not eat real food just in case it happens to make me sick.  

The only reason for my post was as far as calorie counting goes, for the sake of the log, how to count the foods which don't stay down.  I am not in any way condoning getting sick to lose weight.  I understand it is not healthy and do try to limit it as much as possible.  

Sounds like what you are doing is the equivalent of a person who's lost a lung to lung cancer taking off the oxygen tank to sneak a cigarette?

What am I missing?

my dad had gastric bypass years ago also. Many foods upset his stomach still, especially sweets, very fatty foods, spicy foods, and some random things will upset his stomach. He never had a problem with throwing up, but he still does have an issue with 'dumping'. At least once a week he will eat something new that will upset his stomach. Maybe instead of dumping like my father, you vomit...it might just be how you are and how you react to certain foods. I would ask a doctor to be sure, but that might not help. You may simply have to really look at everything you eat and analyze things...

now i am curious, how much have you lost and have you gained any back yet?

 

jennibean, here are 2 links that may help you find the answers you are looking for.  Marc, who posted the thread on Bariatric Surgery is on here, I've read his profile and ledgers and find him very interesting. The other link is a very good forum also. good luck to you.  It takes a lot of courage to have the lapband surgery, and the people I know who have had it are doing very well on it, and say their only regret is not having it 30 years ago.  

Bariatric Surgery

Lap Band Talk Forum - The largest forum for Lap Band Surgery Discussion and Lap Band Surgery Support

 

 

Original Post by jenniebean1:

In just deciding to have the surgery in the first place I think I made the mental choice to be healthy.  I was "morbidly obese" and now I am at a healthy weight for my height.  I have never looked or felt better.

Choosing to get the surgery was the hardest decision of my life, especially since I knew it could make me sick and there are so many people against it.  I have lived with that decision and have never regretted it a single day.  As I said in my previous posts, I do NOT intentionally eat the wrong things to throw up, and I HAVE spoken to my doctors about getting sick. I am also going to LIVE my life however, and am not going to stick to eating nothing but lettuce and tofu (which I don't believe is a healthy diet anyway) and am not going to not eat real food just in case it happens to make me sick.  

The only reason for my post was as far as calorie counting goes, for the sake of the log, how to count the foods which don't stay down.  I am not in any way condoning getting sick to lose weight.  I understand it is not healthy and do try to limit it as much as possible.  

Making a decision to be healthy shows a step in the right direction, but changing your thinking about food and health takes a lot of hard work and time.

I was just saying that a statement like this:

It is mostly when I go out to eat/order take out that it happens. I know I should just not eat those foods but it is so hard to not go out and order a cheese burger and fries when I LOVE them lol. Once I do get sick I immediately feel better and generally try to at least take a few more bites of food so i get something in my stomach.

Definitely leaves the impression that you are chosing to eat foods which you know will make you sick.

And you, of all people, having had this surgery, should know that eating a salad instead of a greasy burger and fries not only tastes better but it also makes you feel better.

I'm sorry, based on what you are saying in this post, it is indicative of an eating disorder (bulimia) whether you got it surgically or not. I will stick to my guns that you should go to a doctor.

I know many people who did this as a tool, but then did not fix their ways of thinking. In the end, they gained the weight back. Because they didn't make a real change in their life. They saw it as a magic fix. I'd hate to see someone go through this kind of surgery and then not deal with the mental aspect of weight loss.

 now i am curious, how much have you lost and have you gained any back yet?

 

 I started out as 286lbs and I am now 134 so I have lost 152lbs.  (I'm 5'8" if you were wondering) I'm at my lowest weight now and haven't gained anything back except the +/- a few lbs daily depending on normal water weight/bloating issues.   

Hi there, I'm the Marc they were talking about.  As a Bariatric patient (LapBand) and a physician, I would agree with much of what has already been said, but here are a few things to consider.  One, what are you trying to accomomplish by getting the next few pounds off.  If your intentions are honorable (i.e. fitness), then go for it.  Two, how much of a pannus do you have.  If it is alot, you may not get down to what you want.  Granted, most skin reduction surgeries only remove about 5-8 pounds of skin, but it gives you an idea of where you are.

Next, are you still on an H-2 blocker like Pepcid or Zantac,  If not, some of the vomiting could be reflux related.  In any case you don't want to develop esophagitis from these episodes.  Long term that could put you at risk for esophageal cancer.

I know it's hard to keep on keeping on this far down the road, and occaisional episode of emesis happen to the most dilligent of people after the bypass, but three times a week is somewhat excessive.

Finally, as to your original concern,  once you have thrown up, there is no way to figure out what your calories are.  Some of the people with the bypass I speak to replace the volume that they lose with a protein drink later to compensate.  Now that may actually give you more calories than you lost in the upchuck, but that is the price you will have to pay for your indulgence.

Don't give up the faith!

I am not sure how long it has been since your surgery, however take some advice ,be very careful not to overeat I now must lose 40 lbs. It has been 8 years since my gastric bypass. I didn't feel as if I was overeating but my weight gain shows that I must have. I am frantic about the weight gain and am having to watch every piece of food that enters my body. I never had the sickness with my food after surgery only the dumping syndrome. Please just be careful it doesn't fix you forever. You have to maintain your food intake no matter what the calories are.

Thanks for all the positive feedback, especially Marc.  I had skin reduction surgery about a month ago and the doc took 10-15lbs of skin off.  Now I am just trying to lose the last few lbs and waiting until I can start working out again (I'm not allowed to for 6-8 weeks after surgery).  I just want to ensure that I won't gain weight back and try to finally feel like I look good.  I was on Pepcid for awhile after the surgery but am not now.  Thanks for the suggestion, I will mention it to my doc the next time I see him.  

It has been just over 3 yrs since the GB surgery and I am very careful about not gaining it back (thats why I started calorie counting).  I think the dumping you all have mentioned is probably what leads to my getting sick.  Even before the surgery I would get sick easily whenever my stomach was upset.       

as long as you have a good nutritionist, support group, and a healthy attitude, you should be able to take control and make the right choices for yourself.

Good luck 

Stick with just maintaining for now, and get your protein in for better healing.

Original Post by hgielrehtaeh:

I agree with the above posters. You should have your intake and food selection under control by now. That's what you had the surgery right? <snip>

I'm perplexed by comments like this and others up the list of comments. Jenniebean is obviously trying to learn and wants soms help from us. She is not helped by comments like this. So instead of saying what she should have known by now, let's just help her.

Jennie, I understand that you are not deliberatly throw up. Why don't you start with keeping a journal of what you eat, how you felt emotionally and what the physical effect was afterwards. Only by keeping a journal you can learn about what you can and can't eat. Emotions can "cramp" the oesophagus so that the food keeps hanging halfway.

If you have trouble keeping your food down it might have to do with the fact that you eat too hastily (not chewing well enough) or that you just eat the wrong food. Try to find different foods that you can keep down. Start with small amounts and see if you can gradually eat more of it.

The advice of going to the doctor is a good advice but they will want to know which foods you can't keep down. A dietician (also good advice) can help you find alternatives for the foods you can't eat. The dietician can probably also help answer your calorie question. What I've learned myself is that high refined carbs are already taken into the bloodstream through your cheek when you chew. When it comes to other nutrients I don't know how it works.

Also you can try to find a support group online to talk about the problems you find in having a gastric bypass. I do not have one, but a friend of mine has one and this is what I learned from her.

Hope that helps,

Jolanda

Original Post by jcbolt:

Original Post by hgielrehtaeh:

I agree with the above posters. You should have your intake and food selection under control by now. That's what you had the surgery right?

I'm perplexed by comments like this and others up the list of comments. Jenniebean is obviously trying to learn and wants soms help from us. She is not helped by comments like this. So instead of saying what she should have known by now, let's just help her.

I'm sorry if I'm too matter of fact for your likes, Jolanda. She had the surgery to be a tool to help with her intake and food selection. That's what I've been told countless times the surgery is supposed to do. No quick fix, just a tool.

And yet, she admitted to eating foods she knows will make her sick.

It is mostly when I go out to eat/order take out that it happens. I know I should just not eat those foods but it is so hard to not go out and order a cheese burger and fries when I LOVE them lol. Once I do get sick I immediately feel better and generally try to at least take a few more bites of food so i get something in my stomach.

It sounds to me like she eats "bad for you food" a few times a week, but doesn't mind because she sicks it up and still loses weight. That is indicitive of an eating disorder. I gave her my advice of going to the doctor and a psychologist, to deal with the mental/emotional aspects of making a healthy life change, which you can't fix by going under the knife. You can give her whatever advice you think is appropriate. But don't act like my advice is meant to harm. It's not. After what she's posted here, it sounds like she has the symptoms of an eating disorder, and needs to see a doctor. Please don't trivialize my suggestion because you think it "doesn't help". This sounds like something that a bunch of people on the board can't help with. And I'm not about to enable her by telling her how to log the calories of what she throws up.