Two months ago, I began to focus all my attention of getting the 1200 calories a day that I was under the assumption was necessary in order to lose weight. In my case, I had to up my calories to meet that 1200 goal, in order to get out of what medical science has labeled “ starvation mode”. Although I had lost 25lbs, ( I have no idea how it happened I was at a stand still, with still another 25lbs to go if I was to reach my proper weight for my age and height.
Living on a liquid diet, I was using slim fast as the bases of my morning shake. I was trying everything I could possible do get my calorie intake up, by making shake after shake threw out the day and filling them up with fruit , eggs in order to up my calorie intake. The problem was, the more I tried to eat to meet my 1200 calories, the weaker I was getting. My blood sugar was dropping an hour after I ate, I was fighting chronic fatigue , confusion and dizziness. I could barely get out of bed in the morning. I had no idea , that the slim fast was making me sick! Evidently, there is something in slim fast that is supposed to cause the stomach to take longer to digest , not only the slim fast itself, but also other food we eat each day, thus controlling our appetite. That is fine if you have a normal digestive system, but for a stomach that is already slow in dealing with food , it can be devastating.
We have often been told that for our body to be health and strong, we have to meet a certain calorie intake each day. That is very true if you are an active and relatively healthy person, that is a person with no serious issue with their digestive track. For a person like me with GP, it can be very hard to meet that requirements, especially if you are gluten intolerant. Have you every realize that at least half of the required calories of lets say 1200 calorie diet ,is made up of grain. I would have to eat a whole bottle of apple sauce each day to replace the calories of two piece of bread, used to make a sandwich . I failed to realize that once I removed the gluten products, I was not going to be able to meet my calorie intake by drinking broth, potato soap, jello, pudding… and yet, that is all my stomach can deal with .
Since removing the slim fast from my diet, I do feel a whole lot better. I am not up to the energy levels I was at a few months ago, when my energy levels started going down hill. But my sugar level has been balanced since yesterday when topped using the slim fast for the first time. And I was able to get out of bed this morning feeling less exhausted . It will take more than a few days to get my energy levels up , but I have decided to focus my attention on nutrition instead of calories and allow my body to decided which is more important.
Already a member? Sign in
Welcome to Inspire!
What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.
Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.
How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!
Are calories important ?
- By nanascorner
- Posted June 22, 2009 at 5:22 pm · 8 replies
- In Nutrition
- Shared with the public
8 replies
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- By JoAllison
- Posted June 22, 2009 at 5:41 pm
- Report post
I feel better when I concentrate on getting decent nutrition. That's why I take all the supplements I do, particularly the greens supplement (Doctors For Nutrition's Greens First), to make up for the green food (& anti-oxidents) I can't eat. My integrative medicine/holistic doctor turned me on to a lot of the supplements. She said I was mal-nourished when I got to her & that getting the right nutrients was very important so that the body could try to heal itself to the extent it could.
I'd heard that Slimfast is mainly sugar & fiber, don't know for sure. I just know that I really can't drink it, myself. As a hypoglycemic, the sugar isn't good for me & the fiber plays hell with my GP. I feel terrible when I drink it.
I think it's much more important to tune into what our bodies are telling us and follow it's dictates to what is healthy for "us". I pay a lot more attention to my own body cues nowadays.
- By busyteacher
- Posted June 23, 2009 at 7:26 pm
- Report post
I can't take slimfast, but I can use ensure or almond milk with a snack-pack pudding to thicken shakes. You can also throw in a scoop or two of vanilla whey protein, which is easy to digest, whenever you put anything in the blender.
I gained weight when my body went into that mode. I lost weight when I started getting calories--but the right calories, with the right supplements, and the right protein balance.
- By nanascorner
- Posted June 23, 2009 at 8:24 pm
- Report post
dear Joe and Busyteach
I am having a real problem getting my stomach to empty quick enough to rase my blood sugar. I have used whey products, but I got sick on that because
I am gluten intolerant. I take a lot of supplements, but supplements will not help raise my blood sugar. I don't know about almond milk and its beneifts when it comes to blood sugar, I will look it up though. All I know for sure is that orange juice and fruit shake is not raising my blood sugar.
The reality of chronic low blood sugar is causing me all kinds of problems... And medication will not fix this only diet changes will. I just have not found the right mixture yet.
Your Friend Barbara
- By busyteacher
- Posted June 24, 2009 at 12:20 pm
- Report post
I was having low blood sugar problems until I went on a liquid diet that mixes the sugars with the proteins for more even distribution of nutrients. I am constantly holding a smoothie, which I sip all day.
When I got sick at work ,they couldn't understand that quick sugars wouldn't help me. Neither would immediately drinking liquids.
I have found continuous drinking of balanced smoothies with easy to digest protein--and not intaking any foods I find hard to digest--seems to help. On bad days, I eat simple sugar candies, although I hate the empty calories. I can suck on Starburst or something. I try to avoid that, though.
Are you diabetic? I'm sorry, I can't remember. For me, it's a distribution only problem.
- By nanascorner
- Posted June 24, 2009 at 1:51 pm
- Report post
Busy teacher
I was diagnosed as being a diet controlled diabetic 15 years ago. I ran into a little problem with my diabetes when I had surgery two years ago. My body could not deal with the IV drip that was filled with to much glucose and they had to give me insulin during the surgery. My blood sugar was watched closely during my hospital stay. But once I left , my GP decided that since I had a good understanding of how to control my diabetes with diet, that I know longer needed to monitor my sugar levels every day. And sugar high is not the problem I have been battling the last few months. Evidently I have what is called retroactive hyperglycemia… This is a condition in which the brain does not get enough glucose from a low Carb diet, or even a gluten free diet. In other words, I have not been getting enough carbs in my diet from my shake or other wise… This may sound strange, but since grains will cause my stomach to become blocked I have been unable to real with grains. Soy products cause diarrhea in those with Crohn’s disease. As a result, I had removed all most all Carbs from my diet, including potatoes. The potatoes were removed because they tend to be hard for a diabetic to deal with. On the other hand, It is one of the foods that are suggested to control hyperglycemia. I made my shake with Idaho potato flakes this morning, and for the first time in over a month my blood sugar was over 100. And for a few hours my blood energy level was up.. I am going to take your suggestion and keep a shake made at all time and sip on it threw out the day. Maybe then I can keep my blood sugar up.
- By busyteacher
- Posted June 25, 2009 at 9:33 am
- Report post
I am only dealing with gastro issues that are "motility issues", so my problems are not quite as complex as yours. I do hope you start to feel better soon. It is frustrating when diets contradict each other, and you are left to find the overlapping few foods or the ones not forbidden by each.
I made the mistake of eating solid food again last night, and will pay for it today. Every now and then, I convince myself this is all in my head.
I do hope you are feeling better soon. The fatigue and confusion that go with low blood sugar are miserable--that complete lack of energy--and I don't experience this as much as you do. For me it is controlling "episodes". You are such a kind, gentle person. I hope you are able to find some answers.
For me, whey protein seems to be the stabilizer for rate of digestion and absorption.
I hope you find something for yourself.
Feel better.
- By shamrockmom
- Posted August 15, 2009 at 11:40 pm
- Report post
I can't believe after reading all of your posts that I didn't originally write every one of them. I have GP and I am a VERY controlled type 2 diabetic (non-insulin) for 12 years. I control my blood sugar with oral meds. Lately insulin has been mentioned because I go very low (50) and then go high (190) after drinking small juice box of apple juice (15 g) . I cannot tolerate gluten yet Celiac was recently ruled out. I also found out that I am lactose intolerant. I have been on a liquid diet for over 7 months now due to a complete bowel obstruction in Dec 2008. Solids cause severe nausea, spasms etc. It has been a challenge to come up with some type of protein shake that is Dairy/Lactose/Gluten Free. I make smoothies using Organic Soymilk, Hemp Protein Powder, Flax Oil and a handful of frozen fruit. I puree it in the blender and it takes me all day to drink 1 shake which is only about 500 calories. Due to the inability to eat solid foods, I have lost over 30 lbs. I am now very much underweight.
In order to tolerate higher calorie things in my protein shake, doc is suggesting insulin but I keep refusing. I feel if I resort to insulin now after all these years than I have failed myself. Saw a nutritionist who really can't help me because she said I need to "eat" and I can't. She couldn't even come up with puree idea's. Before finding out I was lactose intolerant, I was drinking Atkin's Advantage Shakes. The Milk Chocolate Delight takes like a "real" milkshake. It is very thick and creamy and really delicious. My kids even drink them instead of eating a cookie. They are 160 cal / 4g Total Carbs / 15g protein, but if you have a lactose problem you can't drink them because they are milk based.They only taste good cold so please keep in refrigerator.
- By nanascorner
- Posted August 16, 2009 at 10:24 am
- Report post
I thank God I am not lacteous intolerant, other wise I would be in pickle. I have Crohn’s disease , soy product for my are a big no! no! Soy causes diarrhea in people with CD. With the Gastroparesis shakes are vital because I can’t eat as much food as a normal person. And even though many of the doctors are at odds as to weather I am diabetic or not. Lack of proper nutrition, or more to the point , amount of food can play havic with my blood sugar. Usually , my blood sugar drops . On the other hand, if they give me a sugar based IV in the ER they better be prepared to give my insulin. My whole system has its own set of rules that I have to fallow, whether it please a doctor or not. In the end, we are all our own best doctors, when it comes to dealing with our own illness.
Add to the discussion