SweetPea56 needs help - NOW! :-)

[SweetPea56]

I want to thank everyone who has tried to help and I want to report that I am now completely convinced that it was the oatmeal.

I feel really good again - like my old self.
I walked 2 miles yesterday without it being any kind of struggle.
My "evacuations" went from 4 or 5 times a day to a much more normal twice a day since quitting oats.
I am no longer feeling dizzy, shaky, weak, foggy or exhausted.
I am no longer needing to eat every hour.
And....drum roll.....this morning, after over 5 weeks of not losing any weight, I dropped 3 lbs!!!

Bye-bye, oatmeal. You won't be missed!

I am really glad that I started this thread, since it was one woman mentioning that she had problems with oats that got me started thinking about my oatmeal breakfasts...and then I remembered that years ago I almost fainted an hour after eating oatmeal - and also that I haven't eaten oatmeal in decades because it makes me hungry. But...it had been sooooooooo long since I'd had it that I kinda forgot about all that. And anyway, everyone else seems to eat oatmeal every morning and I love oats and wanted to eat them, too!

Now I am eating quinoa or a mix of quinoa, rice, beans & salsa for breakfast. A small amount (1 cup total) is keeping me going well for 4 or more hours. Happy again!!!

Yesterday's food log:

[Kaye]

Wow, who would have thought oatmeal could have that effect. Glad you are feeling so much better and the weight has started to come down. Please keep posting on your progress.

[Timaca]

Glad you figured it out!

Yes, oats are basically poison to me. And that is too bad because I would love to eat them. Glad my mentioning it caused you to think about your situation. That's why I love this forum. People so freely share what does and doesn't work for them!!

Carry on SweetPea!!

[SweetPea56]

Wow, who would have thought oatmeal could have that effect. Glad you are feeling so much better and the weight has started to come down. Please keep posting on your progress.

Thank you, Kaye! I'll keep posting.

[SweetPea56]

Glad you figured it out!

Yes, oats are basically poison to me. And that is too bad because I would love to eat them. Glad my mentioning it caused you to think about your situation. That's why I love this forum. People so freely share what does and doesn't work for them!!

Carry on SweetPea!!

Oh, Timaca - you have no idea how grateful I am for you!! I was really feeling soooooo helpless. Had no idea what I was doing wrong or where to turn. I knew my doctor wouldn't be helpful and I felt so alone since it seems that just everyone else does so well on SS and everyone loses weight. It felt like my body was betraying me once again...

So - you've saved me. A million thank yous!

[Timaca]

Glad to be of help SweetPea. I am sure that something you post about will some day help someone else too!

[foodaddict]

actually I dont eat oat either since about 2 month ago as I feel strange after eating it. I changed to barley porridge but quit eating that also and I lost about 2 pounds since then......
One of my friends she is a RN and she told me in December that she get fat if she eat oat..... she isn't even eating the starch based diet she just mentioned it since I am fat and she is not I guess............

[hope101]

SweetPea, you almost certainly have the symptoms of dumping syndrome, which should have been discussed with you after your lapband surgery. I'll enclose a few links, but here's what I think happened:

You were eating a significant volume of oatmeal to begin with in one sitting. That triggered the dumping syndrome.
Inadvertently, by eating more food to address the fatigue and dizziness, you worsened the dumping syndrome. (A self-perpetuating cycle of misery. )

So if you love oatmeal, you can probably eat it again in the future, with a few precautions: smaller portions at one time, separate drinking your fluids from eating your meals. Or you can stick with what's working for you.

But these links might make things clearer, so you know how to resolve it in the future, should it reoccur. (I'm glad you're feeling better!)

WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorder ... eatments#1

NIH.gov: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-inform ... g-syndrome

Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-cond ... n-20028034

For the future, also please note that medications like blood pressure meds and diabetes meds often have to be reduced or discontinued altogether while McDougalling. It's good to stay in touch with your GP.

Lastly, if you have ongoing problems, you can hire Jeff Novick, the dietician affiliated with this program, for a consultation. He's brilliant, practical, and would probably have identified the dumping syndrome immediately. In other words, you've got a lot of backup in adopting the diet and should be able to do this!

[deweyswakms]

I am having a similar issue (weak, faint, hungry etc) after my morning oatmeal. Thanks for this info! I had posted for help and somebody shared this thread. I will stop oatmeal immediately. Also potatoes are a favorite starch so I may just stick with them for awhile. Thanks.