Lactose can be your Enemy!

[amboyle728 71]

Maybe this info will be helpful to someone:

So I was stuck at a plateau weight for a couple of weeks, and I was okay with it b/c I know it happens. But then I actually GAINED weight. In fact, I was feeling overall lousy, bloated and sluggish, with headaches and stomach discomfort. Frustrated, I called my bariatric team and they asked me to give them a run-down of what I was eating. I was drinking a Protein Shake every day for Breakfast, sometimes another Protein shake for lunch, and sugar-free pudding was my go-to snack.

Long story short, turns out I am lactose intolerant, and the Protein Shakes I was drinking are made with milk protein, a/k/a lactose. What I thought was helping was actually sabotaging my efforts!

I stopped drinking the shakes, cut out milk-based products and BOOM started losing weight immediately!

I'm told that it is very common to develop a lactose intolerance after VGS surgery. Had no clue.

[rjan 163]

I've heard some people gain lactose intolerance from the surgery. But I'm surprised that made you gain weight - how much did you gain?

Curious because I had surgery a couple weeks after you, and I just got out of the "~3 month stall" myself. I had gained 3-4 pounds from my low during the stall. I finally got going again this week, and am now down 2 lbs from my previous low. But I didn't have to cut out milk. 😂

On the other hand, I do have other food intolerances that I've had for years, and they usually make me bloated and/or constipated, so I definitely see how they could cause ~3-4 lbs of water/other retention. Were you feeling all bloated and gross until you cut out milk?

[amboyle728 71]

On 6/4/2020 at 3:49 PM, rjan said:

I've heard some people gain lactose intolerance from the surgery. But I'm surprised that made you gain weight - how much did you gain?

I was in a stall for about 3 weeks, then gained about 2 lbs in a week and I called my bari team in near hysterics! Very discouraged. I was feeling awful, with stomach upset, gas, bloating, lethargy. All that has gone away since I cut out dairy--which admittedly has been hard, b/c cheese (esp. cottage cheese) and yogurt had been a big part of my eating plan.

[rjan 163]

The stomach upset, gas, and bloating are definitely the distinguishing symptoms of a food intolerance!

A stall and a few lb gain one week happens to most people around 2-4 months - happened to me. Not very fun, but normal.

I would really hate to cut out yogurt and cottage cheese.

[Lily66 425]

And I’ve been right there with y’all...3 month stall and 3 pound gain😰. As rjan said, we expected something like this but still not fun. I’m finally moving again and more determined than EVER.

It served a purpose though, it made me look long and hard at what I was doing that may have caused it. I tightened up a few things, gave up cheese and most dairy and got moving more.

Continued best wishes everyone!

Edited June 11, 2020 by Lily66

[Zom B 16]

On 6/11/2020 at 2:30 PM, Lily66 said:

And I’ve been right there with y’all...3 month stall and 3 pound gain😰. As rjan said, we expected something like this but still not fun. I’m finally moving again and more determined than EVER.

It served a purpose though, it made me look long and hard at what I was doing that may have caused it. I tightened up a few things, gave up cheese and most dairy and got moving more.

Continued best wishes everyone!

Lily66,

am 3.5 weeks post op bypass and have been dumping daily since starting purées. I usually start the day with a premium Protein Shake or scrambled egg or cottage cheese. Deli turkey and low fat chili’s round out my day.

My team have ruled out a bacterial infection so looking like lactose is the culprit. Can I ask what Protein sources have worked for you? I am feeling pretty frustrated. Any tips appreciated!

[Zom B 16]

On 6/4/2020 at 5:52 AM, amboyle728 said:

Maybe this info will be helpful to someone:

So I was stuck at a plateau weight for a couple of weeks, and I was okay with it b/c I know it happens. But then I actually GAINED weight. In fact, I was feeling overall lousy, bloated and sluggish, with headaches and stomach discomfort. Frustrated, I called my bariatric team and they asked me to give them a run-down of what I was eating. I was drinking a Protein Shake every day for Breakfast, sometimes another Protein shake for lunch, and sugar-free pudding was my go-to snack.

Long story short, turns out I am lactose intolerant, and the Protein Shakes I was drinking are made with milk Protein, a/k/a lactose. What I thought was helping was actually sabotaging my efforts!

I stopped drinking the shakes, cut out milk-based products and BOOM started losing weight immediately!

I'm told that it is very common to develop a lactose intolerance after VGS surgery. Had no clue.

Amboyle, I am 3.5 weeks post op bypass and have been dumping daily since starting purées. I usually start the day with a premium Protein Shake or scrambled egg or cottage cheese. Deli turkey and low fat chili’s round out my day.

My team have ruled out a bacterial infection so looking like lactose is the culprit. Can I ask what protein sources have worked for you? I am feeling pretty frustrated. Any tips appreciated!

[amboyle728 71]

7 hours ago, Zom B said:

My team have ruled out a bacterial infection so looking like lactose is the culprit. Can I ask what Protein sources have worked for you? I am feeling pretty frustrated. Any tips appreciated!

Oh yes...lactose can certainly have that effect. Which makes it inconvenient as heck b/c most pre-made shakes are heavy in lactose. Generally now I use Protein Powder (I like Isopure, BioTrust and Purely Protein), and make my own shakes with either lactose free milk, oat milk or almond milk. eggs don't bother me, (but I do know they bother some who are lactose intolerant). so I eat them a lot (egg beaters, because of the calories). When I did puree's, I actually ran chicken through the food processor with a little broth and it made a thick, high protein Soup. It sounds gross but with a few spices it wasn't that bad I also had to give up cottage cheese and yogurt, although I did try almond milk based yogurt, but didn't care for it. Some people do like it though, so maybe it's worth a try for you. Peanut Butter and almond butter are also a nice treat but the calories/fat can be a problem if you have too much, of course.

Hope that helps a little. It's a challenge, for sure, but you got this! I've found that this whole process is full of ups and downs (and not just the weight either) but when I focus on the big picture and remember why I did this, it makes it all worthwhile!