eureka! I figured out the trouble with the NUTs.

Warning:   I am mad as a poked hornet and I am sorry if I rant and rave a little here. 

My dietician/nutritionist person has just been terrible.  Really really terrible.  I won't even go into it.  But I have had it with her.  So I started looking for another one.  I posted something a few days ago asking if anyone really loved their NUT.  Something like 50+ people viewed the post but noone recommended anyone.  That was pretty telling.  So I started searching the web for someone who is in private practice who would do phone or skyp consults with me.  I have spent all week wading through person after person whose bios sound like they have no clue.  Then I stumbled into a forum for dieticians and thought I had hit paydirt.  There was a special section for bariatric surgery issues.  I started looking through thinking I might find someone who would have good experience and would be a good fit for me.  holy toledo.  Every single post went something like this, "What is wrong with these surgery patients/  Don't they know they should just diet?"  Here is a quote:  "When will these people learn that doing Weigh****chers is soooooo much easier?"

It was a little shocking to me.  But it really made me realize something, I think most of these folks come from a place where weight loss is all about eating less and exercising more.  They seem to fundamentally think that diets work.  (I know I am generalizing here, I am sure there are NUTs out there who don't think this and if you know one or are one please message me and I will hire you immediately)  It was really helpful actually because I have been so frustrated with the whole thing. 

In addition to just giving me bad info at times I have dealt with people (not just the NUT) just making things up when posed with questions they don't know.  And, to top if all off, everything is so dumbed down.  Someone today admitted to me that everything has to be taught at a 4th grade level "because of the population".  Okay, I get that obesity can have socioeconomic factors that lead to lack of education, I get that.  but for heaven's sake.  What about the rest of us?  with graduate degrees?  who are plenty smart?  It feels like there is this bias that if I am obese then I must be dumb, that I must not realize that fat has more calories than protein, that I am fat because I am stupid.  And that really really %$##@$# me off.

See, I told you, I am mad as a poked hornet.  Thanks for letting me rant a little.

I think there are a lot of surgeons and their NUTS who treat "the population" like this and it's always telling when we get posts on carbonation, straws, coffee etc ...   They just make **** up and a lot of our peers blindly believe it!!!

I'm always glad that there are a lot of well educated, experienced people here who can poo poo some of these surgery myths so we don't ALL have to rely on the numptys who are being paid to educate and care for us!

I decided right at the very beginning that I was going to be responsible for my health and wellbeing and have managed myself since 3 months out - along with my PCP I decide what and how I want my healthcare delivered and I have no problem engaging my specialists myself where necessary.   I do have a medical background and nutrition was a part of my degree so I know I have good knowledge and confidence to help me do this.

You took the words out of my mouth!  I haven't been back to mine since my 1 week post opp visit.  I got way better info on here & using google.  I really was looking forward to working with a nut, but mine was an airhead.  It wasn't worth my time or money to see her.

It's hard to believe that most of their patients have only a fourth grade education.

I think people often assume that obese equals lazy and stupid.  Two different people have told me that their surgeons told them that they recommend Flintstones, even though they know those aren't very good vitamins for RNY folks, because they assume their patients won't spend the money to buy better vitamins.  I find that really insulting.

I'm fortunate then because my NUT (with my insurance company) is very skilled and answers all of my questions. I never feel dumbed down and some of my questions are a little detailed like exactly what happens to protein in the body and it's relationship to nutritional needs after RNY. I just needed to post this as there are some out there that are highly skilled. As far as professions go, most highly "professional" degreed healthcare providers would not risk online discussions like you describe. I wonder if they are the lower end of the NUTs. Those without jobs with high standards demanded by their employees. I may be wrong but every field seems to have a group on the lower end.

My dietician was pretty good, too.  I think one issue may be that some people are seeing nutritionists instead of registered dieticians.  There is a difference.  Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.  You don't have to have a college degree in nutrition and you don't have to have any kind of license.  A registered dietician, on the other hand, must have a college degree in nutrition and must pass a licensing exam.  That doesn't mean they know much about WLS and it doesn't mean they don't have a bias against morbidly obese folks, but at least they do have to have some kind of qualifications.

I'm agreeing with Kelly on this one. My NUT is a dietitian and my oh my will she LET YOU KNOW IT if you call her a nutritionist by mistake lol She worked hard for her title and I'm sure being compared with people who didn't have to do any work to get where they are is insulting. however, when i met with her she told me all the ins and outs of how to lose weight and how to read labels and calories in vs calories out. i'm thinking to myself... i know how it works, i just sucked at doing it. i'm not stupid, i'm just weak when it comes to dealing with food because i have been overweight my entire life. i've also been dieting one way or another my entire life and know the difference between a carb and a net carb. but oh well.. she's nice, just assumes that i have no idea what i'm doing. i guess i can't blame her that much... my body certainly looks like i have no idea what a food label looks like....

My NUT was wonderful and never talked down to me. I didn't see your post and have no idea what part of the country you are in. I would be happy to share the printed information that I have with you though......

The NUT at my surgeon's office is just there as a figurehead IMHO. When I asked directly for advice she didn't want to look at the food logs I had very carefully kept for her and her only advice at all pre surgery was lay off bottled sweet tea.

Thanks to all of you for letting me vent and for validating me.  those with good experiences with your dieticians, please ask them if they are willing to do phone consults privately.  I would really love a monthly check in with someone who can help me ensure that I am on track.  Certainly the forums I was reading may have been heavy on the low end and I don't even think that many of these folks mean to talk down to me.  I interviewed a very well known dietician yesterday who was lovely but fundamentally did not understand the reality of obesity and how is happens and what causes it.  Intellectually she knew the research but at her core she really just believed the problem could be solved by dieting.  I obviously didn't choose her and I sent her the excellent article from the NYTimes Magazine, "the Fat Trap" and her response was, "  what a good article, it really highlighted the need to make good food chocies."  Which is insane.  Either she didn't read it or her lens is so skewed that she couldn't comprehend it.  REally bizarre.  But I am hanging in there and I think doing well and despite all my moaning I have been very pleased with my program.