I'm looking for a great registered dietician in the NYC area!
October 6, 2011 7:32 PM   Subscribe

Help me find a registered dietitian in NYC! I recently had my gallbladder out, and while I ate healthy before, I am looking to meet up with an RD who can help me modify my eating plans and advise me on how to eat now that I do not have a gallbladder! I have to admit I am a little paranoid about gaining weight, which is why I am looking to get a professional's opinion.

I've lost a great deal of weight on my own, and have kept it off for the last 6 years, but I'd like to make sure I'd continue to treat my body right and give it the nutrition it needs. Weight gain and health are my biggest concerns. I don't want to lose any of the 'loss' I've made now that my body is different.

My insurance doesn't cover RD visits for general health, so I will be paying out of pocket, and therefore insurance coverage is not a limiting factor.

Perhaps I am being over paranoid about the weight thing, but I've struggled so much in the past, I'd like to try to stay ahead of it now that I am without a gallbladder.
Thanks!
posted by carmenghia to Health & Fitness (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
My husband had his gallbladder out a week ago. The doctor told him he could eat whatever he wants. I imagine that means you can eat whatever healthy, sensible food you want in appropriate portions to maintain your weight. I don't think having or not having gallbladder has anything to do with gaining or not gaining weight. The surgeon said you don't need a gallbladder, sort of how you don't need an appendix. It is not that big a change for your system.

Also, don't forget exercise.
posted by AllieTessKipp at 9:32 PM on October 6, 2011


I had my gall bladder out last year. There were no weird dietary restrictions or anything in particular I was warned to be careful of. If you are used to eating healthily, you can certainly continue to do so safely. As AllieTessKipp says, there is nothing intrinsically "fattening" about not having a gall bladder.

I will say that foods with a lot of fat in them do tend to cause looser stools for me. Something about the way one's body digests fat in the absence of the gall bladder. This is only a nuisance and not anything that bothers me.
posted by That's Numberwang! at 10:12 PM on October 6, 2011


YMMV but I've found it easier to lose weight since having my gallbladder removed three years ago. I'm not saying that having it removed has caused weight loss, but like the others I haven't had any need to restrict my diet, and by eating less and moving around a bit I have lost weight.

As far as I know there's nothing about not having a gallbladder that will make you more likely to gain weight.
posted by altolinguistic at 12:01 AM on October 7, 2011


I had my gallbladder out several years ago. I've had no eating restrictions. And I was really fat back then and eating like crap. Since then I've lost a lot of weight with exercise and smaller portions of better foods.

I'm not sure why you think your eating needs to change. It sounds like you've already been successful and that a dietician would be a waste of time and money.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 2:17 AM on October 7, 2011


I had mine out about eight years ago and I eat the same stuff now as before except without the crushing pain.
posted by crankylex at 4:12 AM on October 7, 2011


Also chiming in to say that I had my gallbladder out this past June, and I was told I had no dietary restrictions. I've eaten as I normally do, and have had zero problems.
posted by chiababe at 7:04 AM on October 7, 2011


Lots of fatty foods tend to be an issue, but if you're eating healthy and keep track to what you're body is telling you, you should be fine. I had my gallbladder out 3 years ago and it took me about three months to figure out what worked and what didn't and what didn't was mostly things that weren't great for me anyway. A random thing that happened was that my tolerance for spicy food dropped waaaay down, but that could just be a personal thing.
posted by Kimberly at 8:25 AM on October 7, 2011


Best answer: Andrea Furman did amazing things when I was dealing with some food issues. She's very focused on health and nutrition, while also being realistic about what you are capable of.

212-595-9556
255 W. 92nd Street, 2B

I believe she works on a sliding pay scale as well.
posted by samsarah at 10:09 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


This topic is right up my alley. I'm working on a masters in nutrition as part of becoming a registered dietitian, and I happen to have a genetic predisposition to gallstones (according to 23 and me and the fact that my great grandmother had had gallbladder surgery).

I wish I knew an RD in private practice that I could recommend to you, but I don't yet. I cannot give medical advice, either, because I am not registered yet (so that's my disclaimer, none of this is intended as medical advice), but from my classes I can tell you that the gallbladder acts as a holding tank for bile, which is a detergent that emulsifies fat so that it can be absorbed. The liver can only make so much bile at one time (hence the need for a holding tank), so presumably a high fat meal can overwhelm your liver's capacity to produce bile and you'll have fat that remains unemulsified and unable to be absorbed, and it will be passed in a not-so-pleasant way (look up steatorrhea). You should be able to learn through trial and error how much fat you can handle at one time, and you can spread your fat intake throughout the day (have smaller, more frequent meals) if necessary to give your liver a chance to catch up.

You should certainly not avoid fats altogether since some very important vitamins are fat soluble (A, D, E and K). And that would certainly be a question I would ask an RD: should you be tested for these vitamins along with your other blood tests at your annual physicals? If you're deficient there are water miscible ADEK supplements you can take, and I believe that there are also bile salts you can take to aid digestion. Definitely don't supplement unless you have a demonstrated deficiency or have spoken to a doctor or RD about dosing, however, because fat soluble vitamins can be toxic in high doses (they are stored, not excreted).

Finally, as a future RD I'm sad to hear that your insurance doesn't cover a visit with an RD -- espcially after gallbladder surgery! Anyway, feel free to memail me if you have any more questions for which you would like non-medical-advice answers.
posted by antinomia at 2:24 PM on October 8, 2011


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