Where does my story begin?
Well it began with years of crippling stomach and back pain, it began with infertility and miscarriage, it began with Fibromyalgia and poor digestive function, it began with depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness, it began with not being able to eat a single thing without experiencing these things. It began with these things and then the weight started creeping up.
I'm sure that many of you are thinking me too, me too... that's what makes My story, Your story.
It began with a pattern of visiting the doctor and getting referrals and prescriptions, gallbladder removal,scans, ultrasounds, payments after payments, tears and feeling that this is"MY LOT", Doctors with scratched heads and no answers.....
It lead me to investigate for myself.
With a background as a Certified Social Trainer in disability care, I had a good solid foundation of how to plan and prepare meals and some interesting insight into food behaviours and food modelling, as well as a personal catalogue of diets that I feel like I had been on my whole life... but I needed to know more.
I had heard that "food was medicine" , and truly believe this to be true. In 2012, I set myself on the path to learn everything I needed to know about Holistic Nutrition with a Bachelor of Science - Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine. With these studies (and my continuous professional development), I discovered how to nourish the body, how to counteract deficiency, apply clinical differential diagnosis, how to interpret pathology and how to make a positive impact on pain management.
I was healing myself in so many ways, but despite this, I still continued to have difficulty with digestive function, stomach and back pain and my weight was not moving. Parts of my gastrointestinal tract were not working how they should, and painful spinal disc herniation and nerve compression was triggering my insides to spasm and disrupt my digestion ... WOW who would have thought that could happen. (this was one of the first real things I learned when I began my Nutrition degree).
This poor function, lead me down the path of Bariatric Surgery. I deliberated for over a year, researching EVERYTHING I could about the options, long term effects, side effects and complications both physical and mental.
I knew that my nutrition, more than ever would need to be of the BEST QUALITY after surgery, as it could no-longer be about QUANTITY. I needed to do something, because "how could I be a nutritionist and look like I did?".
In 2017, I underwent Roux En Y Gastric Bypass, and let me tell you, I am so glad that I took the time to gain my profession and research these procedures, because the information I was given by both the surgeon and the Bariatric Dietician left my head spinning! For the simple fact that it was confusing and there wasnt much of it at all!!
Inadequate nutrition, poor macro balance, insufficient attention to vitamin and mineral intake and calorie limits that will inevitably lead to a metabolic nightmare. It seemed that they were just making sure that you starved yourself sufficiently enough to make the surgery a "success".
I thought to myself, they are making this surgery a SHORT-TERM BANDAID FIX WHICH WILL LEAD TO A WHOLE RANGE OF DIFFERENT COMORBIDITIES LONG TERM!
Something needed to be done to ensure the health of the people that are spending thousands on a promise of health and happiness (that they will not be supported to receive).
But it was much more than that.
Where was the emotional and psychological support? Yes many are assessed for mental fitness to receive surgery, but the aftermath? The emotions akin to grief that are experienced as the weight moves and everything changes. The loss of friendship, relationship, the change in persona. What about addressing food issues and behaviours? What about body image and self worth?
How about treating obesity like every other food related mental health issue (eating disorder)? With the full tool kit of multi-modal support?! Understanding that restriction and deprivation will lead many post-op individuals back down that horrible weight gain path, as nothing was ever addressed. Well that's what I set out to do. If no one was offering these supports, I would.
Which brings us to the present, after the birth of CR Nutrition and Bariatric Health my goal is to deliver nutritional counselling, guidance and support. To help where others have failed you. To teach, nurture, guide and motivate. To help you heal the wounds that surgery has left. We will work from the ground up to build and create a stronger foundation of health for you long term. I believe you need to be human, find balance and be mindful to truly experience success after surgery.
So my aim is to provide that help, all based on continued evidenced based research and experience.
What do you need to get you on your way?
To start.... Proper Bariatric Nutrition and a Nutritionist that "GET'S IT" because, Your Story is MY STORY !
We must understand that our needs are different now that we have been altered. We face the risk of malabsorption and vitamin deficiency, inadequate energy, fatigue, hair loss, loss of skin elasticity, onset or exacerbation of mental health issues, exacerbation of certain medical conditions when an improper diet is adopted etc.
That's why I took the time to develop the following.
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" I understand and can both empathise and most cases sympathise with what you are going through, because I get it, I have been there and I understand how this works..."
Carrie Ross
Holistic Nutritionist | Bariatric Health Coach | Social Trainer
CR NUTRITION & BARIATRIC HEALTH