Any pre-dialysis people here? I have a diet problem

[Ron9]

Two months ago - I found out (by total accident) my creat was 1.7 and my bunn was 26. I do not have any income or insurance - so I am almost on my own. I have gone to a "free clinic" a couple of times - there is where I got the blood test (for something else all together). The free clinic has given me no "advice" at all - none. If and when they ever do - it will be general information that I found out my first day of research - it will be so general it won't help me one bit. I am already WAY past (on learning) anything they would ever tell me.

According to my age (60) race (male) and creat 1.7 - I am Stage 3 I guess.

So - I went on a low protein diet. Now my body is wasting down fast.

I have studied this night and day - made a huge informative data base - have tons of information at my finger tips and ................. STILL can not get my calorie count up and keep my protein down to what I should.

I am 6'2" and down to 175 lbs (was 185 lbs and consider that about right) - I am losing weight - have zero energy and have had to totally stop my exercise - I can look at my body and see it fading fast.

I was trying to target 47 grams of protein - and trying to keep the percent of HBV protein up and I was crashing badly - hypoglycemia was hitting me HARD. I finally started to track calories along with protein and found I was only eating about 700 calories a day.

I have started to move the protein target up some but still can't manage to get the calories up much - my average for the last two weeks are ...

50.2 protein grams a day - (52.1% HBV)
1969 calories a day (10.2% protein calories)

I need at least 3000 calories to save my body from distruction - but I need to keep the protein down to try to slow my kidney failure.

I am bearly eating enough to stay away from hypoglycemia - I can function at 2000 calories but not very good and not for much longer.

I am already almost drinking olive oil - I am aware of things like mayo and have info on at least 10,000 foods - everything is with formulas - everything is pretty accurate and ...........

I just can not find a way to get my calores up and keep my protein down.

Where I am I missing the boat?


Thanks

Ron

[Maria]

As a very general statement (not individual-specific information), extra calories without protein can come from two sources -- sugars and fats.

Examples of 'extra calories from sugars' would be jelly, syrup, honey, etc, and examples of 'extra calories from fats' would be margarine, oil, salad dressings, etc.

There are also some low-protein nutrition supplements available.
Also, check out the recipes here at DaVita.com, and choose the ones marked "ckd-nondialysis" as being appropriate for someone prior to the start of dialysis treatment.

Good luck. It's great that you are already starting to research and learn.

[Ottawagirl]

As the previous poster said, calories can also come from sugars and fats.

So maybe to get extra callories you could eat candy during the day.
Stuff that would not be bad for you and is just sugar are like gummi candies, jelly beans, liquorice.

or for Fats I know making ai rpopped popcorn and putting a bunch of butter on it would be high in calories (and pretty tasty).

-was going to suggest microwave popcorn till i realized it is all salt.

Also, making your own salad dressings
my mother makes her own dressing out of oil, vinegar (red wine vinegar) and garlic w other spices.
I don't have the recipe, but she bought some kind of glass container with salad dressing tips on it.
when she is done though the dressing is about 50% oil and very high in calories,

I also know italian people eat flavored olive oils with bread as a snack and that is quite high in calories.
I had that in a restaurant a few weeks ago and they give you a plate w oil that is seasoned (it was garlic oil) and you got white cripy bread for dipping)

I'm sure there are alot of other "empty" calorie foods out there...good luck

[Ron9]

Thank you ladies for your ideas.

I am already using them the best I can. I have resorted to taking a couple of tablespoons of olive oil here and there - 200 calories and no protein.

I got burned out on sweets the first week. But I am still trying to choke some down.

I got some good news last week - the latest test came back with 1.5 creat and 16 bunn. Not too much of a drop but some and it was very nice to see.

I guess at my age (60) the Dr don't even think I have a kidney problem now. He said "I am not worried about those numbers at all".

The 1.5 is right on the edge of their "out of range" and the 16 bun is lower than their < 24 range.

I am STILL going to be kind to my kidneys even now that it seems (to the Drs) I don't have a kidney problem. I have learned so much and will eat less protein than I use to.

Even with bringing my allowence up to 55/60 grams a day (protein grams) - I still can not get my calories up much. I've tried every trick I can think of.

My last 30 day average protein is 52 grams a day - I've been bringing it up it use to be as low as 43 average - that almost killed me ( no kidding it almost did ).

My last 30 day calorie average is 2106 which is not enough. I eat snacks all night after dinner and still can not get the calories up. I am stuffed full most of the time and still try to gag down more food but just can't get the calories up more.

I really caused havoc on my body in that first 30 days. This last 30 days has shown no weight regain and I have really been trying to regain.

I don't know if I mentioned it above but my latest "find" was sweet potatoes. I've have always liked them and they are less protein and more calories than white potatoes. I can pile them up with butter and get good calorie to protein ratio

I am doing a decent job of keeping the HBV ratio up (it is at 52%) HBV (complete protein - animal / dairy) is better for us but yeilds a low calorie to protein ratio.

Ron