Carb, Protein,Calorie, Fat confusion

Aloha my WLS sisters, I am confused. People talk about protein being the number one priority in our diets above all else. Also, I hear that we should keep our carbs very low, but we should be eating fruits and veggies. Those have carbs! Fats aren't mentioned much at all, so I'm guessing they are OK as long they are the right kind. I was shopping for salad dressing yesterday and blanked. Do I get low carb or low fat? I remember Atkins you could eat full caloies fat laden salad dressing because it had low carbs. I looked at South Beach Diet low carb dressing....had 70 calories per 2 tablespoons. Fat free ranch dressing had 20 calories per 2 T, but 18 grams of carbs!! Do I go for the low calories, or the low carbs?? When I get confused like this I tend to eat the same thing every day....my protein shake, cottage cheese salad with nuts, pears (carbs I know) and sugarfree jello, meat with small amount of veggie or a salad for dinner. Maybe a handful of peanuts (my indulgence) every other day. My nut. says eat well balanced. She really doesn't stress anything in particular regarding low carbs, but I'm wondering what all of your support people are telling you. My own restrictions..just because...are that I don't indulge in five things: white flour, sugar, pasta, carbonated anything and alcohol. I'm going to be faithful as I can to this until I reach goal. But when it comes to carbs, protein and calories...I'm floating in outter space. Any wisdom you care to share? Aloha nui loa, KarenS

KarenS, Im with you I restrict myself on the flour sugar pasta and sodas. I never drank alcohol before surgery so that ones not a problem for me. For salad dressings I use Helmans Mayo....it has very min sugar per serving and is approved for south beach and low carb diets. I also buy Paul Newmans Oil and Vingar...no sugar in it either and very flavorful. My low carb diet wants me to consume all the veggies I can just not potatos, carrots, parsnips and peas...they are high in starch and natural sugars. All other veggies are a go. I have on rare occasions had both mashed potatos and carrots but I dont have them daily. Sounds like u are on the right track...Stay away from the hydrogenated oils/fats and keep a well balanced diet and we will be fine. Mariah

Karen, I hear ya. I recently googled Complex Carbs and got a lot of info about the different kind of carbs. They explain the difference and which carbs are important to eat and which ones are only detrimental to us. I'm also reading more on protein, because we also have to watch our intake because I guess it takes ALOT for us to process protein and there are certain foods we can eat to help that process along (like ****ake Mushrooms). It is all confusing. I'm going to make an appointment with my nutritionist and find out all that information soon. I'll share what I learn. I also avoid real sugar, flour, soda, alcohol, and candy. I do have pasta occasionally but I buy the barilla plus, with extra protein, and only eat a small amount. Sometimes we need to eat things to balance us out. I don't have the salad dressing issue because I still don't eat lettuce yet, it just makes me feel like crap. Happy Holidays, Amber

Aloha Amber......Thanks for the information that you researched. That is interesting about ****ake mushrooms, and our having to work hard to digest protein. I know we are supposed to eat a lot of protein, and I do....but things like steak have a lot of fat, too, so I don't know if that is OK protein or not. Sorry you are having trouble with salad. I wonder why. I think my pouch is either larger than most, or has a super large opening because I can eat anything without problems of dumping or nausea...so far a least. It's a good thing in some ways, but dangerous in others. I would really appreciate your letting us know anythiing you find out from your nutritiionist about carbs/fat/proteih, etc. Aloha nui loa, KarenS

Hi Karen, I was told to only eat carbs 3 times a week, and by carbs I mean potatoes, bread, starchy things. My Nut wants me to get good carbs from fruits and veggies and try to have them at every meal. I was told to avoid the 6 white things as much as possible - Sugar, Flour, Pasta, Potatoes, Rice and Popcorn. I also gave up drinking carbonated drinks 6 months ago and they say no alcohol for at least the first year. Our bodies do work harder to digest protein, but that is also better for our metabolism. One thing I was told was after 1 month no more protein drinks, your body doesn't have to work as hard to digest it since it's all broken down for you, so it actually slows your metabolism. I can say I faithfully followed my DR's advice and as of today I'm down 110lbs. I even baked 15 dozen cookies the other night and didn't have a one! I'm also one of the lucky ones that has no appetite or any desire to eat for that matter. I'm constantly having to remind myself to eat and even luckier is the fact that my body doesn't tolerate carbs well, they make me sick. Best wishes to all of you! Jan

Yikes, I feel badly for those of you confused with salad dressing ingredients; the only veggies I consume are fresh green beans, spinach, and broccoli. My dietitian had told me at my three-month followup to no longer track carbs and calories, to only focus on consuming strict minimum 60 gms protein daily, that all will level out. I'm continuously diligent about following the rules, as I want to gain the most benefit from this no-hunger, no-cravings phase. Can't believe I'm four days from five month surgiversary, and feel so blessed the hunger hasn't returned. I proactively print out many helpful suggestions regarding potential upcoming eating issues. Wow, this is the first holiday season ever that I've lost weight...priceless! Best wishes to everyone from this odd duck! Hugs, Patti

When they talk about "Carbs" typically it is meant refined carbs. Remember FIBER? That essential thing we all need for satiety and colon health? It's a carb!!!! Just remember that all carbs are not created equal. Get your carbs from fruits and veggies. Our bodies need 130g of carbs just to function properly, and more if we are moving around! See, our nervous system (aka brain) runs of carbs, not anything protein can make, so they are essential to our diets. However, eat a handful of chips and see if you want more, or eat the same amount of carrotts. I bet you want more of the chips! It all has to do with how refined the carb is and the amount of protein. Wow, I just rehashed a whole lecture from my nutrition class! HTH!!!