Post surgery carbs?

Post surgery I know we're all counting our Protein and trying to meet the goals set for us by our docs/nutritionist.

Has anyone been told to count carbs during their weightloss phase?  (not maintenance).
If yes, please share what you've been told to aim for, and if you feel like sharing...which doctor/team.

I'm really struggling with the 6-8 pounds that doesn't want to leave me...and I'm thinking I need to take a look at my overall picture.  I'm getting adequate calories (1100 - 1200), I'm finally meeting my protein goal, my water could come up a bit....but maybe some of those calories should be low carb veggiies instead of a slice of raisin toast.  If you know what I mean!

Any advice or experience would be helpful, thank you!

D.

Sherry has never given me a figure of how many grams of carbs I should be eating she just preaches to me to add a carb with every meal. I'd be interest to find an answer to this question as well.

Kee.

HI girls!

I have never been told how many carbs, just to limit them. 

You both are such an inspiration on here so I was wondering if either or both of you could share some meal ideas or what your average day consists of.  I am having a terrible time trying to get all my calories and protien in and the weight is going so super slow now.  I feel like i am eating all day long to do it and that is not a good feeling.  I probably could get more water in, but I was told not to drink 1/2 hour before and after I eat so that really makes it tough

Any help or advice would be so greatly appreciated. I feel like I am on yet another emotional rollercoaster.

Shawna

Hi Shawna,

I've really made an effort lately to watch my intake, protein, vitamins etc.  I'm using the nutrition tracking tool on this site to monitor it.   I was getting too few calories 600-800 and not getting half of my protein before and as a result my B12 went down and I felt awful.

It IS hard to jam in all of the food to meet 1100-1200 calories and get my protein goal of 75-90 PLUS some liquids.  (i don't get to goal on the water yet, there just ISN"T room, like you said....but I do get some!)

I do feel like I'm eating something every two hours (which is okay)..but it does feel weird and frustrates me.

I eat very protein dense food and they aren't really 'meals".
I eat:
cottage cheese (1/2 cup)
drink milk
cheese sticks
liberte (highest protein count and bang per 1/2 cup at 18g!!) greek yogurt. (i MUST mix in fat free fruit yogurt with this to sweeten it, and it just adds more protein so no harm done)

Ham roll ups (lunch slice of ham with salad or healthy filling in the middle instead of bread.  High protein, low fat.

Greek yogurt with a portion of a fruit cup dumped n top.

Tuna sandwich.  (I have no problem with multigrain bread...and it is higher in protein because of the grains)

Side dish: quinoa....you can google quinoa salad too.

theworldaccordingtoeggface.com has lots of wls friendly ideas and some recipes.

I add powdered milk scoops to my coffee or dairy (it tastes creamier, it bumps the protein up, without the expense of a protein powder) This was suggested by my nutritionist at the Weight wise clinic.  (This has helped me so much!)  I add it to the yogurts as well.

Open faced sandwiches: tuna, chicken, beef with some cheese on top.

Peanut butter toast.

I eat really basic and normal things.

Volume I usually eat a small chicken breast, meat the size of a deck of cards (steak or pork)...I portion things out into a cup...but I can eat anywhere from a half cup to a cup and a half of food depending what it is.

a few lettuce leaves with chicken or beef on top.

Mini stir fry portions are great.

Looks like we had surgery around the same time, and I lose very slowly.  I'm only at about 38 lbs lost since surgery, so I think you're doing great! :)

Let me know if you have any other questions!  I'm always happy to answer :)

Generally I have toast for breakfast, coffee with the exra milk powder, a snack mid morning that is protein dense, leftovers from supper for lunch, a snack of cheese or greek yogurt, my dinner is more the 'meal' just mini size it on a small plate with meat, veg, carb....and then another high protein snack.  In there somewhere is usually another coffee with milk powder...and a glass of milk.  

I'm not a dairy person, but the dairy industry is making money off me now, and fingers crossed that I never become intolerant!

Also...eggs are VERY good snacks.   You can boil them, stick them in the fridge in the shell..and peel them as needed  (egg sandwich, just an egg, egg on top of a salad...)



Dreena

Hey Shawna,
I usually have oatmeal with about a tablespoons of berries or maybe a scrambled egg for breakfast, there are some days when I will have a slice of weigh****chers toast with it and there is usually about a 1/4 slice of the bread left over.
Lunch can be a 2oz slice of meatloaf made with quinoa with 1oz of grated cheese over top , 1/2 can of tuna with 1/2 slice of mountain bread (flat Bread from Costco), it's low card and very thin. A boiled egg with 4 mini melba toast , some days I also choose a weigh****chers meal and I can eat about 1/2 of it. Last week I was on a salad kick where every day for lunch I had 1/2 cup of salad which is good cause at every appointment my nut rags on me to eat more vegetables.
Supper depends on if I'm working or not. Someday it's a small 2oz portion of chicken with maybe a 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes and a few slices of beets or a tablespoon of corn, sometimes it's just leftovers like the meatloaf or if I'm real tired and lazy it could be 1/2 of a weigh****cher meal using the other half for dinner the next day. Sometimes I have the chicken slider from Extra foods, perfect size and super cute, I've done stir fry steamed veggies. Haven't tried steak yet but one day I'll get over my fear and try it. Pork sits well but only if it's an once or 2. Turkey bacon with tomato on a sandwich. chili about 1/2 cup with some grated cheese. I usually don't meet my required protein or water. I feel like I'm eating and drinking all day which sometimes irritates me but at least I'm still loosing. The clinic wants me to maintain now but hell NO I'm not ready yet.
Well I hope this info helped some cause I'm really not the model student, I kinda stick what I know. And oh if I eat out it's usually a chili from Tim Horton or Wendy's or maybe 1 chicken wing from KFC unless I'm in the city and then it's a huh treat for me to have a smoothie fro Orange Julius.

Kee.

Great information! 
It's interesting because I am on a BC WLS forum as well and some advice given there from people is 'no grains until goal'.  Many think that eating any grains before your goal weight will slow down the losing process. 
Personally this rule would be tough for me but I bet it works, no doubt.  I am all for healthy well rounded eating.  Easier to maintain in the long run.

Giselle

Thanks Giselle!

I like to eat a well rounded diet too.

I see on other forums, people talking about 40-60 carbs or ELSE!~  (whatever the or else is I don't know)...

So I looked at my carb count and it's really much more than that!  (maybe 60-120) ... my multigrain bread can deliver 21 g carbs per slice...so if I have a sandwich...ouch! 

My NUT did not tell me I had to limit carbs in any way, just to get my protein in first and eat healthfully...I was just curious.  I really don't know if 60 - 120 carbs is too much, but I can ask her in July.  No big deal.

Interesting no grains until goal...I think that would be difficult, but I might challenge myself to have more days with only fruit/veg/dairy and meat and see what the difference is (as long as I meet the right amount of protein and calories).   I do like my multigrain bread it has 4g of protein per slice and protein is my biggest concern!

D.

SaveOn has a bread called Bread for Life. It has 6 grams of protein and 3 of fibre per 70 calorie slice - and it's good!

Thank you girls for your advice!  I look forward to trying your suggestions.

I am glad I am not the only one getting irritated by the eating all the time.  You gave me some great ideas!  However, bread is out! LOL I used to love it but since surgery it makes me gag!  Same as steak! Gross! LOL it is funny how our taste buds change.

I still rely on my costco protien shake every once in a while.  My new favorite snack is yogurt and cottage cheese mixed.

As for the DQ smoothies, that is my treats too! YUM!

Have a great long weekend!