Complex Carbs vs. Simple Carbs in Recipes - How do they affect you post-DS?

First...ditch the skim milk. Skim has far more lactose than whole milk. Take it from me.. I was lactose intolerant pre-op, and the lower the fat content, the worse the LI ! In my pre-op classes, we were told that just out, nearly everyone is LI, but if you weren't pre-op, it will go away. Guess what...I was LI pre-op, and mine has virtually disappeared! But...if I drink 2% or skim , I get cramps and bloating like you wouldn't believe! Perhaps it was my increased intake of yogurt, but I haven't had the pain and bloating from dairy that I

You will only absorb 18-20% of all the fat in yused to get.our diet, so don't cheat your body out of the fat that is *necessary* for a number of body functions, including many tasks handled by the brain.

Once you have your DS, kiss low cal and low fat/fat free goodbye!
Our need to supply our bodies with fat is why so many of us wax poetic at the mere mention of foods like bacon, heavy cream and butter. Of course, my CC is a bit shorter, 75 cm, but that's how I measured out.

 I'm afraid it's very individaul, so you've got a lot of trial and error ahead of you.  I suggest you try making smaller batches, or be prepared to share with friends.  The noodles are the most common to cause issues, however try some Dreamfields macaroni instead or rice noodles.  You'll figure it out.

Most food does not bother me these days.

I ALWAYS did the full fat because to subtract fat, they add some sort of sugar. Just think of all those candies that advertise themselves as FAT FREE!!! Twislers come to mind) But they are nothing but SUGAR so of course they are fat free!

Look at the different foods on the CARB count...the more fat removed, the more sugar they have to add to make it taste good.

I can use flour tortillas and don't bother with the low fat kind. Example, the Mission low fat flour tortillas, medium size has the exact same carb count as the WHOLE FAT version and since my dh and I are both ds'er's, we NEED the fat.

Chili is a good food for dh and I...

The only dairy I still have issues with is drinking milk...so in my recipes, I use half & half not regular milk. Sour cream is a staple here but greek yogurt (FULL FAT, plain) is a good substitute! Skim milk has almost NO fat...why bother, it's like wasting space in your diet to eat/drink low/ or NO fat!

I know your friends are on the low fat kick but it is not going to be good for you after surgery...either they deal with it or start learning from you on how to cook some of those things.

I make an egg/cheese/bacon/ham burrito most mornings. If I don't want the tortilla, I'll just make it in a baggie like an omelet. I use the med size tortilla as the base for homemade pizza (cut in fours and shared with my dh). I DID have about 1/3 of a very small potato (about 4 oz for the entire potato and restaurants use a 9oz as their smallest) for dinner last night, it was roasted in olive oil and covered in parm cheese. but it was AFTER I had eaten my protein. Most dinners (supper for some people) it's meat and a veggie...no room for the starch which we don't need anyway.

The glycemic index is another tool I use (the closer it is to 100, the WORSE it is)
Example...milk:

Milk, regular (full fat) 11-40, average 27

Milk, skim - 32

Yogurt without added sugar - 14-23

Yes, whole milk can be higher than skim but it can also be much lower...I need the fat.

I am a diabetic, even if it's now controlled by just my diet...I still eat like I did on an insulin pump...protein first, then fat, and last carbs.

When I went looking at carbs, I discovered the difference in the carb count of  milk was minuscule, I grew up on whole milk...so why switch. Then I had my surgery and discovered a RAGING case of lactose intolerance, almost exclusively to drinking milks of any kind. Since my mild drinking was limited to protein shakes and cooking, I switched to half & half for the cooking (doesn't bother me for some reason like milk does) and make my shakes with either heavy cream or water.

If you want to see some low carb ideas...you can see them here: DS Friendly Foods

Liz

Edited to correct typos.