How do I know if it is a "good or bad" carb???

Let's just say for the liquids I am on. I don't know is the carbs are good or bad! This is hard to grasp when you are new to nutrition!

Ok:

Sugar Free Applesauce = 13g Carbohydrates
Carnation Sugar Free Breakfast= 12g Carbohydrates
Slimfast Ultra= 24g  Carbohydrates
Yogurt= 21g  Carbohydrates
Sugar Free Pudding= 15g  Carbohydrates
Protein Shake=8g  Carbohydrates



HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ARE GOOD AND WHICH ARE BAD?????!

Please help!!!

Let's just say for the liquids I am on. I don't know is the carbs are good or bad! This is hard to grasp when you are new to nutrition!

Ok:

Sugar Free Applesauce = 13g Carbohydrates
Is it no sugar added? Then all the carbs come from apples, still has sugar, but at least it is natural.  Once you are on solids this will be a post-fill treat and you probably won't be eating applesauce.
Carnation Sugar Free Breakfast= 12g Carbohydrates
Look at the label and try to identify where the carbs come from...sugar alcohols may be in this product and that can give some people digestive issues (gas and diahrrea)
Slimfast Ultra= 24g  Carbohydrates
Again, read the label...if it isn't sugar, try to figure it out...if it is sugar, avoid it.
Yogurt= 21g  Carbohydrates
What brand?  If it is Yoplait Light, it has high-fructose corn syrup...not a good option.  Try Dannon light and free.
Sugar Free Pudding= 15g  Carbohydrates
Pudding is generally made with flour or cornstarch as a thickener...neither is a good choice once you are past the soft stage
Protein Shake=8g  Carbohydrates
Bingo!  This is your best option...I used these pre-op and added 1/4 cup of berries to the vanilla flavor and several ice cubes AND per my nutritionist I added nf milk (6 oz) and I still kept the carbs under most of the items you have listed above AND got my protein, B vitamins and antioxydants.  I lost 13 lbs in 9 days with two of those shakes and a high protein, low fat, low carb (15 gr) dinner every night in my pre-op period.



HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ARE GOOD AND WHICH ARE BAD???
There is a nutrition tracker here under tools...just put in some stuff and look at the nutritional value...do fruits and veggies and the ones that are 3 carbs or 6 carbs are good.  The ones that are 20 carbs are bad (not my choice of words but using your vernacular)...Melon, berries, peppers, lettuce, zucchini, green beans, etc are low glycemic (they don't make your glucose spike) and as you incorporate foods into your diet these are good choices, WITH YOUR NUTRITIONIST AND DOCTOR'S PERMISSION.

Hope this helps you figure it out, it can be very confusing!

Thank you soooo much for answering me!!! This is all  so confusing!!!

When your on the liquid phase I wouldn't worry so much because your trying to shrink your liver for the surgery. And after surgery when you are on the liquid phase while your healing.. that's should be your biggest concern healing making sure you follow the rules and don't cause any complications to the band.

Once you can eat again - it's best to stick to protein, fruit and veggies and if you can complex carb. Complex carb is usually 100% whole wheat.. under 5 grams of sugar a serving in bread, pita, brown rice, quiona, steel cut oatmeal, cottage cheese.. those are are a few examples of good carbs.

I don't really care about the carbs in fruit or veggies ... I only eat a regular potato about 1 once a month and they arent bad for you as long as your not eating them daily. Sweet potato is a better option if you enjoy those.

On your list - Yogurt is high .. I eat Carbmaster yogurt because it has a TON of protein and less carbs - some others enjoy Greek Yogurt with added fruit instead of yogurt that is full of sugar as well as a higher amount of carbs.

I don't do Carination instant breakfast or Slimfast - I would just do a protein shake because of the added protein.

I agree with you 100%,
It is really hard to low carb it when you are on your liqued phase, and even mushies.
I would wait till after your surgery, when you can eat solid food, then start your low carb way of life.
That should give you plenty of time to learn all you can about good and bad carbs.
This is just my opinion,
Kelly

Everyone has different ideas about carbs.  The Atkins induction phase only allows 25 grams per day.  So from the list you provided having 1 slim fast would be all the carbs you could have for a day.  That is VERY strict, and I've never been able to stay on that regime, but many here do and they get great results.

For me, I try to keep my carbs equal to my protein.  With the band it's essential to get 60-80 grams of protein in daily.  This not only keeps you fuller longer, but with the limited calories we can eat it's important to focus on protein first to keep up your energy level, not lose hair, etc.

So, you have to decide what you're going to do.  I would talk to the nutritionist at your doctors office and find out what her recommended diet progression is for post op eating.  I firmly believe that it's best to follow the advice of the people providing your after-care until you get the hang of your new eating regime and life with the band.  That's what I did.  Down the road you can try different combinations to "mix it up" when you and your body needs a change.

Good vs. bad carbs: 
I'm not an expert, but I've read a lot on this subject and what I decided to do when I fist got my band was to avoid all simple carbs and replace them with complex carbs.  Complex carbs provide more fiber and are supposidly better for you than simple carbs.  An easy way to remember what the simple, (bad), carbs are, think "white".  Oftentimes the simple carbs are referred to as "white" carbs and they are mainly:  White bread, white crackers, white rice, white pasta, white flour, white sugar, white potatoes.  If you decided to adopt this idea then replace your white carbs with their complex counterparts, i.e., Whole Grain breads and crackers, brown rice, Whole Wheat pasta, Whole wheat flour, brown sugar or no sugar, yams or sweet potatoes, etc.  They are healthier choices because of the fiber and the way your body processes whole grains vs. processed.

Bottom line:  Carbs are carbs and none of them in excess are that great becuase once your body uses what it needs for fuel the rest turn to sugar and are stored that way in our bodies. 

There are alot of low carb books and food lists on the internet or in the book stores.  Atkins is the most famous.  It would be great for you to get a list of low-carb food choices.

I would highly recommend joining Livestrong.com and using their food tracking system.  It's call the daily plate.  You can manually load your daily calorie goal, (don't use their calculator, it's not meant for WLS patients), and as you add the foods you plan to eat for each meal from their already created data base. it totals calories, and all the nutritional values.  It's a great tool and I used it religiously for the first year until I learned exactly what I was putting into my body through food.  It's been life changing!

I can already tell you're going to make a great bandster!  I always joke that anyone that's got OCD tendencies, (aka, worry and plan, obsess), has what it takes to succeed with this method of WLS.  The band is a great tool but YOU have to be willing to make the necessary changes in what you put into your body!  Detail oriented, rule followers, (like me and you?), will suceed!

Best~
Lisa O.

Thank you for making it a little more simple! I will check out Livestrong! It's just when the lable reads carbs...I don't know good or bad. I know as anything I am not going to learn this overnight.

I truly love OH!

I am so motivated!!! 

RE: "carbs are carbs"..... Different carbs effect the blood chemistry and satiety differently. Empty ones will leave you craving more and hungry a lot faster than whole grains and other "good" carbs. All are bad in excess, but there's a reason the "bad" ones are deemed as such.

Also, add fruit to the list of simple carbs, especially if there isn't much fiber to make up for the sugar, like with a lot of citrus.

:-)

I would switch your slimfast. I drink the low carb slim fast for breakfast every day. It has 2g carbs and 20g protein. You can also get orange drink and lemon razzy drinks from www.thebanddoctor.com. They have 1g carb and 15g protein. They're awesome and you can mix them with diet sprite pre op and 2 months post op. The liquid diet is hard. Give yourself some slack and do the best you can. Good Luck!

Check out Greek yogurt.  It costs more, but it has more than twice the protein of regular yogurt and is at least as thick as sour cream, usually thicker - depends on the brand.  It's cheaper in the larger cartons than the individual serving containers and WM is the cheapest place I have found it.  I mix in Splenda and frozen no-sugar-added berries, and I usually add in a high-fiber, low-sugar cereal to make it even more dense and filling and the fiber.

I do like Lisa, try to balance my carbs with protein and eat complex carbs.  I do eat white potatoes in small servings because they are about the highest source of potassium there is food wise.  When we start limiting our carbs we tend to forget about things like potassium until we are awoken with horrible leg cramps or charlie horses.  There is no reasonable supplement for potassium w/o a prescription.  For now your protein drinks will have lots of it, so don't worry about it now.  It's when you come off mushies and go on solids that you start depleting your potassium.  I just found V8 low-sodium which is 40 cal/8 oz and has over 800 mg of potassium.  I know - no liquid calories, but this is medicinal.  I no longer have leg cramps.

I said it yesterday and Lisa said it better today.  You are going to do great with the band - either brand.

Cheryl