Carb intake - Post OP

Hi, guys. For those that read my other blogs, you know that I've recently gone back to basics again. There is nothing like seeing the numbers 2-0-0 to get you motivated again. I didn't think I would gain 15 pounds back, but I did and it scares me. All it took was one surgery in January followed by a number of immediately family members deaths and I plummeted straight into a depression that gave me no motivation to exercise, but keep eating less-than-great things.

I'm back using Fitday and I'm happy to report that since Monday I've lost 2.5 pounds, which is nice. My question is about Carb Intake, I should know this (being over 2 years out) and I've looked some of it up online, but I want to ask my friends here because I trust your answers. I know there will be a difference because our bodies are different and there are different types of people on here. For example,  I know that Jill probably has a much more strict regiment than myself because she is awesome at taking care of herself and makes exercise a major priority in her life. I wish I had that same motivation and discipline. I need to find a good medium to start with. This is normally when my depression kicks in worse because of the weather change, but I'm trying to nip it in the bud with medications and getting more natural sunlight.

Sooooooooooooo, on average, how many carbs do you eat per day? I'm not really good with keeping up on good and bad carbs, so I just count carbs as carbs, no matter what. Feel free to leave suggestions of what you consider good carbs. I'm a huge fruit girl so that is where most of my carbs come from. I could live on Carb Master Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, and Protein Shakes for a month and lose it, but I'd probably drive myself crazy because I would never feel full!

HELP!

PS. Calories/Fat Grams are welcomed too, although those are never usually a problem. Those are usually too low. I'm one of those girls who gets sick on fat rather than sugar. Ugh.

Ok...thanks for the compliment, BUT.....as part of my strictness and exercise, I too found 10 - 12 pounds (depends on the day), thanks to carbs (ok...I gained more muscle, too).

I followed the nutritionist advice of increasing my carbs to 150 (I got to 125 and stopped), while lowering my protein to 125 (that was MY number, not hers...she wanted a bit lower).  AND  increasing my calories to 1800 (I got to 1650 - 1700 and was just dieing...too much food (physically and mentally)).

Well, last month I had my 3 year check up and my doc was NOT a happy camper.  As he explained to me going into surgery, we were insulin resistant (ok...I was), which means diabetic (I was borderline).  Just because I lost the weight does not mean that that necessarily changes.  My body still has a problem processing carbs.  Plus, he said that new studies are coming out each day that show that we really don't need them - even those of us who workout like fiends.  He told me to cut out the carbs.....PERIOD!

So, I am back to basics myself.  Keeping my carbs down in the 50 range and slowly going back to 75.  My calories are maintaining around 1350 and proteins are 150 or greater. 

I have taken my food journals out and compare now to Feb when the nutritionist told me to increase carbs and see that now I take in 3 protein supplements a day, plus eat small meals/snacks.  Compared to then, I was eating the same (actually less carbs), but not taking in the extra protein supplement. So, I have eliminated that.  I've also eliminated my fruits.  My carbs are coming mainly from veggies.  I'm changed from FF Soy Milk to FF Carb Countdown to reduce carbs there.

I have also decreased my workout schedule a bit.  No long run days, and going back to kickboxing and variety that I really enjoyed - including interval walking instead of running.

So....how's it working?  Over the past 2 weeks, I'm down 4 pounds, and already feeling better.  Cravings are more at bay already and my grazing has definately slowed down.  My skin is even getting better (it was starting to breakout often).

Good for you for acknowledging this.  You are NOT the only one having this probelm.  We all have our reasons and most are unexplained, but need to get back to basics to maintain our healthy lifestyle. 

For me - it's just upsetting that I DID listen to my nutritionist and ran into this problem.

Jill: Can you share with us what a typical food day is for you, just to get an idea of the types of things you eat? I too have carb issues and am looking for some guidance.

Let's see....

Yesterday:

Matrix Chocolate shake w/ 1/2 cup of Crab Countdown milk and 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup crushed ice.  Splash of DiVinci's SF Banana

Breakfast:  1/2 cup LF cottage cheese with 1 tbls canned pumpkin, 1 tbsp Splenda and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice.  1 1/2 links turkey sausage.

No snack in am - wasn't hungy.

Lunch:  3 1/2 oz grilled chicken, 1 oz LF Moz cheese and side salad w/ LF dressing

Afternoon Snack: 1 hard boiled egg

Dinner Tie-Over:  1 cheese stick

Dinner:  3 1/2 oz pork chop, 1/2 cup collard greens

Evening Snack: 1 Power Crunch Bar

Herbal tea

Today is:

Matrix Chocolate shake w/ 1/2 cup of Crab Countdown milk and 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup crushed ice.  Splash of DiVinci's SF Banana

Breakfast:  1/2 cup LF cottage cheese with 1 tbls canned pumpkin, 1 tbsp Splenda and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice.  1 1/2 links turkey sausage.

Morning Snack:  1 hard boiled egg

Lunch:  3 1/4 oz pork chop, 1/2 cup collard greens

Afternoon Snack:  1/2 oz beef jerky (snack from boredom), a few nuts

Dinner: 3 1/2 oz steak, 1/2 cup broccoli

Evening Snack: Power Crunch Bar (maybe)

Herbal Tea

I made sure that I filled my desk and mini fridge with things like cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, nuts, beef jerky, SF life savers/gum/Nips

And I've increase my water intake to 4 - 32 oz cups during the day, plus whatever I drink at night.

I'm concerned too about whether the doc TALKS to the nutritionist about her advice! I had another experience where his office staff (NP and nutritionist) gave me advice that conflicted with his directions.

Marissa is no longer there - he made that quite clear as he was telling me to ignore what she said.

It's just frustrating, because I followed the orders, hated doing it, but followed them, and it was right, so here I sit with 10 - 12 pounds struggling to get it off.  It's depressing......

Man. I am a carboholic. I gotta have 'em. I know there are conflicting reports here, but I am so focused on cardio that I simply have to have them. If I don't get it I can feel myself drifting in my workouts. Of course, I run about 40 to 45 miles a week. I am taking in close to 3000 calories a day and am barely maintaining at around 200 lbs. There isn't much to spare otherwise. My main souce of cards is from rice. I know some people just can't do it, but I need it. For some reason, I can do the sticky rice on sushi like it is nobody's business. I'll generally have sushi a couple of times a week. I also get a lot of Thai and dip the rice in my curry. I also eat a bag of Baked Lay's every day mid-afternoon and I usually have oatmeal with breakfast. Even then I can feel it. I eat six meals a day and snack and I am a fluid machine. Somedays I do up to 200 oz. I guess everyone's body is different and, of course, my adavnced age and clueless gender affect me as well.

For me, the carbs did not work.  No matter how much I exercised (some days I did 2 work outs a day - 1 was for 1 hour and 1 was for 2 hours), it simply did not work.  So, everyone is in fact different.......

Increasing carbs messed me up too. I have all but removed any focus on them at all and am back to focusing on protein and water/ the basics.  Even when my jogging was at its peak, I felt better on the protein.  Inever reached that improved state I kept being told about with carbs.

I still feel like I bon****assionaly and a protein bar or two and sometimes some potassium (banana) or G2 gatorade or supplement pills seem to get me the best results.  Also, I have experienced that a lack of protein can be the cause of irritabilty in addition to fatigue which both contribute to my feeling like nothing matters and I don't care (depression). 

My quick fixes are my favorite Pure Protein bars but I have also discovered the Adkin Advantage 11, 12, and 14 gm of protein bars.  Not as much protein per bar but much better tasting.  I also still do my 1 minute oatmeal with whey protein powder for breakfast or lunch and my homemade banana or strawberry smoothies with whey protein. 

Of course, another real biggie I witnessed many overlook as a WLS facilitator is taking our vitamins and water.  I strong lesson for me.  Our vitamins and supplements make you feel better when you take them but are not a fast/qucik fix kinda of thing.  Taking them takes a couple of days to get them into your system and sustaining usage helps you to feel good.  Problem is when people start feeling good, they decide they don't need to take their vitamins and supplements so they stop. Then within a week or so, they don't feel so good any more but don't see it as a lack of vitamins.  Then taking some vitamins and not feeling better in 30 minutes convinces them they must not work,....bad conclusion.  My favorite example is taking our calcium prevents osteoperosis.  Stop taking the calcium and get osteoperosis, taking the calcium then doesn't fix the problem.  Our vitamins and supplements are preventative, not a medisinal cure.

Good luck Amber.  Hope you find a workable solution.
I am struggling to get my running back going like I was, shed a few pounds I've gained, and it is harder to get going again for some reason.  I guess I just need to make it a greater priority. 

Joe