Success with moderate carbs?

Hello all!

I am so happy to have found this forum! Thank you to all of you who share your advice and experience here, it is SO valuable! My surgery is in about a month and I have been reading and researching non-stop. I've noticed that the majority of posters post-surgical diets are low carb and while this makes sense, it concerns me. I have lost a significant amount of weight (and regained it) on low carb diets at least 4 times in the past. Strictly limiting carbs has never been livable for me for longer than a few months in the past.

Is it a given that we must eat low carb after surgery? Are there any of you who have success with high protein moderate carbs? I meet with the dietician next week, but I don't want to base everything on what she says. Based on the handouts she gave me at my consult, they recommend a lot of artificial sweeteners and fat-free stuff which seems pretty outdated and does not appeal to me.

I am deeply committed to going about this the right way, I am just exploring my options as my date approaches. Thank you!

Jess

Hiya!

one of the challenges worth considering is that once you reach you protein goal, you won't really have the stomach space to maintain high protein AND moderate carb. At least that's what I've found if I'm going to stick to my "3 meals a day, no snacks" plan.

That makes sense Gwen. Thank you for your response!

At first, you just don't really have a choice but to eat low carb if you're going to get your protein. My NUT was not in favor of low-carb per say, but her rules were: "Protein until you can eat 3-4oz and are still hungry. At that point add up to 1/2 cup of veggies. If you can eat the veggies, add 2 TBSP of starch". I'm 8 months out from surgery and I can eat 2.5-3oz of dense protein. I've never been able to get to 4oz. Therefore at this point, I still barely eat vegetables. Also, obviously calories matter a lot and personally I'd rather get those from full-fat dairy, avocados, animal fat, nuts/seeds, etc then adding back in bland 'whole grains'.

I think it's possible to eat moderate carbs (where moderate does not equal 150-200g/day, but instead 50-70g/day) once you're in maintenance. But, the most successful vets around here keep their carbs low, even in maintenance, on an average day.

Thank you, it helps to hear what others NUTs have to say!

Just a note, you'll find a lot of posts about this if you search, it's a frequent topic on the boards.

A "nutritionist" (NUT) in most states has no formal training requirements nor any oversight board. Anyone can hang a shingle a call themselves a nutritionist. Most of them push fad diets and expensive supplements/testing.

A registered dietician (RD) has formal training, at least a bachelor's and usually an advanced degree in nutrition science. There is usually a state board that oversees the licensure of RD's.

My experience is that NUTs are by and large not worth the time and money. I had to see one as part of my pre-op requirements, and it was a complete waste of time and money. I won't spend another dime on a NUT, ever.

As a nurse who worked in a long-term acute care facility, I've worked with RDs and they tend to be very balanced in their recommendations and approach to diet. They are generally very skeptical of fad diets, or really any diet trend that isn't backed up with science and their experience. However, they don't get as part of their regular training much information on weight loss surgery, so keep that in mind. But they are a MUCH better source of information generally speaking than a NUT.

So just please be aware of the difference, and if you have the option to work with an RD instead of a NUT, take it. :)

In my case, I have an RD. I just don't refer to her as such because it's not an acronym that anyone generally knows/identifies.

I did not know that. Thank you for reposting that.

As long as you always eat protein first and count calories, you can be successful without counting carbs. You will experiment with yourself and find what works for you. For me, if I go over 30g of carb on a given day I have to work really hard not to go overboard the next day and the next. If I stay around 20g or less, I don't struggle as much to stick to my plan.

Thank you for responding. I think some experimenting will definitely be necessary.