Bread - The enemy?

The other " obvious" carb most don't speak about is MILK sugar.

I get a lot of my protein from fat free powdered milk and fat free cheeses. But I recognize that milk is largely a carb - so drinking any fat with it or in it is very fattening.

In the beginning your new tool lets you get away with a lot - but I definitely don't recommend getting in the habit of eating real cheese and then bread ... or drinking coffee with half and half and then eating bread. Never mind bread and butter ... Yes this WILL make you fat just like cheesecake will lol.

Bread is just horrible, nutritionally speaking. It will spike your blood sugar higher and faster than a candy bar. It doesn't matter if it's whole wheat or anything else. It just adds nothing but empty calories. And as long as you are eating it, it's going to make you crave more.

The only thing bread is good for is to keep your fingers from getting too greasy with a nice cheeseburger.

I never thought of bread being equivalent to a candy bar before. Thanks for the association.

You can lose weight with carbs in your diet, but not as many carbs as you are likely used to eating. I allow myself 40 carbs a day, which is very few compared to the life I lived before. I've tried to go sub 20 like many people here stay at and I was miserable. I wanted fruit, and I wanted more wiggle room, so I gave myself more wiggle room. Some would argue it's a slippery slope, and for those some it probably is. For me, it's not. I know what foods can trigger that descent down a slipper slope, so I stay away from them.

Always follow the rules of protein first. Once you're post-op, you'll see things in a whole new light. I thought I would miss bread and rolls specifically, but I can't eat them. I've tried and they've made me sooo sick that I can't even stomach the thought of it. A lot of grains are that way for me, really. My carbs come from yogurts and fruits, and lately hot cereals which I've been loving for my breakfast the last couple days.

Thank you for your feedback. When you say you allowed yourself fruit, what kind of fruit was it? How did you get in all your veggies?

Watermelon, blackberries, lemons, strawberries, mangoes are the fruits I go between depending on what looks best in the market.

For veggies I dont eat as many but I enjoy zuchini made into noodles and fresh tomatoes.

I eat 1 slice of whole grain weigh****chers bread or half a piece of fold it flat bread, with 1 tbsp organic peanut butter once in awhile, on days where I know I'll be out on my bike for more than 2 hours. Neither breads trigger any cravings or desire for more, whereas white or rye bread would make me crazy, lol, so I avoid those.

Yesterday I went for a 30 km bike ride and drank Gatorade G2, which has carbs, plus I had a bit of watermelon, but my carbs still came in at 34 grams for the day, so that was fine.

I limit my total carbs to under 50 grams but rarely get that much; usually it's more like 25-30. If I go below 20 carbs per day I feel sick, dizzy and light headed, so 30 is my sweet spot.

I avoid all things donut, cake, or pie related, as well as chips, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. Most of my carbs come in the form of fruits or veggies. The only fruits I eat are berries and watermelon, sometimes a few slices of peeled apple. I tend to love zucchini, cucumber and cherry tomatoes as my go to vegetables. I always eat my protein first.

Prior to surgery, I loved bread, pizza, anything dough based, lol. I literally prayed for bread daily growing up, lol, in the form of the Lord's prayer. I thought it would be harder to give it up but I had to do 3 weeks of Optifast (protein shakes) before surgery and that broke the cravings for me.

Good luck; you can do this.

Thank you! I don't know that I can completely give up carbs, if I'm being honest with myself. Hearing that you allow yourself a few makes me feel like I can do it.

Congrats on your success!

SASSY - Just to maybe help you keep things in perspective...We ALL know how overwhelming this journey can be... You say "I don't know that I can completely give up carbs"...Ok...I'll answer that, for you...

Probably not.

I'm pretty sure AIR has carbs...as does so many protein shakes, fruits, cakes, breads, etc, etc...the "secret" is going for the UNPROCESSED carbs...and waiting until your body is READY...

It is quite SADLY possible, that the ONE thing you really, really love will be the ONE thing your body just won't tolerate, post-op, be it thru nausea/vomiting/weight gain/etc...For me, it's pork...weirdest thing, ever...Can't even eat a stinkin' pork chop...For YOU, it might be bread..BUT...it's a damn fine trade off, for HEALTH!!

For many years (I'm 15 yrs out now), I was lactose intolerant. I can cook with milk now, and have skim milk, mixed in SF pudding/protein shakes, but still would never dare to drink it straight...I could clear out half of Tx, with my gas bombs...plus I would be in mucho pain...

I am SO glad you are asking intelligent questions, NOW, and interacting with responders. I predict you will be a successful post op !!

It's so weird how our bodies react! The biggest recommended food from my surgeon are ground meats. I can't eat ground meat without feeling terrible. However, I can eat a steak without issue (thank God).