Question for Lapbanders

Just wondering, how do you handle your training for Marathons with the food issue (no bread,rice & pasta)????  Especially when you are on the course, do you grab for a protien bar while running? Do you have "stuck" issues, how do you navigate around that?

And the water issue?
Thanks in advance,
Prek-3

I have moderate restriction and usually have no problems eating small amounts of rice and pasta, bread can sometimes be an issue for me I avoid it most of the time.  I havnt done a marathon but my first half marathon is coming up in February.  Today was my longest run and I hydrated with Propel and I tried for the first time some of the sports beans I only had about 4 and just chewed them really well and didnt have a problem.  I usually don't have a problem with drinking unless it's first thing in the morning.  I probably could use a slight fill but I was overfilled about a year ago and was miserable and had to have 2 unfills.  Since then I've been dealing with the restriction I have.  The 5k I did last week had bananas so I grabbed one and ate about 3/4 of it after the race. 

I have similar questions even though I have a VSG and not a band.

When I read advice from triathletes on what to eat before/during/after the race, it's all carbs! Now, I figure that's fine for one day. But you are also supposed to try this stuff out beforehand so you aren't ingesting unknowns on race day.

Also, it seems like a *lot* of food. I don't think I can stomach that much, if you know what I mean.

So I'm trying to figure out how to modify the standard advice so it fits my own eating abilities and issues.

I've had RNY, and for the first year I had a very tough time with bread, but I could eat other carbs.  I didn't find that I needed as much then to sustain my workouts, but I sure do now.  My workouts are intense.  I eat.  Sometimes a lot.  I eat a lot of carbs.

This is a normal eating day for me.

Sometimes a banana an hour before working out.

Immediately after workouts (especially runs) I have a cliff bar or a PB&J sandwich (~1:4 protein:carb).  This is for recovery and glycogen restoration.

An hour or 2 later I have a meal about half and half carb and protein

About 1-2 hours later I have a snack (~200 cal of something usually a carb).

1-2 hours later I have another meal.

Afternoon snack, usually fruit.

Dinner

Before bedtime snack - often this is toast.

All told, I guess I eat about 1800 calories a day (I've journalled once or twice and that's about how it works out).

I don't drink much at all (if ever) during workouts.  I drink when I'm thirsty and it works fine for me.  I can make it through a sprint triathlon or a half marathon withou****er, but doing a full, I drink when thirsty.  I can't drink much when I'm running or it makes me nauseous, but I can drink quite a bit afterward.

Carbs are a necessity for exercise.  As soon as you can wrap your head around their importance and place, it's a lot easier to avoid the stuff that isn't really good for you (processed sugars, etc).  High protein doesn't work for athletes.  You can't get the energy you need quickly enough.  At some point you can't look at yourself as a post-op; you need to see yourself as an athlete and direct your nutrition needs accordingly.

Don't know if this helps any of you much, but this is pretty consistent for me,  I've maintained for over 4 years and manage the endurance events just fine with how I do it.  I did just recently learn about recovery eating, and it has helped me tremendously.

Linn

I know conventional wisdom says that athletes need carbs but I also know that there is new data that questions that. Apparently, people on high protein diets are able to make glycogen. The speculation is that the body adapts.

I also know that I feel so much better since I de-carbed myself and that eating lots of carbs makes me crave junk.

I would like to strike a middle path where I eat more protein than a typical endurance athlete but more carbs than a typical WLS patient.

I should have qualified that high protein doesn't work for me personally.  I feel pretty lackluster when I eat a lot of protein.  I also don't feel as well when I eat a lot of fats, so I stick with a lot of complex carbs and lean proteins.

I would be interested to see the studies you're talking about.  I am a biochemist by training and am currently in pharmacy school.  These sorts of studies are very interesting to me.

Yes, the body adapts, but it can only do so to a point.  It will always be more efficient to store glycogen from carbs.  I'm not in the process of losing any more, so maintenance and performance are of primary importance to me at this point which is another reason why I focus more on complex carbs. 

I think I am able to store a lot of glycogen (I have fast-twitch and large muscles).  I did notice a HUGE difference when I ate the 4:1 carb:protein after workouts - especially the third day out when I used to be spent and have lousy workouts. 

My observation is that carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap and many WLS patients are made to feel afraid of eating them.  That's ridiculous to me.  It's the simple refined sugars that cause the problems, not the complex sugars and fiber from fruits.  I like potatoes, and eat a lot of brown rice and whole grain pasta.  I can eat these foods all day and never dump and feel great.  I have lots of energy also.  Eating lots of protein I feel sluggish and can't think as quickly.

I know our bodies are all different and what works for me won't necessarily work for someone else, but I do know that I perform better on a higher carb diet, and I can maintain my level of performance all week when I do recovery eating.

Linn

You know, you are the third person in two days and 3 different boards who has said low carb makes them sluggish. I LOVE low-carb. I started to doing it pre-op and it helped me so much.

The thing is, eating carbs makes me crave carbs. And not whole-wheat pasta carbs either... mostly cookies and candy.

When I went to the OH event in San Ramon, Jeremy Gentles said that you don't necessarily need to eat lots of carbs, but just eat the carbs you do eat near your workouts. Of course, he wasn't talking about marathon/triathlon training. It was a general talk.

Anyway, I'm still worried about when my workouts get longer and/or more intense. I'm also worried about the "day of". I don't have to worry about dumping or food getting stuck but the common advice to "eat a banana for breakfast" won't work for me. At this point in time there isn't the slightest chance in hell that I could eat a whole banana! Maybe in another few months or when I'm a year out, but not now.

I am going to research those gels and stuff because they are small volume so they might work. Plus I should probably make an appointment with my NUT and see what she says.

Hi Linn,
      I found your post very interesting. I am reconsidering the carb issue. I so do want to beable to do the D. 1/2 marathon next year, but I know I have to reallly take a hard look at how I am choosing to refuel my body.  Probably inpart why I "hit the wall" on one of mt workouts. It didn't dawn on me to reconsider my food.

How long do you exercise for? And how long when you are in training?
Carmen

It sounds like someone is too tight. 

I personally can have rice, bread, & pasta.  Stuck issues at random - one would be too tight.

So the way to navigate around all these tight issues is to get loosened up a bit before one has real issues.

Best,
L

Hi starrlite,
No not too tight. I just have never tried to eat those foods, once they told me those tend to be problem foods, I just avoid them as they can be trigger foods for me. But maybe I should reconsider and yest it a bit. I just hate geting STUCK!
Prek-3