Why no Carbs ?

Aside from calories, what is the reason you can't have potatoes, rice, pasta and bread foods post-surgery if you were to eat small portions?

Alyssa

They are high in bad carbs..bad carbs  = fat.    You can have good carbs but don't go over 50 per day...and that's hard!

They are also bulky foods that with digestive juices swell in your pouch and leave no room for protein.    

those carby items you mentioned start turning into pure sugar as soon as they hit your mouth,where digestion starts. They are instantly absorbed into your blood stream for quick energy by the body. As long as there is this quick readily available sugar ,free floating in your blood stream,your body will not break down your stored fat,which is what causes weight loss. 

Eating smaller amounts really doesn't make a difference. Sugar hots,like this,cause an insulin smile which then causes the body to store some of that sugar as more fat.

There isn't any biological basis for the carbophobia that is rampant in our community.  Or rather, there's no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water.  Added sugars and highly refined starches are not your best choices; however, whole foods and whole grain foods are perfectly fine.  In fact, they will help with one of the most common problems in our community: constipation due to lack of fiber.

Not a one of us got fat in the produce department of the grocery store.

Never mind the calorie debate (and carbs do not equal fat ; -)

They are not what your body, on a very reduced intake diet, needs. You only have room for so many bites of food. Your body is burning the fat like crazy, so you don't need fats, unless you are a DS, in which case fats are not a problem, calorie wise, but don't do you any good either. You don't need carbs because your body just turns the unused ones into fats anyway. Protein fills the need for your body to maintain muscle mass. Your body cannot convert fats to carbs or protein, and it can not convert carbs to protein. Only protein can be used to build the muscles.

Not enough protein in your diet and your body burns your muscles instead. Amino acids are an issue as well. It is more difficult to get the complete essentials from a vegetable based diet. You have to consume larger amounts of food to get all the amino acids you need to make up complete proteins. That can be problematic when you are on a reduced volume diet.

Additionally many carbs are problematic because after you eat them they continue to absorb liquid and expand in your system. Which you will find uncomfortable. At least.

Also, the roughage works in a sort of counter intuitive way for many WLS patients and rather than providing good fiber provide somewhat indigestible fiber which leads to gas, cramping and guts in an uproar.

Try having a Cesar Salad, with all that yummy Romaine lettuce.

Or a nice bowl of beans and rice. Take a book when you head to the bathroom. You are gonna be in there awhile...

You have very little real estate in your new pouch and the protein is the most important for healing, maintaining muscle mass and keeping hunger away. That being said, even in the beginning I did have the occasional 'carb' ... it was only maybe once a week or once every other week, but it was mentally satisfying I guess.

My Doc's Mantra is:"Protein first, then veggies and then if you have room, some fruit then carbs" He never says no carbs, just put it at the end of the list. Even if you have a carb-- protein should still be eaten first. Why? Protein is more important, you will eat less cabs if you already have protein in your pouch, and the presence of the protein/fat will keep the carbs from sending your blood sugar spiking. I am not talking eating cake and cookies...

I focus on macronutrients:  proteins, carbs, and fats.  Remember that vegetables and fruits both have carbs, so in combination with healthy grains like oatmeal, you don't have a reason to eat the other stuff anymore.  You can get what you need from fruits, veggies, dairy, and meats without relying on the carbs so much.  

I will offer up another reason...... Carbs make you want more carbs.  All carbohydrates turn to sugar in your body.  Take the total grams of carbs and divide by 4.  That's the number of teaspoons it's converted into in your body.  A bag of chips is just as much sugar as a bag of candy.  A banana at 24 grams of carbs converts to 6 tsp of sugar. A cup of Rice at 50 grams is closer to 13 tsp of sugar.  A normal person's body can't process more than 30 grams of carbs at one sitting- anything extra the fat storing process begins when insulin is released. To put it in perspective - a healthy person only has about 1.5 tsp of sugar circulating in their blood at any given time.  No wonder we have a Diabetes and Obesity epidemic. And studies have shown that sugar is considerably more addictive than Heroin and Cocaine.  It's a losing battle to "eat whatever you want within reason". (Thanks for nothing Weigh****chers)

Carbs make you/keep you fat.