Question for the vets re: carbs

Good morning everyone.

I have a carb question and I think the Vets on this board probably know more than the NUTs.

When it comes to carbs, the NUTs encourage you to incorporate them into your daily diet, of course eating protein first but add the carbs in there somewhere. Am I crazy to think that if you can live without having a potato or pita bread that you should?

Really are carbs our friend? I realize you get carbs in other things and that is ok but to specifically seek out a carb product, not so sure that is a great idea when trying to lose a 100 pounds.

I look forward to hearing from everyone, especially the Vets.

Have a great day all.

Lisa

I would suggest that your carbs come from vegetables, fruit mostly. I do use some protein whey isolate powders or ready to drink and also some protein bars or Kays protein snacks and they have some carbs. I choose protein "snack" products that have at least 1 gm protein for each 10 calories. (If it has 200 calories then should have 20 grams of protein.)

Leave out the white - flour, sugar, bread, pasta, processed and fast foods.

Stick to protein first, then veggies and fruit. Take advantage of the first 18 months to change your lifestyle and take advantage of the weight loss you can achieve during this time.

I'm 9+ years out from my RNY.

Penny

Hi Lisa,

You will get a ton of comments about this on both sides! Many NUTs recommend applesauce and toast and crackers and mashed potatoes and those of us who have lost a ton of weight have for the most part steered clear of those high carb items, and eaten pretty high protein/low carb during the weight loss phase. I personally went from 351 to 160 in less than one year by maximizing the honeymoon phase (generally thought of as the 12-18 months after surgery) and eating very low carb - under 30 g a day. Once I reached goal, I loosened up on what I allowed myself to eat, and was less strict. I would have some chips, occasionally part of the bread from a sandwich, dessert every so often. The more carbs I eat, the more I crave. At 3.5 years out, I still get full when I eat dense protein (a turkey burger, a chicken sausage, chicken breast) and eating those items reminds me of how much restriction my pouch has. But give me some popcorn or chips or crackers and I swear, you would think I had a normal stomach - it's almost like I have endless capacity for those slider foods (called "slider" since they slide right through).

I figure, no one on this site got obese (or in my case, morbidly obese) from eating eggs, cheese, scallops, chicken breast, salmon, or steak. It's all the crap, namely CARBS, like donuts, cakes, cookies, pasta, pizza, crackers...that got us to the weights where we needed to have weight loss surgery. So if you are someone who can eat them in moderation after you get to goal, that's great. Some people can. Others find it is a slippery slope and the more carbs they eat, the more they crave...and the more pounds come back (and bring their friends!). I find maintenance to be infinitely more difficult than the weight loss phase. During the weight loss phase, the weight is dropping off rapidly, the comments and compliments are coming in, your level of energy is improving everyday...and once you hit maintenance, it's just your normal everyday life. If food was your coping mechanism for being sad or lonely or happy or bored...that hasn't disappeared.

Sorry for rambling...I guess my two cents is to get your carbs from vegetables and sometimes fruit and avoid pasta, crackers, potatoes. They have little nutritional value and may very well slow your weight loss or lead to regain.

Good luck!

Thank you, this is exactly what I needed to hear. Have a great day.

I can't think of why I would want to intentionally add complex carbs like bread. I do eat carbs, most of my carbs are fruits. I do have pretzels (I am admittedly a pretzel-holic) but I really struggle to avoid them. I cook with pasta because the family loves it and it is part of many of their favorite recipes. When we have pasta though I usually spoon around to get meat/sauce and avoid the pasta for my serving. Even with that, only eating fruits and occasional pasta/breads, I struggle to keep my carbs under 100g per day. Carbs find me, I don't need to find them. LOL Hunting down extra carbs? Ya, not a thing I would ever need to do.

EDIT: FYI...totally not a vet by the way. Sorry, didn't see your question was directed. I am not even 2 years out yet.

~Elizabeth

But you've lost all your excess weight and kept it off!

Knock on wood...so far so good! :)

You may not be a vet but your response makes total sense. And your input is appreciated.

Thank you.

For me I am a food addict. I have to limit my carbs. I can go off the rails.

Focusing on the good I can eat does help me. I am not a vet I am almost four years out and I struggle sometimes with carbs. Eating them makes me crave them. There are some I can live without.

I would keep coming here for help. Also giving support to others does help in the weight loss process.

I'm right there with DC Girl and RNY_Elizabeth. I get most of my carbs from vegetables & fruit. I struggle with pretzels and candy like Good-n-Plenty, sprees, jellybeans. I no longer eat chocolate, cake, donuts, chips, Doritos, fast food or ice cream. When I eat candy, I eat 10-15 jellybeans. I am trying to stop with the candy. After the candy is gone (It has been 2 days of success), I will tackle the pretzels. I lost my weight and have kept it off. HOWEVER, I hear the 3rd year may be a problem with regain. I am working hard at staying the same or dropping another 7-8 pounds. After about 1.5 years the weight shifted and I didn't look so skinny. I lost 5 more pounds and still don't look too skinny. It is a balancing act, I may take a bite of my husband's dessert, but 99% of the time I don't. You start to eat some foods in small amounts, and then the amounts get bigger and more frequent so you have to put a stop to them. It would be best if you never eat white carbs. From what I see on the menu board, if you weigh under 125 you don't get to eat much food. A lot of the posters only eat about 1000-1200 calories with 1-2 hours of exercise. If you are okay at 140, you get to eat more food. My daughter lost about 15 pounds for her wedding. She decided that the effort of exercising everday and not being on such a restricted diet was not sustainable. She weighs about 135 at 5'3 and has not had WLS. So, it is a decision that everyone has to make, how much you want to sacrifice food for the pleasure of being in a smaller size. I love the way people treat me. I love being normal.