Something New and this is really exciting!!!

Hey everyone! I have been gone for a few days and not really checking the boards but I am back! As some of you know, after the 5 day pouch test, I decided that I was going to do a very low carb diet. Well that didn't work out too well. I was doing about 20g of carbs per day, and about 1200 calories.  I was working out like crazy too.......and I ended up gaining 2 pounds! Now I know what you will all probably say....that it was because of the exercise, and honestly I was really (backed up) if you know what I mean. Sorry TMI!!  My birthday was on Wednesday so I decided that I was going to eat......not a ton, but I ate stuff that I was craving. I was right back up to where I started. like 269, so one pound under where I started.  My parents had used this one "diet" before, and they had really great results and felt wonderful, and they have been trying to get me to do it for years now. It is called "Fit For Life". Basically it is one of the healthiest ways you can eat! You basically eat all fruit in the morning, and then at about 12 noon you eat luch, which should consist of veggies and maybe some whole grain bread. My fav is a big ol salad and some sunflower bread, or a nice big tomato and sprouts sandwhich. Then you wait 3 hours and you can eat more fruit before dinner. Dinner should be veggies......and either meat or bread. THAT IS THE CATCH. You have to properly combine your food. You cannot eat bread and meat together. It has to be one or the other. They really only want you to eat whole grain or wheat bread as well. So basically it is all about properly combining your food, and you have to wait the certain amounts of time in between! NO counting calories or measuring or worrying!! I already feel better. This is an example of what I ate yesterday.  Breakfast:  1 10 oz glass of Blueberry Pomegranate juice 10 raspberries 1 blood orange Lunch:  1 salad with sprouts, avacado, tomato and a little french dressing 2 slices of sunflower bread with butter Snack:  1 bannana Dinner:  1 salad with sprouts, avacado, tomato and a little french dressing 1 chicken breast Snack:  1 bowl of strawberries and cherries  Late time snack: 1 tomato sandwhich on wheat bread and carrot sticks.  I know you are all going to say there is not enough protein. But I think this is fine. It is very healthy and I feel great!! AND I lost 7 pounds in two days! Granted I am working out, but like I said I do feel excellent! If anyone wants more details on this amazing "diet" let me know!!!

I would love more details Kimmie. I am in such a pickle.I have gained 14.5 pounds!! ~JEN~

Hi Jen! Well this program is actually pretty simple, and it is VERY healthy and gives you alot of variety! The basic principles of this diet are that you have to properly combine your food. If you eat meat and starch together, it takes longer in your stomach and intestines to digest, so you are spending wasted energy digesting a meal like that. If you eat a meal that consists of a salad a veggie and a piece of meat......that is properly combined and it goes through your system much faster. So you can eat meat and a salad for dinner one day, and then maybe some whole wheat pasta and salad the next. There are alot of things you can eat. The best part is you can basically eat unlimited fruits and veggies throughout the day, you just have to make sure you eat them at the right times.  So when you wake up in the morning.....you are always supposed to drink some form of fruit juice. It is best to get a juice that has no additives....unless you use a juicer yourself. So you drink about 8 to 14 oz of juice. Then up until 12 noon, you can eat as much fruit as you want. But only until you are satisfied. They always say don't overeat but don't undereat if that makes sense. You have to eat raw fresh fruit.......not canned or frozen or cooked. It really does have to be raw fresh fruit for some reason. Make sure not to eat any fruit about 20 minutes before lunch though.......and wait one hour before eating lunch if you eat a bannana. Then at 12 noon, you can eat some veggies.....or a big salad, and they just don't want you to use alot of vinegar.....so dressings with alot of vinegar are not suggested. You can eat bread or RAW unsalted nuts for lunch too. Try to eat wheat or whole grain bread though. You shouldn't eat cheese on anything either.  After lunch you have to wait 3 hours to eat again. With us gastric bypass people I would think you could actually only wait 2 or 2 1/2 hours after you eat to eat again.....but that is up to you. I just wait the three hours. So then if you are hungry, you can eat some more fruit. But again....make sure you wait 20 minutes or so, before you eat dinner.  Dinner should always include a salad......and a veggie basically as much veggies as you want. You can either have meat (unprocessed) or grains. BUT NOT TOGETHER! You cannot eat meat and a potato. Or a chicken sandwhich or something like that. I can give you a more complete list of what foods are allowed and stuff if you want. So same principle as lunch. You have to wait 3 hours after dinner before eating again. Then you can have more fruit..........and you can wait the 20 minutes after that if you want to have some veggies and some whole grain bread for a snack.  And that is pretty much it! It does give you more energy....I cannot believe how much better I feel in just two days. I think this diet is good because it is healthy and you can still eat quite a bit without feeling guilty. My biggest problem has always been worrying about calories and restrictions. With this there are not many restrictions so I really like it alot. Please if you have any more questions...ask me! I  am just starting out on this one.....but I really feel like this is something I could do for the rest of my life! Hope this helps!!

Hello KimmieP...been a long time. Do you still follow this? And where are you today??

I'm sure there has been some degree of success with this diet, but it's clearly not for WLS patients.  Forget opinions, any WLS nut would out and out veto this plan!  I'm glad you're feeling good, but what's wrong with incorporating protein shakes a few times a day to get AT LEAST 60g protein?  Lack of protein leads to muscle wasting, especially when you're working out and not replenishing adequately, so I'd be cautious about losing this way.  In addition, muscle wasting leads to lower RMR, which could make maintaining even harder.  I think you should talk o your nut to come up with a more reasonable plan if you're trying to lose.  Best of luck!

Well actually you do get alot of protein with this diet. First of all there is protein in veggies (not all of them) and I always eat some form of protein with dinner. Also alot of the vegetarian products out there like meatless burgers and such....have high amounts of protein. I really don't think that it is a problem.....and I don't think that being this far out from surgery that I need to have 100 grams of protein per day. I am sure that 60 to 70 would be sufficient.

Kimmie, I would think if you do this diet, get your weight where you are again comfortable and then add in protein as needed you should be fine.  Have you had any recent blood work done to know if your protein levels are good?  If you have an upcoming appointment bring your eating program with you to Dr. Caruana's office and go over them with Jen the Nutritionist.  She is always open to taking what your eating  preferences are and helping you conform them to WLS.  I know that gaining back any weight at all puts such a desperation back in to our thoughts we go in to a panic mode.  This seems to be working for you and that is important.   I recently tried losing my last 15 lbs. by going on a "diet" with my husband.  He lost 7 lbs. and I gained 3 lbs.  I was frantic because I have been in such control of my weight.  I believe what happened is I changed my eating from veggies, fruits, and proteins, to proteins and carbs.  This does not work for me and I find myself hungry through out the day.   Your plan has you eating smart, so that is a plus.  Good luck with this.

I don't think 100g of protein is NECESSARY this far out, but if you're trying to lose, it would certainly help to get at least 80g/day.  What I was trying to say is that the majority of your cals would be from carbs on this plan...we do not malabsorb carbs to the extent we malabsorb fats.  Even high protein vegetarian alternatives have considerable amounts of carbs, as do fruits and starchy veggies.  There's nothing wrong with eating them in moderation, but we're not "made" to sustain ourselves this way as post-ops. I don't want you to think I'm dumping on you or your plan, because I know the frustration of the bounceback and the subsequent efforts to rid ourselves of it!  You've already gotten back on track with eating according to the guidelines of RNY and you'll lose that extra weight in a manner that makes it less likely to show up again too soon if you just stick to it.  Join us on the accountability thread and challenge yourself to lose it bit by bit.  I'm down 6.4lbs in less than 3wks just eating the way I'm suppossed to...no it's not 135, but it ain't 157 either!  Best of luck in your journey!