Question:
confused!!!!!

reading this site, I am so confused. I am 6 weeks out and down45 lbs. I would like to continue to lose but I'm confused. Some people say stay away from carbs. and some eat carbs. Some say no-fat and yet some follow Atkins, which is not low fat. Please help me understand this. Pat    — Pat B. (posted on December 16, 2003)

December 15, 2003
45 pounds lost in 6 weeks! You are doing great! Keep doing what you're doing and you will continue to lose. I, too, have struggled with trying to follow all of the "advice" that is out here on the postings. The bottom line is that what works for one person doesn't work for another. Everyone is different. Everyone has dieticians that give them different directions. Mine has the philosophy of everythig in moderation. I do not set unreasonable carb or fat limits on myself. But, like I said, you are doing great. I wouldn't worry. Good luck and continued weight loss to you! ~Kristy (lap rny 9/18/03 - 320/269/268)
   — kristynush

December 15, 2003
I agree with previous poster..........congrats you are doing great! I found out pretty early that we are all individuals and have to find how our tool works. So, just keep doing what you're doing.......follow your doctor/dietician instructions. It's obviously working for you!!!!!!!
   —  SCbabe B.

December 15, 2003
i'm sure your dietician or surgeon gave you a basic food plan for post-op. That is what you need to follow instead of trying to do whatever one else says. For instance, my dietician does not require me to use fat free sugar free, She said just use regular stuff. But I do limit my carbs to 20 per day per her instructions. Don't mean to sound rude but i know it comes off that way. You won't be confused if you follow your own docs plan.
   — Delores S.

December 16, 2003
Congratulations, Pat. It sounds like you're doing great! I echo previous posters: do what your surgeon and dietitian tell you to do. As you get further out (past six months or so), then you can start trying different things to see what works best for you. We are all different, and a one-size-fits-all cookie cutter approach won't work. For now, relax, follow your medical team's advice, and enjoy the ride!
   — Vespa R.

December 16, 2003
I'm with the 'find and do what works for you' camp. If I followed my dietician's orders I would have lived off of 3 cups of milk and mostly carbs for the first 6 months. Not to mention that she only recommended that I get 47 grams of protien a day and take tums for my calcium. Needless to say, I didn't follow her advice! I decided to go with the general concensus...which seems to be high protien and low carb and it has worked wonderfully as I have lost 135 pounds in 10-1/2 months and am still losing. At first, I tried to stay low fat too...but threw that out the window in a hurry! The other thing to remember is that all of our bodies are different and, therefore, react differently to the same things. For example, one person can eat 50+ grams of carbs a day and still lose, while another person might come to a screeching halt at 30ish. Obviously, you are doing something right though...so, keep on, keeping on and maybe don't worry too much unless what your doing isn't working anymore. Good luck to you. Lap rny 1/31/03-274/139/134
   — eaamc

December 16, 2003
There are so many options out there for us. Some people do better eating lo-carb-lo-fat, others can eat more or less of these things. It all depends on YOU! You've got to test out different eating styles to find which one works for you.
   — Renee B.

December 16, 2003
You know, I see this question pop up from time to time, so I thought I would chime in with what my surgeon told me when I asked her. Firstly, I am a BTC patient, so I followed the plan they had. She told me that the high protien intake, more than anything else, was to facilitate healing after the surgery. If you look at the menu that BTC recommends, you find that they advocate eating 1) lean meat first, 2) complex carbs second (veggies) 3) fresh fruits, and 4) if you have any room left over, a bit of bread. I think if you just think of healthy eating as eating primarily lean meat and veggies you will do great. Sometimes I think we make this more complex than it has to be. Some folks drink tons of protien shakes every day, but that is because they are also extremely distal. They -have- to over supplement on protien in order to get a decent amount absorbed. As far as fats and sugars are concerne, it all depends on how you tolerate them. All things in moderation, and if you can't do them in moderation, it's best not to do them at all.
   — Greg P.