Question:
Are you so sensitive to carbs that you will never eat them again?

I am finding that even adding a few carbs to my diet (anything over 40 grams) sends me into a carb craving frenzy. I have always been very sensitive to them but feel like the years and years of abusing them have left me unable to handle them at all. I have been very compliant post op until I added some carbs (about a month ago) and now I feel like I can't get a grip. I am still losing but much slower and I feel like crap. When I cut them out I start the quick loss again, which is great but I am concerned that I will never be able to have carbs. AND if that is so are there others out there long term living a happily carb free life. I should add that it is the overt white carbs that do me in, not the veges and fruits that I have sometimes.    — Carol S. (posted on July 2, 2003)

July 2, 2003
I'll never be able to eat white (refined) carbs with abandon. If I introduce them at all, it's a slippery slope, and I end up eating too many and gaining weight, not to mention having to do the whole detox thing to get back on the wagon. Not easy. Here's one little trick that does allow me to indulge occasionally and not totally blow it. If I've kept my carbs to a minimum all day, and then have something w/ refined carbs ONCE late in the day (after dinner) I can usually get away with it without causing a binge (I go to bed before I can eat any more :) So, am I living a happily carb free life? Not really happily since I love carbs, but conversely, the less I eat, the happier I am to not eat them.
   — mom2jtx3

July 2, 2003
Same here -- I ate a gazillion junky carbs as a pre-op, they were certainly more of a factor in my morbid obesity (along with lack of exercise) than even fats were. I do find that they will make me crave more carbs when I eat them too often (too many days in a row of, let's say, too many crackers, can be all it takes). I think it's just one of those long-term side effects (or causes) of obesity for many of us, and I suspect that we'll just have to keep a watch on them always. When I find a particular carb is getting to me, I have to ban it from my diet for awhile or I feel awful (and consumed with worry on top of battling head hunger big time).
   — Suzy C.

July 2, 2003
Hi Carol- It may be that certain carbs are causing you problems, not all carbs or the amount. On the Atkins program, after the 2 week induction eating plan, you start re-introducing more carbs back into your diet. This helps you to see which ones are the offenders. I found I have problems with tomato products (made me have cravings) and corn products (got headaches). Good Luck Mea
   — Mea A.

July 2, 2003
Hi there! I am only 12 weeks out, but I notice that if I go over 4o grams or so of carbs, I really start craving them and I am hungry all the time. If I really watch mu carb intake I find that after a couple of days I no longer desire them and my hunger decreases. I'm hoping that as long as I remain aware of this I will be able to keep myself on track and stay away from a high amount of carbs. Barb 4/07/03 235/182/126-130
   — Barbara C.

July 2, 2003
CARBS SCARE ME. I know I am an addict. I could pass up sugar any day but put pasta or potatoes in front of me...and I am a goner. I must finish every last bite. At least that is how I used to be before surgery. With -80 down and 200 still left to go, I can't afford the luxury of a binge. I know I am a maniac when it comes to white carbs so I don't do them. I did have one low fat cracker with some cheese over the weekend and noticed I wanted more. I don't do anything WHITE (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta). The only carbs I let myself have are the fruits I put in my protein smoothie every morning. Somehow, I never obsessed over fruit. So far it is working for me. I wish you the best. I am not sure this answer helps but I wanted you to have one more perspective. (Ann in TX)
   — Ann B.

July 3, 2003
I have the same problem, and personally know a lot of other post ops in the same situation. Just starting out the day with any carbs sets us up for a bad day. For me, any carbs at at (above 20/day) makes my blood sugars crash. Giving up pasta, bread and mashed potatoes was hard, but NOT impossible. And worth every second of it. There are MILLIONS of other things to eat... and being able to ride a bike, run up stairs, look healthy is worth giving up a plate of pasta. Try some of the low-carb pastas, and the wonderful Atkins bread and muffin mixes... a little serving of that is enough to get my through any temptation to go back to the white carbs ;) Good Luck to you!
   — kultgirl

July 3, 2003
I've learned to have a healthy fear of carbs. Not only do I crave them more the more I eat them, but also they make me "crash" and I get very sleepy after I eat them. Not sure whether this is a blood sugar thing or not, but I had to cut out my 1/4 cup of oatmeal at breakfast because otherwise I'd fall asleep at my desk. On the other hand, a coupla crackers or a little popcorn does seem to help me sleep at night, and if I eat the carbs in the evening I don't crave them the next day. There are so many mixed opinions out there about the whole carb/no carb thing--I think we have to stay attuned to what our bodies say and use that as the gauge. I had a nightmare a few months ago where my post op restrictions (which include no bread, rice, pasta) were lifted and I was sobbing because I felt that without those restrictions I might lose control and overeat again. - Lisa (call me neurotic) W RNY 23-Jan-2003 246/268
   — gamboge