Question:
Which is better Protein Diets or Balanced Diets?

I am almost 7 months postop- down 130lbs. At my 6 month appt., my doctor recommended adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet. He also said to stop counting calories and just try to eat a normal, well balanced diet. I still have a lot of weight to lose (about 150 more pounds) I would appreciate feedback on this topic. Also what amounts of food did you guys eat at 7months? Did your weight loss slow down? Thanks for your help!    — rpoepke (posted on September 30, 2003)

September 30, 2003
I don't really count calories, I just keep an eye on the types of foods I chose. If you have fruit keep to low-sugar fruits (berries, cantaloupe, tart apples)...great veggies to add without adding a bunch of calories and carbs are broccoli, leaf lettuce salads with a bit of cuke and tomatoes, cauliflowers, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, and avocadoes (high in good fat for good skin and hair) - just don't eat a lot of the avocadoes :>)
   — [Deactivated Member]

September 30, 2003
I am within 10 pounds of my pre tummy tuck goal weight and I am still very careful with the carbs. I think that we all have to find the "diet" that works for us, keeps us losing and makes us feel comfortable with the way we are eating and how it makes us feel. i have a very strong reaction to carbs even now and doubt that they will ever play a big role in my diet if I am to keep this weight off and feel sane. I have added some fruits but stick with the fruits that Atkins has okayed like berries and melons. I do eat veggies but not corn or peas or potatoes. I have really learned to enjoy eating without pasta or bread. I have also found the things that help me over the rough patches like when I have PMS. I tend to count the calories less and less but am now very aware of what i am eating anyway and rarely make it much over a thousand calories. I am trying now to learn to be comfortable maintaining or just losing a couple of pounds a month. If you are comfortable with th way that you are eating and you are still losing then I would say to stick with what works. I have heard many people say that I should stop supplementing my protein with shakes but they are the one thing that really keeps me on track so I doubt I ever will. It is all about finding what you can live with for whatever phase of weight loss you are in. Good luck and if you have a nutritionist available to you I would suggest talking it over with her/him.
   — Carol S.

October 1, 2003
I am almost 2 years post-op and my surgeon has always stressed the need for fruits and vegetables in our diet. But, we are still supposed to get about 80% of our calories from protein rich foods. My doctor suggests one protein supplement a day, as a snack, not a meal replacement. I've followed this routine since I was 10 weeks post-op and have lost 180 pounds and have been at my surgeon's goal for over 8 months.
   — Patty_Butler

October 1, 2003
Depends on what you call a balanced diet. The food pyramid? That's what made America even fatter. You can be high protein AND balanced. It's not adding veggies that makes you fat, or low glycemic index fruits like berries. It's all those products w/ refined sugar and white flour. So if you mean balanced as in protein, fruits and veggies, then go for it (if the fruit doesn't cause cravings), but avoid white sugar and white flour like the plague.
   — mom2jtx3

October 1, 2003
You do need a balanced diet. Protein is very important, and you should stick to the protein first rule to be sure to get your required amount of protein in each day. However, the rule is protein FIRST, not protein ONLY. Your body does need the nutrients and fiber contained in vegetables, whole grains and fruits. Your brain, heart and lungs prefer these foods as their fuel source, and operate best when these kinds of carbohydrates are available. I do recommend that you not add back many of the refined carbohydrates (anything made with white flour (including white bread and pasta) or sugar, rice, potatoes, junk food snacks). These foods do have a negative impact on the way your body stores and uses fat, and can lead to cravings for more. If you are eating protein, and then veggies, whole grains and fruits, you shouldn't have much room for refined carbohydrates, anyway. I am six months out today, and eat about a half cup of food per meal, less if it's dense, more if it's light. For example, today I will have two cups of Rocomojo soy-bean "coffee" (26 grams of protein) when I get up, two thin slices of deli roast beef rolled up with one slice of Muenster cheese for breakfast, 1/2 cup of hamburger stroganoff (ground beef, onions, mushrooms, spices and sour cream) and five pineapple chunks for lunch, two one-ounce cheese sticks for a late afternoon snack, and 1/2 cup of low-sugar home made barbequed beans and onions with 1/2 of an Oh-so-Low brand low carb dinner roll. If I feel the need for more food before bed, I'll have a handful of cashews. That's a pretty typical day for me. My weight loss has been gradually slowing down since surgery, but that's normal, and not a function of what I eat.
   — Vespa R.

October 1, 2003
My nutritionist recommends 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fats. Everyone is different, i think.
   — mrsmyranow

October 1, 2003
I have to ask, if it ain't broke, why fix it? It seems like you're doing really very well so far, and you have a was to go but you're totally focused on a plan that's working for you, so why tinker with that NOW, at seven months, when your eating capacity is probably increasing? Oh, dear, I'm afraid this advice makes me nervous, and I'm not even *you*. It just sounds too much like a "blank check" in terms of eating, and I, for one, cannot handle a blank check when it comes to food, WLS or not.<P> Everybody deals with carbs differently -- some limit them to 20 grams a day, some don't count them at all, many are in-between. For me, while I was in "losing" mode, I always kept my daily protein gram intake ahead of my carb gram intake (and I had to use protein shakes to do that), but other than that, I didn't limit carbs. But that approach taught me to think, "When's the last time you had protein?" every time I reached for food, which was the habit I wanted to be sure to learn, and I think I did (so far, anyway). But everybody's got a different approach to finding the right "balanced diet" for them.<P>If you've been counting calories so far, and you're only seven months post-op, I just can't see the wisdom to ignoring calorie counting right now. I felt that it was the most critical for me to count calories at a time like that, when I could sense my eating capacity increasing. You don't say how many carbs you allow yourself; maybe your doc feels there are too few in your diet? You could try adding a little bit more and see how it goes; if it slows your weight loss, you could cut back and tell your doc it just didn't work for you, and it if doesn't slow your loss, wonderful ... but everytime you make a change in your diet to add more food, or more types of food, it makes good sense to count calories for awhile to be sure you're not sabotaging your efforts. Good luck@
   — Suzy C.

October 2, 2003
This is one of those 6 of one and 1/2 dozen of the other questions. I think it boils down to doing what works for YOU!! I didn't eat any raw veggies or ANY fruit until 6 months out. The Dr. didn't tell me to avoid these, but I was afraid to try them before that point. I feel better now than ever. Now I eat healthy (low carb is better for me, because it makes me feel satisfied longer), I have never counted my calories on a daily basis, but I do go on fitday.com every now and then to see where I am. I have found that experimenting with recipes to make them work for me has been fun. I don't ever want this to feel like a diet, just a healthy, nutritious eating plan (and that does included dessert now and then). My weightloss did slow down some at 6 months out - (I lost 101 lbs. the first 6 months) I am down a total of 144 lbs. Now stopping the weightloss (or at least slowing it way down) has been more of a challange for me. What a blessing this surgery is. Overall, do what is right for you and what you can stick to for a lifetime. What point is it in getting down to XXX goal if you can't maintain it? My focus this whole time was to get to a weight I felt good at AND could maintain without feeling overly deprived.
   — Dana B.