Question:
Post op and considering the atkin's diet ?

Hi I'm post op 4 1/2 months open RYN and have been craving carbs badly lately, I've been trying reallu hard to watch all my calories, but I feel that I'm failing at this, the carbs are totally addiciting and I find myself grazing on cereal all threw-out the day, I know a "NO NO" but my hunger has come back in full force, Lord know I don't want to gain back any of the weight I've already lost, so I was thinking on going on the atkins diet and give it a whirl to ease my craving of both caffine and carbs. I'm tired of counting calories, and the addicition of carbs are winning... Give me your insight of going on the Atkins diet ??? I 've tried it in the psat and couldn't deal with it not even for a day, but since surgery I don't think I'll have a problem with it... Post op 4 1/2 months down 85 pounds    — tannedtigress (posted on October 7, 2002)

October 7, 2002
Hi... I have been having similar difficulties. I am 6 months post op and from the point where you are, this began. What has helped me is upping my protein. I use Pro Score 100 Chocolate (which I get from Vitalady). I mix it with about 4 oz of milk and 2 oz of water and l/2 c of ice and sometimes a little powdered SF chocolate pudding mix. I use a blender. It is yummy and this is breakfast. I do this again at dinner time while cooking dinner. It curbs the carbs munchies. I also drink drink drink that water. If I have to have a snack, I'll have a dill pickle, or a couple of pretzel sticks, or sf popsicle. Atkins isn't the best deal for us because it pushes fatty meats, low carbs but when you go off after a couple of weeks you hit the carbs again. It also is very hard on the kidneys. It was suggested to me to try the weight watchers type meal plan only less food or try The Zone which is high protein, low carb but includes some fruits & veg. as part of it. Something I just recently learned though is that cravings represent something.... snacks one thing, meats another, veg. another, fats another, etc. All deal with emotional areas that are in need. It was fascinating learning this at our support group as it put the idea of cravings into perspective. Big thing to do when they hit is exercise, drink water, wait for it to pass and they always do. My best to you.
   — AJC750

October 7, 2002
The Atkins diet is so hard on the kidneys. You're better off to really disipline yourself and stop eating so many carbs. The more carbs you eat, the more your body will CRAVE them. Sit back, collect your thoughts on why you had this surgery, and really try to cut out the bad carbs. Fruit and veggie carbs are good. Eating a lot of bad carbs will send you into plateau city! You have done so well with your weightloss so far that you really don't want to sabatoge it. Remember, this surgery is a tool. Take back control. You will do great!
   — Kim B.

October 7, 2002
How much inner work have you done on why you overeat? The surgery is not our salvation. We have to save ourselves by figuring out why we overeat. I suggest you buy the book "The Solution", "Overcoming Overeating, or "It's not about the food"-all available from Amazon. If I seem harsh, then so be it. But so many of us who have this surgery expect the surgeon to do all the work. It's mental and emotional work that WE must do if we are to truly succeed. And I agree with the previous poster. The Atkins diet is extremely dangerous. Rev up your exercise routine, drink more water, eat your protein first and see if it helps. There are reasons you are grazing all day.
   — M. B.

October 7, 2002
Hi there. I had done Atkins for about 8 months the yr before I had my surgery. I'd lost about 50 lbs on it but got so tired of the diet that I gained it all back (thus the surgery). I did try it about 7 months post op for the same type of reasons you mentioned and just to help me jump start myself after a nasty platuea(sp). I found that I had an especially hard time with that diet post op because now all the fatty foods and dairy that are "OK" to eat made me feel really nauseous. I didn't think I was affected that much by fat until my meals included so much. I am also very much lactose intolerant..so no no to much more than an oz of cheese or so for me..and I can't drink a glass of milk at all. These are things to consider about yourself. I don't think it would harm you to try it for short term, however I have to agree with the others about it long term. Good luck to you! -Kim open RNY 7/17/01 -132
   — KimBo36

October 7, 2002
Hi Dawn, I'm only 3 weeks post-op, but I've already discovered that if I eliminate white flour from my diet, then I don't have cravings for carbs. A trick I learned years ago in Overeater's Anonymous.
   — joeandteri

October 7, 2002
Hi Dawn, I'm only 3 weeks post-op, but I've already discovered that if I eliminate white flour from my diet, then I don't have cravings for carbs. A trick I learned years ago in Overeater's Anonymous.
   — joeandteri

October 7, 2002
Ok, this may not be the "popular" opinion, but I personally do not think the Atkins diet is soooo dangerous. By looking at our teeth, we were made to be meat eaters. Our bodies need protein, and the vast majority of it does comes from animal product. I am not saying that you should never touch a carb the rest of your life, because they are part of a healthy well balanced diet. But man and his wonderful inventions are who made it possible to eat white bread, cereal, crackers and pasta. I think it is ok to get carbs from fruits, veggies, milk etc. But I think we should try to avoid a lot of the processed junk we are so used to eating. I think it is unhealthy to do strictly NO carbs, but Dr. Atkins doesn't reccommend that either. At least not from what I remember. I think he states it is healthy to stay under 30 grams a day. And with WLS, most of us probably do that already! Carbs is what the body will burn first for fuel, in the absense of carbs, the body has to turn to fat and burn that instead for energy. Before surgery, when I used to diet, I noticed that I lost the most and kept the most off while on the Atkins. I think our society is SO hung up on the low fat diet, that no one will take the time to really investigate others. They just automatically think it is unhealthy. And when you here that ketosis is so extremely dangerous, I think people get confused between Diabetic ketoacidosis and dietary ketosis. Those are two very different things. I am technically on a modified version of the Atkins diet now, because I really try to concentrate on protein (which most of us do) and limit carb intake to a minimum. I am not saying that an occasional cracker or bite of maccaroni and cheese is a bad thing, I just think moderation is the key. Good Luck To you! (open RNY 7/23/02 -60 lbs)
   — Shawnie S.

October 8, 2002
hiya! i was a total carb-o-holic pre op so i worried about avoiding the carbs...for me, i try to center my meals around protein then add some carbs/vegs/fruits...you do need some carbs/fats/sugars. my doc told me that once i was on solids i was supposed to be taking in 100g of carbs a day (!!) i thought, no way can i do that! and i don't think i still do...BUT there are some carb foods that are pretty high in protein: quaker oat squares cereal - tastes like carbs to me but has 6 grams of protein! (mind you thats for a "serving" which we eat maybe 1/3 of!) kashi makes a high protein cereal, has like 9 grams...it's not the regular kashi so you'll have to read the labels then at the health food store there are these protein snacks near the crackers section -- very high protein but again, tastes like a carb to me! lol also, if i really want carbs, i'll have maybe some ritz with cheese - getting carbs and protein.... you need to be creative post op and really read the labels of foods...just remember that the surgery was done on your stomach, not your head and it is just a tool. you can email me if you want some yummy high protein recipes. good luck! kate open rny 6-14-01 pre op: 268lbs goal: 135lbs current: 126lbs
   — jkb