Question:
Do carbs make you full?

Carbs don't make me full. I can eat and eat and eat things like crackers and potatoes. Any suggestions? I know I should be eating them at all, so please don't answer with that. Bobbi 55 days post-op 50lbs down.    — Bobbi H. (posted on October 18, 2002)

October 18, 2002
HI Bobby, I am not one of those people who bash others for eating carbs, personally, i can't stand the people who do that, but carbs aren't all bad. As long as you get in all the protein and water and vitamins too, their is nothing wrong with them. I noticed that when I eat, if I do eat carbs, I can eat more, but I think that is because of the consistency of the food, usually foods high in protien make me full quicker. I eat alot of salad, and put alot of cheese in it, and I also love beans and fat free hot dogs. I have cheese and crackers and some mornings have a bowl of shredded wheat w/skim milk. Those are the carbs that fill me up, I think it has to do w/the fiber content.
   — stacey1273

October 18, 2002
Its funny you should ask that. I've been doing the low carb thing the last couple of days (I do that every few months to jump start the loss...works so far). I can only stand it for a couple of days, because it's just plain gross. But I was sitting at the table tonight after my 3 oz of meat and cup of non starch veggies and thinking...darn I'm still hungry. Usually I will eat a roll or half of a potatoe, or a little mac-n-cheese or something with my meal, instead of the all non starch veggie side dishes I chose tonight. I was thinking...I bet a roll would satisfy me. So I was kinda feeling the opposite...that something carb would fill me up. Funny how different our expiriences with this are!-Kim open RNY 7/17/01 -135
   — KimBo36

October 18, 2002
Eventually everything you eat will make you "full." I find that if I have my protein first, I am fuller faster. It takes many more carb calories to fill me up.....
   — Marjorie B.

October 18, 2002
I think those pesky little high carb foods tend to be soft and easy for us to chew up really good and that makes them go through the pouch faster so you don't get that heavy feeling in your stomach like when you eat meat. Sound plausable?
   — Carolynn J.

October 18, 2002
My doctor does not tell you not to eat carbs. Just put your protein first. For example, if you have spaghetti and meatballs, eat a meatball first then a little pasta. Or eat some steak first then the potato and veggies. I have been doing this all along and I am 5 months post op down 97.5 pounds and only about 10 pounds from goal. Read my profile.
   — Linda A.

October 19, 2002
I don't think carbs are bad... in fact, we NEED a certain amount of carbs to stay healthy (someone else may know what the 'ideal' number of carb grams per day is). But it's better to get them from whole-grain sources (brown bread, whole wheat pasta - yum!), because they'll keep your blood sugar in check longer than the super-refined ones like white bread. I think the reason we often can eat carb after carb after carb is because they result in a spike in blood sugar levels initially, but then they drop quickly again shortly after... making us want even more!
   — Patricia E.

October 19, 2002
I wish I could remember where I read it (somewhere online) that they believe that the reason our hair falls out and our skin looks sometimes sallow, is that we are too deprived of carbs. So I'm testing that theory lol. I eat about 25 grams of non-vegetable carbs a day - BUT I do try hard to stick to the better carbs (Whole grain cereals, whole wheat tortillas - those take some getting used to! - whole grain crackers, etc.). I rarely eat bread and only toasted. It just sits like a rock anyway in my stomach.
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 20, 2002
I think Carolynn Johnson is right on with her answer. I agree!
   — Danna B.