CARBS???????

Do you have a diet plan to follow that your MD gave you? I asked mine just last week how much of what he wanted me to get in, his response was drink, vitiamins, and follow your diet plan. If you follow the plan you will be ok. Here is a sample of my diets;

post op weeks 1-2: clear liquids only, sugar free popsicles, suger free jello, broth, if you can see through it you can have it NO Carbonated beverages ever

weeks 3-4 mushy stuff, like thined yogurt (the kind for diabetics) watered down grtis, thin oatmeal, protein shakes, each meal was 8oz

weeks 5 and beyond: meats, cheeses, dark leafy greens, tuna, fish,

please remember the band is a tool, there are ways around it, ways to eat things that you shouldnt, yes you will slip up sometimes, but always remember tomorrow is a new day and a new start, its easy 99% of the time, stay positive, keep your head up.

welcome to the fun times!! If you cook for yourself it may be easier then if you are eating pre-packaged foods?? Also it depends how often you are eating...it is a fun game and making substitutes here and there. If you eat no more than 25-30 carbs per meal..so 75-90 carbs a day that is a good goal. Then you need to see how many carbs are in your snacks if you have up to 2 snacks a day...so that can add another 5-20 carbs per snack..so you need to be careful. A lot of people eat/drink large fruit smoothies but you have to remember fruit is nothing but carbs. I have fruit smoothies on days when I know the rest of my meals that day have lower carbs. I cook 99% of my meals so I know how my day is going to play out.

Also, Amy has a very good point..tomorrow is a new day and new start! Do not beat yourself up!! This is such a huge thing that we are all doing! It will get easier and you will be like..ah ha I got it and then you will learn something else. You constantly learn with a band regardless if you were banded yesterday or a year ago or longer (I guess and hope to keep learning!!)

that is the truth, everyday is a new day to learn regardless of when you were banded, that is why i am very glad that i found this forum.

What everyone needs varies depending on weight. I use sparkpeople.com to chart my daily intake. I put in a goal I want to be a t, a date in which to achieve it, and it breaks down how much protein I should have, how many carbs, and maximum calorie range to get where I need to go. I just plug in the food and it tallies it all up. It helps because I can see if I can have a scoop of sugar free ice cream at night or if I should just skip it :-) I eat probably what you do in carbs everyday plus some and am still losing weight. Just keep your calories in the 1000-1200 range, keep up with protein, and you will be good.