Hi guys,

Do any of you find that you do better with a more equal balance of Protein and carbs? Our diets seem to stress getting protein so much but does anyone find they actually feel better when they eat more carbs? I am 4 weeks post op and in the pureed/soft foods stage. For the first 3 weeks or so I followed my instructions religiously - I tried to get 64oz of Fluid and tried to get 60 grams of protein daily. I didn't usually make the entire goal but I would consistently get 3/4 to within a few grams/ounces of the goal. I was also walking 45 minutes a day. It worked fine for the first few weeks but then I noticed that I was starting to get light-headed and it was hard for me to complete my exercise because I felt weak or fatigued. Of course I was getting almost no carbs because I was trying to so hard to get my protein goals.

Then I transitioned to pureed/soft foods and there were so many new options out there (many of them carb-heavy like fruit, mashed potatoes, spring peas, etc.) I started blowing off some of the protein requirement just to be able to eat some of the new options (and I was getting sick of the old options). Around the same time I starting incorporating more higher calorie drinks, nothing outrageous but more in the 50-80 cal/8 oz versus 10 cal/8 oz, obviously drinks that include more sugar/carbs (I was also getting sick of the watered down diet drinks). I still try to get 30-40g protein but I don't bother trying to make the full 60 grams anymore. The funny thing is that once I started blowing off getting all my protein and started eating more carbs the light-headedness went away, my energy went up and I feel strong again. And the weight loss has continued at a brisk pace.

Hi guys, Do any of you find that you do better with a more equal balance of Protein and carbs? Our diets seem to stress getting protein so much but does anyone find they actually feel better when they eat more carbs? I am 4 weeks post op and in the pureed/soft foods stage. For the first 3 weeks or so I followed my instructions religiously - I tried to get 64oz of Fluid and tried to get 60 grams of protein daily. I didn't usually make the entire goal but I would consistently get 3/4 to within a few grams/ounces of the goal. I was also walking 45 minutes a day. It worked fine for the first few weeks but then I noticed that I was starting to get light-headed and it was hard for me to complete my exercise because I felt weak or fatigued. Of course I was getting almost no carbs because I was trying to so hard to get my protein goals. Then I transitioned to pureed/soft foods and there were so many new options out there (many of them carb-heavy like fruit, mashed potatoes, spring peas, etc.) I started blowing off some of the protein requirement just to be able to eat some of the new options (and I was getting sick of the old options). Around the same time I starting incorporating more higher calorie drinks, nothing outrageous but more in the 50-80 cal/8 oz versus 10 cal/8 oz, obviously drinks that include more sugar/carbs (I was also getting sick of the watered down diet drinks). I still try to get 30-40g protein but I don't bother trying to make the full 60 grams anymore. The funny thing is that once I started blowing off getting all my protein and started eating more carbs the light-headedness went away, my energy went up and I feel strong again. And the weight loss has continued at a brisk pace.

Oh dear....i'll let the vets go on in this....i would say you have made a few choices here you may want to rethink......

I will sit back and see what others say....

Best of luck!

Shel

Small clarification - I'm not going nuts on carb-laden food or going overboard on calories. Even with 1 small "carb" meal (1/2 mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup peas or something) and one "higher" calorie 8 oz beverage a day, I am still not breaking 500 calories.

I wonder if you are hyperglycemia...that's what I am wondering about with all that protein would it make someone lightheaded

At about a month out I decided to really limit my carbs - like down to 20. That was a mistake for me - low energy, lightheadedness, etc. I then talked to my NUT who said, 80 grams of Protein minimum and 50 grams of carbs would be OK, just watch what kinds of carbs.

All carbs are not created equal Good carbs = Good. Bad carbs = Bad

I stay away from processed foods - limited bread and sugars. These are your bad carbs. I also stay away from "carby" fruits and veggies - the ones that have a high glycemic value (potatoes, ripe bananas, carrots).

The way I added more carbs in was - fat free refried Beans, 1/4 cup of berries in my shake, carb balance tortilla, etc. When I'm at 50 carbs, I feel good.

YOu may have to play with the numbers a little to find your "sweet spot"...no pun intended! :-)

I wonder if you are hyperglycemia...that's what I am wondering about with all that Protein would it make someone lightheaded You might need to be tested for Diabetes.

Luckily I have tested negative for diabetes and my blood sugar has been absolutely normal in the two rounds of blood tests I took pre-op.