Low Carb or not....

[Iambeautiful 100]

I am eight weeks post op and had every intention on staying on low carb but occasionally I like oatmeal for Breakfast and some very light cracker chips by Kelloggs that are very low calorie. I have been enjoying chili a couple of days too. I just cannot eat a lot of meat right now and if I could eat it more I'd stay on very low carb.

I wondered how many here have lost weight using low carb. And also I wondered how many people lost a lot of weight adding some carbs like Beans and Cereal some days..... It seems like most of us were told to eat Protein first then our veggies then carbs if we have room. I'm assuming that a lot of people don't get to the carbs if they are like me and can't eat much.

I was wondering because I've seen a lot of big weight loss numbers here and just for my own information, I was wondering how many lost a lot using low carb vs carbs......or moderate use of carbs. We all know that too much fat in our diet will stop weight loss as well as too many carbs but how many carbs is acceptable to use and still have a good weight loss.

[DarlaHood 7]

I am wondering the same thing cuz I'm only 11 days post-op. But I know that I'm supposed to stay 40 - 60 carbs max/day until I reach 75% of my weight loss goal.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

High protein/moderate fat is fine. Low fat is NOT key to weight loss when you are doing low carb. Why can't you eat meat? Health reasons? Personal choice?

You can do low carb without meat. Google vegetarian low carb diet. Lots of ideas out there!

[dreamscometrue 262]

Well, I'm only 4 months post op, but have lost 72 lbs (starting weight 277) and I have stuck to LOW LOW carb diet. By time I eat Protein, there's no room for any of those carbs! I will warn you to be careful with those crackers so soon out! I just met with my dietician for my check up and she said they just took crackers off of our approved list and can't have them until month 9 because people were gaining weight bc they could eat way more than the 2 recommended crackers! For bread, I'm not supposed to have it till one year. I will say, I have a friend who had bypass (I was sleeved) and she was/is much larger than me by about 100 lbs... Well, we both had surgery within 2 weeks of each other, but considering she is much larger and had bypass, she should be losing way faster and more than myself. Not the case. She eats crackers and those low carb 100 calorie flat bread things for sandwiches every day. WATCH THOSE CARBS!

[NMJG 1,266]

I agree with watching the carbs. I lost most of my weight on max of 60 carbs a day, and those carbs were from dairy and Beans mostly. 60 is pretty high for low carb. 20-30 g carbs is best for weight loss. Fats are fine with a low carb diet, I don't worry about them at this stage, although I did limit fats early on.

[lark60 431]

I am 11 months out from sleeve procedure and have avoided bread, Pasta, rice, cereals (though I did eat rice while traveling to Korea this month). I limit potatoes, corn and other starchy veggies to 1 or 2 times a week. My routine is Protein shakes, lean meat for lunch with a veggie, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese. I add fruit to a shake 3 times a week. I average 800-1000 cal a day.

I have a very slow metabolism and my weight loss slowed to 1/2 lb a week since 6 months. There has been several stalls and currently I am again experiencing a stall since St Patty's day challenge. When I stopped loosing weight the first time (about 6 weeks out) I was in a panic and feared I would fail at weigh loss. Now that I have lost 100+ lbs, I know the stalls happen when my body is "rearranging" because though the scale doesn't move, I notice clothing fits differently week from week.

I do not plan on adding the starchy foods (breads, Pasta, rice, cereal) back into my daily routine until I hit my goal. I am hoping then I will be able to drop some of the Vitamins since I should be able to get them from these food items.

[Iambeautiful 100]

@dreamscometrue Thanks for the info about the crackers. I won't buy any more of those and yeah it's tempting to eat more than two because they are so low in calories but not carbs. I don't think I did any harm by eating them because my calories are so very low in a day as it is..... but i will certainly eliminate them now. The only meal i might want carbs in the form of oatmeal..(plain) is in the morning only. But i don't eat that everyday.

I can have toast.... maybe 1/2 slice a day but i rather stay away from carbs..... my carbs are way under 40 a day right now... I read every label of anything that i put in my mouth

[Iambeautiful 100]

@LipstickLady I am allowed to eat meat.... I just cannot eat it without discomfort..... I can eat chicken salad but can't find a sugar free mayo.... I have used non fat yoghurt instead of mayo but it's not the same.... I'm not so crazy about it..... I probably need to get a food processor to grind up my meat into very small pieces or even shredded...... I'll keep trying....

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I'm not so good at chicken. It has to be chopped. Every kind of meat has to be cut against the grain for me to consume it, and still warm is preferable.

Just use regular mayo. Why sugar free? Eat real food!

[macman 603]

I am 4 months past surgery and have been limiting myself to 50-60 carbs per day for the most part. As I have increased activity and exercise I have increased calories and Protein, fats and carbs as a result. Right now I am at 800-1000 calories a day depending on exercise. Most of my carbs come from dairy, whey protein or vegetables. I have not eaten potatoes, rice, Pasta or bread by choice. My weight loss has been steady. Right now I am losing about 2 lbs a week.

[livvsmum 2,370]

I'm 7 months post op. My daily goals / limits are no more than 40g carbs (30 is what I shoot for), at least 65-70g Protein, and at least 80 ounces of Water. As of today I've lost 111 pounds, so yes, it seems to be working :-)

It is easy to pick the carb-laden foods because they are the snack foods and the foods that we are used to. It definitely takes some work to make other choices. Are there times I would rather grab a handful of pretzels than a cheese stick or greek yogurt? HECK YES!!! lol. But then I try to think about "nutritional value" and carbs bring little to the table there. I've been tracking everything I eat in myfitnesspal and that has taught me a lot about the nutritional value of foods and what exactly is in our food and how much. I would recommend that for sure. Once you look at the actual benefit or value from those carb-heavy foods, it makes it a lot easier to reach for the Protein instead :-)

Edited April 18, 2014 by livvsmum

[NMJG 1,266]

@LipstickLady I am allowed to eat meat.... I just cannot eat it without discomfort..... I can eat chicken salad but can't find a sugar free mayo.... I have used non fat yoghurt instead of mayo but it's not the same.... I'm not so crazy about it..... I probably need to get a food processor to grind up my meat into very small pieces or even shredded...... I'll keep trying....

I agree with Lipstick, real mayo is fine. I don't worry about sugar free. I eat such a small amount of it I don't even bother with low fat. Makes your chicken or tuna salad much more enjoyable.

[TheNewSusie 471]

I'm 21 months out and stick to 20-30 carbs max and I'm down 90-93 pounds. (7-10 to goal) Low carb is what works for me and also don't take insulin anymore (type 1) when I stay away from processed carbs. Occasionally I'll have a bite or two of rice but I really avoid all carbs, inless it's a veggie. I notice the minute I eat carbs I feel tired and sluggish and gross! Lol. I drink sugar free things due to my diabetes but I eat everything and I don't believe in fat free or low fat because it's filled with sugars and carbs. Real fats r my fuel and I need them, in moderation.

[jess9395 5,450]

Four and a half months and 80lbs out.

I have been experimenting in adding a bit more carbs...raising from 20-30g to 60-70g because I have been doing a lot of running, adding yoga to my weeks and prepping for a race. Mostly adding fruit and oatmeal. I have def seen a difference in weight loss. Better w/o the added carbs.

[awold0 246]

I am eight weeks post op and had every intention on staying on low carb but occasionally I like oatmeal for Breakfast and some very light cracker chips by Kelloggs that are very low calorie. I have been enjoying chili a couple of days too. I just cannot eat a lot of meat right now and if I could eat it more I'd stay on very low carb.

I wondered how many here have lost weight using low carb. And also I wondered how many people lost a lot of weight adding some carbs like Beans and Cereal some days..... It seems like most of us were told to eat Protein first then our veggies then carbs if we have room. I'm assuming that a lot of people don't get to the carbs if they are like me and can't eat much.

I was wondering because I've seen a lot of big weight loss numbers here and just for my own information, I was wondering how many lost a lot using low carb vs carbs......or moderate use of carbs. We all know that too much fat in our diet will stop weight loss as well as too many carbs but how many carbs is acceptable to use and still have a good weight loss.

60 carbs or less for me. I track on my fitness pal. I still don't eat bread, pasta or rice. I do eat carbs like in sugar free stuff. I'm 9 months that out.