I have surgery scheduled for early June.

My Nut said she doesn't like the idea of putting a half banana in my Protein Shakes. She thinks it adds too many carbs. I am going to follow the rules for everything my WLS team lays out for me....except for this. I just can't. Every morning I make a strawberry-banana smoothie w/chocolate Protein Powder. It is the best way to start the day! I can drink two per day which is one whole banana. I already don't eat too many carbs and I am pretty sure I'll eliminate them altogether after surgery. I think it's a bit crazy to not allow myself one banana per day especially seeing as it makes getting Protein and liquid in so much easier.

I am not the patient who will tell myself that eating bad food is okay simply because I have a tiny stomach now. I am not looking for ways to skirt the rules of the post-op diet or make excuses for eating the wrong things. But it's ONE BANANA. Could it really be that bad?

What are your thoughts? Did your post-op diet excluded bananas?

@@PdxMan Because carbs are like crack, the more you eat, the more you crave. Your body gets addicted to them and wants more.

for some people. it's not like that for everyone. but you can go overboard with fruit. it is sugar and can be digested rapidly when not eaten with anything else. my H has a real sugar problem. due to food allergies he's significantly changed his diet over the past year. he doesn't drink soda or eat candy bars anymore. but will come home and eat 2 bananas in a row. he doesn't see how he craves sugar when he is tired and hungry. he figures, it's fruit, it's fine. but the way he eats it, it's not.

@@PdxMan Because carbs are like crack, the more you eat, the more you crave. Your body gets addicted to them and wants more.

Also on your post you said the body needs carbs for energy.

Your body needs 0 carbs. You can live a healthy life without ever putting another carb in your body. As long as you supply enough Protein so your body does scavenge muscle tissue, the protein will be turned into glucose and used for energy/fuel.

While this is true, give it try. The process to convert protein to energy is far costlier and can actually resolve to a net zero effect whereas fats and carbs convert must easier and quicker. You can find many articles on this, but here is what I found at the top from a quick Google search:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/metabolizing-proteins-vs-fats-3453.html

We are all different, so we all must pay attention to our bodies and how we react to foods. I would contend, however, that the body reacting to carbs like crack is more psychological than physical. If you find you can't stop eating bananas, potatoes or Cookies, for that matter, due to their carb content, then I would contend there is something else deeper going on there.

I know when I did Atkins several years ago, my energy level dropped. My lifestyle suffered as I just didn't have the drive to do much of anything. Sure, I lost weight, but it was hell. For me, that was not a lifestyle I could maintain for the long run. When I did reintroduce carbs back in, my weight shot back up. I do not want history to repeat itself with my VSG journey, so I would rather find a lifestyle which allows me not to be so carb conscience. The restriction of the sleeve does that for me when, like I mentioned above, I eat a balanced diet starting with my lean Proteins.

Again, we all must find a lifestyle that we can maintain long term. I would challenge anyone to be able to maintain a low to no carb lifestyle such as you suggest, @Bob2013. I'm sure there are folks out there whose bodies have adapted to this style. Give it a try and report back your findings.

I think there are studies about carbs and sugar that show it goes beyond the mental. Not that mental isn't a factor as well. If having a little makes it harder to stay on track maybe it's not worth it. But that's not everyone's experience.

For me personally a banana isn't worth the sugars, that's something I learned when I was pregnant and had gestational diabetes and really had to watch.

But overall I would say that if you are staying within your overall goals for nutrition it's a personal choice. Clearly different nutritionist have different plans and advice. But like my NUT said I could have full fat mayo but when I look at it on my tracker it's just not worth it. I think you can make personal choices within your framework and still be successful.

I would contend, however, that the body reacting to carbs like crack is more psychological than physical. If you find you can't stop eating bananas, potatoes or Cookies, for that matter, due to their carb content, then I would contend there is something else deeper going on there.

i agree. there is a reason some people find carbs so effective for emotional eating (other people prefer Peanut Butter or cheese)..... learning to get past emotional eating can go a long way in eliminating cravings. i know exactly why my H finds sugar so reinforcing, but that's his gig not mine. i have my own emotional eating traps to figure my way out of.

bottom line... i would not fret about giving up a banana for my recovery period. this surgery is too important to start finding reasons to not be compliant with the nut's plan already. (though i never complied with my center's plan of artificial sweeteners and fat free food products, i just dont eat them) plan on less for the immediate post op time frame and then slowly add in things to see if you can tolerate. it's way easier to add stuff than take it out after you feel like hell or are vomiting.

You can not live a healthy lifestyle without carbs. What u do need to stay away from are the simple carbs from processed foods. There are good carbs that are slow releasing and good for the body. You need carbs for eblnergy. Using proteins in place of them can eventually do more harm than good. All foods contain some carbs, just choose healthy and wise. A half a banana a day is all good.

Bananas were one of the first things that I was warned about when I started my 6-month pre-surgery. It's easy to get in the mindset that because it's fruit, it's good for you and not pay attention to the sugars and carbs (I know I wasn't...it was nothing to eat a banana a day.) My plan eventually allows for 1/2 banana, as long as the Protein is first or comes with (I ate PB-smeared banana halves during the pre-diet).

That said, it my NUT said no, I would go with what she said, at least at first. Until I know my body and tolerances better, I'm following her allowances to the letter.

I can't tolerate them the way I did pre op so odd I used to looooooove bananas b4 vsg. I will try baby food bananas and see how that goes cause I did well with baby food blends post op

I don't understand why there are so many folk out there, including dieticians, promoting low carb diets for WLS people. Seriously ... I don't get it. Sure, for "regular" folk out there in the wild, yes. Most people do consume waaaay to many carbs. But when I look at my portion sizes post VSG, it just is plain impossible for me to go overboard on carbs when I focus on eating a balanced diet everyday.

Sure, post VSG, I could go overboard with the carbs, but to do that, I would need to neglect the basic guidelines of eating lean Protein first. Your body needs carbs for energy. So often on here we see posts from people complaining of having little energy. More often than not, they are doing low carb. These folks don't have the energy to go out and exercise and get their metabolism going, which, in itself, offers great health benefits.

So, to answer a question posted earlier ... no ... I don't think all dieticians know the best plan for WLS folk. It is different for us, IMO. At least, I know it was for me. If given a choice between occasionally choking down a nasty Protein shake and enjoying a nutritious, natural shake which contains bananas ..well ... the choice should be easy.

I know I had issues with energy early on and my NUT told me to increase my carbs, which I did by adding more veggies to my meals. It worked wonders for me and helped motivate me to begin running. I KNOW it made all the difference in my weight loss and helped me to get to a "normal" BMI.

Of course, we all should follow our medical team's advice. But I also believe we need to find what works for us.

Very well said!

I can't tolerate citrus fruits at the moment due to gastritis and inflammation at 5 months out -- I was perfectly fine with them at 3 to 10 weeks out so it's frustrating cause I love love love fruits. Hope this intolerance is not forever

Edited May 20, 201412 yr by sandisleeve

Premier Protein chocolate, skim milk and 1 small banana (or 1/2 big one) is a staple for me...I have it at least 3-4 times a week. So I'm getting banana carbs AND milk carbs. I also eat berries, peaches, apples, pancakes, and have partaken in tiramisu, ice cream, cake and wine on a few occasions. None of these treats made me crave more of them. I don't count or weigh or track anything so I have no clue how many carbs I get in a day. I'm living my life, loving my sleeve, and everything in moderation.

That being said, I've lost 75 pounds in less than 6 months, so I'm thinking the bananas are not the evil fruit that exist to halt our weight loss progress. At least not for me.

Edited May 21, 201412 yr by Kindle

So Kindle how much do u know u lost if u never weigh yourself?! Not a good example i guess.

Kindle probably meant weighing portions with a food scale.

I mean I don't weigh my food. I weigh myself once a week. Usually on Friday, but I cheated and weighed myself today because it is my 5 months surgiversary.

I added about a 1-2 inch piece of banana to a shake when I was about 1.5 weeks post op. I go SO SO full so quickly, I could barely drink half of my shake that morning. It did taste much better, but getting the Protein in was far more important. I couldn't believe that such a tiny piece all blended up would have such a big effect.

As far as the NUT, I think they all have different hangups based on their own personal backgrounds. I love mine, but her rants on avocado are hilarious.

I have surgery scheduled for early June.

My Nut said she doesn't like the idea of putting a half banana in my Protein shakes. She thinks it adds too many carbs. I am going to follow the rules for everything my WLS team lays out for me....except for this. I just can't. Every morning I make a strawberry-banana smoothie w/chocolate Protein powder. It is the best way to start the day! I can drink two per day which is one whole banana. I already don't eat too many carbs and I am pretty sure I'll eliminate them altogether after surgery. I think it's a bit crazy to not allow myself one banana per day especially seeing as it makes getting protein and liquid in so much easier.

I am not the patient who will tell myself that eating bad food is okay simply because I have a tiny stomach now. I am not looking for ways to skirt the rules of the post-op diet or make excuses for eating the wrong things. But it's ONE BANANA. Could it really be that bad?

What are your thoughts? Did your post-op diet excluded bananas?

My first thought is that you are a grown woman and you are going to do what you want. My second thought is that doing what you want is what got you (and me!) to the point of needing WLS in the first place.

I think that eventually having a banana every day is going to be fine, but during your pre-op, not so much. This is the time to listen to the NUT and surgeon you are paying so much money to to get you to a healthy weight. You don't NEED a banana and it's not "CRAZY" to give them up pre-op. This is your chance to prove to yourself that you can take control of your eating and what goes in your mouth. It concerns me that you say you "just can't" give up your banana.

There are so many options out there that will not compromise the diet plan your doc is laying out for you. Banana flavored protein powder is one, SF flavored syrup is another, or check the spice aisle for banana extract. No, you don't need a banana.

That said, it's up to you whether or not you are going to be compliant with your doctor. No approval from anyone else neccessary.