diet question for the vets!

[lylabelle 257]

I am pretty new, only a little over one week out. I am just curious on how you all did your diet. Did you keep it super strict low carb under 20 grams or did you have fruit and the occasional carb but not worried about being in constant ketosis. How did it affect your losses. Was the calorie restriction still enough to keep your loss is going even if it wasn't super low carb? I know its Protein first but if I'm having some chicken and there's a bowl of mashed potatoes I would love to have a bite but if I'm not going to lose weight unless I'm super low carb obviously for quite a while I'm going to try to stay away from that. I just I'm curious what your experience was with diet and carbs. Thanks

[Catherine707 253]

This is a tough question and hopefully your surgeon and nutritionist can provide you with guidance that is appropriate for your personal medical situation. That being said, I decided that a few bites of high carb foods would be ok so long as I continued to lose weight. I had fruit and carbs in my diet after 2 months and it didn't seem to affect my weight loss which stayed pretty constant at 2 pounds per week for months. I have been at a stall for about 2 months, and I am considering removing some carbs from my diet, but I think I will wait until I have my next apt w/ the surgeon before making any huge changes.

The beauty of the gastric sleeve surgery is that the restriction really keeps you from being able to over do it on any foods. (Of course there are people who will try to cheat the sleeve, but really what is the point? Are we getting healthier or not!) For me a cookie or piece of candy on occasion didn't seem to be a bad thing, for someone else it might be like taking a little bit of heroin.... Most important is to know your body and relationship with food!

[swimbikerun 1,039]

I vote for what Catherine said above. My view is as long as I am wearing the size clothes I am, I'm not sweating it. A couple bites this early out isn't going to kill you but the issue is: do you want to start doing that habit so soon out from surgery?

[Bufflehead 6,358]

My dietician's guidelines are a minimum of 30 carbs per day and a maximum of 60 carbs. Ketosis is not a goal of my surgeon's practice generally. You can check out my ticker in my signature and tell me if you think their carb target range hindered me. I had a lot to lose and haven't hit my goal quite yet . . . but I'm still losing steadily and will get there!

That said . . . potatoes, sweet potatoes, grains, and sweets are off the menu for me. They are not allowed on my plan. My carbs come from dairy, Beans, green veggies, and occasional small servings of fruit. You can get in the carbs needed for healthy energy levels and Protein uptake without eating unnecessary crap like potatoes IMO.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Bufflehead