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I am keeping my carbs below 20 per day. But I have followed a low carb lifestyle pre-op and I have continued that post-op.

In general, it's good to keep carbs low, but a lot of people don't keep them as low as I do. (And others don't do low/lower carb at all. It is a decision you'll have to make.)

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We were not given any specific carb numbers, but were told to minimize sugars and simple carbs. I couldn't afford the side effects of the very low carb diets that are promoted in some places and haven't seen any particular benefit to them from a weight loss perspective (however they are useful therapeutically for those with diabetes or insulin resisitance) particularly over the long term. I averaged 70-100 g per day the first four months post op and then increased my complex carb intake some in certain meals to improve exercise endurance, taking the average into the 100-120 range. I wouldn't want the weight to have come off any faster than it did.

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I have 80-85 grams of Protein a day and keep my carbs between 20-25 grams. Usually on the lower side. The only sugar is from raw fruit juice. I use 4oz (plus a cup of ice and a scoop of unflavored protein) in my daily shake.

I use 2% yogurt and cottage cheese and if I drink milk it's 1%. I eat 1/4 of an avocado a few times a week and use a splash of heavy cream in my morning cup of tea and a bit of butter on my veggies, so I guess don't restrict fat as much as some people do but most days I am around 600-700 calories.

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After surgery I kept my carbs very low, under 20 most days maybe 25 on a rare day.

Once I had lost quite a bit of weight I started carb cycling and that seems to work well for me. Even on the days I eat more carbs, they are healthy ones. I have never counted sugars.

I'm so boring hahaha :P

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I think in general, the bariatric industry has a very long way to go and understanding food and nutrition. I have read countless posts, and made posts like this as well, asking for direction because there was so little from the surgeons office. The bariatric gospel preaches high Protein and low carbs and for some that might be the healthier way to go, but I don't believe that bodies respond universally to lifestyle choices when it comes to diet. My surgeons office had these little photocopies-tiny CliffsNotes, and one of them said to be eating around 100 carbs a day. In the beginning I ate super low carb, and after a couple of months I couldn't think straight. I literally didn't eat enough carbohydrates to have proper function in the mind. As for speed of weight loss, I know that we all want to lose the weight as fast as possible-most of us anyway. But I think once we get past that point where everything hurts and it's hard to move around and we lost enough weight to start having our lives back there is less pressure to rush and get the rest of it off. At least that is been my experience. I am now at a wait where I can function physically, I feel much better, I look much better, overall I am fairly happy with myself even though I could still stand to lose 30 to 40 pounds. For the rest of my life, I have to watch my relationship with food. The sleeve does not change that. It just gave me a Headstart. It showed me that I could do this. And it will be a tool that I always have, but I ask myself what difference does it make how fast the weight comes off? At this point, it doesn't matter that much. If it takes another six months to lose 30 pounds it's not a big deal. Breaking my metabolism by starving myself, depriving my body of any single food group that it needs to function properly and restore itself to health and balance-I'm much more worried about that then slowing down my weight loss by eating a few more carbs so that I can think straight

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Edited by JupiterinVirgo

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I aim for 15 carbs per meal with five meals a day. I'm diabetic and this is the recommended procedure for me.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Edited by LittleLizzieLilliput

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I was given specific instruction from my surgeon:

Protein 80 g/day

low Carbs less than 50 grams/day

no sugar (5 grams limit/meal)

and low fat less than 30 grams/day

I'm not sure that applies during all the different stages.

I was told that nutrition goals are going to be revisited during follow up appmts.

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It makes sense that you would have a high Protein diet post op for healing. think some of the reason for the 3:1 or even 4:1 Protein carb ratio in the recommended diets is that so many WLS patients are diabetic.

To accommodate my Bell's palsy diet I had to increase my carb intake. Carbs are ~3 calories a gram so it didn't increase my calories much. I doubt it slowed my weight lose much, if at all.

Realistically, it takes about 3,000 calorie a day to maintain a 290 pounds body. If you are how eating 500-900 calories a day it would be impossible not to lose fat.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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My nutritionist says to get at least 50 grams of carbs a day for proper brain function. That is in addition to the 60-90 grams of Protein and 64+ oz of Water. I had surgery one month ago and am down 27 pounds total, 19 since surgery.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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Carbohydrate and sugars are not our friends when it comes to weight control. There are lots of people who say the obesity epidemic we are witnessing now is due to the high sugar and carbohydrate diets that have become mainstay of western diets over the last 50 years. Have a read of "Sweet Poison".

I have been on a high Protein (about 100g / day) and low sugar diet for the last 7 months. I have lost 41 kilo. Whatever sugar that is in the Protein rich foods I eat that is what I consume. My Protein shakes have about 10 g of sugar, the Protein Bars have about 4 grams. Whisky has some sugar as well. I keep my calories below 1000 per day - I usually like to keep them around 800-900 per day. Ice-cream = no way, chocolates = no way, sugary drinks = no way, chips = no way.

Edited by Shane Johnston

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
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      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
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