I wanna know about carbs... Seriously!

[KindaFamiliar 3,867]

Ok, a little about me and my situation -

Nearly 2 years post-op

Lost around 120kg (264 pounds) so far

Well pleased with the result

No complaints at all

HOWEVER...

I still have another 30kg (66 pounds) or so until I'm "happy"

I've had stalls and fluctuations just like everyone else.

I keep my Protein up MOST of the time

I'm just getting back into exercise/gym after a break over Christmas (ok, ok - November and December)

What I want to know is this -

Simply put, what is YOUR carb intake like?

How many grams per day?

What about your protein/fat/carb percentages?

You see, I've been trying to keep my carb count as LOW as possible

This has meant that, on occasion, I've been consuming as little as 12 grams of carbs per day

It's only recently that I discovered how low that actually is

Obviously, I'm hoping to get info from some folk who are at a similar stage as myself, but I'll take whatever info I can get and will just discard what I don't need.

I know this is not an exact science...

That's why I'm hoping to hear ideas from a few different angles

And don't forget - play nice...

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion; no matter how wrong they may be

Thanx for your anticipated assistance...

Jason

[skinnyjeansatlast 50]

You will be more successful without them, in my opinion. There are excellent substitutes - cauliflower for mashed potatoes, for example, and countless others. I am only five months out, but have lost almost all of my weight (maybe another 10-15 pounds until I am truly happy). What do you need carbs for, really? They are just a slippery slope back to WWW (where we were) before. Frankly, I am as afraid of them as I am of sugar. There are enough truly yummy things that you can eat, without carbs.

[KindaFamiliar 3,867]

You will be more successful without them, in my opinion. There are excellent substitutes - cauliflower for mashed potatoes, for example, and countless others. I am only five months out, but have lost almost all of my weight (maybe another 10-15 pounds until I am truly happy). What do you need carbs for, really? They are just a slippery slope back to WWW (where we were) before. Frankly, I am as afraid of them as I am of sugar. There are enough truly yummy things that you can eat, without carbs.

Just a couple of points you've raised @@skinnyjeansatlast

Firstly, there are carbs in cauliflower

A quick Google search tells me that there's 5g of carbs per 100g in there..

There's also 7g/100g in broccoli and 9g/100g in brussel sprouts..

Yep, they're all less than mashed potato but they're by no means carb-free options.

Secondly, you say "what do we need carbs for, really"...

In short, the answer is 'fuel'..

Yes, there's much more to it than that, but again, a quick Google search of "do we need carbs' will answer that question much more effectively than I can..

Next, I don't believe carbs are "a slippery slope back to" anything.

Poor choices and lack of will-power are much more 'slippery'...

Remember, there are good carbs too...

And they're nothing to be afraid of...

Lastly, you're right, there are many "truly yummy things" that can be eaten...

But carbs is what I'm asking about at this point..

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

I genuinely appreciate the effort.

And congrats on being only 10-15 pounds from goal after just 5 months...

You must be well pleased..

Thanx again...

Jason

[skinnyjeansatlast 50]

I think we the more we limit our food choices, the more successful we are. Yes, those foods have some carbs - just like many foods have natural sugars. That is a given. But personally, i would rather have real butter or full-fat yogurt or cheese or a (small) succulent steak - and I think that the reason I can is because I eliminated the (real) carbs and all added sugar. I'm not saying that it works for everyone, but it is working for me, so far. While I don't think that any food (except maybe for sugar, alas!) is inherently bad, there is a fear factor in reintroducing carbs that I would rather avoid. Since my capacity is limited, why not focus on food with real value?

Edited January 16, 2017 by skinnyjeansatlast

[KindaFamiliar 3,867]

Again @@skinnyjeansatlast I appreciate you taking the time to reply and I acknowledge the information you've provided...

Jason

[cdsjjotn 516]

I am over a year out and in maintenance. I do about 100g of Protein a day. While I was losing I kept my carbs under 50g now I keep them under 100g, anywhere from 50 to 80 usually . I've added healthy carbs in only, fruit , veggies , and Peanut Butter.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[bacon 514]

When calculating Carbs one must calculate NET carbs. Broccoli is high in Fiber, so you take carbs-fiber=net carbs. Just my .02.

[Ssze1109 163]

Maybe look into "carb cycling" where you alternate high and low carb days.

You have been very successful so far. What is some of your staple foods you eat? Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[blizair09 3,250]

I agree with @@skinnyjeansatlast 100%.

I have kept my carbs below 20 grams per day since I began my six month insurance-required pre-op diet back in March. I lost 99 pounds during that time, and I have lost an additional almost 60 pounds since my surgery on September 28. I have no plans to bring any carbs back at any higher level any time in the foreseeable future.

This is, of course, just my opinion, but it has worked very well for me so far in this journey.

[BigViffer 3,545]

Nice to have you back @KindaFamiliar. 12 grams of carbs is insane! You must feel pretty damned lethargic without something in the tank to burn. Carbs are nothing to be afraid of when they are eaten properly. Oats, bran, shredded wheat, sweet potato, fresh fruits; all of these are OK'ed by my surgeon. The key is to only eat the daily recommended amount. Which incidentally is usually about the same as your Protein intake.

My intake over the last week has been 100 - 200 grams per day. My Protein intake is about the same as well. Of course I am also very active in the weight room and I need those carbs to give me enough energy to finish the workout. If you are trying to lose weight still, low carb is fine. Dangerously low carb is impossible to keep up long term though.

Are you working out at all? Reason I ask is because I have to really try hard to gain weight at this point. Let me rephrase that, I am finding it difficult to find HEALTHY nutrient & caloric rich foods to help me gain muscle mass. If you are hitting it hard at the gym and keeping your intake the same, those last few pounds/kilos will start coming off again.

[BigViffer 3,545]

Oh, and I forgot to state for the newbies; I am coming up on my 2 years in February. Down 130 lbs to 198 lbs until I started lifting weights. Now maintaining and struggling to gain any weight past 215.

[James Marusek 5,244]

I am 3 1/2 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I documented the approach that I used in a short article. It contains a discussion on carbs. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

[Travelher 915]

I belong to a Facebook group run by a sleever who is a nutritional counselor. She recommends a balanced macro plan for losing weight.

She suggests: 35% carbs, 25% fat and 40% Protein (just set up your macros that way in my fitnesspal). if you want to go deeper and look at sugar and Fiber the two should cancel each other out ideally. This is total carbs, not net.

My own dietician says less than 100 grams of carbs is extreme low carb and wants me to up mine. I'm comfortable in the 30-35% range (which usually puts me around 70-75 grams. As I continue to be able to eat more I'll get more complex carbs in (probably mostly from vegetables, maybe fruit) so I will be in the 100 gram range, but still in the macro range she suggests. I have noticed that my memory and frankly, thinking has improved since upping my carbs to the 30-35% range. the facebook group is called recipes for weight loss success...of course it is a great source of bari friendly recipes. she's also doing a month of Keto recipes for those who follow keto.

I was worried I'd gain or stall when i added back in more carbs (in the form of berries and oats) and I was wrong, did not stall or even slow down.

Dr. Matthew Weiner has good youtube videos on post surgery diets and has also written a book. He is a big fan of vegetables and talks about the impact food has on resetting your internal thermostat (metabolism) and how some foods raise it and some lower it. He is a fan of legumes and vegetables as a primary dietary source, suggests limiting grains and dairy and some other of my faves (lol). but it all makes sense. I have greatly cut down on cheese since following the macro plan because it drives my fat macros up pretty quickly. other than 1/4 cup of oats with 1tbs chia seeds in the morning I have no grains in my diet.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Travelher

[FunkyMunkyBrat 205]

Below 25-50 grams of carbs a day and high Proteins will put your body into Ketosis and force your body to burn fat for fuel since it doesn't have carbs to burn

Munky

[Kaylamh 144]

I think when a lot of people refer to "carbs" they're talking about simple carbs. bread, Pasta, rice etc. Those are the ones that we can definitely live without. Complex carbs are more important, and these come from vegetables and actually provide longer last fuel then simple carbs. The same can be said for brown rice over white, and whole grain bread over white bread.