Yep, I eat them all. Love them. They're a daily part of my diet. Sometimes multiple times a day.

OMG, they're carbs!

Yep, they are. But they're not refined, over-processed, or bad.

And you know what else they are?

Excellent sources of plant based protein and fiber.

A baked potato has 160 calories. By itself, it has 4g of protein. Throw some vegetarian chili on there and you're in the high teens. Awesome lunch!

Brown rice...half a cup has around 100 calories and 3g of protein. Add some bean or peas and you've got complete amino acids...tons of protein... and a crazy awesome amount of fiber.

Why is dietary fiber important? To grow good gut bugs. Your microbiota and the health of your gut (and metabolism) depend on happy little bacteria. The strains of gut bugs that live in the guts of skinny people....have a favorite food: dietary fiber. Feed your good bugs good things and they'll be good to you.

They like to eat fruit, veggies, beans, whole wheat bread...

Whole wheat bread? I eat this A LOT:)

For instance.....A lite Thomas English wheat muffin has 5g of protein for 100 calories. This dietary powerhouse has 8g of dietary fiber! Smear that sucker with your favorite nut butter or fruit preserves, and you're in business.

One of my favorite go-to dinners these days...... is fresh homemade wheat bread with 16 veggie soup...and fruit for dessert.

I eat about four servings of fruit a day...and that's not even counting the watermelon I huddle over in the car while hissing "My Precious...." LOL:)

A banana is not "a candy bar" A banana is a wonderful healthy food. I eat lots of them. Hell, I have a Yonanas that makes them into ice cream. They're terrific.

Normal weight does not HAVE to mean giving up carbs. It means being carb smart, balancing, and making mindful choices.

More than one way to do this whole thing.

Weight loss success does not mean ONLY eating meat for the rest of your life with broccoli on the side. That's great once in a while, though!

Not trying to tell anyone they're doing it wrong.....just sayin'....there's more than one way to do it right:)

Extreme thinking, extreme dieting, extreme self denial....is not sustainable.

Work on a forever diet you can live with.

Be mindful, be accountable....but be kind to yourself.

On 10/21/2018 at 3:49 AM, elcee said:

They will gain it back if they eat too much of anything!

Pssssst... that's a secret.

On 10/21/2018 at 4:34 AM, JessLess said:

If there was one perfect diet that worked for everyone, we would all be on it and looking fabulous.

Even if there was - if 97% of people can't stick to it, it's worth nothing.

The diet that is perfect for you is the one that gets you both the results you want and that you can stick with without having to white knuckle it, even if life throws you a few curve balls. Same with exercise programs.

"Oh, I have found the diet and exercise program that works for me!" - great job, if it still works after several years of being on it and life threw you a few curve balls.

I eat most of what you mentioned, except rice. My Dr doesn't want me to have that. says it continues to "suck liquids" so I could only eat a teaspoon if I ate any at all, but better to not have it at all

2 minutes ago, Fibro Queen said:

I eat most of what you mentioned, except rice. My Dr doesn't want me to have that. says it continues to "suck liquids" so I could only eat a teaspoon if I ate any at all, but better to not have it at all

That's a great point, actually.

No one is saying eat whatever you want but healthy carbohydrates aren’t the worst thing at all. The thing we are learning right now with our surgeries is moderation. I think you shouldn’t have food as an enemy and I think if you are far enough out from your surgery where it is healthy and you are getting enough protein and even exercising, healthy carbs are great.

On 10/22/2018 at 10:22 AM, Fibro Queen said:

I eat most of what you mentioned, except rice. My Dr doesn't want me to have that. says it continues to "suck liquids" so I could only eat a teaspoon if I ate any at all, but better to not have it at all

That's why you put your cell phone in a glass of rice when you drop it in water accidentally ?

On 10/18/2018 at 8:54 AM, Creekimp13 said:

Yep, I eat them all. Love them. They're a daily part of my diet. Sometimes multiple times a day.

OMG, they're carbs!

Yep, they are. But they're not refined, over-processed, or bad.

And you know what else they are?

Excellent sources of plant based Protein and Fiber.

A baked potato has 160 calories. By itself, it has 4g of protein. Throw some vegetarian chili on there and you're in the high teens. Awesome lunch!

Brown rice...half a cup has around 100 calories and 3g of protein. Add some bean or peas and you've got complete amino acids...tons of protein... and a crazy awesome amount of fiber.

Why is dietary fiber important? To grow good gut bugs. Your microbiota and the health of your gut (and metabolism) depend on happy little bacteria. The strains of gut bugs that live in the guts of skinny people....have a favorite food: dietary fiber. Feed your good bugs good things and they'll be good to you.

They like to eat fruit, veggies, Beans, whole wheat bread...

Whole wheat bread? I eat this A LOT:)

For instance.....A lite Thomas English wheat muffin has 5g of protein for 100 calories. This dietary powerhouse has 8g of dietary fiber! Smear that sucker with your favorite nut butter or fruit preserves, and you're in business.

One of my favorite go-to dinners these days...... is fresh homemade wheat bread with 16 veggie soup...and fruit for dessert.

I eat about four servings of fruit a day...and that's not even counting the watermelon I huddle over in the car while hissing "My Precious...." LOL:)

A banana is not "a candy bar" A banana is a wonderful healthy food. I eat lots of them. Hell, I have a Yonanas that makes them into ice cream. They're terrific.

Normal weight does not HAVE to mean giving up carbs. It means being carb smart, balancing, and making mindful choices.

More than one way to do this whole thing.

Weight loss success does not mean ONLY eating meat for the rest of your life with broccoli on the side. That's great once in a while, though!

Not trying to tell anyone they're doing it wrong.....just sayin'....there's more than one way to do it right:)

Extreme thinking, extreme dieting, extreme self denial....is not sustainable.

Work on a forever diet you can live with.

Be mindful, be accountable....but be kind to yourself.

Im with you on this. Im about 1.5 years out. I eat pretty much whatever i want, Ijust dont eat a lot of it. And I usually have some kind of dense protein at the center of most meals. But its not unusual for me to have potatoes, or a slice of pizza every now and then.

Ive found that as long as i am excercising i can keep my weight steady now by just eating multiple small meals - even if i have some cheat foods in there. Or even GASP BEER!

My surgical team also agrees that as long as I get my protein in I can eat anything and healthy carbs are encouraged.

Glad to hear there are lots of ways to be healthy!

I think there are many good diets (look at traditional cultures all over the world!) And pretty much ONE way to Unhealthy:

Refined, processed, artificial food (including sugar and refined flour)

I think once you get the junk out, weather you eat chicken or beans or apples is sort of down to individual lifestyle, preferences, and goals.

While I think it is definitely true that (provided unlimited amounts of iron clad will power) you will weigh less if you live on only green vegetables and avoid all carbs, meats, and fats, it is not nessesarily a diet I would be able to force myself to live on forever.

I would sooner give myself permission to eat apples in moderation then to fall into a box of Twinkies when my will power breaks.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2673798/

On 10/25/2018 at 9:40 PM, Medowsweet said:

I would sooner give myself permission to eat apples in moderation

Apples are incredibly good for you. They're delicious. They provide and feed some wonderful gut microbiota and they're chock full of phytonutrients you need to prevent illness.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-apples#section6

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC442131/#idm140507075898624title

The trick is to pick carbs that have lots of nutrients and fiber... and less refined empty crap. Apples are a stellar choice!

If my body is craving the hell out of carbs...I don't put myself in the position where I lose my mind and go completely off the reservation and eat something stupid. I have some fruit or beans. I have a whole grain snack...some oatmeal or whole grain toast. I beat the carb cravings into submission and outsmart them by giving them some good carbs that are rich and in plant protein, fiber, or both. You want carbs, body? Ok, you can have plenty...but I get to pick good ones.

I eat a lot of fruit. I love fruit now. I very honestly would prefer fruit to candy and donuts these days....which I would never have believed a year ago. My favorite "comfort food" is watermelon now. I would rather have a slab of watermelon with candles on it than a birthday cake. LOL:)

And you know what? I feel better. I don't feel edgy or like I'm in a war with food. I don't feel like I must banish things forever or punish and deny myself. I trust myself to stop at a couple of bites on special things on special occasions....because I truly love my regular forever diet.

Because of my high fiber diet....staying in my calorie limit is incredibly easy. When I'm not eating fruit and whole grains, I'm munching on side salads, carrots in hummus, bowls of veggie soup, cans of mushrooms,

There are 15 calories in a little can of mushrooms. For 15 calories...you get 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. Mushrooms are a nutritional powerhouse and I'm glad I love them.

Hungry people with cravings make bad choices. I don't go there anymore. I eat. A lot. But really mindfully.

Edited October 28, 20187 yr by Creekimp13

Also, protein pasta! Excellent source of plant-based protein.

1 hour ago, Creekimp13 said:

Also, Protein pasta! Excellent source of plant-based protein.

Hmmmmmmm, red lentil pasta.... ?. Also looks quite pretty.

Just wanted to thank to thank Creek for this post. Really good information and research links. Will definitely be saving this for when I'm in maintenance planning my long-term eating habits. Please kee[ right now wacking that dead horse. I need this info. Thank you.