Carbs yes or no

[qtdoll 531]

My program put extreme emphasis on eating mostly Protein & eating almost no carbs. Right now the ONLY carbs I'm allowing myself to eat are Beans (as they also have protein) & soft fruits (paired with PBfit protein peanut butter) Granted I'm only a month out so I want to take advantage of these first months, but after like 6 months I want to start introducing more carbs in my diet. Especially low cal veggie straws & thin pretzels to carry around my bento box. As long as I still eat mostly protein it should be ok!

Edited October 25, 2022 by bbykitty

[Tomo 1,097]

No carb restriction from beginning to end. Lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes, whole grains... Etc.

[kaylee50 60]

My nutritional plan has "moderate" carbs, but I am nevertheless in deep maroon Keto at three weeks post-op. I was curious, so I bought some keto sticks (cheap ones, $8 at Walmart).

I think the low calories we consume, even if they include carbs, just aren't enough to cover what we burn daily. So the body starts using fat for fuel. If I can help this process along by eating less carbs, that's what I plan to do!

[LookingForward22 319]

There’s no carb restriction on my plan, they want us to eat balanced and carbs are a part of that.

[AliceFD 55]

3 hours ago, LookingForward22 said:

There’s no carb restriction on my plan, they want us to eat balanced and carbs are a part of that.

Same here. I know I started feeling more energetic and even happier when I started eating more veggies.

On 10/18/2022 at 10:37 AM, Hope4NewMe said:

So what did your Drs advise you do as far as carbs? Mine says that they don't really limit carbs and that they believe that carbs will give you energy and then you will be more active which will then lead to weight loss. They believe that balance is the key. Looking though through threads and youtube, most of the people seem to be on a low carb diet like Keto without the added fat. I do want to be successful but if I could be successful and still eat more carbs I think I would be happier. Carbs are the only thing I am craving but I'm only a month out from surgery and carbs to me seem to be a slippery slope and I'm afraid that if I allow myself to eat carbs then I'll start eating them too much and snacking on crackers or something. Since surgery I have limited myself to 40 or less carbs per day and yesterday I had my one month visit with the dietitian and he said I needed to up my carbs to around 30 per meal. So what did your plan say about carbs and if you were allowed carbs, did you lose weight fast or was is slower? The speed of weight loss I know is individual, but if it seems to be a factor I want to know.

There are carbs and then there are carbs, it's a big pot of good and bad. I look at it like this. Some, like sugary drinks or Desserts, are red light, I just eliminate them. Some are okay in small amounts, like Pasta, rice and bread, those are yellow light. Some, like greens and non starchy vegetables, are green light. I thought I could never live without my homemade bread, or pasta, but honestly, I'm fine with tiny portions or not at all.

[STLoser 1,084]

My team limited carbs early on, to make sure I could fit in all my Protein. However, carbs were always allowed. I think it was around 60g a day early on. I'm 2 years, almost 4 months post op and I eat carbs now, but I stick to the complex/healthy carbs except the occasional treat like ice cream. Once I hit 2 years they encouraged me to increase my carbs. I get about 100 g of protein a day (I had the SADI-S), and about 150ish of carbs.
It is pretty balanced!

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[STLoser 1,084]

(Warning: this is long)
tldr; for ME, in MAINTENANCE, carbs consumption makes little difference to my weight.
K.
My NUT didn’t give me a carb goal/limit per se, but did instruct me to aim for my meals to consist of 25% carbs/starches (with another 25% being Protein and the remaining 50% to be low-glycemic veggies).
With that said, i did my own thing (and told her so): i ended up doing ultra-low carb, i.e., less than 25g NET carbs per day.
Got to goal in 7 months, remained carbophobic, lost a few more pounds and basically still went out of my way to avoid them. I wasn’t ultra-low carb as during weight loss phase, but i was still pretty low.
Eventually, i started eating more and nowadays (4 years post), i probably eat as much carbs as a “regular” person.
I have remained under goal weight this entire time.
These are my takeaways of going low-carb (and this is from MY experience, YMMV)
1) weight loss is rapid. but you need to remain low carb for an extended period. If i carb up on a day, the weight loss slows down or pauses. There is a science to this phenomenon regarding ketosis, the explanation of which is beyond the scope of my post (just google it if ur interested). Also want to say that i was also ultra-low calorie so obvs that contributed!
2) there is a period of a few days that, once passed, my cravings for carbohydrates went away. (Which is why once u start, stick to it because u may have to go thu the “white-knuckle” phase again to alleviate urself of the cravings (see note 1 above)
3) now here is the kicker: during MAINTENANCE (i cant say if this applies to weight loss phase because i didn’t try it)…i discovered that, for ME, it does not matter if my 1800 cals average i eat a day consists of 20g of carbs or 200g. My weight stays the same regardless. What does make a difference is CALORIES. So long as my calories stay at around 1800 (however it is comprised) then im good.
4) carb consumption affects my looks. When i low carb, my body is more defined (which i like) and my face more gaunt (which I don’t like). These days my face is lovely (lol), but my body could be better. Mind u i have also been slacking on the exercise front so that is also a factor, but i digress. In any case, the point is i am still basically the same weight as my low-carb maintenance days.
And that concludes my dissertation for this evening lol.
P.S. I want to point out also that i am NOT insulin-resitant, nor suffer any other medical conditions that affect my weight, nor take any medications that would either. So this may not be everyone’s experience.
P.P.S. Sorry this was so long!

I always love your responses. So funny (and helpful)!

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[SuziDavis 539]

My doctor didn't limit carbs, but did limit sugar. I have chosen to limit breads and Pasta, because I love them way too much, but I have not cut them out completely. I will have a few tortilla chips here and there and I will have a wrap if I feel I need something.

[Bettyboop56 33]

Many that have gained weight back said is was due to eating bread again. I am using chickpea spaghetti noodles. I also make sugar free pudding with dry powdered milk, high in Protein, when I need a treat. I'm 7 week out and will try brown rice soon. Most new trialed foods have gone well but only 1/8 cup as part of 1/2 cup portion meals. I have tried some higher fats with no problem. But will abstain from high sugar and not experience dumping for as long as possible.

[summerset 5,242]

It's the calories. Not "the carbs". Not "the fats". Not "high Protein only".

It's the calories. Always.

Doesn't matter where they're coming from. Eat more than you burn and you're going to gain weight. There is no evil magic in "carbs".

[Sunnyer 131]

My plan doesn't have a carb restriction, but I'm supposed to eat the Protein first, so often there's no room for much more.

I have a hard time with simple carbs anyway, especially bread and Pasta. I'll have a tiny bit of rice sometimes, and a little popcorn. I try to eat a little veggies with every meal too, which are complex carbs.