Hello. I’m brand new on my weight loss journey. I’m almost 2 weeks post op. My goals after surgery are to lose weight and to be in a healthy BMI. I am not going for any particular weight number goals or anything like that, I just want to be able and active for my kiddos.

I’m having a ton of fear about my forever diet. I feel like I still want food to be a part of my life and I want to be able to eat food without being concerned about weight. Initially I was under the impression that I would be able to eat foods I enjoy, but just in moderation. Upon learning more I’m seeing that low carb diets are basically mandatory from here on. Is there a way I can deficit increased exercise and activity level for more carbs in the future? I am determined to make the gym a large part of my routine and I want to exercise more and have less restrictions as far as what I eat.

Is this possible as a Bariatric patient? Are things done to me now that would make this type of lifestyle goal not possible?

I’ve had the Sleeve and a Modified Duodenal Switch or Sadi-S.

I may be extremely naive and what I think I want now could change in the future, but that’s my goals.

not all bariatric diets are low-carb. Some are balanced. Also, once I got a ways out, I mostly just counted calories (although making sure I met my protein and fluid goals)

losing weight via exercising is of course possible, but really tough. People overestimate how many calories they burn by exercising. According to research, exercise is much more effective in helping to maintain weight than it is to lose weight. Of course, it's always excellent for your overall health and people should do it (if they're able to, of course) - but as the primary weight loss tool, it's supposedly not that effective (well...unless you're spending a few hours a day at the gym or are into running marathons - that kind of intensity would probably do it!)

I'm eight years out and have never reached the point where I've been able to eat without being concerned about my weight. I know from experience that if I eat too many calories for more than a couple of days, my weight will gradually start heading north again. Honestly, a lot of my never-been-obese friends are the same way- they have to watch what they eat. Unfortunately I think that's the way it goes for a lot of people - obese or not. Not many are blessed with the ability to eat whatever they want and not gain weight.

also, you'll eventually get to the point where you can enjoy the things you do now in moderation. Nothing is off-limits for me And DS patients can generally eat more than RNY and VSG patients because of the malabsorption (RNY has some malabsorption of calories, but only for about a year, and it's not as strong as it is in DS people). Although if I'm not mistaken, I think DSers do have to be more careful with carbs - IIRC, they don't digest them well - and I know traditional DSers don't have to worry too much about fat (but not sure about SADI patients) - but check with your clinic. They'll know for sure.

Edited May 21, 20233 yr by catwoman7

I think your goals are admirable. So many get caught up in how much they lose, how fast or slow they lose, how long it takes, etc. as they’re losing. Of course when we’ve lost our weight we all feel pretty darn happy about what we have achieved (& deservedly so).

How you eat after you’ve stabilised is really up to you & how you want to live your life. If eating carbs fits in better with your lifestyle & your family then eat carbs. Just maybe choose better carbs - complex, whole & multi grains, low processed versions, smaller portions, or less often. You’ll work out what & how much of certain foods or food groups you need to eat, can eat, can eat occasionally, or those you may be better off avoiding. It’s your choice. Of course we can’t go back to how we used to eat - that’s just asking for trouble ?. Accompanied with this may be that your weight settles a little higher than at your lowest as you work out your caloric needs (what your body needs to function effectively to maintain your weight & activity level), eating style & lifestyle preferences and that’s okay.

For me deciding not to call how I ate after I stabilised a ‘diet’ was a positive mental move. I’m not on a diet this is just how & what I eat. Diet had such negative connotations & memories for me: restrictions, being limited, missing out, etc. & failure.

Personally, I cut out a lot of sugar & generally avoid artificial sweeteners & sugar substitutes whenever I can so I don’t eat cakes, biscuits, desserts etc. except a couple of times a year like Christmas. Don’t miss it. Don’t feel I’m missing out or being restricted & my friends & family accept it, no fussing or pushing me to eat. For example my niece was serving out cake for her 13th birthday earlier this year. When she got to me she asked what I’d like and added we have strawberries too. (I had strawberries.) It didn’t happen overnight but slowly it became just me.

All the best.

Thank you both for those insightful responses! Both of them gave me a lot of hope rather than fear. I think fear is good to a degree but can definitely reach a point where it’s more harmful. Moderation is the key I think and to maintain is what I’m looking for. I don’t want my surgery to dictate everything I do moving forward, but I do want it to be consciously on my mind in my choices and lifestyle moving forward.

I hope the digestion process moving forward will play a minimal role.

My program allowed carbs after 3 months! Whole grain carbs, healthy carbs, etc.

I've learned to love Keto bread products as they're usually low cal, low carb & can be a solid substitute! You 100% don't need to be keto to get them, they're just a really good compromise if you want to go that route. I even make pizza with keto crust (I use Joseph's Brand Pita Bread & Lavash Bread for it) It's good to have around

But I've also found that I crave breads less in general. I don't -need- a carb to be apart of every meal anymore bc all that protein keeps me full & satisfied. Maybe that can happen for you too

Edited May 21, 20233 yr by qtdoll

7 hours ago, Loot said:

Initially I was under the impression that I would be able to eat foods I enjoy, but just in moderation.

Well, you're right. There are people living this way. Their opinion is just not as popular so some of us prefer to rather not comment.

If it's possible not to worry about weight in the future? I can only speak for myself and I notice the lingering fear in regards to weight gain in the back of my brain so for me it doesn't seem to be possible but that doesn't mean that there are people who have a more relaxed relationship with this.

Quote

Upon learning more I’m seeing that low carb diets are basically mandatory from here on.

It's definitely not mandatory. That's BS. I'm saying it again: it's not mandatory.

Low carb, high protein is just the trend nowadays. Or keto. Some years ago it was low fat. Times simply have changed and they will most likely change again, bringing on the next dietary trend.

We all had different diets to follow and some are very extreme, others less so. In the end we all get to the same point and we are cut off from our teams. Mine will be two years after surgery. My point being we all have to go it alone and do the best we can. What we eat or don't eat is down to us. We will do our own policing and sink or swim that will be that. On this site there are real achievers who have kept their weight off and others who reappear for a brief time asking for help to loose their gained weight. We don't know the whole story, did they eat carbs? Or did they eat greasy foods? Did they eat chocolate and biscuits?
I am not denied carbs, I just can not eat them. 1 tablespoon of potato, pasta or bread fills my stomach for hours and oh boy does it feel heavy. I used to love pasta and noodles but I don't really miss them now. It just restricts my restaurant choices when away from home.
I think I will be a scale watcher and a calorie counter in the future. You will work it out. Give yourself time to relearn everything you ever knew about food and your stomach.

15 hours ago, Loot said:

Is there a way I can deficit increased exercise and activity level for more carbs in the future?

When I was in my 20's I knew a ton of people who did just that, including me. I did insane amounts of cardio and heavy weights to offset my love of food/carbs. Bad thing was, as I got older, I decreased the exercise but not the amount of food.

I would say that working out will definitely allow more carbs in your eating plan. How much? YMMV