Im curious to know :

how many of ya'll who are banded and feel that your losing slowly eat carbs on a regular basis ?

Mindy

Has anyone read "Eat right for your blood type"? He points out that blood types developed as people spread over the earth. One reason he says that Asians can eat a lot of rice is because they have primarily and 'A' blood type, which does well on carbs and vegetarian based meals.

Type 'O' (which is the main one) does much better on a low carb-high Protein diet.

I'm not a stickler for either of the low g.i. verses the low carb arguments. I don't necessarily buy into the blood type diet, but I think over all, each has a lot of truth to it and somewhere in the middle is possibly the key.

A- which is not very common so wonder what the hell that means LOL

Also I do NOT Count anything, Unless I stop losing which has only happened to me once in over a yr.

I do not count carbs, I do not count protein , I simple watch what i eat. I think going on "Diets" after the band is just silly !

Mindy

I voted that I don't eat carbs after reading your clarification (carbs = bad carbs). I've been wanting to reduce bad carbs in my diet for along time, because I don't think they're particularly good for you. I didn't have to make a big sacrifice after banding, because I'd eliminated a lot of bad carb choices already. I won't say that I'll *never* have a bad carb. I ate half a homemade roll last weekend, for instance, and as time passes. I'm sure I'll include some in my diet, but for the most part, I want to make them a thing of my past. I eat veggies, fruits, whole grains, and greek yogurt now for my carb intake. At 1/2 cup meals 3x day, plus a healthy snack, there's not a lot of room for unhealthy choices anyway. I lost my sugar tooth during my pre-op diet, so I do believe there's something to be said for eliminating the bad carbs, at least for me.

I voted that I don't eat carbs after reading your clarification (carbs = bad carbs). I've been wanting to reduce bad carbs in my diet for along time, because I don't think they're particularly good for you. I didn't have to make a big sacrifice after banding, because I'd eliminated a lot of bad carb choices already. I won't say that I'll *never* have a bad carb. I ate half a homemade roll last weekend, for instance, and as time passes. I'm sure I'll include some in my diet, but for the most part, I want to make them a thing of my past. I eat veggies, fruits, whole grains, and greek yogurt now for my carb intake. At 1/2 cup meals 3x day, plus a healthy snack, there's not a lot of room for unhealthy choices anyway. I lost my sugar tooth during my pre-op diet, so I do believe there's something to be said for eliminating the bad carbs, at least for me.

The same thing happened to me . I lost the majority of my sweet tooth ( I still have a tiny one lol) during my pre op and post op diet. Once i started on my "regular " food intake and had gone at that point 10 weeks w/ out "bad " carbs I realized how much better i felt and how little crap i craved.

So i thought " Why start that again " . I realized just how TRUE that was when i was totally unfilled and ate the carbs again and felt like crap .

its not for everyone but Its worked for me and I think its a part of my weight loss.

Mindy

Interesting point Mindy, I read a diet book once on the carb addiction and it is like an addiction. You feel low so have carbs, you feel good then you feel low so have more carbs. Give them up and you go through withdrawals.

This is probably not true for everyone . But I know for a FACT since i had my total unfill in July Carbs are a NO NO for me.

As SOON as i started eating them I gained. I am partially unfilled now and I can eat just about anything , so what happens , I start to crave CRAP , carbs. I have gained 5lbs in less than 2 weeks. ALL i want to eat is CRAP because i started to eat the carbs again ! When im filling and "not hungry" from the band working I dont want it.

For ME carbs are NOT my friend .

Mindy

I voted before reading your explaination properly, however I do eat carbs daily and am losing weight at a very good rate (90lbs since August 08). I don't eat bread or Pasta, my carbs are mostly porridge (oatmeal), occasional small portion of cous cous or a little wholegrain rice and the occasional potato.

I don't like to feel I am on a diet so I do also occasionally have cake if its somebodys birthday. I have vastly cut my consumption of carb since pre op but I would never want to do without them altogether as I think it is an important food group.

i eat carbs, just a small amount. I even have ice cream on occation. i have lost consistenly even without a fill. I get one at my post op on may 6.

good luck!

amy

I eat carbs and have made it to my goal weight of 130..

I just count calories I don't eat much meat ..

I just try to keep my calories around 1000-1200 a day. I don't eat a ton of sweets on a regular basis but if there's something I really want I eat a small amount of it satisfy my craving and let myself be done with it. I thought about doing an atkins type diet with the band. But I didn't for 2 reasons. 1st I have lost pretty well with low carb in the past but have gained it back plus every time. And also one of the main reasons I got the band was to give up the constant dieting. My goal with the band is better food choices and portion control. I've got fairly good restriction so even the times that I have bad carb I can't eat more than a few bites.

Yes, I eat carbs. The body needs carbs. It all comes down to what carbs you choose. In December, I switched to a vegetarian diet. I was reading the post about diet for blood types. I'm A-, LOL. So, I guess being a veg is best for me.

As far as carbs, it all comes down to choices. Use brown rice instead of white rice. Try sweet potatoes instead white potatoes. If you want bread crumbs to fry chicken or fish, toast a couple pieces of whole wheat bread and throw them in the food processor. Season the bread crumbs to your liking. Also, use soy flour instead of all-purpose flour. If you want a crunchy texture, put some pecans in the processor w/the bread.

Yesterday, for lunch I had split-pea Soup and threw in some brown rice for texture.

Remember, the band is not about depriving yourself for the rest of your life. We need to learn to eat the things we enjoy, in moderation. Also, learning to cook in different ways is a big part of it, too. Also, when you eat out, if you don't see something you like, look at the sides. When available, I substitute a sweet tater instead of fries. Or, sub steamed veggies instead of white fries or mashed taters.

I went out a few weekends ago w/some friends to Outback steakhouse. I ordered a dinner salad w/vinaigrette, seasoned veggies and a baked sweet tater for dinner. I was full and did not feel deprived. I could of ordered a creamy Pasta and asked them to hold the shrimp. But, it's about the choices we make.

Don't deprive yourself, just make different choices and substitutions.

I generally don't eat bad carbs, but I do eat good carbs (skim milk, beans, lentils, etc.). Additionally, I eat a lot of tofu (I don't eat poultry or red meat...just seafood and tofu), and there are some carbs in that. I would say my carb intake is between 50-60 carbs a day. I am still torn between doing REALLY low carb or incorporating good carbs into my diet. I am thinking I will make an appointment with the nutritionist to talk about this. So far however, whatever I have been doing has been working pretty well so I'll just continue that.

although my band doesn't allow me to each many carbs, i do eat the ones i can keep down. for instance, i can only eat the crust from a slice of pizza but not the rest. i can eat baked or mashed potato but not french fries (even if they're oven baked). i can eat pretzels but not chips. i DO think it has affected my weight loss though. i'm sure i could lose the weight quicker if i stayed away from the "bad" carbs!