Low Carb diet and the lap band

[Jillbeme65 1]

I have been hopping around all the threads and trying to learn from other peoples posts. My lapband surgeon was more concentrated on the dollars and cents that he didn't give me much information on how to eat correctly. My surgeon has since moved on to another practice so I no longer see him.

I have been reading where some of you want to use diet programs such as weight watchers. Some people post you shouldn't eat Pasta or rice and most often bread.

So my question is the low carb diet. I read on another site that we should be on this diet once we have the band. But doesn't the low carb diet cause Constipation and with the band most of us (at least me ) already have trouble with constipation.

I eat special K for Breakfast and then I usually eat a smartone / or south beach diet frozen lunch and what ever for dinner. However I am at a plateau (spelling???) and stuck at this same weight for past 4 weeks.

So I am trying to give this lap band a boost...

Any information will be greatly appreciated!:smile2:

[Sue Magoo 71]

Hi Jill:

My surgeon has a dietician join our monthly support group. She says to eat a balanced diet of between 1000 and 1200 calories. She said to eat Protein first, veggies second, and carbs third.

I found that changing foods or changing physical activity can get you off of a plateau. Some people even say that if you eat more for a couple of days and then cut back your body remembers to lose. Don't know if it's true, but changing foods has worked for me.

Best wishes for your band success. I suggest that you join a support group if you can, and of course, continue to read and learn on lapband talk.

Sue

[lapbandtalker 0]

I'm gonna put it out there - I didn't diet and still don't. With the Lapband I lost weight just by decreasing the amount of food I eat.

But, I do recommend the low carb diet as I did this years ago and was successful until I moved somewhere that rice/pasta were staples...then I ballooned back up.

(before someone scolds me - during this process I have stopped eating out so much and learned the joy of cooking. I eat chicken more than beef AND I make more nutritious choices)

[srknepler 0]

I find that I don't have room for carbs most of the time. I eat my Protein & veggies and then I'm full. I do have a carb heavy veggie from time to time, but not daily.

I hit a plateau a few weeks ago and I increased my calories for a few days and then went back on track and immediately started losing again.

Do you still have restriction? Is it time for a fill?

[Jillbeme65 1]

I find that I don't have room for carbs most of the time. I eat my Protein & veggies and then I'm full. I do have a carb heavy veggie from time to time, but not daily.

I hit a plateau a few weeks ago and I increased my calories for a few days and then went back on track and immediately started losing again.

Do you still have restriction? Is it time for a fill?

As far as the fill goes I have had 3 in the past 6 weeks... They won't do another one until they repair my port. Which we are waiting on the insurance for.

I am really not hungry (just in my head I am) but when I log my food I notice that everything is high in carbs. Like I said I had no direction on what or what not to eat. I know Protein first but what protein.. Had problems with the shakes and since the surgery severe problems with Constipation. (sorry tmi) So now I am reading and deciding how to proceed

[flowers 0]

Im doing a low gi diet, which works best for me as I am sensitive to sugar. Anything low gi, which includes whole grains and veggies works, plus lots of Protein.

South Beach is a type of low gi diet for instance, or you can do it on your own with free library books.

[Sistergrl25 1]

Congrats Laptalker! I have always found that watching my carbs and fat have helped me as well.

I'm gonna put it out there - I didn't diet and still don't. With the Lapband I lost weight just by decreasing the amount of food I eat.

But, I do recommend the low carb diet as I did this years ago and was successful until I moved somewhere that rice/pasta were staples...then I ballooned back up.

(before someone scolds me - during this process I have stopped eating out so much and learned the joy of cooking. I eat chicken more than beef AND I make more nutritious choices)

[Jodi_620 37]

As far as the fill goes I have had 3 in the past 6 weeks... They won't do another one until they repair my port. Which we are waiting on the insurance for.

I am really not hungry (just in my head I am) but when I log my food I notice that everything is high in carbs. Like I said I had no direction on what or what not to eat. I know Protein first but what protein.. Had problems with the shakes and since the surgery severe problems with Constipation. (sorry tmi) So now I am reading and deciding how to proceed

I don't think that there is a one-size-fits-all eating plan out there. But maybe watching carbs is just what you need to avoid the head hunger/cravings. I don't exactly do low carb...more like low GI. I don't count carbs grams, fat grams calories etc. But I am choosy about what carbs I eat. I eat veggies and some fruit so I am getting my Fiber. But I avoid the sugars and the starches. I eat lean Protein, followed by high Fiber veggie and a small serving of fruit or a couple prunes (two prunes with two meals a day is great for constipation). I will eat 1/2 slice whole wheat Carb Countdown wrap bread or a tiny serving of potato but only once or twice a week and not all at one time. No Pasta, rice, crackers, white flour, sugar etc.

[Jillbeme65 1]

Im doing a low gi diet, which works best for me as I am sensitive to sugar. Anything low gi, which includes whole grains and veggies works, plus lots of Protein.

South Beach is a type of low gi diet for instance, or you can do it on your own with free library books.< /p>

what is a low gi diet?

[Jodi_620 37]

what is a low gi diet?

That just means that you eat foods that are low on the Glycemic Index. Here is a link to learn more: The Glycemic Index Database - GI of Foods Listing

[Jachut 487]

I dont low carb it. I eat bread, Pasta and rice regularly, and LOADS of fruit and veg and I go easier on high fat and high Protein foods. I've been very successful, at the end of the day for the majority of people its simply calories in/calories out.

I know low carb can be healthy, low fat and high in fruit and veg but truly, when I read the "what have you eaten today threads" I shudder. I am truly concerned at the awful diets people have in the name of Protein first. Some people eat barely nothing but processed meat, shakes and frozen meals and call a few Beans a serve of vegetables. Forget about any fruit. That's not healthy, whether carbs are the enemy or not.

[noosagirl 0]

I dont low carb it. I eat bread, Pasta and rice regularly, and LOADS of fruit and veg and I go easier on high fat and high Protein foods. I've been very successful, at the end of the day for the majority of people its simply calories in/calories out.

I know low carb can be healthy, low fat and high in fruit and veg but truly, when I read the "what have you eaten today threads" I shudder. I am truly concerned at the awful diets people have in the name of Protein first. Some people eat barely nothing but processed meat, shakes and frozen meals and call a few Beans a serve of vegetables. Forget about any fruit. That's not healthy, whether carbs are the enemy or not.

Everyone is different I've only been banded since 3rd Sept but don't ever intend to make rice, bread or Pasta part of my daily diet again but only cause I need to focus on eating enough fruit vegies and protein. Pre band i always ate a tone of vegies daily along with a tone of everything else and since being banded I haven't been eating that much vegies. I keep reading on hear protein, protein, protein and only eat 3 meals. Any way i've been ripping my hair out trying to figure out what to eat to lose cause like you I have been on a plateu, so I looked at what people are eating and was so shocked, the crap people eat, so not healthy. I would listen to Jachut. PS Jachut can you please post what your general daily diet is.

[Jachut 487]

Sure, today is a pretty typical day for me

For Breakfast I had a bowl of muesli, that's organic untoasted stuff, not sugary supermarket muesli. I had about half a cup with about 1/4 of a cup of skim milk.

Mid morning, I had a cup of coffee and a banana

For lunch I had three Ryvita crackers with avocado, cheese and Tomato on them - I can eat a lot at the moment, I would prefer to be happy with two of these!

I had a skim latte this afternoon at the shops

dinner - MIL and FIL are coming, MIL has made a chicken casserole - generally her cookings is pretty healthy, it will probably have a Soup base, some veges and chicken in it. I'm providing the rice (brown naturally!) and steamed veges. I dont think I'll do dessert, I'll put out a cheese and fruit platter, which I would plan only the barest nibble at.

I'm sure I'll have a glass of wine or two.

I worry less about wine, and cheese and stuff like that these days as I've reached goal - when I was losing and a bit tighter than I am now, I would eat the same but simply smaller portions.

Whilst I *do* eat rice, I do agree that its probably the least valuable food on my plate, oftentimes its there for decoration only so my plate looks nice! I usually fill up on the veges first, then the Protein food and only then would I eat a starch like a potato - barely ever do I really want it.

That's a fairly typical day for me, you can see that its not low carb but its more complex carb based than it is Protein based. You could beef it up by having eggs for breakfast instead but I've tried shooting for 60 grams + of protein a day and it makes me feel really sick - bloated and gassy,its just too rich for me. My digestive system just likes fibre and carbs, so I stick with them. I've still got all my hair and I have plenty of muscle. Maybe I could of lost faster, but I dont really care from this end of things.

I will occasionally have a piece of cake or a muffin or something as a treat but not more than about once a week, even less.

Edited November 7, 2008 by Jachut

[JulieNYC 4]

My advice is find some safety foods -- things that fill you up but that are low calorie and have some nutritional value. For example, I was hungry this afternoon and it wasn't meal time. I had a 1/2 cup cottage cheese with some fiber one Cereal and blueberries mixed in. Probably 150 calories but I'm comfortably full and I bet I'll even forget to eat dinner having had it! I find I have to plan my food more than some people do or else I'll make unhealthy choices in the midst of hunger. If I have healthy "safe" foods around, I'm very likely to choose those. If I haven't planned, I'll buy a family pack of M&Ms or something dumb like that.

[lapbandtalker 0]

Just something to consider - anyone decreasing their sugar or carbs....

the diet of USMC boot camp?

As you know, the Marine boot camp is the toughest of any military group. And it's not by happenstance they do certain things....every aspect has been carefully designed and constructed.

Including meals. During the first weeks, it's a low carb diet. My daughter is in her 3rd week of boot camp and her letters describe tons of meat (that don't look like meat but muscle) and eggs (she says they are duck eggs).

And my memory recalls during a few weeks it's high carb w/o much Protein...tons of Pasta. I think that was during basic warrior training.

Just something to think about.