To carb or not to carb...

What everyone else said - but I also wanted to note that I'm at about 17% body fat and still don't eat carbs. I work out hard and my muscle mass is great for being a lean person. They truly aren't needed. I do take Miralax daily though, even with high(er) fat consumption.

RE: the constipation- you will find many use mirlax in their coffee to help with constipation. tons of water helps also. I personally add oat fiber/pol d/coconut flour to my foods to increase fiber as the miralax causes gas for me. The poly d and coconut do have carbs which are fiber. I'm in maintenance so i do allow this to help with the bathroom issue.

also for me- eating carbs makes me want more carbs- it for me is a dangerous slope /rabbit hole that I go down so I try not to. I couldn't handle it for 37 years of being MO so if starchy/sugar carbs have been a problem for you in the past I would stay far far away.

We have a winner!

This is a sticky post response.

I'm generally avoiding carbs although occassionaly I do have melba toast, potatoes, bran flakes, but not on a daily basis, most of the carb I'm getting come from dairy, fruit, beans. I called TWH yesterday for constipation issues and they said I'm not eating enough cause I don't always have 2 snacks in addition to my 3 meals. They seem to be really concerned with the protein only diets but also want you to eat protein first? and they also said to not worry about calories? hey it was not worrying about calories that got me here in the first place, been counting carbs for years to calculate insulin doses.

Conflicting info is confusing at times.

One additional comment regarding eating carbs - my doctor asked me one time if I knew what they fed cattle to fatten them up before sending them to slaughter. Corn, grains, oats - that kind of answered my questions about carbs. They have a purpose, and it's not to help you lose weight!

I heard something years ago to the effect that the current "Food Pyramid" is an excellent diet with which to fatten a hog for slaughter.

I tend to follow that line of thinking.

I ate a moderate carb diet. 30- 35%...no toast or potatoes (i went for more nutrient dense food)...but i ate fruit (berries), seeds and about 2 tbs steel cut oats a day. and loads and loads of brightly colored vegetables. my focus was nutrient dense food.

there is more than one way to do this. different things work for different people.

Thanks for your insight. I hope your feeling well after your recent surgery and you're recovering well:)

There are many ways to achieve success, and probably even more ways to fail. Ultimately, you are going to have to go with what is right for you.

I took a path somewhat different than many bariatric patients, where I ate carbs, and a lot of them, right from early on (including sweet potatoes, although 1 serving a day at most). I avoided (and continue to avoid) all refined carbs. No white flour, white rice, no sugar (or any version of sugar - no honey, no maple syrup, no agave, etc).

During my weightloss phase, my carbs came from copious quantities of fruits and veggies along with plants higher in protein - lentils and beans primarily.

Once I went into maintenance I started slowly introducing more whole grains. I will now eat steel cut oats, brown rice, 100% whole grain pasta, and occasionally 100% whole grain bread.

At the end of the day, you have to find what works for you within an allowable calorie ranges. You will get into trouble if you decide to focus on animal proteins first, and grains second as both are very calorie dense. Fruits and veggies are not very calorie dense (for the most part). And most of all, make sure you have a medical team you trust and feel confident in so you can share your eating plan with them and they can hep you to avoid pitfalls.