I'm getting ready to have surgery and I'm trying to make some better choices in preparation for my new lifestyle.  So far I've lost 6 pounds (yay me!).  However, I love my carbs and apparently my healthier choices have been carb related as well.  HELP!!! 

I'm in the same boat & still am struggling with some of my choices. A couple of things I have done is I swapped out anything I would use sour cream on or in for greek yogurt. I use it with like hidden valley powdered dip mixes & it's yummy! That helps me grab for veggies other than carrots, corn & potatoes; like celery, broccoli, califlower. So I was able to accomplish both getting more protein & less carbs in one shot. I also have tried & like Artic Zero. It's an ice cream product made from whey protein. I live in Iowa so, I only know of 1 store that has it here so far but am looking for it to spred to others.  Outside of that, I'm still learning & am anxious to see what other replies you get!!!  congrats on the 6 lbs!!!

What kind of carbs are you referring to?  Simple carbs as in sugar and flour based foods and pastas? or complex carbs such as broccoli and cauliflower?  or the legume based carbs as in beans?  I was addicted to fresh french bread and butter... I would turn down a dessert to have another piece!  However since my pre-op and VSG I have not even looked at a piece of bread or a dessert.  Sugar turns me off completely and it's amazed me how my taster has changed.  It really won't be as hard as you are thinking right now and in a few weeks you will be introducing small portions of the complex carbs (veggies) back into your diet.

Yes, Jamie that's what I'm talking about.  I love me some potatos and pasta.  However, I do enjoy my veggies as well.  I'm trying not to psych myself up for failure which is what I feel like I'm doing right now.  lol  I just need to get through the surgery first.  I tried to get myself off of the bad carbs and got such a headache and had to get something just to make it go away.  I'm trying though.  Nothing is too good for me!!  :)

I've heard that my tasts will change so I'll try to be patient.  I don't like yogurt now which is something I sincerely hope changes after surgery because I know that's a great source of protein!

Ugh!!!

Others may want to throw stones at me for telling you this but i don't think you have to eat a high protein diet to be successful with WLS.  For various reasons i do not eat a high protein diet but i do get complete proteins at regular intervals but nowhere near the number of grams that others on this site apparently do.  One reason of course is that i do not want to give up carbs either!  And variety is the spice of life!  I also do not eat low fat but get moderate amounts of fat in the form of olive oil, salmon, and nuts.  When i reach goal weight (10 pounds away) i will include butter on occasions. 

If you eat low glycemic carbs or combine foods in a way that results in a net low glycemic index, it will not interfere wih weight loss.

I am also very interested in health and nutrition, not just getting small and keeping my appetite at bay, and from studying nutrition for years, i am convinced that it is healthier to get a variety of whole foods including fruit, vegetables, peas, beans, whole oats, nuts and seeds, almond milk, peanut butter, yogurt, sweet potato, and infrequently whole grain pancake, lasagna, and stuffed pepper whi*****ludes a bit of rice.

For my proteins, i regularly eat salmon, Myoplex drink most days, Greek yogurt, milks, protein powder added to oatmeal or milk, eggs, turkey drumsticks, and occasionally beef and chicken.

For health, i also drink KyoGreen Powdered Drink Mix whi*****ludes barley grass, wheat grass, brown rice and chlorella, and kelp.

I did not start exercising until this week (4 months out) but still have lost weight consistently and i am 54 y.o. and only 5'4".

As you probably know by now, post-op you will start with clear liquids, then full liquids whi*****ludes protein drinks and drinkable yogurt along with broth and juices, then pureed foods, then soft foods.  I did not start soft foods until 8 weeks out.

The point of all this detail is to let you know that you will be going through a period of discovery and transition and will have to find what works best for you.  Everyone is different.  What works for one may not work for another.  So the point is to tread carefully to find what suits you best since you will want to find a way of eating and exercise that you will be able to continue with permanently.

Best Wishes to you!

- Donna

Wow Donna!  Thanks for all of the great info!!

I had a HUGE addiction to crunchy carbs before WLS and find that I still crave them.  You just have to be smarter then the food though!  I found these GREAT soy crisps that come in individual serviing size bags on BARIATRIC ADVANTAGE (they have 5 different flavors, yum!).  They are kytogenic and have 8g of protein per bag.  So you get some protein AND the crunch too!!!  I also used to be a BIG sweets eater pre-surgery but find that I am not craving any of it anymore, which is awesome!

I love having a bag of the soy crisps in the evening.  It gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day that satisifies the craving for carbs. 

=)

i am a full on Carb addict. Here is what has worked for me...

1. Pre op, go down to 20gm carbs per day. It is hard but after 5 days my cravings were not driving me insane. Remember eating carbs even once and the Carb loving bacteria in your gut will go crazy and you will crave again.

2. I eat full fat. Low fat always has more carbs and is not what I consider "real food" if i can't eat carbs at least bring on the cheese, butter etc.

3. While on liquid and puree after surgery don't worry about carbs. You are eating so little it won't add up at all.

4. When I got to regular food I decided that this wasn't a diet, it is a change for life. For me it wasn't realistic to eat Carb free forever. I do limit it a lot though. Now I will have a bite of a carby side but only at dinner. Example: steak for dinner and I eat that for 95% of my meal. But if family is having noodles and crossaint rolls too I will have one bite of each.

5. I allow myself indulgence days. This is very hard for most people as doing this causes the cravings to come roaring back. I have managed to do it, be done with it and move on.

Guess my bottom line post op was that I don't deprive, I limit.

 That is great advice! Not a diet but a life style change!!!! That's how ybsurgeon has approached it with me and I am loving it! My girlfriend has the same surgeon andn her approach is 'live with the sleeve, work with the sleeve, love the sleeve' so she is going through trial and error and has done great! She is down 149 pounds in 7 months and has surpassed her goal by 20 pounds. If she wants to try a food (like a French fry or a small price of bread) she will. She says most of the time a bite will more than turn her off and knocks off the craving. :)

This is my opinion - and my opinion only and not solicited by any WL surgeons, etc. I weighed 396 lbs and I lost 120 without counting carbs at all. Now I did journal my food. I counted calories and tried to stay away from sugary things. I opted for SF instead of FF options (like my coffee creamer). I ate pasta n some form (usually Barilla Plus) a lot. However I think if you are larger like that, you can lose weight with just counting calories and not carbs carbs. But then you'll eventually plateau (as I did) and stop losing> With the sleeve it's different, however, because (from what I've read) the carbs go through the sleeve a lot faster and you get hungry again shortly after. So once sleeved, it's probably best to limit them. It is an adjustment. I am a pasta and bread lover too. Right now they don't have me counting carbs though so I can still have some for the meantime.

Thanks so much you all.  I definitely have started the SF part of things so that is good apparently.  I'm also eating more fruits and veggies and am trying to get lots of protein in preparation for the surgery (yes, it's not until the end of April but I'm trying to practice now).  Of course drinking my water goes without saying.