Carb help please

Thank you Julie, this has helped a lot.  My question now is, as WLS patients, how much of our diet should include those good carbs/whole grains.  I guess this is something I could/should ask my NUT about, eh?

In my opinion, there is really no set number of carbs any person should eat.   As gastric bypass patients (and anyone that wants to lose weight or keep their weight down), we should eat a lesser amount of carbs.    I think a lot of it depends on where you are currently at weight wise, your height, your activity level, etc.    Personally, what I do is I eat my protein first.  Carbs are an after thought to me.  If I notice my scale isn't moving down, I cut back on the things that I know are not so good carbs and empty calories (i.e., juice).   I make it a point to eat only wheat or whole grain breads.  I eat good veggies and try not to eat a ton of starchy potatoes, things like this.   I also make it a point to never deprive myself of certain things I want.  If I want to eat a piece (a small piece) of chocolate, I do it, but I eat my one small piece and leave it at that.  If I want some pasta, I eat a small amount of it, but I will only eat it once a week or once every other week. 

Have you checked out www.sparkpeople.com Itis an awesome site. LOTS of great info as well as it will help you track your diet and exercise. I love this site. It is a really great tool for anyone who want to live a healthy life style. It is so easy to get off track if you don't pay attention. Good Luck

I love www.sparkpeople.com . They helped me to get back on track.  God bless, Annette

PCOS is the key factor here.  With PCOS you have a whole different set of rules to deal with than normal people --- even WLS people.  So when you combine PCOS and WLS, you've got to be very very careful with your carbs.  Even good carbs can be bad for someone battling PCOS. I have PCOS and have found that my symptoms are greatly reduced when I stay away from carbs almost entirely.  I feel better, my skin is better, I have more energy, the PMS cramp-like pain is even reduced.  Carbs are the enemy of PCOS because of the insulin resistance.  Some doctors even recommend staying away from dairy products as well as grains and starchy veggies (like potatoes, corn and peas).  Natural diet solutions even recommend avoiding processed foods,  grains, sugar and artifical flavorings and only concentrating on eating whole foods.  I personally can't live with that strict of a diet, and have found a happy medium that works for my body.  My caloric breakdown goal is 40% lean protein, 40% good carbs, 20% good fats on a 1200-1500 calorie per day diet.  (These percentages were determined after talking to my doctor and a nutritionist.)  Also remember that I am pre-op, so my diet needs are definitely different than yours at this point. My 40% carbs come mostly from veggies and low-sugar fruits.  When I do eat bread or pasta, it is always whole grain (you can tell if something is whole grain because it will contain protein which is contained in the outer layer of the grain itself - in processed white breads and pastas, that layer is stripped away and the protein is gone forever).  I'm very careful with fruits as well --- many high sugar fruits will have the same effect as a slice of white bread, so be sure to know the glycemic index of all the foods you're eating. I have done a ton of research on PCOS and how it effects my insulin resistance and hormonal imbalance.  It's amazing what my doctor didn't know and I had to go find out on my own!   I'd be happy to share my research with you or talk further via email.  Much of my research is posted on my blog with lots of links for more information.  Here's a few links: My blog posts about PCOS http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/search/label/PCOS Dr. Nancy Dunn specializes in treating PCOS through a natural diet.  Her ebook is packed with information - so is her website: http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/ndb.html David Mendosa has written books and provides extensive resources on his website about the glycemic index.  Download the excel spreadsheet he has on his site for a huge list of foods that have been indexed.  Amazing stuff.  (Did you know that a small white potato has the same glycemic index as a slice of angel food cake? Crazy, huh?) http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm Let me know if you have any questions. Pam

I am extremely busy these next few days, but I HAD to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!  I know this info will be so helpful to me, you're a God send!  I'll be in touch after the crazy dies down!!

Hi there girlfriend,long time no talk to...When I saw your post I thought I recognized your name. I also question about carbs. I don't use fitday.com   & probably should. I have lost lots of inches, but at a stand still on lbs.. But I feel great & have lots of energy. So I will keep reading the responses you get FOR MY ANSWERS TOO.... Take care..                                                 Pam-busdriver