Carborexic/Spitting

 I'm 7.5 weeks out from surgery and have not introduced carbohydrates aside from vegetables back into my diet. My dieticians plan says I am allowed a slice of whole grain bread, 5-6 crackers, 1/2 cup of cereal etc yet after reading so much on here I have become almost scared of these types of foods. Not only that, but i must admit I am becoming a "spitter." I'll put chicken, roast beef, ground meat from soup in my mouth and then decide there is no point in swallowing it, so i spit it out. I honestly think I am getting more calories from condiments(ketchup, light bbq sauce etc) than actual food. Part of it is because my dieticians plan and what everybody here on OH says conflict. According to the surgeons team I should be eating no LESS THAN 800 calories and can have more than 1/2 cup of food if tolerated or add 1 extra meal to my day...ah i dont know. Any tips or advice would be appreciated...
-Nicole

Your metabolism will slow down greatly if you are not getting enough calories, hence, not enough calories= no weight loss.  You need a certain amount of carbs in your diet for energy, not to mention brain function. There is a happy medium some where.  We got where we got by listening to ourselves, maybe we ought to try listening to the people who know what they're talking about.  It sounds like you're going down a slippery slope of another kind(spitting out).  You might want to look into some counseling for a bit.  Can't hurt.

I can say that at 8 weeks I had no pasta, bread, potatoes or rice of any kind. I got some carbs with my fiber one cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat and cooked vegi and fruits. I have averaged 600-700 calories max for the entire time so far. Now I do eat more then 3 times a day. It is usually breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. If my protein is low or I have the calories I might have a protein dessert or shake before bed. I tend to reccomend doing what your dotor says but you also have to do what feels right too, but spitting out everything might send you into starvation mode and you dont want that. You could also opt for a second opinion from another dr or nut.

I'm not allowed complex carbs at all (breads, pasta, etc).  However, I am allowed simple carbs such as fruits and beans.  I'd really recommend you read Nik's blog about Carb Confusion.  It helped put the whole carb thing into perspective for me.  There is 5 parts to the series, but they are incredibly informative.  http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/search/label/Carb%20Conf usion

What concerns me is your spitting.  That can actually become an eating disorder if you aren't careful.  If I were you I would seek counseling now.  You may not be at the point where it is classified as an eating disorder, but you don't want to get there.  I would explore with a therapist why you are doing it and steps to help you stop. 

As far as the confusing about what to eat and how much........put protein first.  Stick to your doctor's plan.  They have that plan for a reason although it may differ from mine it is what they recommend.  As far as calories go, I've found that the less I eat the less I lose.  If I keep my calories around 800 a day then I lose more.  When my weight loss halted for a week I evaluated what I was eating and I wasn't eating enough.  Once I increased my calories and my proteiin I started losing again.  The following is just my opinion: Aim for 80g of protein a day. Don't count calories!!  Eat a small protein forward meal 4-6 times a day.  At 7 weeks out I don't imagine that I'll be able to eat 1/2 a cup of food.  At a little over 3 weeks out I can eat 1/4 cup at a time comfortably.  It's less than that if something is really dense.  Measure your food, put protein first and don't worry about the calories.  I think if you do that you'll start to see the results you want.  

Most of all please, please, please get some counseling to help you in this process.  A lot of people think that the RNY just involves physical changes, but it involves so much more.  Our minds are flawed.  If they weren't we wouldn't o overeaten to begin with.  I think if you go see a counselor to talk you will see a big difference in all aspects of your post-op life.

 thank you all for taking time to write back...i haven't been to my therapist since this time last year so there will be a lot of catching up to do! im going to stay away from the simple carbs and continue to do protein then veggis etc

That's what OH is here for.  Support. I know the carb thing is incredibly confusing.  I got it backward in my post.  I'm allowed complex not simple.  Basically simple carbs are often processed and converted to glucose quickly.  That can cause dumping syndrome in some people.  It does in me!  Complex carbs take longer to digest and are often lower in calories than simple carbs. So yes you can eat fruit!  I know I had a piece of cantaloupe today that was HEAVENLY.  But, if you really want bread or pasta you can get high protein versions.  I have a bag of Atkins baking mix that has 20g of protein per serving.  It's actually pretty good.  I used it to make homemade pizza the other day.  The also make high protein pastas.  

I'm glad you're going to see a therapist.  I have a cousin who has anorexia.  She does the spitting thing.  That's why I'm so adamant about getting help.  I've watched her waste away for the past few years because of it.  She started out just drastically reducing her intake, but shortly thereafter the spitting started.  Unfortunately, she refuses to get help.  Eating disorders are a slippery slope.  It may start out innocent, but it easy to get wrapped up in.  If you ever need to talk just shoot me a PM.   

Please do get back in contact with your therapist.  As one myself, I can tell you that "chewing and spitting" is a rapidly-growing eatinfg disorder and is every bit as insidious as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating!

Lora