carb heavier meals?

It takes a minimum of 130g of carbs a day for normal brain function so I'd ask your NUT to justify 5g of carbs a meal against that standard.

RIGHT NOW...your carbs should be lower than 130 a day obviously but you still need a certain amount for your brain to work correctly.

Lately I've seen posts on the main board and elsewhere saying that we don't need ANY carbs, zero zilch NADA carbs for our health...that we could survive just fine on only fat and protein....that it's a "big lie" that we need those carbs for our brain to work correctly

How would I find something to convince me that carbs ARE essential, because I don't like to hear dissenting opinions without some scientific sources to back up ONE SIDE of hte argument.

Now I don't know what is right. I love me my complex carbs

Lith..I went to see Dr. Jacques (head nutrition honcho at Bariatric Advantage) who cited some studies. Let me see if I can find it in my notes.

But if you look at it from a common sense perspective, let's use the analogy of a fire.

Carbs are the kindling. They provide quick "fire" (energy) for your body to use whenever needed. Your body may need that energy for any number of reasons. To run, to produce adrenaline when a crisis arises, to wake you up in the morning quickly when you realize you are running late.

The other macro-nutrients...I'm a little fuzzy on where they are in the fire analogy but the way it's always been explained to me is that carbs are essential because it takes a lot more time and energy for your body to convert other nutrients to energy than it does for carbs.

Also, folks put everything in perspective of weight loss. Not that I don't care about weight loss, but what good am I to anyone if I have heart failure and die? We KNOW complex carbs help manage bad cholesterol. We KNOW that fiber helps regulate our digestive systems. We KNOW there are nutrients in fruit and vegetable skins.

At three years post-op, my overall health is exponentially more important to me than losing another pound. I've lost weight. Now I want to LIVE to enjoy my weight loss.

That's just my two cents.

Wow... I have never heard of limiting carbs to 5g per meal, even immediately post-op.  That is VERY low.  I agree with Nik... I would ask wwhy so low... and for how long.  Severely limiting carbs for a long period of time is NOT healthy.

Lora

I'm not doubting you (far from it) but is there scientific evidence that carbs are essential? There are peeps on the main board who have been promoting the concept that zero carbs would not be harmful.

I don't buy it, but I want something to back it up ....and I know you're all smart about looking this stuff up (or is that Kelly?) In any case.... I am confuzzled and I need reassurance that my desire to consume some carbs is not just me deceiving myself.

First, just to clarify, there is a distinction between limited carb diet and very-low to no-carb diets.  I don't think anyone disputes the value of reducing carbs for weight loss... just the need for (and VALUE of) complex carbs in a healthy diet.  For me part of the argument is simply the logical conclusion that fruits and veggies (which are clearly intended as food for human consumption) contain carbs.

My guess is that both sides can produce a certain amount of "documentation", but...

The 130g/day recommendation comes from the Food and Nutrition Board (2002/2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Page 769. ISBN 0-309-08537-3

As far as the brain's need for carbs: http://news.tufts.edu/releases/release.php?id=68

Also:
http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

http://nutrition.mednet.ucla.edu/articles/Carbohydrates_are_Good_for_U.pdf

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/75/American_Medical_Association.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7231313

Lora

Awesome.... I'll check those out!

I agree that low-carb is a great way to lose weight, but I'm not so sure that a super-low-carb-diet-for-life is the best way to go..... and I'm highly convinced that no-carb-for-life makes no sense.

Okay, now I'm totally confused. I want to do this "right". I thought that meant following my plan to the t. I absolutely HATE having to second guess everything. I really do.

So maybe if I do 4 meals that include both protein and veggies, I'll be okay and not too much over what my plan calls for. I'm much more comfortable eating 3oz of protein at a time anyway. 4oz is really pushing what I'm able to eat and that in itself scares me. I don't want to stretch things, kwim? Oh hell, I don't know what to do.

Thank you to everybody *****plied. I really appreciate your input.

One way you can limit your carbs very early is by eating foods in a set order.  I have a friend who suggests to all new post ops to do like 3 bites of protein 1 bite of carb, the repeat.  The key is that your bites should be of equal size.  Given the limites space you still have in your pouch you will find that you will quickly fill up especially if you are eating a solid dense source of protein.

I don't dump on sugar or carbs (unfortunately!), but... if I eat something heavy in carbs, it nearly makes me comatose.