Calories vs Carbs vs Protein vs Fat?

 Totally not voodo as Lora has said.  Now some people not only drink but GULP the Koolaid when it comes to post op diet and I will admit I was one of them.  

You see and hear it preached HIGH PROTEIN Minimal Carb and low fat.  That is exactly what I did and it became a serious issue and lead to a number of injuries.

Also as Lora said you have people swear they gain weight eating over 50g a day in carbs and it is just my belief but on such a low carb diet you deny your body the ability to replensih glycogen stores and that this "gain" really is a result of glycogen being formed and stored (This is not a bad thing)

But when it comes down to it an individuals diet really is something that needs to be tailored to their lifestyle pre or post op.  I know now in my post-op life I am supposed to eat more Calories, and a large protion of those calories are to be carb based, than a normal healthy person.  This is only possible because of the lifestyle I have chosen to live.

You are training for ironman competitions.  Your exercise level is far higher tham most of us.  50 g of carb may not be enough for you but you are unusual in your activity level.

I don't know how other nuts do it, but other than a cursory question about my activity level he knew nothing about what I do,  And the info sheet I was given was clearly the same one given to every patient, so it wasn't even different due to my activity level.

In my experience the key is to go into appointments prepared. I had a follow up last year where they asked what my diet looked like and when I told them it wad all " no you can't eat that way you netted to focus on protein" next follow up I went in with tests showing my rmr workout journals daily food journals. Needless to day it was a very different meeting and they were like keep up the good work.

I rarely go into a doctors appointment without already knowing something. I see my pcp and it is the same way. I like all of us an an active participant in my healthcare.

I kind of made up my own rules as I went along.  If it worked then I knew I was on the right track.  For me the magic numbers were 100 grams of protein, 100 oz of fluids, 50 grams of carbs while losing, up to 100 as I got closer to goal.  After goal I don't count carbs but always avoid refined carbs, sugar and gluten, still at least 100 grams of protein and 100 oz of fluids.

My goals were set by my nutritionist at my pre op testing apnmnt,1 week prior to surgery. 74 G protein,64 oz. fluids,no more than 2 g sugar per meal or snack.Eat6x/day,1/4 cup at each setting.

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll just have to wait 'til I see the nutritionist on 08/01/12 to get more definitive answers.

In the meantime I've been really watching what I eat, especially carbs. I have Type-II Diabetes so carbs make my blood sugars to up. The doctor told me to keep my glicemy levels below 150 otherwise he won't operate.

• These are the rules I followed/follow:
• • *Drink 64 ounces Liquids daily (drink up to a meal, wait 60 minutes after a meal) (I add 2 packets sugar free drink mix and 1 teaspoon Benefiber to 2-32 ounce water containers)
    
  • *Must eat at least 60 grams of Protein a day (80 or more grams beginning at 1200 calories a day)
  • *Eat dairy products that are no fat/low fat
  • *Eat simple (dairy, fruit) and complex (beans, vegetables, whole grains) Carbohydrates (I do not count daily grams)
  • *No more than 15 grams of Sugar per meal (more grams if able to tolerate-I allow myself up to 30 grams Sugar per meal from Simple and Complex Carbohydrate sources and also from Dairy products that are no fat/low fat because I do not seem to dump on Sugar)
    
  • *Eat 3 main meals (B, L, D) no further than 5-6 hours apart
  • *Eat 1 protein snack at 1200 calories a day at least 2-3 hours from breakfast
  • *Eat 2-3 protein snacks at Maintenance calories a day at least 2-3 hours from B, L, D
  • *3-6 Months After Surgery: I ate 600-700 calories a day
  • *6-9 Months After Surgery: I ate 800-900 calories a day
  • *9-12 Months After Surgery: I ate 1000 calories a day
  • *12-24 Months After Surgery: eat 1200 calories a day (I ate 1200 calories a day until 15 months when I reached my goal weight)
  • *24 Months after surgery (or when goal weight is reached before 24 months): Maintenance calories (BMR/RMR & Activity Level) (Malabsorption of calories lasts approximately 18-24 months) (I eat 1700-1800 calories a day to maintain my weight loss of 200 pounds at a weight of 131 pounds. My height is 5'4")
  • * I do not participate in a formal exercise program due to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. I do move around a lot more and do a lot more walking.

 Is it just me, or how does one manage to keep track of everything (timewise) throughout the day? What with keeping track of when to eat, when to drink, how much to eat, when to eat, journaling, doing Glicemy checks (3-4 per day) and then exercising. Inundating, to say the least.

I keep hearing about drinking water, but once someone is post-op, how do you do it? If you're supposed to "sip" everything it seems one action bumps up against another in quick time. 

You don't have to continue to "sip" forever, so getting fluids in does not require an all-day effort once the pouch heals. It requires little more effort than it did before surgery unles you are someone who chooses to drink very large amounts of water per day.

Lora

I've been on a self-imposed routine for the past month (at least), watching what I'm eating (carbs=bad), getting my 64-oz. of water, taking supplements, exercising, and attempting to journal everything. Seems like there's not enough time in a day & I'm wearing out the clocks and timers on my cell phone. LOL.