This whole carb issue!!!

Ok so I was reading on here repeatedly about keeping carbs under 40 and was stressed cuz I hadn't been. So I spent the next couple weeks really struggling to do it and thought lord I hope it's no always like this.. I was pretty much just eating meat and cheese.. the carbs in fruit kept me at bay and ya it was stressful.  SO... mentioned it at my support group and they were flabergasted that I was trying to aim for such a low number.. I shrugged my shoulders just thinking maybe since they were all over a year out that guidelines had change since then..

So the next day I have my monthly clinic appt.. bring it up with my dietician and she is shocked that I would be consuming so little an amount and tells me this is unsafe!!!! She asks where I got this info and when I told her I've heard it from many on here she is curious as to where you all are getting your info from. She told me I need to be having at least 100 to 135 carbs daily, and that includes some from whole fruit not juices.

She mentioned about subtracting the fiber from the count.
So those of you that are saying only 40 max.. is this an amount you've subtracted stuff from or how is it you are coming to this number?

Oh and a side note.. I started getting in more carbs for about four days now and I'm actually LOSING quicker than I was when I was keeping it at 40

I'm keeping my mouth (mostly) shut.  All I'll say is that I've managed to lose 115 thus far and haven't counted carbs at all.  In using my daily tracker (I use dailyplate), I find that I'm usually around 110-140 g of carbs per day. There was a time in my life when I did such extreme low carbing...Atkins induction phase in which I was between 20-40g/day. I lost an average of 10lbs a month. I reintroduced carbs (including fruit/veggies) and gained it all back and then some.  Back to that keeping my mouth shut thing....

You have to do what works best for YOU!!

There are many opinions.  Your dietitian is quoting a number thrown around a lot - I believe it derives from the amount of glucose a day our brains need to function, and while it comes most easily from carbs, our bodies are smart and make glucose from fat and even protein in absence of enough carbs. 

It's not dangerous to restrict carbs, but it isn't the "key" to weight loss either (IMHO).  What is key is finding a reasonable plan and sticking to it.  I don't mean a 2,500 calorie a day plan, but some sort of plan with lower calories that we follow consistently.  I do not eat many carbs because it makes it easier for me to follow my plan.  I am triggered by carbs.  They make me hungrier, they don't add a lot of nutrition besides calories, so I don't see the point.  Other people have different reactions.  If I'm eating an extra 60 g of carbs, that's 240 calories that I could be getting from things that satisfy me more and don't set off cravings.

 I was watching them like a hawk at first and then it was geting really irritating.  I got this surgery to have one less thing to worry about, not to have another one.  I realize in the beginning you have to monitor things of course, (liquids, mushies etc) I wasn't RECKLESS...lol

But once I started just a basic moderation of EVERYTHING that's when my pounds and inches started coming off.  I still eat some junk food here and there ::shock and awe:: but it's a miniscule amount compared to what it was and I am on my merry way. I feel like a lead a normal life like everyone else, just in MUCH MUCH smaller proportions.  

Not trying to tell you what to do, just my experience.  I don't even have a bariatric Dr, Dietician or NUT (I am a Mexico patient) but it sounds like yours is saying the same thing.

HTH...

xo

I think this HAS to be my favorite forum post yet! I have been stressing about carbs as well. I too wanted this surgery to live life like a normal person....normal people eat carbs. Im not talking white bread, junk food carbs...but whole grain, fruit and veggie carbs. Im still a new sleever so I am following my puree instructions and concentrating on the protien but I am thinking of 6 months down the line.  My goal is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, in small portions. This is why I feel the sleeve was a perfect tool to help me in my quest for a healthier life. Since my sleeve the thing I miss the most is a bowl of Special K Fruit and Yogurt with some fresh blueberries! I am seeing my Registered Dietitian on March 1st and I have a list of questions for her.  Is the goal of restricting carbs to make weight come off faster? I am not in a hurry. I think in the beginning it is for healing and to prevent muscle waste. Are there any Dietitians out there that can comment?

I think what I will do is find a happy medium.. I mean I'm not going to just recklessly eat any carbs I want, but I'm definately going to incorperate more fruits and veggies into my day. Basically I will stay away from pure empty sugar carbs. Just as I stay away from the empty calories.
Of course once in a blue moon I will allow myself to have a treat otherwise I may feel deprived.
For now I will focus more on getting my proteins in I think.

 Sounds like a great plan!  I usually find when I have a strong craving for soemthing (even something BAD) I just take a bite or 2 and then I'm like yum then blah, full and don't want it again for a couple months....um, that NEVER happened before in my LIFE!!!

You will be fine, you sound like a smart one with a good head on your shoulders! 

I think that is a smart plan and like many other pointed out you have to do what works for you.  Just recently I made goal and entered maintenance and I started to allow more carbs mostly because I can eat a little more as I get further out AND I want to slow the loss.  After getting my labs done I received a glowing report from my doc EXCEPT for my cholesterol.  He says to decrease the red meats and replace them with salmon/fish and to bring in some oatmeal.  I started to eat oatmeal along with adding some healthy veggies bringing my carb count from 45 to between 70-80.  Guess what?  MY WEIGHT LOSS INCREASED!


So, I am back to the drawing board as to how to stop the losing and maintain my current weight.

Ann

I am so glad I am not the only one who was told this! My NUT told me the same thing...I was told that I needed the good carbs which come from the whole grains (wheat pastas and brown rice) and fruits and vegetables....I was having an issue figuring out how to get them in, since I am always trying to get in my protein....I am going to have to supplement (since I normally eat every 2.5 -3hrs or so) for a fruit or something? I hope if you try it, it works for you!

To each his own. Or her own.

I keep my carbs low for a couple of reasons.  Low carb intake induces ketosis in our bodies and that is the optimum fat burning stage.  The more carbs i eat, the more carbs i crave, leading to a vicious craving cycle (there's lots of scientific info out there about what happens in the brain... very interesting reading if you're up for it... carbs can be like a drug to our brains for some of us).  Eating carbs doesn't allow me to maximize my protein intake while keeping my calories where I want them for weight loss.  Many carbs are sliders, which means they slide right through our stomachs.

I'm only 7.5 months out, but what I've heard is that lots of us can lose weight early out while still eating carbs.  Where it gets harder is years out from surgery, when the restriction isn't as great as the beginning.  Then the carbs can really play into weight maintenance/gaining, etc.  So I am also keeping carbs low to get into the habit of avoiding them.  The early months are out "good habits" forming stage.

Again, this is just ME.