Carb/Poop Question

[dkramer]

I have noticed that if I keep my carbs to a minimum (say 50 or less a day) I poop less and either stall or lose very little, whereas if I up my carbs above 50 (but less than 100 or my stomach really fights me) I poop more and lose more weight.

Has anyone else noticed this or have this happen with them and should I eat more carbs and poop more in order to lose more or am I ultimately hurting myself in some way?

Dawn

[aqua19]

I've noticed that too. Actually if I even eat 20g of carbs I'm in horrible pain and gassy but the weight does come off quickly. But it's not a fun way for it to come off.

[sherbearmama]

I've heard that many people must eat more carbs to lose weight. It's not that they load up on carbs or that they ignore protein, but everyone's body is different. My friend who is over a year out from the DS does protein first but she eats way more carbs than the average DSer. And if she goes low carb she says she either gains weight or stays the same. Go figure. I think if you're staying away from simple carbs then you'll be fine but what the hell do I know?

S

[Lauren]

It depends on how far out you are. I have been told to keep it to 70g carbs or less until you are 6 months out. If you do stall (I would say about 2-3 weeks), I would have a day where you go carb crazy. Otherwise, you need to keep your carbs to a minimum. Protein first, fats second, complex carbs third, simple carbs fourth, and sugars last.

But do keep in mind that your body will stall because it is losing more weight than the average human being is supposed to. Stalling means your body is taking a break and needs to catch up with itself. So don't freak out too much. Stalls are a normal thing.

[honeybadger11]

Ive also noticed this. During the week i eat very little carbs. I would say under 20 a day and i lose nothing. Then on the weekend im less strict and i lose like crazy. I dont know if this is a delayed reaction from very low carbs during the week or the little bits of extra carbs i eat on the weekend. Im still monitoring everything:) Im interested to see what others have to say.

[Lauren]

We absorb all of the simple carbs and most of the complex carbs. When you eat too many, it rushes fluids to your intestine and you end up having that really bad diarrhea. And if that does happen, I would recommend drinking more fluids that day as well. The DS is a forgiving creature but while you are in the losing stage, I would say try to limit too many carbs. Once you get to the maintenance stage is when I usually see veterans eat more carbs.

I hope this helps.

[MarciRenee]

I have found that low-carbing and/or ultra low-carbing tends to constipate me more. I don't up my carbs to combat it - I up my fat, liquids, and colace. Upping your carbs to make you poop more sort of defeats the purpose of low-carbing to lose weight. Your body is going to absorb 100% of the simple carbs and about 40-60% of the complex carbs - so doing that in your weight loss stage is not a great idea...that's my 2 cents.

[hoosiermama]

Well, I'm going to find out today. I had an odd day and I ate out for lunch (an amazing panini sandwich (1/2) with pesto mayo) and then had pinto beans and pork roast at dinner. That brought me up to 63 carbs today. I had a restaurant.com gift cert and I wanted to find out how well it works...pretty good

I had the bread (gluten) on that 1/2 sandwich and I'm suffering no ill effects.

[Lauren]

Feb 6, 2012 23:00:54 GMT -5 MarciRenee said:

I have found that low-carbing and/or ultra low-carbing tends to constipate me more. I don't up my carbs to combat it - I up my fat, liquids, and colace. Upping your carbs to make you poop more sort of defeats the purpose of low-carbing to lose weight. Your body is going to absorb 100% of the simple carbs and about 40-60% of the complex carbs - so doing that in your weight loss stage is not a great idea...that's my 2 cents.

You are correct! Thank you for the information!

[ragamuffinb]

Feb 6, 2012 23:00:54 GMT -5 MarciRenee said:

I have found that low-carbing and/or ultra low-carbing tends to constipate me more. I don't up my carbs to combat it - I up my fat, liquids, and colace. Upping your carbs to make you poop more sort of defeats the purpose of low-carbing to lose weight. Your body is going to absorb 100% of the simple carbs and about 40-60% of the complex carbs - so doing that in your weight loss stage is not a great idea...that's my 2 cents.

You are right, it is counter intuitive and it isn't really about pooing more. We malabsorb so much and can eat so little early out, that we often end up not eating enough calories to keep the metabolism going. A little splurge on simple carbs can knock your caloric intake up and refire the furnace.

Don't know how real the idea of 'starvation mode' is when caloric intake dips below, say, 500/day BUT I know that eating more with a DS results in more weight loss and sometimes that requires a small dose of simple carbs.

[reinventingangela]

Sherbear, Im gonna need the name and number of your friends surgeon!