DS Carb info

[hema324]

Hi there!

I feel kind of stupid for asking this but i am abt a month out from my surgery and though my main focus and food source is protein, I dont think i'm so well versed in what carbs to avoid. 50 is the daily carb max right? Does dairy factor into that?

I need to be schooled. Can anyone help me?

[jillybean720]

This is VERY much an individual thing. 50 is the max for SOME people - some people go lower, some people go higher, and some don't bother counting at all. If you will be counting, then, yes, dairy factors in - all carbs are, well, carbs. Of course, that said, you also have to decide/determine if you want to count total carbs or NET carbs, and how you want to calculate those net carbs (minus just fiber? minus all sugar alcohols? minus only 50% sugar alcohols?).

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to your question. Personally, I count ALL carbs (total, not net), and I kept them down closer to maybe 20-30 grams of carbs per day when I was quickly losing weight.

[shann_ds]

I don't count carbs and never have. I only count protein and get at least 150g of it. In the beginning, that left me practically no room for carbs but now I can eat a lot more.

Like Jilly said, it's highly individual & you just have to find your personal sweet spot.

[Girlrocker]

I'm not entirely sure of the number range - when I had the RNY, I stayed under 100. I'm about 3.5 weeks out and can't eat very much, so I know I'm well under 50 right now. It's also probably wise to continue to get carbs from complex sources like vegetables, fruits, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, sweet potatoes, crackers like Kavali, Wasa Krisp Bread, cereals like Go Lean Kashi; certain beans/legumes. But it's also a toleration issue too, about what will and won't stay with you, and I think we're all a little different in that regard, I'm thinking some of the higher fiber grain carbs might kill me right now, but later on I'll be able to tolerate them. And I've seen people post they have trouble with salads, spinach, cucumbers. But complex carbs are better than simple (white flour, white sugar, etc) because they metabolize slower, don't convert into sugar/fat.

[Joanne]

It really is an individual thing. We absorb all of the calories in simple carbs, so you will probably find that you lose more weight when you avoid them. Some people count them very diligently.

For me, I just counted my protein and minimized my carbs. For example, when I eat, I eat as much of the protein on the plate as I can, with maybe a few bites of carbs if I want them. I eat my sandwiches "open faced", using only half the bread. I switched over to whole grain whenever I can, because we absorb less of those calories than the simple refined carbs.

In the beginning, you have so much restriction that eating any significant amount of carbs is going to take up precious room for protein.

You asked specifically about dairy - the higher the fat content of something, the less carbs. If you want milk, try to use half and half or even cream. Much less carbs and the fat won't hurt you.

[Psyche]

Absolutely an individual thing. I counted carbs because I know my system and my blood sugar issues. Other people do not have to.

Very much a YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) issue.

[chicarita]

How much of the complex carbs do DSers absorb? I know that you absorb 100% of simple carbs, but I'm not sure I read the complex carb thing? Is it 100% as well?

[Joanne]

Jan 9, 2012 13:39:15 GMT -5 chicarita said:

How much of the complex carbs do DSers absorb? I know that you absorb 100% of simple carbs, but I'm not sure I read the complex carb thing? Is it 100% as well?

We absorb about 60% of complex carbs.

The rule of thumb is

We absorb
20% Fats
50% Protein
60% Complex Carbs
100% Simple Carbs

These are averages, it's a YMMV thing. People have different limb lengths, different overall intestinal lengths to start, and just different ways that your body adapts to the new configuration. All of us will have some increase in absorption over time as our intestines increase in diameter and number of villi. Our bodies do that to fight the malabsoprtion. But it never goes back to where it was - we have the malabsorption forever.

[Girlrocker]

I will add, whatever surgery we have, it doesn't change the fact that simple carbs/sugars metabolize quickly, convert into fat (white bread, rice, potatoes, crunchy chippy snacks) Complex carbs are the better route to go, and now it's so much easier to eat really delicious healthy options. With the RNY, I always ate protein first too, room left than the carbs. I became very used to a high protein/low complex carb diet and was very satisfied. For starches, I switched over to brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, Ezekiel bread, oatmeal, Soy-Flaxseed tortilla chips from Trader Joes, soy crisps; vegetables, certain fruits (not all fruits are created equal, some are much higher in sugar - I stick to apples, pears, berries) Switched my milk to soy or almond. It's definitely a YMMV thing; even with the good complex carbs, I always have to keep an eagle eye on my own carb starch count, because I blow up like a balloon. Protein first!

[kingy]

Don't forget, whatever carbs you decide to go with, do it in moderation (especially simple ones) until you know what they'll do to you. I find some carbs like cucumbers no worries at all but if you give me even one gelatine based simple carb lolly, I blow up like the Michelene Man and float around the room like it's a carnivale. Deflating isn't fun for anyone *lol*

[chicarita]

LOL, Okay visual was AWESOME. Well done.

Thanks everyone, I'm not sure how I missed that but this is great information.

I have a bad sugar monster but it's easy enough to do without when I'm not hungry. Plus, for me, a bit of steel cut oats is as satisfying as a piece of cake - maybe more because it's got a little bite to it as opposed to being completely soft like the cake. I planned on never having any carbs, but if I can do protein first and then a little brown rice and like some cabbage - I'll be the happiest clam in the ocean.

Disappointed in myself though, I thought I had researched EVERYTHING and somehow I missed this key piece of info. Dang it. Now I'm in panic "re-read everything in case you missed something!" mode. Don't want to make the same mistake twice (Hello Crapband!).

Ugh......

[hema324]

thanks for all of this information!! I appreciate it tremendously! I have definitely been schooled.