Is It Ok To "tweek" Your Dr's Diet Plan

[Joy1961 134]

Got the ok for solids today but my dr is so strict no carbs except for whats in fruits and veg. No starch no Cereal hot or cold. Here's the kicker. Never!! Seems extreme. No milk in my Unjury shakes either. I did Atkins b4 and its too restrictive. Could never stick to it for long. Help

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

In a word... NO! Never seems a bit extreme. Try unsweetened almond milk in your shakes, VERY low carbs.

[Joy1961 134]

In a word... NO! Never seems a bit extreme. Try unsweetened almond milk in your shakes' date=' VERY low carbs.[/quote']

Dr did say Almond Milk. Is it good?

[♥LovetheNewMe♥ 1,216]

I guess I am the werid one on this board, I mix my shakes with Water. Low carb is hard but it is so important to WL with the band that you eat more Protein than carbs. Carbs make you hungry quicker and are digestd much faster than protein. You can have carbs but you need to make sure they are complex carbs not simple startches and sugars which are not our friends. You will have better success if you follow your physicians rules, rememeber why you got into this, like all of us we don;t follow rules well and see where that got all of us.

[Toddy 758]

My doctor thinks carbs are the devil... I've done Atkins, too, and was not successful. I prefer a balanced diet counting Protein, calories, fat, and carbs. When I do have carbs, I try to make sure they're whole wheat, high Fiber type carbs. So, yes, I did tweak my doctor's diet and have been pretty successful.

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

Almond milk unflavored just tastes like the powder you use. Peanut Butter Cookie is my fave!

[Joy1961 134]

I guess I am the werid one on this board' date=' I mix my shakes with Water. Low carb is hard but it is so important to WL witht he band that you eat more Protein than carbs. Carbs make you hungry quicker and are digestd much faster than Protein. You can have carbs but you need to make sure they are complex carbs not simple startches and sugars which are not our friends. You will have better success if you follow your physicians rules, rememeber why you got into this, like all of us we don;t follow rules well and see where that got all of us.[/quote']

Thank you. You guys are right i knew exactly what was expected going into this so. I haven't had a fill yet and im so hungry today. Started dreaming about foods that i shouldn't. Glad i can "talk" to someone here for my kick in the butt moments!!!

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Got the ok for solids today but my dr is so strict no carbs except for whats in fruits and veg. No starch no cereal hot or cold. Here's the kicker. Never!! Seems extreme. No milk in my unjury shakes either. I did Atkins b4 and its too restrictive. Could never stick to it for long. Help

Diets are not one size fits all. This is a common mistake doctors and nutritionists both make. Some do great with low carb, others fail miserably.

Granted this is just my opinion, but if I were in your shoes, I'd go see a nutritionist. Tell them what your doctor is recommending and why it simply won't work for you. Hopefully they'll then help you come up with a food plan better suited for your lifestyle and needs.

Btw, contrary to popular belief at the moment, carbs aren't bad. It's the quantity and kind of carbs you eat that can make them "bad".

[Joy1961 134]

Diets are not one size fits all. This is a common mistake doctors and nutritionists both make. Some do great with low carb' date=' others fail miserably.

Granted this is just my opinion, but if I were in your shoes, I'd go see a nutritionist. Tell them what your doctor is recommending and why it simply won't work for you. Hopefully they'll then help you come up with a food plan better suited for your lifestyle and needs.

Btw, contrary to popular belief at the moment, carbs aren't bad. It's the quantity and kind of carbs you eat that can make them "bad".[/quote']

I should have made it more clear. This is the nutritionist who works with my dr that i saw today. This is their program if you will. Very low carb higher Protein and no sugar. Maybe once im filled it will be easier but i want to know if i decide once in a while to say have a piece if choc of Pasta im not doomed to fail?? That's my worry actually.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I should have made it more clear. This is the nutritionist who works with my dr that i saw today. This is their program if you will. Very low carb higher Protein and no sugar. Maybe once im filled it will be easier but i want to know if i decide once in a while to say have a piece if choc of Pasta im not doomed to fail?? That's my worry actually.

If you need a break, have the Pasta, just have it in moderation and stay within your daily calorie allowance.

Depriving yourself is setting yourself up for failure. Remember, there are no off limits foods. Everything is allowed in moderation.

If it makes you feel better about the carbs... I've lost 165 pounds in 10 months and I eat carbs regularly and have the entire time since surgery.

[Joy1961 134]

If you need a break' date=' have the Pasta, just have it in moderation and stay within your daily calorie allowance.

Depriving yourself is setting yourself up for failure. Remember, there are no off limits foods. Everything is allowed in moderation.

If it makes you feel better about the carbs... I've lost 165 pounds in 10 months and I eat carbs regularly and have the entire time since surgery.[/quote']

Congratulations. That's Awesome!.

[PattyGirl66 1,243]

Here is an interesting article done about high Protein and carbohydrates. BTW, I eat carbs daily and lost a considerable amount of weight. My theory is this: If I was to completely remove carbs from my lifestyle, I know that it would be temporary because realistically I know once I got the taste for it, I would go back to old habits and binge eat, thus probably gaining all of my weight back or not losing at all...

Are high-protein diets safe for weight loss?

Answer

from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

For most healthy people, a high-protein diet generally isn't harmful if followed for a short time, such as six months or less, and may help with weight loss.

However, the risks of using a high-protein diet with carbohydrate restriction for the long term are still being studied. Several health problems may result if a high-protein diet is followed for an extended time:

• Some high-protein diets restrict carbohydrate intake so much that they can result in nutritional deficiencies or insufficient Fiber, which can cause health problems such as Constipation and diverticulitis.
  
• Some high-protein diets promote foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, which may increase your risk of heart disease.
  
• A high-protein diet may worsen kidney function in people with kidney disease because your body may have trouble eliminating all the waste products of Protein metabolism.
  

If you want to follow a high-protein diet, do so only as a short-term weight-loss aid. Also, choose your protein wisely. Good choices include fish, skinless chicken, lean beef, pork and low-fat dairy products. Choose carbs that are high in fiber, such as whole grains and nutrient-dense vegetables and fruit.< /p>

It's always a good idea to talk with your doctor before starting a weight-loss diet. And that's especially important in this case if you have kidney disease, diabetes or other chronic health condition.

Finally, keep in mind that weight loss may be temporary, especially if you return to your previous way of eating.

[Summerrain 520]

Years ago I did a high Protein diet for five months and I ended up developing gout, I only thought you got gout from excessive drinking but I was wrong. I'm not a drinker, before being banded I'd be lucky to consume three bottles of wine a year. It caused a lot of pain in my ankles and toe joints which made it hard to walk. I do eat carbs but healthy carbs, there is no way I could do zilch carbs long term and its not healthy as we need complex carbs for our bodies to function properly.

I've lost 70 pounds in five months and eating carbs hasn't hurt my loss.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Ordinarily my answer to a question like this would be no, absolutely not. One of the reasons I was willing to follow (if not love) my dietitian's food plan was that the 90 excess pounds I was carrying around were ample proof that my own D.I.Y. diets in the past completely failed. The bariatric surgeon who vetted Bandwagon gave a talk at a WLS convention last year spoke at length on the subject of "Carbs are not your friends," and I'm not medically qualified to challenge him on that point, and I suspect neither are you. My dietitian's food plan did not forbid carbs, but it did restrict starches because (as she explained) starchy foods (potatoes, bread, white rice, flour, corn, etc.) wreak havoc with your blood sugar (even if you're not diabetic)...the kind of havoc that actually makes you hungrier and may also cause carb cravings. Then there's the problem with sugars, which can do the same thing and which lurk in foods you might not expect: milk and other dairy products (like yogurt), whey Protein powder, some fruits, and so on.

But...my real reason for responding to your question is this. Why did you sign on with a bariatric surgery practice whose food plan you felt you couldn't live with?

[PattyGirl66 1,243]

Years ago I did a high Protein diet for five months and I ended up developing gout, I only thought you got gout from excessive drinking but I was wrong. I'm not a drinker, before being banded I'd be lucky to consume three bottles of wine a year. It caused a lot of pain in my ankles and toe joints which made it hard to walk. I do eat carbs but healthy carbs, there is no way I could do zilch carbs long term and its not healthy as we need complex carbs for our bodies to function properly.

I've lost 70 pounds in five months and eating carbs hasn't hurt my loss.

Summerain exactly! I eat 'healthy' good carbs and fresh fruits. I feel soooo much better now then when I was depriving myself from very good carbs. My skin looks great, I have more energy, and the best part ,,, I am going to the bathroom regularly now, whereas before 'excluding' healthy carbs like fresh fruits and breads, I was severly constipated. You live and learn on how to treat your bodies along the way.. I choose to take the 'healthy' route and not make myself sick and try and combat 'other' health problems along the way by not eating good carbs.