Caloric, Carb Question

[daniellec 10]

I have the Protein part down pat, but what is the recommended amount of carbs and calories per day ???

[gramaof4 58]

I'm with you I got the Protein (65-80g) thing down to what is reccommended and the calories (600) but the carb thing is still kinda a mystery...I just stay away from them...but I know we need a few to keep our energy level stable...

[daniellec 10]

I have been looking online and it seems to me that the breakdown of "recommended" is:

Calories 600-800 calories/day

Protein 65-80 grams/day

40 g carbohydrates/day

30 gm Fat/day

Water not with food ! 64oz/day

Someone please let me know if this is about accurate .... thanks

[Indymom 132]

Danielle, that sounds pretty accurate, although some people are more carb-tolerant than others. I don't worry too much about my carbs and tend to get more than 40 a day. While I don't necessarily try to keep my carbs low, I would say in general that both my carbs and fat grams stay below about 50 per day, my calories are between 900-1100 day, and I try to get at least 75 grams of Protein. I'm 8 months out.

[Liberated Sleeve 148]

Danielle, that sounds pretty accurate, although some people are more carb-tolerant than others. I don't worry too much about my carbs and tend to get more than 40 a day. While I don't necessarily try to keep my carbs low, I would say in general that both my carbs and fat grams stay below about 50 per day, my calories are between 900-1100 day, and I try to get at least 75 grams of Protein. I'm 8 months out.

And, you have lost lots of weight so I like your guidelines -

[AKSleever 57]

I know carbs are suppose to be under 50!

[daniellec 10]

Thank you Indymom. I am struggling with what to eat everyday. I don't have a routine for eating and I return to work tomorrow...I'm a little worried....any advice for packing ;lunches ?

[Indymom 132]

Sorry I've had a crazy week! When I take my lunch (remember I'm 8 months out) I usually take about 3 oz of meat Protein (usually leftover chicken breast); 1 oz 2% cheese chunks; and then I have some "filler" like sliced cucumbers, a few wheat thins or cheez-its, maybe some fruit. I also will take leftovers if it's something that is easy to reheat like chili, taco meat, etc. One of my favorites is leftover taco meat with shredded cheese, reduced-fat sour cream, salsa, etc. (with sometimes a few tortilla chips).

If I buy lunch at work I do a very small salad from the salad bar and load it with Protein like hard-boiled egg (I try to get mostly egg-white and less yolk), shredded chicken or diced ham, sometimes a bit of bacon if I'm feeling a little decadent. The only thing that sucks is the dressing choices because I like homemade vinaigrette dressings and the salad bar dressings are generally terrible. I might do a drizzle of ranch or italian.

[clk 3,519]

Carbs vary by person, though! It's very personal and your best bet is to find a guideline and as you continue to progress add more in until you hit that point where you realize it causes a slowdown or a stall. Surprisingly, contrary to what I believed prior to surgery, the more carbs I added into my diet the better I felt and it had ZERO effect on my loss. I lost at the same slow rate the entire time.

I suggest NOT shaving carbs down to the bare minimum unless you find it's necessary for your body. I say this because in maintenance, you NEED carbs again. Slowly introducing them throughout the losing phase is easier than learning it all on the fly while also trying to maintain!

I started out with low, low carbs but by the end could comfortably eat about 60-70 grams per day and still see the same losses on the scale. In maintenance I'm eating 120+ grams a day and easily maintaining.

Low carbing makes many of us irritable and tired. I think it also adds to that feeling of deprivation that causes two issues: one, sneak snacking and two, the expectation that since we're denying ourselves, we'll see results on the scale every single day.

Just my two cents, but I recommend starting in the 40-50 range and upping it slowly until you find what works best for YOU.

~Cheri

[Indymom 132]

I agree 100% with Cheri.

I have days now that I sometimes hit 100+ carbs - and I'm not in maintenance yet. It doesn't happen too often, but also doesn't seem to be impacting my weight loss. I'm still losing 1-2 lbs/week which I am thrilled with . . . it's a marathon, not a sprint.

[ddoherty18 1]

Does anyone know the max. sodium content you want in a day?

[Indymom 132]

I go by the sodium recommendations on My Fitness Pal (but sometimes I go over). I notice generally that if I exceed my sodium recommendations for more than a day or two in a row (and if I don't drink enough water) it reflects negatively on my weight loss.

[Mews 37]

Carbs vary by person, though! It's very personal and your best bet is to find a guideline and as you continue to progress add more in until you hit that point where you realize it causes a slowdown or a stall. Surprisingly, contrary to what I believed prior to surgery, the more carbs I added into my diet the better I felt and it had ZERO effect on my loss. I lost at the same slow rate the entire time.

Cheri is right on this one. My NUT is recommending to me a 2:1 ratio of Proteins to carbs at the minimum to help keep my energy levels up. I can tell you right now that when I was doing the no carbs I felt like poop and I was cranky. Not a fun person to be around. Now that I'm getting in some carbs I am feeling better even though my energy levels are still pretty low. Also, I'm still losing so I can't complain.

[EileenFrances 21]

How are you all reacting to grains? Brown rice? Quinoa? Barley? Etc?

[Mews 37]

How are you all reacting to grains? Brown rice? Quinoa? Barley? Etc?

The only grains I've managed to consume is wheat bread and at six weeks out I don't have much of a problem with it as long as it's toasted. I've been trying to get my carbs through fruits and veggies instead.