Does your doctor recommend high protein/low carb?

[Fanny Adams 7]

I have a theory that all of the emphasis on the Atkins-like high protein/low carb eating patterns in this forum is because the US doctors are much more familiar with the bypass operation and they don't distinguish it from lapbanders. I want to see whether or not Australians are getting the same recommendations to eat high Protein, drink protein supplements, etc. I know my doctor has not advised me to do this in any way and recommends a balanced diet of all the food groups, with smaller portions and low fat/low calorie intake. I feel this is a MUCH healthier approach, as there are distinct dangers in going the Atkins route (kidney stones, high cholesterol, etc). So what's your experience?

[Jachut 487]

Same as yours but I'm in Australia. My surgeon said balanced diet including all food groups, the nutritionist said the same and I've managed to get the doc who does my fills (who's a great guy) to actually admit he thinks high Protein diets and the theory behind them is a load of bollocks.

I was saying in another thread today that I personally have a self devised theory that a lot of the people who are really struggling with head hunger and inability to lose weight are really struggling with the awful limitations a low carb diet imposed and that unfilling a bit and eating carbs (yes CARBS!!!!!) like bread and Pasta would actually diminish their cravings, increase their satiety and start them losing weight.

All just personal opinion though. You can back up either opinion (for or against carbs) with the kind of so called scientific proof you find on the internet.

[She Smiles 2]

I'm a fellow Aussie and my Doc has always said to eat whatever I can tolerate within reason. Carbs are my friend, I eat pasta/rice pretty much every day. I don't think I've done too bad with my weight loss. I've done fortnights or so of lower carb to try to kick start my weight loss and mix things up, which has worked to some extent, but I could never do it long term, I'd have NO energy!!

[Fanny Adams 7]

Same as yours but I'm in Australia. My surgeon said balanced diet including all food groups, the nutritionist said the same and I've managed to get the doc who does my fills (who's a great guy) to actually admit he thinks high Protein diets and the theory behind them is a load of bollocks.

I was saying in another thread today that I personally have a self devised theory that a lot of the people who are really struggling with head hunger and inability to lose weight are really struggling with the awful limitations a low carb diet imposed and that unfilling a bit and eating carbs (yes CARBS!!!!!) like bread and Pasta would actually diminish their cravings, increase their satiety and start them losing weight.

All just personal opinion though. You can back up either opinion (for or against carbs) with the kind of so called scientific proof you find on the internet.

Heheh - yeah, I know, that's one of the reasons I made this post. The other is that the Protein fixation is really starting to bug me :thumbup:.

I've been doing a fair bit of research about this on the net and one thing that has really struck me has been that the people who recommend the HP/LC diets are all people who have a vested interest in that diet, e.g. selling Protein shakes, or selling a new diet plan or book, whereas recommendations for a balanced diet from all food groups come from neutral sources such as universities, nutritionists and medical groups. I think that's significant in itself.

[Luscious 1]

My dietican for banding told me to make sure I get 70 grams Protein a day (which is the correct, healthy amount for my current weight). That is what I do - rest of my calories are made up of good fats (about 25% of my cals) and remainder are low GI carbs. I don't follow the "protein first" rule that many follow here - in fact, I don't have any Protein until lunch (Breakfast is oats).

I did the Atkins diet many years ago. I lost a lot of weight - about 30 kgs over about 6 months. I was even a moderator on a low carb forum. HOWEVER, you cannot sustain this way of eating for life - its just way too restrictive and in my humble opinion very unhealthy to follow for any period of time. I lost A LOT of hair - masses of it (despite all the protein). My breath was horrendous, and I developed kidney problems and was told to reduce my protein quick smart.

No doctor or dietician I have ever seen here in Australia has recommended this as a healthy way to eat. I am very educated on low carbing and can say without any hesitation that I will NEVER put my body through that way of eating again. I do limit my carbs now to low GI, that just makes good sense, and I do tend to focus on my carbs early in the day, just because I find that my blood sugar levels react better to that (I'm type 2 diabetic).

Edited May 10, 2008 by Luscious

[MerryHearted 20]

My doc says no to Protein shakes (once healed up from surgery) but does recommend the Protein first, then produce, then complex carbs if you have room approach. I'm to aim for 1000-1200 cals a day.

Note that this is NOT the same as low carb / high protein. Eating protein & produce for me comes out to about 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fat or thereabouts. (per TheDailyPlate, where I log my food). It varies from day to day, but my carb intake is always higher than my protein intake.

Produce -- veggies & fruit -- has plenty of carbohydrates. Some of the protein foods do too, like Beans & milk. (although some put Beans in the carb category to begin with, I suppose)

Just wanted to clear up that eating protein + produce is not even remotely close to a high protein / low carb diet like Atkins, unless you're skipping fruit and a lot of the veggies. :thumbup:

[mss 1]

Pretty sure we have the same doctor Fanny so I guess my answer wont be a surprise. Eat smaller portions, focus on healthier foods and eat when hungry rather than at set times a day.

[Hippiemama 1]

Oops, I voted wrong. I meant to vote, yes, and I am not in the US or Australia. I am in Canada.

[Jachut 487]

Good point Molly. Most people do overdo carbs to a degree. I dont think they necessarily need to be the *basis* of your diet like we used to think.

I agree with Fanny too, most people who push the high protein/low carb diet are trying to sell you something. We've had an absolute exposion of Optifast type products onto the market lately - everyone just puts their name to it and calls it "The Joe Bloggs Diet". Every pharmacy has one, its ridiculous, cost a fortune, really unsustainable, designed to dehydrate you, waste your lean body tissue away and leave you fatter than you started six months down the track.

I have another personal theory - that its the overemphasis on Protein that CAUSES hair loss, not the other way round. When you eat too much Protein and not enough of everything else (which is easy to do just by eating protein first with a band) then you suffer such generalised malnutrition that your hair falls out. You cannot fix Hair loss with one single nutrient, be it a macronutrient like protein or something like zinc, Biotin, etc. Its the combination of those, and you can believe that if you're eating protein first and are banded, you're probably not eating enough complex carbs, to get your B's, your E, etc. And you cant necessarily fix that with a Vitamin pill, there's STILL no real proof that they are as good as actually eating the nutrient. Again - personal opinion, not scientific theory.

[lglenn3000 1]

Same here -- I aim for 60 - 70 grams of low fat Protein per day, the rest is veggies & fruit and healthy carbs, whole grain Pasta or potato -- but only like 1/2 cup. I'm trying to stick to 1200 calories a day, too, so that doesn't leave a lot of 'wiggle room'.

[pmcfarm 0]

Hi... I'm to start a modified South Beach diet and I have some reservations that I plan to discuss with my urologist & dietician this week...with only one kidney these diets seem rather kidney stressful. Anyway I plan on continuing with my regular diabetic exchange diet (I'm not diabetic) but decrease the calories.

[HeatherO 7]

I'm from the US and I said yes to high Protein and low-carb, but this is by no means Atkins variety plan.

The goal is to make sure you get enough lean Proteins first, eat healthy fruits and vegetables second and carbs are fine for whatever is left. Carbs are not restricted in that I can have them, but they should be of good quality. Whole grains, potatoes, rice, etc. are fine but they should be healthy. The carb restriction is really more for slider foods such as chips, cakes, etc . . . which I feel is perfectly reasonable.

Because we have limited capacity, I think it is well and good that we focus on whole foods that are healthy and nutrient rich and limit those things that are highly processed.

I know that being an American I have heard the proponents of low carb everything extolling the diet virtues in my ears for many years now. It was the low fat or sugar free craze before that. I do not feel that I am taken in with that. Too much low carb or sugar free or fat free products can still cause weight gain easily if you take in more than you burn.

I think sometimes the low-carb debate is lost in our definitions of a carb. Whole fruits and vegetables are always going to be healthier for me than cakes, Cookies or chips hands down.

The whole Protein first, followed by fruits and vegetables and carbs for last rings true in practice as well. I do know that I love potatoes and if I eat a baked potato first, I will not have room for anything else. In real life, I take a bite of this, a bite of that, etc but try to keep a healthy balance.

[thebionicbroad 0]

Atkins is not high Protein, and anyone who puts it into that category hasn't read the book. Atkins is high fat, medium protein, and low-carb, which does too many good things to list here. And no, I'm not selling anything. I've lost 70 pounds with my band and low-carb, and I hate to see people who haven't read the books or the CURRENT research defame a diet plan that has lowered my bad cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides, and raised my good cholesterol. High protein diets are dangerous. Atkins is not a high-protein diet.

[dj_bryan 0]

My doctor professes the same thing HeatherO. However, he says after the Protein should be veggies and then fruits and then carbs. The rationale is that fruits have more sugar, so try and limit fruit to one serving per day.

[Jachut 487]

Well, yes, Atkins is very high fat, I'd be most alarmed to see anyone promoting that these days! Unless you base Atkins on the right fats - fish, olive oil etc, and not saturated animal fat. Its fantastic that its worked for you but the jury is still out on whether its safe. That's far from proven.

The thing is, Atkins style diets didnt solve obesity in the 60's and 70's when they were all the rage and they're hardly likely to work any differently now. Nor did the high carb low fat way of eating all through the 80's and 90's solve anything - heart disease or obesity or any related diseases.

Carbs doesnt mean highly processed white carbs, it means legumes, Beans, fruit, vegetables and wholegrains. Those are what I eat and what my diet is based on, for me, the Protein is a secondary consideration, not the primary, that's the only difference to what you're talking about.

Its not that we eat an entirely different diet here, its just configured a bit differently. Its not generally believed that Protein is the most important nutrient, its only ONE of the important nutrients.

But we're not talking a diet of protein, veggies and fruit as compared to a diet of white bread, cake and soda.

I think its important not to view this as a right or wrong thing though. They just dont really know! And till then, I think you have to stick with what you feel comfortable with, what you can live with and what works for YOUR body. All things in moderation is probably a pretty safe motto. No food is completely band. Red wine may be empty sugar and alcohol calories on the one hand yet it is known to be full of flavanoids and antioxidents and offer heart protective benefits. So is it evil or good?

Wholegrains give you slow release energy, valuable Vitamins and minerals and are very good for your bowels. You can guarantee most bandsters dont get their 30g of fibre a day! So are they good or evil? We need protein for the building blocks of our bodies but too much will give you gout, kidney stones and at the expense of other foods problems like Constipation. It also comes packed with saturated fat, and if you drink soy based Protein shakes, there are dangers in excess soy consumption too!

So it would seem sensible not to eat any food to the expense of any others.

Edited August 11, 2008 by Jachut