I'm not exactly new...
 

Hi all,

I am an old member of Active Low-Carber Forums but I've been inactive for quite some time. Since I've been gone, I had gastric sleeve surgery 18 months ago. My surgeon's recommended post-op diet is low-carb, so I'm still eating the way I always did (Atkins, more or less). The restriction of the surgery helps with portion sizes, but I still find that my weight loss slows or increases, based on how carby my diet is. I think I'll always be one of those people whose body is sensitive to carbs and I'll have to control carb intake if I want to maintain my weight loss.

When people find out I've had the gastric sleeve, they say things like "Oh, now you can eat whatever you want." Well, I could but I'd just gain all the weight back, LOL. The surgery helps in one way: it restricts the volume of food I can eat at one time and helps me feel full faster. But I still have to meal plan, select nutrient-dense, lower carb foods, control snacking and grazing, limit sugar and refined carbs to occasional treats, etc.

All that to say, I've had surgery, but I'm low-carb for life. :wave:

Welcome back, Jael. :wave:

I've read elsewhere that most post-WLS diets are pretty much LC - I can't see how they couldn't be, given that it has to be nutrient-dense on small volume. Can't get that with cereal and pasta, sorry.

That's disheartening that people tell you that you can "eat what you want now." Eating what we want is what got most of us here in trouble in the first place! So many folks still aren't getting the message about how terrible most Western diets have become, and how sick they make us.

Wishing you continued success! :cool:

Hi Jael! :wave:

Welcome back! It has to be tough to deal with misinformed people all the time. A friend of my dad had the same surgery and are right for the first 6 months. He was doing great. Then started adding back in more and more junk food and now he is just as big as he ever was. If you eat the way you did before, you will be the same size you were before. Stick to your guns and hang in there! You can do it!

Exactly! I was actually put off from having surgery for quite some time because the people I knew who had it were still really struggling with their eating. Then I realized that they were trying to live on very small portions of their normal carb-heavy, low-fat diets and it was super difficult. My surgeon explained why that's likely to be a disaster and it fit with what I already knew about the benefits of low-carb eating. So I took the plunge, because there was a floor weight I just couldn't get below on my own. And since I'm still eating low-carb, I don't have the struggles I observed in my friends/family who tried to keep what they thought of as a "normal" diet. And I want to maintain my loss, so cereal, pasta, bread, etc. will always be rare treats for me.

Thanks for the welcome back!

So true. I'm trying to stay mindful and continue eating well so I can maintain my loss. I know too many people who regained all their weight after WLS to get complacent and think I have it made now. When I have an occasional sweet treat or something, it's right back to my low-carb way of eating. Day to day, I basically eat Atkins-style, a few rungs up the OWL ladder (meat, eggs, dairy, veggies, berries and nuts).

That is pretty much what I eat daily as well. Just keep things simple and it works out the best.

I hope you have a great day!

Welcome back Jael. I also am an old member here and rejoining. Glad to be back and to join you.

I am also a long time member who mostly reads but rarely posts.

Last night I had a dream that I was going for WLS but it was some new low invasive procedure. LOL My friend's 40 something daughter had WLS a couple years ago. She lost 100 lbs but I haven't seen her for awhile. Her mother told me "She can eat pizza, but only one slice. If she waits awhile, she can have a second." What is she doing eating pizza? I wanted to ask, but didn't. I know how hard it is to stay away from favorite foods, especially when others around yo are eating them, but how can you justify that after going through WLS? Make a big salad, then pull off the cheese and toppings and mix them in. Pizza salad. The same taste.

Welcome back!!

Welcome back!

Welcome Back !