Why Not To Use Net Carbs After Weight Loss Surgery

 Many people want to know what to eat after weight loss surgery and most patients start counting their carbohydrates, protein, and sugars while trying to lose weight after their surgery.  Some people hype net carbs as a form of eating healthy and many patients ask if they can use Net Carbs after weight loss surgery.  The simple answer is No, you should not use net carbs after weight loss surgery, and here is the reason why.

Weight Loss Surgery is a medical procedure that helps people who have severe obesity lose weight by making changes in their digestive system. This procedure is a big step for a patient’s weight-loss journey which could be considered as a new beginning. The reason for this is that the patient will have long-term results for health and weight with good aftercare and moderate lifestyle changes. 

However, even though Weight Loss Surgery is a great and effective tool for weight loss, patients should know that this surgical procedure is not magic. It does not work independently of the patient’s effort and commitment to change their old habits, including strict alterations to their diet and daily routine.  In other words, you have to make the change, diet, and make a commitment to yourself for a healthy and normal lifestyle after surgery.

Carbohydrates are a macronutrient that serves as a fuel source for the human body. This means that must be consumed in large amounts as fuel for the whole body, they are a great source of the human body’s energy as they are naturally found in sugars, starches, and fibers found in the food products we eat. There are good carbs and bad carbs and the patient must know the difference between them and eat them in moderation.

Good carbs occur in sugars low in calories and high in fiber such as apples, vegetables, and legumes. Bad carbs are high in calories, low in fiber, and processed or packaged such as simple sugars, junk foods providing no nutrition benefit, dessert, or candy. Complex carbs such as whole grains, whole fruit, whole vegetables, beans, and lentils will help patients feel fuller longer because the digestion is slower and the impact on blood sugar is also slower as well. The good carbs, the ones that power the body, are found in natural or raw foods.

Patients should understand that carbs are a necessary building block of a healthy diet as they help power the brain, improving the digestive process, muscles, heart, and kidneys. It is common that patients feel a lack of energy, headaches, and fatigue because of the deficiency of carbohydrates in the body, and as such, they should consume protein for fuel.

Patients must know that the required good carbs per day will energize their body to handle the daily activities. They will need to cut the bad carbs out of their diet to keep the weight loss and fat they have burned to stay off.  Food intake requirements after the weight loss surgery and in the weight loss phase of your weight loss journey usually are quite strict: 70% of the plate should be from a protein source and the rest consists of low carbohydrates and sugar.

Weight Loss Team, the Bariatric Surgical Center at the CMQ Riviera Nayarit Hospital in Puerto Vallarta recommends that patients follow a 90-30-10 diet post-surgery.  That means consuming 90 grams of protein a day, keeping your entire Carbohydrate intake to less than 30 grams per day, and consuming less than 10 grams of sugar per day for weight loss success.

The Net Carb game should be avoided, because when you factor in Net Carbs the diet allows for a much higher number of carbs, and then the dieticians subtract fibers from the carbs and come up with a lower carb number than is actually in the food you are eating.  As such when you start tracking Net Carbs, you are consuming well more than 30 grams of carbs each day, and though you are consuming fiber, to offset these carbohydrates, you are still taking in too many sugars in these carbs and for weight loss surgery patients the fiber does not help offset the sugars and as such you will fail with your weight loss if you take in too many carbs using a Net Carb approach after weight loss surgery.  Dr. Hidalgo in Puerto Vallarta recommends that patients consume TOTAL Carbs at 30 grams per day and for weight loss success should not use Net Carbs to calculate their carbohydrate intake.

The success of a Weight Loss Surgery depends on how well you follow the instructions and the post-op diets. But most importantly, on how committed you are to changing your eating habits, your relationship with food, and basically your entire lifestyle. As such, it is important to tackle plant-based diets post-op to be successful. Early patients may not be able to eat the portions recommended by the surgeon but their stomach will get used to holding what it needs and patients much further out from surgery will find the adequate guidelines with the correct portions their body needs and most importantly, they will enjoy eating.

Weight Loss Patient should remember that mental health can be an important part of a successful postoperative healthy life so, it is an excellent choice to be creative when eating and make meals an enjoyable moment, following a healthy diet with the adjustments asked for by the surgeon (low carbs and sugar, high protein) and at the same time, making fun and attractive meals.

By avoidng Net Carbs, you can have success after your weight loss surgery, and a very easy time calculating your macros and numbers.  Just add up every carb you consume and stay under 30 grams per day.  Remember to choose healthy and good carbohydrates and you will have success!  Good luck on your weight loss journey!

For more information regarding Clinics/ Hospitals and Weight Loss Options mentioned in this article:

Weight Loss Team – Bariatric Surgery Center at the CMQ Riviera Nayarit Hospital – Puerto Vallarta Jalisco Mexico

Website: www.weightlossteam.com/

Email: info@weightlossteam.com

Telephone: Toll free 1(800) 404-9064 or + 1(818) 949-6911