Designing the right diet

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DNDAddict
DNDAddict Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So here I am, a new member. I’m basically on day one of my journey and in the process of trying to set myself up for success. So in order to do so, I need to get my daily goals under control.

I had my first appointment yesterday for diet and exercise goals for bariatric surgery. I did keto before, but from my understanding I’m not doing keto. Keto is supposed to be short term and I’m doing a lifestyle change. Especially with surgery coming my way.

Here is the parameters they’ve given me:
1. 12-14 hours between dinner and breakfast.
2. Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks every day
3. Protein goal: 80-120 grams daily.
4. Carb goal: No more than 130 grams daily.
5. Always eat a protean when you eat a carb.
6. No need to calorie count, but if you want to count you should have between 1500-1800 daily.

Allowed fruits: berries (lowest sugar/carb content), apples, pears, cantaloupe, plums

Vegetables to avoid: potatoes, corn, peas, and lima beans. Sweet potatoes are okay.

Substitute grains.

Avoid commercial meats and processed meats.

Need to be low fat, low carb, high protean in the diet.

Butter and mayo okay at 2 tbsps per item.

Protean shakes and bars are okay as long as iy has more than 20 grams of protean, less than 5g of sugar, and less than 230 calories.

Carbs should only be complex carbs.
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So with all of that out of the way, the issue I’m having is designing my macros to best suit my needs. I can work around all of that, but I am at a loss when it comes to low fat.

I’m not having gastric bypass, I’m having the other surgery where they mold your stomach and remove 90% of it.

Anyone have some tips that have gone through this?

Replies

  • DNDAddict
    DNDAddict Posts: 9 Member
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    I’ve gone on and out of diets many times. At this stage, I need the surgery. I’m bipolar, and there are times I have an insatiable hunger trying to fill in some non existent void. It would help making that void 90% smaller.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    edited August 2020
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    My one recommendation would be not to make things more complicated than they need to be so you have some chance of sticking to them long term. I have a dear friend who's bipolar and have known and loved her through many cycles. Sometimes it's easy to think things through very clearly, like all your eating rules, and sometimes it's really not. So, bear in mind that the ONLY thing that matters for weight loss is calories. Make that your prime thing to remember at all times.

    The rest is good for health but not necessary for weight loss. There may come a day when you feel you must eat crackers or bread or processed snacks and you can while losing weight. You just need to record them and eat to a calorie target. Establish your target and nothing else really matters for weight loss, now or in the future. Healthy eating, as often as you can do it, is a boon but not a way to lose weight.

    Don't worry about surgery now. Just pick the one thing. Get your calories under control and work on keeping your bi-polar extremes at bay. That's a lot! Later, you can think about surgery if you still need it. Many don't because they've already found they can lose the weight through calorie reduction.
  • jbann70
    jbann70 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm waiting for my insurance to approve my lap-band surgery. I put myself on a 800-1000 calorie a day diet. I have a Premier Protein shake for breakfast, morning snack, Premier Protein shake for lunch, a Healthy Choice steamer bowl for dinner, and an evening snack. A snack consist of either/or a combination of cheese, almonds, hard boiled egg, or cottage cheese. I been on it for 5 days and lost 10 pounds.My protein is around 90g or above daily.
  • DNDAddict
    DNDAddict Posts: 9 Member
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    I have no idea how you do that. I had 2500 calories today and I’m starving. BUT, that is with no actual diet plan. Tomorrow night I’ll be getting my diet planned foods from the store.
  • DNDAddict
    DNDAddict Posts: 9 Member
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    @HeidiCooksSupper Thank you for the follow up and advice. I think my problem lies with trying to set up my macros too much. I want to make sure I have enough protein and carbs to follow my medical advice given and I should probably just focus on those things instead of complicating it with macros right now. I see a nutritionist on the 31st, so I’ll definitely gain better insight from them.

    Also, I know plenty of people that had gastric bypass. I’ve personally seen success stories from it, and I’ve seen not so successful stories from it. But I’ve learned from those that did not succeed and I know that this is a life change that I need. It will be hard work either way. I didn’t reach this weight doing the right thing lol.

    Anyway, again, thank you.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    @DNDAddict Cool. I'm a surgery-phobe, so you know where I'm coming from. Meanwhile, it sounds like you have your head on straight and are starting to sort out what is important from what isn't.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,079 Member
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    DNDAddict wrote: »
    I have no idea how you do that. I had 2500 calories today and I’m starving. BUT, that is with no actual diet plan. Tomorrow night I’ll be getting my diet planned foods from the store.

    For me, I had to stop eating foods that increased my hunger.

    That would be anything really sweet or any wheat products.


    I would say don't cut your fats too much, either. Fat, protein and fiber. Those are my sweet spots. Carbs fall where they fall, I focus on #1. Getting enough protein. #2. Getting 4-7 servings of vegetables (other than potatoes) and/or whole fruit. Not juice.

    I have a half portion of fats with every meal, minimum. I tend to eat fairly high fat and lower carbs. On 1500 calories that would be under 150g carbs, for me. Fats and protein are important for proper body functions, carbs are expendable.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
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    I have no advice but just wanted to wish you the very best for your journey and health style changes!!
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 984 Member
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    Diabetes UK recommends less than 130g of carbs a day for Type 2 diabetics, so that number doesn't surprise me. Having a protein with carbs helps stop blood sugar spiking, so there's science behind that suggestion. You have a suggestion from your medical team re your protein goal, although you could potentially eat more as it may help you feel fuller. (it's often said on here to aim for 0.8g of protein per 1lb of your body weight)

    I'd suggest setting the macro percentages such that the carbs works out to 130g (or as close as you can get it) and the protein is at the higher end of the range you were given (or calculate as per above and use that). The percentage for fat will then be whatever is needed to get your total to 100%.

    When planning your meals for a day, enter what you think you might eat, see where the numbers fall then tweak as necessary. To be low fat and also low carb is hard. Keep your carbs under 130g, aim for lower fats as much as you can but look at the protein number as a minimum not a maximum. Of the three, I'd worry about the fat number the least - keep your carbs down and eat enough protein.

    If you've never tried it, you can substitute courgetti / zoodles for pasta and grated cauliflower for rice (or mix with the real stuff and go 50/50) to reduce carbs considerably. Nutritionally, brown rice and wholewheat pasta are similar to their white counterparts other than their fibre. I've gradually switched to brown / wholewheat and can't say I've noticed any difference taste-wise.

    For breakfast or a snack, Greek or soya yoghurt with berries, nuts and/or seeds will give you protein and fibre whilst minimising carbs. That's pretty much what I have for breakfast most weekdays. If I need more, I'll have one or two hard boiled eggs as well. I can tell you that raspberries are lower carb than strawberries which are lower than blueberries.

    My lunches tend to be a large salad with protein, which varies between chicken or tinned fish (tuna, sardines, salmon or mackerel). Dinner is usually a pile of veg, often a big stirfry, plus protein with only a very small portion of pasta, rice, potatoes or noodles (if any). I mostly eat the same foods that I ate before, but in different quantities.

    It would definitely be worth looking at the 'Most helpful' posts at the top of the forum as you should get a lot of info from some of those.
  • DNDAddict
    DNDAddict Posts: 9 Member
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    @Strudders67 Thank you for the tips. That definitely clears things up. I’ve been stressing about the fat content in the macros. The hardest part for me is my dislike of greek yogurt and seafood. That takes away a lot of options. But I am doing pretty much the same thing as you. Doing salads with chicken and hard boiled eggs for lunches.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,704 Member
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    Don't worry that you need to be exactly exact every single day on the macronutrients (grams or percents), either. Close is fine, especially if one is a little under one day, and another on another day, so that it averages out.

    Sometimes people seem to get the idea that the macros are sort of like a magic spell, where if you get them exactly exact, extra-special things happen. If only that were true! 😆

    Close is plenty good enough, and you can work your way to consistency gradually. It's a lot to think about, if you try to perfect everything all at once, immediately. Just work at it gradually, and you'll get things tuned to where you want them. That'll be fine.

    Best wishes!
  • jgratopp6
    jgratopp6 Posts: 11 Member
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    I have found the most success when i have prepared all or most of my food in advance. Not having to think about what to eat at the time of the meal was very helpful. Just grab the meal you prepared and don't think about it.

    I will share that eggs are my best friend. Almost everyday for lunch I make a massive breakfast burrito and I never seem to get tired of it. Here is what the basics are. Along with whats listed below, I will usually throw in some onions and bell peppers and top it with a spoonful or two of plain greek yogurt(great sour cream substitute). It makes a chipotle sized burrito that comes in right at 600 calories. 50+ grams of protein, 36 grams carbs, and 27 grams of fat.

    Lunch
    Egg Large - Egg White, 3 egg white 60 Cal
    Large Egg - One Large Egg, 3 each 210 Cal
    Mission - Homestyle Tortilla, 1 Tortilla 190 Cal
    Hamburger - 90% Lean, 2 oz 100 Cal
    Penny's salsa - Salsa, 4 tbs 20 Cal
    Total - 580 Cal

    Try and find healthy food that you can eat a lot of. My wife can't ever believe the portions I eat, but my meals are almost never more calories than that burrito.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
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    I had a canned tamale omelet today. Or, was it a crepe? Two scrambled eggs cooked in the whole skillet bottom. Not stirred. Add two canned tamales heated and seasoned with crushed red pepper. Fold over the tamales inside the eggs and pour tamale sauce on top.


    I know canned tamales are a really low rent food, but with proper seasoning I like them.

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