Quote:
Originally Posted by C_Garcia
What's wrong with the carbs in potatoes? They're the good, complex kind like what's in pasta. The kind that give you crazy amounts of energy. The kind that runners eat before a marathon. In large amounts they're going to be pointlessly slowing down your loss, but it isn't like we can eat a great deal of them. And while I agree that in the early post-op stages you aren't going to be doing a whole lot of anything to burn the carbs, long-term I don't see anything "bad" about them.
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Healthy, complex carbs can certainly have a place in a nutritionally sound diet, but there are a couple of reasons why carbs (even complex ones) are discouraged, at least at this stage post-op, and often in the long term:
1. Protein helps people's tissue heal post surgery (specifically pouches, anastomoses, and incisions) and also helps people maintain their existing muscle mass as much as possible during the very rapid weight loss following WLS. Insufficient protein, especially at this stage, can result in the body's metabolizing muscle rather than fat. Post-op patients have extremely limited food intake and are encouraged to get the "most bang for the buck" by focusing on getting in all needed protein first, then vegetables, then fruits, then whole grains, all of which are "good carbs"...
2. Many post-op RNY patients, because of their shortened intestinal tract, have lost the ability to digest sugars and starches like potatoes and pasta, and will 'dump" after eating any significant quantity of those foods. For those who dump, it is usually a highly unpleasant experience - basically going into physical shock...