Coming to grips with Carbs & WLS

What's the deal with carbs after WLS? This is one of the most commonly asked questions we see here at LivingAfterWLS. In fact, we dedicated an entire Cooking with Kaye email newsletter to the topic of carbohydrates. You can see the entire newsletter here:

Cooking with Kaye: Never Count Carbs Again

Here is the opening article from the newsletter. Be sure and follow the link though, you will find tons of great information and recipes in the free newsletter. And there is a link to download the file so you can print it and save in your WLS notebook.


"A major area of concern and sometimes confusion for us after weight loss surgery is how many grams of carbohydrates should we eat in a day. Have you been perplexed over the carbohydrate question? Today in Cooking with Kaye we take a look at carbs and the role they play our diet after weight loss surgery.

"It is popular in the health and nutrition fields to describe carbs as "good carbs" or "bad carbs". I prefer not to use those words because they assign a moral trait to food and food does not have moral traits. Food is food. When we remove moral assignment from the food we eat we can be smart, thoughtful, and rational with our choices. But if we assign morals to food and eat "bad carbs" then we must be bad. You know the self-blame cycle I'm talking about.

Instead of good carbs and bad carbs I prefer to use more accurate terms:

•     Fruit and Vegetable Carbs or Complex Carbs
•     Grain and Starch Carbs or Complex Carbs
•     Processed Manufactured Carbs or Simple Carbs

I have them arranged in nutritional importance to us after undergoing weight loss surgery. Like other nutrients carbohydrates are measured in grams. A 2008 broad-canvas study of bariatric centers revealed that few bariatric surgeons or nutritionists give a specific daily quota for carbohydrate intake. Most default to the 113g RDA recommended by the National Academies' Institute of Medicine for people following a 1200 calorie a day diet. It takes roughly 8 to 10 cups of fruit and vegetables to equal 113g complex carbohydrates and I do not know any weight loss surgery patient who can consume that much volume.

That is good news. While it is unlikely we can ever reach that daily intake by eating fruits and vegetables it is also unlikely we will ever over eat our carbohydrate allowance when we select high moisture, high fiber fruits and vegetables. A variety of fruits and vegetables promotes good health because they contain disease fighting vitamins and nutrients. Fruits and vegetables enjoyed with lean protein improve the overall eating experience for weight loss surgery patients because they are high in moisture. This is a relief when we are following the liquid restrictions and not drinking a beverage with meals.

Today we look at Protein & Fruit WLS Perfect Mealcomplex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables. We have some great tips and recipes to include them in your diet for life-long weight management. Pictured here is a typical breakfast plate for me that included 2 ounces white meat roasted turkey, 1 hard-cooked egg, 6 blackberries and 1/2 large kiwifruit. After enjoying this meal I will not feel hungry or crave sweets for several hours. (Nutritional Count: 182 Calories 

(44% Protein, 32% Fat, 24% Carbohydrate); 20g Protein; 6g Fat; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber. 75% RDI Vitamin C, 25% RDI Niacin, 5% RDI Calcium.) I consider this plate a perfect breakfast and while I don't get it right every morning it is a goal I aim for because on days when I get this right I am powerful and in control."

Cooking with Kaye - Never Count Carbs Again