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Thursday, April 27, 2006

The Carb Debate

I came across this article and found it rings quite true - here's an excerpt:

Just This Once Won't Hurt
by Ken Miller


The number one factor that affects a WLS patient's rate of weight-loss and the ease with which they are able to maintain their weight after they reach their goal is the intake of refined carbohydrates. Of course there are rare exceptions, but my observations clearly show these two facts:

Those WLS patients who say to themselves, "Just this once won't hurt anything . . . I'll go back to no carbs tomorrow," and eat refined carbohydrates struggle to reach their goal weight and then, if they do reach their goal, they have a much harder time maintaining their weight than those patients who don't.

Those WLS patients who eat only complex carbohydrates and who do not eat any refined carbohydrates lose weight rapidly and consistently and they have a much easier time maintaining their weight during the following years.

So, here's my advice to those who might be interested; Don't make the mistake of saying to yourself, "Just this once won't hurt anything." IT WILL. The consequences of that decision won't be immediately evident to you; it will take time before they show up. But, they WILL show up, and by the time they do, it will be too late to go back and "fix it".

Don't cheat yourself out of the final success that you can achieve and maintain for the rest of your life, by trading it for "Just this once . . ." The Carb Monster shows no mercy; not today, and not tomorrow, or next year.

We've been discussing topic at the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood. The Carb Monster is definitely alive and well, but we are doing are darndest to scare that monster away.

1 comment:

Nanci said...

"just this once won't hurt anything" - I remember saying that after I lost 85# (before my WLS) I thought "What's a little bread, what's one doughnut, etc., etc? I've worked hard; I DESERVE it..." For about 6 months I could eat what I wanted and it didn't show on the scale... but my body was changing. Then all of the sudden, I was gaining 5# a week. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to gain back the 85 pounds I lost.

It was a hard lesson to learn, but even when you don't see it immediately on the scale, carbs ARE causing you gain weight.