What's the deal with CARBS?

The word CARBS is short for CARBOHYDRATE. Carbs are super confusing. In what universe would someone put Donuts and Spinach in the same category? D'oh.

Obviously, all carbs are not created equal. Folks in our Bariatric Eating Support Group on Facebook act nonchalant about the 'few' Tater Tots on their plate or get all happy face they ate only a handful of M&M's in the office, or a small Subway sandwich. They ask 'what about' low carb wraps, macaroni and crackers.

We say 'Noooooo', but we understand that perhaps you just don't know. If we were all brilliantly well versed in nutrition and effortlessly made great choices, we would not have needed bariatric surgery. Drop the Mic.

However, it IS your responsibility to LEARN as food choices often kill your weight loss goals.

THE SCIENCE PART - READ CAREFULLY UNTIL LIGHT BULB GOES ON!

• Carbohydrates, Fats, and Protein are the 3 Macronutrient Categories of food - we already know what Fats and Protein are - basically everything else is a Carb.
• Carbs are made up of different kinds of 'sugar' molecules that are linked together, just like LEGO.
• Some LEGO have just one or two places they link together while others are firmly connected along the entire piece.
• The body can rip apart the loosely connected LEGO quickly and burn them as energy, even when it's not needed.
• The body then stores this 'extra' energy as FAT (ahhhhhhh... so that's how that happened!)

Guess which LEGO are the ones that get ripped apart the easiest? The SIMPLE carbs, the processed foods. The LEGO donuts.

I think you can probably guess a few from the list but here ya go.

Bread. Cereal. French Fries. Taco shells. Mashed potatoes. Rice. Tater Tots. Donuts. Scones. Tortillas. Crackers. Bagels. Pretzels. Snickers. Ice Cream. Doritos. Twinkies. Tortilla Chips. Rice Cakes. Soda. Sugar. Honey. Just for fun, add a few to the list ________.

These foods simply happen to be in the same category as spinach and raspberries. They are NOT the same - 50 carbs of spinach IS NOT THE SAME as 50 carbs of Twinkie. (Please tell me you get that... read it again if you are not crystal clear on that part)

Cut to the Chase...

After bariatric surgery, eat Lean Protein & Vegetables. The Vegetable LEGO are the ones that are hard to break apart. Vegetable 'LEGO' contain just a few carbohydrates that are tightly wrapped in so much fiber that there is very little to burn. The right ones are made up of almost all nutrients that can be sucked right up by your body.

While ALL Vegetables are good for you, the Best Vegetables are Leaves (almost 0 carbs: spinach, lettuce, chard, herbs), Stems & Flowers (very low carb: asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms), and the Fruit (moderate carbs: peppers, squash, green beans, tomatoes, eggplant, avocado). Skip 'the Roots' until you reach goal as they are the loose LEGO (high carb: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams).

Here's the Ah Ha moment! (AKA the Condescending part)

IF THERE ARE NO EASY BURNING LEGO CARBOHYDRATES TO BE FOUND, the body is forced to burn your Stored Body Fat for fuel (ding ding ding!!!) Steady fueling of five small protein and low carb vegetable meals also means more constant energy levels all day long. You will not feel hungry - you'll feel satisfied. This is how you make your surgery work for you.

You wonder why weight loss is easier for some people? This. Is. Why.