Low Carb and the Band
Here's what I've learned about low-carb and the band. Getting off the carb addiction can take two weeks. It's not worth torturing yourself. Get on the wagon and stay there using these methods.
Low carb doesn't mean no carb. It means knowing what you put in your mouth and in what quantities. You can get around the band by eating things that slide past it like ice cream. (My personal weakness)
The best thing to do is find a substitute that gives you a feeling of "reward" so you don't feel deprived. In place of ice cream, I have cottage cheese I've flavored and sweetened with Splenda. Other people make ricotta cremes to do the same. Nice thing is, Cool Whip Free is allowed. LOL! Now I've discovered Jello recipes that make frosty ice cream substitutes. Now that's living large, since they don't require an ice cream maker. Sorbets work too, but they can be "expensive" carb wise unless you make them yourself and use substitutions like Splenda.
For pasta, try substituting slices of zucchini or yellow squash, or spaghetti squash. Lasagna tastes divine this way. I make a half-and-half lasagna. One half is layered with oven-ready pasta, the other half is layered with zucchini or yellow squash. (Frozen works, but fresh is best.) All other ingredients basically remain the same. I use a mandolin to cut the veggies into thin slices.
For potatoes, I highly recommend "faux-tay-toes" and "faux-tay-toes deluxe." My DH and Dante love mashed potatoes. I ground my teeth in resentment and deprivation, and made them for months before I discovered "faux-tay-toes." Now Dante eats my "faux-tay-toes deluxe" and DH has to make do with instant. LOL!
Here's a link to an official recipe: CLICK HERE. How to make it deluxe is down at the very bottom: Add cream cheese! Believe me, it works. I serve this at holiday meals and no one complains.
Here are other substitutions
soy flour = wheat flour
Splenda = sugar
steamed cauliflower = rice (just pulse in the food processor until the right size)
pork rinds = bread crumbs (extra flavor too. Again, use the food processor)
romaine lettuce leaves = bread for sandwiches
cheesecake = pie (Impossible Cheesecake made with Splenda works best.)
celery = snack crackers for dips, peanut butter, or cream cheese
celery = snack crackers for dips, peanut butter, or cream cheese
heavy cream = milk (no, I'm not kidding. Heavy cream has less carbs.)
The thing I have to watch is being greedy. Like any other carb addict on the wagon, it's very easy to slip back into purgatory. So I have to trick myself. When I make the cheesecake, I cut it into serving sizes and freeze what isn't needed immediately before I sit down with my serving. That way, I can't do the secret midnight snacker sneak for "just one more" without more bother than the sneak can hide.
Reading labels in the grocery store can be a rewarding and amusing pastime for a low carb lifer. The so-called "diet" foods actually can contain more carbs than the cheaper regular foods. Go ahead, compare that light mayo to regular mayo. Try not to drop the jars in shock. Since they had to take out fat to conform to present FDA food regulations to be considered "diet" they have to add in sugar to make the food taste good. Funny how those "rich and fatty" foods like real butter, heavy cream, bacon and non-diet anything are better for a low-carb dieter.
Just be aware of what you put in your mouth and how much. The band can only help you regulate sheer volume. That's it. The other part of the success story of bandsters is learning not only portion control, but also what to eat. You can have 4 oz (by volume) of shredded beef and cheese, or you can have 4 oz of ice cream. One will keep you thin and healthy. The other just means you wasted a lot of time and pain.
The choice, as always, is up to you. There are no silver bullets. There never were.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
it's about learning to dance in the rain.
Lena Austin
Writing blog: http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com
Recipe and Pagan blog: http://third-infinity.blogspot.com
Low Carb Diet blog: http://fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com
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