9 months out and having a hard time

HI all i have been on here for a while but don't post allot, anyway i am 9 months post op and had lots of complications well most have been worked out except the sugar  lows. but I'm having a real hard time with food amounts , it seems like lately I'm Starving. i cant seem to get full and I'm hungry shortly after eating. i try to stick to high protein foods. i do a double protein shake with click and unjury in the morn and sip on it till about 12 or 1 then i have a protein bar and water or tea and maybe a a cheese stick or slices of deli meat no bread. then another protein bar and by dinner I'm freaking starving... i take nexium so i don't think its an ulcer. my calories intake has been around 1500 or less. i  seem to bounce between 208 and 205 i have lost 120 lbs since feb 24th . but im pretty stuck and really mad at myself . I'm losing control and find I'm panic eating again. i really need a support group but their not in the area . ughhh i really need some advice, guys. thanks so much and merry Xmas

First of all - Take A Deep Breathe!!!

Glad that your complications are resolved. I know the food amounts can be tricky, particularly since it seems every doc and nutritionist has different plans/programs.  I hear of peeps at 9 months out eating over 1800 cal. per day, and others that are around 800.  The variance is amazing, really.  The trick is, I suppose, finding what is going to work for you. FOR ME, I cannot rely on protein shakes for a meal replacement. Just like other liquids, puddings, and jello, my pouch does not "fill up" on liquids. I focus on all solid food, except for sugar free popsicles which are an evening treat I allow myself (one hour after eating).  When you hit stalls or plateau, you might want to try switching a few things up? Add intensity to your workouts, or just add a workout. Maybe check with your doc about staggering your caloric intake so that you have a few higher days and balance out with a few lower days (zig zag), this could help stave off the "starvation mode".

Definately talk to your doc. My best suggestion would be solids not shakes, up the workouts, and zig zag calories.  But, that is what works for me....and like I said, everyone is different.

Hang in there....YOU ARE DOING AMAZING!
      Hugs,
Kathy

I am right there with you. I have been at a stall for a little bit now. I went back to the 800 calorie diet like I did pre-op it worked for a minute but now does not work. They recalled the slimfast shakes I was drinking because of bacteria that may have gotten into them so now I am doing this yet again on my own. My last nutrition appointment my nutritionist stated I am not on a diet eat in moderation eat what I want but don't over do it. I am looking to continue to lose weight not stay at where I am. I see so many individuals on the Feb board who look amazing and at times I wonder if I sabotage myself. I am needing to change my workouts and my food intake. It is so hard when you have a minimal income but yet I do the best I can do.
I drink two cups of coffee yet again in the morning
eat a protein bar and a piece of fruit (apple,banana)
drink water all day
for lunch a salad a sandwich or some soup
for dinner whatever my fiance cooks or I decide to cook and I am done eating before 8 pm at night.
For a while I stopped eating by 5:30-6:00 and I noticed the weight was still coming off. But with all the hours I work and then by the time I get home sometimes dinner isn't ready until 7:00. Many changes on my part need to be made and I hope they can be soon. I would like to reach my surgeons goal here soon. I have lost 85 pounds but would like to lose more than that.

i really admire all the RNYers that eat on a schedual and stick to it , that is one of my BIGGEST hurdles with a toddler and schoolage kids it is so hard for me because there always eating at differant times and amounts and sooooo picky.. also i have the hardest time with self control i get this panicky feeling and start eating its like a compulsion . i really need to find some tools for overcoming this issue. i noticwe that when i eat less the weight just melts off / i dont excersize much / i do try to walk but i have really got to focus and get my butt in gear.. i reall y like my shakes in the morning and i have been making protein icecream ohhhhh so good. i totaly understand about having a low income and trying to eat right , we have sakvage grocery stires here that are amazing try to see if they have any in your area the food is usualy dented cans and the like and are grealy reduced in price.. just an idea. amazon has good prices on protein and comes out much cheaper the slimfast can .i did those too for a while..  thanks for posting

now you got me freakin out... I am lucky if i get 800 calories a day!  and Im pregnant!!  That sucks.  I dont ever feel like im starving and I dont really do a lot of protein shakes anymore.  Maybe I should start back up with those!! I am gonna need to talk with my nut. to see what he says.  I hope everything works out for you sweetie, Im sure you will get the info you need, oh is a great place for answers.

Glad your complications are improving.  120 lb lost is just phenominal. 

I claim expertise at nothing but what jumps out at me is you eat no real food for most of the day.  This is for life so put down the supplements and have real meals.  Real cooked protein and some veg, beans, lower sugar fruit etc.  With lean proteinsd like shrimp ot tillapia, 4 oz is just 100 calories. 

I eat all day but naturally gravitate to a 1200-1300 calorie menu for the day and I eat a lot.  Extra lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken.  Throw a cup of water in just before its done and let it boil down so it is pouch perfect.  Seafood; boneless sirloin pork chops, all fat removed; beef top round roast, all fat removed cut up and stewed; boneless skinless chicken thighs all fat removed, much easier to dogest than white meat.  I braise, stew, slow cook, or bake in oven bags till extremely tender,

All of the above have under 70 calories per ounce and about 7g of  protein.  You can have four filling 4 oz servings of dense protein every day with a salad or hot veg at each meal for 1200 calories.   

I still use protein supplements.  I keep the bars for a sweet snack and powder for occaisioal use.  Real food is what I need daily.  I'm never hubgry or feeling deprived.  You'll be far less hungry with real 'normal' meals. 

I'm on a bugdet and my food dollars are tight.  They go much farther on ood than on supplements. 

hiya thanks so much , yeah i see your point of real food i do tend towards protein bars and protein drinks. i  get the munchees sooo bad and i crave salt so much then i crave sweets after the salt ughhhh its like a vicous cycle. i find that no matter how much i drink during the day i get extremely thisty at meals. i alsonotice that when i stay up later i eat more crap and thats a bad thing so i gotta find a way to sleep better . thanks again for your input .

Protein bars may be convenient but they arent very filling and the carb and fat content often offset the protein content. I would drop them and seek protein sources from meat. It will fill you and keep you full longer. Deli meats often sit well but you have to eat quite a bit for the protein to add up. Are you logging you food? Do you know how your protein is adding up? I would suggest using fitday.com or the dailyplate.com and see exactly what you averaging each day. Real food will always be more satisfying than shakes or processed bars.

Karen