How Many Calories??

I just posted this on the main board, and figured I'd post it here too. At 3 months out, I'm wondering about how many calories I should be getting. I usually get somewhere between 500 - 600 a day, and have been getting in about 70-85g of protein. I feel like I could probably eat more, but I don't know if I should. My weight loss has slowed lately, and I wonder if it's because I'm not getting enough calories. I see other people who had their surgery at the same time as me eating 800-1000 calories per day. I also walk about 3 - 4 miles per day. Are there any guidelines? Hugs, Nancy -64

Hi Nancy, I can't offer much advice, because I'm horrible at keeping track. BUT, the weirdest thing happened the other day--I was on a 2 week plateau, and one day I decided that I was going to have a scone from Starbucks. I ate about 1/2 and felt a little lightheaded (sugar rush, I'm sure-this is the first sugar I've had since WLS). The next day, I was down 2 pounds and have lost a pound a day since! I think my body needed some sort of "shock" to get the weight loss going again... I'm not recommending to eat something that might make you sick, maybe just try something out of the ordinary to see if it will trigger the weightloss. GOOD LUCK!!! Jeff -81 338/257/188

OMG, the same thing happened to me! I too was on a 2 week plateau and went out to dinner at a chinese rest. had a beef &brocoli, but I am sure there was sugar in the sauce... they always add sugar & starch to everything! After that I lost 4 lbs.! -Flávia

When I was on Weigh****chers last year, when people hit plateaus they sometimes went on what was called the Wendi Plan. On this plan you ate high one day, then low the next and did that back and forth for a week. That usually broke the plateau. I ate high for me yesterday and lost a pound this morning. I think if you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode and holds on to the weight. I'm going to try and up my calories a bit and see how it goes. Hugs, Nancy -65

Nancy: I believe you are right. I was doing the same thing and the weight was coming off slow and steady. Now that I've been eating a little more, wow, two weeks straight I've lost five pounds per week. Dont starve yourself hun. Michelle -70

Hi Nancy, I've learned that 500-600 calories is sure to put your body in the starvation mode which means that your metabolism slows way down so you don't burn very many calaories. It is very hard to lose weight in that mode. Your body works so hard to make sure you stay alive and it thwarts our goal of weight loss. By having that high calorie indulgence that people mention your body is so happy that you're not starving to death that it ramps up the metabolism again and if you can manage to keep your calories above the starvation mode level but below the weight gain level you'll do just fine. For me that means I must not eat fewer than 800 calories or more than 1,000 calories. Hope this helps. Cathy Open RNY 7/26/04 302/243/145