Do you count calories?

So yesterday Marty saw the nut and had a fill. She told him he should be eating no more than 1000 calories a day. I had a temporary loss of insanity and said okay, i will do that too along with you. after all we did start this together. so my question is do you count your calories or jus****ch what you eat? i have no tool now to help me so this is going to be tough.

No, I don't.  I always felt like I should, but my particular nut at the time wouldn't really give me a firm number - it was always, "protein first, then carbs, etc."

So that's what I do, focus on protein first until I'm almost full, and then some bites of whatever complex carb I'm having.

And let's not even talk about the refined carbs, because that's a surefire way to jack up the calories!!!

Can YOU do it, along with Marty?  Sure!  At least based on what I've seen you go through, you're a strong woman. 

HOWEVER, let me tell you the plan I was on (as suggested by my nut) pre-op, to help me lose weight.

B - Protein shake (again, high protein/low carb/sugars)

S - if I was hungry (2% cheese stick)

L - Weigh****chers, Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meal (under 300 calories), plus a salad

S - Handful of almonds

D - Either a variation of lunch - but always, protein first, then complex carbs

If I needed something in the evening, s/f popsicles were a good go-to snack.  And of course, TONS of water.

Logging your food and fluid intake is a big help, too.  It'll keep you from being in denial and lying to yourself.

Keep in mind, though, that if you're particularly active, the calorie count will differ.  People who exercise need more fuel.  Also remember that if you dip too low in your calories, your body will go into starvation mode and hang on to the fat!!!

This plan worked for me - I lost 11 pounds over the course of 6 months.  Granted, that's about 2 pounds a month, which is nothing in post-op land, but since I needed to just show that I could lose (and I knew I could).

Good luck!!!!  We're here for you!

Hugs,

T

It is hard at first to count calories when we have no idea what we are doing.  But I found that fitday.com helped me keep track of what I ate and it adds the amount of grams of protein, carbs and etc.   I now use sparkpeople.com   and a little tracker on my iPhone which I love!!

One you go a week or more putting up everything you eat you will get what you need to cut down to give you the right amount of balance you need to have 1,000 calories a day.

These two places are free just sign up.

I forgot to mention that I really do not count my calories Ijust count the amount of grams of protein and carbs I take in.

As a rule I do not count calories. I do use calories as a guide when I make choices of one product over another. Once in a while when I was in a stall, I used calories as a way to see if I was consuming too much. My main focus continues to be my daily reqs for protein and fluids.

Do you use the Lose It ap on the iPhone? I use it and love it.

Yes ma'am and I absolutely love it too!

Yes.  My Doc upped my calories 3 mos ago to 1900 daily.  I need to use Daily Plate everyday and be honest with my intake.  I work out daily and exercise on the weekends.  He stated that he wants my fat mass down to 15% by November.  The only way to get there is more calories, good carbs, proteins and more exercise. So far he's right.  Last 2 weigh ins showed lean  weight increase and fat loss.  Found out I cant starve myself thin.  I'll just have a major regain later

mellie,

I think 1000 is a bit low for you... 1200 would me my minimum recommendation based on readings I've done over the years.

I think for me the hardest thing i'm wrapping my head around with surgery is the low amount of calories that are acceptable for me to eat.

as for tracking  I have tried

the daily plate
spark people
fit day

and af ew others



I love spark people for keeping track of everything...