Confused.

I didn't realize when I posted that this would be such a contested question LOL.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It's super thorough and I appreciate the perspective from someone in the medical field as well.

Also FYI, your "spare change" sounds like money in the bank to me ;)

As someone who has been on internet boards since the dial-up AOL days, there are always hot button issues for any given board. You want to see a fire fight? Wander onto a parenting board and throw out a question or comment in favor (or in opposition) of: co-sleeping, breast feeding, attachment parenting, working moms, stay at home moms (you get the idea). It's blood in the water.

I've been active here and in one other WLS community, and topics like low-carb, which surgery is best, etc. are guaranteed to get a lively discussion going, and sometimes it gets heated. I think the starvation mode thing gets heated here because there are so many really intelligent people here who do their research, value the scientific method (and know what that means), and keep themselves informed. One of the reasons I like it here, even if some of the discussions get heated. People cite their sources here, and growing up with a scientist for a father and debate being a family hobby, I really like that.

My responses frequently hit the TLDR; threshold. LOL. It's a running joke in my office, how long my memos get. I try to keep it concise, but I also value clarity and sometimes that doesn't come in sound bites. :D

I hear you on hot button issues, especially with anything parenting related. Luckily as the parent of 2 young girls I know the definitive answer there. All parenting styles are wrong and everything you are doing is a mistake. It is better to let them be raised by wolves because Mowgli kicks butt :D

I also appreciate all the people here who do my own cough I mean THEIR own research. It has been such a help to be able to read all of this information early on in my process.

I told my kiddo that we parents are usually determined not to screw our kids up the way our parents screwed us up. Instead, we find new and inventive ways to screw our kids up. We should just start their therapy funds as infants the same way we (should) start their college funds. LOL.

LOL Heck no! I'm paying for their college so that they can afford their own therapy :D

Yep...dial up...bought my AOL minutes at 7-11...I found OH with the "Ask Jeeves" search engine

This is one of those topics that you can sit in a corner and cry over if you think about it too much. And like someone else said, you get it all from angles with different advice. My Dietitian and surgeon are on the same page - 800 calories by 6 months and 1,000-1,200 by 1 year or maintenance. However, their plan isn't low carb. They are supportive of me staying low carb though.

My trainer thinks it's all insane and he keeps talking about "when I start eating more calories" and I have to remind him that if I'm a good little WLS patient the amount of calories I intake are never going to be his friend. We agree to disagree as long as I A) don't pass out in his gym and B) he will continue to make me sweat.

So, all scientific backing aside, because I have very little - I am 4 months out, I eat 600-700 calories per day and 30g or less of carbs. I've seen that very slowly nudge up over the months. Like, I was at 500 at 6-8 weeks and now average 620-650. I work out 5-6x per week walking, running, HIIT and lifting. I feel better than I ever have in my life. Seriously, I want to skip sometimes...it's that good.

You can see my weight loss curve in the link in my signature. It's good.

What plan does your center give? Is it purely based on calorie counts or something entirely different?

Congrats on feeling so much better....no shame in skipping :)

60-80g of protein/day minimum and 800 calories (or less). The rest of my plan is pretty much that I don't introduce anything but protein until I can get in a 3oz portion. I can eat 2-2.5oz now, so I still don't eat any veggies/fruits/starches. I plan to stay low carb anyway.

Thanks :)