600 Calories a Day is the right amount?

I am 2 weeks post-op with lap band.  I guess I can eat more than a 1/4 cup at a time, but not much more.  I'm eating about 600 calories a day.  I'm so exhausted.  I feel week in my muscles.  Also, I haven't lost any weight since I started eating solids - despite the low calorie level.

I realized I didn't know how to get anymore calories in during the day.  I remembered that I was supposed to be eating ~1200 calories a day and had no idea how to increase my calories to that level.  I would like to get back to real exercise (not just walking) but don't see how I can when I get exhausted doing simple housework.

I called the diatition over my concerns over my low calorie intake and my extra low energy levels.  She said I was tired because I'd had surgery.  That my energy levels would return.  She said that I'm *supposed* to be eating only 600-700 calories a day during my weight loss period.  That the 1200 calorie level was for maintanence only.

I'm very upset.  600 calories a day is what anorexics do - not real people with real bodies.  I want my enegry back.  I want to be able to think clearly, function at work and at home.  I did NOT sign up for 600 calories a day for years until the weight was off.  I thought I was doing a 1200 calorie diet.

Did I just miss the boat (despite all the reading online, in books and classes I went to)?  Or is this really the way it's supposed to be?

Thanks,
ELizabeth

Elizabeth,

    Congrats on having surgery! I think that we all went through that "Reality Check" when we started eating and realized we could not eat very much... I would say that 1st and foremost, be sure to get a minimum 55G of protein a day... That will def help with the energy levels for sure. Hang in there, listen to your body, get your protein, and all will be well. Ultimately, you need to follow the advice of YOUR surgeon... Everyone's surgeon has different protocol, and I would suggest consulting him / her with your concerns...

The whole point of weight loss surgery is to allow a person to have medically supervised starvation so that the excess fat is used up as quickly as possible and the health risks of obesity are therefore diminished FAST.

Most people who have this surgery eat 500-800 calories per day for the first year to year and a half after their procedure. It is normal for us as a group. You may still be emotionally attached to the amount of food you are allowed to eat, which is why a low-calorie diet is of such concern.

You are taking supplements, counting protein grams and decreasing to a very low calorie diet for a purpose--fast weight loss. This is what is required. If you desire slower weight loss, increasing your caloric intake will do that for you, but I would listen to your dietician.

Anorexics are very different from fat people. They DO NOT have at least 3,500,000 calories' worth of extra fuel riding on their bodies(100 pounds of extra weight). Fat people DO. That fat is energy that is not being used, it is being STORED. Anorexics obsessively control their intake because they believe that if they are not thin they are worthless and undeserving. People who have gone into WLS realistically do so because they want to embrace health and are tired of being shackled both by their bodies and their mind-set--that food is comfort, food is coping, food is love. Both are what would be described as eating disorders.

You need to rest, sleep, walk, and realize that it does take time to recover from surgery. It took me about 6 weeks. And I did survive and THRIVE on a diet of 500 calories a day for "years"! Food is just fuel, and you need to use yours' up. That's why you had the surgery, right?

I was at 700-900 calories for months and I was training for triathlons. I had plenty of energy because I made sure to get a lot of protein. I was living off my fat stores, which also provide energy.

IOW, your dietician has a point that you are probably feeling tired because you recently had surgery. It's only been two weeks. Why not ride it out and see how you feel in a month. You'll be able to eat more then, too.

My doctor said that I should be shooting for between 1200-1500 calories a day but that it might take a couple of weeks after surgery to get there as the stomach adjusts to having gone through surgery. 

Around my 3rd week, I started adding protein powder to things, which helped with increasing the calories and the protein intake.  I also usually have a protein shake in the morning (made with skim milk and protein powder), so that gives me a good kick start to the day. 

I had the band and ate 600-900 cals a day until I had lost about 90% of my excess weight.  I went from 274 to 150 in less than a year.  I went lower before and after my surgiversary.  I wasn't training like MacMadame (Marie) but I was very active, walking 6 days a week for an hour, plus doing some strength training hit or miss, and just living a much more active life with walking during regular life and running and playing with my kids - then ages 1 and 7-8. 

You do NOT need more calories.  Your body will recover.  It took time for me to get back to my walking regimen.  It's normal to feel like this.  The only things that matter during the weight loss phase are water and protein, and you might have to add fiber powder to your water if you find the water alone doesn't keep things moving.  Take your vitamins and don't even worry about vegetables at this point, it's all about protein and water until your body gets adjusted to your new way of eating and burning your body fat. 

Be patient - you didn't get overweight overnight did you?

Well, thanks everyone for your responses.  I remembered being told 1,200 calories a day.  It kinda freaked me out that 600-700 was the actual amount.  You'd think with all the classes I went to a reading I did that I would have known that before the surgery!

Anyway, as long as I know it's normal, I'll get used to it.  I'm doing really well with the protein, water, supplements and all.  I'll give myself more time to heal to get my energy back.

I'm a pretty high energy person, so anything that holds me back can annoy me.

Today I played tennis with my 2 older boys (10 + 13).  It was only on the half-court and only about 20 minutes, but it felt to be out doing stuff again.

 Thanks again everyone.
Elizabeth

I have a band too and I aim for 1000-1200 cal a day though I had a hard time getting that much in the begining.  The weight loss with the band is slower because we are able to eat more calories right out of the gate; that's part of the deal we signed on for.  I've still lost 82 lbs in 7 months.  It took me probably six weeks to get hungry and so my calories were more that 700 /day range but trust me you will be able to eat more after the healing phase.  I still do protein shakes to get enough protein in and early on I was doing them to add more protein and calories.  There is a women at the support group who stays at six hundred a day and she looks bad and complains of no energy; not sure what she is eating but make sure you get enough protein in and that will help with everything:)

Remember the first month is about healing and not worrying about weight loss yet (I know it's hard) you will lose the weight better when you get the right fills:)