Calories In vs. Calories Out

Hi everyone, 

I am new here to Obesity Help.  I had my VSG on July 16th 2013, and I am about 9 months out.  I know you are not supposed to compare yourself to others but I feel my weight loss has been very slow.  At about 3 months out I started exercising and I was walking 3 miles (all hill where I live) every other day, and I think I was consuming 600-700 calories/day then and unable to eat any more then that.  I actually gained 6 pounds after 2 weeks of this walking.  My only conclusion (as my nutritionist couldn't provide one for me- she was perplexed) was that I was burning more then I was eating and going in to starvation mode (though I never had hunger at this time, ever) hence storing fat.  So after about a month of this gain and no loss I decided to quit walking and then BAM I dropped weight.  I got a little exercise phobia from this.  Anyway - when my 6 month was coming up I knew I had to have a plan in place because the doctor was going to be concerned if I still wasn't exercising, so I joined a gym and hired a trainer.   At 9 months out I am eating between 1000-1200 calories a day and burning between 900- 1200 calories a week.  I AM NOT LOSING, and the measuring tape has not moved either.  Granted I feel great but I am getting frustrated that since January (with consistent workouts 45-60min, 3-4X/ week of cardio and strength training) I have only lost 5 pounds, and this week gained one back- so really only 4.    I eat my 60 (sometimes 70) grams of protein and I have added in some veggies.  

Any suggestions?  I know some people say don't count calories but I feel I have to- in order to track calories burned.  Am I eating too much at this point?  How many calories should I be consuming at 9 months out?  Why is the scale and measuring tape not moving.  I am getting nervous that my body is saying enough is enough, no more weight loss for you!  I was 237 when I had the surgery and I am 175 now (I have seen 173.5).   In 9 months I have only lost 62 of the 90 I thought I would be losing.  

Is there a fine balance between how much we exercise and what our food intake is?  What is a good ratio, for productive weight loss?

My nutritionist says NOT to eat your exercise calories and if you are only walking 3 miles, hills or not, the amount burned is pretty limited. I run 10 miles and only count 525 calories for all that effort. 

I am 10 months out with RNY and eat close to 700 a day and I track every calorie religiously! I even record zero calorie items so I can see exactly what I am putting in my body. 

While I was losing like crazy the first 7+ months, I have only lost a total of 10 lbs in the past 90 days. So my loss has slowed, but I was prepared for that and knew this was a natural reaction from my body and not to be upset by it. 

One thing you and I do very differently is our protein intake. So my base is closer to 80 a day and 100-110 on days I run (I run every other day without fail) and I drink 150 oz of liquid a day on average. It is rare that I am below 120 oz of liquid--very rare. 

If you are only eating 60-70 grams of protein and 1000 to 1200 calories, what else are you eating? That sounds like a lot of carb and fat to me. Carbs and fat, IMO, are going to keep the weight on you. I DO eat good fats like nuts and avocado and if I use added fats in my food it is coconut oil or avocado oil...but just doing basic math it seems like your carb and fat intake far exceed what my nutritionist advised me to have. 

Those are the things I would look to cut back on, increase your protein and hydrate like crazy. 

Actually I was eating very little carb- and my nutritionist requested that I up it (low glycemic, whole grains, veggies), so maybe I will go back to just protein for a while.   I too journal everything... and if I am unsure of a measurement I go generous.  To see you are still only at 700 calories makes me think I am putting too much in.  I will try cutting back.  I just had that scary episode of the 6 pound gain when I was eating so little and exercising so much.  While I am running 2 miles at each work out, I am also strength training (I worked with a trainer  for 6 weeks, on my own now) and I am at the gym for an hour minimum.   I do about 4 hours a week of work outs that leave me sweating and sore (but feeling great).

I just find it amazing because prior to surgery I was eating twice as many calories or more and totally was a carb loader-- and what I do now is so dramatically different.  AND prior to surgery I was pretty sedentary.

I do have to work on fluid intake as I have such a hard time with that-  I get way less then you-- I barely meet my 64oz a day.  So I will work on that.  

I wouldn't say I was eating my exercise calories-- because that is how I did WW for so many years with the activity points and we all know how well that worked for me if I ended up with VSG.  I do not work out and burn 400 calories and think- GEE now I can eat 400 more today because quite frankly I can not eat more then I do- it is physically impossible.  But I worry about the how starvation mode, storing fat thing and that happens when you are not eating enough yet working out alot.   

Thank you for your suggestions-  I am going back to more protein (against my nutritionist) and working on water intake (you'd think that would be easy but for some of us that is hard-- but totally DOABLE, I just have to do it).   I will give it a two week try.

There are many theories surrounding the "starvation mode" thinking.  I think it may be a factor for some, but not every body works that way.  There are even articles on the type of calories really don't matter-you can eat crap or good food and the amount of calories vs what you burn in the end determines weight loss.  However, poor choices will ultimately lead to poor nutrition.  I don't think 1000-1200 calories per day is a bad goal, but I do think you need to ensure you get more protein, and then fill the rest with quality veggies, fruit and whole grains. Stay away from protein drinks/bars as they are full of chemicals and crap.  The goal is to eat food as close to its natural state. AND DO NOT STOP EXERCISING.  Incorporate weight training.  In the end, you'll weigh more, but your body fat percentage will be ideal and your metabolism will be revved up due to supporting more muscle mass. 

I weigh between 165-175 and wear a size 8.  I'm very solid and fit.  I can eat 1800-2000 calories per day and maintain easily. I've been in maintenance for four years now. The trick is I workout quite a bit, and have lots of muscle. I do not live on a diet-I follow the 80/20 rule:  80% of the time, I make good, wholesome food choices, the rest is 20% of whatever the heck I want.

You are at the point where you have to find what works for YOU.  And it will likely be something very unique.  I'd even try increasing calories a bit (to 1,400) on workout days and see if it helps.  You'll need to do that for a few weeks in a row to see if it works (I know several folks that it worked for). Also, mix up the workout routine.  Do some new things.  Our bodies adapt very quickly and become accustomed to our activity.  Running 10 miles may burn 800+ calories for someone that doesn't run often, but for someone like me that runs regularly, I'm probably lucky to burn 500-600 doing it.  

Oh, and don't try a bunch of new stuff at once, or you'll not know which change brought the success (or failure).  Try each one separately for two weeks minimum. This  is good preparation for maintenance.  It took me a good year in maintenance to write my "success" plan for the long haul, and I'm open to tweaking as needed.....

Thanks!  I am going back to focusing on Proteins.  I have not made many "poor" choices since my surgery- so I know I am not hanging up there.  Since I posted this, I cut back to 900-1000 calories, bump up my proteins, scaled back on carbs and the scale started to move again.  I hired a trainer so my workouts are varied- and I do plenty of strength training. I work out 3-4 times a week for an hour with cardio and strength training. 

I figure I know what happens when I give up- but I have NEVER stuck it out for more then 2 years - so I am sticking it out- actually I am life style changing.  Changing some things up is really important.  Thank you SO much.

First congratulations on your weight loss. 62 pounds in nine months is remarkable. You should really be proud of yourself. I am sure it took a lot of hard work and dedication. The more weight you loose its not going to continue to come off as fast. Usually you are not going to average 10 pounds a month for 9 straight months. Although it sounds good it's usually not realistic but you should be very happy seeing continued progress. I am not sure what exercise regiment your personal trainer has you on. Hopefully yall have adjusted your workouts so your body is  not getting use to the same exercises, intensity, reps, sets, etc.. Well keep up the good work. Hope this helps.