holy cow!!!

So I talked to the PA and asked about how many calories I should be taking in at this point.  The NUT didnt tell me, just that I shouldn't have any snacks.  I can only have 3 meals a day.  Anyway, the PA said I should be having around 1500 calories a day.  I think that is A LOT???  I mean even if I do:
B:  2 eggs/2 pc of cheese = 220 calories/19 g protein
L: 3 oz chicken and 2 pc of cheese= 260 calories/30 g protein
S: 3 oz chicken and salad =  300 calories/25 g protein

This menu fills me up.  Can anyone please tell me how I am to get 1500 calories?  Holy Moly, I can't even imagine trying to double up on those meals?  there is no way on gods green earth I could do that? 

Any help would be wonderful.....

How about adding in a couple protein shakes? I know a lot of people are told no snacks, but I have always had 1-2 planned snacks and lost weight steadily. Best wishes.

I'm not supposed to have snacks either, but if you're not getting the calories in, you should have something like a protein shake.  Ask your NUT if he/she can give you some sample menus.  

I wasn't told to count calories - only to follow the rules given to me for protein, carbs and sugar).  Do you log your food?  I use www.myplate.com and I was surprised to see that the little bit of food I'm eating had more calories than I thought.  I don't see much in the way of fruit and vegetables other than a salad.  Was there dressing on the salad?  That has calories. What about drinks?  All of that adds up. 

I got the impression that the "no snacks" thing was to keep us from grazing all day long.

~ Barbara

Barbara,

That was one of the problems.  When I went to see my NUT, she was horrible.  Honestly I was so offended, but she sat and told me not to eat snacks, but then said, "here are the food lists for our bypass patients, I don't have anything for the band".  I thought WTF? LOL..It was the worst appt I have ever had.  She just said no snacks and 60 g of protein.  The reason I was asking is because I was stuck at 254 for a long time.  So I upped my calories to 900-1000(by eating cheese or doing a shake) and I broke through, but I just thought 1500 calories seemed like a lot. 

I do log my food, I would be lost if I didn't!  Funny how much I love doing that and it keeps me on track and honest!  My drinks usually include water w/ lemon and coffee (1/2 and 1/2 w/ splenda).  Yeah the whole grazing thing, I def not a grazer, but I do need a snack.  I need one to keep me going from lunch to supper. 

Thank you very much for everyone's replies!  I love this board!!!! 

I usually tell people to carefully follow their health-care providers instructions.

However, it seems clear to me that your NUT admittedly does not know much about banding.

Our pouches are meant to hold a SMALL amount of food --- about the size of an egg or a tightly closed fist.

Since we should only be eating about 1/2 cup - 1 cup of food at a time, eating only 3 times a day may not give us adequate nutrition.

I don't graze all day long, but I do eat about 5 - 6 times a day.

I eat breakfast in 2 stages (greek yogurt and then a small piece of fruit a few hours later)
I eat lunch -- protein/veg/whole grain
I eat an afternoon snack (low-fat cheese stick and a few whole grain crackers)
I eat dinner -- protein/veg/whole grain
I may have an evening snack

I can eat 6 times a day and still only have 1,000 calories -- sometimes I do more, but I am now trying to maintain my current weight, and I exercise for about 90 minutes a day.
 

I think that it is better to eat 5 or 6 SMALL meals/snacks a day, than to try to get 1,000 - 1,500 calories in just 3 meals -- I think that it tends to make us try to eat too much at one time, and can lead to stretching our pouches (dialated esophogus)

I am having the exactly same problem!!  I don't have a calorie goal to get to, except that my surgeon told me his best banders lose best between 800 and 1000 calories.  I was pretty much at about 850 calories but I upped it a little to closer to 1000.  I get in about 90gms of portein a day and keep carbs and fats very very low.  My last weigh in had me at 48 pounds down, so I guess it's all working. 

I have to STRUGGLE to get in 1000 calories.  For me the morning "snack" is integral, even though it's only a laughing cow light cheese wedge or something similar.  Usually well under 100 calories.  I usually eat a later lunch and then am not hungry til dinner.  After dinner I usually don't snack because Im still pretty full.

How about some raw almonds to nibble on during the day?  Or perhaps a tablespoon of natural peanut butter could help.  That adds about 100 calories for each of those snacks and they aren't so filling that you can't get them in.

Sometimes we have to tweak just to get to the point where we need to be, we know our own bodies best!

Good luck!!  I'm right there with you!!

Donna, we were banded very close to each other.  i was banded on 3/23.  I'm down about 34lbs.  Not as much as I would like, but its 34lbs I don't have weighing my down anymore.  Do you have any fill in your band? 

I actually never thought about almonds or a tbsp of PB.  Very good suggestions!   I noticed, for the 4 days I went up to 900-1000 calories, I broke through my plateau, but guess what, the last 2 days even w/ all the picnics I haven't gotten even 800 calories in and I'm back up.  Its been so hard to eat w/ the heat and I feel very full faster.  I mean like after 4-5 bites.  Its been very very humid here.  Maybe I should get some more shakes,....

thank you very much for your reply!  good ideas in there!! 

J --
The weather change will definitely make you feel tighter.

Just like the rings on our fingers feel tighter when the weather changes, so does the 'ring' or band around our stomach.

Our bodies just tend to retain fluid when it is so humid out ------ try to increase your fluid intake, and reduce your sodium --- you will probably see the scale go down.

As far as the '4 - 5 bites' thing --  yep, I used to try to 'save the best bite for last' --- now, I know that I should eat the 'best bite' first -- because that may be the only bite I get   ------ the band can be a 'fickle *****'.

Just make sure to remember that the band is in charge --- and stop when it wants you to stop.
There will always be time for more food later on --- but if you overdo it, you can be miserable for hours.

Kath!

Thanks so much, I thought I heard someone say when its humid it gets tighter...thank you for letting me know I'm crazy!!!  LOL...

That is what I would like to do..Eat 5-6 times a day..It makes me feel better.  My NUT said and I quote, "we do a big disservice to our band patients, because all the post op we have is bypass"...I thought "do you freakin think????"!!  So I think I will do the smaller meals.  It doesn't make me feel so drained or starving by supper...Thank you for your suggestions!!