Met with a NUT

Had an appointment with a nutritionist today who focuses on post bariatric patients.  I scheduled this appointment outside of my surgeons office but with their blessing.

The reasons for this appointment are both obvious and not so obvious.

The first reason is because I know that I am not eating enough but also not getting in anything besides proteins.  Being on liquids or pureed foods for what close to 13 weeks has made it difficult for me to add variety even now that the ulcers are gone and under control with my current meds.  Before it was I couldn't have anything else and now it is I don't know what else I should have because I am so far off course on the dietary progression.

Mainly all I eat is meat, some beans and cheese.  Lots of protein plus I fall into my self built trap that I don't need to eat I'll just have a protein shake.  I had previously experimented with veggies but then the ulcer came back. I do frozen fruit in  a shake at night but  again I don't experiment much. My daily calories have been as low as 400 and most 800 and she doubts I do 800 on a regular basis.

All of this as we know, but still find hard to believe has made it harder to lose at a consistent rate, especially with my exercise factored in.

So what were her recommendations? EAT MORE! not bigger portions but more variety and increase my calories, her goal is in the next couple months to get me to at least 1000 calories and ideally more like 1200.

So with each meal I am to include veggies along with my protein.
Three meals and two small snacks snacks I am to work in fruits and nuts.
Add some whole grains. this I had started doing already because I changed my breakfast on run days to a slice of wheat toast with peanut butter.
THE HARDEST part is cutting down my protein drinks to 1 a day possibly 2 if it is post workout that included weight training or heavy cardio.


It is difficult to go your whole life with people saying well if you stop eating as much you will lose weight, to people saying if you don't eat more you won't lose weight.

The lesson for new post-ops to learn from this is if you are at a point in your doctors protocol where you can start working variety back into your diet you need to DO IT.  The fact that you aren't hungry or don't care about food will get you in trouble and affect your progression.

The point of this surgery isn't all about losing weight, which we tend to focus on, but rather becomming healthy and one point to becomming healthy is eating healthy. 

So for lunch I had half a sandwich and shockingly enough I enjoyed it.

 On the www.MyFitnessPal.com website, there is a "newbies" reading list that includes a lot of information about why eating less than 1200 calories per day is counter-productive.  You can read dozens (if not hundreds) of testimonials about people who were totally stalled, upped their calorie intake, and started losing weight again.  Like you, it boggles my mind.

By the way, MyFitnessPal also has a great food and exercise logging tool, and allows you to print out a "report" that I use with my NUT when I have a consult.  I log everything that goes in my mouth, and she can read all the gory details... 

Just so you don't feel too bad, I'm also having problems eating more than 800 calories a day.  I guess it will get better as I move to more solid foods.  

Two vegetables early out I ended up loving (both were from frozen bags), brussel sprouts and spinach.  You may want to try both...In the microwave with some water and salt.

I also did real well with creamed spinach and Cracker Barrel Greens.  They are so over cooked they go down really easy.

Along the sandwich line, a half an egg salad or chicken salad sammie is very good - if on whole grain bread you are getting some real good complex carbs - Try Panera if there is one near you - their black bean soup is also very good - high fiber and protein from the beans.

Good luck guys! 

Good post.

And I think about this often. And I'm thinking maybe this is just where our lives are now post surgery.
I don't stress about food anymore.

I eat about 1100-1500 calories a day. I am getting my protein and vitamins, etc. I feel great.

So maybe this is just my life now. It is about getting healthy. I hit my goal of 165 in about 5 months. And I am ecstatic where I'm at now.

I keep my carbs low, protein and healthy fats at what I guess would be considered normal post WLS.

And there are times when I'm just not hungry and I'm NOT gonna force it. I am listening to my body.

There isn't any one food I particularly miss.