Calorie Watch / Food Journal

Well, I've been stuck at my current weight for over a week now. At first I blamed it on not getting my protein in, but now I've seen that it's not all because of protein. I decided to journal my calorie and protein intake. Today was my first day and I am soooooo glad that I tallied up what I had for breakfast and lunch as I was eating my lunch! Oh goodness! I'm blaming the slow down in weight loss on my calorie intake as well. 8:30 - Protein Shake w/ 1 med. banana, 2 cups milk and 1 tbsp. reg. PB Total Calories: 615! Total Protein: 68g Breakdown: - protein powder (2 scoops): cal: 240 / protein: 46g (not the best protein powder out there. Just got it because it was cheap) - 0.1% milk (2 cups): cal: 180 / protein: 18g - medium banana: cal: 105 / protein: 1g - regular PB (1 tbsp.): cal: 90 / protein: 3g 2:30 - 5 mushrooms w/ 2 tbsp. of ranch dressing Total Calories: 160 Total Protein: 3g So you can see that it's a good thing I tallied up then or I would have very very easily gone over my calorie limit for the day! I've never been too much of a "strict" calorie counter, but I will be from now on! I don't want to know what my calorie intake was before today! My minimum daily intake for protein is 70g and my daily allowance for calories is 800-900. So needless to say, all I'm having for dinner tonight is a small salad with a tiny bit of low cal italian dressing! I did however get my minimum protein intake plus some. But at the cost of my daily calorie allowance. I'll skip the banana and the PB tomorrow. It's important to watch these things even when you can't fit much food in your pouch at a time. It only took me half an hour to drink my protein shake this morning and there went over half my calories! It's amazing what a small amount of one thing can contain compaired to a large amount of something else. You can have a 4oz piece of chicken breast at the cost of 120 calories and you get back 21g of protein! Or you can have 2 tbsp. of ranch dressing with some veggies at the cost of 140+ calories and only getting back 3-4g of protein. Your choice! It's so unbelievably important to remember that you HAVE TO continue to watch what you eat after surgery. Especially when you get further and further out. I also implore everyone that is 4 months out from surgery and under, and those who are pre op to work as hard as you can on head hunger. Either through professional help or through reading or getting a hobby or whatever have you. I didn't have head hunger for the first 5 1/2 months after my surgery, but it's creeping back now. It scares the shiznit out of me. It's very very important to keep yourself busy and if at all possible, keep the "goodies" out of the house. I don't keep cookies or candy or anything of that sort in my house anymore, because I know that if it's there, the temptation will be there as well. And although I trust myself much more now, there's still a little part of me that can't fully trust that I won't sabotage my wls. This is a battle that you will always be fighting folks. It's not a miracle cure for obesity. You still have to watch what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. This surgery is only a way of "jumpstarting" a healthy life style. Cheers! Lorraine P.S. If you like those bananas in you protein shakes, try using banana essence. Just a drop or two should give you the same flavoring as an entire banana. I also didn't use low fat PB, so that will help lower the calories for the PB flavor in the drink. Post a reply View Lorraine Nguyen's profile View Lorraine Nguyen's web site Send email to Lorraine Nguyen Find other messages posted by Lorraine Nguyen

Sorry about those last two lines on my post! I posted this on another board as well and just copy and pasted. Got two too many lines while doing so!

You are so right Lorraine! I have been becoming really lax since I have been losing and am so close to goal. I do know. that I am paying close attention to my weight and will do whatever it takes to keep it off, no matter what! I too started recording my intake in an online journal from the previous WLS program I was in before insurance denial. I had to pay $250 for the access (requirement of their program) so I figured I'd use it. Thankfully it figures out everything for me, even adds in activities and figures my BMR. This leads me to a qustion for you. Why so low on the calories? Every WLS program is so diferent! I found out my BMR is over 1300 calories per day at my new weight of 164. That means my body burns 1300+ calories just by breathing, pumping blood, etc. Any activity whatsoever increases that 1300 cals/day. I eat 1000 to 1200 and exercise 3+ times per week. I have at least 600 calories per day of a deficit, meaning I've burned 600 more than I consumed. Over one week, that means a loss of over one pound per week. What is your reasoning? Is it for faster weight loss? Should I be doing something different? I want to maximize my weight loss but I do not seem to lose at all when I have less than 1000 cals/day! I still want to lose, so any opinion will be greatly appreciated. I think I told you once before, but you are gorgeous! Bonnie lap rny 6/3/05 264/164/165 yeah baby that's right, finally a century club member!

Bonnie, Thank you, you are such a sweetheart! I don't think anyone can hear that too much! I honestly have no idea why my calorie level is at 800-900...... I've been reading posts on lots of different boards and I THINK that's a pretty average number...... I think...... But of course, knowing me, it's completely off! I did recently hear that no one should be on a diet with less than 1000 calories, but I just don't know.... I am at as much of a loss as you are! I do have to mention that I haven't been too extremely active these last few weeks because I've been so busy with a desk job of designing websites. So because of that, I probably don't need too many calories right now anyway! I don't know how many calories I've been consuming in a day pre today, so I have to give this 800-900 calorie thing a little time to see what happens..... Cheers, you sweet thang you! Lorraine

Good luck! You have lost a LOT of weight girl.. you look VERY good, and ps ... wonderful photos!

1st month = 100 calories 2nd month = 200 calories 3rd month = 300 caloires 4th month = 400 calories 5th month = 500 caloires you get the picture. So that by the 12th and 18th month one is eating pretty normal. Those were guidelines I read somewhere. Of course, like anything else online, it wasn't okayed by a physician but was supported by just statements online. I know I busted 100 during the first 4 weeks after surgery.. I was eating and had to monitor myself. At about 3 months out I was limiting myself to 1/4 cup cottage cheese or 1/4 cup of anything but salad. My weight loss was fine then... but now life is harder and, again, I am always hungry.