Gotta get rid of "bounce back" weight!!- calorie question

 So i made myself face the dreaded scale of death and found i'd gained 15 pounds since my lowest weigh in.  Holy crud, Batman!!!!  I am not surprised that i've gained (I have been eating everything that crosses my path lately) but I hadn't realized it was that bad.  So back to being good and following the rules.  However, I'm a little confused...  I'm about 4 years post op and have NO idea what the least amount of calories I can safely consume is.  Is it kosher to eat like i did right after surgery or am I setting myself up for failure or worse.  Help!!!

Personally, I wouldn't go there.  Just follow the rules - eat your protein first, eat your protein first, eat your protein first.  I notice a big difference with the amount I can eat when I don't follow this rule.

Some people do the "pouch test," which I gather involves going back onto liquids for a while to shrink the pouch and make you feel full sooner. You can look it up online. I've never tried it.

To estimate daily caloric needs, particularly in view of weight loss, take your current weight and multiply by 10 if you are sedentary. If you are 210 lbs., that means you can eat 2100 calories and maintain your weight. BUT if you would like to lose at a healthy level, about 2 lbs. a week, that means reducing your food intake by a total of 7,000 calories per week (because a pound of fat is 3,500 calories), or keeping intake to about 1100 calories per day.

Remember that your body will break down fat to use for fuel if you aren't putting these 7,000 calories in your mouth. Try eating less processed foods, lean protein, more vegetables, and salads. Chew, chew, chew to get the most out of each bite. Go back to taking your vitamins if you've slacked off--this will help with your energy level.

And MOVE. Eat, Breathe, and Move. Recipe for a healthy life, that is. And see your MD and a nutritionist as well. They'll help you get back on track. Never fear the scale. If you weigh yourself once a week, it loses it's power because you can't possibly have gained 15 pounds in one week. If I see the scale edge up a bit, I crack out my diet journal and start monitoring. BINGEING is what got us into this health crisis, and we don't want to go back!

Gosh!!!! That is such good advice!

I would honestly join one of the free sites like Livestrong's Daily Plate. You can enter your current weight, age, activity level and goal of how many pounds per week you'd like to lose, and it will give you an amount of calories to shoot for.

With logging your food, activity, and weight there, you'll really be able to see what it takes exactly for you!

At 152, I can consume 1660 calories a day to lose 0.5 lbs a week. I'm not eating quite that much, and with exercise, it increases my allowable calories. Still losing about a pound a week now.

Good luck to you!

Meg