Calories

It's been a while since I've posted. I'm down 82 lbs. This amount includes Optifast which I started on Feb. 17, 2017 for 4 weeks. My surgery was March 17, 2017. So if I count Optifast as one of my months then I am 7 months out. In case age matters I'm 53 years old.

I track every day on Myfitness Pal and despite the fact that I think I'm doing okay I seem to eat more calories than most people who post on the various bariatric sites. Aside from doing some laps in my pool I don't really do much in terms of exercise. In the fall I plan to start back at the gym.

On average I have 1200 to 1500 calories a day and yet I'm still losing. Slower the last few months but still losing. For example this last month I lost 10lbs. Is that what I should expect? I think sometimes if I decreased my calories I'd lose more but at this point I don't think my weight loss is too bad but maybe I need a reality check. I have an appointment this Friday with the nutritionist and so I'll see what she says. The last time I saw her she said that the calories I'm taking in are still conducive to me losing and she's been right but still I'm a bit freaked out when I see that others seem to take in significantly less calories than I do.

By this point I can eat almost everything but just really small amounts which works for me so far.

A man needs roughly 12 calories a day per pound to maintain and a woman 10 calories.

So a female will need 1200 calories to maintain at 120 and 1500 to maintain at 150.

As you lose weight, the amount of calories you can eat decreases. For about three years after RNY you will keep weight off due to malabsorption. This does get harder every year and every year I can eat less calories to maintain.

Makes total sense. I totally feel like the malabsorption piece is working for me at this point. So basically, if I continue with these calories to say a goal of 150lbs. prior to approximately the 3 year mark I may be fine but after this point I may notice the weight loss reducing and perhaps even gaining. I feel that tracking will be my life from now on as I'm still not sure at the end of my day if I'm on point. Tracking will at least give me a gage as to what I need to change if I go up or if I stop losing.

Thanks for your wisdom White Dove. I've been following you now for a number of years and you're an inspiration.

Malabsorption stopped for me at 30 months out. I gained a pound a week with no changes in food or exercise. I had to readjust calories to lose the weight and maintain it. I now maintain 136 on 1400 calories a day at 10 years out.

That's awesome! Good to know. It's so nice to get confirmation about what to expect.

I couldn't read past the 4 weeks of opti!!! Oh My!!!

I half way through 2 weeks and thanking the creator for each new day and my family for still living with me...lol it's been a tough go for me.

The only words of wisdom I can impart is that once you have the surgery you will be amazed at how NOT hungry you are and how in control you are. I was pretty bad while on optifast...my family almost moved out lol. In fact, I was thinking if this was what I was going to feel like for the rest of my life after surgery then omg!! But things will be completely different after your surgery I promise you. You can do this :)

This is absolutely my experience as well. I have had almost no appetite since my surgery so eating sufficient nutrients has become an academic exercise, not a compulsion.

Im 9 months out and stillonly getting max 800 a day. Nut wants 1000 because im pregnant. What are your portion sizes? Im at about 3/4 of a cup

Well my portion sizes are around 3/4 cup sometimes I can eat a cup or if it's soup a cup and 1/2. It depends what it is. The thing is I'm hungry often and so I eat about 5 times and on rare occasions 6 times a day but they are spaced out every 3 to 4 hours to avoid grazing and my breakfast lunch and dinner are just a little more than my snacks but not much more. I try and keep my diet clean. Little to no alcohol and sugar but I do eat carbs and not necessary the best carbs all the time. Most of my meals/ snacks centre around protein (60 to 90 grams per day). If I have pasta or rice then I may be able to eat about 1/2 cup but that's pushing it. My calories fluctuate from no less than 1200 to as much as 1500 per day depending on my hunger. Some days I'm really hungry and some days I don't want to eat at all. Also, despite the fact that I've lost 82 lbs. I'm still 293 lbs. so I'm sure as White Dove says I'll have to reduce as my weight goes down.