amount of calories

accidentally put this on the lap band board, thought I was in the realize band board

I gotta ask.  Tried asking my surgeon at my appt Friday but had other q's that were more important.  I know it is a NUT question but my insurance doesn't pay for those appts and really it is too detailed of a question for a phone conversation with the NUT.


So when you have the band you are supposed to have around 800 calories a day right?  How is that healthy?  Everything I have ever read says no less than 1200 (the avg person, not a banded person and of course you have to throw in their stats so it can go up from there too).  How is this good for our bodies?  I am not arguing, I just need to wrap my head around this. (BTW, fully researched before and am confident in my decision to have lap band and knew the low cal thing prior to surgery). 

Also, my pre-op diet sheet that writes out my diet clearly states in bold and caps, "START THIS ONLY ONCE SURGERY IS SCHEDULED.  THIS DIET IS NOT HEALTHY LONG TERM"  And then I am expected to really follow this diet post-op as well.  Why is it then all the sudden "healthy"

My diet pre-op was as follows:
     -at least 70 g of protein
     -no more than 30 g of carbs
     -stay away from fried foods, candy, and fast food.

It was up to me to decide what foods I was to eat, as long as I stayed within those guidelines. 

Maybe I am wrong but it seems as though many bandsters follow this diet and only have 800 cals.  Is there something with the band that suddenly makes this healthy for our bodies?

I am completely cool with losing weight slower during this whole process if it means I will be healthy doing it.  

I just wanted some perspectives on this.  Not trying to start a debate and not putting down what the lifestyle of the bandster is, I am just seriously conflicted about this and would like someone else's opinion on it.

Thanks. 

My doc's office spokesperson for the banders told us in our Wed night bariatric meeting that we are to eat 4 oz of food at a time and space at least 2 hrs apart. (meals) My Nut as well as her said that we aren't to calorie count and just stay away from the no, no's on the food list and watch our carb intake. That is about it. However, I watch my calories and some days I get 900 and some days twice that or less depending on how hungry I am or how I hard I work out. I guess we have to just journal our eating and see what works each week for optimum weight loss. I journal everything so I know my personal secret formula.

 My NUT is stressing eating 4 oz of protein at each meal and only eating 3 meals a day.  She also stresses eating at least 65 grams of protein a day.  I have to make an appointment with her for a follow up and I will try to get more information at that time.  She never told me to watch calories just protein and oz's.   Hope this helps a little. 

Your preop diet was to get shrink your liver (low carbs) to assist in your surgery, that is why it is not a good diet for the long haul.

The paperwork you are quoting sounds like mine, are you in or around Austin?

Before you get the right fill my nut told me to stick around 1500 calories and then once I got the the right spot, I wouldn't have to monitor my calorie count.  So far so good.  I haven't been counting calories for about a month. 

Right now I am at 7 ccs in an 11 cc band.  I see my doc tomorrow for another fill... I am thinking and hoping that "8 is enough" no pun intended.

Yes I am and same doc.  The NUT didn't specify calorie count for me.  I looked over the booklet we were given and I can't find it. hmmmmm...why can't they just give that advice to everyone???

How are you liking the after care with Marquez?  My first follow up appt was incredibly short.  They had to fit me in b/c they were concerned I might have an infection (no infection, I was getting a skin reaction to the adhesive and steri strips like a second degree burn) and I didn't even get to ask all of my questions.  I was quite bummed b/c she was so patient at my first appts.  I hope it was just  because I was worked in.

Thanks for answering everyone.

my nut also stressed the protein intake, and a multivitamin. Your stomach has to heal after surgery which is the reason for the post-op diet, too. Once you start on regular foods, it's about the protein. I wouldn't worry about the calorie intake.

I count everything, and I am now doing like 1000-1200 calories a day.  Normally I fall around 1050 to 1100.  I need at least 60 grams of protein and normally get like 80 and more.  Everybody does it different, so try not to get impatient with yourself while you figure it out.  You will though and you'll learn what works best for your and your body. 

Oh, and the calorie thing drove me crazy.  So many people said 800 and so many said 1200- up to 1600.  I think this early on (I'm about 4 months post op) I want to stay on the lower side.  I did do 800 calories the first two months and it slowed down and I still lose about the same with the 1100. Plus, I am working out so depending how many calories you burn a day can factor into your calorie consumption.

Boo

Oh and what I am getting at that most people, I think, are overlooking is that my pre op diet is supposedly unhealthy longterm.  But many post on here and lap band board state that they get at least 65 g protein in and no more than 30 carbs.  That is exactly what my pre op diet was, why is is now considered okay or healthy. 

Because now they are probably getting their protein from healthy high protein foods and snacks versus drinking nothing but shakes like they did post op.  I eat more then 30 carbs, it just happens but I have limited them big time.  I never thought I could eat a meal that was protein and veggies and it's actually becoming my norm.  A little NSV I just realized here.  LOL

Boo

ADVICE WARNING: TALK TO THE DOCTOR BEFORE CHANGING YOUR EATING HABITS .

 

IMHO: In the beginning don’t be too concerned/worry about “calories, fats, sugars, carbs, etc". Make sure you are getting your 60 to 80 grams of protein. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO WEIGHT LOSS. In the future you can worry about all those other things, but for now - WORRY ABOUT THE PROTEIN. Now don’t get me wrong - I don’t want you to eat a bag of chips, or whole cake or drink tons of ice cream shakes in order to get protein in. You need to use some common sense :) !!

 

Last year when I first had the operation I noticed if I ate 4 ounces of protein I didn’t feel full - however if I ate 6 ounces I did. I spoke to my Doctor about it. FOR ME he said that those “numbers" are somewhat guidelines. He went on to explain there are some folks who feel full on 2 ounces of protein while some need 6 or 8. He also explained that the calories intake should not be too much of a concern in the beginning. The way he explained it to me was: Prior the operation I may have been taken 3,000 calories per day. After the operation, with the amount of food I was taking in - I may have been taking in 1700 calories. While that’s 500 calories more then the recommended daily allotment - it was actually 1300 calories less then what I normally took in. So not only was I losing weight, but was also feel full. We need to worry about calories when out weight slows downs/stops or starts going up.

 

ADVICE WARNING: TALK TO THE DOCTOR BEFORE INCREASING YOUR INTAKE.