Calories, Metabolism, and RNY

NHPOD9
on 9/24/11 1:43 am

I read a really interesting thread on the main board this week about caloric intake and how eating too little for too long will result in training our body to acclimate to that caloric intake, making it even harder to lose weight in the future. (Example: if you eat 1200 calories a day, eventually you won’t lose any more weight at that number and will need to drop down to 1000, to lose the rest of your weight, which becomes very difficult the further out your surgery is. However, if you eat 1800 calories a day, when you eventually stall, a 1500 calorie diet will be easier to follow than 1000.)

It made sense to me. Right now, I am having a mental block in eating more than 800 calories. I read somewhere (here possibly) that calories should be around 800 at 2 months and only around 1000 by 6 months. When I asked the nutritionist, she confirmed that those numbers sounded right. I am having decent, consistent weight-loss, so anytime I am above 800, I panic a bit.

And then I read the experience of others (mostly DS folks), who deliberately increased their calories to a high number as soon as they could, so that their body didn’t become reliant on a small number of calories to survive.

So, my question is two-fold. First, how many calories are you consuming at your current stage? Did you ever attempt to eat more, with the hope that your body wouldn’t become dependent on too few calories?

~Jen
RNY, 8/1/2011
HW: 348 SW: 306 CW:-fighting regain GW: 140

He who endures, conquers. ~Persius

raesan
on 9/24/11 2:56 am - WI

Yes, in the past I was on a med. supervised HMR diet for 6 mos. 500 cal, 50 gm. protein. During the last three months, I went into a terrible stall, was advised to exercise more, drink more water etc. Nothing worked.then, in frustration, I raised my calories to 1200 per day each Saturday and Sunday and increased my fat and carbs a little. My stall ended. I repeated this process for the next three months, I lost more than the other 10 in my class, although I was the largest, and weighed more. I don't know if I helped or hindered my progress. I was told that there was no medical basis for this to happen. Who knows!
I am in a stall now. I have increased my protein, water, and exercise. Nothing. Yesterday I began to eat more calories. I was surprised to read your post this AM. We will see. I know that I am allowing the frustration of no weight loss (No reward) to get to me. I know that I need to put the scale away, and concentrate on building good eating habits so that my RNY will work for me in years to come. But, darn that scale anyway!

Lisa R.
on 9/24/11 3:32 am - CA

I'm not doctor and no expert, and I take everything my doctor tells me with a grain of salt....but I will tell you what has been working for me.

I eat about 1200 calories a day, I am 4 1/2 months out, have surgery May 2nd. At first I was eating the 800 calories a day, but that just did not seem like enough. I eat small meals 6 times a day.

I eat less some days, only 800. I eat more other days up to 1500, I think you have to trick your body into never really knowing exactly how many calories it is going to get in any given day or time. I also change the times of day I eat, except lunch cause that is set for me. I have had great success and I have only had one major stall, but EVERYONE has stalls and there is nothing that can be done about them. The scale will move when it wants to.

My doctor, when I asked him how many calories I should be eating in a day, said calories are not the issue or what I should be concerned about. He said 60-70 grams of protein a day and eating 4 ounces 6 times a day making good good choices and staying away from processed carbs. I liked that answers, it seems to work best for me. But everybody is different, find what works for you.

The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. ~ Ayn Rand

poet_kelly
on 9/24/11 4:00 am - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

I like your doctor's answer too. I think if you do that, the calories will work out OK. When you are further out, you might need to pay more attention to calories because you'll be able to eat larger portions then. But that's pretty much the plan I followed the first year or so and it worked well for me.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

AnneGG
on 9/24/11 5:21 am

RNY on 07/15/10

Remember that DS eating requirements are different than RNY, so don't increase your calories that much.

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly." Richard Bach

"Support fosters your growth. If you are getting enough of the right support, you will experience a major transformation in yourself. You will discover a sense of empowerment and peace you have never before experienced. You will come to believe you can overcome your challenges and find some joy in this world." Katie Jay

NHPOD9
on 9/24/11 5:44 am

Yes, DS requirements are different, and I found the responses from many of the DS patients interesting. But the idea behind why eating more intrigues me, because it seems to make so much sense. Why wouldn't doctors/nutritionists be recommending patients to eat more if it was true?

I really doubt I'll deliberately attempt to increase my calories at this point, because I am a rule follower and I am enjoying the steady weight loss. However, I hope that it doesn't backfire on me in the future.

~Jen
RNY, 8/1/2011
HW: 348 SW: 306 CW:-fighting regain GW: 140

He who endures, conquers. ~Persius

mrslatch
on 9/24/11 6:47 am - Fort Campbell, KY

RNY on 01/05/10

I have realized recently I have to play tricks on my body. Meaning, eating 1000 or even 1200 every day for an extended amount of time does not work for me, and results in a stall. Same if I'm too cautious about fat and carbs for too long. If I vary my eating during the week ranging from 1100 on the low end to 1500 on the high end, I do pretty well. I'm 20 months out, and 3.5 months postpartum, so take what I say with a grain of salt since I am still currently trying to figure out (re-learn) my 'sweet spot' as well.

I'm actually debating trying a week of around 1500 and seeing what happens. I like many just get scared to eat 'too much' for fear of gaining. But I don't think a week would really hurt. We'll see.

Morgan My Blog
Proud Army Wife!

gbsinsatx
on 9/24/11 11:31 am - San Antonio, TX

RNY on 03/22/10

This is what I did:

*3-6 Months After Surgery: I ate 600-700 calories a day

*6-9 Months After Surgery: I ate 800-900 calories a day

*9-12 Months After Surgery: I ate 1000 calories a day

*12-18 Months After Surgery: eat 1200 calories a day (I ate 1200 calories a day until 15 months when I reached my goal weight)

*18 Months after surgery (or when goal weight is reached before 18 months): Maintenance calories (BMR & Activity Level) (Malabsorption of calories lasts approximately 18 months)

Age at RNY: 55, Height: 5'4", Consultation Weight: 331 lbs-12/1/2009, RNY Surgery Weight: 281 lbs-3/22/2010, Goal Weight Reached: 141 lbs-6/23/2011, Lowest Weight: 126 lbs-12/11/2011,

Current Age: 61, Current Weight: 161 lbs-5/20/2016, Total Weight Loss Maintained: 170 lbs

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Calories, Metabolism, and RNY

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Calories, Metabolism, and RNY