Guidance from vets

Hello everyone, I am post-op RNY of 1.5 years. Feeling a little to comfortable and lax some days and looking for some guidance. What should my caloric intake be at this stage. I still don't feel true physical hunger often, but the emotional/stress eating is definitely back. What are you all eating or strive to eat on a daily basis at this point? Thanks in advance for any help.

Coming up on 6 years out here. I've done it well....and sometimes not so well! Right now I am about 10 lbs over my lowest weight (but have been higher). 

Here's what I do:

My calorie count is at its best when I'm just under 1000 calories - 900 is just about perfect. This allows me to have a "larger" meal if I go out or have a special occasion. 

Protein first. Always. Then veggies. A little fruit, but not every day. I no longer use dairy (no special reason, just don't care for it).

The further you can stay from refined carbs (sugars, flour based products, starchy veggies, etc.) the better off you'll be. 

Don't forge****er.

Exercise and vitamins! Yes!

Stress eating can take over. I can deceive myself into thinking that what I am eating is not that much when it actually adds up quickly. Log your food in My Fitness Pal and keep an eye on everything!

Lynn summed that up perfectly. 

If I want to lose weight, then I stay at 900 calories a day.  That gets me down a pound a week.

To maintain, I eat 1400 calories a day.  My weight is 136.  If I have a gain I cut back to 900 or to 1250 if I want to be content with 1/2 pound of loss a week.  I have had several times when I have been up in the 140s and realize I need to cut back and allow myself the time needed to get the weight back off.

I do weigh every morning and always know exactly where I am with you weight.

Ditto what the previous two posters wrote

I think once you resign yourself to a lifetime of logging and concentrating on what you are eating the better you are. 

I go on Myfitnesspal every morning and plan my food for the day.  I don't want to find myself hungry and grabbing anything.  Some days I eat more or a little less then I plan but basically I stick to what I have written down

If I am going to be out and about for the day - I pack a cooler in the car with my water and lunch.  Don't leave anything to chance!

My experience has been that most have gain issues between years 2-3 and it can come on fast and shock the person. 

I am very comfortable with my eating life post 6 years and find it satisfying and varied. I stick to the rules re drinking all my water every day but not with meals - protein first - veg second and as little white carbs and sugar as possible.  When I fall down I get back up!

This is how many calories I ate/eat:

• 1-2 Months After Surgery: I ate 500 calories a day
• 3-6 Months After Surgery: I ate 600-700 calories a day
• 7-9 Months After Surgery: I ate 800-900 calories a day
• 10-12 Months After Surgery: I ate 1000 calories a day
• 13-15 Months After Surgery: I ate 1200 calories a day to goal weight (I reached my goal weight at 15 months out)
• Maintenance 16-30 Months After Surgery: I ate 2000-2500 calories a day
• Maintenance: 31 Months After Surgery to Today: 1800-2000 calories a day

All of the above calories eaten were without exercise. I would not concern yourself with what calories are burned through exercise since those figures (no matter what the source) are not truly accurate. Exercise should be for the physical and mental benefits only. If interested, please see my profile page where I detail my experience with RNY.

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Physical Hunger Vs. Emotional Hunger: 

Physical Hunger:  Comes on gradually and can be postponed.

Emotional Hunger: Comes on suddenly and feels urgent.

Physical Hunger:  Can be satisfied with any type of food.

Emotional Hunger: Causes specific food cravings (pizza, chocolate, ice cream, etc...)

Physical Hunger:  Once you are full you can stop eating.

Emotional Hunger: Eat more than you normally would. Feel uncomfortably full.

Physical Hunger:  Causes satisfaction, doesn’t cause guilt.

Emotional Hunger: Leaves you feeling guilty and cross with yourself.

Once I hit goal I went and had a metabolism test done, my local YMCA offered for around $125 (mind you this was a long time ago) They did resting and exertion so by the end I knew how many calories I needed to eat to maintain my weight, gain weight and lose weight... they recommend you re-check annually since it can change, I have never been back. I went because I wanted another "tool" in my box at the time.. make sure I was doing what I needed to keep the weight off and stay healthy. I have kept the weight off and hit my 9 year mark this month so I haven't had a need to go back.

Each person is so different its hard to say, age, height, weight, metabolism, activity level all effect how many calories you should be eating. Personally I stuck to three meals 2-3 snacks a day to keep the physical hunger at bay... the emotional/stress eating I cant think of the name of the book/workbook but it was suggested to me by my NUT and it really helped to identify triggers and find other ways to deal besides food. I also felt food didn't "fulfill" me emotionally as it did pre-op so it really was a waste to using it for that purpose. Ill check at home and get back w/the name.

Thank you to everyone for your responses. I guess as life has gone by, I have become a little lax with measuring and weighing myself. Just feeling a little disconnected with myself, and don't want to wake up one morning with 50lbs back on!!  I guess I need to go back to the basics of my plan to truly reconnect with myself and my precious tool. Another quick question, does everyone still follow the same vitamin routine as first day post op?

I'm 5 years out and i woke up and found myself 50lbs heavier than my goal. It crept on 10lbs each year. 20 during 2014. Emotional eating gets me everytime.

Thankfully I can stop it for a time at least before it comes back on, but I think i finally have it figure out. Only 30lbs over my goal right now. I plan on getting back down and catching it faster than i had in the past.

It can get away from you. Trust me. One of my motivators is 4 of us had it done at my work and I'm the smallest. 2 blew it and put it all back on. i don't want to be one of those people. So pride has me motivated.

Yes on the vitamins. Same as day 1. I rarely forget to take them. They are so very important. and the water too.

Good luck on your journey, keep reading and posting, lots of good advice and encouragement can be found.

I am almost 8 years out and I actually take MORE vitamins than I did the first year (and even at - year post-op I was taking more than right after surgery).  For some vitamins, we can work off of our body's stored amounts for quite a while, but eventually need higher levels of supplements. Our levels can also drop very precipitously.

Some vitamin deficiencies that are common after WLS can be dangerous (like B12 deficiencies).  If you haven't kept up on your labs, now is the time to get a FULL set of labs done!

Lora