NOT an over eater BUT an under eater

When people look at me they see a very large and over weight person....and ASSume that it is because I eat the wrong foods, sit on my butt all day and that I don't care about my body.  The truth is, I am an under eater.  I gained the majority of my weight after having lower back surgery in 2000 and no longer being able to physically do what I use to do,....on top of not eating regularly or only eating once a day.  I am a person that can go a day without eating and not think anything of it.  With the pre-rec stuff for insurance approval,...many days I struggled to consume enough calories in a day and had to force myself to eat more....I am very aware that with the very quickly approaching surgery I WILL HAVE to make sure I am eatting enough, even if I don't want to, and to keep getting my protien ect.....I guess I am just looking to see if there is anyone else who is the same way, or faced these same struggles?!?!?

Did anyone fear that they would not be successful with the surgery??  I, like a lot of others out there, have been on FAR too many diets without success....and so much effort and to not have been successful.....that after the RNY will it be the same way?  I clearly think that my body likes being a chunky plump butt and I hope this is not all for not.....with that said, I will have to work my butt off to lose and maintain for the rest of my life and am willing to do that soley for myself.....this is an adventure for me.  I guess I am just looking for affermation that the feelings I am having, that I am not the only 1.

There are a lot of people who fear they will not be successful with the surgery. You are certainly not alone there. But I have never read of anyone afraid of failing the surgery because they got fat by undereating.

If you can go without eating you might even have an advantage over things like head hunger.

And I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but you may not eat a lot of food but you have to be eating the calories.

As far as not being able to do a lot of physical exercise neither can I. Bad knees...getting a new one next year! But I have done it and been able to maintain fairly well without being able to exercise a lot.

When I was SMO, I would often eat one meal a day, usually one well over 2500 calories, washed down with a calorievladen beverage. The idea that we have to eat more to weigh less is very popular but patently untrue.

What is a sample menu for you?

a sample menu....taken directly from my food journal (most days looked like this)

Breakfast-- protien shake with PB2

Lunch--garlic chicken with veggies (1.5 cups frozen)

Dinner-- 1/2 sharp cheddar cheese only quesadilla

snack--3 hard boiled egg whites

        --10 green olives

water--15 cups

This was a good day....like I have said, most days I struggled to eat enough calories to keep my matabolism up....which was the biggest problem.  And I am NOT denying that I didn't have a few 2000 calorie days,....but of the 6 months that I had to keep a food journal....I averaged between 800-1100 calories.....based on my weight I should have been eating 2000+ calories and I could not make myself do it.  It was the advice of my doctor AND nutritionist that I increase my protien and since I LOVE my shakes, I did 2 scoops with the PB2!

Without measurements it is hard to calculate calories.

I'd start by keeping a food journal, log it with something like myfitnesspal.  You may be surprised at how many calories you are eating in a week.  My dad for his whole life only ate one meal a day.  At night, before bed, and it was a good 5000 calories.  

I think we all fear that we won't be successful because we've done the yoyo dieting our whole lives.  The surgery gives you the tool to start a new way of thinking and a new beginning.  The rest is up to you.  Good luck to you!

I too got fat by only eating a meal once a day.  I ate in quality restaurants and fast food places.  I did not realize that a meal in either place was usually about 1700 calories.  I usually only ate one meal a day but would have the doughnuts at work and candy, soda and chips from the vending machines.  The difference between a 200 pound person and a 400 pound person is often just a daily trip to McDonalds.

I used to go a day without eating and then get weak the next morning and have to get a bottle of soda and some cake or a milkshake to get me going again.

After surgery I put myself on a six meal a day plan.  I make sure each meal is protein forward and about 200 calories.  I had to set a timer to do that and considered it a job.  For several years two or three of my meals were protein shakes.  They were quick and easy.  Greek yogurt, Quest bars, cheese sticks, eggs, deli meats and cheeses, ricotta cheese, and bottled water are easy to grab or to carry with you.

I have no hunger that makes me want to eat.  At times when I just could not bring myself to eat, I would drink a protein shake.

I was terrified of failing the surgery.  To me it is like an atheist who fights to stay alive even through incredible pain, because they have no where else to go.  If I failed the surgery I would be doomed to continuing to live as an obese person. 

The good news is that you do not have to work your butt off to do this.  Exercise is good for you but makes little difference in weight loss.  Planning your meals, eating on schedule, tracking your food, and weighing yourself becomes easy and natural.  This is an adventure and one that never ends.  I am more excited about my RNY today than I was eight years ago.

THANK YOU so much....I like the idea of the timer!!!  After the 6 weeks when I start the transition to regular food,...my doctor advises no more shakes BUT I love them!!!  I am glad to see that you still drink them when needed.  All of it is over whelming trying to plan it all out and be as prepared as I can but I am finding the more and more I try to prepare for it....that maybe I am doing more harm than good!!  It's almost like going to med.com to review your "symptons" and usually 1 of the top answers is some sort major life scare!  Thank you too for not telling me that I am lying or fooling myself with being obese and not being an eater....I really appreciate that you took the time, sincerly.

I am 6 years post op and agree 110% with the advice above. Post op you will learn to....

1. Log all your food intake. The good, the bad, the ugly. 
2. Evaluate your nutritional needs (thus the "protein forward" thinking)
3. Make food choices based on your nutritional needs - not what you "want" (and I am using "you" in a collective sense there, because it's what we all want!). You'll eat more consciously and mindfully.
4. Rebuild your relationship with food...and thereby, with people. Social events are about the holiday or the celebration - not just about the table. 
5. Move your body.
6. Respect your body.

And more. 

Seriously, if your typical daily intake of food right now is as you posted above, you might ask your doc if there is some type of metabolic panel that s/he needs to do to evaluate exactly why your weight is where it is. Clearly, for most of us, poor eating habits and overeating for whatever reason led us to obesity. If you have never fallen into that category of behavior - if you are not a compulsive eater, or if you do not have a high capacity for food - I just wonder if something else is at work. 

You have destroyed your metabolism with yo yo dieting.Surgery will help to reset your metabolism. Will it be easy? No, but you can do it. Once you get close to surgery time, get the vitamins your surgeon recommends,..to ave on hand.. and take them exactly as prescribed...as much as you are possible.When your labs are done both pre and post op be sure to get copies, so you will have them for comparatives. You need standard tests for baseline...surgeon will know what to check...then they must be done at regular intervals, so you can catch any lack, and correct with a change in diet or suppliments.

Keep in mind that your tastes will change after surgery and more than once. I started craving sour things a few months post-op....things I had never eaten (whole dill pickles).. now it's changed again, can't stand the things now...

RE:metabolism..My Mom did the same thing. they did a metabolism study, after evaluation, Dr told her she could maintain wt of 311 lbs on  one half of a plain bologna sandwich and  a quart of water daily... She had to be put on a 400 calorie/day diet medically supervised diet to loose 50 lbs before  surgery/safety reasons. It took her 6 months. After her surgery she lost slowly and steadidly,...165 lbs over 4 years... but had to keep every morsel of food logged, and every ounce of water measured, to stay on track.

      another thing you can do now, avoid stress.  This is critical! Start hunting things you can do that are not food related, to relieve stress.  Stress will stop weight loss and create gain!

    Ideas... Pick up a craft, (crochet, knitting, sewing, plastic canvass, rug hooking...all these keep your hands busy and keep your attention on something besides food.), take a hot shower, get a pedicure or manicure. Pet an animal a dog or cat,.. they love you, even when it is hard to love yourself. 

  Take care of yourself, You are worth this journey....You will get there!