How Many Calories A Day Should New RNY's Be Getting???

Help please.....

I had my RNY surgery on May 21st and am doing my best to stick to my liquid diet.  I'm hungry!  Or perhaps it's head hunger??  I'm drinking 3-4 (30 gram) protein shakes a day along with strained soup, V-8 juices, sugar free popsicles, and watered down fruit juice to make them under 10 g of sugar per 8 ounces.  I have to admit I've been bad and have snuck in a little bit of cottage cheese (2 ounces mushed) - (makes tummy feel better with all the squashed pills and vitamins).  I've only lost 14 pounds in just a tad over 3 weeks and most of that was in the first week and a half. 

I've read all my information over and over again and can't find anywhere how many calories a day I should be getting in.  Does anyone have any idea????  From my calculations with my protein and vege drinks/soups, etc., I'm eating about 700- 800 maximum calories a day on average.  My exercise has still just been light housework, and walking around the house a bit - not much of anything else since I'm still recovering from bad sinus, ear, and bronchial infections.  Am just starting to get some strength back.

Thanks a bunch for any input.....

Ragadolly/Donna

I asked Dr. S. may times and he insists that I dont need any more than 700/800 calories a day (including Protein shakes).  I am rarely hungry... I just make sure to "eat" a meal with my kiddies at dinner the rest of the day I drink water or protein.

~michelle

Thank you so much for your reply Michelle.  Sounds like I'm pretty much in the ball park - Hopefully I will get cleared to start using my Bowflex Treadclimber soon and yardwork too - that should help with my weight loss.  Saw your weight tracker chart - you are doing fantastic!  Keep up the great work!

ragadolly/donna

Hey Donna I am glad to see you are doing ok.  Don't feel bad I eat cottage cheese too everyone I know that has had surgery does it is excellent protien and calcium source,  You are also doing good with the protien.  I am lucky to get 2 in a day now.  I am just over 7 weeks out and just now hit 40 lbs since surgery so you are doing good at 14 in 3.  Don't get discouraged I hit a stall about 4-5 weeks out lasted over 10 days the scale did not move :-(  It is very hard knowing what to eat.  Alot of foods make me sick so I am afraid to try new things.  I seen Kim Anderson the arnp and she said I should be at about 1000 calories now including the protien shakes.  I am having problems with fluid retention so I go back to see her next week on the 23rd which is my 2 mo anniversary so I excited to see what I weigh then.  :-)  Anyways hang in there girl you are doing great!!

Laurie

Wow Laurie you are doing fantastic!  Fourty pounds in 7 weeks - thats over 5 pounds a week!  How I wish!  I lost about 12 pounds in the first week.  Then I came to a big halt!  Its taken me another 2 1/2 weeks to loose 3 1/2 pounds so yep, I am getting frustrated.  I go to Dr. Oh's for my 4 week check up tomorrow so I'm going to ask lots of questions and ask for a copy of my surgery report so I know exactly what was done.  One thousand calories seems like a lot for the rapid loosing phase.  I was doing about 1,000 calories with weigh****chers a day and exercising quite a bit 5-6 days a week before surgery ****il the liquid diet) to get off my 10% Dr.Oh required of me.  It took me over 8 months to loose just 25 lbs.  Guess I have the metabolism of a dead slug!  You must be exercising alot!  What exactly are you doing? 

Donna

Laurie, i am just 5 weeks out and struggling with the protein shakes! Everything makes me sick. I did switch to cottage cheese (1oz at a time) and a few other mush/soft proteins. I am way behind on calories (BAD) but i am trying everyday. Anyway, sucks to see you are still fighting with them, i was hoping by 6 weeks it would be smooth sailing!

Donna, You are doing great!!! Call Dr OH talk to him about calories! I know for me I don't count calories or get on the scale (maybe the scale once a month) . The protein and vitamins are so important. Don't be in a hurry to do too much yet and no lifting! Put your feet up and let the other half do the house work!  The more protein drinks you get in will help the weight come off faster. keep up the good work!

Merrilou

Hi Merrilou,

Thank you for your reply. I've been sticking to all my vitamins for medial rny really well for the past week and a 1/2 since I could finally tolerate them, and am also having 3-4 (30 g protein shakes a day). I have an appointment tomorrow with Dr. Oh's office.  Not sure if I will be seeing him, Dr. Hirai, or the nutritionist.  I'm definitely going to be asking more questions and also going to ask for a copy of my surgery report.  I feel so stupid!  At this point I'm not even sure if I got an RNY medial or proximal and have no idea how long my "channel" is.  I could have sworn that I requested medial surgery closest to the distal for the most drastic results and we mutually decided that my goal would be 115 to 120 pounds.  My pre-authorization just gives a code number which when I looked it up it just says RouenX with hernia repair.  Before I went under from the IV I told Dr. Hirai to make sure they do the most drastic possible - the medial my insurance approves (they don't approve distal) closest to the distal.  He ran and got Dr. Oh.  Dr. Oh informed me my insurance had approved the proximal, then he said "good for you," on wanting the most drastic.  Needless to say I was rather upset when I went under, but at that late date I didn't want to back out and go through the whole process again.  When I came to, Dr. Oh/Hirai said all went well and I was so out of it I forgot to ask.  I was still so sick at my one week appointment with nutritionist I totally forgot to ask again.  I'll definitely find out tomorrow because I've been doing the vitamin requirement for the medial and it's quite a bit less for proximal - but I figured what the heck - with all the bugs I've had since surgery my body probably needed more vitamins.  But now that I'm doing better - I also don't want to O'D on them.  Hopefully my tummy can handle the Istonix soon.  My hubby caught my bugs too and he sure got over it quick using the Isotonix!

I'm just doing light vaccuming with my super light weight Orek vaccum and dusting.  Couldn't stand all my shedding kitty fur clumps around the house.  And I did finally get on my Bowflex treadclimber for 10 minutes at a slow pace and that was plenty enough.  Enough to make me realize building back up will be a slow process.  But at the same time it made me feel good!  I've watched so many movies I started going nuts!  Got making more gastric bypass bracelets, both with and without the medical tags, so everyone can make them interchangeable if desired to go with different outfits.  I will bring a bunch to the next meeting.

Thanks again for your adivce and I will see you in a few weeks at your next meeting!

Donna/ragadolly

Donna,

I actually haven't been doing much except walking a bit.  I feel like it is coming off slowly.  I thought I would lose alot more as I had over 200 lbs to lose.  I got realy depressed when I hit that stall so early out but don't give up it starts moving again.  I actually haven't seen Dr Oh since surgery both my follow ups have been with Kim Anderson the ARNP.  She is so nice and so much easier to talk to than Dr. OH. If you can get in with her I would reccomend it.  She is very patient and takes alot more time with you so you don't feel rushed.  I love her.  She told me to up my protien and I have been trying but it is hard for me.  I found beef jerky to be a good snack and high in protien.  I usually don't get the 1000 per day she said I am lucky if I get around 800 or so. 
I plan on joining the gym with my sister and starting water aerobics.  I also want to take some zumba classes once I get a little more weight off.  Anyways let me know if you need anything.  Take care Laurie

Hi Laurie,

Maybe my weight is coming off a bit slower because I've spent so much of my life dieting and my family doctor says I'm metabolically resistant since I've done so many drastic and non-drastic diets.  I've had a lifetime struggle trying desparately not to go over 250 pounds and with age (55) it was getting harder and harder.  That's why out of desparation I finally decided the rny WAS my best hope - since I was developing more and more health problems.  Loosing 130-135 pounds is my goal.  I'm 5'4" tall and have a small bone frame.

Are you working also?  I'm at home, no longer working, and my kids have all left the nest.  I do sell items on Ebay (mostly fine collectibles such as Swarovski, dolls, and some small appliances and baby items) to keep myself busy.  I'm also now making beaded bracelets (interchangeable) with double clasps and medical alert tags for gastric bypass people.  The Lauren's Hope Medical ID bracelet pamphlet St. Francis hospital gave me - well they were so expensive!  By the time you added in her bracelet, and added the tag with the necessary engraving, the cheapest ones were around $60.00 and that didn't even count shipping!  I can make them and sell them for about 1/3 to 1/2 that price.  So all that along with watching a million movies, or so it seems, I've been keeping fairly busy.  Today I spent most of my day trying to figure out how to get my little weight tracker design on my messages.  I'm not very computer savvy that's for sure and it was a real learning experience.  I was amazed when I finally did it!  It was quite a challenge - but heck I think it's pretty!  Now if I will just be able to figure out how to update it once a month or so - that will be my next challenge. 
Your weight loss sure seems great to me.  I lost more weight doing the pre-surgery liquid diet - but was exercising then too.  Haven't done more than light vaccuming now and dusting (very little ha ha).  My kitties are shedding like crazy.  I found Kim to be very nice and easy to talk too also.  If your 4 week follow up was with her, I imagine mine will be too.  I'm presently doing my best to keep my calorie intake between 700 and 800.  Today I'm actually not hungry.  It's almot 3:30pm and I've just had a protein shake, and an 8 ounce glass of V-8 with lots of ice and 1/2 my days vitamins.  Guess I better get on the ball and get my next protein drink in.  Yesterday I made a vegetable soup with Wolfgang Puk beef and mushroom stock, added in some gold potatoes, finely sliced carrots, and sweet potatoes.  Cooked it all day until veges really soft, with garlic seasoning & italian seasoning added in.  It was so good and the veges just disolved in my mouth.  It went down quite easy and I had no problems.  I ate it really, really slowly.  I'm going to have it again for dinner - just 1/2 cup including the broth.  Figure it to be 25 calories max.  I'm amazed you can do beef jerkey already!  I love jerkey!  But it is so tough and hard chewing I think it will be quite awhile before I try tackling that.
Your water aerobics sounds great - will you be doing it in Puyallup or elsewhere?  What is zumba classes?  I've never heard of that. 
If you aren't working, or have some days off - perhaps we can get together and have a soft lunch and see a movie or something???  Or walk in a park (as long as it has benches for pooped out people) or wander a mall, or something.  I've definitely been too housebound.  I'm over my bugs - now just back to bad allergies w/ asthma, but can pack my trusty inhaler if needed!
My phone number is:  (425) 432-0156   I have wheels and don't mind driving!
Well guess I wrote a book.  I had better get off this computer for now and get me another protein shake.  Don't want to have to guzzle them all down date this evening.

ragadolly/Donna