how much should I be eating?

I am almost 3 years out and need some help. I have gained back 17lbs back and need to get back on track. The question is, if I exercise 1 hour per day 5-6 days a week( high cardio/strength), how many calories should I take in??? I have been eating so poorly that I cannot use good judgement of feeling hungry. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Michelle! Everyone is different so its hard to say specifically for you, but I will tell you what works for me. I usually do 5 miles 4-5x's per week and light weight training 2x's per week. I require approx 1800cal daily to maintain and if I want to drop a few pounds then I drop back to 1500-1600cal per day. If I'm not working out as much (like this week b/c I've been sick with an upper respitory infection) then I keep my cals around 1500. I have been maintaining for 9mths now at my goal weight with only minor fluctuations. Also, I still push protein first, drink 100+oz of water daily and don't drink 30min before and at least 30 if not 60 after eating. I hope this helps. Its really all trial and error but food journaling or using sparkpeople.com can really help you to figure out where your body is happiest! Good Luck to You! Tracy B 328/150 5'9"

I would recommend that you track your intake and exercise on a site like www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com, and see how much you're consuming, and how it's affecting your weight. Keep in mind, that you do have *some* malabsorption of fat & protein, but not carbs, so you'll need to pay attention to the breakdown of calories - not just the total calories you're eating. Five hundred calories from fat is going to be different than five hundred calories of carbs. I know DS'ers only absorb about 20% of fats. Not sure what the average is for RNY'ers, but just for easy figuring, let's say 50% (1/2). You could eat 1000 (2/1 or 2x) calories worth of fat for the same amount of energy benefit you'd get from 500 calories of carbs. Same with protein - let's say you absorb 75% of protein (3/4ths). You could eat 133% (4/3rds) as much protein calories (665 calories) for the same amount of energy you get from 500 calories of carbs. If you already know you're eating poorly, then get back to eating right, and see what effect that has. THEN you can look at making other adjustments --BT

Hey girl I feel for you!!! Over 2 years out and in the same boat. I would like to be a support buddy if you want. We can email each other daily with our progress and inspire each other if you would like. Let me know asap. Thanks