How do you eat enough to not supplement?

REALLY?!?!? I haven't heard that prot shakes contribute to consipation and lower GI problems. Maybe I need to re-think the whole shake thing...well, I guess it's time to do some research!

Bekah

Hi Bekah! This is not the case for everyone, but for me, protein shakes were the major source of my problem. We only figured this out after extensive testing and trial and error over months and months. I had such internal damage due to the long bout of constipation that I nearly required surgery~scary stuff!  Thankfully they were able to find one external cream (TMI, I know, LOL) after trying several different presciptions, the healed me up pretty well in about 8wks time. I still use stool softeners nightly just in case and even with that, I still get rips and tears from time to time that require medication.

Yeah I was there a few weeks ago! But things have improved and I'm REALLY diligent about the stool softeners and flax meal because I don't want to go there again! I'll have to keep the shakes in the back of my mind though...

Thanks!

Bekah

To be honest I have no trouble whatsoever getting 100 grams of protein in without suppliments. I almost never drink shakes anymore, just when Im hankering one. I eat a protein bar most days because its like haveing a chocolate bar, but thats only 10 or 11 grams of protein out of my usual 120+. Yesterday I was able to eat 120 grams of protein on 1400 calories. I get 18 - 27 grams of protein a day from milk. My nutritional plan called for 1 - 2 glasses of milk everyday for life, I have no troubles with that at all. All protein doesnt have to be dense though. I love cheese, yogurt, pudding, lattes, fudgesicles, ice cream and more "soft" proteins, which I eat daily. What puzzles me is how you girls live off of so few calories. I was bigger than many of you at my highest weight, I eat more of everything, I do much less (I am officially allergic to exercise) and I weigh the same or less.... I wonder what is different? Right now Im eating 2000 cals a day trying hard not to lose more weight. I am quite underweight considering Im 5'7, 144 pounds with mega skin left overs. I have had assements of 10 - 20 pounds worth will be lost during my first round of plastics which means Im actually 124 - 134 pounds of normal body parts. I do like eating the softer protein so that when I stop malabsorbing as much I can trim back my calories/protein to a reasonable point without feeling less satisfied so I dont have too big of a regain. I know I usually have the big mouth maybe I have the pouch to match :P heheh HUGS PK

Hey girl, I too am amazed at the difference of even the grads in quantity of food; I'm aware of the pouch size differences and guess that's why I can't eat enough.....well unless you add junk stuff to my day.   Some days it's easier than others to eat food other days it disgust me.....maybe it isn't enough variety, I don't know.........do you know how big your pouch was out of surgery?  My pouch was 15 ml or 1/2 oz so I'm sure that plays a part in even now how much I can eat. I also hate that heavy feeling in my pouch so rarely will I pu****

My doc gives everyone a 1 ounce pouch, as far as I know. I do actually "pu****" I could easily stop eating at around 800 calories a day and not be "hungry" once Im through plastics I will probably let my pouch/body decide whats a good eating day. For now I am just trying to stay super full of protein and cals so my surgery doesnt get cancelled or worse I dont make it through surgery.  I do eat a pretty wide variety of foods compared to most on here too. I dont physically have to eat, I havent experiecned "hunger" since surgery.  I make food thats yummy enough that I dont mind eating even when I really would rather have another glass of crystal light :P I often feel like Im missing something... I lead an extremely sedentary life and I eat like a champ while losing. Im terrified Im going to wake up fat again... like how is it possible for me to lose when others gain on less???  A part of me is sick enough to want to live off those comfortable 800 cals a day and get to bone thinness. I know that is sick thinking but its there. So I have to step back and do whats logically right even when its not what I would like to be doing. Im at the point now that losing any more weight would have me looking like Im a starving anorexic.  I guess in the end it is a mystery to me :S HUGS PK

I hear ya PK! I'm at the low end of the BMI range and ALL of my doctors - including the PS told me to not lose anymore. According to the BMI charts I COULD drop 8 more pounds before I'm considered unhealthy...

I'm honestly, truly trying not to lose more, but secretly I think it would make me happy if I do... so I have that sick thinking too. However, I know it's unhealthy and I'm fighting to not get too low. I don't want to look like Skeletor!

Bekah

A one ounce pouch??? OUCH...no wonder I am having so much difficulty in maintaining and losing again at almost 4 years out! My pouch was just measured and it is a little bit over 4 oz.  I too am amazed at how little some people eat--I had to stop reading Susan Maria's board because I just couldn't relate to the itty bitty bites of food they live on. I'm not judging...mainly I am envious!!!  I obviously needed the DS or the distal because I consider myself pretty darn compliant and am up almost 20 lbs that I can't seem to get off.

Nooooooo They make 1 ounce pouches, thats not how much it holds. It is supposed to hold MORE. My doc/nut expect by 1 year for meals to be 8 - 12 ounces in chewed up size. If you lived off of 1 ounce meals long term you would die of either malnutrion diseases or simply starving to death. 1200 calories a day is considered the minimum "healthy" amount to eat for people to lose weight. A normal person should eat around 2000 calories a day, depending on age, activity, and many other issues. I am 144 pounds and still losing on 1800/2000 cals a day. Look at CWalden's daily post and see how much a bunch of us eat :P some eat nuffin and some are eatin machines. Whatever works per person :) Being up 20 pounds from your lowest weight is normal. Basically over time you stop malabsorbing calories so that 2000 cals a day today may be 1400 absorbed cals for me, where as 2000 cals in 3 years may be 1900 cals absorbed. So I would be getting an additional 500 cals a day without changing my diet at all.  I am personally going to eat what feels comfortable and let the scale rest where it wants to. If thats a bit high or low, so be it. Its not going to be super morbidly obese again and Im happy with that :) HUGS PK

PK, Thanks for the information,  and Yes, I understand about the pouches, I just wish mine had been made smaller in the beginning . I have lost a lot of weight but have always really struggled--even with wls --I have to watch every carb and every calorie. My body is very efficient at holding onto this weight. It likes me Fat!! If i get this weight off I have gained I will be forever satisfied. I promise!! I know a lot of people have the 20 Lb. regain and some of them need it--but I don't. I am a normal sized girl ---leaning towards fat again.