How much should I be eating...
Hi everyone... please help me out. I had the VSG in Oct 2009. I started at almost 275 pounds. I reached a low point of 152 and today I weigh 168. I am not at all happy with this weight gain and I am completely freaked out by the idea of gaining more weight. I know they say the bounce back weight is normal etc.. etc.. But, I cannot figure out what is going on. I do have a thyroid condition and they keep having to up my dose because it is a bit low. Still though, I truly do not think that this condition is the only reason I am struggling so much with weight right now.
I want to start out by start out by asking... how many calories per day do you guys eat? How many grams of carbs? I am well over 2 years out so I am curious what my numbers should be?!?!?!
Also, I am literally starving all the time. I try everything to not feel hungry, does this mean I have stretched out my pouch? I need to eat about every 3 hours, anything more (for the most part) and I get a deep hunger stomach ache.
I am constantly battling food and deciding what to eat. I only make the right choices 90% of the time. I am human, I do occassionally have a sweet treat at times. However for the most part my calories have been around 1200-1500 per day. Carbs if I am careful remain around 80 or so, and fat grams around 45. Is this way too many? I feel that anything less is kind of unhealthy and almost impossible for someone with my hunger to live by. I struggle to keep it at that and there are times when 1200 calories isn't near enough. And, as each day passes I feel like I am wanting/needing more food.
I am deeply bothered and concered because I just cannot go back. I do not want to be that fat person again. I keep saying oh well if I am hungry, but then being unable to go hungry. I not only don't want to gain more weight, I want to get down to about 145 which was my original goal. I just cannot figure out if this weight gain with the amount of calories I am consuming is normal.
Please help me!!! I am panicked to the point that I think the stress of the issue is causing me to gain more weight :(
One other question... I am finding myself literally just so confused about what to do to even get back on track and start losing. Should I cut back on calories? Watch carbs? (I only eat good carbs if I do eat carbs). Exercise? All 3? I am confused because I find myself wanting to exercise but then I feel that if I exercise should I just continue to eat my 12-1400 cals a day and eventually I will get in shape and the weight will come off? Should I not exercise and then just reduce my calories to around 800-900? I don't want to send my body into panic and starvation mode by doing the wrong thing here. Should I consider upping my calories to 1600 and then working out really hard 5 days a week? I honestly am at a loss of what it is I really should do. I need advice from you all who have been here and know what I'm going through!
I want to start out by start out by asking... how many calories per day do you guys eat? How many grams of carbs? I am well over 2 years out so I am curious what my numbers should be?!?!?!
Also, I am literally starving all the time. I try everything to not feel hungry, does this mean I have stretched out my pouch? I need to eat about every 3 hours, anything more (for the most part) and I get a deep hunger stomach ache.
I am constantly battling food and deciding what to eat. I only make the right choices 90% of the time. I am human, I do occassionally have a sweet treat at times. However for the most part my calories have been around 1200-1500 per day. Carbs if I am careful remain around 80 or so, and fat grams around 45. Is this way too many? I feel that anything less is kind of unhealthy and almost impossible for someone with my hunger to live by. I struggle to keep it at that and there are times when 1200 calories isn't near enough. And, as each day passes I feel like I am wanting/needing more food.
I am deeply bothered and concered because I just cannot go back. I do not want to be that fat person again. I keep saying oh well if I am hungry, but then being unable to go hungry. I not only don't want to gain more weight, I want to get down to about 145 which was my original goal. I just cannot figure out if this weight gain with the amount of calories I am consuming is normal.
Please help me!!! I am panicked to the point that I think the stress of the issue is causing me to gain more weight :(
One other question... I am finding myself literally just so confused about what to do to even get back on track and start losing. Should I cut back on calories? Watch carbs? (I only eat good carbs if I do eat carbs). Exercise? All 3? I am confused because I find myself wanting to exercise but then I feel that if I exercise should I just continue to eat my 12-1400 cals a day and eventually I will get in shape and the weight will come off? Should I not exercise and then just reduce my calories to around 800-900? I don't want to send my body into panic and starvation mode by doing the wrong thing here. Should I consider upping my calories to 1600 and then working out really hard 5 days a week? I honestly am at a loss of what it is I really should do. I need advice from you all who have been here and know what I'm going through!
Really the number of calories is an individual thing..I have to eat about 1500 calories a day to maintain..but I do have some ideas.
If you're hungry all the time, are you eating too many white carbs? White carbs cause me to be hungry more than normal. White carbs are bread, pasta, rice..sugar. It's more a head hunger than a real hunger but it can be a real hunger too. Reactive hypoglycemia means when you eat white carbs, your blood sugar falls and you crave more carbs..you need more carbs to make your blood sugar come back up..Good carbs are whole wheat (but really limit those even..) but more like veggie carbs or fibrous fruit carbs..not melons, not bananas..apples and pears and things with skins that you eat. Not potatoes..
the key is to eat every couple of hours, protein and good carbs so that you don't get to the starving feeling..a hard boiled egg, a piece of cheese (like laughing cow) and a piece of lunch meat wrapped around cheese..some celery with cream cheese or peanut butter..greek yogurt with fruit (pears, apples but low sugar)..And then move more..maybe walk more..park further from the stores and such..take the dog for walks more..he loves it, you'll love it..go to festivals or car shows or the farmers market instead of watching television more.
Really when someone wants to start out and they want to do all of the above like you said..start with just one thing and fix that..then see how you like it..then change another thing and continue..Don't try and change all the things at once..it's just over whelming and hard to maintain..cuz then you start thinking you're a failure if you can't change the whole world in a day and if you're like me, you figure after beating yourself up over it..why bother..don't get to that point.
Good luck.
If you're hungry all the time, are you eating too many white carbs? White carbs cause me to be hungry more than normal. White carbs are bread, pasta, rice..sugar. It's more a head hunger than a real hunger but it can be a real hunger too. Reactive hypoglycemia means when you eat white carbs, your blood sugar falls and you crave more carbs..you need more carbs to make your blood sugar come back up..Good carbs are whole wheat (but really limit those even..) but more like veggie carbs or fibrous fruit carbs..not melons, not bananas..apples and pears and things with skins that you eat. Not potatoes..
the key is to eat every couple of hours, protein and good carbs so that you don't get to the starving feeling..a hard boiled egg, a piece of cheese (like laughing cow) and a piece of lunch meat wrapped around cheese..some celery with cream cheese or peanut butter..greek yogurt with fruit (pears, apples but low sugar)..And then move more..maybe walk more..park further from the stores and such..take the dog for walks more..he loves it, you'll love it..go to festivals or car shows or the farmers market instead of watching television more.
Really when someone wants to start out and they want to do all of the above like you said..start with just one thing and fix that..then see how you like it..then change another thing and continue..Don't try and change all the things at once..it's just over whelming and hard to maintain..cuz then you start thinking you're a failure if you can't change the whole world in a day and if you're like me, you figure after beating yourself up over it..why bother..don't get to that point.
Good luck.
Yes, RNY worked for me but it also requires a lot of work from me!
Before Surgery: 214
Highest Weight: 240
Now: 125.6
Goal: 130
Before Surgery: 214
Highest Weight: 240
Now: 125.6
Goal: 130
In addition to what Dawn said, I would suggest you find out what your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is. You can go to various sites, but the one I used was:
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_BMR.php
If you don't know what this is, basically it tells you what your caloric needs are to maintain your weight and will also help you to determine calories to reduce to lose weight. It is based on your height, weight, age and gender. The number you get will be the caloric intake your body needs to maintain your weight if you did nothing but lie in bed all day and your body just went through its survival functions. From that starting point, your caloric needs for weight maintenance are based on your activity level and there is a chart to help you determine what that is.
I hope that helps.
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_BMR.php
If you don't know what this is, basically it tells you what your caloric needs are to maintain your weight and will also help you to determine calories to reduce to lose weight. It is based on your height, weight, age and gender. The number you get will be the caloric intake your body needs to maintain your weight if you did nothing but lie in bed all day and your body just went through its survival functions. From that starting point, your caloric needs for weight maintenance are based on your activity level and there is a chart to help you determine what that is.
I hope that helps.
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