MSW - Macro Nutrient Calculator

Thanks so much for posting the link!  I've been really curious about how many calories to be eating etc.  It says that for rapid weight loss I should be eating 1328 calories a day.  I'm always under 1000 and struggle to lose 2-3 pounds a month.  That said, I was eating some carbs before this week and that may be why I couldn't lose.  I think carbs really wack out my system.

Do you find that you eat the calories that they recommend?   I'm curious what others are doing regarding number of calories a day.

I still have a lot of pounds to let go of and I'm open to suggestions on how to approach this.

Help?  :)

Calorie recommendations from programs, websites, etc., are applicable to those with a pretty normal metabolism. By having had surgery, most of us have severely restricted caloric intake for extended periods of time and have lost muscle along the way, both of which will decrease the metabolism.

I'm losing on close to 2000 calories a day by worrying more about my carb/protein/fat ratios and not worrying about the calories.

Ditto Jilly, I think those are for folks with normie metabolisms.  Dropping our cals so low changes our metabolism to slower, definitely, but we need to do what we need to do to get the fat off.

Carbs REALLY whack my system out.  I can have a 5 to 8 pound swing after carbfest, depending on the festival.  Luckily for me if its just a one meal fest every once in a while, the weight doesnt hang as tough as it would if it were a week/month long holiday festival!!

Which just keeps me mindful to keep the festivals short and sweet, if/when I go.

I'm sorry you are struggling. I can't relate because I can eat an insane number of calories due to my malabsorption. Have you asked on the VSG forum what works for others with the VSG? That is where I would start.

I think if you get calories and/or carbs too low your body will hold on to every ounce of everything it can because it perceives it is being starved.

Let us know what the VSG vets have to say.

~Becky

Sorry I didnt really answer the question, I kept it at 600 to 800 until I called goal size and kept it to 20 g carbs max (total, not net).

I am sorry you feel struggly girlie!! 

Thanks Hound Mama!  My calories have been closer to 800-900 and my carbs have definitely been higher than 20 for the last few months so I can see why I haven't been shedding the weight.  I'm still over the 800 calories.  For now between 800-1000 but the carbs are well under 20 and I'm already seeing the scale respond favorably for the first time since Thanksgiving.

This entire journey has been struggly for me.  Maybe I'm just not so good at letting go of anything, including poundage!  But I'm learning.  :)

 Thanks for all of your responses.  I'm one of those tough cases and I just lose very slowly.  Over the summer I was under 700-800 calories a day with less than 50 carbs.  I was exercising 7 days a week, 2.5-3 hours a day.  One hour in the gym with weights and cardio and walking 6-7 miles a day.  Doing that I was losing around 3 pounds a month.  I think I got really frustrated and had a hard time staying focused.  I know I ate more carbs between Thanksgiving and New Years.  Monday I went down to induction level carbs and I'm already feeling so much better.  Maybe this will help me jump start things again as I make my way to goal.

I think I was eating less calories when eating more carbs because I was fuller but now with lower carbs I'm eating more calories.  I know that will diminish as I start my fat burning machine.

I appreciate being here with all of you!

I am also a very slow looser.  Like you I exercise my @$$ off. Still, for me, 135 days for the first 50 lbs and 508 days to goal at 97.7 lbs.  My surgeon wanted me at 1100 lc calories a day from five weeks out when I was gaining weight on 500 cal.  Terrifying but he was right in the end. 

 Can you try running   (or some exercise  with intervals) ... it works for me when walking stops working, even if the "calories out" are equal?  The intensity seems to change things metabolically

Great suggestion.  Unfortunately for me, running isn't part of my story.  I had a fractured ankle in 2007 and full ankle surgery 8 months later in 2008.  I was off my ankle for many months before they would take me out of casts.  It still aggravates my ankle too much to run.  I've been out of the exercise loop, other than basic walking since October when I fell on my head and compressed my L4.  I've just been cleared last week to start doing a little more vigorous exercise.  I'm hoping to see some great results of more movement, low carb etc.