Question:
About how many calories a day should I be taking in at 4 months post RNY?

My weight loss is sooooooo slow I eat 80 gms of protein in 800 cals/day exercise drink my fluids and eat extremely minimal carbs. I cant get the nutrtionist to answer a simple question..How many calories a day should I be taking in? Am I not eating enough? My weight loss is extremely slowand I ferar I may be the one who never loses the weight. At 3 weeks post she told us to eat 700 calories but cant get a number out of her since then. HELP    — Sue T. (posted on November 29, 2001)

November 29, 2001
My dietician told me that from 3 to 4 months I should be eating 500-700 calories a day. From 4 to 6 months she said to eat between 800-1000 calories. Although I am only 3 months out as of yesterday, some days I find that I go over the 700 calories and use more like 800-900 a day. Although I feel my weightloss may be on the "slow" side (down 59 pounds since August 28, 2001...today is Nov. 29) I feel that I am satisfied and don't feel deprived when I allow myself the extra 100 calories or so. Just keep your protein up (at my 3 month checkup the other day, the nurse told me I should be consuming 90 GRAMS of protein a day, not 65 as I had previously thought!). Keep your carbs as low as you can and drink loads of water, MINIMUM OF 64 oz a day. Best of luck. Hope this helps!
   — Diana M.

November 29, 2001
I got evasive answers from my dietician, too when I talked to her two months post-op. She said "if we were interested in counting calories, your goal would be in the 700-800 calorie a day range, but we're really more interested in the volume of food that you consume". My loss is slow also, but I know I can't maintain my existing weight on less than 1000 calories a day. I decided to quit stressing over it because I was driving myself crazy. You may want to write down what you eat so you can identify a pattern of what you were eating when weight loss was good and what's not so good. I find that I am much more succeptible to fluid retention now than I was pre-op...or maybe then I just had it all the time and now I don't. Hang in there, you're doing the right things-water, protien, low carbs, etc. Keep in up and you see the numbers go down!
   — [Anonymous]

November 29, 2001
The ranges you have been given sound about right. There is a fun and free web site that will track it for you. I use it for a few days every couple of weeks and it has helped me identify trouble spots. It is www.fitday.com Try it!
   — blank first name B.

July 20, 2002
I just saw the dietician my surgeon suggested, and she said I should be eating about 500 calories a day. I couldn't believe it. I'm almost 6 months post op and have only lost about 30 pounds. I use Fitday.com and average between 600-800 calories. I was stunned when she said 500. I called my PCP and she said that seems awfully low to her. It has me concerned at this point.
   — Ruth C.