Question:
Is it really true eating more will help pounds come off?

I am 4 1/2 months post op and have been unable to eat more than once a day since the beginning. At first my surgeon thought it was due to a problem with my esophogus (long story), but this past Friday I finally went in and got scoped only to find out that I had a stricture. The past two days I have been able to eat more which is great as I am finally able to eat fish, vegies and other things which I know are high in protein as well as good for me, but after 4 months of not eating anything at all I am afraid I will start to gain weight by eating almost triple what I ate before. ("Before" consisted of 2 - 4 oz of cream of "something" soup, yogurt, mashed potatoes or refried beans once a day along with a protein shake and water.) Yesterday I ate a poached egg, 2 oz of Talapi fish, a tbsp of mixed vegies, 2 brussel sprouts and a tbsp of cottage cheese. I felt so guilty but have heard that if you are a slow loser (which I have been) that eating more actually helps the pounds to come off more... Is this really true?    — Kellie Jo B. (posted on January 7, 2002)

January 7, 2002
I am not an expert or anything... It is my understanding that the body really needs about 800 calories to do its job. Without that, it will go into starvation mode, drop metoabolism rate, and burn muscle tissue, not fat tissue. So it stores what ever you DO intake, instead of burning it off. Thus, when you increase your calories to the 800, you speed up the metabolism, and start burning the things you are supposed to, and losing more weight. Like I said, I'm no expert, this is just what I've learned through health classes and nutritionists. Hope it helped a little! Good Luck!
   — Angela B.

January 7, 2002
I'm glad you finally found the source of your problems. Hopefully you will do fine now! Your weight will probably start to drop faster now that you can feed your body. The previous poster was right on the money. If you don't eat, your body thinks you are starving (and it sounds like you were!) and holds onto every calorie and every ounce of fat. My dr recommends eating every 2-3 hours in the beginning to keep your metabolism steady throughout the day. It doesn't have to be a big "meal" but just something to remind your body, "yes, I can get food, but this is all I'm eating right now." I'll bet that you will start to lose a lot faster--and feel a lot better! Good luck and let us know how you're doing!
   — ctyst

January 8, 2002
I DEFINITELY lose more weight when I'm up at around 750 calories a day. I've eaten as little as 300 and as much as 900 calories in a day, but I lose best at around 750-800. All bets are off, and I'm unlikely to lose a thing, if I don't drink at least two liters of water a day though.<p>Please stop feeling guilty. You MUST eat at least 700 calories a day to lose weight in a healthy way, even post-op. Are youe exercising? I would say you need to at least DOUBLE what you ate yesterday to lose well. I know that will be hard because your intake has been restricted so much for so long, but work up to it. I personally would be pissed at my surgeon if they had left me in your state for so long, but as you can guess, I wouldn't have put up with it anyway. Good luck! @16 weeks, minus 90 pounds and 70.5 inches...
   — Julia M.

January 8, 2002
I have to say this is true. I am at 4 months and i have noticed especially the week before and the week of that time of the month i don't feel like eating much and found that i would only lose a few pounds vs after i eat more normally and the weight drops off. Don't worry that your eating too much it may seem like it but your body will let you know if you have had too much. At one time i felt the same way that it seemed like i was eating more than i should especailly over the holidays but those are the times i get the most weight loss. Good Luck!
   — [Anonymous]

January 11, 2002
I tried eating more when on a platau and it DID NOT help me at all. (I gained). So I don't do it anymore.
   — Danmark