Question:
Calorie Intake 7 mos post op RNY

I have started to notice myself snacking a lot lately and I want to stop this nasty habbit before its too late! I had surgery 0ct 2008 and have since lost 97lbs!! I am amazed by this but Im not done, I want to lose 60 more lbs!! I have 2 questions... (Please dont yell at me Im here for support) 1.) Is there a calorie amount I should focus on staying under? I wanted to shoot for 800cal/day. Is this too little? 2.) Is it possible for my weight loss to stop already? It has slowed down a lot to maybe 1lb a week. I dont want to stop losing, like I stated above, I ave 60lb left to lose!! Words of advice please!!    — LauraMarie (posted on May 13, 2009)

May 13, 2009
There are many opinions on what is the right amount of calories to shoot for. My main answer would be to talk with the nutritionist at your surgeons office for your teams approach. I personally am a believer in the calories in/ calories out approach. That all weight gain, weight loss, weight maintainence is a balance of calories in vs. calories out. The body adapts as we lower our calorie intake to try to avoid starvation so our baseline metabolic rate (calories out) drops and our weight loss will slow. Some people, nutritionists included, believe this is almost an on/off switch. In other words if you drop too low a calorie intake you go into "starvation mode" and your burn drops. I believe we always slow our burn when we drop calories that it is a continuous adaptation by our body and not an situation where we are either in starvation mode or we are not. The reason I believe exercise is the key is that it helps us keep that basal metabolic rate higher even if we are taking in very few calories (with the added bonus that we burn a little bit of calories as we work out). I think your goal of 800 calories is fine as long as you are exercising to keep your basal metabolic rate up. Eventually your body will adapt to burn as little as possible trying to get to 800cal a day burn so that you will lose none or very slowly. Regular exercise will tone the muscles and keep that basal burn rate above the 800cal/day thus keeping your weight loss progressing. My surgeon and nutritionist suggest staying at 400-600 calories a day until weight goal is reached as long as I am taking in 60-80gms of protein and exercising regularly. I don't think anyone is wrong is this debate but I do believe whichever path you follow it should be with exercise as part of the plan to preserve your muscle tone and metabolic rate. Hope this helps Kevin
   — hapkidodoc

May 13, 2009
Hi, Im am having the same problem. I am only a little over 5 months. 80 pounds since my surgery date/ 93 pounds total. But I have stopped and I feel like I am always hungry and I snack more. I dont want to be through with weight loss already. I need help also.
   — Kim Brown

May 13, 2009
Snacking is a pretty hard habit to break...I have a snacking habit myself...I last year I incorporated after dinner snacking into my daily diet, because I cannot avoid it since my I have late hours now (i am hungry every 3-4 hours)...Making good choices when snacking and planning snacks and their times is really your best bet if you cannot quit it altogether...I would be careful of what you have in your house...Don't bring home a lot of snacks that are not good for you...but do have a small variety of stuff you can choose from so you don't have to go on a scaevenger hunt for something good! That's when I get in trouble! LOL I mean seriously...If I have cupcakes in my house, I WANT ONE! And the thought of them will drive me crazy until I have one! And yes I can handle a cupcake and that sucks! LOL If I don't have them in my house, I might want one but it would take an awful lot of trouble to go get one...So have good snacks available...Find things that satsify you that are lean and light...And definately kick up the exercise a notch...Whenever I over eat my day...I work it off. It's a compromise I made with myself long ago...I cannot be perfect all of the time, no matter how hard I try...so I have to accept that I am imperfect as long as I can do some snacking with control and without EXTRA calories (that's what the planning is for...mind how many calories are in your snacks and try to keep them as protein and o complex carbs and NOT simple carbs)...I have fresh blueberries and yogurt to look forward to later after dinner while watching TV...and if that doesn't totally satisfy or I stay up late as I often do...I might munch on a serving of roasted soy nuts or some lowfat individual packaged 1 oz cheddar cheese snacks...I like soy crisps as well and 17 of them are a one ounce serving and make a GREAT chip for hummus or with a dab of peanutbutter and NSA jam snacks...Snacking doesn't have to be a bad thing if it's a part of your planned day...Grazing is another story...If you are eating all day long bites and tastes and nibbles...You MUST stop that and find a hobby or something to take your mind off food! Because those little noshings can add up in calories if you aren't watching it! Brush your teeth with minty toothpaste so you don't want to put anything in your mouth! NOTHING tastes good after toothpaste! That's my emergency fix and often works for quite a long time....Long enough to hold me over until a PLANNED snack or meal anyway! I hope that helps in some way along with the other advice you got...
   — .Anita R.

May 13, 2009
My doc has me on 800=1000 cals a day with 60% being protein, then fruits and vegs. I also am exercising 30 minutes a day. Their is now shame in still loosing 1 lb a week, you are not gaining you are still loosing and that's great. Like e one else I put my snacks into my meal plan. Hope this helps. Good luck with you continued WL. Carolyn James
   — Cjames3259

May 13, 2009
Congradulations on your weight loss!!!! Nobody is going to yell because we all go through what you are going through right now. You're smart to address the issue now-not 20 pounds from now. I have 2 questions for you: have you talked to your nutritionist and are you food journaling. The reason I ask is the nut. can guide you for what you should be eating. The journaling will give you an idea what you are eating. The nut. could see the journal and make suggestions to give some ways to help improve everything. Again, congradulations on the 97 lbs lost.
   — Kathleen W.

May 13, 2009
Hi! I agree with some of the other posters...talk with your Nutritionist, as we all need different amounts of calories to maintain and lose weight. I do know that when I was 7 months out-am 11 now- I was consuming about 700-900 calories. I exercised at a gym and walked. I was a slow loser at about 8 lbs a month, but I reached goal in 10 months. But I wanted to remind everyone that not everyone reaches their goal weight. The surgery is only guaranteed to help you lose 70% of your "overweightness" so if you have 100 to lose, 70 should go for sure, the rest will be harder. As far as snacking goes...try not to or eat more spaced out...something. Just try not to snack. I fyou must, make sensible choices. I know its very hard. I felt real hunger at about 7 months out and it was hard to not eat whenever I felt it, but I drank a glass of water or juice(diluted 50%) and it helped a great deal. But please do talk with your nutritionist about what other possibilites there are for you. Another thought just occured to me, its about sugar substitutes..they say if you consume too many, it will make you feel hungrier. I limit myself to 2 drinks a day and I have 1 piece of sugar free candy or a fugdie at night. I hope this helps in some way. Congrats on the loss so far!!! It is amazing how much better we feel when we drop some weight. More energy than before, for sure. Also , don't be discouraged by the slowing of weight loss. The less you have to lose, the harder it is to come off. It's easy to say to be patient, I know. But even at a pound or two ..it is coming off and thats what matters. And lets face it, you didn't put it on in a few months, so give your body time to get it off. Again, Congrats and hang in there!! hugs, Kim
   — gpcmist

May 13, 2009
I can totally relate to everything you are saying. I am 7 months post-op (surgery in Oct. 2008), I've lost 91 lbs. and have about 55-65 lbs to go. Like you my weight loss has come to what seems like a stand still. Got so use to losing 5 or so lbs a week to maybe 1-2 lbs a weeks. Now if we hadn't had surgery we would be happy with a 1-2 lbs. As they say the slower it comes off the more likely it will stay off... and thats what I try to keep in the back of my mind; plus it helps with the extra skin to catch up if only losing the 1-2 lbs. The weight didn't happen over night and its not going to come off overnight...although the 1st 3 months it felt like it. We are having to learn how to eat all over again. You just need to find what works for you. My dr. didn't give me a calorie range. He wants me to focus on making the right food choices and exercise. Learning how to make the right food choices and getting active are the keys to LONG TERM success, and to me that is the most important. Yeah, the weight might not be coming off as fast as I would like, but if it never comes back is even better. You often hear about poeople gaining weight back... as we all now this surgery is a tool and not a cure all. Nonetheless, find what works for you. I personally like to eat all day. Breakfast (usually an egg), morning snack (usually a yogurt), Lunch (usually a salad w/meat), afternoon snack (a piece of fruit), and dinner (meat and veggie). Then the exercise... Your calorie intake should be dependent of the exercise output. And keep in mind the less you weight the less calories you burn, so you have to reduce calories or increase exercise (maybe a combination). In my recent support group meeting they said you have to fuel the body in order to lose weight, so 800 calories may be to little. I wish you the best of luck. 97 is a great lose and you should be thrilled! Try not to focus on the numbers but the new healthly life style.
   — Emeraldsky

May 14, 2009
Pk my group says it is not about counting calories. Just get enough protien. So be sure any snacks you have are high in protien, nuts, cheese,jerkey, Peanut butter, yogurt( i freese it and eat like ice cream. Fruit smoothies with protien added are great freeze and addd whip cream and have a healthy treat. These types of snacks will help you get where you want to go. You need to find changes you can live with forever. Once you reach goal you still need to eat this way so set up patterns that don't make you feel deprived.
   — trible