Question:
How many calories?

I was wondering how may calories we were supposed to be having at 3 months post (and actually at the different stages). I have been trying to stay within 600 to 700 calories. Today when I added mine up it added up to 900, and I freak out a little....Will this make me gain??? Thanks in advance for your help!!    — toni D. (posted on April 3, 2002)

April 3, 2002
Don't freak out! You're doing GREAT! I'd say you're right on target. Let me give you a little info about calories. The normal, average adult eats 1800 to 2200 calories a day. This is how many calories it takes to maintain normal weight. It actually takes 3500 EXTRA calories to gain a pound. So, you can see that you'd have to be eating a ton to gain weight. Don't make yourself crazy counting calories. Just be mindful of what you're putting in your mouth and you'll do fine. Good Luck to you!
   — ronascott

April 3, 2002
I was taught that 800-900 was best for optimum loss. With too little calories, your body won't lose efficiently (it will think it's starving and will burn muscle not fat as well as drop your metabolism). So, don't worry!! You are fine. Good Luck!
   — Angela B.

April 3, 2002
my surgeon give us a meal plan for 1200 cal/day but i am unable to get all the food in.
   — carou1313

April 3, 2002
At my 3 month check up, my surgeon instructed me to aim for 1000 calories a day. He said if I fell much under that my weight loss would be slower. The same holds true if my calories would go significantly over 1000 a day too often.
   — Donna L.