Question:
How many calories is enough to lose weight on?

I had nonadjustable banding on 3-14-2000. I lost almost fifty pounds in the first two months. Now I have not lost in almost three weeks. I have a protein bar or shake for breakfast and try to eat a can of tune for lunch and either, fish, chicken or very lean ground sirloin for dinner. I am on a no carb. diet and stick to it with a passion. I also try to limit the no. of grams of fat. I seldom eat over 500 ca. My doctor limits liquids including H2O to 2oz/hr to keep the pouch from stretching. Even with this limited amout of fluids I have H2O retention problems. I am now on lasix. I use a treadmill for an hour a day. My ketosis strips are no longer changing color since I started on lasix. If this is all I'm going to lose then I spent an awful lot of money to just lose 50 lbs. I want to know what I am doing wrong and what I need to do to fix this situation. If it's not going to change then I also need to know that so I can make plans to have another type of surgery like RNY. I will not live my life fat after being very thin (110lbs) up until five years ago. I feel like I have been lied to and made a fool of. My surgeon basically has no aftercare and tells his patients to just follow the diet and everything will take care of itself. I live in a small town and there are no doctors here that deal with this type of problem. I am truly desperate and need help. I wonder if the fact that I starved my body all my life to stay thin is causing this problem I am experiencing. I also used to throw up on a regular basis and it is getting very hard not to do this again. Anyone who has any real experience with this problem please give me an answer.    — Nanci K. (posted on June 11, 2000)

June 11, 2000
T have to go with what Sandi said. Until I started adding a little variety to my protein meals I would hit a plateau for 2/3 weeks at a time. I also feel that you are not eating enough. Hang in there. I had Open RNY on 4/4/00 and as of today I have lost 51 pounds. Don't give up yet. You have a great support network here.
   — [Anonymous]

June 11, 2000
I am not a Dr. nor do I pretend to have a clue as to what yours is thinking but I do know that aside from a special medical condition, if you restrict your water to less than 48oz per day you will retain water. I wager that you are not getting up in the middle of the night for your hourly 2oz and it takes water in to get the water out. (This is where I get the lessthan figure...)Your body will retain water if it thinks it is not going to get enough. Good luck. You have been through enough with the surgery. You don't need to have this kind of worry on top of that.
   — S S.

June 11, 2000
Nanci: Please try all of the suggestions previous. I also am of the belief you are not drinking nearly enough water. If you are not getting enough, your body will hold it. Do you take a protein supplement? It is very useful and I feel helps in weight loss. (Make sure it is low fat and carbs and sugar). I also believe 500 calories is pretty low. Good luck.
   — Dot W.

June 11, 2000
Everone hear is providing great answers!!!! You are not drinking enough water and you have definately hit a plateau where your body is thinking that it is starving. I agree that you should add a little carbs in and increase your calorie intake! 500 calories can no way support your nutrtional needs. Your body is being a hoard and not letting anything go! I really think this will help. Good luck. Post op Open RNY 16 days, 30 lbs gone forever! Dreading my first plateau!
   — Lisa N.

June 11, 2000
Well, from your story the plateau was inevitable to hit and stay with avengence.. 1. Increase calories to 700-800.. 2. More water 64 oz.. I won't second guess your surgeon but maybe you misunderstood him.. 64 oz in the norm though to maintain and wash away broken down fat. 3. it's not going to kill you or your weight loss to have some fat and carbs in your diet..all are necessary for a good nutritional balance, however, done in moderation and limited.. Protein is very important THE MOST important next to Water.. How many calories does that protein bar have? You may getting more calories than you think in.. here is link to dietwatch.. this program is really cool.. keeps track of everything that goes in your mouth..Well, if you enter it that is.. You might be surprised and what you are taking in.. <p> <a href="http://www.dietwatch.com">DietWatch</a><br> <p> Visit my profile page for more information, links and recipes
   — Victoria B.

June 11, 2000
OK, we're all agreed we're not doctors here. You asked for our opinions and you're gtting lots of 'em. Here's mine! I've never counted total calories, only types of calories. Sugar has no food value and only messes with your wt loss. I'll throw in my two cents on the water, 64 oz or MORE. How do I know? How do you GAIN wt in the first week post-op? You simply don't drink enough water! That's also the fastest route to a kidney stone! However, you need to be getting in protein SUPPLEMENT, not bars, but liquids. They're already correctly balanced with just enough carbs to make the protein work, but not enough to add any wt, as long as you don't mix 'em with milk. To digest bars and meats, you need a stomach, which you DO have, but you also can't get enough IN to your pouch to get good nutrition. I guess I'll be the one to respond to your desire for a revision. The long term results of the plain banding procedures are not quite as good as any of the malabsorbtive ones. Havingn experienced a staple line disruption, the idea of a revision doesn't seem out of line to me at all. If you want better wt loss, perhaps RNY will be better and maybe you'll have to travel to get an experienced surgeon. If you DO revise, you want to get the best you can get. However, please don't start into the bulemia thing, OK? I'd rather see you pump the protein supps in and start planning for a revision than to do this. You KNOW it is not a long term solution, except to get rid of your teeth, perhaps. And if you do it enough, you will ruin your chances for RNY by mangling your esophagus. I know I'm the meanie here, but I wanted to address your concerns head on. Please forgive me if I've been too direct. I just want to see you successful AND healthy. Honest.
   — vitalady

June 12, 2000
Nanci, Old habits are really hard to break, believe me, I know. Please, please don't sabotoge your weight loss by going back to the same old unhealthy eating habits that untimately helped the gain in the first place. You have to trust the decision you made for wls to do it's job while you continue to do your job by eating wisely. You've gone through too much to give up and go back to your old habits. You didn't do this to just "look better"...you did this to get "healthier" too..."looking better" is just a bonus. You are obviously a very strong person and can get through this tough time. Plateaus are VERY frustrating, but that's just what they are...a plateau...not an end! You will start losing again. There's no way that your body can continue to sustain your present body weight on the amount of calories you're consuming. I do agree with the other postings that encourage more water...and adding some variety to your meals too. The idea here (keeping in mind that your wls is only a "tool") is to begin eating in a manner that we will be able to live with forever. Do you really see yourself limiting yourself to consuming just 500 calories a day for the rest of your life? Think about it, Nanci... Do yourself a favor...give yourself some time and try to trust yourself in your decision. And trust your surgery to do it's job. Enjoy the food you're eating as just a part of enjoying the life you're living. You'll make it...just hang in there!
   — cj T.