Question:
Should I count my protien shakes as calories?

I am 2 weeks out, and getting about 250-300 calories a day from food, but have been counting the calories from my protien shakes as calories, so I am intaking a total of about 400 to 500 calories because the shakes are about a50 calories per shake. Should I count those calories toward my daily total? I was thinking that maybe I should not be eating as much, maybe it was too many calories, but I don't see how I can cut back on eating. I eat half a cup of cheese grits in the morning....50 calories, 2 hours later, I have a protien shake...150 calories, then for lunch, I have a half can of some sort of cream soup...@55 calories, and then another shake 2 hours later..150 calories, and then for dinner the other half of the can of soup. Does this sound like too much? I have to time this all out, or I will forget to eat. My appetite is not back yet. Thanks for any help you can offer.    — katmamma1975 (posted on May 7, 2003)

May 7, 2003
Calories are calories, no matter what the source. However, at 2 weeks post-op, I would not worry about your calorie intake, your not taking in too much. Calories become more important the further out you get. As for your appetite, or lack of it, enjoy it, as it will come back some day!
   — Cindy R.

May 7, 2003
Dawn, Definitely count the calories from your shakes in your daily totals but don't worry about it at this stage. When I was 10 weeks post-op I was getting about 500 calories a day and my surgeon got really upset with me. He told me I had to get between 1000 and 1400 a day - and that was final. I had to really struggle to get 1000. I am now 17 months post-op, have lost 181 pounds, had my tummy tuck done in February and he wants me to get about 1200-1600 a day now. I still have to work at it sometimes.
   — Patty_Butler

May 7, 2003
Anything that has calories needs to be counted, but like the previous posters said...at 2 weeks out you should not be worried about calories. I'm 3 weeks out and the only thing I watch is fat & sugar. Please watch that you don't under eat. At 6 days out I was getting lightheaded and couldn't figure out why. I thought I was doing everything right with protein and food. Come to find out, I was one of those that needed to eat more than I was. My worry is that I will throw my body into starvation mode so I watch what I eat, but I eat. It's hard because I'm not ever hungry (I know they say that changes). It doesn't make it easy to put something in my mouth if I'm not hungry which also baffles me because it wasn't hard preop. If you do put yourself in a starvation mode you will be shocked to see how little (if anything) you'll end up losing. It's strange how it works, but it does. Good luck.
   — Diane S.

May 8, 2003
Dawn, Oh yes please count everything you eat, even a little sweet n low, anything that contains calories, as calories in.... Write them down, as we all know that calories in have to be less then calories out, (To allow us to loose)... By the way you're doing great, by what you wrote on you're eating, and you're only 2 weeks out, take you time.. You've got to remember that you're only 2 weeks out, and the tummy needs to heal, when you get further out, it'll take a little more, I figure it was with me every month I was eating a little more, it balances out, and they say you need to eat a little more to loose more. "Go figure" , also seeing that you're still somewhat new, things are going to sit differently in the tummy, meats will make you feel fuller, and the shakes may make you a little hungier. ( I'm almost 12 months post op) and I still do a shake and a bar during the day, how-ever to keep the shake from running right threw me, I use a blender and throw lots of ice into my shake..... mmmmmmm good... That way I stay fuller longer... Just a helpful hint. Best of luck to you. Hugs Post op almost 12 months down 130 pounds
   — tannedtigress

May 8, 2003
I agree with the posters who say don't worry about calorie count this early out, *but*, in a couple of months, if you're still counting calories ... I suggest counting protein grams, carb grams, and fat grams (fitday.com is a good place to do that, for free). I think it's a lot more useful to know where your calories are coming from than what the total number of calories are in your day (though the latter is useful information too). Down the line ... further than you are now ... you may get into the whole debate of high protein diet, or low carb diet, etc., and it's good to track things to learn what seems to work for your body. <P>On whether to "count" protein shakes, I count mine. But, I've noticed that some folks on the Yahoo WLS grad board who are big protein shake users say they don't count their shakes (some of them have five or six shakes a day ... we're talking long-term post-ops here). Be aware that some folks who say that are distal RNY's ... they have more malabsorption going on that people with proximal RNY's. I don't know if that's the entire explanation for why some don't "count" their shakes. Others say they don't count the protein from their protein food, because they don't think it's absorbed very well.<P>Personally, I have no clue who absorbs what for how long, and I think the only relevant thing to learn is what *you* absorb, personally, at the various stages of this journey. Things like tracking what you eat on fitday, watching what the scale does over time (not every second!), seeing what happens when you exercise and when you don't, watching how your weight relates to all that, and keeping an eye on your lab results, are pieces in the puzzle of what will or won't work for you. It's a very individual thing. I'm looking forward to the day when I've learned enough to quit counting so much all the time, but meanwhile, I think it helps keep me realistic about post-op life. So, happy counting!
   — Suzy C.