Question:
What do you think about cutting calories?

I have a friend who had wls a year ago. She only needed tolose 85 pounds. She lost over 100 in 6 months. I was talking to her today and complaining about my slow weight loss(67 pounds in almost 4 months). She stressed to me what a great job I am doing. Then she asked me how many calories I am eating. I told her 800-900. SHe said I need to cut my calorie intake to 700. I don't know if I can do it. I am hungry when I eat now. If I cut out 100-200 calories I think I will be starving. Right now I get most of my calories from protien. I am really trying to avoid carbs, except for lettuce. What do you all think? Should I decrease to 700 to speed up my loss?    — Stacie B. (posted on October 28, 2003)

October 28, 2003
Stacie, My surgeon made me increase my calories to 1000 -1400. He said that if I didn't I would go into "starvation mode" and stop losing. Try increasing your calories a bit and you will probably start losing. Carbs aren't all bad either. You NEED vegetables and fruit. Just try to avoid the stargy ones like bread, rice, potatos, etc.
   — Patty_Butler

October 28, 2003
I AGREE with Patty.. I eat between 800-1,000 a day, depending on some days I am not as hungry as others.. I don't think it is smart nor healthy to cut calories that low... You are doing great! Don't rush your weightloss!
   — baybekmbrly

October 28, 2003
If I eat less than 1000 calories I don't lose and if I exceed 1500 calories, I don't lose. You have to find YOUR set-point. It depends on things like your lean muscle mass, your bone structure, your level of activity and how much excess weight your carrying around. Good luck!
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 28, 2003
Okay....I want to be careful here...but still get my point accross. We all have different bodies...that have been screwed up, to different degrees, by dieting....I think we can all agree on that. But, what I don't think most people take into consideration is that because we are all 'different' that there isn't any one 'magic' number we can all use when it comes to counting calories (or even protein or carbs, for that matter) for weight loss, or maintenance. Like with your friend, maybe 700 calories a day was what her body needed to find the balance between thinking it was starving to death and making her weight stabilize. Now for the poster who said her doctor told her to be getting 1000-1400 calories....that may very well work for her...but, that doesn't' mean that it would necessarily work for everyone. I think you will find that eventually you are going to have to 'experiment' to find what works best for you....regardless of what your friend, or any other poster says. Like for me, I am 9 months post op and about a month ago I had been under the impression that to keep my weight loss from slowing down so much that I should really be pushing to get 1000+ calories. I tried and did manage to get to the 800-1000 range for a few weeks. Well, first of all, I was miserable doing it because I was full and icky feeling all of the time. Secondly, I actually maintained and even gained weight during those few weeks! Well, about a week ago I posted a question asking about cutting my calories back and was told that I shouldn't do it. Needless to say, I didn't listen. Well, now I'm back in my 'good ole' 600-800 range....I feel great, because I'm not stuffing myslef all of the time, and I'm actually losing weight on a consistant basis again. So, in the end, you are going to need to do what YOU find works best for YOU. I don't know if you do protein drinks or not...but maybe you could replace a 'meal' with a protein drink - which wouldn't really reduce your calories - and see if that helps? P.S. At 16 weeks I had lost exactly 67 pounds and now am down 123 pounds at almost 39 weeks. Keep up the good work!
   — eaamc

October 28, 2003
hiya~ there isn't a magic formula for how many calories each of us needs to lose weight because for one, science is beginning to think that obese people DO have naturally slower basal metabolisms (that stays the same even after we lose weight) and if you do go too low on your calories, you're body will go into starvation mode and not budge on the loss. what worked for me is to not count calories but make sure i got in my recommended amount of protein, increase my water (make sure you're getting at least 64oz of water), eat when hungry - proteins first, then veggies, fruit and starches last, and exercise. if you expend more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. as far as carbs goes, i know there's a big old debate about them...well our bodies NEED carbohydrates to run efficiently. i don't know about you, but before wls i LIVED on carbs which was not good. now i eat a balance, i do put my protein first then veggies, fruit and then the starches. i about simple sugars (sugar, white rice, white breads) and get my carbs from fruits, veggies and complex carbs like brown rices, whole grain bread etc. at 8 weeks post op my surgeon wanted me on 100 grams of carbs a day...even now almost 2.5 years later, i average 80-100 carbs a day without trying to limit myself. if you are NEVER hungry then you will need to make yourself eat, just eat healthy foods. a slice of apple with a little peanut butter on it. a triscuit cracker with a slice of cheese. some carrot sticks with cottage cheese. and really, instead of cutting any more calories i think exercise is a better answer... good luck, kate
   — jkb

October 29, 2003
Discuss it with your surgeon. At 4 months I was eating around 400-500 calories but that is how my plan is designed. It only uses food so it is impossible to get in tons of calories for quite a while. The plan uses ketosis a lot more than others and that's how we get by. I just kept on working on advancing it as I was able. Now I eat typically 800-900 calories most days. I know of others who are at the same stage I am and eating 1200-1400 calories. Their weight loss is a little slower but still very successful. For me I'm not ready to slow the weight loss train down that much yet so I will keep with whats working for me, but might not be for everyone. The bottom line is I am satisfied on what I am eating and the only way I could get in more calories to eat some really calorie dense foods and that's definitely not in my best interest long term.
   — zoedogcbr