Question:
How many calories should I be taking in?

Attention all experts!! I am 9.5 months post-op LAP RNY down 120lbs. I still have 15-20 lbs. until goal. I intake my protein and water faithfully. I'm just wondering, on a calorie level. How many calories should I be intaking daily?? I read a recent post that 1500 seemed to be too much. Please help! Thanks everyone!!!    — Kristina P. (posted on January 24, 2002)

January 24, 2002
I too am 9.5 months out. I started at 270 and am now 163!!! I don't think that that (1500 calories) is too much. I would say that I get that in every day. Don't you even feel at this point that you could eat more then that? I know it is head hunger,but my surgern whats us to eat 6 times a day to keep the funace fueled. So far it has worked for me so I'm not going to mess with it. Ten more pounds would be great,but size 10 jeans aren't nothing to get upset about!!
   — colette W.

January 24, 2002
I am also wanting to get an idea about calories. I am 8 months post op tomorrow and seem to be getting between 1300-1500 calories per day. I beat myself up at the end of every day lately because I fear that I am getting too many calories, yet I don't think I eat that much and everything I eat is packed with protein and is only healthy. I exercise every day. I asked my nuitritionist last week about this and she said she absolutely does not want me counting calories. I left there feeling frustrated because I really need to know if this is an acceptable amount to be eating. The only thing she told me was that since I am very active I am "on the right track" but she wouldn't give me a concrete number. I wake up every day thinking I will cut back a couple of hundred calories, but at the end of each day I count them up and they are still in the same range. I hate that I obsess over this, and everyone here seems to have a different opinion on what is the correct amount. I am down 105 pounds, would like to lose another 6 to make it to my personal goal, and wonder then how many are acceptable to maintain goal weight. If there is a nutritionist out there who has an answer it would be great to hear from you with a concrete answer. Good luck to you and I hope we can get some good advice!
   — Vicki K.

January 24, 2002
There is a way to figure out your basal metabolic rate- I am not sure what it is, though! If you find that, you can find how many calories your body needs based on your weight to mantain your weight- for example if you weighed 140 pounds, lets say you BMR is 1600 calories. That means you would need 1600 calories to fuel your body at rest (no exercise) to keep you at that weight. If you cut those calories and added exercise, you should lose weight. Now those figures aren't necessarily accurate, but you get the idea. Thing is, with RNY, we don't absorb the calories so there is no real way to determine exactly calories needed and burned. Good Luck!
   — M B.

January 24, 2002
Hi, I too am wondering about calories. I am almost 6 months post op, have lost almost 120 lbs, with 75-80 to go, and I limit my calorie intake to no more than 900 calories a day. I do my best to get in at least 90 grms of protein a day and limit carbs to 25 or less. Yes the protein is supplemented with one shake. If anyone could e-mail me and let me know if I'm on the right track, with calories for the amount left I want to lose I would greatly appreciated it.
   — Carey N.

January 24, 2002
I tried to pin my dietician down on the topic and she evaded it as much as possible. She finally said somewhere around 800 calories a day. <P> In the chat with the Nutritionist tonight this same question was asked. Here is her answer:<b> <Marcia Zimmerman> The number of calories you should eat depends on how long since surgery. Generally patients are on fewer than 900 calories a day. Once the desired amount of weight is lost, 1200 1500 calories will usually keep it off. The number of calories of course differs for men.
   — Sami S.