Calories Too Low To Lose? Help!!

[HappyMom 1]

Hi there -

I was banded on 3-25 and I currently weigh exactly the same as I did the morning of surgery.

I did great on the pre-op diet...losing 19-lbs in 2-weeks. The diet consisted of two Protein shakes plus a bowl of vegetable Soup a day. The calories for that were around 450 a day.

Since the surgery I haven't lost anything.... nada.... zippo.... zilch. I am strictly following the post-op diet outlined by my surgeon. I am now at the mushy stage and able to eat things like cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, yogurt and puddings. It was recommended that I eat 3 times a day, not more than 1/2-cup of food at a time. My typical diet is:

Breakfast: 1/2-cup low-fat Cottage cheese

1 canned Peach Half

Lunch: 2 eggs (scrambled) with 1/4-cup low-fat shredded cheese

Dinner: 1/4-cup low-fat Cottage Cheese or Yogurt

1/4-cup non-fat Refried Beans (thinned w/ water)

Night Snack: Protein shake

It averages about 700-cal a day with 80-grams of Protein. I am walking about 45-min to 1-hour a day.

I am wondering if after losing well during my pre-op diet my body is just rebelling and has gone into starvation mode and not releasing the pounds. I know from vast experience (Weight Watchers etc. for MANY years) that I tend to lose weight well eating around 1200 calories a day.

Now that I have bored you all to death with this long post my two questions are:

Do you think that since I have been on a reduced caloric intake for so long my body is holding onto the pounds?

How in the world do you pack more HEALTHY calories into 3 servings of 1/2-cup of food?

Thanks for reading and your comments. I am lost here and can't seem to figure out what to do to kick my metabolism back into gear!

Thanks!

[tarajim 20]

First, Relax. There is not a race to lose your weight.

Everyone has problems the first week or two losing. You can read post after post of people that did really well on Pre-op then gained or stalled in the week or two following surgery. Some of it is due to Water retention. Some due to your body getting over the surgical trauma.

Believe me, and the many other successful bandsters here, that you will lose if you eat your Protein, then veggies, keep carbs low, watch sugar and exercise.

Most successful bandsters log all their food, add Snacks that are appropriate such as cheese, nuts, and other Proteins, and stay in a calorie range of around 800 to 1200 NET calories. (Net is the calories after you subtract your exercise calories.)

You will have success. In a few months, this will seem like it is routine. For newbies, it always seems like the rush to lose gets them stressed. Remember 2 pounds a week and you lose 104 pounds in a year. BUT, 2 pounds a week is only 4.5 ounces a day, and less than 1/3 of a pound a day. Those little things add up.

Good luck to you.

TJ

[crzytchr 3]

I think your calories are a little on the low side. Try to get it up to at least 1000 per day. On mushies I ate refried Beans with ff sour cream and reduced fat cheddar. I also made chili or anything like that and put it in the food processor. tuna salad, chicken salad, etc. Just put the food processor to work. I ate 1200-1500 calories per day since the beginning and I lost the first 90 lbs without exercise (not recommending it, just what I did). NOW, I must exercise or I can't lose at all, since I don't want to drop my calorie intake lower than it is.

[laughnleo 0]

Happy Mom - it is very normal what you are experiencing now. However, I do think that your caloric intake may be a tad low. I try to stay within 800-1200 NET calories a day after exercise and that has done wonders for my weight loss. I use an App on my iPhone called LoseIt to track everything that I eat and all of my exercise. It is free and a great tool to measure your success and keep track of your caloric intake (net, too, very important). It also tells you how many calories you should net to lose up to 2 pounds per week. Maybe try adding a few more calories and your body should bounce back into weight loss mode. You will likely feel more energized as well.

Best of luck to you!

[ljv52 2]

Happy, you're doing fine. It is normal after the surgery to NOT lose weight -- your body is in the process of healing -- within the next few weeks you will start to lose. You should call your surgeon's office and ask them if your calories are what they recommend or if you need to change them. I followed my doctor's advice to the tee and I've lost over 100 lbs. in 14 months. I recommend you only weigh yourself once a week as your body fluctuates too much to be weighing every day. I found I consistently lost 2 lbs. per week until December when I had another major surgery (not related to the band). Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine. Best of luck to you.

Edited April 5, 2010 by ljv52

[HappyMom 1]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I am following everything that my surgeon has recommended for me, so I am doing well in that area. I was just so happy to see the weight coming off during the pre-op diet phase. I feel as if I am doing something wrong to not be losing weight with the band. I know that I need to take a deep breath and let my body get used to the new lifestyle.

My husband, and biggest supporter, just smiles when I get worried about not losing since the surgery. He just reminds me that the 19-lbs that I lost pre-op are never going to be regained......unlike the hundreds that I have lost and regained doing WW or other diets in the past. He is a lovely man!

Again, thanks for the support. This board has been invaluable to me over the last few months!

[ljv52 2]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I am following everything that my surgeon has recommended for me, so I am doing well in that area. I was just so happy to see the weight coming off during the pre-op diet phase. I feel as if I am doing something wrong to not be losing weight with the band. I know that I need to take a deep breath and let my body get used to the new lifestyle.

My husband, and biggest supporter, just smiles when I get worried about not losing since the surgery. He just reminds me that the 19-lbs that I lost pre-op are never going to be regained......unlike the hundreds that I have lost and regained doing WW or other diets in the past. He is a lovely man!

Again, thanks for the support. This board has been invaluable to me over the last few months!

Not only is your DH a lovely man, but a smart one too who made a good point -- 19 pounds gone forever!! Sounds like you have it all together - keep up the good work and congrats on those 19 pounds!

[adagray 1]

I have found that, at least for me, weightloss w/the band seems to come off in spurts. So, I go through a week or two of not losing anything and then 3-4 pounds will drop off all of a sudden. Its like my body is really trying hard to hold onto the weight, but as long as I keep doing what I'm supposed to be doing, it does come off. I just don't see a consistent loss every week.