Diet Advice?

[MissManders 3]

My surgery is not scheduled until March 8th, so I didn't HAVE to start my pre-op diet yet, but I did. Partly to give myself a jumpstart on the shrinking of the liver, and partly because I needed to bring my BMI down a bit. My pre-op diet is a Protein Shake for Breakfast, one for lunch, a snack, and a healthy meal. I've been doing really good on it (though, admittedly, with a couple of cheats) and have already lost 12 lbs in two weeks!

But...the problem is, some days I have a REALLY hard time getting my calories. I never thought I'd have a problem where I, of all people, wasn't getting enough calories. I've been using myfitnesspal to keep track of what I'm eating, and I'm surprised by how low my calorie count is some days. I know that too few can be just as unhealthy and detrimental as too many.

For example, today when I added up everything I ate, I only had something like 800 calories. According to myfitnesspal, my daily goal should be a bit over 2,000. I was also coming up short on my Protein goal....not good! So, I found myself having another little snack to try and compensate, which made me feel guilty...because I've been really trying to watch what I eat and not over do it on snacking. I don't want to ruin my progress. I'm still short on calories, but not by as much...and still short on protein...but I don't want to eat any more!

Has anyone else run into this problem? What did you do about it? IS there anything to do about it? Or do I just need to not pay so much attention to the calories, and worry more about, say, the protein....and accept the fact that, for the time being, I'm going to have an extremely low caloric intake?

[legnarevocrednu 47]

I'm post band for almost 3 months now. I also use myfitnesspal and I can tell you that I NEVER meet my calorie goal of 1200. I usually prefer to stay around 800 anyway. It's weird that even with your 3 Protein Drinks, you aren't meeting the Protein goal. If I try, I can usually exceed that and I don't even drink protein drinks. I usually just stick to food that has lots of protein in it. Anyways, that's the problem with starting the pre op diet so early. Your body may go into starvation mode. You may want to make your diet at this point a little less extreme. For instance, have a Protein Drink for Breakfast, and have a healthy lunch and dinner. You will still lose weight that way. Make healthier choices and avoid sweets and junk food. Also, 12 pounds in 2 weeks is NOT healthy. 6 pounds would have been great. I definitely think you are cutting yourself too short on calories. Also, talk to the nutritionist. Maybe they can point you to a healthier, safer diet. Good luck. Let me know how it goes!

[Jachut 487]

You sound just like me - turning what should be a natural process (eating when you're hungry, duh) into a complicated mathematical endeavour.

Personally, I think its insane and its one severe downside of giving bandsters such specific diets pre and post op (although we know they're for a reason). So what if you dont make your calories or Protein on a given day, really? You'll probably make it up on another day when you're hungrier.

The whole point of the pre op diet is that you will have an extremely low calorie intake, and the fact is that its not a healthy way to eat for the long term. On that small variety of food and such a small intake, over time, you would develop nutritional deficiencies - and as an adult in a society that eats utter rubbish, you probably have them already. This is NOT adequate for your body long term, that's the entire point of it. That's why you lose weight and your liver shrinks, your body is forced to meet its needs by basically eating itself up.

there's no gentle way of saying this, lol. You are obese enough to be having weight loss surgery. Therefore you have plenty of stores to get you through this. You wont keel over and die in the space of a month or two. Just do your best to get the Protein in, and remember that after surgery, you will be back to a more varied diet and may well be on here asking how to keep your calorie intake DOWN until you get restriction.

[Holly Dolly 575]

Don't worry about 800 calories being too low for a day. There will be other days when you will make up for it. And as for MFP, 2,000 caories is a bit high. How many grams of Protein are you trying to aim for each day? Seems like many here are told to get in 60 grams. My dr told us at one of our support group meetings that even 40-45 is adequate for a woman. I am a year postsurgery and I get about 50-60 grams a day.

[horsegirl315 114]

I agree with Holly. 2000 calories sounds like way too high for weight loss, or even maintenance. Do you have a dietician helping you through this process? It would be better to ask this person what your caloric needs should be, rather than a program that doesn't know the whole story. Good luck!