8 Weeks from Surgery (2 Months)

[Adri 40]

My "Patient Education" book from my surgeon states the following once you reach Week 8 after surgery: "You will need about 1200 to 1400 calories daily. Do not fall below 1200 calories a day. Limit intake of breads, grains and cereals to 2 or 3 portions a day."

It has the typical guidelines for Protein, Water and exercise, but should I really be eating all these carbs and therefore calories? Do any of you have similar direction from your doctor at 2 months out?

I've been getting in close to 1100 calories a day this past week and frankly I feel like I'm eating like a pig. I feel like I'm cheating and wondering if it has contributed to my stall. Or is 1100 calories REALLY too few???

Please share your thoughts. I will see my NUT on Tuesday and ask her if I should adjust these numbers and let you know what she says. Now that I can eat a wide variety of foods, I'm scared to death to eat the wrong foods or too much of a good thing! I guess this feels too good to be true: eating til I'm satisfied and still lose weight...who had ever heard of such a thing???

[readytolive 1]

Hi Adri,

I don't know the answer to your question but please do post what your nutritionist says! I am 3 weeks out and would be surprised if I'm eating 400-500 calories a day and the scale is not moving! I was wondering if I hit that "starvation mode" that people talk about where your body stops losing weight if you eat to little. I googled it and just found a bunch of articles and posts stating that wasn't true. I am really curious how much we should be eating. Especially since I'm walking 30-60 min a day and not losing. I guess I'm learning just how resistant my body has been to weight loss and why I could never keep motivated to stay on a diet before!

[Escape_Pod 358]

I'm only 5 weeks out, but I can't imagine being able to get in that many calories. I do 3 Protein shakes a day, 2 of them made with 8 oz milk, roughly 500 calories for those. Then I have 3 "meals", but I can only manage about 2 tablespoons of food, so often those amount to not even 100 calories apiece. With something calorie-rich like Peanut Butter I can only manage 1 tablespoon. So, I'm probably at around 800 calories, and burning 150-200 with exercise. I'm losing weight pretty steadily, my longest pause was only 5 days, and then I dropped 1.5 pounds on day 6.

I wouldn't say I've been "hungry", but I do wake up feeling sort of empty.

I'm sure you're not eating like a pig, but I'd be curious what your meals and Snacks look like at this point if you're willing to share.

[Adri 40]

I'm only 5 weeks out, but I can't imagine being able to get in that many calories. I do 3 Protein shakes a day, 2 of them made with 8 oz milk, roughly 500 calories for those. Then I have 3 "meals", but I can only manage about 2 tablespoons of food, so often those amount to not even 100 calories apiece. With something calorie-rich like Peanut Butter I can only manage 1 tablespoon. So, I'm probably at around 800 calories, and burning 150-200 with exercise. I'm losing weight pretty steadily, my longest pause was only 5 days, and then I dropped 1.5 pounds on day 6.

I wouldn't say I've been "hungry", but I do wake up feeling sort of empty.

I'm sure you're not eating like a pig, but I'd be curious what your meals and Snacks look like at this point if you're willing to share.

Here are a couple of sample menus. Unless my NUT says otherwise, I think I'm gonna cut back on grains. Where the meals look rather large, I eat half, wait close to half an hour and eat the rest...otherwise it just won't fit. This is probably a no-no, but I'll talk to my NUT about that too.

Breakfast

Pure Protein - 11oz Can, Rtd shake, Frosty chocolate, 11 fl. oz.

Puffins Original - Cereal, 0.5 cup (dry like a snack)

lunch

Jennie-O - Turkey Meatballs Homestyle, 2 Meatballs

Mama Cocco's - Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce, 0.33 Cup

Lisanatti - Almond Mozzarella Style cheese Alternative, 1 ounce

Cherries - Bing, .5 cup

dinner

Trader Joe's - 99% Fat Free Beef Chili With Beans, 1 cup

Tortilla chips Restaurant Style, 1 oz. (about 12 chips)

Trader Joe's - Soy cheese, Cheddar, 1 slice

SnacksSnacks: Carr's - Whole Wheat Crackers, 3 crackers

Trader Joe's - Soy Cheese, Cheddar, 1 slice

Total calories 1,129

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Breakfast

Premier - Protein chocolate shake, 11 oz

banana - 1 small

lunch

Oscar Meyer - Turkey Frank, 1 frank

Van Camp's - Pork and Beans, 1/2 Cup

dinner

Orowheat - 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins, 1 roll

Generic - Salmon Grilled 6oz, 6 oz.

Best Foods mayo - Real Mayo, 1 Tbsp

Grey Poupon - Dijon Mustard - Original, 1 tsp

Lettuce - Green leaf, raw, .5 leaf inner

Tomato - Roma (1 small slice)

Snacks

Whole Foods - Old World Pocket Pita Breads (Wheat), 1 pita (mini)

Trader Joe's - Soy Cheese, Cheddar, 1 slice

Total calories 1,026

[Escape_Pod 358]

Wow, I'm a few weeks behind you, but I can't imagine being able to eat that much. It's amazing how different each surgeon is, isn't it?

I'd eat your Protein first, and then stop when you're full with the rest of it.

Good luck with the nutritionist - hopefully you'll get some good advice.

[nraeh 23]

I too am 8 weeks out. I had a week stall before we went on vacation. We took a ten day vacation and I ate everything and anything I wanted to - in moderation obviously. When I got back from vacation I had lost 3 lbs and have lost at least a lb a day every since. I think I must have jarred my system out of the stall. I have been so pleased with my sleeve. It is a miracle for sure.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I am almost at 8 months and am supposed to eat 8-900 calories a day... I REALLY want to eat about 1100 and often do. I have been stalled for the last three weeks. I am going in for blood tests and my (late) 6 month check up next week. Hope I don't get a finger shake! Until about two months ago, I ate under 800 cals a day ... much of that WAY under.

[Adri 40]

I saw my NUT today. She said the numbers in my guidebook were a bit high. She stated at 8 to 9 weeks after surgery I should stay within the 1,000 to 1,200 calorie range. Which is great for me, because at 1100 calories I was really stuffing myself. I think I'm gonna shoot for 1000 for now. Also, she clarified the 2 to 3 svgs a day of breads/grains/cereal that my book states. She said 15 grams = 1 serving of bread. I was eating 1/2 a bagle thinking that was one serving...but 1/4 bagel is actually one serving of a standard size bagel. Or, another example is 1/2 of a pita pocket is about 15g.

But this is do-able!! I'm ok with this and I'm glad I asked because I know we all want to maximize our weight loss especially at the beginning stages. Thank you all for your input.