A Few Years Out

[desertmom 297]

I need to ask this as I am constantly thinking about it.

People that are 2 years and longer post-op,if you counted your calories,how many calories do you eat per day?

I know that while losing weight the dr's want the 600 to 800 calories,60 -70grams of Protein ratio but how many calories can you eat a few years down the line when you are now a thin,healthy, well adjusted, normal person? I can imagine living on such low calories for a period of time (have done it as I am a failed bandster...lol) but I remember how little energy I had for doing sport like playing squash,running,spinning class.

Can you ever eat like a small,normal person and not gain weight? My adult daughter is very tiny,loves food,healthy food and she is a snacker,mostly fruit...she has treats when she feels like it but there is no emotional component in her relationship with food....food is not part of the fun in life..lol.

See,I ask this as I am dreaming of a day that I can go to that restaurant and eat half a sandwich and be satisfied...or eat half a slice of birthday cake and enjoy it tremendously but recognize when I feel full and then stop as I am satisfied.Well,I'm dreaming!

xxo

[massindex 346]

I need to ask this as I am constantly thinking about it.

People that are 2 years and longer post-op,if you counted your calories,how many calories do you eat per day?

I know that while losing weight the dr's want the 600 to 800 calories,60 -70grams of Protein ratio but how many calories can you eat a few years down the line when you are now a thin,healthy, well adjusted, normal person? I can imagine living on such low calories for a period of time (have done it as I am a failed bandster...lol) but I remember how little energy I had for doing sport like playing squash,running,spinning class.

Can you ever eat like a small,normal person and not gain weight? My adult daughter is very tiny,loves food,healthy food and she is a snacker,mostly fruit...she has treats when she feels like it but there is no emotional component in her relationship with food....food is not part of the fun in life..lol.

See,I ask this as I am dreaming of a day that I can go to that restaurant and eat half a sandwich and be satisfied...or eat half a slice of birthday cake and enjoy it tremendously but recognize when I feel full and then stop as I am satisfied.Well,I'm dreaming!

xxo

Lot to cover here, from my view.

I'm year out but almost at maintenance so I think I can qualify for answering from my perspective.

I'm about 1200-1500 calories per day and I exercise regularly, although somewhat competitively. I could have pretty much anything I want but I've changed my lifestyle and I'm pretty religious in choosing a healthly lifestyle so I don't want anything to do with my old lifestyle. I still can only eat small amounts and I'm really used to asking for 'to-go' boxes or 'doggie bags'. I can eat socially with friends but I just don't focus on the food so much. All of my friends are very supportive and question what and how I'm doing it so it's not much of a problem. I also snack occassionally but again, because I cna only eat a small amount, it never really gets out of hand.

I'm changing from a Protein diet to a slightly higher carbohydrate diet because I'm running half marathons and doing triathlons on nearly a monthly/six week basis so I can achieve better results but at age 55, that will change at some point and I'll go back to a higher protein diet for weight maintenance.

Does that help?

Edited February 8, 2012 by massindex

[thinoneday 445]

well lets see, i'm going into my 3rd year and i'd say i eat anywhere from 1000- 1400 calories per day. For example: Breakfast : 1 - 2 slices of toast and butter and coffee (always coffee); Lunch: kids hormel complete ready to eat meal (6 oz) ; dinner: spa lean cuisine; snacks: whatever the heck strikes me that day, be it M*M's; wheat thins; fruit; whatever. . . of course I still drink my alcohol every weekend; eat the occasional bakery goodie (i'm not into bakery goodies too much though) whatever. . . I reached my doctors goal and even surpassed it by 12 lbs. . . i've been maintaining my weight between 210 - 215lb ever since and at 6' tall it looks pretty healthy on me. . . . good luck and I hope this helped a bit

[desertmom 297]

hi

Thanks for both replies.It does help.I am also a person that until very recently still played squash and ran...even though I was already very overweight.I love sport.With my band,when I was very low cal I just didnt have the energy I needed to do all I wanted to though.

Anyway,I will have to get brave enough to stop worrying about all the detail and overcome this fear of failure and of complications.(coming from years of being sick with the band and still feeling like a failure because I am fat again).

xxo

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

I'm 1.5 years out and eat an average of 2000. I eat out almost every day, so I am not sure about the exact count most of the time. I work out hard 3x/week.

[longer-life 139]

I know that while losing weight the dr's want the 600 to 800 calories,60 -70grams of Protein ratio

Thankfully not all surgeons.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I'm not on maintenance yet,but pretty close. I couldn't lose any slower than I am. I'm 6 pounds from goal. I eat 1100-1600 a day, exercise 4+ days a week

[SouthernSleever 228]

I'm 1.5 years out and eat an average of 2000. I eat out almost every day, so I am not sure about the exact count most of the time. I work out hard 3x/week.

You are looking so good!

I'm a year and 4 months out today I don't count calories at all and when I really want to lose I do low carb but everyday I probably have a "slip up" according to most people. Just to give you an idea here's what I ate today:

coffee with 1tbs sugar (it's actually 2tbs sugar mix but the same calories as 1) about 3x a day

Breakfast 1 egg, 1 bacon 1/2 a piece of toast with butter

1 6oz milk whole

2 handfulls of chips

1 and 1/2 slices of pizza (chicken tomatoes)

and later i'll have a small piece of poundcake with strawberries on top.

1 piece of beef Jerky

[sleeve 4 me 910]

I'm almost 18 months out and I THINK I'm at 1,600-1,800 calories (?). Some days less, maybe some days more (?). I'm going to have to track this lol...

[sleeve 4 me 910]

You are looking so good!

I'm a year and 4 months out today :smile1: I don't count calories at all and when I really want to lose I do low carb but everyday I probably have a "slip up" according to most people. Just to give you an idea here's what I ate today:

coffee with 1tbs sugar (it's actually 2tbs sugar mix but the same calories as 1) about 3x a day

Breakfast 1 egg, 1 bacon 1/2 a piece of toast with butter

1 6oz milk whole

2 handfulls of chips

1 and 1/2 slices of pizza (chicken tomatoes)

and later i'll have a small piece of poundcake with strawberries on top.

1 piece of beef Jerky

Southern Sleever you are only 3 lbs from your goal YAYYYYY! To me you already look like you are at goal you look awesome!!!!!

[SouthernSleever 228]

Southern Sleever you are only 3 lbs from your goal YAYYYYY! To me you already look like you are at goal :smile1: you look awesome!!!!!

Thank you! You look fantastic as always! I hope I am able to go below goal like you are!

[tamou37 2]

I need to ask this as I am constantly thinking about it.

People that are 2 years and longer post-op,if you counted your calories,how many calories do you eat per day?

I know that while losing weight the dr's want the 600 to 800 calories,60 -70grams of Protein ratio but how many calories can you eat a few years down the line when you are now a thin,healthy, well adjusted, normal person? I can imagine living on such low calories for a period of time (have done it as I am a failed bandster...lol) but I remember how little energy I had for doing sport like playing squash,running,spinning class.

Can you ever eat like a small,normal person and not gain weight? My adult daughter is very tiny,loves food,healthy food and she is a snacker,mostly fruit...she has treats when she feels like it but there is no emotional component in her relationship with food....food is not part of the fun in life..lol.

See,I ask this as I am dreaming of a day that I can go to that restaurant and eat half a sandwich and be satisfied...or eat half a slice of birthday cake and enjoy it tremendously but recognize when I feel full and then stop as I am satisfied.Well,I'm dreaming!

xxo

Hey, I sent you an email. talk soon

[clk 3,519]

I'm nearly 19 months out and I eat like a normal person. I consume around 1200 calories a day of whatever I feel like eating. I aim for 90+ grams of Protein and an equal amount of carbohydrates. Now, I did have my metabolism tested and for me, this range of calories is suitable as I could expect to gain on anything over 1300 calories without stepping up my exercise. I didn't get to the point where I could even dream of consuming more than 1000 calories a day until one year post op, though. For much of the first year I was hardly able to consume 800 calories a day, and it was a real chore to do that much.

I don't exactly graze but I do think I eat more like six tiny meals than three regular ones. I'm happy with that. Since hitting goal I haven't needed to record my food yet as I never see more than a pound and a half +/- on the scale. I'm happy where I'm at and I feel normal.

I do eat half a sandwich and feel satisfied. If I push myself, I can eat a half cup of Soup with the sandwich, too, provided the sandwich is grilled cheese or something else without meat. Cake bores me post op, so I don't even need the whole slice - just a bite or two and I'm good. There is only one food that I want to eat by the bucket and it's popcorn. And honestly, after about 2-3 cups of it I'm done eating it, anyway. It's the only food I want to eat 2-3 cups of, though!

My feeling is that if you do the head work as your body is losing the weight you'll get to goal and find you have a healthy relationship with food. I started out post op really restricting carbs and calories and found that just like prior to surgery food was ruling my life. I was thinking about it all the time and making myself crazy. Once I got to the realization that the diet mentality had to end and accepted that I'd lose weight more slowly than I had imagined prior to surgery, I was able to slowly but happily drop the rest of the weight over the course of 17 months. I feel that part of the reason to choose such a drastic surgery is to drop the diet mentality forever. I wanted a diet I could live with, and I sacrificed getting to goal in nine months to have that. I still got to goal and trust me, it's just as fabulous as it would have been had I done it in half the time.

For those of us that don't feel hunger and have huge restriction it's more of a challenge to eat than you think. I still rely heavily on Protein shakes or I'd never reach my Protein goals. I still have a hard time eating more than 2-3 ounces of protein in one sitting, or anything more than one scrambled egg with some cheese.< /p>

~Cheri

[desertmom 297]

Hi Cheri

This is great to hear.I hope that I will be able to eat like that...sounds balanced but not too much.

It is great to hear from people whose life is now normal.

xxo

[longer-life 139]

My feeling is that if you do the head work as your body is losing the weight you'll get to goal and find you have a healthy relationship with food. I started out post op really restricting carbs and calories and found that just like prior to surgery food was ruling my life. I was thinking about it all the time and making myself crazy. Once I got to the realization that the diet mentality had to end and accepted that I'd lose weight more slowly than I had imagined prior to surgery, I was able to slowly but happily drop the rest of the weight over the course of 17 months. I feel that part of the reason to choose such a drastic surgery is to drop the diet mentality forever. I wanted a diet I could live with, and I sacrificed getting to goal in nine months to have that. I still got to goal and trust me, it's just as fabulous as it would have been had I done it in half the time.

~Cheri

:hail: This is what I am trying to do, but at times it is hard to be patient. I needed to read this. I will stick to my plan. Thank you!!!!