Are our metabolism screwed forever?

[FishingNurse 1,210]

This is such an interesting topic to me! I feel like the short answer to the question is YES, I've metabolically screwed myself by having WLS. Disclaimer here that everyone is different and there is NO ONE THING THAT EVERYONE CAN DO and have it work 100% of the time.

I'll pick on myself. I eat about 900-1,200 cals a day. I'm currently trying to work off a regain from my 2nd year post-op. (I'm almost 2.5 years post-op) and so far eating low-calorie and low-carb has netted me a -9lb loss since Jan. 1, 2013. Now I'm not perfect and there were days that I ate 1,500 or 1,700 calories but in general since Jan 1st, I've keep it to an average of 1,100 cals.

On the other hand, my husband who is 2 years post-op (march 7 was his anniversary) eats pretty much whatever he wants only in smaller quantities. He never tracks his calories, carbs or Protein, but he eats routinely similar food (like greek yog, turkey, chicken, etc.) but doesn't restrict his carbs nearly as much as I do and he has maintained a 70lb loss for about a year now.

I'm very interested in possibly resetting my metabolism. I had a body scan done about a year and a half ago and at the time my RMR was 1,400 cals (i.e. I could do NOTHING all day and burn up to 1,400 cals). I work out hard 2-3 days a week and lighter 3-4 days a week. I probably burn about 200-800 calories per workout depending on how hard it is.

The one really GOOD thing about the sleeve is I'm not starving at 1,100 cals a day. I feel like I eat enough, but I get frustrated because I think if I had eaten 1,100 cals a day BEFORE being sleeved, OMG I would be soooooo skinny now. LOL.

Good to see you back on the forum!!! I too had gained about 7 pounds (at the holidays) back at one point sooooo easy to do! You are not alone.-- but kicked it into gear and eat 1800-2000 cals a day now maintaining again at my goal.... and wow you already lost 9 again? good for you!!

[M2G 1,836]

Good to see you back on the forum!!! I too had gained about 7 pounds (at the holidays) back at one point sooooo easy to do! You are not alone.-- but kicked it into gear and eat 1800-2000 cals a day now maintaining again at my goal.... and wow you already lost 9 again? good for you!!

Thanks SOS!! I just found and posted over in the Vet's forum. I would so love to eat 2000 cals a day. A very bad day of eating and grazing will usually net me 1,700 calories. But that is like a day when I just say what the heck, and will eat birthday cake, and a few extra carbs here and there, etc. (and yep I will still measure and log it so I can see what I'm eating...) But it would be interesting to try and get in 1,700-1,800 calories that don't have the extra calories coming from carbs/junk. I really should try to eat that many cals but having most of it come from Protein. Hum, something to think about.

[FatMamaw 7]

I made it my goal to not ruin my metabolism-- at the advisement of an awesome personal trainer. I eat about 2000 cals a day in maintenance now. I have for an entire year. If I creep up' date=' I cut back a bit. I got my cals up to 1200 as soon as I could post-op in an attempt to not tank my metabolism. I lost most of my weight at the 1500 calorie point. I still made goal at 8.5 months post op! I think I am able to eat a hefty 2K per day now cause I work out and stay active and cause I didn't stay below 1200 cals a day for long. My friend that had gastric bypass ate 600 cals a day for almost year so now when she started eating a measly 1000-1200 a day now she has regained 50 pounds.

Thats why I love my sleeve. I can maintain my weight now at a reasonable calorie count!!!![/quote']

I can't eat very much 2 tablespoons without getting a stomach ache. One week after the sleeve I found out I dad , nodular melanoma.,with in 2 weeks vie had 2 surgeries.last time my whole scalp removed and replaced, lymph nodes removed. I wish I'd never had this sleeve.,I don't know why it hurts to eat what little do and not losing weight either.

[Evolving 973]

I can't eat very much 2 tablespoons without getting a stomach ache. One week after the sleeve I found out I dad ' date=' nodular melanoma.,with in 2 weeks vie had 2 surgeries.last time my whole scalp removed and replaced, lymph nodes removed. I wish I'd never had this sleeve.,I don't know why it hurts to eat what little do and not losing weight either.[/quote']

Wow so sorry to hear that! How are u doing?

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[melodymouse 196]

You can reset a healthy metabolism. Research "establishing a new Set Point Weight" to find out how.

[lsereno 2,525]

I always thought you were in your 30s from your pictures!!

Bless your heart! The camera is kind. I got a bit of a turkey neck going on, which totally gives away my age. That and my old lady hands. But at least I'm at a healthy weight!

Lynda

[Evolving 973]

You can reset a healthy metabolism. Research "establishing a new Set Point Weight" to find out how.

Cool thank you

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[KatInFL 216]

I just can't even imagine eating that many calories again...but I'm only 8 wks out. I was in the typical stall around 2-3 weeks, upped my calories and started losing again. I'm working on pushing toward 1200 now. But it's hard!

I'm currently in the same place, only not quite as far post-op as you are. I am just shy of 4 weeks post-op and am experiencing my first real stall. I joined the forum long before actually having surgery and have read all of the threads about stalls and swore I wouldn't freak out when it was my turn to stall. My head *knows* what and why, surrounding stalls, but my emotions are freaking out! It's easy in theory...not so easy in practice.

I have been hitting right around 600 calories a day, eating Protein first and typically supplementing with one Protein Drink a day. I just can't seem to break 600 calories, keeping to a 3 meal and 1 snack routine.

I can't really even think of getting a higher caloric intake, right now, and not eating to discomfort and still eating my Protein. I am keeping the overall goal in mind for greater caloric intake down the road...but I can't imagine it in this moment.

~Kat

[KatInFL 216]

Post op I now eat more like you describe as your pre op. Pre vsg I ate 2-3 times a day with large portions. I want to make sure you know that since we eat such small portions, to get in the right amount of nutrients, we eat 4-6 times a day. I have to time everything (in the beginning) to make sure I get in all my Fluid and food. I spend way more time now planning and tracking than I ever did pre-op. Not trying to discourage you but want you to have realistic expectations. Sleeve of Steel's eating plan showed even further out that she eats on a regular schedule. You will eat less but making healthy choices requires planning and that will not change. I do get hungry but it is way better than pre VSG. I hope this info helps. Good luck.

I was going to say this, too. Post-op, I spend a LOT more time planning my meals and tracking my intake and thinking about food and nutrients than I ever did pre-op.

~Kat

[BigDaddyJoe 246]

I worry about this constantly. I am 3 months out now, and it takes work for me to get to 800 calories a day. I'd like to be able to eat more, but just can't.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I worry about this constantly. I am 3 months out now' date=' and it takes work for me to get to 800 calories a day. I'd like to be able to eat more, but just can't.[/quote']

BigDaddyjoe - you may want to check out a post I did late last night as an approach to help increase calories over time. See my response to Chimera under "Satiety foods for post op hunger?" thread. Do be careful about increasing too fast. I was in the same position as you, but at 6 months instead of 3 months.

[HatheryOnHerWay 603]

Sure!

Breakfast : 6:30 sipping / eating for 1 hour. medium ice vanilla latte from caribou coffee- not sugar free, with 2% milk and 1 turkey bacon mini sandwhich from caribou. Total: 400 cals, 20 grams of Protein

snack 9:45am : babybels cheese 60 cals, 6 Protein.< /p>

Lunch: 1 large egg made in to egg salad with regular mayo, 1 serving of cheezits. Total: 320 cals, 10 protein.

Snack: Stoney field farm yogurt- organic banana flavor - 1 cup 200 cals, 9 protein.

Dinner: steak burrito bowl from chipotle- about 2oz of steak, cheese, sour cream, 2 tablespoons of Beans, 2 tablespoons of rice and hot salsa. I figure about 350 cals and 15 protein.

Dessert/ late night snack, edys whole fruit Popsicle. 100 cals.

Very typical day- I get burrito bowls and eat them for days! And at 2000 cals I eat similar, like 2 eggs at lunch and a little more meat for dinner- and ususlly some veggies at dinner and sometimes for my afternoon snack.

I don't see how this is considered a "lot of food"...prior to surgery I would have eaten 2 egg-salad sandwiches for lunch (w/ bread and probably 4 eggs), dinner I'd have eaten the whole burrito bowl plus some chips and salsa and maybe a cookie, and in the evening I'm sure I'd have found something less-than-healthy to eat like toast or Cereal.

[crazzeescrapper 125]

I've been in a stall and stumbled across this old post. Would love to know how everyone that posted is doing. Been in a stall for a couple months. Really ramped up the exercise the past couple weeks and the scale went the wrong way. Was getting 900 to 1100 calories at day and burning between 300 to 400 with exercise. Going to try to increase calories between 1200 and 1400 a day.