Calorie intake

[kjnrose 2]

I haven't been able to get ahold of my nutritionist, but I'm 2 months our of surgery and not losing much. I'm worried I'm getting too many calories even though I feel like I barely eat. Any ideas on how many calories I should be taking in? TIA.

[esskay77 785]

At this stage you shouldn't be worried about calories at all. It's all about grams of protein--that is where you should focus. How many grams of Protein did they tell you to try to get? I'm guessing at least 50 grams to try for? You should try for somewhere between 50-90 grams of protein but I don't remember which stage was how many grams. Try to count those instead of calories.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

My Protein goal from day one was and is at least 100 grams of protein. If you eat protein first and eat healthy foods, avoiding starches, then you really don't need to focus on calories. Are you at least tracking your protein?

[kjnrose 2]

I'm supposed to get in 60-80gr of Protein and I usually hit about 50-70 a day, so I'm good with that. I just worry about the fact that I'm not losing much.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I'm supposed to get in 60-80gr of Protein and I usually hit about 50-70 a day, so I'm good with that. I just worry about the fact that I'm not losing much.

Then aim for 80 grams. Are you also getting in all your fluids?

[kjnrose 2]

I get more than enough fluids, I drink 64oz plus

[esskay77 785]

You seem to have lost 35 pounds since June--you are doing AMAZING! Just keep doing what you are doing--you are on track.

[Djmohr 6,965]

are you tracking what you eat at this point? The most important thing is for you to get Protein and fluids, which it sounds like you are.

Do you feel like you are eating too much or too often or the wrong things?

If you are basing your concern solely because you are not losing as fast as you would like then you have to get in the right mindset. Some people lose slower in the beginning but it all evens out over time. I was a fast loser in the first 2 months and now I average between 8/10 lbs per month.

But if you know you are eating things that are high in carbs, low in Protein or grazing throughout the day then you may need to adjust those behaviors.

The best way to know this is to track what you put in your mouth, even if it's bad. It will provide insight, my fitness pal is an excellent app for tracking if you are not already.

If all is well with what you are eating and drinking, then stick to your plan, you are doing fantastic!

Good luck!

[James Marusek 5,244]

Your Protein requirement is the total amount of Protein you obtain from your meals combined with the protein from protein supplements (Protein shakes and protein bars). After surgery as time goes on, your meal volume will increase. In the beginning your meal volume is so small almost all your protein will come from supplements but later you have the option of getting a significant amount of protein from your meals.

What this means is that if you concentrate on eating high protein meals, you can cut down on your protein supplements and the calories associated with these supplements. That might kickstart your weight loss again because you can drop a hundred or two hundred calories per day from your total. When I was half way through my weight loss phase, I hit a plateau and this allowed me to continue my weight loss journey.

[aelovelady 243]

I think I was about 500 calories, you should be getting all of your Protein etc from whole foods by this point.

[mishi 72]

Do you know I contacted my NUT w two different questions on two different occasions and never heard back from her. I'm just taking advice from all you guys.

[aelovelady 243]

How far postop are you?

[kjnrose 2]

I am 9 weeks postop

[aelovelady 243]

I would find a new nutritionist!

[epiphani 28]

Sometimes weight stalls because you are not taking in enough! Even a year out, my nutritionist says to work on eating the right foods and hitting the nutrition goals (lean meats and veggies) rather than focusing on total calories.

You also may be comparing yourself to others on this site. It's normal. We all do it. But honor your body and give it time to do it's thing. You ARE succeeding and on track. This isn't a race. It's a lifetime. I expect to spend the rest of my life tweaking nutrition and working for improved fitness!