Trouble getting in more calories

[2goldengirl 2,076]

I'm 8.5 weeks out now. My surgeon wants me to be at 1000-1200 calories/day, not less than 64 gm Protein, 64 oz fluids at this stage.

Looking back this past week, I only made it past 800 calories one day - and that was a Nurse's Day lunch at work and I had two bites of cake (superb cake, and the only dessert I ever even consider among all the offerings available at work).

Fact is, it's taking some effort even to get in the 700-800 calories/day I'm doing. I'm not a smoothie fan. I do have a Protein Drink first thing each morning. I have already included things like cheese and slices of avocado. My midmorning yogurt is 2%, not nonfat.

My restriction is great. I made lamb stew last night. I measured out 2 oz of the lamb and added a small portion of the veggies and gravy. Once I ate the 2 oz of lamb, I could only eat one slice of carrot and half a slice of parsnip, and my sleeve was done.

I'm not keen on the idea of adding Protein Bars just because I'm a fan of real food, but I'm thinking I may need to for a while just to get in the calories.

Typical day:

Bfst: Premier Protein drink

Snack: Chobani 2% yogurt

Lunch: 1/2 c. refried Beans with a pinch of shredded cheese

Snack: Cheese stick

Dinner: Taco bowl - shredded chicken in salsa, shredded lettuce, slice of avocado, light sour cream, shredded cheese

Over the past month, I've averaged 70-85 gm protein, 30-60 carb 25-35 gm fat. No trouble getting in my fluids. I know 700 calories isn't enough from past experience. Any suggestions?

[Christinamo7 4,042]

I think you are on the right track, but I also had to add in a Protein bar, many days (some days I can eat more, some days I can not - same foods. no idea why)

I do like the Power Crunch triple chocolate bar. my weight loss had stalled, when I added in the bar I started loosing again. although if you want to stay with whole foods, perhaps a boiled egg as a snack would do well. wrap that cheese stick in a slice of deli meat maybe? just a couple of ideas.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

I may try a boiled egg - we always have them in the house and they're easy to take to work. I tried the deli meat trick and it just didn't add much in the way of calories. That, and the stick itself is grab & go, I'm usually trying to finish up my workday when I have it, and some days I eat it in the car on the way home. And the addition doesn't add much in the way of calories.

Maybe I have to stick with another egg and a half a Protein bar. I am totally old school on those, I like the Balance Bar original Honey Peanut. They're so hard to find these days I have to order them online, but an even 200 cals and 14 gm Protein. They aren't as sweet as most bars.

[Montana Gal 448]

​I ended up having to add a Protein bar as well(1/2 in the a.m. and 1/2 afternoon). After trying a few different brands I go between Quest coconut cashew and Pure Protein's strawberry which is 190 calories and 20gm Protein. I will give the Balance Bar a try next time, thank you!

[eclecticwingtips 130]

You can also try making you own Protein bars or balls if you want to be more in control if the ingredients

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[lifeofblair 308]

I recently had to up my calories and my nut said to eat Peanut Butter or nuts because they are small with lots of calories since I was like you I couldn't eat any real food because i was full.

[catlady2012 73]

Yes so am I..too much.

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[DavidOso 272]

1000-1200 calories @ 2 months?!?!! At 2 months I was 650-700. Your goal is to lose weight. If you are meeting all your Protein and fluid goals, and don't feel weak/have energy to accomplish your daily tasks, then why Sweet Jesus would you just add calories to get to a NUMBER??? At 9 months I'm @ 800-950. I am satisfied, have energy, am building muscle at the gym, and am still losing weight(albeit more slowly). Trust your body, it will tell you what to do.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

I totally agree with the previous poster, don't worry in time you WILL be able to consume more and may wish you couldn't. By the sounds of it you are getting plenty Protein, carbs and fat. Go with your gut and keep doing what you are doing. Your NUT is giving information only; please stay away from nuts, Protein Bars and Peanut Butter at 2 months out. This is waaay to soon to be eating such foods. Nuts can be very filling and again at 2 months you don't want anything to get stuck in your tummy; it may not be fully healed yet.

And yes at two months I maybe was getting 600-700 calories, this is where you want to be.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

There actually are some good reasons not to be eating 800 calories at 9 months post-op (at least per my surgeon's practice). If you lose weight by instituting a very large caloric imbalance for months and months, your body will develop a lower metabolic rate and set point (compared to what your metabolism was like pre-op). As a result, you will wind up slimmer faster, but will have to eat much less to maintain than if you'd not lowered your calories so drastically to do so.

If you haven't yet read the threads here about The Biggest Loser contestants' metabolic changes study published last week in Obesity magazine and reported last week in The New York Times, you might want to read about what the TBL contestants experienced.

Also, see this post:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/367314-landmark-study-on-maintenance-%E2%80%93-what-do-you-think/?hl=%2Blandmark#entry4150753

Acknowledging that we all are told various things by our NUTs and surgical practice advisors, my surgical practice advised me that 800 cals/day was fine through Month 4 (after all, we can hardly eat more than that while our sleeves are still healing, eh?). But thereafter I was advised to eat 1,000 cals/day during Months 5-6 and 1,200 cals/day thereafter while losing weight. The reason given was, as stated above, to avoid coercing my body to maintain at a lower rate than I would have to during the maintenance phases.

FYI, I've lost 100 pounds, am maintaining at 135 pounds, and am doing so (so far) at 1,700 - 1,800 cals/day. Caveat: There is a terrific range in which WLS patients of the same weight can eat to maintain their weights. I don't have a clue as to what all the independent variables are that affect this outcome. But you just have to find out what works best for you and accept it and do it. IMHO.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

1000-1200 calories @ 2 months?!?!! At 2 months I was 650-700. Your goal is to lose weight. If you are meeting all your Protein and Fluid goals, and don't feel weak/have energy to accomplish your daily tasks, then why Sweet Jesus would you just add calories to get to a NUMBER??? At 9 months I'm @ 800-950. I am satisfied, have energy, am building muscle at the gym, and am still losing weight(albeit more slowly). Trust your body, it will tell you what to do.

Excuse me, but these are the recommendations from my surgeon. I DO happen to know that I stop losing at 600-700, have no energy, and can barely get through my workday. I'll thank you to not tell me not to follow doctor's orders!

I am NOT asking for criticism of my surgeon's recommendations on this thread. If you can't swing with that, feel free to join another thread.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

I totally agree with the previous poster, don't worry in time you WILL be able to consume more and may wish you couldn't. By the sounds of it you are getting plenty Protein, carbs and fat. Go with your gut and keep doing what you are doing. Your NUT is giving information only; please stay away from nuts, Protein Bars and Peanut Butter at 2 months out. This is waaay to soon to be eating such foods. Nuts can be very filling and again at 2 months you don't want anything to get stuck in your tummy; it may not be fully healed yet.

And yes at two months I maybe was getting 600-700 calories, this is where you want to be.

Excuse me very much, but "where I want to be" is where my surgeon wants me to be. This isn't information from someone wdoesn't know what they're doing. This is from my surgeon and Registered Dietician. The program I'm in has been doing WLS for 14 years successfully, thanks. I'm sure they know a thing or two.

I haven't had any nuts, nor any Peanut Butter. I only use half portions of Protein Bars as a last resort. Had you bothered to read my original post, you would have known that.