Surprising Reality of WLS

[Cape Crooner 589]

I'm about 16 months out and doing well. That said, having closely tracked my calorie intake and burn for 20 months, I have to say many of my old myths have been shattered.

I consume about 1500 calories a day on average.

I burn a total of 3000 calories a day (about 2000 by living and breathing and about 1000 more from about 2 hours of exercise).

Yet, my weight stays exactly the same!

I take a couple of things from this:

1. The myth about losing a pound for every extra 3500 calories burned is BS.

2. We're different. I know a lot of skinny people who eat far more than I do. I'm not sure if we were born this way or it's just something that we programmed into our bodies though bad behavior.

3. There is absolutely no way I could have done this on my own without the help of WLS.

What about you guys?

[CStoned 155]

Yes! Bc calorie intake & burn is confusing & varying....

First it's lower your calories to lose weight. Then it's don't lower em too low or ur body will starve &you won't lose weight.... All i know is im planet-fitness-ing my ass off & staying below 900 calories (bc i cant stuff any more food in there) & my weightloss has slowed to 1lb a week &im 9wks out.... Frustrated! But still thankful as all for the help this sleeve IS giving...

[Newme17 3,444]

Yes! Bc calorie intake & burn is confusing & varying....

First it's lower your calories to lose weight. Then it's don't lower em too low or ur body will starve &you won't lose weight.... All i know is im planet-fitness-ing my ass off & staying below 900 calories (bc i cant stuff any more food in there) & my weightloss has slowed to 1lb a week &im 9wks out.... Frustrated! But still thankful as all for the help this sleeve IS giving...

Someone posted their nutritionist told them to eat more and the weight started to fall off again. I gained weight not eating enough (crazy but true). My doc keeps telling me to eat more. When I did, felt like I was a stuffed turkey, but I was losing (also working out pretty hard too). Problem was It was hard to keep eating more for me, but it works!! But this is my experience and I'm still pre surgery. Not sure how it'll be after surgery, but if I can't eat much after, than I'm in my element, at least.

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Edited January 21, 2017 by Newme17

[Cape Crooner 589]

I would say that it doesn't seem to matter much what I eat as long as I avoid sugars. My weight stays the same.

That said, I'm afraid to eat much more than my 1500 calories/day.

[Pazza 199]

It is really frustrating and I expect to be in your reality. I'm already noticing that rule does not apply to me. My calorie deficit has to be higher to loose weight and I'm only 9 months out.

Just a couple of things that I want to say about the initial study that contributed to this myth. Mostly because it really irks me.

The study was done on college athletes. And not many of them. The sample size was fairly small. Small sample size and a sample population that is very different than the general population are not good for applying results to the general population. Kind of ner-duh statement but people love the study because it is easy to understand and apply.

Due their body composition alone, the student athletes resting metabolic rate is going to be very different than the average individual. Their diet and age are also going to affect the outcomes. As will genetic/family profiles, type of food eaten, etc, etc, etc. There is so much that goes into weight management. (Some new studies suggest that it takes a 7000 calorie per pound difference.)

We've come a long way in our understanding of contributing factors of obesity. We still have a long way to go too. Thank you for the reminder that we still have to figure this out for ourselves individually.

All the best

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[UalreadyKnow 843]

I can't go over 800 calories daily if I wish to lose, and I can't pass 25gms of carbs if I wish to maintain. My metabolism continues to be all sorts of messed up. Couldn't ever have lost this weight without WLS, but it certainly is not easy

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Edited January 25, 2017 by UalreadyKnow

[Cape Crooner 589]

I seem to have gained 5 pounds over the last month and it's not coming off despite my return to my post opt diet (low carb - under 1,000 calories/day).

Since my pants keep falling down, I'm about ready to chalk it up to my stepped up exercise routine, but who knows...

[DecemberSleeve 18]

Yes, formerly obese people absolutely do have to work harder to stay skinny than naturally skinny people have to work to stay skinny. For example, you may have heard recently about a study looking at contestants on the show "The Biggest Loser". This article explains how that study showed that when an obese person loses weight, their body fights hard against the loss. A formerly obese person's metabolism slows down in an effort to try to pack on weight:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html

That's why most of us had the experience that no matter how hard we tried to lose weight before surgery, eventually we put the weight back on. It's not your fault. It's just natural that our bodies try to protect us from "starvation". If we lived in caveman times that would be a good way to survive harsh conditions. Unfortunately, trying to protect us from starvation doesn't work well in modern society where fattening food is so plentiful.

Edited January 27, 2017 by DecemberSleeve

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@Cape Crooner I could not agree more. I've been saying for years that 3500 calories on me does not equal a pound. It seems like I can gain a pound if I'm over by about 2000. I can maintain on around 1200-1300, and I can only lose at around 800. It inflames me when people chime in and say you have to eat more to "prevent starvation". Tried it - not true for me. It don't think obesity ruined my metabolism, I think my metabolism was already this way and I over ate, both in terms of what my body needs, or by any standard. One other thing - I kept on at the same level of over eating for years, yet my body had a set point that while very high, I never went over a certain weight, when I was probably eating enough to continue gaining.

So, my absolute truth is that I could not have done this without WLS, and would have never understood what I needed to do to lose weight. It's my depressing reality to know I'm going to need to watch every bite I put in my mouth for the rest of my life, or just return to morbid obesity.

One other thing - I had some regain over the holidays, and not from very much indulgence. I've lost 5 pounds of it as of this morning, and it was the hardest 5 pounds I've ever lost. It's so easy to put on, and so hard to get off! It really does not want to budge. I hated being fat worse than I hate restricting food, so I'll keep fighting.

[Heather I 500]

@@MichiganChic, I know we've discussed this before and had our respective hands slapped for supposedly not eating clean enough, but I agree with you and @CapeCrooner. Now I see why so many people are overweight and why I would kill myself for six months to lose 10 lbs doing conventional diets and exercise.

I really don't think we, as humans, need that many calories a day to survive. Maybe if we were working farms and doing physical labor, but if you're a desk jockey like me, it is very tough. I'm so grateful to WLS. I couldn't have done this on my own, and I feel really bad for so many overweight people I know who are working hard to lose the same 3 lbs every month on a Quest for losing 80+lbs.

[White Sale 339]

Calories in, calories out may be true, but what happens in between can be so different from person to person. Here's a very interesting article about how the bacteria in your GI tract may have an impact on weight:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-gut-bacteria-help-make-us-fat-and-thin/

[ryan_86 335]

The 3500 number is based on the calories in a pound of pure fat.

It never had anything to do with actual people's metabolism.

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[sonkat5355 70]

I am looking at all your stats and think you all have done wonderfully well. My surgery is Jan. 31, 2017, two days away. I would be happy to lose 10 pounds a month. Some of you have done that and more. On pre opt so far I have lost 12.6 pounds it's just melted away but I could never do this past two weeks. I am weak and tired and after awhile the shakes get to taste lousy. I bought bariatric cream Soups and they have helped but tired of them too. Jello here and there and Popsicle. I like Water so Crystal Light etc is not for me. I think you are all right about losing having tried all my life and successful many times only to regain it. I know on Weight Watchers I would lose but it was 2 steps forward, 1 back. Some times you would lose the times you ate more and not when you were good and visa versa so our bodies are so complex. I, also, noticed it helped if I changed up my menu and not eat the same thing all the time cause your body gets used to it. As well, eat less, one day, more another and it seems to help the body lose. I'm not expert because here I am tired at 61+ wanting to lose and be able to walk around and travel in retirement. less back aches, less pain from osteoarthritis, etc. I am praying I can lose with this surgery. I have about 100 lbs to lose. As long as I'm not hungry I'm ok. Not someone to eat, or binge or junk food. My problem is sedentary even though I walk my whole school pushing a cart as a teacher, and menopause. Perhaps I am a volume eater on the plate and like to snack pretzels at night. Everyone's cross is different. Well, I hope to tell you all how I am doing soon.