Sample Menu from dietitian for Week Five 1141 Calories, 103g Protein

[Creekimp13 5,840]

Heading into soft solids this week:) Looks like some well balanced fuel I can live with:)

[Creekimp13 5,840]

I'm loving that we're moving away from so many Protein supplements, eating real food, balancing healthy carbs, and getting some plant protein in there. And fruits and veggies make me smile! Couple more weeks until salad...and I'm dying for one:)

[NewBeginnings2018 81]

Looks totally doable and livable!

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

I get to eat salad next week and I cannot wait. My mouth is watering thinking about it!

[Creekimp13 5,840]

I lived on mason jar salads this summer....with chicken, eggs, black Beans, garbanzos, nuts, seeds, low fat fetta and swiss, steak, all sorts of wonderful variations. All homemade dressings, too, so I can keep the fat olive oil and the sugar splenda...and the preservatives out. Love me a balsamic garlic dressing with a little ginger. Love, love, love me a salad in a jar. Can make sure to do higher Protein content pretty easy:) I make a chicken taco salad with blackbeans and sweet corn that's really good. Another favorite is a turkey bacon BLT salad that I scoop into a protein wrap. Very little beats a steak and swiss salad, though....man, I miss that!

I know I can't have all the crunchy veggies I want anymore...gotta save space for the proteins....but even having a little will add so much texture and flavor. Yum!

[amybeth150 18]

I’m almost 7 weeks out of surgery and I cannot fathom eating this much. I can’t fit more than 2-3 oz at a time. Am I the only one?

[BigAussieGirl 162]

That’s a lot of food. I’m 4.5 months post op and eat about 1/2 -of that.

[Creekimp13 5,840]

My group says that eating less than 1000 calories will set you up to have a starvation metabolism that not only can halt weight loss, but also is correlated with less weight loss, and more weight regain in 10 year studies.....because your metabolism is reset to a sluggish starvation level that works against you when you start eating normally again. You really can't eat 600 calories a day forever without suffering malnutrition eventually.

My group's protocol was developed by a major medical research hospital (University of Michigan) and is being picked up by Ceadars-Sinai and Bethesda naval hospital this year due to it's superior performance in longterm studies and excellent reputation in the Bariatric research community.

There are still old-school doctors who push super low calorie diets post surgically. The weight loss is fast, and people are very happy with fast results. But they often don't last and can result in an unhealthy metabolism that can't handle normal levels of calories later...and eventually result in weight gain.

The newer approach is to advance people to eating normal amounts of calories as soon as possible, so that they have the energy to add exercise and boost their metabolisms into athletic fat burning furnaces that last a lifetime and help them eat sensibly and continue to lose weight.

My doctor: You get one chance to reset your metabolism with this surgery, why would you want to reset it to a starvation level that conserves every calorie?

My nutritionist says that eating under 1000 calories is correlated with more Hair loss, nutrient malabsorption, fatigue and stress. Fatigue and stress trigger cortisol...which again, is contraindicated for weight loss.

Everyone has their own approach to who they trust and why....

A lot of my family is in medicine. I tend to trust the research hospitals and the empirical data of solid studies rather than the hype of clinics that are more interested in making a buck. I'm much more convinced by a collaborative consensus of what provably is healthiest long term and works.

I've been eating 1000-1200 calories since week 3....very comfortably. I'm walking seven miles a day and feel terrific. The scale is moving down about two to three pounds a week and I'm off all my meds.

I am loving this new lifestyle:) And I can live with it long term. And that's really the goal in my mind....the forever habits I can live with.

[amybeth150 18]

My group says that eating less than 1000 calories will set you up to have a starvation metabolism that not only can halt weight loss, but also is correlated with less weight loss, and more weight regain in 10 year studies.....because your metabolism is reset to a sluggish starvation level that works against you when you start eating normally again. You really can't eat 600 calories a day forever without suffering malnutrition eventually.
My group's protocol was developed by a major medical research hospital (University of Michigan) and is being picked up by Ceadars-Sinai and Bethesda naval hospital this year due to it's superior performance in longterm studies and excellent reputation in the Bariatric research community.
There are still old-school doctors who push super low calorie diets post surgically. The weight loss is fast, and people are very happy with fast results. But they often don't last and can result in an unhealthy metabolism that can't handle normal levels of calories later...and eventually result in weight gain.
The newer approach is to advance people to eating normal amounts of calories as soon as possible, so that they have the energy to add exercise and boost their metabolisms into athletic fat burning furnaces that last a lifetime and help them eat sensibly and continue to lose weight.
My doctor: You get one chance to reset your metabolism with this surgery, why would you want to reset it to a starvation level that conserves every calorie?
My nutritionist says that eating under 1000 calories is correlated with more hair loss, nutrient malabsorption, fatigue and stress. Fatigue and stress trigger cortisol...which again, is contraindicated for weight loss.
Everyone has their own approach to who they trust and why....
A lot of my family is in medicine. I tend to trust the research hospitals and the empirical data of solid studies rather than the hype of clinics that are more interested in making a buck. I'm much more convinced by a collaborative consensus of what provably is healthiest long term and works.
I've been eating 1000-1200 calories since week 3....very comfortably. I'm walking seven miles a day and feel terrific. The scale is moving down about two to three pounds a week and I'm off all my meds.
I am loving this new lifestyle:) And I can live with it long term. And that's really the goal in my mind....the forever habits I can live with.

So, what is someone like me to do, when I can’t eat more than 2-3 oz at a time without feeling horrible and in pain? I think I should be getting in more calories, but I can’t. I have no desire to starve my body and am hoping there will soon be a time when I can eat a healthy menu, such as this. Everybody’s journey is different. I was just wondering if there were other people like me.

[amybeth150 18]

My group says that eating less than 1000 calories will set you up to have a starvation metabolism that not only can halt weight loss, but also is correlated with less weight loss, and more weight regain in 10 year studies.....because your metabolism is reset to a sluggish starvation level that works against you when you start eating normally again. You really can't eat 600 calories a day forever without suffering malnutrition eventually.
My group's protocol was developed by a major medical research hospital (University of Michigan) and is being picked up by Ceadars-Sinai and Bethesda naval hospital this year due to it's superior performance in longterm studies and excellent reputation in the Bariatric research community.
There are still old-school doctors who push super low calorie diets post surgically. The weight loss is fast, and people are very happy with fast results. But they often don't last and can result in an unhealthy metabolism that can't handle normal levels of calories later...and eventually result in weight gain.
The newer approach is to advance people to eating normal amounts of calories as soon as possible, so that they have the energy to add exercise and boost their metabolisms into athletic fat burning furnaces that last a lifetime and help them eat sensibly and continue to lose weight.
My doctor: You get one chance to reset your metabolism with this surgery, why would you want to reset it to a starvation level that conserves every calorie?
My nutritionist says that eating under 1000 calories is correlated with more hair loss, nutrient malabsorption, fatigue and stress. Fatigue and stress trigger cortisol...which again, is contraindicated for weight loss.
Everyone has their own approach to who they trust and why....
A lot of my family is in medicine. I tend to trust the research hospitals and the empirical data of solid studies rather than the hype of clinics that are more interested in making a buck. I'm much more convinced by a collaborative consensus of what provably is healthiest long term and works.
I've been eating 1000-1200 calories since week 3....very comfortably. I'm walking seven miles a day and feel terrific. The scale is moving down about two to three pounds a week and I'm off all my meds.
I am loving this new lifestyle:) And I can live with it long term. And that's really the goal in my mind....the forever habits I can live with.

So, what is someone like me to do, when I can’t eat more than 2-3 oz at a time without feeling horrible and in pain? I think I should be getting in more calories, but I can’t. I have no desire to starve my body and am hoping there will soon be a time when I can eat a healthy menu, such as this. Everybody’s journey is different. I was just wondering if there were other people like me.

[Creekimp13 5,840]

Have you tried foods like high Protein oatmeal and cottage cheese? They were my go-to to get the calories in early. I ate a lot of them. LOL:) And quite a few protein smoothies with Peanut Butter. Hummus was also a great option.

[Creekimp13 5,840]

By the way...I really don't eat more than 3 ounces or so, either. But I do eat three meals and three Snacks a day. Spread out, it adds up.

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

I’d like to get to a goal of 1200 calories as well for a long term sustainable daily goal. I’m hovering at about 600 a day and low energy. I’d love to eat more to have the energy to do more.

[Losebig 508]

I'm jealous of your carbs. My program has us mostly carb free for 6-16 months, which means all the calories are Protein, vegetables and a tiny amount of fruit. At this point (3 weeks out) I get around 800 - 1k calories most days.

[wanderlust17 1]

1 hour ago, KimTriesRNY said:

I’d like to get to a goal of 1200 calories as well for a long term sustainable daily goal. I’m hovering at about 600 a day and low energy. I’d love to eat more to have the energy to do more.

Hunters and gatherers years ago went days without eating and their metabolisms were fine. You didn’t hear about overweight hunters and gathers. Looking through history books I cannot recall one overweight Hunter and Gatherer. There is a TON of literature on the benefits of intermittent fasting and while 600cal is a significant caloric restriction you can sustain on that. Make sure you take all the suggested Vitamin and mineral supplements as directed by your GI doctor. You have surplus fat stores that your body will use as fuel and as long as you are getting +60g of Protein I wouldn’t be concerned about loss of muscle. 1100 cal is what previous dieticians recommended for me to lose weight slowly without VSG. That is the aim for your long term eating for the rest of your life. And you have a lifetime to get there. Just my 2 cents! Good luck!