Protein/Caloric/Fat intake

[Eeyore 0]

Has anyone gotten instructions on how much Protein, calories and fat is appropriate after the healing phase? I'm struggling to lose any weight at all - I've been trying to make healthier choices and increase my exercise but I can't seem to get anything moving and it is really making me upset. I'm even afraid to go in next week for my 2nd fill as I haven't lost a single pound and fear my dr. is going to be mad at me.

[Jodi_620 37]

You and I are in the same place on our journey. You are going through what I and most bandsters go through, you are not doing anything wrong and you have no reason to be afraid to see your doctor. I had my second fill yesterday. I had only lost around 4 pounds between the first and second and it was a struggle to do that.

The last week waiting for my second fill I had absolutely no restriction and ate way more than I wanted to. I let my doctor know that and he gave me a good fill this time. There was no judging. It is just trial and error until your doctor gets you to the proper restriction. He will see that you didn't have any weight loss and you will tell him that you are struggling and hopefully he will give you a good fill. If you had good weight loss he probably would not give you a fill at all.

Unless your doctor has one, there is no set diet for you to follow. Mine likes me to have 80g of Protein a day, 60 of those coming from food and save the shakes and bullets for in between meal supplements. I am supposed to eat my Protein first then my veggies then if necessary carbs.

Once you get to the proper restriction, the band will take care of reducing the calorie intake. I eat denser foods that stay in my pouch and keep me full longer. Softer foods, the consistency of oatmeal, mashed potato, Soup etc. don't stay in the pouch as long so they don't keep me satiated as well as say meat and veggies. I don't obsess over fat grams but keep aware of what types of food I eat and how it is prepared. I do low carb because I know that is best for me to keep the head hunger away. (I eat fruits, veggies and dairy but no flour, Pasta, rice, starchy veggies or sugar. )

Just be patient once you get to the right restriction your band will start making things much easier.

[LundyLane 0]

Protein I was told to get at least 60 grams or half of your body weight in Protein .......... no less than 60 grams.

sugar free you should be...but I will be honest I'm not 100%

Low fat is always a better choice.

And as far as being afraid to go to the doctor because you fear you did not lose......GO NO MATTER WHAT.....that is one of the biggest things my doctor told me, if you stop going your not gonna get to the place you should be!! I know how you feel....I gained two pounds when I went in for my first fill.

[Lanakila 1]

Has anyone gotten instructions on how much Protein, calories and fat is appropriate after the healing phase? I'm struggling to lose any weight at all - I've been trying to make healthier choices and increase my exercise but I can't seem to get anything moving and it is really making me upset. I'm even afraid to go in next week for my 2nd fill as I haven't lost a single pound and fear my dr. is going to be mad at me.

Your doctor should never, ever be mad at you. It's ok if they are straightforward, but they should also offer you some strategies that may help you out. It's never fair to criticize without offering some possible solutions. Don't beat yourself up about the weight issue, and don't let anyone else either. It sounds like you are doing great on your lifestyle changes...so Celebrate that as a victory. The rest will come....

[Jodi_620 37]

sugar free you should be...but I will be honest I'm not 100%

Low fat is always a better choice.

Not always...Just wanted to add that although foods naturally low in fat are a good choice, items marketed as "low fat" or "fat free" usually replace the fat with sugar (or dextrose, fructose, lactrose, maltose, maltodexin etc. which are just hidden words for sugar)

Edited August 8, 2008 by Jodi_620

[gadumplin 1]

Don't worry you are not alone. I am going for my 2nd fill on MOnday and have not lost a single pound since fill 1. Well maybe I did lose one but I gained it back. I am depending on the DOctor to tell me what I need to do!! I hope I see some action in August!!!! Hang in there.

[FeliciaLevy75 0]

Whether you eat regular fat or low fat - calories are king. Eat fewer calories, you will lose weight.

Calculate what your body burns each day to function at your current body weight (approximately 10 calories per pound that you weigh) and then subtract 500. Eat that final number and you can lose a pound a week.

Example - I weigh 244 now. My body uses about 2400 calories a day, outside of exercise that I do. If I ate 1900 calories a day, I would lose about a pound a week (500 x 7 = 3500 = 1 lb).

I don't eat anything close to 1900 calories a day, and I am losing 3-4 lbs a week on average (sometimes 2, sometimes 5). It all depends on what else I am doing that week.

The band will help you eat less (quantity) but it does not manage calories and it won't always mean less calories. That's all in the choices people make.

Do some research of your own, find out what you need, and make adjustments. Let the band restrict your quantity, then take control of your quality. You can become quite satisfied on less calories than you might think, losing weight and feeling great.

[lessme 0]

Hi Eeyore, I love your name. I am with you! I have only lost 2 lbs since I was banded June 21st. Since my first fill of 3.4 cc I lost 1 lb and then gained it back this morning. If you read the lap-band fill forum you will find it rather common and comforting that many other people have been where we are. I get alot of encouragement from other people's stories that sometimes they don't lose weight until their 3 or 4th fill. I do believe everyone is different and it is a matter of getting the correct fill. I am finding it hard to answer questions of well why haven't you lost any weight? Many of my "friends" have thought this would be the answer and now are suggesting this too won't work. You hang in there and tell us how things work out. My next fill is Aug 20th and I am hoping for a good outcome.

[krtork 0]

I would not be afraid to see the doctor! They are there to help us through this process and I am sure you are not the first one to not lose weight. So don't fret, ask for the support!

I was on a 1400 calorie/90 gram Protein diet before I was banded. The nutritionist said that would be where I would start once I was up to eating full foods. I think I was averaging about 1200 cal a day. I really had to learn to get the Protein in - those were the weeks I lost the most.

Remember, this is a different journey for each of us. Some will lose quickly and others will take more time. Don't get discouraged, you are on the way to a new slim you!

[tmcd59 0]

I've been using a site called The Daily Plate. You can enter your weight and how much you want to lose per week and it tells you how many calories a day you should eat. Then you list everything you eat and it calculates out all of the nutritional values for you (nearly every food imaginalble is already listed to choose from). You can also list your exercise and it adds the extra calories burned into your daily allowance. I printed out a report (from the site) of what I had eaten for a week and took it with me to the doctor and he said it was an awesome tool. He saw that I was eating less than 800 calories a day (just two or three weeks after surgery) and told me if I keep it below 1,000 calories a day, I'll lose weight. I try to do that but make sure I get my Protein in as directed.

[Eeyore 0]

Thanks everyone for all your guidance and support. I'm certain I'm not getting enough Protein in so I'm going to start watching that more closely. I can't fix the fact that I feel like I'm starving all day every day but I can try to make better choices and get my rear in gear. Thanks again friends!!

[Jodi_620 37]

Thanks everyone for all your guidance and support. I'm certain I'm not getting enough Protein in so I'm going to start watching that more closely. I can't fix the fact that I feel like I'm starving all day every day but I can try to make better choices and get my rear in gear. Thanks again friends!!

Well besides the fact that we need Protein for the nutritive value, protein fills you up. So as you try to get in more protein you may find you are not as hungry.

[healthysue 0]

I am right with you Eyeore, my stats are almost exactly the same. I have been getting discouraged because i am still on the liquid phase of recovery and in the past week my scale did not move AT ALL. Its very upsetting. And if it was not for my band and my recovery, I would have blown my diet already and then be feeling guilty that i failed again. But I have been following my doctors instructions and I just keep saying to myself no matter what in time it will come off. I am still healing and have not had a fill yet. Good Luck and hang in there you may all of the sudden see a nice weight loss.