Question about Diet/Overeating

[Twinharps 1]

I'm 3 months out and have had one fill (3.7 cc in a 14cc band)

I'm currently consuming about 1400-1500 calories per day. I'm definitely not eating as much as before but I feel like I'm overeating because my NUT says I should only be eating 800-1000 calories.

I am eating lean meats, veggies, fruits, wheat bread, Pasta and even sweets every now and then (in moderation) My doctor and NUT are big on the Low carb diet but I have a very hard time following it. My NUT pretty much told me that if I didn't follow the low carb diet I wouldn't lose weight, but at 1400-1500 calories per day on my own diet, I'm still losing 2-3 lbs a week (which I'm happy with)

I guess my question is, Has anyone else had success by eating a balanced diet with carbs or will I eventually crash and burn? I know I won't be able to eat that much once I get great restriction but am I okay until then?

[soocalchic 1,087]

Do what works for you my nut is also really into low carb and almost had a heart attack when i told her that i drink green smoothies (fresh squeezed oj, strawberries and baby spinach) told me i shouldnt eat/drink fruit juices i guess moderation is key here. They assume that because we are big that we are going to gorge on everything we eat lol. Low carb is easy to follow and you dont really have to count calories. Oh yeah and anybody can be on it even diabetics.Hence why they pimp it out so much.

[ElfiePoo 109]

I'm currently consuming about 1400-1500 calories per day.

Has anyone else had success by eating a balanced diet with carbs or will I eventually crash and burn? I know I won't be able to eat that much once I get great restriction but am I okay until then?

Yes, you will lose weight. Consider how many calories you were eating pre-band that maintained your current weight. Decrease your calories by 500 per day and you'll lose 1 pound a week.

I've lost 12 pounds (I'll change my ticker some time today) in the 5 weeks since surgery and I'm just eating in moderation. I'd say my calories average anywhere from 1200-1400 a day. There is no good or bad food, although I am mindful of empty calories. At Thanksgiving, my sil made this absolutely sinful cookie. Although I'm not a sweet eater, I can be tempted by these little gourmet treats on the rare occasion. Last year I would have had 3 or 4 Cookies. This year I had 1 bite. Ok, I would've eaten the whole cookie, but my husband came over and asked, "Do you really want that?" and I realized that I didn't. One bite was enough to deal with the craving.

For those who can stick to the 800-1000 for months on end...more power to them. I know I can't and if I try, I will crash and burn and power eat my way through the evening.

Do what works for you. If you're making good choices as a general rule and eating in moderation or even low cal and (bonus) losing weight, then I'd say keep doing what you're doing.

On my first fill (about a week ago or so) my NUT asked if I was following their recommendations (1 cup of food at each meal). I told her that I wasn't and didn't intend to until I had the type of restriction that would help with the hunger that type of diet (and failure) will only cause me to have. I'm losing roughly 2 pounds per week and having no real difficulty in eating in moderation so what's the problem? She couldn't think of any. :rolleyes2:

.

[greytz 4]

Only my opinion here but what I believe is that yes, right now you will lose weight eating this way but eventually when you get to a certain point, you will stall. If you are happy with what you are losing right now, stick with that and then when you begin to stall, you will want to change what you are doing. I would think you will want to cut out the carbs at some point and are you exercising at all? You will need to begin doing that also. This romance period right now will end if you continue to eat that way.

[39andholding 0]

I am just post-op (Nov 20) but IMO if you are consistently losing 2-3 lbs a week, you are on target. Maybe you could lose 5 lbs a week with NO carbs but is that healthy or satisfying? Will that mean when you lose the weight, you will revert to bad habits and go nuts eating the bad stuff? I have seen so many people lose weight on Atkins just to gain it back because they can't go low-carb forever.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

[Twinharps 1]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

greytz, I go to the gym 2-3 days a week right now. I'd like to go 5 days a week but I live in a rural area and it's a 40 minute drive each way. While at home I use my resistance cords and Richard Simmons workout DVD's though.

I am preparing myself though, because I know that once I hit my sweet spot, I'll most likely have to cut carbs out.

My second fill is December 22

[greytz 4]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

greytz, I go to the gym 2-3 days a week right now. I'd like to go 5 days a week but I live in a rural area and it's a 40 minute drive each way. While at home I use my resistance cords and Richard Simmons workout DVD's though.

I am preparing myself though, because I know that once I hit my sweet spot, I'll most likely have to cut carbs out.

My second fill is December 22

That's great. The exercise to me is such an important part of the journey and has become a permanent part of my life. I hope for you too. Richard has some great CD's to boogie by. I am glad you are prepared to lose most of the carbs. Not saying you can't have anything and as everyone always says balance is everything and it truly is. I do believe that carbs to some degree are important but for now, I pretty much stay away from them until I reach my goal.

[IndioGirl55 32]

I'm 3 months out and have had one fill (3.7 cc in a 14cc band)

I'm currently consuming about 1400-1500 calories per day. I'm definitely not eating as much as before but I feel like I'm overeating because my NUT says I should only be eating 800-1000 calories.

I am eating lean meats, veggies, fruits, wheat bread, Pasta and even sweets every now and then (in moderation) My doctor and NUT are big on the Low carb diet but I have a very hard time following it. My NUT pretty much told me that if I didn't follow the low carb diet I wouldn't lose weight, but at 1400-1500 calories per day on my own diet, I'm still losing 2-3 lbs a week (which I'm happy with)

I guess my question is, Has anyone else had success by eating a balanced diet with carbs or will I eventually crash and burn? I know I won't be able to eat that much once I get great restriction but am I okay until then?

I did - I ate limited carbs but still eat carbs/starches every nite with my dinner - You are a guy and you can eat more than us chicks - I ate 800-1200 during my weight loss phase and I lost 105 lbs in a year - and if you are losing weight on what you are eating then it's working - why mess with it - you gotta do what works for you - this is a lifetime lifestyle change so you have to find an eating plan that works for you..

[Jachut 487]

What she is saying to you is ridiculous, given your body is obviously responding to what you are doing.

I lost ALL of my weight and then some, way way past the top of my healthy weight range and I did it never eating less than 1500 calories a day and never cutting carbs.

what happened naturally is that the carb/protein balance in my diet changed, there simply is not the stomach room to waste it all with white bread. I dont eat nearly as many sugary white carbs, and I usually only have a serve of something like a Cereal or slice of wholegrain bread in a day and maybe a spoonful of rice or something. Usually each day I'll have a small treat like a cookie or two with a cuppa.

There's no way round that fact that eating the recommended 4 slices of bread, AND a serve of Cereal AND a serve of pasta/rice in a day like the food pyramid recommends will probably make it hard to lose weight.

Its just all about balance, the right mix of protein/fat/carbs and most processed food diets are carb heavy.

You wont crash and burn, in the end its all calories in calories out and nutritionists are like personal trainers, they are not medical professions and they tend to just trot out whatever is currently fashinionable in nutrition and exercise science. It generally works too but that's really because ANYthing you do consistently and with dedication will work. But you'll find they're telling you something differerent in ten years time, so there's plenty of room for your personal preference and doing what works for YOU.

There's no medal for getting by on 800 - 1009 calories a day. If you're doing that and you COULD be losing weight on more, then you're achieving nothing more than robbing yourself of valuable nutrition. The only people that should eat that little are the ones who really genuinely cant lose weight on more, to tell people to aim for that without proof that it is necessary is very irresponsible.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Jachut

[Twinharps 1]

Thanks so much for the feedback Jacqui. I am definitely going to stick to my current diet as long as it's working.

[photo01886 0]

At the center I go to calories are never mentioned. It is all about the right food choices. If you are losing the weight and getting your nitrition how could your nut say anything??? Once your weight loss slows down then you may have to make some changes but little changes at a time are a lot easier to make then a bunch of changes all at once! Good for you. I am nervous though. Many people say you can't deny yourself or cut out a food group all together because one day you will go crazy and overdue it. My issue is with sweets...I LOVE them and feel like if I start eating them again I will not stop. I had a very small piece of cake on Turkey Day but other than that I have not had any kind of Cookies, candy, chocolate since my surgery on Sept. 21. Don't you stop craving things after a period of time? Right now I have no trouble resisting them and don't feel bad when other people are around me eating them so I really think I am okay. I fel like I am safer cutting them out completely. My cheat everyday is a tablespoon of WHITE SUGAR in my tea. I was warned against it but what is a tablespoon cost me and if it makes me happy I am doing it. I just don't like artificial sweetners all that much and i enjoy my cup of tea everyday!!!

[mnsmith 0]

Hi all. My surgeon and dietician obviously want me to make healthy choices and I have been, but they also said they want me to eat real food and what I want because I will not be eating large amounts and if I cut out everything I will eventually binge. I have cut out carbonated beverages and almost all breads, but if I want a small cookie or sweet I have it. Hope this helps. You gotta remember we were all probably eating a tremendous amount of calories before we started on this journey. Good luck.

[pickles123 0]

I personally can't eat many carbs or I don't lose. But Dan if you are losing go for it. There may be a time when you have to stop eating so many carbs; but, for now you are doing great.

Keep up the good work.

[thinneranniesoon 0]

I have been having 4 times the amount of Protein than I do carbs, and have lost 55 lbs in 6 months so far.

If I am having 30 g of carbs in a day, i make sure that my protein count is 120.

I do not have this many carbs on a daily basis, however I ALWAYS have at least 80 g of protein without fail.

[Jachut 487]

At the center I go to calories are never mentioned. It is all about the right food choices. If you are losing the weight and getting your nitrition how could your nut say anything??? Once your weight loss slows down then you may have to make some changes but little changes at a time are a lot easier to make then a bunch of changes all at once! Good for you. I am nervous though. Many people say you can't deny yourself or cut out a food group all together because one day you will go crazy and overdue it. My issue is with sweets...I LOVE them and feel like if I start eating them again I will not stop. I had a very small piece of cake on Turkey Day but other than that I have not had any kind of Cookies, candy, chocolate since my surgery on Sept. 21. Don't you stop craving things after a period of time? Right now I have no trouble resisting them and don't feel bad when other people are around me eating them so I really think I am okay. I fel like I am safer cutting them out completely. My cheat everyday is a tablespoon of WHITE SUGAR in my tea. I was warned against it but what is a tablespoon cost me and if it makes me happy I am doing it. I just don't like artificial sweetners all that much and i enjoy my cup of tea everyday!!!

Lol, I hate to break it to you, but Cookies and sweets arent a food group! (oh, if only hey?).

cutting out carbs entirely is cutting out a food group. I tihnk its nuts when people say that carbs make you crave carbs and that whem they cut them out, if they eat a little bit, they'll go crazy. Well, der, that's because your body is desperate for a balanced diet and you've withheld an ENTIRE food group.

but I definitely believe that some people do much better on lower carb diets and there is lots of proof that its tied in with that whole metabolis synddrome thing - apple shaped women in particular, they tend to have the same body chemistries, the pcos, the pre-diabetes thing happening and a low carb diet seems to work very well for that.

Cravings for cookies and such is such a problem, and most of us do have to just say NO to some foods. I cant eat them in moderation either, having a cookie or two and being "moderate" does nothing to stop my desire to eat the entire packet. I'm better off not having them in the house and having an occasional binge, I've learned i will never ever be able to handle these foods appropriately.

But wholegrain breads, cereals, etc I can. I dont overeat those foods.

Edited December 15, 2009 by Jachut