Am I eating enough to lose weight?

[HoustonGirl2014 0]

I'm almost two months out of surgery and I've been stalled at a loss of 30 lbs. I know that I am eating far less than before surgery, but I wonder if I am eating enough. Has anyone had a similar issue? Is it possible my body is going into starvation mode and storing fat to stay alive?

Any insight or helpful tips would be greatly appreciated.

[woo woo 872]

You didn't say how much you are eating?

[JamieLogical 8,684]

Are you tracking your calorie intake? If so can you tell us how many calories you are eating as well as what your activity level is like?

[Jordan861 124]

Just how the doctor explained it to me - It is in and out - Calories in vs calories out (burned). Your body will attempt to restore glycogen or glycerin stores (liver process that is energy)(body will just use less) they are used up during the first weeks of the body getting use to lower calorie intake. Once your body has restored the glycerin/glycogen (don't remember which it was) stores you will start loosing. Are you gaining? When I went into the stall for 5 days I didn't gain, just didn't lose.

[NateTaylor87 10]

After 2 1/2 months, I was stalling not gaining or losing. Tip is working out, after a while it doesnt matter how little you eat. You have to move to get results.

[JadedMage 39]

its called a Plateu, everyone goes through them when loosing weight, even without the surgery. just stick to it, get some exercise and you will start loosing weight again!

[blondebomb 580]

at 3 wks I stalled...to this day I can only get in less then 700 daily. I use myfitnesspal on everything. get Protein requirement most days the past few days I havnt had appetite so Iv been only getting in 30 to 40 daily.. but I watch sugar an carbs, I dont allow myself over 50 at all...sugars are less then 25 maybe 30 day. I lose daily now. fortunatly I have only had 1 stall an it lasted several wks..then it started dropping again daily. I am 11 wks out an down 60 now..I just faithfully use the MFP...

[HoustonGirl2014 0]

Thanks for all the info, everyone. I have not been very diligent in tracking what I am eating so I will make that a priority. Ironically, since posting this yesterday, I lost two pounds. Perhaps I just needed to say it outloud!

What's everyone doing for exercise? My doctor still has me taking it easy at this point, for a couple more weeks, so I've just been walking and walking and walking. It's so boring though. I need some variety, but I can't really get out there and do all the hard core stuff I've been looking foward to.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

What's everyone doing for exercise? My doctor still has me taking it easy at this point, for a couple more weeks, so I've just been walking and walking and walking. It's so boring though. I need some variety, but I can't really get out there and do all the hard core stuff I've been looking foward to.

On day 22 post-op (two days ago) I was supposed to start 60-90 minutes per day of "brisk walking". I did 60 minutes on Monday and it was tough just walking, which was pretty disappointing considering the level of cardio I was doing pre-op. But it is only 3 weeks post-op, so I obviously won't be running any races soon anyway. I am allowed to increase my cardio intensity gradually starting at 2 months post-op. Right now I can't imagine doing much more intense cardio without being able to increase my calorie intake. At best I can get in about 750 calories a day right now and that is with trying really hard to get my calories up.

Edited September 24, 2014 by JamieLogical

[Jordan861 124]

What's everyone doing for exercise? My doctor still has me taking it easy at this point, for a couple more weeks, so I've just been walking and walking and walking. It's so boring though. I need some variety, but I can't really get out there and do all the hard core stuff I've been looking forward to.

I exercise about 4 times a week - I vary the exercise between walking 2 miles and running (gasping catching breath and running again) for 1 mile. Funny story my doc told me nothing strenuous for three months. As a fat person I did not know the definition of strenuous. I told him "At 250 lbs tying my shoes is strenuous, you will have to be more specific for me" after laughing he told me walking and attempting to run was good stuff, but wait for weight training (lifting that increases abd pressure)

[HalloweenBaby24 447]

@@JamieLogical Just curious, How do you track how many calories your getting in?

I have a hard time calculating the calorie intake I'm getting when it come's to the actual food I get in because I never finish anything. Last night I had a piece of chicken a little less the size of my hand and was 230cal for the whole thing, I only took half of that and cut it up but out of that half I was only able to eat half (so half of a half LOL). It's confusing.

[motherof5 364]

I talked to my NUT on Monday. He stated with exercise you will fuel for the body. He told me that I can do no more than 110 of carbs per day on a 1000 cal diet. Now, there is no way on Earth I will be able to do that unless I was totally sabotaging my diet. I cannot eat that much at 4 weeks out. But, I do understand what he is saying. I started doing my exercises Saturday, three days on and 1 day off. I stick to the interval biking on the recumbent bike. I soooo want to do the walk at home videos but my arthritis in my knees are not trying to hear that right now. Perhaps I will do one day of the video to start.

I always hear about 3-4 week stall. I probably did but I don't even know. I weigh myself at the office visits. No stressing hear, no sir. My doctor did tell me that the weight lose will decrease. But I am going to stick to plan,exercise and work this sleeve. Hopefully by my 2 month visit in October I will be 250.YES!

Later losers!

[JamieLogical 8,684]

@@JamieLogical Just curious, How do you track how many calories your getting in?

I have a hard time calculating the calorie intake I'm getting when it come's to the actual food I get in because I never finish anything. Last night I had a piece of chicken a little less the size of my hand and was 230cal for the whole thing, I only took half of that and cut it up but out of that half I was only able to eat half (so half of a half LOL). It's confusing.

I weigh all my food on a food scale. I weigh out the portion size I think I can eat, usually 2 oz. of anything semi-solid (cheese, refried Beans, etc.) and 4 oz. of anything that's mostly liquid. If I don't finish, then I just try to estimate what fraction of it I did eat (1/2, 3/4, etc.). I usually do eat all of it though, I just take as much time as I need to finish it. I took over 45 minutes to eat my first scrambled egg. I reheated it partway through.

[maxcimax 220]

I'm always amazed at the difference of opinion all of us get from our doctors & NUTs. I was on 800 calories for about 6 weeks & then was raised to 1000 calories. I have found that carbs for me are very bad. They stop my weight loss. I use MyFitnessPal in my phone to track everything & then I transfer the info to my Diet Minder that I got from Amazon. I do this in the afternoon after lunch so I know what I can eat (or not eat) for dinner/snacks. This works well for me. I try not to have more than 50 carbs per day. On days when I have had 70+ carbs my weight will stall for a couple of days. I rarely get less than 60g of Protein per day. I also started logging in my Fiber. I was getting so little Fiber I had to start chewing fiber wafers.

With all that being said, I have trouble with exercise & Water. I'm lucky to get in 20 oz of Water per day. Fortunately the other liquids I drink (protein drink) counts towards the 64 ozs. With exercise I have a real issue. I'm 70 & on oxygen 24/7. It's rather hard to get out and walk dragging around a portable oxygen tank. I go to the mall or Walmart or Target & walk around in those places for exercise. I know that's crazy but it beats sitting in a chair. Even losing a lot of weight I might not be able to get off the oxygen due to COPD (thanks to second hand smoke). I can always hope!

I hope this helps you. Good luck on your weight loss. You won't regret it. I don't & I would do it again.