Search the Community

At a month out I was at about the same as you. No more than 500. the NUT says to add calories after your body has enteted starvation mode and is holding onto the calories. I would talk to your NUT and decide what is best for you. I wouldn't add too many though because if you get to high to early you will keep going up and will be getting too many calories.

If you are getting a fill then an un fill my guess is you are too tight. I personally searched for the first two years to find the Green Zone. What is the Green Zone? After doing the same thing you have done I found there really is no green zone. I was looking for a zone that when my band was tightened it did the work for me. I soon found through trial and error that is not the way this band works. I finally had to stop with the fill and un fill thing. I had my band totally un filled for 9 months due to having issues with allergies my band would get tight and I would fill pressure in my head a chest to the point I could hardly function. A total un fill for 9 months(my choice) came with a 20 pound gain. I then started over and had a slight fill that is when I learned the band will help but the work was up to me. I had to watch every thing I put in my mouth. Carbs calories etc. I have never had it filled back to the point I was at. Its a lot of work to manage my head hunger verses really being hungry. Something I was missing when I really didn't understand how the band worked. How many CC do you have in your band? what size band do you have? if your band is to tight you will not be able to eat healthy and you will have no weight loss. Once you can eat Protein and feel full you will start having more success. I was banded in January 2009. I have lost 93 lbs had some ups and downs. if you need any help or have questions feel free to email me jodilegerski@aol.com

Paula, I agree with everyone else. When were you banded? How much weight have you lost?? Do you exercise, how much? How many calories a day are you consuming? Do not drink for an hour before and after a meal. Drink lots of water thru the day. How much protein are you getting, my doc and dietician wants me to get at least 50. Hang in there!!!!!!!!

My physc recommended me to start tracking my calories. I was surprised. I am 5"3' and weigh 276 and have been consume 900 - 1400 calories and excersing my buns off 4 days a week with no weight loss. Therefore I am willing to get the band to see if that will no what no diet has done. I wonder how many calories people were consuming before the surgery and after the surgery.

I have the same problem as you - we are short. When you are short, you just can't eat the same amount of calories that others do. It is not really fair. If you or I have a Big Mac, we can't eat anything else all day - no fries, sodas, salads, etc. I am surprised that the doctor didn't recommend a high protein (90%) with 10% complex carbohydrates. It is quite effective and you really don't have to worry about calories although I would keep tract for my own information. There are a lot of "hidden" calories. Before my surgery, I had to keep daily sheets of everything I ate, where I ate it, when I ate it, how much water, protein did I take, how much exercise, and how did I "feel." I hated it but it forced me to look at the big picture or the big plate - ha.

I had no complications and could get in all my fluids, proteins, soft foods. The difficulty for me was flat out fatigue, (due to incision pain) and inability to sleep on my side & tummy which I was use to, made me super tired plus recovery. Also my mind was very scattered due to the thinking required for my new tummy, lack of calories, carbs and sleep. I once put Strawberry Supreme protein powder in my cream of mushroom soup and wondered why it was turning pink? (thought it was unflavored protein) I did many of these types of careless mistakes my 2nd week post-op. Starting a new job with that kind of confusion is what would most concern me not the physical aspect. It is hard to start any new job, even when you are in top mental and physical shape. If there is a way to get more time do it, each week of recovery makes a huge difference.

Tomorrow will be one week of VSG, feeling well so far. I feel no hunger at all, and simply force myself to put something into my stomach. I manage to meet my water goal of 64 oz/day, maybe even more (with a few sips of chicken broth every day). But I really fail to manage my protein goal - getting around 15g with my protein shake. I just can't force myself to drink more than 1/2 serving /day. I tried other protein supplements, but they are too sweet -- after the surgery all artificial sweeteners taste really bad. Once I'm allowed to go to the pureed phase, I think I'll be able to get some proteins through unsweetened real foods, like greek yogurts, meats or soups. But I still have to wait for about one more week. As a result, my current daily intake is about 200-250 cal. Is there any risks, like stalls or else, related to low calories? Could I keep my clear liquids diet for one more week without harming myself?

Hi.. I had surgery on the same date. I"m getting about 400 calories. I bought lots of different protein powders and some are too sweet and icky for me. But the Celebration Essential 4:1 is one that I can drink. Its not so sweet. 25g of protein. The orange flavour is good. I'm sick of chocolate and vanilla. I think at 200-250 calories you will find that your brain just isn't functioning too well. I feel fine but I am having a hard time getting all my words out properly. And I'm really forgetful. Feels a bit like my brain is fuzzy. My instructions are to aim for about 45-60 g protein per day. My dietician also said to try to get at least 25-40 g carb to help with the brain fuzziness. I need to function. Also, I bought Zoup! bone broth, which seemed insanely expensive at $6 per bottle, but OMG it is delicious. I mix it with some creme of mushroom soup I also got from Celebrate (powdered). Tastes nice and savoury and its about 20 g of protein. Also - i tried this. Mixed low fat pudding with 2 cups skim milk and whey protein powder and some good quality pure cocoa. Pour into ice cube tray and freeze. Take a little while to get them out. But I can eat a couple of those (well, stick them on a fork and lick them) and it has a real chocolate flavour and a decent little protein punch as well. If you don't maintain protein intake, your body will attack muscle. That's the risk. Good luck, surgery buddy

i didnt mean points i should have said caloriess. i know whaits like i have all i can do to get 800 calories in Surgery Anniversary 7/30/12

It’s pretty hard to eat much salad at 3 months. I’m at the same stage but was cleared for veggies and fruit at 6 weeks. When I’ve ordered salad out, I get the smallest salad possible with some quality protein on it and focus on eating the protein. Salad dressing is very high calorie so be careful how much you use, if any.

Hey Whip, as another dude, I can totally relate. What really struck me when I was on the liquid pre-op diet was how much of my socializing was tied in to eating one way or another. I guess I kind of had to "mourn" the fact that my old way of life was no longer going to be feasable. That's the worst thing, but also the best thing, if you think about it. I feel pretty confident that very few people could match MY love of food. During my initial doctor visit, they did a metabolism test on me. The results showed that I have a very high metabolism. At first, I thought the test was flawed (it showed I could maintain weight if I ingested 4000 calories / day), because how could I have gotten so fat if my metabolism was so high? When I really thought about it, the answer is that I was taking in an enourmous amount of calories........The point is, I love to eat. I'm almost 7 weeks post-band, lost around 45 lbs so far, and have never felt hungry, or like I was denying myself anything! If I can do it, you can do it, my friend....

Welcome. It’s ok to feel scared & nervous. It’s surgery. Food likely is something you depend upon as an emotional support & that is going to change & you will be changing what & how you eat. Things like how much pain you will experience after surgery is very individual. You may have a lot of gas pain or nine at all (I didn’t after my sleeve) but there are things you can do to help the gas escape your body. You may experience surgical pain for a couple of days or a week but again you’ll have access to pain meds to help. You may have muscular discomfort & struggle to get up & down for a little while or you may have very little at all. Pre surgical diets differ a lot too. Some are two weeks, some are just a couple of days. Some are all shakes. Others 2 meals shakes & 1 meal protein & vegetables. Mine was keto so … (I have done shake diets before & for a couple of months at a time.) The first challenge to the pre surgical diet is the psychological loss of the crunch & chew comfort of solid food. This can increase your head hunger & cause a lot of emotional turmoil. The second is the withdrawal symptoms (headaches, nausea, tiredness, etc.) from cutting out caffeine & sugar. This usually lasts less than a week. These things are small & are only a couple of weeks in duration. Nothing when you consider the big picture of your whole life & your health. The surgery is an opportunity to makes big changes but you have to be psychologically & emotionally ready. Don’t be afraid to seek support from a therapist (one who specialises in bariatric patients & disordered eating are best). A lot of people have found therapy extremely helpful. Yes, you are on a low calorie restricted diet & eating small portions to begin. Initially it is to support your healing. Then to make you look at the nutritional benefits of what you eat but within a few months you’ll be eating more & a greater variety of food. By maintenance you’ll be eating the portion sizes we all should be eating (not those giant plates two & three times more than what we actually need & lead to our obesity). And you’ll be consuming only the calories your body needs to function effectively & maintain your weight. You’ll discover your relationship with food will change. I still enjoy eating & the taste & texture of food but I see it as something my body needs to function & not as something to comfort & soothe me emotionally - because I’m bored, sad, happy, angry, etc. I’m not continuously thinking about what & when I’ll eat next. It’s that maxim of eating to live not living to eat. All the best.

It is that time of the month and crave sweet, okay can have fruit, but want something else, found that a lite mars bar is low calorie and does the trick, unlike a jube, jelly beans one or two, any one else got any other ideas??

Completely normal. It's often referred to as "Bandster Hell". You have no restriction but can't go in and get a fill for at least a couple weeks probably, depending on your doctor's policy regarding post-surgery filling. Hang in there! Raw veggies in particular are great for taking up room but being low calorie. If you are concerned about continuing to lose while feeling like you could eat an entire buffalo for dinner, try tracking your food intake with something like TheDailyPlate.com and setting a target calorie goal for your day.

I actually find the same thing. It's kind of bizarre. It's not unusual that you are able to eat more than you think you should right now. The band is just sitting there, and without restriction, many people are able to eat as much, or nearly as much as they did before surgery, which is incredibly frustrating. People choose to handle this different ways of course. The basic ways I've seen, are to a) eat however they want until they start getting fills, :confused: eat less even though they might want to eat more, c) diet. Any of those ways are fine, it all just depends on the person. I can't picture what a pound of food looks like. I don't weigh my food. For the most part, I go on serving sizes, and how many calories I want to eat for each meal. How many calories do you figure you are getting in per day?

Hello...I was banded Feb. 24 and had only 1cc fill at the time of banding. My doc is very conservative and fills only 1cc at a time. Its has taken a total of 6cc to get me to restriction which is where I will stay at for now. During the time getting there I have only lost about 4# a month. I eat what I want just a whole lot less of it. I eat appetizers for my dinner. I eat a dinner salad with cottage cheese instead of a big chef like I used to. I still like my cocktails several times a week when I go out and I know thats where a lot of my extra calories come from. I need to exercise more as I am sure we are all challenged with. But all in all, its working slow but steady. I am down a full size and hopefully will be down another by September. It can be frustrating when you see others better progress but I have to celebrate my own little achievements here. So keep up the good work everyone. It has definately changed my old bad habits that eventually would of killed me. So I'm good with it.

Hi, I am using My Fitness Pal since June, and to first answer Bob2013's question, I log each and everything into it. And because a lot of the foods I eat are homecooked, I know for a fact that there isn't half as much fat in the ones I cook than the option I am forced to chose from My Fitness Pal's food lists. So it might be overestimating the fat but then also the meat because I know I don't eat as much meat as those dishes might offer. I am very honest with the food diary. Everything goes in there. No point in cheating : ) at this point right? Also, Lisa, I according to the app, I am eating perhaps roughly about 150gms of sugar per WEEK. Is that too much? Maybe I should cut down on sugar? It says I have roughly 23% Protein in a week of all groups , thats 405 gms of protein. 276gms of fat, and 719 gms of carbs. (this is a sample week out of a few). 74kgs is 162.8lbs/pounds. My nutritionist is never very bothered about my calorie intake in total, just what is going inside me, so I don't know my intake. My Fitness Pal says its about 1,200 but it doesn't factor surgery into it! What do you guys think? What should I change? Am I failing?

Does anyone notice if they are getting more headaches since their surgery? I don't know if its my body going through withdrawl...from not having so much fat/calories/carbohydrates....Or if I am just not sleeping enough....or what the hell is going on...But it seems like every other day for the last week i have had a headache. And the only thing I can take now is that nasty liquid tylenol!!! I would rather swallow a sword!!!! I use to be prone to migraines and what would trigger my migraines is a)not sleeping enough not eatting enough.....The headaches im getting now are not by any means migraines, but dull constant aches.......makes one quite miserable. Okay...any feed back would be appreciated. Talk to you later

I think my husband has concocted the absolute best Protein shake out there, but I don't want to get bored, so I will share mine if you will share yours. I use American whey because it is lactose free and has no artificial sweeteners. To make is taste GOOD (yes really good) here is what we do: One scoop of vanilla One scoop of chocolate 2 tsp of Hershey's baking cocoa 4 ice cubes One banana, broken into pieces Water to fill the blender (about 20 oz total ingredients) Add all ingredients (in the order listed for best blending) and puree until smooth and thoroughly mixed. ENJOY! The vanilla makes it creamy, and the chocolate balances the flavor, two scoops of either flavor is just not the same. The cocoa thickens it just enough to fill you up for a while and flavors the shake but only adds 50 calories, no sugar and no fat. The banana does add some carbs, but it gives me the potassium that I need so my muscles don't ache because I workout so much. If you find it is too thick, reduce the amount of ice or let it sit for a few minutes before you drink it so it can melt some. We use the Hamilton Beach personal blender that has a pop on travel lid so you can mix and go easily. Here is the link to see what I am talking about, and K-mart is the cheapest price I found. Hamilton Beach Personal Blender with Travel Lid - Model 16440911 at Kmart.com I hope you enjoy this recipe and I hope you will share yours with me. Laura "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels." :biggrin:

Congratulations on your awesome loss! Is there anyone else you could see? Maybe someone in endocrinology? A different nutritionist? Are you tracking your calorie intake to see more or less what you're getting? (I know, lots of questions, no actual answers --Sorry!)

So I figured I needed to re dedicate myself to my original goals as I find myself slowing sliding away from them and also finding myself not losing how I would like. So... my goals: drink 8 cups of water/day religiously log my calories on myfitnesspal.com stay within my calorie content allowable (no more than 1500 to 1700!) stop snacking, and if hungry between meals, snack on healthy items

That's interesting is this idea like carb cycling but with calories? Where can I find more inform on how to do it. Some days I can eat up to 1300 calories but mostly it's between 600-900, 3 months post op. Sent from my REVVLRY using BariatricPal mobile app

I am a full time nursing student set to graduate in January 2011. I am having my surgery this December, thankfully a few days after my exit exam. However I am a little concerned because I am scheduled to take the NCLEX exam in Feb or March of next year, and I remember being told by my Kaiser Options leader that people are usually a little fuzzy headed for a couple months post op due to the severe calorie restriction, etc. Can anyone give me a little info about their experiences with this? Also, I am nervous about some of the other complications like dumping, etc that I have been told about. I will have about 1 week to recover after surgery at home, then will be headed back to the classroom a few days a week for a couple weeks of NCLEX prep. and am curious about how I'll feel sitting in a class for hours at a time so soon after surgery. I would appreciate any insight to ease my mind a little, or at least let me know what to expect so I can be prepared Thanks!

Hard to build muscle when you can't consume enough calories to stop weight loss. I agree, exercise (strength training) would be beneficial once the OP can increase calories.

I refuse point blank to eat under 1200 a day or so (so I guess it was lucky I lost weight well on 1500 a day or so). I maintain nicely on about 2000 a day - that's pretty much a normal, healthy metabolism, only a little less than what the charts say I should be eating. I have to unfill my band soon for a surgery and I'm VERY glad I dont have to try to stick to 1200 a day unbanded simply to maintain my weight. I figure if after 5 years of healthy banded eating if I cant stick to 2000 a day I've really done something wrong. I dont really believe in starvation mode - calories in less than calories out and eventually you will lose weight. But live on next to nothing for a few years and it would seem its highly likely you'll always have to. Your body definitely becomes very efficient.