I've been reading about what people are eating and about how you need to eat about 1000-1200 calories a day so your body doesn't go into starvation. Etc. Etc. But I'm just wondering how the heck you get that many calories in. My doc said to eat a 4oz meal for women. That's the entire meal. Meat, veggies, everything. And to not snack. Just 3 meals a day. Well a protein shake for breakfast and 2 meals really. At 4oz I feel pretty satisfied I'd say. I do sometimes wish I could have a snack. But I can't imagine at 4oz total meal x3 a day how I'm going to get so many calories with no snacking.

I've been reading about what people are eating and about how you need to eat about 1000-1200 calories a day so your body doesn't go into starvation. Etc. Etc. But I'm just wondering how the heck you get that many calories in. My doc said to eat a 4oz meal for women. That's the entire meal. meat, veggies, everything. And to not snack. Just 3 meals a day. Well a Protein shake for breakfast and 2 meals really. At 4oz I feel pretty satisfied I'd say. I do sometimes wish I could have a snack. But I can't imagine at 4oz total meal x3 a day how I'm going to get so many calories with no snacking.

I'm not sure why your doctor told you not to snack. I think healthy Snacks are important, especially when only eating 3 small meals a day, in providing energy and nutrition between meals. Most of the naturally healthy and thin people I know snack often (but on a small handful of nuts and dried fruit, for instance, or on half an apple with Peanut Butter for another snack, or on one boiled egg with half a rye-crisp). My mother is a tiny and fit health-fiend and she's regularly snacking. I don't know. Your doctor seems to be particularly strict in this regard. My practitioner recommends about 1-2 small snacks a day. I suppose you should do what your doctor recommends, but maybe you should talk to him/her about including a couple of healthy snacks in your day, and possibly consult a nutritionist.

I eat oatmeal for breakfast with body fortress Protein powder in it about 340 calories for breakfast If not oatmeal then I have soft scrambled eggs with fat free cheese in them.

Protein Bar, yogurt, sugar free pudding for lunch 300 for lunch

Protein shake before the gym EAS carb control 110

Then I have chicken (lloyds barbeque chicken beef or pork) Fat free shredded cheese for dinner at least a cup 400 calories very little carbs or fat.

thats about 1200 calories a day. If you dont eat that many calories at least you will not lose weight. Your body will go into starvation mode and that scale will not move.

That 1/2 cup of food nonsense whom ever started it needs to stop. You cannot live nutritionally well off of 1/2 cup of food three times a day.

If you are going to snack then eat fruit or veggies. If you dont feel hungry and dont want to snack then cosume at least 3 to 400 calories per meal.

While you may be able to/may have to work your way up to 1200 calories a day, in the beginning it really isn't necessary. I ate 600-1000 calories for the first 5-6 months and lost flawlessly. Why? I had the extra fat storage for my body to burn therefore a big calorie deficit was okay. Nowadays I am eating 1600 calories and up because I am doing a good 2 hours of exercise each day and I'm closer to my goal, meaning a huge calorie deficit isn't ideal or necessary.

You'll have to find a caloric level that works for you, not anyone else.

As for snacking, I disagree. I eat 6 times a day; 3 meals, 3 Snacks. Just make sure the snacks are healthy. Almonds, fruit, Peanut Butter, other nuts, vegetables, a Protein bar, etc.

This is really helpful to know you are all snacking. I was wondering about the 3 meals a day policy. It seems the more current weight loss info is to eat more frequent smaller meals. This afternoon between lunch and dinner I was really hungry. It was all I could do. I felt guilty for snacking on a cheese stick. I will have to talk more to my surgeon I guess when I see him next and not beat myself up about a snack here and there as long as it's healthy. Btw, didn't know I could eat almonds. I guess just chew chew chew.

My doctor and the nut I went to both said no snacking. I pretend I am doing it there way, but I believe in healthy snacks. A stick of WW string cheese, hummous and carrots or things like that

For 3 weeks I lost nothing ...calories under 1000, think it shut me down so I upped to 1200 and a few more carbs and I a losing steadily...only 1 2cc fill in a 10cc band. Not really restricted but satisfied.

Thanks everyone. I for the most part have been pretty satisfied with my 4oz meals. A couple of times I've had some almonds or some string cheese. I've lost a couple more lbs since relaxing a little bit about the snacks. I appreciate all the comments they really help!

There are a couple different groups of thought on snacking (and I'm referring to small mid-meal type Snacks, not junk) or eating just 3 meals. For awhile there was a school of thought that said 6 small meals were better for diabetics because they had less impact on the insulin production of diabetics. You have to keep in mind though that these were the same people who were still recommending a diet that was 45% carbs and, in such a case, they'd be right to do 6 small meals to keep the carb overload down.

The new thought for diabetics is that 3 meals, no snacking is best because every time we eat, our bodies start producing insulin. For Type 2 diabetics that wash of insulin creates its own set of problems which promotes insulin resistance. The only way to do this though is to drastically reduce the amount of carbs and the type of carbs that create an immediate rush of insulin.

I used to be 6 small meals a day. Now I eat 3 and my blood sugar stays stable without those mid-meal snacks...but it meant eliminating grains, fruit, milk and starchy vegies.

For many banded, there's no difficulty in eating 1200 calories because the band doesn't give any physical restriction. For those with such restriction that they can't eat more than a couple bites, lots of small meals may be necessary and maybe even Protein supplements.

My doctor's nurse had a vertical sleeve and can only eat about 1/4 cup of food at a time. As a result, she has to eat every 2-3 hours in order to get in all her nutrition.

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I agree with snacking.

My nutritionist told me either 6 small meals a day or 3 meals and 2 snack but NOTHING after 6:30 pm except for Water (crystal Light).

I have Snacks like popcorn, cheese sticks, celery with Peanut Butter just be careful though the celery can be hard to digest if you dont chew enough.

I plateaued for over 3months and was so mad. I began a food log and realized I wasnt even getting 1000 calories a day so I upped it to 1200 and started losing again. YAY! Good luck it is slow going at times but just remeber 1 thing.

AS LONG AS THE NUMBERS ON THE scale ARE GOING DOWN AND NOT UP, YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND IT DOESNT MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU TO GET TO YOUR GOAL. IT TOOK YOU A LOT OF TIME TO PUT THE WEIGHT ON AND IT TAKES TIME TO TAKE IT OFF.

Thanks again. I think I remember the reason my surgeon said no snacking is something to do with it encouraging the urge to graze all day long. He wanted me to get used to the 3 small meals to discourage my constant thinking about food and what to eat. I have been adding one snack a day so far. Just a cheese stick or a small handful of almonds. Seems to help get me from the early lunch to late dinner. (kids up early, dad works late). My afternoons are so long.

My surgeon and nutritionist (I guess my clinic) does not want any snacking for the mere fact that they want you to break that habit ~ Not to be a snacker or "grazer" as they say because they think in the long run that could lead to old habits and ultimately "failure". For the most part I try not to snack, and when I do it is an after supper thing. I just try to keep it healthy. On the other hand, I can easily eat more than 1 cup of food at a meal, and often do, it takes me about 1 1/2 cups or a smidge more, to be able to stay "full" until the next meal. I have really changed the things I eat and make way better "healthier" choices. Really... it's knowing your limits, making the right choices and being able to live with the consequences and accept responsibility for them.

So many different doctors thoughts on the whole eating thing. Who really knows what's best?

My surgeon and nutritionist (I guess my clinic) does not want any snacking for the mere fact that they want you to break that habit ~ Not to be a snacker or "grazer" as they say because they think in the long run that could lead to old habits and ultimately "failure". For the most part I try not to snack, and when I do it is an after supper thing. I just try to keep it healthy. On the other hand, I can easily eat more than 1 cup of food at a meal, and often do, it takes me about 1 1/2 cups or a smidge more, to be able to stay "full" until the next meal. I have really changed the things I eat and make way better "healthier" choices. Really... it's knowing your limits, making the right choices and being able to live with the consequences and accept responsibility for them.

So many different doctors thoughts on the whole eating thing. Who really knows what's best?

Yes thank you. That's what I remember about the grazing thing. They want you to stop that habit and not encourage the constantly needing to eat and think about food. Dont' they say it takes about 6 weeks to learn a new behavior or habit like that? Makes sense. I'm trying to follow my surgeons advice but being a little lenient so as not to hate this process. So far like I said it's just been the one snack a day if I need it and it's not much. It has helped and I've been staying pretty full the rest of the day. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge with me!

My surgeon said no snacking because it encourages grazing, and if I eat all day I'll be defeating the purpose of the band by eating when I'm not hungry. I'm supposed to be full after a meal for 4 hours. If I eat breakfast at 8, then I shouldn't need to eat again until 12. Having a snack at 10 would be eating when i'm not hungry. If i am hungry at 10, then i need a fill. Snacks are also when we usually eat carbs - fruit, crackers, chips. Bad stuff. I can't wrap my head around eating a chicken breast for snack, lol.

I have at least 2 ( and sometimes 3) Snacks a day. My doctor is fine with snacking and the staff always high fives me regarding my food logs. I continue to lose weight so I don't think snacking is a bad thing.

I too used to worry about snacking and then I started doing something that worked for me. I pack my breakfast and lunch for work. I make both meals a little bit larger than what I can actually eat. I'll eat some of the meal and then think "I need to finish my breakfast later". The rest of my breakfast or lunch is essentially a snack later. It's still healthy and it keeps me from getting too hungry before the next meal rolls around. It's all just a mind game and this works for me.

Snacks are also when we usually eat carbs - fruit, crackers, chips. Bad stuff.

I don't think fruit fits on a list of "bad stuff." Maybe it's not a food eaten on ketogenic diets, but fruit is certainly not unhealthy.