So I'm 4 weeks post op and I just recently started using MyFitnessPal on my phone (I've become slightly obsessed with it! ) and most days it tells me I'm eating too few calories. My mom had the band done about 3 years ago, and she said I should try and get at least 1000 calories a day in the beginning so I've been shooting for that. Now sometimes my lunch is too filling and I don't feel like eating my afternoon cheese stick snack, but I'm worried about skipping it because I'm barely making it to 1000 calories a day as it is (1095 yesterday, minus the 595 I burned exercising ). I would really like to cut snacking out all together, but until my first fill unfortunately my belly normally sounds like a hungry monster 2 hours after a meal, so I've been bringing small Snacks to work.

So I guess the main question I have is, how do you guys get a decent amount of calories in each day? Bigger meals? More snacks? And I know this question has been asked a million times, but how many calories are you consuming each day?

What works for me personally is 3 meals a day and 1 afternoon snack. I usually take in between 700-1000 calories a day (yes, I know it's low ) and burn about 400-500 in cardio. My meals are very basic - about 2-3 ounces of Protein, 1/2 cup of fruit and 1/2 cup of veggies. My afternoon snack consists of usually a few slices of lunch meat, or a pickle and string cheese, or something else light.

My schedule changes daily, so sometimes Breakfast is at 7 and other times it's at 10. My lunch can be any time between 11 and 3 so the afternoon snack became critical - if I ate at 11, then went jogging after work, by the time I got home and dinner made it was 8 and I was STARVING. Ravenous. The snack has been a staple for my plan.

My doctor does not believe in Snacks fill or no fill. If you are not hungry don't eat.

My doctor never said to eat a particular volume of food. He did however say to measure out 3 oz of Protein per meal. Are you getting that much protein per meal? If not that could be causing you to be hungry every two hours.

I do way better when I dont snack!

I've never struggled to get enough calories, still have always had to work to keep the level reasonable.

I mean, i cant eat 3000 calories in a day anymore without resorting to drinking pure cream and melted chcolate but i can certainly get in 1800 with ease if I snack. And even maintaining, that tends to make me 10lb heavier than I like to be. My magic bullet level to stay at 140lb (5ft 10) is about 1400 calories a day. And to do that, I pretty much dont snack. That's three good healthy square meals (bandster sized but containing all food groups).

The total protien and size of your meal is more important then calories.

I also just started the my fitness pal and love it. Uses tings of space on my phone tho, and eats the battery. I only count calories because if I stay at 700/800 like they suggest, I doing lose. I need to hover around a thousand. If I take in more then 1300 I will maintain only.

The exercising and adding calories is new to me, so eager to set if I lose this week.

Good luck

Gr rrr , auto correct. Tons of space, and don't, not doing sorry for the typos.