I have read in several postings about counting calories. My doc has never said anything about it and a friend that had it done several years before me said that as long as we only eat what we should then counting isnt necessary. So I'm confused. I have been stuck for a while...have gained back 16 pounds and beating myself up. I don't know if I should start counting and if so how many calories a day should I eat. I am really hating myself again, and I was at the point where I liked doing things. Now I found myself back to not wanting to leave the house except to go to work. So here's my questions: Count Calories? How Many? or Count protein? Do the 5 day pouch test? Help Please... I don't want to be back to hiding out and letting life pass me by.

You really need to go see a nutritionist. They will help you establish food guidelines and a calorie allowance specific for you and your needs.

Agree with mis73 i would make an appt with a nutritionist and tell them exactly what is going on. Maybe write down what you eat for a couple days and take it with you to your appt.

My NUT told me that is what she is there for to help us out when needed.

Counting calories doesn't hurt. I do it because it tunes me into my body's needs. Maybe you are taking in too many cals, too little. But if you log your food and your calories you can very well find out. It also gets you in tune w/ what you are eating..you may be surprised that you are taking in way too much and didn't realize it because we often underestimate cals (even for healthy foods).

A great example is Protein. We focus on getting 60-80g min a day right. Well big difference between getting protein from Peanut Butter and protein from a slice of ham. P.Butter is allowed so if you are going by the 'what to eat on the band' rules than you should be fine right?!?!?! WRONG. Awareness of what you are eating and how much you are eating is paramount.

Once you get the hang of it and are eating more appropriately it becomes 2nd nature and you only need to look at food content that is new to you.

Also remember weight loss= calories - energy burned. If you exercise alot you need more cals, dont exercise you need very little. Are you being honest as to active you are and how many calories your body truly needs. That's hwo a log helps..it can help you fine tune your needs to your body's needs.

I log my food intake. I was told to eat proteins first at each meal, and then if I had room I could add some veggies or fruits. You might try keeping a food log for a week to get some idea of how many calories you are eating, and if you are meeting the minimal amount of protein intake that your doctor advises.

Thanks so much for all the info. Great advise! I will journal for the next few days just to "keep it real" with everything I am eating.

I think we all get confused by all the food advice out there. Eat low carb, no wait, low-calorie, no wait, do low-fat! Fruit is bad for you because of sugar but it's good for you because of vitamins. Oatmeal has carbs but it also has fiber! WHAT TO DO?!? Basically find one plant and stick with it. If you want to try counting calories then get a book on counting calories and follow it. If you want to do low carb then look into atkins/south beach/mediterranean diets. It's easy to lose focus when we hear what we think is conflicting advice when in reality it's different advice meant for different plans. Low carb worked for me but I'm not going to say it's the best route for everyone. Maybe calorie counting will work for you or maybe journaling will. Low carb works for me because I love meats, cheeses, and eggs and I like eating them without feeling like I'm denying myself. So just find a plan that looks enticing to you and stick with it. Sure, you might have to modify it some to be band friendly but that's where you tailor it specifically to your new lifestyle. Good luck!

I use an App on my phone called "MyFitnessPal". It helps me log my calories. It even has a barcode scanner so you can just scan the food about you choose your portion size… I lost 60 pounds before getting a lap band using this process. It shows you how much fat you are over or under, how much protein you are over or under… And everything is done based on your current weight, height and everything else . Email me at aphroheidi.g@me.com if you want more info of tips in using the app. I also have a lot of tasty recipes ;