So - as many regulars here know, I was put on a 600 cal/70g protein regimen by my surgeon. I am 3 months post-op now and the weight has been coming off excrutiatingly slow. Recently I decided to shake things up and did 3 days of 800+ cals and then 3 days back at 600. It didn't seem to do anything and, in a moment of rebellion-sabotage, I said f*** it and started eating between 700-800 cals. Well guess what? I'm losing weight, better than before. It's only been 4 days of doing this but I've lost about a pound a day.

The dillemma is this - should I go back to the 600 cals? If I stay at this higher cal. point, will the positives turn out to be short term? I understand that a shake up of cals can jump start the loss but if I keep on eating that, will it end up having an adverse reaction?

hey globetrotter....

I have been trying to find a cycle or rhythm to my weight loss. I eat around 800 calories a day on average. In the last few weeks I have found out that if I eat less and work out more around 600-700 calories and workout hard, I lose very little....the weeks I "slack" eating closer to 900 or even 1000 calories and still working out hard, I tend to lose more.

So I wonder if it has to do with our body's slow metabolic slow down when our intake is too low for our activity level?

Lately I've been eating to feel good, so on days I will only eat 600 calories and days will eat 1000. It's strange for sure....

I'll be curious to see what others post here.....

Goood luck...

I started out eating 600-800 calories per day, but for the past couple of months (since I started working out with a trainer twice a week) I've been averaging about 1,000 per day. My weight loss is the same or maybe a little more, even with the extra calories. I'm with Cknorte, I eat to feel good. Some days it's as low as 700, some days it's as high as 1400. I shoot for 900-1000, and I do track what I eat, but I didn't have this surgery so I could be on a starvation diet.

I'm just terrified that by eating more, I will stop losing weight and start gaining. I mean, that's the way it has always been for us, pre-surgery, I just can't let go of the fear that this isn't working, that I'm not going to just fail at this and gain and return to the misery. If this were the old VST forum there would ge a great sad-face emoticon I could put here. =(

I'm just terrified that by eating more, I will stop losing weight and start gaining. I mean, that's the way it has always been for us, pre-surgery, I just can't let go of the fear that this isn't working, that I'm not going to just fail at this and gain and return to the misery. If this were the old VST forum there would ge a great sad-face emoticon I could put here. =(

I'm just terrified that by eating more, I will stop losing weight and start gaining. I mean, that's the way it has always been for us, pre-surgery, I just can't let go of the fear that this isn't working, that I'm not going to just fail at this and gain and return to the misery. If this were the old VST forum there would ge a great sad-face emoticon I could put here. =(

It is impossible to start gaining weight at this point even if you're on 1000 cal a day. Please don't take this the wrong way but you need to relax, eat to feel good, and don't starve yourself, you're just a slow loser, but believe me starving yourself won't make things speed up. I can totally understand how you're feeling though, most of us have dieted only to fail a thousand times and get even fatter, this will not happen to you,it can't

I would say be more lenient with your calories. Make sure you get your protein in, and try to stay between 600-800 calories/day. It gives you a little bit of leeway but not so much that you need to be worried about regain. Maybe as long as you have a range you're shooting for, you'll feel more in control. I had 921 calories yesterday, which is the most I've ever had. I lost a pound on the scale this morning. That wouldn't always happen, but it also means that the world isn't going to end if I go a little over my normal 600-800.

Hey Globetrotter...

I have incresed my calories and the last 4 weeks I have lost every week... as you know, that didn't happen before!!

I honestly don't think you will put weight on when eating up to 1000 cals for the losing phase!!

Keep a record of it for a couple more weeks and see what happens! =]

Yay! I keep telling people there's no need to starve yourself, good to see it's working for others and not just me.

Update: This week I have pretty much stayed above 700 daily, I even changed my daily caloric target on my food tracker to reflect 700 rather than 600. I don't know if it is a "true" result of this new plan, or a result of finishing my cycle but, I've pretty much lost a pound a day this week! I don't know now whether I should stay at this higher calorie or return to 600, am afraid of "tinkering" with it too much. I'm at my 3 month post-op, I was supposed to have lost 75 by now - so far, only 46 and 20 of those were in the first 2 weeks so I've only lost 26 pounds in 2 1/2 months. =(

My dr said between 600-800 calories per day. I found I lose better if I stay right at 700. Every person's system has a place where their body metabolizes better. When you are only talking about adding such few calories, I say listen to your body.

Globetrotter, keep the calories up, 700 or higher. At 600, your body is probably in starvation mode and will not allow you to lose weight. Do whatever works!

So I got a response from my nut and surprisingly she just totally ignored what I was telling her; that I was not losing at 600 that I AM losing at 700+. She just repeated that I should be at 600 OR LESS, that I should cut out the almonds (!!) and that I should be eating fruits and vegetables while getting in no less than 80 grams of protein. I don't think she has done the math because I have configured and re-configured by calories and there is no way to get in that much protein, keep the cals at 600 or less, and be able to eat fruits or veg. I just don't know what to do anymore and the one person whose guidance is "official", my surgeon, has disappeared!! Very low today.

My link

My link

Everything I read online from "experts" say not to go under 1200 for MOST women. I just can't wrap my head around 600 calories a day being the necessary amount.

My link

My link

Everything I read online from "experts" say not to go under 1200 for MOST women. I just can't wrap my head around 600 calories a day being the necessary amount.

Love the link, very useful, thanks for sharing! GT I can't believe you nut ignored what you are saying, can you not find another one??

IMO 600 Calories is a bit ridiculously low. For a nutritionist to suggest you do this and get in all that Protein is almost impossible.

For me, I lose incredibly well with about 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day. I will work myself up to about 1,200 once I'm back to my normal workout routine. I can lose about 3-5 Lbs per week doing this. I now have less than 100 Lbs to go so I can achieve my goal by my first Sleeversary or much sooner. In fact, I can even eat up to 1,800 calories per day and still lose. My vigorous workouts help a lot.

Also it has been proven that fluctuating your caloric intake is very helpful too. So one week I can do 1,000 calories and the next I can do 1,200... etc - it keeps your body and metabolism guessing. The stalls due to your metabolism relying on what you are feeding it is real. I know! I've been doing this a VERY long time!