Please respond and the more the merrier.

I did not see a nutritionist ( or a shrink, or a PCP, or a priest, or anyone) before I had the sleeve and the recommendation I got from Dr A's office was to shoot for between 6-800 calories a day. I've been noticing I have never been able to eat more than that so I guess it's fine for now but I'm curious: Was that your recommendation also and are you sticking to it? Do you eat under or over 6-8? How's it going?

600-800 cals

most days I hover between 650-750, especially when focused on my protein intake

I'm pretty much between 500-700 most days. 10 weeks post op

Same here, 600-800. Very few days do I reach 800. I keep protein around 70-90, and carbs below 30. I know I could eat more if I had snacks in the day, but that is not the plan the surgeon gave me to follow so I have no snacks. Just 200-250 calories per meal. Sometimes I have a hard time fitting that many per meal depending on what I am eating. I will be 8 weeks post-op on Wednesday.

Most days I am around 600--one day I went to 740 (ate almonds 3x that day) protein 60-70 and carbs below 40, usually below 30. I want the weight off quickly and this way seems to be working for me.

I eat about 800 calories (at 5 months out), usually 60 to 70 grams of protein. I tried going low carb, but found that it screwed up my system (no bowel movements for a week). My nutritionist said not to do it, so I'm usually between 60-70 grams of carb a day. I lose a little slower,maybe, but I've got a lot of energy (gym daily), and I feel great.

I'm at 600-650 right now with 70 grams of protein and <30 carbs. However, 85 calories a day are my calcium chews and the sugar free applesauce I bury my crushed potassium in - those will go away in June. I'm still on soft food.

I'm shooting for 800 once I get onto solid foods (per the NUT), which feels like quite the challenge at this point. However, I'm pretty tall and I've seen a lot of folks post who were struggling to lose at lower calories and the suggestion is always to up their calories so I'm going to try to comply. We'll see.

Thanks all. I'm pretty tall also. I've read a couple posters who say they never go over 500 -- that's just way too low for me and if I try to keep it down to that I'll start going anorexo-bats.

Good to know we're all kind of on the same team here.

Anybody else?

Also a Dr A patient - however, even if there wasn't a guideline, I can only fit between 600-800 cals in at the 2 month mark. My carbs are in the 60 range because I added oatmeal and flax crackers to my diet for fiber. I make a concerted effort to get at least 600 in - I have to eat 5 to 6 times a day to get there. It makes it easy that sugary stuff makes my stomach turn. No craving for bread either. I eat primalrily low carb, full fat (yep - butter, regular cheese, full fat sour cream, etc) with the addition of oatmeal and flax crackers.

I do not get close to the protein requirement - I never have. Primarily becuase I can't tolerate the protein drinks.

I feel good and haven't lost my hair (yet). I have a slightly low vitamin D level which I am on a 4 week RX course of vitamin D capsules.

Right now I am losing about 2 lb per week.

Lara

I'm falling between 600-800, usually averaging on the higher end of that scale daily. I have a lot of muscle, so I start to go bananas if I eat too little. I'm also drinking about 7-9 cups of water a day. My carbs seem to average about 60-80 a day because I try to puree small amounts of veggies and banana/apple sauce into my meals to help keep variety in my diet. I can't do those shakes exclusively and I feel like a cave person only eating protein all day. Each day I give myself 2 tsp of peanut butter for fat or some avocado. I also mix my shakes with 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of milk (hence the carbs), but I want the calcium, so it's a good trade off. No food intolerance so far, but I haven't had any sugar or bread to date. I seem to be losing about 1.5-2 pounds a week and, though I wish it was coming off more quickly, I don't feel deprived one bit. This is something I think I can stick with.

Thanks for feedback. As far as what I've been eating, I've just been trying different stuff to see how it goes down. Fluffy bread simply does not work -- BUT I made an amazing eggface pizza last night with mozzarella and a dab of pizza sauce on a lowcarb whole wheat tortilla; that worked fine. I can do Pasta but I can't eat enough that it's really worth making. I've tried bagels -- no.

Most often I'm eating protein-enriched oatmeal, cottage cheese, Protein bars, full fat cheese and mozzarella, sliced turkey and...hm, that's kinda it.

Oh -- I went to Culvers and ordered french fries the other night. I ate five. They just didn't taste that great.

My question that kind of goes along with this is, if you are eating 6-800/days are you factoring in calories burned through exercise? Let's say you eat a total of 800 cals in a day but then burn 300 through exercise, do you count that as a day of eating 800 cals or 500 cals? What are people's thoughts on how this works?

6-800cals, at 16 weeks out.... I eat 65+ protein, and try to eat less carbs than protein. I don't count most low carb veggies, chewable vitamins, fiber powder into the mix. I can eat almost anything at this point. I exercise 5 days a week, and am pretty tall (5' 81/2") I lose on an average 2.5 lbs a week... so far, I'm sure that will change. I eat about 5 times a day...sometimes 4 sometimes 6...My nut said eat 6-800 throughout the whole middle of the losing phase, if I exercise a ton, I can go to 900....most of the time I don't, only once or twice when I was extra hungry. Im sure the extra carbs at times slow down my loss...some weeks I gain, but mostly its heading in the right direction and I enjoy what Im eating and how much. I just ate a large piece of toasted sourdough with almond butter... now that was a treat. Earlier today I had next to no carbs, so it all balances out.

For me, I never factor in any exercise burned. The calories are always counted for what I put into my mouth, never what I burned off. I do add all my exercise, but never compare it against my calories eaten. I did also do the math on how much my body is burning per day without any exercise, took into account my calories, and was able to figure out the amount of weight I should be loosing per week, then was able to decide how much exercise to add to burn the little bit extra weight I wanted. So far, my math is right!

My question that kind of goes along with this is, if you are eating 6-800/days are you factoring in calories burned through exercise? Let's say you eat a total of 800 cals in a day but then burn 300 through exercise, do you count that as a day of eating 800 cals or 500 cals? What are people's thoughts on how this works?

I am one of the ones who seems to need more than the 600-800 most eat. When I tried to stay in that range my weight loss slowed to a crawl. I generally get somewhere between 700-1000 calories, occasionally I even go over that. I also try to vary my calorie intake most days to keep my body guessing, i.e. 2 days of 800 cals and then a day of 1000. I am staying under 50 carbs most days with a staunch no bread, Pasta or rice policy that seems to work for me. My extra calories come from Protein and healthy fats. I almost always get 80+ grams of protein a day. Thus far, I am averaging a 5 lb. loss a week so I am comfortable with my calorie intake. I should be exercising more and I think the weightloss will increase as I get more active.

I am tall (almost 5'10") with a rather long torso, I am not sure if this is why I can eat more than others. My doctor and NUT gave very loose calorie guidelines and seemed to expect me to hit 1200. Not happening.

I like this post. It's interesting to see where everyone is!

Amanda

For me, I never factor in any exercise burned. The calories are always counted for what I put into my mouth, never what I burned off. I do add all my exercise, but never compare it against my calories eaten. I did also do the math on how much my body is burning per day without any exercise, took into account my calories, and was able to figure out the amount of weight I should be loosing per week, then was able to decide how much exercise to add to burn the little bit extra weight I wanted. So far, my math is right!

How did you figure the math on how much you are burning without exercise? That is something I have been wondering about as well. Any help is much appreciated! Thanks!