600-800 calories...easy or hard?

[meggspeggs 0]

I am 10 weeks out. Of course for the first five weeks or so I found it difficult to reach 600 calories in a day. But it has totally changed the past couple weeks. I am so hungry. Especially at night. I am finding it really difficult to eat 800 or less calories a day. I am a night shift nurse. I contribute my night time hunger to my odd wake/sleep cycle. For example I ate 900 calories today and as I type my stomach is loudly growling and I am hungry. What are your most filling foods? Any advice is much appreciated

[meggspeggs 0]

Attribute not contribute.....silly auto correct!

[Tiffykins 672]

meat, cheese, eggs, beef Jerky and greek yogurt were foods I relied on during my entire losing stage. I avoided carbs because I was scared of the "eat a carb, crave a carb" thing so I completely avoided them entirely to keep myself in check and not feel hunger.

Are you on a PPI? Sometimes, acid overproduction can cause false hunger/silent reflux. You might not have true reflux symptoms. I didn't have reflux, but I was getting hungry about an hour after I ate. Went on Prilosec 20mg once daily, and never felt hunger again, and even to this day (outside of the pregnancy stuff), I never experience hunger.

Eating super dense foods, that are Protein rich, are the ones that will keep you satisfied the longest along with increase fluids definitely help.

Can you pack hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks/chunks, beef Jerky for your night shift??

[Kami 9]

I find it hard to keep my calories low. I'll be 2 months out tomorrow, and my hunger gets annoying. And I do take a PPI - 40mgs/day per doc's instructions.

I find that making sure I add a fruit or veggie to a meal makes the difference between feeling full or not. If I eat half an apple or peach, or some raw or steamed veggies, I feel more like I ate a full meal.

I also have ended up eating about 5 times/day. I eat Breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, late-night snack. But right now (and temporarily) I'm working 2 jobs and have REALLY long days. I think the extra eating (which I need right now) and the lack of sleep have slowed down my weight loss. But I only have one month left of this schedule, then I'll have the time and energy to put towards exercising.

But back to food - I eat 2 eggs each morning for Breakfast, and only barely feel satisfied. If I add the 1/2 piece of fruit, I feel nice and full. I suppose I should learn to be happy with just being satisfied and not full, but I haven't been able to. I expected the surgery to reduce my ability to eat by more than it has. In the grand scheme of things, its obviously much less than it was, and I've lost 30 lbs total (including pre-op) over the 2.5 months of pre-op + surgery, but lots of people have lost much more. It is frustrating to say the least!

[lsereno 2,525]

I agree with Tiffykins on the eating plan. Although I do eat a few carbs, if I feel hungry between meals, I eat Protein. I eat low fat version of things like cheese sticks, lunchmeat, and salami and no-fat greek yogurt to get more in with less calories. Also I use Splenda instead of sugar. If you are still losing well even though you get a few more calories in, maybe you are just so active at work that you need a few more calories?

i haven't had the hunger issue, but I have seen others saying that upping or changing their PPI helped.

Lynda

[FishingNurse 1,210]

I'm nearly 3 months out down fifty + pounds and eating 1200 calories a day. Do you need to stay so low on the cals? I don't lose unless I get 1000+ cals in.

[treequeen 13]

I am supposed to get at least 1000 calories in... I am striving for that (one day I will get there). I think you shouldn't have to worry if you stay at or under 1200 calories...That is where my surgeon and dietician recommend staying. Even MFP yells at me for not getting close enough to that.

[cuteascanbelizzie 10]

I really appreciate this post because I've been wondering happens when the honeymoon is over after the surgery. When I start my liquid diet I am supposed to max out at 1000 calories and 60 grams of Protein daily. Maybe eating more will help you. Also, you sound like you lead a busy life, but are you tracking your food intake and exercise daily? That might help you see if you're eating enough to balance your calorie output.

[ldydrgnkpr 49]

I agree with Tiff as well. My diet consists of 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 cup of cottage cheese, 6 ounces of yogurt, 6 ounces of either chicken or tuna. Which all of this equals 620 cals 72 grams Protein and 31 grams of carbs. Carbs coming from the cottage cheese and the yogurt. If I snack it is beef Jerky or Pork rinds. Then there is the 64 plus ounces of fluids. I'm still losing pretty steadily 2.5-3 pounds a week. Exercising 4-5 days a week. I'm hoping by year end to be at goal. (I have a feeling that I will find it diffacult to eat 1100-1200 calories a day.) I will work out a schedule for that as well when I get there.

Deb