Hi All,

So I've been on here awhile now and I definitely have the basics down about eating Protein first, chew chew chew, don't drink Water while you eat and how often and much you are supposed to drink after surgery. But my questions is about calories...for those of you that had surgery already, did you monitor calories after surgery? And/or at what point following surgery did you start monitoring your calories? When you are months out from surgery, what was the range of calories that you eat?

Just curious, I've seen some people say they are as low as 400 and others say around 800 and I recognize that everyone is different, but does you doctor give you a range that you should be at after the fact? Also, how many times in the day (several months after surgery) did you eat? My sister was sleeved and she spaces her food out into 6 meals in the day, but im my classes, the NUT says that is a no no. I realize that everyone has to do what is best for them, just looking for some onsite on what people have done and been successful.

Thank You!!

I am so glad you posted this b/c I have been wondering the same thing! I am going to my Surgeon for my 8 week f/u next week and will ask him but so far I know this is what I have been doing.

1. First week post op: 800-1000 calories. I was on liquids only and the Boost I was drinking 4 x a day was 220 calories a pop. That plus Jello and popsicles almost got me to 1000.

2. pureed foods: Lucky to get to 600-700 calories. Also wasn't able to get to the 80+ Protein that I needed.

3. Solid foods: This is what I'm not sure about. My NUT's documentation says around 1000 calories and eating 4-6 times a day but I see so many saying they are only eating 600-800. I try to stay under 800 but I get soooooooooooooooooooo hungry at night around 8 pm. I used to go to sleep around that time but now I can't sleep til midnight so I get so hungry.

My NUT and surgeon say the 6 small meals ARE the right thing to do at least initially b/c you keep your metabolism going consistently. I guess it's just different schools of thought. I am interested to see what others reply to about caloric intake at each stage.

I am 7 weeks out and I have lost 37.5 lbs I think. 10 of those the 2 weeks prior to surgery.

I am happy with EVERYTHING that has happened but I do want to try to figure out those night time urgest and how to curb them or if I am just not eating enough.

:-)

following...

Let me see if I can remember! I think I was at around 500-600 for the first 4 months, then started to go up... around 800 for a couple of months then to 1000. I saw others eating both more and less than I. From about a year it went up more, I do eat back some of my exercise calories, so my range is 1200-1500... and I do a semi fast two days a week at around 550. (adding this fast for the past 7 months helped me to get to goal and maintain.... not recommended for those in the first year) Is that confusing enough!? My doc did not give me a calorie goal, or even ask me to count calories, but to count Protein and Water. I have counted almost every day, and find when I don't count that I will gain. I use myfitnesspal.com . If you haven't, measure yourself, do... those numbers really can pull you through when the scale stops moving!

My doc wasn't as concerned about calories as she was Protein. She wanted at least 80 grams and love to see closer to 100 (that hasn't happened)

Once I started on foods - weeks 2-3, I was at about 400-500 calories and not getting in my protein.

At about week 6 I was able to get up to 600 consistantly.

At week 8 I started getting between 800-900 calories and that's where I'm at now at week 10. I'm getting my minimums in every day. On rare occasions, usually the day after a long cardio workout, I can get to 1000.

I know someone that gets 1000-1200 calories every day and has since very early post-op days and she's lost more weight than me. We're all different.

I, too, am interested in calorie goals. I've been trying to reach my NUT for over two weeks with no success. Interested to see what others post.