Every single day this is on My Fitness Pal when I log in to post. Our NUT said no particular food plan after 2 months, no guidance, just eat healthy. Our surgeon said Do Not eat 3 meals a day, eat only when you are hungry. Being 66 and 65, we are not very active, husband can hardly walk. He will be able to swim before long with the weather change. I do not know if we just need to up the calories, or what. Any suggestions will be appreciated. BTW, we pretty much have lived this way for a long time, not eating regular meals, then we would be starving and overeating and gaining weight. Just that now we are not overdoing it. My husband will drink 1/2 protein shake for a meal because he has "diet" in his brain, still.

Wow...no guidance what-so-ever? I need to find my little black book...I got a nice binder with all my info on it...I'm sure there is a website that breaks it down for you...someone will provide it, no doubt

I have tried to look at other eating plans/post here but obviously not succeeding. Thanks.

Here's what I'm working to...

42g of Protein per day - minimum - Anything above this is just all good.

1,500ml of Water per day - minimum - Anything above this is just all good.

800-1200 calories per day - focus on protein first, veg second and carbs third. Try to keep it low fat and low sugar and ideally stay away from the dreaded white bread, white Pasta and junky type/high sodium/sugar crapadoodle.

Vitamins/Supplements: 1 x multi Vitamin, 1,000-3,000mg of B12, 3000mg of Vitamin D, 2 Fish Oil (I have bad knees), 1000mg of Calcium, 10000mg Biotin.

I don't worry about how I eat the above. If I'm not hungry in the morning, I'll have a Protein shake. lunch, also quite light (my appetite kicks in in the afternoons/evenings) and a normal dinner with a snack later on.

Perfect Madam! I will start following this immediately. I should have asked a month ago. Printing now and taping in the kitchen! Thank you so much, Linda

Perfect Madam! I will start following this immediately. I should have asked a month ago. Printing now and taping in the kitchen! Thank you so much, Linda

Glad its useful. I found on here (and I don't need to be flayed for this, anyone else who is reading this, tyvm!), people can get sooooooooooo obsessed with everything that it appears to consume their lives (and yes, I know that logging the ins and outs of a cows backside promotes accountability). But sorry, I have too much going on in my head to worry about anything else other than the fundamentals. Thats what I've condensed my diet to; the fundamentals.

Protein -Water-Vitamins - General Calories and my food choices (wholesome/natural/un-processed/home-made)

For me its far more manageable like that. I guess the logging will really come into play if you start eating sweets/desserts/chips/chocolate/ice-cream etc. Or towards goal, when shifting things becomes a tad more difficult. For me and as I'm relatively soon out of surgery (4.5 months), I'll cross the minute 'logging' bridge when I come to it

N.B - I also don't measure my portions - because my sleeve takes care of that for me. I stop the moment I get the inkling I'm approaching full. Because of this, I avoid slider foods like the plague (because you don't know how much you're eating until its too late and in that way, grave danger lies). Additionally, if you're eating wholesome protein to start, there's no way you can chow down on too much without your sleeve letting you know 'OI! STOP FILLING ME UP OR ELSE I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY! '

Edited February 12, 201412 yr by Madam Reverie

If you want another list to compare to, here's mine. Just a tad different from Rev's. I log everything, good and bad. Keeps me honest.

3 meals a day and 2 Snacks (morning and afternoon). Roughly 800 calories a day (I'm 53 and don't have a fast metabolism, so I don't lose at 1000 or 1200 calories a day). I shoot for around 200 calories per meal and 100 calories per snack. If I eat light at one meal I might make it up at the next. I do have the occasional glass of wine (bad bad!)

60-70g Protein (this was 80g when I started, but I've lost enough now that my protein needs are lower)

50g carbs (I try for less but it just doesn't happen LOL)

35-40g fats

64 oz Water

Vitamins:

B12 injection monthly

Multivitamin chewable daily

Calcium citrate/vitamin D chewables 500 mg daily

Iron (don't take it within 2 hrs of any calcium)

Thank you both so much. I will incorporate both posts. Looking at the fact that my weight has remained the same about 3 weeks, I know it has to do with not eating enough, or not eating right. I gotta new plan! Best, Linda

You also might have been in a stall. Good luck and let us know how it works for you. You started with similar stats to mine. When you start with a relatively lower BMI like us (under 40), we don't often lose fast like the higher BMI folks. But it does eventually come off. Also, the closer you are to goal the slower it goes and you aren't far from goal at all. You have lost 50 lbs in 3 months, so you must be doing something right.

40 grams of fat in an 800 calorie diet sounds a bit high. That's 45% of your calories from fat. (9 calories per gram of fat x 40= 360 calories)

If you want another list to compare to, here's mine. Just a tad different from Rev's. I log everything, good and bad. Keeps me honest.

3 meals a day and 2 Snacks (morning and afternoon). Roughly 800 calories a day (I'm 53 and don't have a fast metabolism, so I don't lose at 1000 or 1200 calories a day). I shoot for around 200 calories per meal and 100 calories per snack. If I eat light at one meal I might make it up at the next. I do have the occasional glass of wine (bad bad!)

60-70g Protein (this was 80g when I started, but I've lost enough now that my protein needs are lower)

50g carbs (I try for less but it just doesn't happen LOL)

35-40g fats

64 oz Water

Vitamins:

B12 injection monthly

Multivitamin chewable daily

Calcium citrate/vitamin D chewables 500 mg daily

Iron (don't take it within 2 hrs of any calcium)

Yes, I have raised my fat intake considerably from the 30 grams I followed originally. New research shows that higher fat (half your calories from fat) provides more satiety (important as you progress down your sleeve road and hunger starts to come back). Higher fat has a lot of positive health benefits, just google high fat/low carb eating. Higher fat diets to not necessarily give you heart disease or high cholesterol. The old "eating fat makes you fat" is not really true. I see that you are newly sleeved. After you have been doing this a while you will likely find that you want/need to change it up, and that's fine. Your body will change so it makes sense to alter your diet to suit. The key thing is keeping Protein levels good.

I take teh majority of my fats in the form of nuts, nut butters, seeds, chia, cheese, 2% milk and yogurt, olives, and a variety of oils. I don't eat a lot of dairy butter, but I don't avoid it, either. I have it maybe once or twice a week. I might eat bacon on occasion, too.

Some people go to 5:2, some people follow Atkins/low carb. Not too many people still do the old low fat/high carb diet, but some do. Different strokes for different folks.

40 grams of fat in an 800 calorie diet sounds a bit high. That's 45% of your calories from fat. (9 calories per gram of fat x 40= 360 calories)

double post

Edited February 12, 201412 yr by NMJG

You also might have been in a stall. Good luck and let us know how it works for you. You started with similar stats to mine. When you start with a relatively lower BMI like us (under 40), we don't often lose fast like the higher BMI folks. But it does eventually come off. Also, the closer you are to goal the slower it goes and you aren't far from goal at all. You have lost 50 lbs in 3 months, so you must be doing something right.

Actually the 50 lbs lost is since August, 2013, not 3 months. I have read about the lower BMI stats, but it was the Fitness Pal alert that made me finally decide I need advice. I have been in stalls and I do get that part. I will really use the advice here and move on. Thanks so much.

I'm not sure what part of my post implied that I was advocating low fat high carbs. I was just pointing out that 45% of diet made up of fat doesn't sound ideal. I am sure that in the several months since you were sleeved you have been able to try all sorts of diets and diet makeups to conclude what works for you. I think my post was to point out the major calorie density difference between fats and Proteins as it relates to total caloric intake. Whether newly sleeved or long time vet, we are all monitoring our caloric intake with a primary emphasis of Protein 1st and minimizing excess sugar and fats.

Yes, I have raised my fat intake considerably from the 30 grams I followed originally. New research shows that higher fat (half your calories from fat) provides more satiety (important as you progress down your sleeve road and hunger starts to come back). Higher fat has a lot of positive health benefits, just google high fat/low carb eating. Higher fat diets to not necessarily give you heart disease or high cholesterol. The old "eating fat makes you fat" is not really true. I see that you are newly sleeved. After you have been doing this a while you will likely find that you want/need to change it up, and that's fine. Your body will change so it makes sense to alter your diet to suit. The key thing is keeping protein levels good.

I take teh majority of my fats in the form of nuts, nut butters, seeds, chia, cheese, 2% milk and yogurt, olives, and a variety of oils. I don't eat a lot of dairy butter, but I don't avoid it, either. I have it maybe once or twice a week. I might eat bacon on occasion, too.

Some people go to 5:2, some people follow Atkins/low carb. Not too many people still do the old low fat/high carb diet, but some do. Different strokes for different folks.

40 grams of fat in an 800 calorie diet sounds a bit high. That's 45% of your calories from fat. (9 calories per gram of fat x 40= 360 calories)

Yep, Protein first and lots of it. I do think that applies to everyone. That is one thing WLS folks can agree on.

Percentage of fats in your diet is open to debate. Lots of different opinions on that. I used to limit fats to 30% of my diet, but I don't now. But I also don't chow down on pork rinds, either and I keep total calories to 800/day.

Best advice is to follow what your nutritionist and doctor subscribe to. If you don't have that benefit, like our OP here, then try different plans to see what works for you. Weight loss nutrition is a very gray area! Everyone has an opinion LOL. I'm not a nutritionist, I just share what works for me.

Here are some interesting articles if you want to read up on high fat/low carb eating. I think it is a very interesting field of study.

Sweden Changes Dietary Recommendations

High Fat Diet Good for the Heart

High Fat Diets & Metabolism

I'm not sure what part of my post implied that I was advocating low fat high carbs. I was just pointing out that 45% of diet made up of fat doesn't sound ideal. I am sure that in the several months since you were sleeved you have been able to try all sorts of diets and diet makeups to conclude what works for you. I think my post was to point out the major calorie density difference between fats and Proteins as it relates to total caloric intake. Whether newly sleeved or long time vet, we are all monitoring our caloric intake with a primary emphasis of protein 1st and minimizing excess sugar and fats.

Yes, I tend to subscribe to the fat helps with satiety approach. More then once a desire to keep eating has been extinguished with a baby bel cheese. I tend not to track fat intake, but do make a point of eating healthy types of food so fat consumption takes care of itself.

The only macro I tend to really focus on is Protein and I try and eat the lean variety. I average between 30-40 G protein a meal and set 7-8 times a day. The last meal is always on the high end at 60-70 g and the first meal is always on the low end at 30 g. I eat a lot of lean protein to keep my metabolism revved up, my insulin response neutral and my body in anabolic state versus catabolic state as a result of being very active. Even though my protein numbers are high, I tend to just preserve an athletic body composition rather than bulking up. My goal is not to lose lean muscle.

I do eat carbs, but always in the mid to low glycemic level and usually only for 2-3 meals out of the day. I am not tracking them in terms of grams, but do measure out quantities like 1/2 cup steel oats before working out or 1 cup Fiber one Cereal for Breakfast (with a premier shake). I have a post workout bar which has unprocessed honey in it. There are a bunch of carbs from that, but the honey is handled much better by your body than table sugar. I also eat 1-2 oz of some veggie if I can with the lean protein. This contributes to some carbs.

I try and drink a lot of Water. There is no set number, but it tends to be filling up my 32 oz water bottle 7-8 x a day. Yes, I visit the toilet often, but the water is needed to keep the liver and kidneys healthy when consuming high protein. I also need it to flush out the waste from exercise.

Vitamins- a multi, 1500 mg Calcium, 5000 iu Vitamin d and two veggie capsules (from trader joe) for getting a good dose of nutrients. Every day. Never miss taking these.

So there you have it.

I speak in generalities. Tracking is not something that has ever interested me. Eating healthy and focusing on the basics (like madam) has always been my key to success since the beginning. I tend not to eat sweets, breads, starchy stuff, fruit or dairy (aside from baby bell cheese when needed). As my diet is very simple, I do not believe tracking is required.