My trainer gave me a lecture today on the amount of food I eat. He said that when we have a session I lose between 400-600 calories and have to up my intake of food so that my blood sugar does not dive. He suggested complex carbs. So today I ate a Protein bar all made with fresh fruit, hemp, Chia, flax, Protein powder dried fruit and nuts.

This is the first time i did not crave sugar after a workout or feel depleted of energy. The hour went by so fast and I was ready to do more...

Could he be on to something...

One day you wake up and people are telling you you need to lose weight..Then people tell you you need to stop losing weight... One day they say you eat to much and then you eat to little... sometimes I just have to give my head a shake because I can't believe that someone told me I have to consume more calories....Me....imagine!!!

Have others been this confused too...

I went to my writing class the other night and watched as everyone was milling around and realized that I am one of the smallest people in the class... I was always the biggest hands down...Everyone seems happy and not self conscious at all. They don't even know I was morbidly obese ( I hate that word ). so they would never understand what I have done or what I have accomplished. I am just another person in a class with a bunch of people taking a course......unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!

It's counterintuitive, right? As you know, I've been working out a lot lately and I've also been in a 12 day stall...Ugh.

So, I ate more (added about 250 calories more per day) and miraculously, I'm down 2 pounds in 2 days. Go figure. It is so against what we've been told for so long. And CARBS????? OMG - the "C" word. How many people are afraid of carbs?!?! We've been told for so long CARBS = BAD.

Here's what I'm learning - for me 50-60 carbs per day makes me feel good. I can function quite well at that level; I'm not tired and don't need to take a nap mid-day (unless I'm being self indulgent and take one). I reduced my carbs a few weeks ago down to 20-30 and felt horrible. Yes, some carbs are bad. Complex carbs are good and you're body needs them.

Is it like having a secret in your writing class??????

It's counterintuitive, right? As you know, I've been working out a lot lately and I've also been in a 12 day stall...Ugh.

So, I ate more (added about 250 calories more per day) and miraculously, I'm down 2 pounds in 2 days. Go figure. It is so against what we've been told for so long. And CARBS????? OMG - the "C" word. How many people are afraid of carbs?!?! We've been told for so long CARBS = BAD.

Here's what I'm learning - for me 50-60 carbs per day makes me feel good. I can function quite well at that level; I'm not tired and don't need to take a nap mid-day (unless I'm being self indulgent and take one). I reduced my carbs a few weeks ago down to 20-30 and felt horrible. Yes, some carbs are bad. Complex carbs are good and you're body needs them.

Is it like having a secret in your writing class??????

You know it kinda is like having a secret....everyone else knows me from the big days and don't recognize me..but they don't know any better and I have no plans to enlighten them...lol

In the old days I ate like an elephant because I was working out and thought the added food would be burned up. It wasn't. I got fat no matter how hard I worked out.

After the sleeve things changed. When I started an extremely strenuous job my big concern was eating enough. I lost weight, I lost fat. The extra eating I do when getting extreme exercise is still much less than before the sleeve. I have become accustomed to the smaller portions and don't give them a second thought. I just eat more often...to get the Protein in.

Off the subject...I think you write extremely well!

RJ, you are some girl... a personal trainer, writing classes... Next thing you'll be on a plane heading over to see me to try to say hi to Gerard Butler

I am so impressed by your attitude and general zest for life. You are a star!!!! X

What I have learned through all my medical crap is not many people in the medical profession and others know about this at alllllllll.
Ok so there is ONE GP at my normal doctors surgery that knows a bit about what to do after wls.
That’s out of 15 doctors so I can only go to one, only call one, only have one give me decent advice on other meds I am taking or illnesses etc I was given really bad ended up going to hospital advice not long after my op because of a GP.
Also I was dealing with other medical issues again saw 3 people only ONE knew what different steps I had to take unlike others after this op.
I can not just go to A&E if I have a problem because they don’t know the right things for me I either call the bariatirc team who then give me the name and pager number of a bariattic doctor wohs working that day or on call and have the reception page them to deal with me or when I say oh I had the op I wait 3 hours while they try and find this very same person to deal with me as they can’t.
My physio tells me to do this or that not for wls but to deal with my back, hip and knees my gym instructor tells me oh its ok no do this and this (I listen to my physio lol)
The gym instructor tells me oh you can do this eat this drink this its fine (I listen to my bariatric team not the gym instructor)
Its so confusing and crazy!
Its like the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing at times, its like how confused we get researching you can read 20 different opinions on the same thing and not have a clue what is right.

What I have learned from this is basically the bariatric team kinda go by the first 8 months count then the rest is a bonus but they tend to not look past that mostly.
This is from being told every time I went to a appointment after 8 months in shocked tones your still losing weight?!? Me asking if that’s not the idea them saying nono of course it is just its unusual to have not stopped by now hmm well that’s very good!
No joke I have heard that same line about 10 times!
One new doc I only ever saw once told me its unusual and I have done so well actually beyond predicted expectations he would use me in his top 3 patients to show others what they can do.
Confusing as this is what we are meant to do right? Why is it SO unusual??
Sooooo from this I gather (no not told by anyone its just what I picked up on seeing 4 doctors 3 times a month for a year then it spacing out to monthly) that they want us to be eating just above starvation mode and working out like demons drinking Water and shakes inbetween to never have a empty stomach moment or feeling hungry because THIS is the rapid weightloss period they bank on for success and the rest is a bonus.
If your still losing weight after this time hey they wont really change the rules because its working a “if it aint broke don’t fix it” type of deal.
Not saying the stats are BS but they tend to not go past 8 months for a reason, be it we eat more, we workout less the numbers aint so hot.
Here in the uk you don’t automatically get plastic surgery you can not even apply for it till you have stayed the same weight give or take 5lbs for at least 6 months then you have to maintain that weight for a further 2 years before you can even apply for it because people gain weight so they don’t want to spend the money giving plastics if you go back to old habits and gain weight again.
This is such a confusing process with so much information I take what works for me and do it my way.
Maybe they want us to lose a extra 10-15lbs by making our heads explode LOL

I am 15 months out and just talked to my nutritionist because I'm still losing weight. Adding more carbs like fruit, peanut butter, nuts and not counting calories. Still protein first.

I am 15 months out and just talked to my nutritionist because I'm still losing weight. Adding more carbs like fruit, Peanut Butter, nuts and not counting calories. Still Protein first.

I'll be perfectly honest. I have never counted one calorie in 15 months. I was just told that I had to increase COMPLEX carbs...Not just carbs. Complex makes a complete protein but is needed for the building up of muscle. Takes more calories to build muscle then fat.....

This man specializes in people like me with special needs...i am grateful to have him..He works my butt off but he also knows what I feel like because he had to work from the ground up himself....

My nut and Doctor and trainer, Chiropractor and Osteopath are all in the same mind about my journey and what needs to be done next....

I was really thinking about peoples comments in the past and now others say the opposite.....

RJ, you are some girl... a personal trainer, writing classes... Next thing you'll be on a plane heading over to see me to try to say hi to Gerard Butler

I am so impressed by your attitude and general zest for life. You are a star!!!! X

Where's my plane ticket..Gerard here I come!!!!!!!!!!! yum!!!!!!!!!!!

In the old days I ate like an elephant because I was working out and thought the added food would be burned up. It wasn't. I got fat no matter how hard I worked out.

After the sleeve things changed. When I started an extremely strenuous job my big concern was eating enough. I lost weight, I lost fat. The extra eating I do when getting extreme exercise is still much less than before the sleeve. I have become accustomed to the smaller portions and don't give them a second thought. I just eat more often...to get the Protein in.

Off the subject...I think you write extremely well!

Your cute....your just saying the last part because I said you replied to a post better then me....But if you do think that way..That is a compliment indeed Gman!

What complex carbs did the trainer recommend? I'll take all advise and see how my body reacts .

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/complex-carbohydrate-examples.html

This is a site that introduces you to the best complex carbs for your body.

Complete Protein explanation here:

If you take a trip back to your old science class, you might remember that protein is made up of smaller components called amino acids, 12 of which are manufactured by the human body. Another nine, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from food. A complete protein is a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. Animal Proteins are complete, including red meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy, so what's a vegetarian or vegan to do? There are a few nonanimal sources that offer complete proteins, so it's important to get your fill of soybeans, blue green algae, hempseed, buckwheat, and quinoa if you're diet is meat-, milk-, or egg-free.

Then there are foods known as incomplete proteins, including Beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, peas, and corn. Combine two or more incomplete proteins and boom — you've got a complete protein. Enjoy them together in one meal or the combination can be consumed over the same day, such as black bean Soup for lunch and brown rice with dinner. Here are some other food combinations that work:

• Beans with whole grains: hummus (contains chickpeas and tahini, which is made from sesame seeds) and pita bread, red beans and rice, chickpea and quinoa veggie burgerson a whole-wheat bun, split pea soup with whole-grain bread, lentil barley soup, black beans and polenta, and tortillas with refried beans
• Nuts or seeds with whole grains: sunflower seed butter on crackers, almond butter on toast, peanut noodles
• Beans with seeds or nuts: hummus, salad topped with sunflower seeds and chickpeas

Like I said I made a Protein Bar with Protein powder and hemp, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, dried cherries and coconut. Base was prune juice. Together they make a complex protein because you have simple carbs and protein together so it becomes a complete protein..

He encouraged me to eat more of this type of food before a workout.....So today I ate a 1/2 of a bar I made and it worked....So when I work out I will eat one of them 30 min. before I start my sets....

hope this helps: