I went to a local dietician yesterday that is not affiliated with the place I had my lapband. She said she has other patients with lapband and that we often eat too few calories. But honestly, I don't lose any weight if I eat more than 1200 calories a day now. She wanted me to have that amount at the very minimum. She even wanted me to up my carb intake! I don't lose weight without pretty much pairing my carb/protein intake so I end up with about 80-100 of each, each day.

She asked me if I just wanted to lose weight or do I want to be healthy. I told her BOTH. I want to healthily lose weight but I haven't been able to lose weight by following what she suggests.

So, how can I take in more calories and still get my dang body to burn 'em? I think my metabolism is horrendously slow

Thoughts? Suggestions??

Well, first of all, congrats on losing nearly 64 pounds! You are doing awesome. I would do what works for you. If you don't lose weight over 1200 calories, don't go there. Just make sure you are getting your protein. You can up your calories if you are exercising alot. My former trainer recommended mixing up your calorie intake. For example, 3 days at 800-1000 calories and one day at 1400-1600. Then back to 800-1000 for a day. Of course, those calorie counts are examples and should be adjusted for your height/weight/doctor recommendation. There are so many opinions out there, but basically, you know your body. If you eat 1200 and don't lose, try less. Also, make sure to get your water in!

You also may want to get a second opinion. I know several dieticians and can tell you that they all have different thoughts and ideas about what is the 'right' way to eat.

How much are you exercising? I have been lax about getting my big butt moving lately, and the scale is telling me every morning that I haven't.

I think this stuff about "you have to eat more calories to lose weight" is a bunch of nonsense.

Study after study has shown that calories in vs. calories out is what creates weight loss. Period.

And for those who believe in "starvation mode", take a look at people who are literally "starving" such as like people who get trapped in the snow for extended periods, or people in other countries who literally don't have enough food. I'm sorry to be graphic about it, but you're not going to see a fat person in any of these situations.

I think the whole "starvation mode" and "you have to eat at least 1,500 calories a day" thing is totally bogus.

Also bogus is "you have to exercise to lose weight." No, you don't. Exercise burns calories, sure, but a recent study had shown that those who eliminated a comparable number of calories via dieting as via exercise lost the exact same amount of weight.

Calories in vs. calories expended is what will determine how much weight is lost.

I have seen people do well by simply adding more vegetables (and fruit) to their diet. If you evaluate what you have been eating, can you say that they are whole and healthy foods...or more pre-fab & unhealthy kinds. If you find yourself lacking the micronutrients that only whole foods can provide, maybe this is something you should do.

I just did the numbers...and by my calculations I see that you are losing at a rate of 3.5#/week. I can see now why your dietician said to eat more. This rate is almost twice what doctors normally recommend.

During my nutrition eval the really nice, but REALLY ULTRA THIN nutritionist told me that I needed 100-200 carbs a day to lose weight.......

We actually got into a long debate about it... she even knocked on her head with her fist saying that my brain wouldn't function with less......

I KNOW that I lose best when I stick to 30 carbs a day 50-60 when I'm exercising...........

Everyone is different and I'm sorry ........... What she said to me is CRAP.

We actually got into a long debate about it... she even knocked on her head with her fist saying that my brain wouldn't function with less.......

That argument always cracks me up, Tracy. Oh, puh-leeeeze!!

The mere fact that the dietician doesn't acknowledge that we each have unique metabolisms....some do better with more carbs, some with less....would tell me that she doesn't know sh** from shinola!! Time to move on!

I think this stuff about "you have to eat more calories to lose weight" is a bunch of nonsense.

I think the whole "starvation mode" and "you have to eat at least 1,500 calories a day" thing is totally bogus.

Also bogus is "you have to exercise to lose weight." No, you don't. Exercise burns calories, sure, but a recent study had shown that those who eliminated a comparable number of calories via dieting as via exercise lost the exact same amount of weight.

just remember that everyone is different.... when i wasnt eating much (maybe 7-800 cals a day) and not exercising my weight stood still ... not 1 pound lost.

i started exercising but did not up my caloric intake, still no real weight loss (i was in a major calorie deficit). once i upped my cals and still worked out, the weight started melting off of me...

like i said - everyone is different.

My former trainer recommended mixing up your calorie intake. For example, 3 days at 800-1000 calories and one day at 1400-1600. Then back to 800-1000 for a day.

This TOTALLY works for me. I know everyone is different this might not work for others...but I lose SO much better and keep my sanity if I'm 3-4 day's 'on' and 1-3 days 'off'...meaning a few day's of low cal / low carb and a couple days of anything I want within moderation. My pattern thus far has been 5 pounds off...3 pounds back...4 pounds off...2 back on....5 pounds off...3 pounds back...I know it's a lot of back and forth, but over all I'm going down, down down...an average of 2 per week.

Can't wait to get banded!!!! It will make it MUCH easier to stay on an even keil!

I'm with Socagal3, do what works for you. However, I know exercise is key to weight loss...I'm a witness.

Be Blessed!

just remember that everyone is different.... when i wasnt eating much (maybe 7-800 cals a day) and not exercising my weight stood still ... not 1 pound lost.

With all due respect, I tend to go by hard science and evidence, not anecdotal evidence. Your experience is shared by some people I have talked to, but who's to say that the stall in weight loss wouldn't have happened anyway, such a plateau that is a normal part of dieting? Perhaps you happened to experience a plateau and attributed it to the lower calories, when in reality it was just a stall in weight loss that would have evened out over time eventually.

I haven't seen any evidence that people on a greater number of calories lose more weight than those on lower calories, but have seen plenty of evidence that attributes all weight loss to be a direct result of calories taken in vs. calories expended.

Hmmm, there's good arguments for both sides. I do think weight loss is calories in v calories out and nothing more. But nobody will ever convince me you can be healthy long term on less than 1000 calories a day. You'll be bent over and osteoporitic by 50 is what you'll be. Its terrible for you, nobody eats well enough all of the time to get what they need on that few calories. And if you eat that little for long enough, starvation mode aside, your body does slow down and adapt and then you'll always have to eat that little just to maintain.

If you cant lose weight on 1000 to 1200 calories (unless you're a very petite person) you need to move a lot more. YOu may be exercising but how active is your everyday lifestyle? Its like when we used to go away on holidays with DH's family, I had to walk hard for 2 hours every day just to compensate for the lack of daily activity that I normally get at home. NOne of the house cleaning, shopping, running the kids everywhere, etc etc. I had to do that 2 hour walk to not gain.

Nobody will ever convince me that a low carb diet is healthy either. I think we need carbs for energy so that we CAN move.

Also, you may be able to achieve a similar calorie deficit by dieting alone, as with exercising, but if you exercise and eat more to achieve that deficit you are going to be healthier. Exercise builds muscle, makes your metabolism better, gives you more energy and burns more energy thereby allowing you to take in more nutrients without gaining. To say you can lose weight just as well without exercise is talking about the scale only, not about improving your health.

I'd tend to side with the nutritionist on this, but then, things are fine in theory, different in reality. You know your own body.

Nobody will ever convince me that a low carb diet is healthy either. I think we need carbs for energy so that we CAN move.

I agree 1000%. The funny thing is, prior to being banded, I was totally on the low carb/healthy eating bandwagon.

Now, after being banded, I have become completely, totally, and utterly convinced that it's calories that count and nothing else.

It makes me mad that this lowe-crab fraud is being pushed on the public. Any "studies" that show a greater loss on low carb can be totally attributed to water loss on a low carb diet in the first few months. This water loss can be up to 20 pounds or more.

But when you average it out over the long term, there is no evidence for low-carb being superior to low calorie. By long-term I mean 10 years or more.

And, low carb dieters tend to experience a huge rebound effect when they return to carbs. I attribute this to all the hydration coming back into their bodies.

I was a very strict follower of the Atkins diet for a few years, and I did lose weight. But I could never lose more than 30 pounds, and when I stopped it came rushing back, plus lots more.

Being banded, I eat plenty of carbs, protein, veggies, and fruit, and have lost more than I ever have in my life. This, plus the backup of scientific studies, shows me that it's calories, and not carbs, that count.

The dietitian who said 1200 calories cannot be that familiar with lap bnd patients, we simply cannot eat more, if we were to eat that many calories it would have to be very high calorie foods and sugars, so that makes no sense. I don't think i would listen to her

What does make sense though is the high protein if you have a lap band.. In general I agree that of course we also have to have carbs,

However because we eat such small amounts if too much of it is carbs you will start loosing muscle mass instead of fat. That is why it is so important to get the required amount of protein in every day.

Those that swear they will be too tired, in starvation mode, or unable to lose at less than 1000 calories a day believe in myths of more than one type. (wink)

Heeheehee LOL!<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->