I've stalled in my weight loss for months now. I'm approximately 235 – I'll go up and down a few pounds here and there. But, I thought I would try to call the dietitian frommy surgeons office to ask a couple of basic questions. She didn't want to answer anything at all. Instead she wanted me to come in for a dietitian appointment for an hour and $75. I am disabled and on a very fixed income. I don't have extra money like that. I tried to explain that to her and try to do it least get her to answer a couple of very basic questions. She really didn't want to but finally she did.

According to her we don't consider calories at all in our diet. We only focus on Protein and carbs. I understand that completely that was the pre and post op diet as well. I'm really good at not eating carbs. I don't need bread at all, potatoes, rice, Pasta, whatever – I don't need it. The one thing I do enjoy with moderation and proportions are vegetablesand the fruits but I was told we were allowed – berries only. So, I'm thinking I was doing pretty good but obviously I missing something here because I haven't lost any weight for months.

So,we are supposed to have 80 g of protein a day – I'm lucky if I have 20. I like chicken and fish but only usually eat one meal a day. Sometimes I'll have Snacks here and there but they're all controlled. Outside of protein were supposed to count carbs as well – again, consistent with the pre-op diet. I assumed thatafter surgery, carbs would be a little bit more allowable – as long as you don't eat the stuff I mentioned before but, we're still only allowed 30 carbs a day even when we're trying to just maintain our diet. So there goes any small amounts of food and vegetables… LOL

Is this what everyone's following? If so, I had appreciate any suggestions or ideas when it comes to being more effective with my diet.... My goal weight is 180 pounds. I'd like to get as close as I can to that... So as you can see, I still got a while to go.

Hope everyone's having a good day,

Natalie

I remember that you posted a similar question not long ago.

I am pre-op but have been doing lots of research and the information from my surgeon I have been practicing for when I get my surgery date. From everything I have learned here is what I would suggest:

Drink at least 64 oz of Water a day.

Eat at least 80 grams of Protein a day (but no more than 30 grams at a time so you definitely need to eat at least 3 times a day).

Record your water and protein so you can keep track.

Eat protein first and if you have room then eat vegetables, then fruits. Whole carbs should be last.

I completely understand what you're saying but I'm just surprised at the numbers in a postop situation.

In my previous post I didn't know what the numbers were and just found them out. There was all kinds of different information online and I was just trying to find out what was what

Yes, that is pretty much what I do. I don't worry about calories. If you are following the guidelines for carbs and protein, the calories, fats, sugars, etc. fall into place. I try to stick to 80g of protein, 30g of carbs, and 100 oz of water daily. When I do this, I lose.

My understanding is that these are the baseline numbers. You may need more protein, water, and even carbs (for example if you are training for a marathon) but never less.

Not counting calories is where I completely disagree with your dietician to a point. Calories absolutely do matter, and the lower you can keep them the more you will lose. However, if you are eating 80g of LEAN Protein per day and keeping under 30 net carbs coming from non-starchy veggies, your calories should still be fairly low. That is, if you don't add in other things like sauces, dressings, cheeses, etc to what you are eating.

I say this not just as someone who is very strict with themselves, but someone who has charted weight for a group of women who had the sleeve at the same time I did last year. There are six of us who all started out at approximately the same weight, are within a 10 year age range (none of us over 40), and had the same co-morbidities before surgery. Three of us counted calories while the other three based their diets solely on counting carbs and protein. Out of the three of us who were restrictive, I was the most restrictive, never eating more than 800 calories in one day and averaging 75g of protein and only 30g net carbs from non-starchy sources. The results: those of us who counted calories and kept them low lost more weight over our counterparts who did not watch calories. Out of the three of us who did watch calories, I lost the most. One year out, I am only 6 pounds from my goal weight, while the other two who were restrictive with calories are 25 and 34 pounds away from goal. Those who only counted protein and carbs and did not restrict calories still have an average of 75 pounds of weight to lose (+/-15 pounds).

Calories absolutely DO matter, and if you are not losing it is probably because your calories are too high. You are NOT eating enough protein, and you are NOT eating frequently enough. If you are having trouble eating because you fear gaining the weight, you might need to seek counselling for a disorder called Post-Surgical Eating Avoidance Disorder. It is more common than people in the WLS community want to talk about. Otherwise, it shouldn't be that hard at your stage to squeeze in 75g of protein for less than 400 calories per day, and you can fill the other 400 with low-carb items such as vegetables, a little bit of good fat, etc. You don't have to eat six times per day, but you need to eat frequently enough to get your baseline protein.

Hope this helps!

I have difficulty some days getting in my Protein. I still try to start my day with a Protein shake so I can get 30g in before 10am. Does you disability allow you to exercise? It may be that you are at a stall and make need to increase or change your kind of exercise. I don't actually count all my calories exactly. I stick with the same basic meals most days. I do stagger my calorie intake. For one day I may eat 1000 calories, then 1400, then down to 1200 and rotate. It seems to help me to confuse my body so to speak. It may not work for everyone but it does for me. I also have to drink my shake and then eat 3 small meals spaced through out the day. I don't eat after 6pm if I can help it. You can find a lot of easy recipes online to make it easier to plan. Good luck to you!

@@natalie_christin, my NUT recommended 60 - 80 grams of Protein per day, closer to 60 for women, 80 for men.

I was told to eat between 1,000 and 1,200 calories a day. No less than 60 grams of protein. No less than60 grams of carbs and no more than 150 grams of carbs and between 48 to 64 oz of canine free liquid a day. I usually eat around 1,000 calories. I notice if I go below 800 calories I stop losing weight.

I don't count calories or worry about fat. I concentrate on getting that 64 ounces of Water first, then getting my Protein in. I get a MINIMUM of 60 grams. I keep my carbs as low as possible--although I don't count them so to speak. I just make sure whatever I eat is extremely low in carbs.

I find I do much better if I get MORE than 60 grams of protein a day. I live on GENEPRO unflavored Protein powder and Quest bars. I work full time, commute a total of 1.5 hours a day to work/home and my husband is 100% disabled. I just don't have the time to cook.

The least expensive source of protein would probably be eggs. I think as far as meats, chicken and turkey are less expensive than beef. Fish, depending on what type, would probably be as expensive, or more so than beef.

I haven't been able to exercise this week, I've been sick with an upper respiratory infection. I hope to get back in the pool next week. I haven't lost weight in some time. I think I've hit a plateau. If I don't loose any more--it's fine with me since I'm down to a good size. I'm not worried about a number on a scale, or a clothes size--as long as I feel good and can move well that is my primary concern.

I'm impressed by those of you who track your daily intact. I don't. I do not eat or drink sugar. I eat until I get the sign to stop, which isn't much. I have an obsessive personality and I don't want to obsess about food...period! I eat fat. Not deep fried fat but I do eat/drink milk, full fat cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, olive oil etc. not everyday mind you. My weight loss is great, I'm very happy with what I have lost. Kudos to those of you who can track, it would make me crazy, lol!

My 2 cents are...make sure you are getting your water as already suggested. Also if you are following the program and eating your protein there is room for little else so no real need to count calories. Try light and fit Greek yogurt too. It has a minimum amount of fruit but a good amount of protein. Sometimes I splurge and put a little whip cream on it, making it a fruit desert like treat. It's low in carbs, calories, and high in protein. Hope this helps.

Edited November 22, 201411 yr by Camarolegend

I appreciate the input – I really do.

I have absolutely no trouble getting in my water intake. I gets probably close to 2 gallons of water a day. My diet however has its ups and downs. I do you need to be more proficient in getting my protien. And if anybody has any suggestions on this I would greatly appreciate it. I do think that that's where it's wearing me down right now because at Moose I might be getting 20 g of protein a day. I just need to figure out a routine and stick to it. Once I have a routine, there's no issues withfollowing through, I just feel like I'm not here and kind of flailing around in the deep end and not accomplishing what I need to. Any ideas or suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Blessings, Natalie