Calories at 8 Months?

[Indieflickers 298]

I'm almost 8 months out from surgery and I'm trying to gauge how many calories I should be eating. Right now I'm averaging about 1300 a day which feels way too high, and yet I still feel fairly hungry. I'm eating really clean - lean meat, vegetables, etc - and getting, frankly, too much Protein. Where were you guys at at this point?

[Babbs 14,680]

That may be a little high IMO. I was at about 1000 at 8 months.

The most important question is: Are you losing on 1300 calories? If so, I would say you're good then.

[Indieflickers 298]

@@Babbs I seem to be. I only weigh in monthly, so I'll know next Tuesday. But I was at about 1100 - 1200 the past couple months and losing about 15lbs a month.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

That may be a little high IMO. I was at about 1000 at 8 months.

The most important question is: Are you losing on 1300 calories? If so, I would say you're good then.

Agreed. Everyone is different. At 8 months I was eating 700 - 850. I didn't increase until about 9, 10 mths out. I currently eat between 900 - 1050/75. I've been working out 5 - 6 dys a week since probably moth 4 or 5. If you are eating well and still losing, then that's probably what your body needs.

I see you are a bypass patient. Take into consideration you also have the malabsorption factor that sleeve patients don't have as much of.

[Indieflickers 298]

@@BLERDgirl good advice! Thanks!

[Rizzle01 54]

I am at about 1400 calories 6 months out from getting a lap-band. I hear that may be a little high but compared to before it is like night and day

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Months 7 and 8 I was averaging 1,200 calories/day.

[Indieflickers 298]

@@VSGAnn2014 that's good to know. That's what I had been averaging for the past two months. I think it's actually only been these past two weeks it's been higher. I've been much hungrier of late.

[sweetie716 270]

I'm 10 months out and getting about 900-1000.

[Indieflickers 298]

@@sweetie716 good to know! Do you get hungry? At my 6 month follow up my doc suggested I add 200 calories because I was so tired and exercising so often. Though It hasn't helped much with the tiredness, I lost more weight than I did the previous month at 1000 calories.

[Daisee68 2,493]

I am a bit of a broken record with this, but have you had your thyroid checked? And what about acid reflux? Both of those issues have caused me to have hunger (or hunger feeling) in the past.

For what it's worth, my NUT says 1000-1200 calories would be maintenance. I think that is too low personally but I am only 4 months out, so I don't know for sure for a while.

[sweetie716 270]

I do sometimes get hungry, but I pretty much stick to my eating schedule. I walk every day for about 45 minutes first thing in the morning, but I don't do weight lifting or much running. I feel pretty good energy wise. I have noticed that each time I bump up the calories things seem to move faster again. I made an appointment with the nutritionist to see about how to transition into maintenance once I get down a little more. I am nervous about adding more calories because I don't want to undo what I've done so far.

Edited October 1, 2015 by sweetie716

[Indieflickers 298]

@@Daisee68 yep had my thyroid checked. Well, not since the 6 month blood work but I was just as tired at 6 months. All my labs were great.

@@sweetie716 that's good exercise. I try to do strength training 6 days a week, though I do it at home with just free weights, so I'm sure I could be doing it more effectively. I'm jealous that your energy is good! Not only am I tired, I get pretty foggy too. Probably means I need more carbs or something.

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@Indieflickers - I too am still pretty tired but I know it is my thyroid. It was high at my 3 month checkup so they adjusted med but only a little and it is taking too long to catch up! At least I hope that is what it is and I won't be this tired forever....

[Indieflickers 298]

@@Daisee68 the best they can come up with is that I'm losing weight at a rate that my body is playing catch up.