Getting enough calories

[bellabloom 2,469]

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Edited May 20, 2016 by bellabloom

[Djmohr 6,965]

Have you tried adding whole grains back into your diet? They are good carbs that may also increase your appetite.

Brown rice, barley, quinoa......

[bellabloom 2,469]

Have you tried adding whole grains back into your diet? They are good carbs that may also increase your appetite.

Brown rice, barley, quinoa......

Oh my gosh totally. I eat all kinds of carbs. It would be crazy for me not to eat carbs. Today I ate a huge brown rice and bean burrito with quinoa. But it took me all day to eat it and it was my only real meal. So filling!!

I eat bread and Bagels, even Cookies, Pasta... I eat whatever I want that won't make me sick. I don't try and cut out any foods anymore. What would be the point.

Edited January 9, 2016 by bellabloom

[jess9395 5,450]

What about drinking your calories? All those things we shouldn't do in the losing phase. Full fat milk. smoothies from Jamba juice (or homemade of course, but with the fruit and such).

[Djmohr 6,965]

The fruit will likely make her dump.

I am not sure what you would need to do but it sounds like you must make eating the priority regardless of how busy you are. If it takes you literally grazing all day, that may work for you.

What does your doctor or nut think?

[jess9395 5,450]

Okay so milk and Protein Powder? That's liquid. Shouldn't cause dumping.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Since you forget to eat can you plan your meals and snack on your calendar and set an alarm to remind you to eat? Since you can't get enough calories through your meals you may need to plan Snacks throughout the day, too.

[bellabloom 2,469]

Milk makes me dump badly. Can't even do yogurt.

I can do cheese and I do.

I know!! I have to eat all day. It's so hard. It's dicusting. I find it soooo hard. I'm hoping that this will get better in time.

I was doing better when I was eating a lot of Taco Bell but I got so tired of it and I worried that eventually the tide would turn and I would start to gain from it. And it's so bad for you.

I eat oatmeal, eggs, waffles, Bagels, bacon, ranch dressing, cheeses, pizza, sandwiches, Thai and Chinese, Pasta, steak, hummus, pita, fruit, Beans, sometimes Protein bars, Jerky, avocados....and much more

It's not what- it's that the quantity is so low. I've become a one meal wonder. I know it's really my fault but I just had to post about it because although it seems like an easy fix, it's not going easily!!!

I only made 800 calories today and I feel repulsed at the idea of eating more because I am so full already. I had steak for dinner and that tipped me over the edge

Ugh

[JapGirl 229]

I have heard of people drinking small amounts of soda to be able to tolerate a slightly larger meal when in the maintenance phase.

Since you couldn't do the soda because of the sugar, maybe try carbonated Water?

Edited January 9, 2016 by 030608070609

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

okay so something just doesn't add up..........you are eating all of those foods and you are still losing weight? this just doesn't make any sense. Instead of drinking Water you could easily drink 3 premier protien shakes a day and that's alone is 480 calories. I just don't beleive you are eating all of those high/fat caloric foods and still losing weight. You can not possibly be eating any type of quantity for it to count. A quarter cup of anything and you would probably still lose weight.

You stated that you don't care to eat and don't think about it.................I do beleive that you are NOT eating.

Honestly it doesn't take much of higher calorie foods to make up 1200 calories. If you are eating 1800 calories how are you still losing? Sounds to me like you have some sort of health issue/disease that has nothing to do with surgery. Ask your doctor to start doing some testing to find out what it may be; This could be your answer.

[James Marusek 5,244]

I agree with Threetimesacharm.

The body changes after about a year. The intestines change and allow you to consume fats and sugars again (without dumping). They take up the slack caused by the part of your stomach that formally performed that function and was cut away after RNY surgery.

So periodically experiment and see if you can now tolerate these (like milk, yogurt and cheese) without experiencing dumping syndrome.

I found that softer foods such as chili and Soups went down better than harder foods such as steaks. I made my own high Protein version of these. My surgeon is noted for making the pouches small which has similarities to your condition. I included some recipes in the following. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

When I spoke to my nurse about the difficulty in eating, she said not to be constrained to 3 meals per day but that I could increase this number, because my pouch is smaller.

[BrnAgn39 85]

My NUT noticed that a big part of my problem is skipping meals and apparently this can completely throw off your metabolism (I had never given it much thought) I am going to start setting my phone alarm to remind me to eat something small every few hours.

I have a friend who had the band and skipped meals because she either wasn't hungry or she was trying to lose as fast as possible. She ended up in the hospital again from dehydration and lack of appropriate nutrients.

I imagine its difficult to stop for a bite to eat when you have so much going on. Remember to take care of you You are in my prayers.

[bellabloom 2,469]

I do have extreme dumping even after a year. It has not gotten better, in fact it's gotten worse. If I eat too much quality I dump, if I eat to much fat and sugar combined I dump, if I eat a high dairy food with sugar I dump.

I am eating all of those high calorie foods but not in high enough quantities.

The problem is I am full so easily and have no appetite. 1800 is barely enough to keep my weight on and a lot of days I don't hit that amount. I'm struggling to hit that amount.

I find eating tedious and boring. I have very little desire for food. This is a side effect of this surgery that not a lot of people get but some do.

Skipping meals is certainly a big issue. Having a lack of appetite is harder than you can guess. It's really difficult to eat when you're simply not hungry.

The truth is I've always found eating to be rather tedious. It's amazing I got up to the weight I did. I used to binge eat my feelings and since I broke that connection I find eating to be just another chore I have to do.

Say I eat an avocado for Breakfast. That's about 300 calories. I will be so full for hours- I'll barely eat lunch. But day I do eat a hamburger! That's 500 calories.

At that point I'm at 800 calories. There is no way I'll have room for a snack. At dinner I have a burrito for 350 calories. That's 1150. I'll add guacamole for another 150 cals. That's 1300.

That's really hard as it is for me to do. I'll be so full from this. I might shovel down another snack at about 10pm of a banana with Peanut Butter or something to make 1400-1600.

The issue is I think I need about 1900-2200 calories. So little by little I'm still losing weight. And I can't afford to!

If I increase the calories in my meals I'm just that much more full and eat less on the next meal.

It's really frustrating me. I need to do better with this.

I went to my NUT with this thinking that she would encourage me to eat more and that she would say I was on the right track somewhat.

She actually did not like my meals at all and wanted me to cut out all sugar and high fat food, and to greatly limit my carbs. I was like "have you taken a look at me?????"

She obviously mostly deals with people trying to lose weight still or regaining and doesn't understand my situation. If I ate low carb high Protein low fat, I'd be a walking skeleton in about a month.

Edited January 9, 2016 by bellabloom

[Djmohr 6,965]

I agree, something here does not make sense at all. I wonder if you either have a serious medical condition or a serious eating disorder.

You are the only person that can actually make yourself eat and timely. It has to become your priority if you want to stay healthy in the long term.

With RNY you really do get your hunger back, I am not sure why that hasn't happened for you but I am guessing when you are hungry, you are ignoring it because you are busy. If you don't want to keep dropping weight you need to pay attention and act on it.

It sounds like you can pretty much eat whatever you want without the repercussions of weight gain. The only issue is some foods you dump on and others that would likely make you dump, you don't.

I will say that I have met many RNY patients who still dump many many years later so I am not convinced at all that ever stops completely. They just learn how to live with it differently. The same is true about the malabsorption factor. I met a guy that had RNY 15 years ago. He eats small meals all day long because his body still malabsorbs. He looks great, still has a lot of restriction which requires that he eats small amounts all day long.

I know my pouch is definitely on the small side which means to get to my Protein count and about 1000 calories a day, I have to eat 3 good meals a day and snack in between.

I have to really concentrate when I eat or I might just eat a tiny amount and be hungry a short time later.

[bellabloom 2,469]

I agree, something here does not make sense at all. I wonder if you either have a serious medical condition or a serious eating disorder.

You are the only person that can actually make yourself eat and timely. It has to become your priority if you want to stay healthy in the long term.

With RNY you really do get your hunger back, I am not sure why that hasn't happened for you but I am guessing when you are hungry, you are ignoring it because you are busy. If you don't want to keep dropping weight you need to pay attention and act on it.

It sounds like you can pretty much eat whatever you want without the repercussions of weight gain. The only issue is some foods you dump on and others that would likely make you dump, you don't.

I will say that I have met many RNY patients who still dump many many years later so I am not convinced at all that ever stops completely. They just learn how to live with it differently. The same is true about the malabsorption factor. I met a guy that had RNY 15 years ago. He eats small meals all day long because his body still malabsorbs. He looks great, still has a lot of restriction which requires that he eats small amounts all day long.

I know my pouch is definitely on the small side which means to get to my Protein count and about 1000 calories a day, I have to eat 3 good meals a day and snack in between.

I have to really concentrate when I eat or I might just eat a tiny amount and be hungry a short time later.

You're eating a thousand calories a day. Could you double that if you wanted to? Do you think you could physically do it without resorting to eating junk food?

Edited January 9, 2016 by bellabloom