How many calories...

[visionmom77 12]

Can someone tell me how many calories we should consume to lose desired amount of weight? I was sleeved on 12/22/16 & some days I'm under 500 calories. I don't want to sabotage my weight loss. Was told to eat every 2 hrs..,but appetite not there or not finding foods I can eat. Help...

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[mylighthouse 782]

I was told by my nutritionist and also a person here that I needed to get my calories above 600 a day in order to lose weight. I lost weight the first 2 weeks and my calories were definitely under 500 a day. But then after that, I started stalling at least every other week until I could get my calories above 600 a day.

I started adding more Protein to my diet... I was not very hungry either. So when I did eat things like yogurt, cottage cheese or Soup, I would add unflavored Protein powder to them to boost my calories a bit. I also drank the Premier Protein shakes in between meals to get in some more calories.

Doing those things got my calories up into the 600's while I was on my pureed and soft food stages. Then I started dropping weight again.

Now that I am 8 weeks post surgery, I am finally finding that I am getting hungry and I am able to replace the shakes I had for Snacks with other foods like string cheese, cottage cheese with fruit and yogurt. Got my calories up to 800 a day now and I am still losing weight.

[Tufflaw 463]

Yeah you want to keep them up - 500 or thereabouts is way too low, like dangerously low. Your body might just shut down and you won't lose at all unless you increase the calories, which seems counterintuitive. I was sleeved on 12/21, and post-op I was around 700-900 calories a day, slowly slowly increasing. Today I hit 1200 for the first time, only notable because the MyFitnessPal app gives you a warning at the end of the day if your calories are below 1200! Still losing.

[JustTrynaMakeIt 0]

Ur not taking in enough calories so ur body goes into hibernation. That's why ur not losing. Up ur calories. Plenty of Water and Protein and u should be good. My doctor said u need at least 800 cals a day.

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[visionmom77 12]

@ Tufflaw what are somethings that you are eating and/or drinking?

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[visionmom77 12]

Yes I'm trying to increase more Water & Protein each day but I agree I need to increase more calories as well.

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[Tufflaw 463]

@ Tufflaw what are somethings that you are eating and/or drinking?

Every morning for Breakfast I have two scrambled eggs with 1 oz of shredded cheese (about 270 calories). About an hour later I drink an 11 oz. Premier Protein drink (160 calories), then usually when I'm at work I have 16 oz Water after that.

For lunch I've been mostly eating Shelly's Ricotta Bake which is amazing (about 200 calories)! (EDIT: It won't let me add the website for the recipe, just google Shelly's Ricotta Bake). If I don't have any portions left, I'll have tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, or turkey salad which is all homemade and pureed (calories vary). I usually have 4 oz and sometimes I'll put shredded cheese on top.

dinner is more of the same, one of my pureed salads. Non-water drinks - either Powerade Zero or Diet Snapple. For Snacks, either Yoplait light yogurt (90 cal) or sugar free Jello pudding (60 cal) - today I had one after lunch and one after dinner. Or I might have one or two sugar free ice pops (15 cal each).

I've had no problems getting my Protein in and I never feel hungry. In fact the other night I overdid it with the egg salad, I tried 5 oz and felt uncomfortably full after, so I reeled it back to 4 oz.

I've tried some seafood - I bought some flake crab meat from Aldi's and it was OK, not great. I might try again and made a seafood salad with it. I also got some Mahi Mahi from Trader Joe's and it was underwhelming. Very bland even though I made it with lemon juice and a bunch of spices. I have one piece left and may try a seafood salad with that one.

Good luck!

Edited January 8, 2017 by Tufflaw

[visionmom77 12]

@@Tufflaw thanks for your response!

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[bleonhardt 46]

I was sleeved 12/09/16 and honestly this is the first week I actually felt a little hungry and food started to taste normal again. Prior to this week I had zero desire for food and I could not get enough in. I finally got through that and you will too. Have you found a Protein shake you like? When I could not eat I would sip a shake all day long to get at least 3 in for the day! Good luck and promise that feeling will not last forever!

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[visionmom77 12]

@@bleonhardt ok...I'm glad I'm not only one & glad this feeling won't last always. I do like Premier shakes. So I really try to get my Protein in with shakes & cottage cheese as well. Tuesday I'm allowed to move to phase III Post OP which gives me more variety foods to choose. Hopefully this helps as well. Thanks...

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Edited January 8, 2017 by visionmom77

[visionmom77 12]

Ok....everyone part of my lack of desire to eat is also because it hurts in my upper chest/stomach. Sometimes belching helps relieve discomfort. While in hospital day after surgery I was having similar (but felt worse) situation. My doctor gave me medicine Levsin to relax my stomach. Has anyone experience this? Is this normal?

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[dayna2017 53]

I am 3 days out and find anything cold burns as it goes down. I am wondering how long that lasts... I mean right now I'm sipping on a shake trying to get the most nutrients in that I can but ouch. Soups feel better going down but even trying to drink Water... I hope this gets better...

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[visionmom77 12]

I think things will get better. I still have some discomforts but it's not as bad as it was...so it looks like it's getting better. However like you I'm wondering how long overall this will last. Especially since I wanted things better at least a week ago or before. Lol I have occasionally heated up a potion of my Protein shake or put it in my oatmeal.

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Edited January 8, 2017 by visionmom77