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I'm having trouble getting my calories up and I'm curious about how people are meeting this calorie range.

So can anyone show me a sample menu of how you get in this many calories a day, please?

Or the staple foods that you include in your diet to help you reach this amount of calories?

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I don't count calories. I only count grams of protein/fat/carbs. It is so much easier. Especially Protein.

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I don't count calories. I only count grams of protein/fat/carbs. It is so much easier. Especially Protein.

My NUT says not to worry about counting them either, but I keep reading about starving mode and how it can stall weight loss, etc.

I know that I need to eat more in order to meet my Protein needs (I still have to rely on drinking protein Water to get 20g protein) in order to get to 60g total.

But in the meantime, I'm doing what I can to get by.





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It's still early days for you so consider it a goal, not necessarily something you will achieve just yet. But, you need to work hard to try to get there because you will eventually.

I found that the Isopure drinks helped me get a lot of Protein in. They are an acquired taste so beware. But they are 40 grams of protein, no sugar, no carbs and they also count towards your Fluid intake!

But, yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese (have you found the ricotta cheese bake recipe yet?), eggs, tuna and edamame are all very helpful. I still rely on those. ANd now I live on chicken and ground turkey, cooked in a variety of ways.

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It's still early days for you so consider it a goal, not necessarily something you will achieve just yet. But, you need to work hard to try to get there because you will eventually.
I found that the Isopure drinks helped me get a lot of Protein in. They are an acquired taste so beware. But they are 40 grams of Protein, no sugar, no carbs and they also count towards your Fluid intake!
But, yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese (have you found the ricotta cheese bake recipe yet?), eggs, tuna and edamame are all very helpful. I still rely on those. ANd now I live on chicken and ground turkey, cooked in a variety of ways.

I drink the Isopure. But my NUT only wants me drinking half a bottle a day. Of course on days where I don't eat a lot or when I vomit, I drink more to get to 60g of protein.

I'm meeting my protein goals most days, but I haven't gotten more than 375 calories yet.

I'm not up to eating 3 oz. of meat or vegetables with my meals yet (that's why my NUT wants me supplementing with protein water), so I'm sure my calories will be higher then. But I think they may still end up low.



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I don't worry about calories either. just focus on the Protein and keeping the carbs low. I do count them if it has been a day I have been off and hungry a lot so I have had extra Snacks or meals just to be sure I am not way over. if you are getting in a shake and your 3 oz Protein at each meal you should be fine. I agree the Isopure Water takes so me getting use to. I started out by mixing it half and half with regular Water and that way I could develop the acceptance of the taste.

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Yogurt can help. Refried beans/cheese if tolerated and ok by doc. Tofu (I like baked and flavored in the package). Perhaps sample other Protein Drinks and bars? Good luck. Keep trying!!

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I don't worry about calories either. just focus on the Protein and keeping the carbs low. I do count them if it has been a day I have been off and hungry a lot so I have had extra Snacks or meals just to be sure I am not way over. if you are getting in a shake and your 3 oz Protein at each meal you should be fine. I agree the Isopure Water takes so me getting use to. I started out by mixing it half and half with regular Water and that way I could develop the acceptance of the taste.

Depending on the meat, I can still only tolerate 1 or 2 oz. at a time.

So I’m not quite where I need to be yet!



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Yogurt can help. Refried beans/cheese if tolerated and ok by doc. Tofu (I like baked and flavored in the package). Perhaps sample other Protein drinks and bars? Good luck. Keep trying!!

I eat Greek yogurt every morning for Breakfast for the protein content, but it’s only 100 calories.

I will try the refried Beans with cheese.< br>
I don't know about tofu yet because it may interfere with my thyroid medication.



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Greek Yogurt. My NUT also told me to start adding some 100% fruit juice in to get more calories. So I drink a little more OJ

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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    • Doughgurl

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      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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