I went to a support group meeting last night where the speaker was a surgeon from a different practice than my doctor. His topic was success after WLS. His number one strategy was for wl patients to not eat more than 800-900 calories. He wasn't talking the weight-loss phase. He was quite clear that he meant FOREVER! He said if you were a HEAVY exerciser, you could maybe increase that by 200 calories on the days you worked out. Oh, yeah, for exercise do cardio, no weights. Muscle building has nothing to do with weight loss. I couldn't make this up! And this was his guidance for both male and female patients!

All I could think of was "Thank heavens he's not my doctor!"

My surgeon in New Zealand has no real rules, other than “eat healthily! And never ever again snack. Three meals a day, that is it.” But is definitely in the ‘low calories forever’ category.

He doesn’t place a calorie restriction exactly, but @FluffyChixis right in that he monitors his 1700 patients - 1-2 years out, almost all of us are still under 1000 calories a day. His view is, that is healthy and wise. Myself, I struggle to consistently get over 1000 calories - and only by adding a snack. I am ok with that - I am running, cycling, and weight training, so burning 2-500 extra calories most days. Many days I have half a muffin in the morning, and it feels like a massive treat. And am sitting around 135 lbs, 15lbs below my goal weight, and am starting to look pretty muscly (beneath the loose skin, that is! I’ll never be a bodybuilder!!)

But also, I have a physical restriction band on my pouch. It will never stretch because it has a wee silicone ring around it, losely sewn in place with a stitch each side - so I can not manage anything more than a cup - it physically hurts if I forget and eat more bulk. Surprises me how hard this is to learn. I have always been a fast eater, and if I wolf my food down it will hurt for an hour! I have to work bloody hard to eat slowly, so that the internal feedback reminds me to stop. Easiest is if I manage this when putting portions on my plate, but in a restaurant it can be troublesome!

7 hours ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

I went to a support group meeting last night where the speaker was a surgeon from a different practice than my doctor. His topic was success after WLS. His number one strategy was for wl patients to not eat more than 800-900 calories. He wasn't talking the weight-loss phase. He was quite clear that he meant FOREVER! He said if you were a HEAVY exerciser, you could maybe increase that by 200 calories on the days you worked out. Oh, yeah, for exercise do cardio, no weights. Muscle building has nothing to do with weight loss. I couldn't make this up! And this was his guidance for both male and female patients!

All I could think of was "Thank heavens he's not my doctor!"

What, did he go to school with Marcus Welby or something?? Sounds like he needs some current education.

7 hours ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

I went to a support group meeting last night where the speaker was a surgeon from a different practice than my doctor. His topic was success after WLS. His number one strategy was for wl patients to not eat more than 800-900 calories. He wasn't talking the weight-loss phase. He was quite clear that he meant FOREVER! He said if you were a HEAVY exerciser, you could maybe increase that by 200 calories on the days you worked out. Oh, yeah, for exercise do cardio, no weights. Muscle building has nothing to do with weight loss. I couldn't make this up! And this was his guidance for both male and female patients!

All I could think of was "Thank heavens he's not my doctor!"

What, did he go to school with Marcus Welby or something?? Sounds like he needs some current education.

2 hours ago, Biddy zz ?️? said:

I have a physical restriction band on my pouch. It will never stretch because it has a wee silicone ring around it, losely sewn in place with a stitch each side - so I can not manage anything more than a cup

I want one of those!

4 hours ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

That's pretty much my point, though. This looks like the number that will work for you, and you're a petite woman. I just don't see it working universally for all wl patients.

For the record, there is NO universal formula that fits all patients, wls or otherwise. Cuz you know, come on...if it were that easy would any of us be sitting here at BP? ((hugs)) It's so hard to figure out the hacks that work for us. Even more so when we don't know what our new future holds or what our new realities will be.

I'm not sure even a surgeon knows. I'm sure not all of his patients are falling on their swords to confess the behaviors that deviate from his WORD. LOL.

I'm not particularly petite, more average. And some days that amount is a struggle and negotiation for me. Often days I fail epicly. But I just keep gettting back up, brushing myself off and trying to get refocused and back to business trying to find what it was that contributed to the fail so I can improve and hopefully make the same mistakes less often.

25 minutes ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

I want one of those!

It is called a “Fobi Pouch”. A US surgeon pioneered it. Some folks hate the idea of a foreign body in there - I previously had a gastric band for 10 years so it didn’t bother me. And - exceedingly low regain rates for fobi folk.

Was it Dr Vuong?

1 hour ago, FluffyChix said:

For the record, there is NO universal formula that fits all patients, wls or otherwise. Cuz you know, come on...if it were that easy would any of us be sitting here at BP? ((hugs)) It's so hard to figure out the hacks that work for us. Even more so when we don't know what our new future holds or what our new realities will be.

I'm not sure even a surgeon knows. I'm sure not all of his patients are falling on their swords to confess the behaviors that deviate from his WORD. LOL.

I'm not particularly petite, more average. And some days that amount is a struggle and negotiation for me. Often days I fail epicly. But I just keep gettting back up, brushing myself off and trying to get refocused and back to business trying to find what it was that contributed to the fail so I can improve and hopefully make the same mistakes less often.

Sorry if I came off rude, texting is a rather imprecise form of communication. I didn't think you were pushing for your macros to work universally, that's what the surgeon was doing. Everyone will have to work out maintenance based on their own metabolism. I just thought it was insane that the doctor didn't seem to take that into account. And, as you mentioned, I doubt too many people tell him the truth about what they eat.

1 hour ago, Biddy zz ?️? said:

It is called a “Fobi Pouch”. A US surgeon pioneered it. Some folks hate the idea of a foreign body in there - I previously had a gastric band for 10 years so it didn’t bother me. And - exceedingly low regain rates for fobi folk.

@Orchids&Dragons has already put this on her Christmas wishlist! It might be Christmas in July for her!

54 minutes ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

Sorry if I came off rude, texting is a rather imprecise form of communication. I didn't think you were pushing for your macros to work universally, that's what the surgeon was doing. Everyone will have to work out maintenance based on their own metabolism. I just thought it was insane that the doctor didn't seem to take that into account. And, as you mentioned, I doubt too many people tell him the truth about what they eat.

No offense taken. I was speaking about both me and him and my illustration of what a day at 800 cals could look like and that it's in line with people eating 1 cup of food from here to eternity, and eating the kind of food that is "dietetic in nature." Of course we know there are even more people not as anal as I can be at times, who eat 1 cup of food like fettuccine, pizza, fried chicken with mashed potatoes/a bag of potato chips and French's onion dip. LOL, who are not concerned with dietetic dimensions like low EVERY THE FU*K thing!

11 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

1 cup 1/2 cup of food like fettuccine, pizza, fried chicken with mashed potatoes/a bag of potato chips and French's onion dip. LOL, who are not concerned with dietetic dimensions like low EVERY THE FU*K thing!

I feel like you're talking about me

32 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

@Orchids&Dragons has already put this on her Christmas wishlist! It might be Christmas in July for her!

Well if you eat while wearing control top panty hose, same thing

???????????????

6 hours ago, Walter.Sobchak said:

Ha ha ha. Damnit, I am not falling for your kale propaganda.

It’s all about making smart choices, I would have a hard time keeping my calories that low. However, I have been able to hit like 1500 or 2000 some days. Then on some days I exceed that, one day at a time.

In the new world over must eat KALE

BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

20 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

I feel like you're talking about me

No darling! If I was, I would say "can eat 1 thimble of..." fill-in-the-blank of comfort food! But no, sadly I'm talking about the bazillion newbies I see here and on FB who are so militant, already overeating quantities, and call me Food PoPo for raining on their parade, warning them that their antics could come back to bite them. They are super defensive and ugly cuz I dare to suggest at some point everything in moderation is gonna equal a full plate of food (or 2).

I'm not so sure you will ever be there! And like we discussed a couple days ago, if all you;re eating is a thimble, then you HAVE to look at calorie dense (nutritionally dense food), especially when you're at maintenance like you are--otherwise you will continue to lose and be in bigtime Billy Badass shape with losing too much weight. You know? MUAH!

Edited January 9, 20197 yr by FluffyChix

2 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

Well if you eat while wearing control top panty hose, same thing

???????????????

Ohhhh!!! Waist trainers!!! Brilliant!