I was actually surprised when my surgery/Nut group kept telling me "don't worry about calories, just worry about volume". It's a very proactive university based operations, which seems to be on the very cutting edge of the craft. So far it is working incredibly well. As such, here is the Post 6 week to 3 month plan:

Diet plan: Three structured meals a day (B,L,D)

A meal consists of:

2-3 oz protien (weigh after cooking)

1-2oz cooked or raw veg.

* Portion size will gradually increase over time, but remember to stop eating when you feel content or satisfied, do not overfill. Remember to eat slowly chew well to allow yourself to feel full, before you take the next bite.

Protein: there are no restrictions, but wait 3 months before having steak. Eat a variety of protiens. Protien will be the focus of your diet.

Vegetables: eat at every meal. Limit starchy veg, like corn, peas, potatoes, pasta. Etc..

Drink 2 protein shakes per day to maintain minimum 60-80 grams protein.

Combined fluid total of at least 64 oz daily, no caffeine, carbs, sugar, alcohol .

Do not skip meals.

Eat just enough, and slow enough to feel full.

Do Not drink anything from 30 minute prior, to 30 minutes after each meal. Very important!

Do not chew gum (For the rest of your life)

Take your vitamins and minerals.

So that's it in a nutshell. No calories defined, and I asked several times. They kept saying that if I follow the percentages (Basically 2/1 Protein over veg, with very limited starch) and eat till full, without drinking, it's a slam dunk.

So far, a lb per day like clockwork.

luck!

the first few months you're really not eating enough to worry about calories. For me, it could be a struggle just to get in everything I was supposed to get in (like all that protein!). I didn't start counting calories until I could physically eat enough to worry about it - like after around 10 or 12 months. Once in maintenance, I focused on protein (as usual...) and overall calories.

1 hour ago, Fatboyslim1 said:

I was actually surprised when my surgery/Nut group kept telling me "don't worry about calories, just worry about volume". It's a very proactive university based operations, which seems to be on the very cutting edge of the craft. So far it is working incredibly well. As such, here is the Post 6 week to 3 month plan:

Diet plan: Three structured meals a day (B,L,D)

A meal consists of:

2-3 oz protien (weigh after cooking)

1-2oz cooked or raw veg.

* Portion size will gradually increase over time, but remember to stop eating when you feel content or satisfied, do not overfill. Remember to eat slowly chew well to allow yourself to feel full, before you take the next bite.

Protein: there are no restrictions, but wait 3 months before having steak. Eat a variety of protiens. Protien will be the focus of your diet.

Vegetables: eat at every meal. Limit starchy veg, like corn, peas, potatoes, Pasta. Etc..

Drink 2 Protein Shakes per day to maintain minimum 60-80 grams Protein.

Combined Fluid total of at least 64 oz daily, no caffeine, carbs, sugar, alcohol .

Do not skip meals.

Eat just enough, and slow enough to feel full.

Do Not drink anything from 30 minute prior, to 30 minutes after each meal. Very important!

Do not chew gum (For the rest of your life)

Take your Vitamins and minerals.

So that's it in a nutshell. No calories defined, and I asked several times. They kept saying that if I follow the percentages (Basically 2/1 Protein over veg, with very limited starch) and eat till full, without drinking, it's a slam dunk.

So far, a lb per day like clockwork.

luck!

I like this thank you ?

Thanks for the post.

I agree with @catwoman7 said, at this point calories don't really matter. However, I will offer my perspective on it.

Of equal importance to learning to use my new tool is dealing with the head issues that got me morbidly obese in the first place. For me, counting calories has become somewhat comforting. Knowing that I feel full and satisfied on 600-700 calories per day is very, very different from the many times I've lost weight in the past, which were white knuckle, completely unsustainable experiences. By counting calories, I find that I'm starting to reset my brain from a couple of decades of bad weight loss experiences and forming a more positive relationship with filling, high protein, lower calorie foods. So even though I physically can't eat enough calories to gain right now, I'm counting anyway as part of my healing process so I'm fully prepared for the day when I could eat enough to regain if I don't remain vigilant.

That's counter intuitive to tell a person not to think of calories... You need to learn how to count calories for the long term..

Every single thing you consume has calories then you have to learn what calories are good or bad like carbs vs protein; if you don't understand the basics you will have issues.

From day 1 I log every calorie everyday and that keeps me focused and to know what affects my weight positively or negatively..

Over time you have to figure out if you need to add calories or not depending on your activity levels and energy levels.

25 minutes ago, Superman84 said:

That's counter intuitive to tell a person not to think of calories... You need to learn how to count calories for the long term..

Every single thing you consume has calories then you have to learn what calories are good or bad like carbs vs protein; if you don't understand the basics you will have issues.

From day 1 I log every calorie everyday and that keeps me focused and to know what affects my weight positively or negatively..

Over time you have to figure out if you need to add calories or not depending on your activity levels and energy levels.

I don't disagree, but these guys seem pretty good. They were the ones that a year ago said that there was no need for pre surgery weight loss, as it was potentially harmful. Now that concept is becoming mainstream, and in a year it will probably be stopped (except in perhaps morbidly obese). That being said, it would seem absolutely vital to count calories once you get to the maintenance stage, However they said that due to current volume restrictions and food categories, it isn't even worth thinking about at this point.

My nutritionist is a volume person, not a weight person. She sez to eat no more than a half a cup of food per meal and try to make most of it a protein choice. That doesn't sound like much, but so far it fills me up. It's nice not having to weigh food, just measure it. I even have a collapsible measuring cup that I carry with me for eating out. Looks weird, but it works!

On 1/12/2020 at 8:24 AM, JRT Mom said:

My nutritionist is a volume person, not a weight person. She sez to eat no more than a half a cup of food per meal and try to make most of it a Protein choice. That doesn't sound like much, but so far it fills me up. It's nice not having to weigh food, just measure it. I even have a collapsible measuring cup that I carry with me for eating out. Looks weird, but it works!

I like that idea

thank you

This is a really cool concept! Thanks for sharing. I think whats cool about this forum and these people, is that we learn that everyone loses their weight differently, and thats ok! We are all learning new things everyday. Someone can have the same success by not counting calories as the person who does count calories. As long as were losing the healthy way, thats what matters!