Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Calories per day at 6+ months post op



Recommended Posts

Hi All,

Curious to know how many calories you’re eating per day if you’re 6 months or more post op? Thanks in advance.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 01/26/2021 at 17:54, ASampson said:



Hi All,




Curious to know how many calories you’re eating per day if you’re 6 months or more post op? Thanks in advance.


I personally range from 800-1000 cal each day. But honestly I don’t know if I’m doing to many or not enough. I only lose an average of one pound each week now at six months out. I’m very slow looser and it’s very stressful and discouraging. Hopefully you are doing much better then I . 🙂

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was doing 800-900 and then at my 6 month post op appt, the dietitian wanted me at 1100-1200. I feel like this might prevent further weight loss and I haven’t quite reached my goal yet. 🤷‍♀️

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest

1000 to 1200 and I'm within 5 pounds of goal.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, km13118 said:

1000 to 1200 and I'm within 5 pounds of goal.

Great job, congratulations! How many net carbs do you typically have per day?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest

FWIW, my program ups women to 1,500 a day after 6 months and men to 1,800. Just a data point.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, OAGBPal said:

FWIW, my program ups women to 1,500 a day after 6 months and men to 1,800. Just a data point.

Thank you for the information. I was doing 800-900 and then at my 6 month post op appt, the dietitian wanted me at 1100-1200. I feel like this might prevent further weight loss and I haven’t quite reached my goal yet. 🤷‍♀️

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm 6 months out and I usually get 500-600 calories per day. The nutritionist wanted me to go to 800-1000 at 6 weeks, which I don't even think would have been possible then. I probably could get 800-1000 now, but I am trying to stick with my new eating habits. There are conflicting opinions about whether eating too little can hurt in the long run, so I'm not sure what I should do. My results have been great so far, so my surgeon just said to keep on doing what I'm doing. The patient manual doesn't give any guidelines for calories, just Protein and carbs.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I looked up what I was eating at 6 months, and for the 4 weeks immediately after my 6th month anniversary, my average daily range was anywhere from 500-750 cals a day, with NET carbs maxing out at 25g per day.

HOWEVER. At the 6th month mark I was 130-ish lbs, (and I'm, 5'2") so 500-700 cals for me would be a little different than someone who is bigger/taller (or smaller/shorter). Further, I wasn't constantly hungry, so being able to sustain this at the time would have been easier for me than for someone who was.

Whatever caloric level you are comfortable at, and able to maintain during weight loss phase (be it 700 or 1200 or whatever), so long as you are at a deficit, you'll find that you WILL lose weight (barring any medical conditions).

Good Luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest

2 hours ago, ASampson said:

Great job, congratulations! How many net carbs do you typically have per day?

60 to 80 on most days. Told I should aim for at least 50 but no more than 100 grams of carbs daily.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

At 6 months I was eating about 1000-1200 calories a day I want to say. I’ll be at a year out next month and I’m eating 1500-1600 per my nutritionist. I’d stalled eating 1200-1300 and upping my calories actually got me over plateau since I also exercise 5-6x a week. I do strongly feel that how I’m eating is very sustainable and something I can continue doing for life. I think back on biggest loser when you restrict your calories for too much for too long. I didn’t want to destroy my metabolism so I was happy to up my calories and it worked- still losing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

48yr man

VSG 5/18/20

6' 3"

HW 382, SW 309, CW 218

At 6 months, I was at 1200 calories, 120g carbs, 95g Protein. At my 6 month appointment, the doctor wanted me to work up to 1800 cals by 1 year post-op. I've added 25 extra daily calories each week and am at 1550 now. Also gave up protein supplements at 6 months. Only eating real food for my protein and calorie goals.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am 2 months out and the last three weeks had stall after stall and had to eat my way through them. As strange as it is, I am losing more weight at 800 to 1,000 calories than if I go below that. I make sure I get my 80 to 90 grams of Protein and then push to hit at least 800 calories and then the stalls stopped. If I drop below 800 calories I stall out. The surgeon said my sweet spot will be 1000 to 1100 calories but I just cannot get that much in when I am working during the day.

I would say I am fairly active as far as working out 4 to 5 times a week and I really try to make sure on those days I get to 1,000 calories a day. I haven't figured out how I will go up to 1200 in the next few months but I figure I will worry about that when it comes.

I had a 10 day stall at one point when I was consistently at 650 a day, I guess everyones body is different so you have to find that sweet spot :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I settled in at around 1100 within the first month, which was comfortable and worked well with my guy metabolism - I had been stable before surgery at 2500+ so I had confidence about having a decent caloric deficit for continued weight loss and maintained that level throughout my loss phase. YMMV.

I am somewhat suspicious of programs that ramp up calories on a schedule over time, as our natural inclination is for weight loss to decline over time as we get lighter - we naturally burn fewer calories as we have less weight we are moving around 24/7. I recognize that there are multiple hypotheses about metabolisms and weight loss, but there also seems to be little strong consensus on it, either. I have seen good overall good results from many on these forums over the years doing programs in the 6-800 calorie range, and there are many who seem to stall or go into maintenance early on 1200+ calorie programs. Yet we also see some success at higher levels, or reports of that breaking stalls. Take these under consideration while trying to understand how your body is working, but my inclination would be to keep things on the lower side.

At my six month follow up with our RN program director, she was wanting me to cut back my exercise as she felt I was losing too fast (which I wasn't going to do as I was basically working at my semi-normal activity levels,) but by the end of that month (it was November,) I was within ten pounds of my goal weight, and losing a consistent ten pounds per month, so I started ramping up my calories to slow things down (I basically let the holidays happen...) which stretched those last ten over two months instead.

I never controlled carbohydrates, net or otherwise, or fats, but sought to get the best overall nutrition from the non-protein side of my diet, but in those later months carbs typically ran in the 100-120 range; I had selectively increased my complex carb intake at around four months for energy management purposes (I was running out of gas in the pool after an hour) which did the trick without any effect on loss rate.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you to everyone who has commented so far. Your replies are extremely helpful and informative.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×