I'm a 50 year old male, 6'1, weight 425 pounds. I'm healthy, exercise regularly, but I'm unable to control my weight so I'm finally pursuing surgery. Right now I average around 3000 calories a day and often splurge well beyond that. When I've successfully lost weight in the past (last time about 5 years ago), I ate about 2500 calories a day. Reading these boards, I'm seeing so much talk of living on 1000 calories per day, at least for a few months. I. Just. Can't. Imagine. Those of you that have done it ... HOW???

9 hours ago, Chantrella said:

I'm 8 months out and struggle with getting 1000. I have 0 problem meeting Protein and Water goals daily. Usually I don't go over 500 to 800. Which sucks. I get full really fast. Hopefully this improves for me.

Chantrella, I used to be very concerned about not getting 1200 to 1500 calories, so I would purposely add a little oil to my egg whites, vegetables and meats etc. I added either olive or canola oil. Both are high in monounsaturated fats, the good stuff. I am not talking much just a few grams. 14 grams is worth 120 cal. I always tried to get at least 1200 cal. Now a days I typically eat at least 1500 cal daily. It helps a lot to use a kitchen scale and a good food database like myfitnesspal to get a true measure of what you are eating. I am on myfitnesspal and my profile is public. If you want to see, my account is wmpottsjr. Just friend me.

I thought the same thing before any WLS. I had an appt with my surgeon last week and he told me to eat more. To try to get to 900 cal. I am still eating about 600 cal. It is still mindblowing to me to be honest. I begin each meal like I could eat tons but after a couple of bites, it is over lol. In a few more months, my appetite and capacity will go up anyway so for now I am just riding the wave.

Thank you @Bill Potts for sharing your MyFoodDiary. I definitely want to look at that. I sent a friend request.

@Officially Not Fatty Matty: That is a such an interesting story. I've not read one like it before in all my reading. So fascinating. I can't imagine anything like that happening to me. But I would be thrilled with half of that success. I really appreciate all the detail.

Thank you again, everyone.

48 minutes ago, doobie31 said:

Thank you @Bill Potts for sharing your MyFoodDiary. I definitely want to look at that. I sent a friend request.

@Officially Not Fatty Matty: That is a such an interesting story. I've not read one like it before in all my reading. So fascinating. I can't imagine anything like that happening to me. But I would be thrilled with half of that success. I really appreciate all the detail.

Thank you again, everyone.

Doobie I don't see your request.

24 minutes ago, Bill Potts said:

Doobie I don't see your request.

I think I didn't finish the request before. I have now.

On 11/15/2021 at 6:10 AM, vikingbeast said:

I'm 45, 6 feet tall, and started out at 396 my heaviest (was 366 at the start of the pre-op diet).

I am very, very active. Outdoor work, sports, CrossFit.

I did track my food and, like you, was on way more than 3,000 calories a day.

Now, two months post-op, I am 94 pounds down from my heavy and 64 from the start of the pre-op diet. I eat more than most people—I take in between 1000 and 1400 calories a day, including up to 120 g of carbohydrates, which is unusual for bariatric patients. I am still in the fast-lose "honeymoon" period and am losing 3-5 pounds a week after the initial massive weight dump.

And yet... I'm satisfied. Thriving, even. The only thing is the restricted amount means my strength isn't what it was—probably lost about 30% off my PR lifts. I don't really care, because now I can run, and jump, and my palms can touch the floor, and I'm off my meds.

I do feel hunger when I haven't eaten in too long, but it's not the gnawing "feed me or I will make your life miserable" HANGRY feeling I would have had before. It's more like... "things are not right, please to be feeding me now."

Here are a couple of typical days for me, all approved by my nutritionist:

Meal 1: Fairlife Core Power Protein Shake

Meal 2 (post-workout): oatmeal with Protein Powder, a bit of maple Syrup, blueberries, and raspberries

Meal 3: Koussa (summer squash stuffed with ground meat and rice, braised in Tomato sauce)

Meal 4: tuna salad on one of those little dense squares of European-style flat rye bread

Meal 5: collagen peptide Protein and an apple

----

Meal 1: Fairlife Core Power protein shake

Meal 2 (post-workout): Scrambled egg with a bit of cheese, spinach, and hot sauce

Meal 3: Ground turkey with sugar-free Korean BBQ Sauce, green Beans, a bit of rice

Meal 4: Skyr (Icelandic nonfat yoghurt) with raspberries

Meal 5: Lentils with ham

The biggest thing I had to teach myself was that it's okay to leave food on the plate, EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE TINY BITE. Because the line between "I am full" and "debilitating nausea and acid reflux" is sometimes just that one single bite.

Super helpful to see that - hoping that'll be my life in a couple of months. Just have to get there in one piece!

On 11/14/2021 at 2:25 PM, Edge13 said:

Was more bored than anything.

This is huge. Learning to NOT use food as a tool for boredom.

The magic of the procedure! I ate massive quantities before surgery. I’m 6 days post- op and I could honestly just live on water now. It’s such a relief to not be a slave to your stomach.