There is one thing my brain can not wrap around and that is how is it that your metabolism not go into a nosedive? How can you be on beef broth for weeks and have yoru metabolism go to hell? I'm sure that is where the exercise comes in but I'm just not understanding how that can be effective [the non eating not the exercising]...? So I gues my question is ... DOES your metabolism nose dive?:confused2:

I have my first nutritional appt. tomorrow and plan on asking them but I guess I wanted the truth from you guys first!!!!!

I'm guessing you think this because of the lower calorie intake? A low calorie diet during recovery does not seem to shut down metabolism. Long term I would agree, but you won't be on a very low calorie diet for that long.

Anyway that was my experience. I also find that confusing the body with a varied calorie intake helps. Example, one day 800 calories, another day 1000, a 1200 calorie day, another 1000 calorie day etc.

I was not on beef broth only for several weeks. Broth was included in my first week post op diet but then I progressed to other thicker liquids. Having a higher level of Protein in the post op diet was also benefical to my weight loss.

Well I'm sure I don't know what I'm talking about that's why I'm so confused. But with all the million diets that I've been on I can just recall a zillion times hearing that you need to eat at least 1200 calories to maintain your metabolism so it doesnt "shut down" - like with liquid diets. I'm seeing the dietician tomorrow so I'm sure I will get some more answers tomorrow. I will be sure to keep post them.

Please let us know what your dietian says tomorrow. I was wondering the same thing being on this pre op diet. (5 shakes a day for 5 weeks)

Thanks

Alesha

Will do!!! That is what so great about this site the support is [as my Maine newphew would say] Wicked Cool! So you've lost 10 lbs. just on the pre-op? AWESOME! You must be so proud of yourself! I'm getting anxious to move that stupid ticker myself .... I fell like I'm all talk and now action. I need to get my butt in gear. I'm struggling this weekend with ... well, I'm about to seriously eliminate my food intake so just go for it and eat what ever you want! Not good.

Well I'm sure I don't know what I'm talking about that's why I'm so confused. But with all the million diets that I've been on I can just recall a zillion times hearing that you need to eat at least 1200 calories to maintain your metabolism so it doesnt "shut down" - like with liquid diets. I'm seeing the dietician tomorrow so I'm sure I will get some more answers tomorrow. I will be sure to keep post them.

One size does not fit all! So one minimum number does not fit all. These "rules" might fit many people, but as we age we generally require fewer calories, so what happens to that minimum rule?

If you were laying in bed all day and not up and moving and performing your daily work, do you think you'd require the same amount of calories as when you go to work everyday or vacuum and clean etc.

Conversely, if you were doing heavy manual labor, you'd need more calories just to maintain your weight.

The nurse at my Dr's office was concerned because some days I only ate 800 calories ( most days were 1000) so she asked me to talk to the nutritionist, which I did. she wasn't worried about me eating 800 a few days a week. I am 56, not running around with a young family and doing tons of laundry and in the winter I'm less active in general.

I am now eating closer to 1200 and my weight loss has slowed down. When I get better restriction, I hope my hunger is controlled so I can eat 800 to 1000 daily calories, this is the level, I lose best at. Not rapidly, but steady and that tells me, that intake suits me personally.

I say find your ideal for steady loss daily intake.

some cars eat more gas, some people need more gas. That's my theory.

YMMV

Seriously.

In 2004 I lost over 100lbs on a 700-800 calorie a day diet. My exercise was power-walking 1 mile daily. I averaged 1lb loss per day. I started in Jan 1,04 and had lost 104lbs as of May 10,04. I think everyone's body is different.

My problem was I couldn't LIVE with calories that low, and once I started eating "normally" the weight came back (+ more).

To a degree it does nosedive.

part of the reason why many people never get to a normal weight is that for many previously obese people, they'd have to STARVE to maintain a normal body weight, they'd have to eat way way less than someone who'd always been that weight eats. At any rate this was what my surgeon said at the information session.

Whether that's because they're metabolism was shot in the first place and that's how they got so fat or whether its as a result of living on a calorie restricted diet is not known but its probably a combination of both.

One thing for sure, even without any slowdown, your new normal weight body will need far less calories than your old fat one did.

Its part of the reason why we need our lapbands forever.

Its very important to focus on changing your body composition as you lose though, more lean body mass means your metabolism will be higher.

After the surgery my surgeon urged me to try to get in 1200 calories a day to avoid that superfast weight loss that consists of Water and muscle and not much fat.