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astallons

Thoroughly scolded by doctor and nutritionist

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So, I had my 1 month followup with my doctor and nutritionist. He was very happy with my weight loss and how well I was doing. I have lost 25 pds since surgery. I explained that I have been at this same weight for a couple of weeks now so he questioned how many calories I was getting per day. I have faithfully tracking everything in my Fitbit tracker and told him between 400-550 calories per day. His jaw dropped and then proceeded to tell me that wasn't going to work. He said that I HAVE to strive for as close to 1200/day as possible. When I told him that I eat the 3 meals per day with no snacks like he said and explained what I was eating he brought the nutritionist in the room. She said my breakfast was going to have to be real oatmeal made with real milk and a little bit of butter and then the rest of the day needed to be my healthier choices. High protein meat with limited complex carb. And then she proceeded to tell me to snack in between!!! I was floored. I know that under a certain amount of calories is considered starvation mode and may be contributing to why I have been stalled for a couple of weeks, but I just don't know how I'm going to eat all of this food and still stop drinking 30 min before and after eating while still getting my fluids in. I thought I still had time to work up to the 1200/day. I mean I am only a month out from surgery. I'm going to be stuffed all day.

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  1. Christie13's Avatar
    I am not surprised. I found whenever I stalled or slowed that if I ate more I would always start moving again. It is hard in the beginning. I would supplement with shakes as they helped with calories, fluids, and protein all in one. I don't know if you will get to 1200 any time soon but do the best you can. Good luck!
  2. sraebaer's Avatar
    1,200 calories makes sense to me, I'm just surprised he suggested oatmeal for breakfast rather than a protein option like eggs or low-fat greek yogurt. On your 400-550 range did you feel good, have energy? Could you, say, walk three miles?

    Nuts are a healthy, high calorie snack, but you may not be able to have them yet. Maybe low-fat string cheese? Tuna? Avacado? Fat-free refried beans?

    I agree, if you can't get there with food, the shakes are still a good high protein option! Good luck!

    It's funny how all doctors are so different. Mine NEVER said to count calories, just liquid and protein. So early on I have no clue how many calories I was eating, I just kept a journal with my liquid ounces and protein grams and met my goal each day. Now after four years I am sure each meal starts with protein. If I have a snack it's a protein. I was told to have a protein and carb snack before exercising, as without that I was having some unusual "spells" where a few times I felt like I was trying to walk through water. Worked. And every morning coffee has some Premier Protein Vanilla shake as the creamer/sweetener. So Yummy!
  3. astallons's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by sraebaer
    1,200 calories makes sense to me, I'm just surprised he suggested oatmeal for breakfast rather than a protein option like eggs or low-fat greek yogurt. On your 400-550 range did you feel good, have energy? Could you, say, walk three miles.

    Mine NEVER said to count calories, just liquid and protein.
    I was flabbergasted at the thought of real oatmeal with real milk for breakfast. I mean, I have had a couple of days that I had the High Protein Oatmeal since surgery, but not regular oatmeal and especially not with butter added!! She looked at my Fitbit tracker and said that I just wasn't getting enough. She said I was eating the right things, but I just wasn't getting enough. (Whatever that means) I was eating eggs or yogurt for breakfast. Breakfast is the only thing she told me to go all out on though...lunch, dinner, and snacks had to be healthy choices.

    I was feeling very tired. Especially after exercising...but when you eat 400 calories and burn off 200, I guess that's to be expected. I noticed after exercising the last couple of weeks that II would feel like I was STARVING, which I found very odd because I never really felt hunger since surgery. Again, I guess it all makes sense now.

    My nutritionist told me before not to worry about counting calories or anything (which I didn't listen to because I want to be accountable for what I'm putting into my body now, so I keep up with calories and try my best to hit the 45% protein 35% carb (good complex carb) and the 25% fats macro ratio. My doctor is the one that asked about my calories per day, so I guess he is a little more concerned with it than the nutritionist was until she heard what mine were. But I was following her advise. She said to make sure to eat 3-4 oz of food. 2-3oz being high protein food and then start on the veggie with it if you are still hungry. Apparently it wasn't enough. Yesterday was better, but I felt like I ate all day long. Not grazing...just scheduled small meals with the nutrition needed. But I will say the oatmeal was delicious! However, I still didn't make it to 1200 calories.
  4. sraebaer's Avatar
    This journey is sort of like a science experiment, see what works, and if it doesn't, try something else. It always strikes me funny that for many people, eating more results in more weight loss. Who knew? Good luck getting in more calories, sounds like you're doing great. (I do love oatmeal, but have it as an occasional breakfast treat, typically it's the standard 2 eggs.)
  5. goestogym's Avatar
    I remember (a long time ago) being at the point where you were. I was physically unable to eat more than 700 calories a day for about a year. The doctor and his staff were totally ok with this, told me that I was doing great. The honeymoon period for me lasted about 2 years. After the 2 year period it was back to reality, making good choices and planning meals, limiting carbs and not eating mindlessly.
  6. Sandra3's Avatar
    We are not all the same and have different doctors and nut. They basically didn't ask me to eat more until I was may be 6 months out. I know that for me the trick was to continue to have protein shakes for a long time or I was never able to reach my minim protein requirement (which was 60gr).
    Right now, since I left Asia and can find more of the food I need in Europe, I actually lost more weight in the past six weeks compare to the past six months. But I would never have been able to eat 1200 calories one month after my surgery...no way!

    Good luck and take care.
  7. A Fairly Odd Panda's Avatar
    While it is good to listen to the experts, I am in the same boat as you when it comes to finding room for such an amount of food.

    From 1 week through 9 weeks post-op my average calorie intake was 300-400 per day. It was SUPER hard to get in the protein they wanted AND all that water. I never got in all the fluids, and still don't.

    I track religiously (though I know others do not) because it helps me to know I am getting enough protein in. On average, 11 weeks post-op, I top out at about 800 calories a day - and that is if I shove food in. Most days I clear about 600 calories. My nutritionist does not like that number and wants to see me getting around 1000 (HAH). This might change in a few more months. Never thought I've have trouble meeting a calorie goal. I feel your pain.
  8. Ann2's Avatar
    IMHO, as someone who's actually had VSG surgery (and your doc and nutritionist haven't), there is NO FRICKIN' WAY someone who's 1 month post-op can eat 1200 calories without drinking chocolate malted shakes.

    I WAS eating 1,000 calories starting at Month 4, and was able to eat 1,200 calories starting at Month 6. I did GREAT!

    I'm 3 years and 2 months post-op. I lost 100 pounds and have maintained that weight loss for longer than 2 years at this point. I now average 1,750 calories/day to maintain my 135 pound weight. I'm nearly 72 years old.

    BTW, you DO have to do your own "science" with a sample of one -- YOU!
  9. kenson's Avatar
    Like Ann (hi Ann!) 1200 calories seem like a lot for only being a month out. You definitely have to figure out what works for you. Adding in protein shakes to your diet will help boost your caloric intake. Good Luck!
  10. Ann2's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by kenson
    Like Ann (hi Ann!) 1200 calories seem like a lot for only being a month out. You definitely have to figure out what works for you. Adding in protein shakes to your diet will help boost your caloric intake. Good Luck!
    Hi, Kenson! (hugs)
  11. astallons's Avatar
    Thank you all for the responses. I have since been back to the nutritionist, and again had to show her my Fitbit food tracker log. She says I'm doing everything right but I just need to eat more at each sitting. The most I have able to get in has been 800 calories (and those days were when I just gave in to the chocolate milk (I did at least add a scoop of unflavored protein to it). Now I have to go back to see her on Monday and she will probably fuss at me again, but I tried eating more and it just isn't working. I have noticed however that when I started eating more, I lost a few more pounds. (After being in a stall for a couple of weeks). It is very hard to stop drinking your water when you are supposed to (30 minutes before meals and wait 30 minutes after meals) when you are eating 3 small meals with snack in between...all because your doctor and nutritionist say you need more calories.

    On the plus side, we had a funeral to go to this weekend and everyone kept saying how great I looked. :-) Btw, I always say "Thank you" but does anyone else ever feel like more needs to be said after that? I feel like, "do I tell them it's because of surgery? What else do I say?" Lol. It's probably just me!!!