Approaching 6 months, need to start making some changes

I'll be 23 week out on Monday, and while I've followed my dietician's reccomendations, and have been losing at a good rate, around 4 lbs a week, taking into account 2 weeks w/o loss at the beginning and 4 weeks more recently.  Anyhow, I know as I start to approach month 6, my body is going to start making some changes and I need to learn how to accomodate them. 

I eat what I think, and by doing a lot of reading on here, is more than what most are at my stage of post-WLS life.  On gym days, it's 1400-1600 calories (I've noticed closer to 1600 the last few weeks, but there have been other changes which I'll explain further down), and on non-gym days, it's 1200-1400.  I do a good job at balancing things so that 40% or more of my calories are from protein, and 30% of them are from carbs and fat each.  I get over 110 g of protein on a daily basis, and usually over 130 g on heavy activity days.  

What I call a gym day has changed recently, as I have started babysitting part time for a special needs, high activity 3 y/o.  And I mean for 10 hours I'm not sitting more than 1 hour cumulative, she's go-go-go, which is exactly what I wanted and looked for when I decided to return to child care.  So that took a bite out of gym schedule, but has me active in a different way for a way longer time.  Still hitting the weights and the pool 3 days a week.  My hubby and I do something active together on Mondays as well, like bike ride or take the dogs on a hike, whatever.  Something that keeps us moving for a few hours.  I'm also going to be babysitting for a friend who just had a baby and is finishing her PhD.  Much more sedentary as all she does is sleep still at 3 weeks old, but I will busy myself with housecleaning and playing with their 2 dogs.  

So with all that background, my questions are these...with still burning nearly 4000 calories a day between being alive, sleeping, swimming, lifting, toddler chasing, housekeeping, baby rocking, whatever...should I keep at 1500 or below and change the make-up of the calories?  I don't want to make my metabolism...I'm not sure of the word...complacent maybe?  Meaning it's used to this, I do this every day, it doesn't change, my body knows when it gets fed and what it is getting fed nearly without variance.  Is this going to set me up for slower loss down the line, or stalling, or not making it to goal?  I'm down 95 lbs, but still have 110 to go.  Or should I be making adjustments for my body learning how to absorb some more fat and calories and such?  I eat full fat cheese, but use skim milk for my shakes (yes...I'm finally able to use powder instead of expensive RTD shakes!) and nonfat Greek yogurt.  Should I switch to low fat cheese at this point?  Will that make enough difference to shake things up so to say with my metabolism that I will keep this rate of loss?  I'm really worried about 1500 calories, it seems like so much, but it's where my dietician says I need to be at my current weight and activity level, and the people at the gym agree.  I just never thought I'd see a 1500 calorie day again after surgery, and I know I don't see a ton of people on here at 1500 calories a day at 6 months out.  

I'm rambling on and on...any advice?  Anyone else there?  

Gina :~)

That's a tough question. I guess we need to know more about what you mean by gym days. How much did you work out on a gym day? If you were there for 6 hours doing cardio and weight training (and that's an extreme example), you will need to eat less if you're just chasing kids around all day and not going to the gym. It doesn't sound like you're eating an unreasonable amount of food or a bad balance of food and it seems like what you're doing is working great seeing as how much you are losing in a typical week. It sounds like you are pretty active even when you aren't going to the gym by doing things with your husband and swimming. I wouldn't worry too much about the number of calories you consume as long as  you are only eating when hungry and stopping when you are full. You can always adjust your intake up or down slightly if you notice your loss slows weight down or God forbid you gain some weight. But you sound very active and I doubt that will happen.

Congrats on being so aware of your intake and calorie output! That's awesome.

If you're really active, you probably need that many calories.  And you're losing at a good rate, so what you're doing seems to be working for you.  Keep in mind that your needs may change as time goes on but it sounds like things are OK for now.

My food tracker adjusts my daily RDI and calories burned based on my weight, which I update weekly at minimum.  I think the highest I've been is like 60% of the RDI, which still is a 2000+ deficit.  

I lift weights for 15-30 minutes, and then I swim a mile to a mile and a half in 30-45 minutes.  Aside from the last two days, I make an effort to be active in some way for a few hours of every day.  I've been sick for the the first time post-op, and not being able to take NSAIDs for sinus inflammation is really horrible.  I live in the Ohio River Valley, so I'm going to have to figure something out before sinus & allergy season really get here.  Anyhow, I eat less on days like today when I don't do anything but rest.  

I think I'll play with the menu this week and see where I can shave off a couple hundred calories, or add some more activity.  I just got really uncomfortable lately with eating 1400 calories on average, it just feels wrong/bad/something.  

Gina :~)

my pcp put me on xyxal for the sinus stuff as well as a nasal spray (i think its nasonex). i get awful sinus infections and its definitely made a difference. 

I've never heard of Xyxal, I'll have to ask about that when I go for my appointment later this month.  I tried Nasonex once, but it gave me a horrible rash & raw inside of my nose.  Ouch.  

The problem I seem to have (with any medications post-op) is I'll get hit with the effects of the medicine rather quickly, but then it goes away quickly, too.  Good with things like my migraine medicine, because then the migraine and the side effects of the med are gone in about 20 minutes as opposed to 60, but bad for things like Benedryl and melatonin, because I take it and feel better pretty quickly, but then within an hour I'm back to feeling like crap but can't take anything for 3 more hours or however long the box says.  So I've just started not taking anything and letting things run their course. 

I do need to find something for when it gets really severe, like this weekend when I could barely get off the couch or out of bed.  

Gina :~)

I just had my 6 month check up with my nutritionist who said that we don't require more than 60 to 80 g of protein a day. Any extra translates to more calories and slower weight loss. I know that somebody here will dispute that but he's the professional so I'll follow his judgement. You should ask your doctor for good measure.

I've had regular follow-ups with the surgeon and the dietician, both of whom say I need more than that amount of protein, and I know personally when I am below around 90g, I get sluggish and sore and it can take a couple days to recover.  Everyone is different, so some people may not need even 60-80, and some people may need way more. 

Gina :~)