How far out were you when you started to count calories?

I had my RNY on 4/4/2012. I have been in a kind of stall for the last 2 months. ( only down 8lbs). I have my 9 mo appt with the Dr tomorrow and have added an appt with the NUT.  ( I don't really like her but I have questions).  I have heard that most do not suggest counting calories until you are 1 yr out.  What has been your journey?

• These are the rules I followed/follow: 
•  

• Breakfast: 1 Multi Vitamin/Mineral, 2-300mg Calcium Citrate, 1 Spring Valley 500mcg B12 Sublingual Dot, 1 mg prescription Folic Acid, 1 Vita Lady Tender Dry 5000 IU Vitamin D3 capsule, 1-100mg B1 tablet, 1-200mcg Selenium tablet
• Lunch: 1-300mg Calcium Citrate, 1 packet Orange Coromega Omega 3 Squeeze
• Non-Calcium Snack: 1-500mg Vitamin C, 2 Sundown 25mg Carbonyl Perfect Iron ***take 2 hours from Calcium/Dairy Products***
• Dinner: 1 Multi Vitamin/Mineral, 2-300mg Calcium Citrate
•  
• *Drink 64 ounces Liquids daily (drink up to a meal, wait 60 minutes after a meal) (I add 2 packets sugar free drink mix and 1 teaspoon Benefiber to 2-32 ounce water containers)
• *Must eat at least 60 grams of Protein a day (80 or more grams beginning at 1200 calories a day)
• *Eat dairy products that are no fat/low fat
• *Eat simple (dairy, fruit) and complex (beans, vegetables, whole grains) Carbohydrates (I do not count daily grams)
• *No more than 15 grams of Sugar per meal (more grams if able to tolerate-I allow myself up to 30 grams Sugar per meal from Simple and Complex Carbohydrate sources and also from Dairy products that are no fat/low fat because I do not seem to dump on Sugar)
• *Eat 3 main meals (B, L, D) no further than 5-6 hours apart
• *Eat 1 protein snack at 1200 calories a day at least 2-3 hours from breakfast
• *Eat 2-3 protein snacks at Maintenance calories a day at least 2-3 hours from B, L, D
• *3-6 Months After Surgery: I ate 600-700 calories a day
• *6-9 Months After Surgery: I ate 800-900 calories a day
• *9-12 Months After Surgery: I ate 1000 calories a day
• *12-24 Months After Surgery: eat 1200 calories a day (I ate 1200 calories a day until 15 months when I reached my goal weight)
• *24 Months after surgery (or when goal weight is reached before 24 months): Maintenance calories (BMR/RMR & Activity Level) (Malabsorption of calories lasts approximately 18-24 months) (I eat 1800-2000 calories a day to maintain my weight loss of 200 pounds at a weight of 131 pounds. My height is 5'4")
• * I do not participate in a formal exercise program due to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. I do move around a lot more and do a lot more walking.

I am going to have to remember this. That's great how you laid it all out!

Keep in mind the further out you get the less calories you can eat and maintain due to you body starting to absorb more.  To maintain I am in the 1400-1600 range, to lose 1000-1200.  I am nearly 8 yrs out, weigh 137lbs at 5'5 and 48 years old.

I always tracked my food in The Daily Plate for protein and carbs, but it also calculated calories. So I guess my answer would be right from the beginning. At 9 months out and only 19 pounds to goal an average of 1 pound a week is pretty good!

Martha 

Here is a LINK to a good calorie calculator. I like it because it takes into account your age and activity level. As we age our calorie needs decrease. A woman with the same activity level, height and weight as me will burn more calories if she is younger than I am. It also factors in whether you want to lose, gain or maintain.

I use the same link as multimom.  I have been tracking my food since before, during and after surgery.  I track everything, including things I shouldnt eat or drink.   Honesty keeps me on track.

Kat

I started in my pre-op diet, and continue to today and for the rest of my life. Have you heard the expression garbage in garbage out? Well I like to think of it like calories in fat out all over your body. You can counteract that fact somewhat by exercising. But look at how hard you must exercise to burn some amount of calories.  Some people can look at a food and tell how many calories for that exact size of what you are going to eat will be in calories, but I am not that smart and have to weigh or measure everything and use a program like MFP to track everything. There are other good tracking programs out there and most are free. It is a lot easier just to eat well, whatever that is, but I have to count and record what I eat each meal

OMG, Larry..I love your version of the garbage in/garbage out analogy.  I laughed out loud for real!

I started about 1 week out from boredom.  LOL   I use myfitnesspal.com to track protein, calories, sugar and fat.  Every bite I take gets logged.  I'm 4 months and 13 days out and have lost 132 lbs.  If you decide to use mfp look me up......Alazalea

All the best to you!