You raise a valid point.  My NUT was not all that helpful - I will share what she said in tomorrow's menu post.  I have to digest it, and I have to get back to work and also cook dinner lol.  I understand being willing to take longer in order to be healthy - it's all dependent on how much you have to lose, I suppose.  I keep reading "take advantage of this honeymoon period" so I have been trying to do just that, but I think everything in moderation is probably the way to go.  :)

I saw a really interesting study that followed the metabolic rates of The Biggest Loser contestants.  They showed this incredible slow down in metabolic rate above and beyond what would have been expected from simply being smaller (about 504 calories per day, yikes).  The very interesting part is that they compared it to various groups including wls patients who lost as quickly.  The wls folks did not have a corresponding drop in metabolic rate.  Fascinating.  i am not totally sure why.  The Biggest loser contestants were certainly doing way more extreme exercise so perhaps that is what the body is responding to.  I think a big reason why there is this push for super low calorie diets is that the "window" of malabsorption is only 12-18 months or so and often hunger returns.  So I think the centers are trying to get people to lose as much as possible during that honeymoon window.  Which I get.  Especially now that I am 20 months out and am hungry and wanting way more food.  If I was trying to actively lose now it would probably be a lot like it was pre-surgery.  That is to say, pointless and miserable.  So I get that they want people to maximize their window.  I would just hate for anyone to ruin themselves metabolically or emotionally in that process.  I was lucky I think because I "only" had 100 pounds to lose which isn't much considering and I could easily lose that in my window without having to do anything crazy.  For me, losing slow and steady and in a way that I could maintain forever seemed right.  Of course, I have no idea if this strategy will work long term.  I am always saying, well, check with me in five years, ten years, twenty years.  Then we will see.  for now I just keep trying to make the best, most honest decisions I can.

I forgot my FITBIT again!  UGH  Yesterday I totally forgot my vitamins.  Today I'm behind on water! 

I'm so glad you all are staying on track! 

DCGirl - Shirataki noodles -  YYYUUUUMMMM  So glad to find them, thank you.

Someone was talking about 1500 calories for maintenance, I can't hit 800 consistently right now.  I would love a workout buddy, I'm in the gym by 6:20 out by 7:45 showered and ready for work. I am going to have a couple training sessions with my daughter when she comes in next month to fine tune my routine.

Keep up the chatter ladies!  Thanks for posting.

Your Food Diary For:

JLS!  You are down 100 lbs!!  WOOT WOOT!  Awesome :)  I am glad at least one other person loves shirataki noodles lol.  We are in the minority.  I am going to try to switch it up and do morning workout routines.  If I could shave my head I would do it but the thought of being that hot and sweaty and then having to shower and blow-dry this mop (albeit less of a mop with my severe hair loss) is very daunting!  I love how you found Papa John's pizza, no crust lol.  Try the cauliflower crust.  It's good!  And since we are shirataki sisters after all... ha ha!

Excellent loss, JLS! Good for you! I take it your daughter is a personal trainer? How nice to have someone in the family who can work with you on your fitness regimen!

Good afternoon, just wanted to slip in real quick before I meet my physical therapist for the daily workout.

Time since surgery: 11 Years

B: 2oz Chicken sausage, whole egg, egg white, 1/4 c cottage cheese and 1/2 oz cheddar cheese sprinkled on top

L: 4 oz Chicken breast with 1T. buffalo sauce and blue cheese crumbles on top

D: Almond crusted tilapia, green beans w/bacon and almonds

S: Pepperoni & string cheese roll ups, protein shake

E: Physical therapy

V: Done

W: Done

Calories 1362, Carbs 33, Protein 136

Calories were high today, not to worried about it since my Polar watch usually shows me burning 500-600 calories I work with my trainer/therapist.  Wishing everyone a wonderful day!

Jennifer, thank you for posting. It's always good to see what people who are veterans are eating and doing. Thank you for sharing!

I wonder about calories too.  I have a 6 month follow up next month, so I will be asking the same questions.  I also wonder if by eating so few calories we are putting our bodies into starvation mode, especially on days we get a lot of exercise.  Net calories can be only a couple hundred of heavy exercise days.

I will be 5 months out on the 30th.  Wow... it has gone by so fast.

B: 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar Fuzzy navel with 24 oz water

L: 6 trisuit crackers, 1/4 cup buffalo chicken salad (canned chicken breast, 1 laughing cow light wedge, buffalo sauce

S: not sure, maybe a quest bar

D: left over Hawaiian chicken

V: done

W: 40 oz so far

E: going to Curves this afternoon

Hey Sandra - check the post tomorrow.  Not that my NUT is all that helpful but yes, she wants me to have some more calories on days I exercise, and to incorporate some healthy carbs (fruit, then non-starchy veggies).  I will post about it tomorrow (have to catch up on work and cook dinner).  I was five months this past Friday. Those post op hormone dumping days of protein shakes seem like 100 years ago, don't they?!

Sandra, your comment about net calories on exercise days is the same thought that really started me thinking about the calories question recently. Now that I'm working out, on days when I do a lot of cardio especially (well, a lot for *me*, LOL!) I'm showing ridiculously low calorie intakes, like 300-500 calories. I'm worried about doing further harm to my metabolism on top of what's already been done over the years.

Hope you had fun at Curves!