1200

Ok so I am 7 weeks and my Nut told me that I need to be eating 1200 cals a day. I have 2 problems with this. One, I am having a hard time eating that much and two won't this slow down my weight lost? I was fine eating the 600-800 cals daily.

1200, from all I've heard sounds like a maintenance plan and not a losing plan.

I would question how much experience your Nut has with VSG patients.

I lost 100% of my excess weigh on 600-800 cxalories and now maintain on 800-1,200 calories.

I would not nhave lost weight eating 1,200 calories per day.

Following is the program my doctor gave me.
1. Eat 600-800 calories per day when losing weight and 1,200 calories to maintain
2. Limit carbs to less than 40 grams per day
3. Eat 70-100 gram of protein daily
4. Minimum 64 oz. liquids daily
5. Regular exercise/physical activity
6. Track what you eat ( I use myfitnesspal.com to track calories, carbs, protein, etc.)

Can you provide a sample of a daily meal plan that consist of 600 - 800 cal, less 40 carbs, and 70 - 100 protein  a day?  I am having difficulties balancing a meal plan which sticks within that range.  Would help a lot.

Here are some of my best options:

Fresh Mozzarella   3 oz./ 180 calories/ 15 grams protein
Filet Mignon            3 oz./ 170 calories/ 24 grams protein
Shrimp                     3 oz./  84 calories/ 18 grams protein
Skirt Steak               4 oz./ 186 calories/ 24 grams protein
White Cheese         1 oz./   80 calories/   6 grams protein
Pumpkin Seeds      1/8 cup/  85calories / 5 grams protein
Muscle Milk Light    8.25 oz./ 150 calories/ 20 grams protein
Salad                           7 oz./ 100 calories/ 6 grams protein 
Salad - arugula, feta cheese, black beans, tomato, vinegarette

Here is a typical diet when I was where you are.

B - Muscle Milk Light  150 calories  20 grams protein
L - Skirt Steak              186 calories  24 grams protein
L - Fresh Mozzarella   180 calories  15 grams protein
D - Shrimp                      84 calories  18 grams protein
D - Salad                       100 calories   6 grams protein 
S - Pumpkin Seeds       80 calories  5 grams protein

Daily Total - 780 calories and 88 grams of protein.

Sometimes I would have a protein shake or fresh mozzarella as a late night snack depending on how late I was up and if I was hungry.

The dense protein like tender beef and seafood fill you up for a long time with a small amount. I do not tolerate chicken post-op but if you do chicken is a good source of protein too.

 
I ditto George B.......

I can tell you for sure.....I could not have done it on 1200 cals. That's about what I eat now to maintain.

There are a few here losing weight just fine on 1200 cals. but there exercise routine would be considered "Athlete" At 1200 their net caloric intake may be even lower than the 600-800 range.

frisco

OK,

I'm not trying to start a war here i promise you i am not, but this is, for me at least a possible chicken and egg scenario.  I see this question posted a lot and i have to say i wonder.  Now I'm doing the same diet you followed Frisco but it is not working for me.  However every time i see this posted i wonder. How do you know you could not have lost the weight at 1200?  You didn't try it and since you didn't and you've been successful you put that down to the diet as anyone should.  however what if 1200 would have worked for you but you took the other route and now your maintenance is 1200 when there are others whose maintenance is 1800.  Isn't it possible that lowering the calories for that long lowered your metabolism forever? 

DO NOT flame me anyone.  I am doing this journey the same as everyone and i just have never understood lowering the calories this much although i will say for the first 6 months it was all i could get in and even then with difficulty.  But i do wonder not only because I'm not losing, but in general if i am doing myself a disservice for later when i read about regain ., since maintaining at 1200 cals seems like being on a diet forever and who has that worked for? And i don't mean not eating clean and watching what we eat but i mean a diet. I guess if hunger and restriction say the same 5 years down the line it would be fine, but it doesn't seem that that is what happens. I don't know these answers which is why I'm posting and so many nuts tell us to strive for 1200, can they all, i mean all be wrong?

There is no doubt that the lower calories and carbs works for most and if i was losing, as most of you are, at a rate i was happy with, these thoughts wouldn't occur but i have a lot of time not seeing the scale move and wondering about switching things up and i think a lot about maintenance and if my resolve can last a lifetime because after losing so slowly for the first 6 months it becomes very much a chore to see the laws of diminishing returns.

BTW the whole 6 months honeymoon period that is oft talked about here i do believe can be more attributed to the excitement and anticipation we as patients have for our weight loss.  Seeing those numbers those changes reminds us we have made the right choice but i think as it slows down the enchantment wears off a little and the honeymoon becomes a bit ragged.  I didn't have that honeymoon period and i feel a bit ragged that I'm losing less with this wls than i did with Any diet I've ever been on and then some.  At six months i think i have to do something different but having tried a lot even raising calories (which did work for the month i tried it, which not only scares me but I'm afraid it will set me up for bad stuff in the future. i know it's very confusing but i have more questions than answers but i do on some level feel my resolve slipping, a glass of wine here a few chips there, i know the slipperiness of this slope) i don't know.

For the poster, sorry i hijacked your post but i would say if you are losing at a rate that pleases you, continue what your doing, if not make some changes even if they are counter intuitive because as you get further out, you may have damaged your metabolism to a point of no return.  What i do know from trolling these boards is that 600-800 calories is not hurting peoples health, so it can be a healthy way to lose weight and a pretty efficient one if it works for you, if not it will be hard because we as fatties or former fatties have a hard time believing that eating more will help you lose more  It's totally counter intuitive to how we've lived our lives.  Good luck.

Just thoughts.

FWIW, I agree with you about calories.  I never counted anything but protein and lost just fine...but with one caveat...I am an avid exerciser and always have been for the past 20 years.  During my post surgery liquid phase I used a powder with 200 cals per scoop and made it with milk.  I drank at least 2 of those a day so that put me at a minimum of 600 cals.  I now eat about 1500 to 1800 a day and at my Dr. appt today weighed in a 132 with full clothes on and with 2 meals and 46 ounces of water in my belly.  I am 5'7.  I just guess it is true that we are all different and have to find what works for us.

Laura

I wonder the same thing about altering the metabolism and possibly being able to lose the same had you started at a 1200 cal diet and stayed with it.

 
No wars needed/wanted.......were all on the same team (most of us anyway)

It's a good topic for discussion.

How do you know what I tried and what I didn't try????

I'm a limit pusher by trade......Although I don't push Sleeve Capacity Limits....I know where the end is....... And I've pushed calorie and carb limits..... I can only share what has worked and not worked for me and general observations/trends from almost 3 years on forums and hours of face time with my surgeon.

And YES.... I know 100% without a doubt.... 1200 cals would have not got me to goal. (I tried)

Lowered my metabolism forever??? I don't know how you tell that...... I do know that in general most obese persons have some sort of improper functioning or damaged metabolism from years of weight fluctuations and diets.

You sound very precise on your WL efforts. The only suggestion I can think of is to find something that you feel works the best and stick to it. My surgeon doesn't believe in the wig wag change it up all the time method...... he wants you to trudge through and persevere. Every time I tried to change it up..... it slowed me down. Now in maintenance it's very much about changing it up and coming up with new things....it's much easier to maintain a balance than it is to lose.....

Just a thought.....maybe talk to DianeS..... she was a pretty slow loser..... but ended up really good....

Hope this helps....

frisco