Question for those Who Question Calories/Plan

Amen, Allison.

For me, I had to do the 600-800 plan. I naturally crept up closer to 1000 at 6 months out and had to cut it back to get to goal. Not fun.

I see folks losing easily on 1000-1200. For some, this gets them to goal. For the majority, I think they'll find it is tougher to reach goal if they stay that high OR it will take them longer OR they may fall short of goal.

It's easy for most of us to lose weight the first few months even if we aren't following a strict plan... you go from our pre-op eating to any type of cut-back and voila! weight loss! But it's getting into the nitty-gritty when your body shrinks and therefore needs less calories to run it's functions... and then the calories in-calories out equation get closer to even.

The only way to get back to losing when that happens is to take in less calories or burn more calories (or both which is even tougher!).

It just depends on how bad folks want to reach the 100% EWL, I guess. I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to get there. And I had to fight for it. So worth it!

Frisco, you are a trouble maker.  I really love this about you.  :) 

I think everybody here knows my opinion on this.  Unless you have turned into an athlete, the 600-800 calories plan is very effective and is the one I chose to follow during the weight loss stage.  Others have a right to disagree and follow what they think is the most effective plan for their needs.  I have learned to accept that not everybody has the same information, the same goals or the same support system that I have.  We each have our path on this journey.  I know you wish that everybody would be successful in the way that you define success.  Frisco, you take this way to seriously, enjoy your size P6 jeans and lead by example when possible.  Some people will learn a great deal from you, some will be offended and others will pass on by because you don't have the answers they are looking for here.  It's all good.  You can only offer your solutions based on your truth.  Others will find their own solutions based on their personal truths.  It is all rather relative and individual.  I have great respect for you in RL and on this forum and if I needed to go into battle, I would want you on my side, leading the charge.  Not everyone sees this as their ultimate battle, and even those that do, often choose different tactics and generals.  I am personally glad that you are right there in the trenches with us.

Well... I eat around 800 cal per day, stay right around 40 carbs and yet I am still NOT losing. I excersize, walk bit still minimal loss. By minimal I mean 1 lb per week of I am lucky. I have been told to increase my calorie intake but reading the above makes me wonder. I stay confused but focused. Slow and steady wins the race!

For what it's worth, the "top secret" in Weigh****chers is that if someone stalls and the leader really trusts that they are working the plan and not cheating, they are given a special short term diet that actually increases their caloric intake.  It supposedly shakes things up and they start losing again.

No, I have no idea the biology or chemistry of why that would work, or even if it does.  But that's what I witnessed.

Thanks for the tough love. It's appreciated.

My NUT told me that at my starting weight I needed 2100 calories a day to maintain my weight.  So judging by that, technically, I would be losing at 1200 calories a day... until I got closer to goal when things would stall.  It would be much slower, but theoretically it would eventually work.

I guess that's the temptation some people face.

I was told 800 calories a day.  I'm learning how to do it.  I'm a work in progress.  But it never occurred to me do more.  NOTHING tastes that good.  I didn't have most of my stomach removed so that I could blow off the rest of the process.

While I really don't know the answer to which calorie plan is more successful, I would put money on group that stays on OH longer. I think there are some stats out there that followed WLS folks that participated in support groups post op vs. those that didn't. The success rate with the support group attendees was significantly higher than the others. I realize that lots of folks don't have access to regular meetings so I see OH as a replacement for those. (Stats were given by our psychologist/support group facilitator--I'll have to ask the source again).

Whatever your calorie intake, I think you settle into a number and get comfortable. For example, I started 600-800. Really have always been 750-800 consistently. In fact, I've only exceeded 800 on 4 occasions in 2 years-----due to celebratory alcohol intake :-).   It's been a very easy number for me to maintain. However, I've tried to lower my calories to 700 max and found it nearly impossible without other stats suffering (protein coming down from 80+ to 65-70). I wish I would have started on the lower side---I'd like to finish this up and make it to my goal but I'll have to plug along at 800 and just rely on increased exercise.

Interesting discussion and thoughts from folks.

You are SO CLOSE.  You'll get there.  You are really rockin' that sleeve, and are such an inspiration!

I can say that while it wasn't easy, it was totally worth it sticking to the 800 cals and low carbs. Seeing the look on my surgeons face today when he walked in for my 9 month appointment said it all, I am a success, and I plan on continuing to be one. The discipline and life changes that I have learned while it was easy to learn them (while I was still having little hunger, while I still had swelling etc) made all the difference, I am coming into maintenance with a game plan that will be easy for me to live with long term, and have learned the new habits it will take to stick to it.

From the beginning of this entire process, 600-800 calories a day has been my m.o.  I have gotten off-track for a few days or even weeks at a time.  Putting myself back in that magic range makes any gains vanish quickly and the losing picks back up where it left off.

When I do go above my caloric goal, I at least make sure the added calories are protein and/or fat.

I think individuals still go in to this process not fully understanding the level of commitment this involves.