Am I eating too much?

I love my fitness pal and have even gone to the point of asking the barmaid when I just had my first glass of wine to scan the barcode over the bar lol! My friends laughed at me but I said you know what this is my life now, if I want it, it has to fit in my daily calories. Unfortunately the one glass took about 1 hour to drink and then I only fit in 4 bites of dinner but hey I am 3 months out :) I can only eat around 600cal atm a day but Dr said it will get better and I should get to around 800/1200 by end of the year :) we are all different and 1kg a week is what my Dr said was a great loss so you must be doing something right! I personally have never been able to control myself with just a few squares of chocolate so I don't even have it in the house anymore. You must have great willpower!

Still thinking about this morning, so went & grabbed my copy of "Portion Perfection for Bariatrics" by Amanda Clark. I really like this book & highly recommend it. It's very visual, easy to follow, written by an Aussie for Aussies (so no confusing American products to try & track down). The author is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietician (puts her in the top 1% of APD's) & she obviously works a lot with bariatric patients.

So here's her take on calorie limits (page 42):
"Remember that lowering calories below 1100 calories per day is ONLY beneficial to those who have undergone weight loss surgery, and that there is NO benefit from lowering calories below 800 calories per day" (emphasis mine).

So this is an award-winning published dietician who is up to date with her research & knows her stuff when it comes to bariatric patients. I'm inclined to go with her advice. And I'd be asking any dietician who recommended less than 800 calories a day what they are basing that figure on.

Now it's a completely different kettle of fish if your dietician is saying you won't be able to or might struggle to eat 800 calories a day - this is certainly the case in the early post-op phase.

For those interested in the basic 'Portion Perfection' calorie breakdown, it is:
3 meals per day, at 200 to 250 calories per meal. So there's 600 to 750 calories straight up.
And 3 snacks per day, at 100 calories per snack.
Of course, you only eat all 3 snacks if you are actually hungry.

It's not a cookbook, there's only a couple recipes in it. It's more a visual guide on how to put together a 200-250 calorie meal with readily available nutritious products.

So, for example, if you want to have a 100 calorie snack composed of nuts, you'd be looking at:
4 Brazil nuts (20 g) OR 20 g of mixed dried fruit & nuts OR 14 almonds(20 g) etc etc.

You can find more info at http://www.greatideas.net.au/
I have no affiliation with the author or the product, I've just found it a really helpful resource.

Totes agree with what Mr Mick said - you are gowing great guns.

The dieticians who are recommending less than 800 calories a day are freaking me out. Are they bariatric dieticians? My dietician has worked with bariatric surgeons for over a decade & he (& my awesome GP) say it's very hard to meet your basic nutritional needs on less than 800 calories a day! And that's regardless of how much you need to lose. 

The only reason they don't freak out too much when you're newly post-op & can't get anywhere near this amount is because they know that's just temporary. It's also why he constantly bullied me into living on Opti-blah during that time, as the only way you could hope to meet your basic nutritional needs during that time is via a 'complete nutritional meal replacement'. Obviously you can survive on less than that, but your health won't be great & your healing will take a lot longer.

I eat between 1000 & 1200 calories a day, I try to make it as healthy & nutritious as possible. Just had my bloods done - nearly all excellent, Vit D & B12 a tad low (but they were a tad low pre-op as well). Dietician, Surgeon, GP & psych all happy with my progress to date. I'm not real fond of food nazis who think you should be living gluten/sugar/fat/whatever-free - very pleased to have a support team who would rather I build a healthier relationship with food :)

bluebags wrote:

Under 12mths it should be around 700/800 but after the 12mths it can rise to around 1200 but exercise should also be a key ingredient by then also.  I hadn't read this post until today sorry to say the only thing I would maybe knocking on the head  is the protein drink maybe save that for morning or afternoon tea the cereal or beans are good in one sitting.  But your loss is fine I would say good really and if the Dr was happy with your results I would take heed of him.  BTW try to eat only dark chocolate it seems to keep you from craving to much and the icecream if you are near a Coles go for their diet ones it comes in containers as well as on sticks the mango one is lovely.

Also do note that for me the intro of junk (choc and icecream) has been pretty detrimental I now struggle quite a bit but only you will know your willpower but mine is shot at the moment so good luck sorry to put a damper on things.

thanks for the advice.  You haven't put a dampener on things :) But I will not give up my bit of chocolate or an icecream though.  I have to live like this for the rest of my life, I don't view it as a diet.I am allowed, according to my dietician, an extra each day like a couple of squares of chocolate or a glass of wine. 

Dietician told me not to knock the protein drink on the head yet, just reduce the amount of protein powder in it which I have done.  However I might just give it a miss altogether and have a drink of milk first thing in the morning.  Just worry  won't be getting enough protein without it.  I need to start really calculating how much protein I eat each day.

I love dark chocolate so yes I will give that a go, thank you!

 

My advice would be to keep snacks/treats away from the home unless you are never tempted. Otherwise, when you go out grab a small choc from the supermarket. Wendys have low fat/sugar varieties ie chocollo and you can get a junior scope. Ask for a kid size of soft serve at maccas. Share treats while you go out with friends. If I am going to a party I might get a packet of cookies I like then share them.

Under 12mths it should be around 700/800 but after the 12mths it can rise to around 1200 but exercise should also be a key ingredient by then also.  I hadn't read this post until today sorry to say the only thing I would maybe knocking on the head  is the protein drink maybe save that for morning or afternoon tea the cereal or beans are good in one sitting.  But your loss is fine I would say good really and if the Dr was happy with your results I would take heed of him.  BTW try to eat only dark chocolate it seems to keep you from craving to much and the icecream if you are near a Coles go for their diet ones it comes in containers as well as on sticks the mango one is lovely.

Also do note that for me the intro of junk (choc and icecream) has been pretty detrimental I now struggle quite a bit but only you will know your willpower but mine is shot at the moment so good luck sorry to put a damper on things.

Graceful wrote:

So funny the different advice. My dietician said I should aim for 1200 calories per day as long as it wasn't empty calories. My fitness pal is great to track intake.

Yes but it is dependent on how much you weigh and how much you need to lose.  So it will be different for everyone.

So funny the different advice. My dietician said I should aim for 1200 calories per day as long as it wasn't empty calories. My fitness pal is great to track intake.

MrMick wrote:

1 kg per week is fantastic, it shows a caloric deficit of around 1000 per day. At 5 months out even 1/2 a kilo is more than satisfactory as long as you are meeting your nutritional needs.

thank you Mr Mick you've made me feel heaps better   

I am feeling good, eating well and taking all my vitamins.  Have had no complications or set backs.

1 kg per week is fantastic, it shows a caloric deficit of around 1000 per day. At 5 months out even 1/2 a kilo is more than satisfactory as long as you are meeting your nutritional needs.

Toran wrote:

If you double click on my counter Kgs lost below it'll take you to the program, go to log in then sign up.  You don't have to do it through Facebook.

Just remember do what you feel comfortable with Tonibubble is right. I'm 52 and not as active as I should be at the moment hopefully that will change.  One thing the dietician said which I find a lot harder to do is with the things like chocolate that you know you shouldn't have but love I'm the same.  Wait 10 minutes (easier said than done) but if you still want it have it and don't beat yourself up, But remember for next time what it was that made you want it.

Sound easy when you type it out 

Thanks I will try the my fitness pal.

If you double click on my counter Kgs lost below it'll take you to the program, go to log in then sign up.  You don't have to do it through Facebook.

Just remember do what you feel comfortable with Tonibubble is right. I'm 52 and not as active as I should be at the moment hopefully that will change.  One thing the dietician said which I find a lot harder to do is with the things like chocolate that you know you shouldn't have but love I'm the same.  Wait 10 minutes (easier said than done) but if you still want it have it and don't beat yourself up, But remember for next time what it was that made you want it.

Sound easy when you type it out 

Tonibubble wrote:

If you feel satisfied, healthy & still losing over a kilo a week I'd be sticking with what you are doing. We're all different & you should go with what is working for you. You can always cut back a little later or increase your exercise if your weight loss stops?

Thanks that's what I was thinking.  I just worry sometimes that I shouldn't be as hungry as I am some days but them when I compare it to what I used to eat I eat bugger all now lol.

I do believe we are all different I just felt a bit disheartened by what the dietician said.

Toran wrote:

Hi Shasara,

I'm just over 3months out and last week saw the Dietician I've lost 20kg as of this morning. 

I told her I was using MyFitnessPal to log everything and it was coming to around 800-1000 calories a day now she has me down to 700-850 day.  With adding more dense carbs and protein, for example today; Breakfast 1/4 baked beans 1/2 slice wholegrain pumpkin seed toast, Lunch; 4 vita-weat with 1/2 slice Don turkey on each and 1 slice Bega 50%less fat cheese cut into 4.   Dinner 1/2 cup curried sausages with risoni in it, then later 1/2cup yogurt and stewed fruit.  Still have enough calories for a cup of tea, milk and 1 sugar, and about 3 cups of coffee, milk and sugar through the day.

MyFitnessPal I have the app on my phone as well, couldn't make it easier to keep track of everything. But I haven't been losing a 1kg a week.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Toran.  My dietician hasn't got me counting calories yet.  What is MyFitnessPal?  I might try it.  I do need to do some more exercise!

Hi Shasara,

I'm just over 3months out and last week saw the Dietician I've lost 20kg as of this morning. 

I told her I was using MyFitnessPal to log everything and it was coming to around 800-1000 calories a day now she has me down to 700-850 day.  With adding more dense carbs and protein, for example today; Breakfast 1/4 baked beans 1/2 slice wholegrain pumpkin seed toast, Lunch; 4 vita-weat with 1/2 slice Don turkey on each and 1 slice Bega 50%less fat cheese cut into 4.   Dinner 1/2 cup curried sausages with risoni in it, then later 1/2cup yogurt and stewed fruit.  Still have enough calories for a cup of tea, milk and 1 sugar, and about 3 cups of coffee, milk and sugar through the day.

MyFitnessPal I have the app on my phone as well, couldn't make it easier to keep track of everything. But I haven't been losing a 1kg a week.

Hope that helps.

If you feel satisfied, healthy & still losing over a kilo a week I'd be sticking with what you are doing. We're all different & you should go with what is working for you. You can always cut back a little later or increase your exercise if your weight loss stops?

Hi everyone.

I am about 5 months out from my op. I have lost 26 kilos. 

I saw my surgeon a couple of weeks ago who was very happy with me and said I am in the higher end of the weight loss range.  However I also saw the food Nazi (my dietician) who told me I am eating too much!

I am confused.  I had a huge appetite before my op so I never thought my appetite was going to be really small after it.  However she said I am eating too much despite losing on average over a kilo a week.

I still have a small protein drink first thing in the morning.  Then I have porridge or cereal or even 1/2 cup baked beans for breakfast.

Lunch I usually have leftovers from dinner (such as chicken casserole).  I avoid too many carbs.  So times I have cruskits (2) with ham and some cheese and tomato on them.

Dinner is a lot of casserole type things or things in sauce with some vegies.  I am generally eating 1/2 cup at a time and ensuring I eat lots of protein.

After dinner I do have a few squares of chocolate or an icecream sometimes.

Snacks are a boiled egg, small tub of yogurt, some dried fruit and nuts, a happy cow light cheese with some rice crackers or a museli bar.

The thing is if I am hungry I am hungry and I am going to eat. To me this isn't a diet, it's the way I now have to live my life.  I am generally sticking to the rule about not drinking and eating at the same time and doing pretty well with this.

Personally I feel great and I don't feel I am eating too much.  Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

Thanks