3 meals vs 6 meals - dietician's thoughts..

Hi there,
I was told by my dietitian 6 meals initially then move to 3 with small snacks between if required about the 2 month mark.

Over a year out, and I find that I "need" brekky, mt, lunch, at, dinner. I also "want" supper, though don't need it!

I find that if I don't eat frequently I get tired and vague... and find it not good to get too "hungry" because my head wants to eat more than my stomach wants to fit in! Very frustrating

Morning tea need only = a latte (hey milk is protein!)

Sophia

I was told 6 meals a day and to eat more if i was hungry. Well we can all see that has lead to pretty much zero weight loss since the day the sleeve went in (1kg it swings but i'm 1kg down today from surgery date - lost the rest on preop diet).

My dietician weighs about the same or a little more than me so doesn't see my weight as a real problem i get the impression. I also keep getting cross answers that sometimes are only applicable to the band as she is more used to seeing band patients and only has a few sleevers.

Hi. I'm 8 weeks down the track now and on a full diet, and find that I have to eat about 5 - 6 times a day. The amounts I can eat at one sitting are incredibly small [150ml maximum still] and I need to get in the proteins, fibres and carbs. I'm not calorie counting either and still managing to lose a kilo a week. The thing I find interesting now, is that I'm just not hungry. I eat by the clock. If there wasn't a clock, I prolly wouldn't eat!
My dietician told me to go for 6 meals, as 3 was not enough because of the amounts we can physically eat.
Dieticians.. They all have different opinions!

I am eating 3 meals a day, plus 2 snacks, as I am not eating enough yet at my meals to get the protein in without snacks.

For example: I can only eat 1 weetbix or 1 egg with half piece toast.

And without the snacks I don't think I would also be getting enough calories in. I don't count calories, but my daily intake in around 1000 calories.

I stopped sipping after the 6 weeks, and can drink normally now, just can't scull!

not before you are getting in say.............

breakfast
2 weetbix and milk
or
2 eggs and 1/2 slice toast


lunch and dinner
100 grams fish chicken or meat with a bit of a side salad or veggies

then try if you want. I would NOT do it until you can get those volumes down in one sitting tho as you just will run out of energy.


I found it pretty hard to actually be empty enough to eat morning and afternoon tea once I was eating that much for hm about the first 12 months. To the point if I ate morning tea it would mean I wouldnt eat lunch. But food becomes easier to digetst as time goes on so now I can have morning and afternoon tea if I want. I tend to not have morning tea except for the odd top off a muffin when out shopping, even now I know finishing one of those big muffins would be the end of lunch for me. I do tho tend to eat fruit or crackers and cheese in the afternoon and I like my crackers and cheese for supper.

The sipping thing is for after surgery only it might be a few weeks or a few months you need to do the sipping thing that is because you are use to getting your drinks down in large volumes and when you cant you tend to dramaticly reduce the amount you are drinking so a nag of sip sip and sip some more was created. I dont know anybody 9 months out who still does it, I dont think even 6 months, though there might be the odd person.

It is very true that people do mistake thirst for hunger, but over the years watching sleevers the most mistaken thing for hunger is not thirst but reflux. A simple quick ease and see if the hunger stops will tell you that one.

Except for following the rules in the first 6 weeks after surgery set out for you I tend to take what is said by a dietcian with a HUGE grain of salt, they have so many different opinions, they all seem to be influnced by bands and I swear I am yet to lay eyes on one that would ever have experenced a weight problem in her life. Oh gawd pick the ditzy girl out of the girls my kids know and their want to be choosen profession is dietican. That doesnt install a great sense of trust in me *LOL*

Seriously look at what other sleevers are doing and do a bit of trial and error.

My basic rules that I see work.

do NOT cut your calories to low, you may need to do this later to get the last 10-15kg off and if you have no where to go you are stuffed.

if eating 3 times a day is not working try adding 2 50-100calorie snacks a day

eat protien first

it isnt protien until you are getting in 100grams at a sitting, no matter how thrilled you are at the weight you are dropping you NEED to work at getting your meals upto at least 100grams of protien and some greens stuff twice a day.

doing something once or three times counts for shit all it is consistancy that works, weeks of it, wether it is losing or gaining weight.

we are addictive, that is why we are like we are, it is VERY easy to get addicted to eating so little, no matter how thrilled we are with this we MUST in a consistant manner work towards eating at least 100grams of protien and some green stuff 2 times a day.


applesauce

Ok so after reading lots of diaries I had my dietician appt today.

He was adament that I should aim for 3 small meals a day (this is when you get to "normal" solid foods. He said that I should not snack inbetween these meals and drink the water/diet cordial in between.

His idea was say

9am brekkie

between 9.30-11.30 drink as much as I can...well you know but to actually drink a decent quantity in one sitting.. no not gulp but say 60mls in a few mouthfuls so that it "fills me up again" he said once you are out a few wks from surgery and if you sip sip sip too much then you never get that "full" feeling and then you search out the snacks because you think your hungry but your really thirsty. He said the food digests slower as you have less acid to break it down so if eating healthy food you should stay fuller and say you have eaten 100mls of food then 1hr later your tummy only has 50mls in it (hyperthetical) then topping up with fluid will fill you again and keep you satisfied. He said this keeps you getting enough fluids and not eating too many times a day which slows the weight loss....

so what do you think? were you told this etc... I cant visualise it as Im not sleeved yet...

so anyone... feel free to pick it apart... my explanation may not have been the best..

cheers