Gastric BS diet?

kmm7309

I have a serious question.

I know that the warning is that starvation mode is eating less than 1200 calories a day. Everyone has their own idea about how long it takes to get there, what it does to your body, etc.

So I ask this question with genuine interest, not to be a smart ***, but... when a person gets Gastric Bypass Surgery, they can only eat a couple of bites of food at a time or a few sips of liquid. Does their body go into starvation mode from lack of calories? If not, what prevents it?

kmm7309

bump

dovesgate

Gastric Bypass Surgery is only supposed to be performed on the morbidly obese with a minimum of 100lbs to lose. Those who undergo the surgery also have support and guidance from bariatric doctors who are specialists in weight loss. In other words, these doctors know what they are doing in advising patients in how to go about their diets moreso than general practisioners.

Morbidly obese people can generally follow VLCDs (very low calorie diets) without the risks of losing lean muscle mass like non-morbidly obese dieters.

Not only that but I know from knowing people who have had WLS that their doctors put them on strict diets. So many grams of this and that must be eating in a day to keep their bodies healthy while they go through the recovery of the surgery and beyond.

kmm7309

Well I guess my question is then... if I am morbidly obese (+100 pounds to lose), then could it be assumed that I could sustain a VLCD for a short period of time, without risk of starvation mode?

ZyheeMoongazer

Even if you could, why would you want to? Being hungry all the time is not fun at all.

brneydgrlie

My mom had bariatric surgery, and she does consume about 1200 calories a day. But she eats about 6 times a day - in small quantities. The doctor also has her drinking protein shakes a few times a day to reach that calorie goal and make sure she is not losing a lot of muscle mass.

jg627

I know people who still gained weight after the surgery. There are ways of getting around that; liquid calories, eat more often, etc.. They can still get their calories in, they just can't do it all at once like they used to.

Kathy53925

They have to drink protein drinks alot! My brother had bypass surgery. They have to take alot of vitamins and all too. It's VERY easy for them to die if they are not careful. This is why its is so closely supervised.

I have done the 1200 calorie diets many times...and I'm even fatter now. I was starving all the time.

Just eat 1500-1600 a day and you will lose. I am

don666car

i had a gastric by pass 8.5 mths ago i can eat 1500 -2000 calories in 3 meals some have to eat more small meals we have to push protien and water till our pouch can handle the volume i think your worried how little to eat 1200 is avearge for a women as you lose weight you need less calories so at first you will lose faster if you stay with 1200 i would say use the calories mfp set for you with a 2 lb aweek loss dont over count exercise and dont over wory the scale we all want it gone fast but steady is the key to long term loss it took us awile to get her relax stick with a plan and enjoy the ride if you vwant more info on the surgery you or anyone can email me i am more than happy to share my story and talk about what ever you want hope this help

kmm7309

Well I guess I ask because I usually eat about 800 calories a day and I'm not hungry. I eat pretty simple food- lots of veggies and lean meats, and sometimes pastas, but not often. Sometimes I force myself to eat to get as close as I can to 1200. So I was wondering if, under the right circumstances, I wouldn't go into starvation mode, as long as my belly was full and I wasn't hungry.

Edit: I just started counting calories two weeks ago. I haven't changed anything yet on my diet. I thought I would be over-eating my calories because I eat so much, but then I discovered the calorie deficit.

dovesgate

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

This was me. My highest known weight was 265 and I weighed in this morning at 197.4. I'm aiming for 130-145.

I started off at 1200 calories and had a really hard time eating up to that much. I had been eating so little for so long I never got truly hungry. I plateaued fairly early on after being able to reach 1200 calories and even stopped tracking for over a month and a half, just eating like I had already taught myself. So I rededicated myself to doing this in January (at the same weight) and increased to 1300. I lost for a little while at that weight then plateaued again. Then in May (?) I came across the original version of this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Now that I have an appetite again, I'm fully in favor of feeding my body to get results. YMMV but you may want to do a sort of metabolic reset to increase your metabolic rate then drop calories to lose. I wish I had when I first started. I might be closer to goal than wasting months dealing with plateau after plateau.

CHC94

OMG. kmm, You sound just like me. I'm new to this whole thing, and will be having gastric bypass surgery in about a month. I'm morbidly obese, according to my doctor, (I prefer the term "fluffy") but I also have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

I eat fruits, veggies and chicken and fish like it's going out of style. Toppings of choice are herbs, lemon juice, a spritz of olive oil & balsamic vinegar. My FAVORITE snack is hummus on veggies or pita chips.

Ever go to the gym, work out 3 hours a week... and GAIN 15-20 pounds? That happened to me. People told me, "Oh, you're building muscle." I said "Muscle ripples, it does not jiggle and send you to the store for new jeans. Pass me a cookie, please."

I loaded up MFP on my phone at the suggestion of a couple counselors on my bariatric team, and I found out how LITTLE I was eating. For me to eat over 1000 calories, I have to eat constantly, and feel WAY TOO FULL. I hate that feeling. So I was eating 700-800 calories a day.

Now I'm trying to figure out protein drinks that I like, soft foods I will enjoy, and trying to do it all without causing my mom a lot of work with meal prep, since she enjoys packing my lunches and cooking dinner for me.

I am open to ideas, since I feel as if this is my last chance to live.