Veteran Sleevers: Help!
dej923
Posts: 26 Member
I'm 4 mos out from surgery (Dec 5) and 53lb down total, including pre-op. I work out 5-6 days per week (running 3x, boxing 2x) and am eating around 1200 cal daily.
My question has to do with my calorie intake. Lately I feel like I can eat more - or just that I want to eat more. I've been able to get up to 1400 cal in some cases. I've been stuck between 202-204 for 2-3 weeks.
So, those of you who are 6+ mos out, what is your daily calorie intake (on average)? Are you still steadily losing? Those in "maintenance" what does your daily intake look like?
Any insight is appreciated!
My question has to do with my calorie intake. Lately I feel like I can eat more - or just that I want to eat more. I've been able to get up to 1400 cal in some cases. I've been stuck between 202-204 for 2-3 weeks.
So, those of you who are 6+ mos out, what is your daily calorie intake (on average)? Are you still steadily losing? Those in "maintenance" what does your daily intake look like?
Any insight is appreciated!
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I am 7 months out and 10 pounds from my goal weight. I set MFP to a 1 pound weekly weight loss about 2 weeks ago (down from 2 pounds) and use a FitBit to track calorie burn. My daily MFP goal is now 1,700 Calories and FitBit calls for another 400-1,000 daily. As long as the burn is more than the intake I will continue to lose. I have experimaented with the times I eat and find that if I pick up the caloric intake in the morning and mid afternoon I do real well (energy and weight loss). As you would expect keeping post 8pm calories below 200 has also helped. I tend to grab a little for a late evening energy boost when needed.
Eating above 2,300 is a challange, but so was 1,500 three months ago. I find that most days I leave a few hundred calories on the table at the end of each day so I have continued to lose at a slower rate. I have become very active so I do need to keep putting in calories to avoid an energy loss. The afternoon protein bar (210 to 400 calories depending) really helps and is quality protein.0 -
Congrats on your weight loss and your committment to exercise! That is wonderful!
My MFP daily calorie goal is 1200 and I'm still loosing, just at a reduced average. I keep an excel spreadsheet: at 4 months post op I was loosing on average 3.05 pounds per week and now at 7 months post op my average weekly weight loss is 2.39 pounds. On weeks when I have a stall, I evaluate the following: (1) water intake; (2) protein intake; (3) nutrional content of calories eaten; and (4) stress. I find that these things effect my weight loss the most. The first three things, MFP will allow me to track and analyze and adjust as necessary. Stress is not something that is easily quantified and is therefor harder to address. Stress can be emotional or physical. Your body may be stressed from the exercise routine you've developed. Change up your routine or take a day off. Sometimes a break is exactly what your body needs.
Stalls are normal and will continue to happen. You may have added muscle from your workouts. You can analyze and adjust or just keep doing what you're doing. Eventually your body will react to the calory deficit you've created and the pounds will come off.0 -
I am around 2.5 years out from surgery and still losing. I started at 386, needing to lose 226, and have had several stalls and slow loss. I also have arthritis that although much better with the weight loss, still provides a challenge to exercise as does the several injuries I've had. So compared to all of you I am relativly inactive.
A few weeks ago I had a 4 pound drop (I had bounced up 3, lost that plus one additional pound). So I looked at what I did for calories and protein that week and adjusted my levels to match and try to eat that daily. Since then I have been losing 1 pound a week, which is exactly what my nutritionist said I should be doing this far out from surgery. So, if you've stopped losing look at what you were doing when you were losing consistently and replicate that. If that doesn't work, talk to your nutritionist. With your activity level, you may need to up your calories, but I wouldn't recommend doing that without advice from your surgeon's office.
Hope that helps!0 -
Agree with the above.
I would also suggest that your activity level may be causing you to retain water right now to repair muscle. When you exercise you are actually tearing your muscle fibers. The body retains water to heal those fibers and grow them to the additional strength you need for that activity level.
Maybe give yourself an extra day off this week, then increase your activity levels again. OR switch out what you are doing. Changing out the muscle sets you are using, or using them in a different motion often will jump start the burn process again.
I've just gone through a one month stall as well. Like pawoodhull, I finally reset my eating and the weight, right now is falling fast. We will see if it continues past a week.
Oh, edited to add, I'm right at one year out. (May 1)
Don't let the frustration set you back to old eating patterns! Hang tight and it will work for you.0 -
I'm 6 months out and have lost 75% (75lbs) of the weight. I shoot for 1000-1200 calories\day and rarely go over 1200. I ride a stationary bike 5 days per week and get between a 450-550 calorie burn (per the chest strap heart rate monitor), each time. I'm averaging about a pound a week loss now.0
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I am 6 months out, and I am at 750 calories or so a day. I work out about 5 times a week, burning anywhere from 500 to 800 calories. I try to eat more calories on days when I work out, because sometimes I end up burning more than I take in and my calorie deficit is negative. It's really hard for me to eat more though, even though I eat small amounts throughout the day. I am sure my capacity will continue to increase but for now it's tough for me to get many more calories in. I am still losing 2-3 lbs a week at this point.0
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Thanks for the insight everyone! I will definitely refer back to see what was different about my calories & nutrients when I was losing more steadily.0
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Congrats on your weight loss and your committment to exercise! That is wonderful!
My MFP daily calorie goal is 1200 and I'm still loosing, just at a reduced average. I keep an excel spreadsheet: at 4 months post op I was loosing on average 3.05 pounds per week and now at 7 months post op my average weekly weight loss is 2.39 pounds. On weeks when I have a stall, I evaluate the following: (1) water intake; (2) protein intake; (3) nutrional content of calories eaten; and (4) stress. I find that these things effect my weight loss the most. The first three things, MFP will allow me to track and analyze and adjust as necessary. Stress is not something that is easily quantified and is therefor harder to address. Stress can be emotional or physical. Your body may be stressed from the exercise routine you've developed. Change up your routine or take a day off. Sometimes a break is exactly what your body needs.
Stalls are normal and will continue to happen. You may have added muscle from your workouts. You can analyze and adjust or just keep doing what you're doing. Eventually your body will react to the calory deficit you've created and the pounds will come off.
Your average is amazing! Mine is nowhere near that high. Maybe I need to focus more on water + protein. Can you give me an idea of some of the meals/foods you're eating?0 -
Thanks! I travel so much for my job...if I'm not in a Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn, I'm in my car for a minimum of 2 hours a day. So preparation is crucial for me.
Breakfast is easy: coffee plus 1 tbsp of fat free creamer followed by my daily protein drink. I mix 1scoops of Isopure Advance Low Carb Dutch Chocolate and 1 cup of HEB Fat Free Mootopia Milk or Kroger Carb Master Fat Free Milk. Combined it's 200 calories and 37g protein in 8oz.
Lunch: I have acquired a taste for soups post-op. I will usually make a huge pot of soup on Sunday and portion it out for the rest of the week for lunches and dinners. My favorite is Chicken Tortilla Soup-hold the tortilla chips and hold the cheese. If I'm not feeling soup, I will bring a whole wheat tortilla, one laughing cow cream cheese wedge, 2-3 oz lean turkery/ham, and a green onion. Roll it up and cut into one inch pieces. Very filling!
Snacks: Almonds, cottage cheese, kroger carb master yogurt, special k cracker chips, beef jerky, fresh fruit, veggies,
Dinner: Sometimes I eat the same soup I had for lunch. Otherwise I rotate between grilled chicken, pork chops, honeysuckle white turkey meatballs (YUM), and other lean meats. Throw a bag of steamable veggies in the microwave and call it a day.
Desert: Skinny Cow Peanut Butter and Chocolate Wafer or fresh fruit
Eating Out: Forgot my lunch? Chick-fil-a grilled chicken nugget kids meal (6pc) with side of fresh fruit and a diet arnold palmer.
Restaurant with my bf: grilled chicken or fish and steamed veggies or soup and side salad (get to-go box pronto so that you don't eat too much and get sick)
On the road: most gas stations have fresh fruit, jerky, and nuts.
I get at minimum 75g of protein in a day. Water is a conscious decision for me...I love water but would chug it pre-op and def can't do that now.
Add me as a friend. I publish my diary.0
