wwyd?

mykaylis
mykaylis Posts: 320 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i am going through the process of qualifying for bariatric surgery. i am extremely sedentary at the moment (which figures into the caloric needs). i set my parameters with MFP and it gave me a goal of roughly 1200/day. i've tried to stay around that mark but haven't freaked out about days that go over or under.

so i saw the dietician in the bariatric program and she says there is no expectation of weight loss during this period. i know that, but i also know that losing weight will help decrease fat in my liver, so i'm trying to get into good habits now. she set me calorie goal at 2100! i recalibrated my MFP goal to be lose 1 lb per week instead of 2, and my calculated goal is more like 1450.

thats a pretty wide range. as soon as i set it to 1450 and started eating that much, i started gaining weight. now i realize this MIGHT be water fluctuation, but it's still frustrating.

would you stick to MFP advice or go with the dietician's recommendation in this case?

Replies

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    What are your stats?

    I would go with the dietitians reccomendation.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    If you've been comfortable at 1200, I would stay there. I'm not sure how you would gain at 1450--if you were on it for a few days, it was probably normal fluctuation.

    But call your dietitian and ask why she felt that 2100 was a better place for you. It may be that she underestimated your ability to stay on the diet.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    2100 may be maintenance for you. If your goal is 1 pound a week, it's approximately 500 calories below that a day, so 1600. Personally, since you're seeing a professional, I'd follow what she says - you can still make healthy adjustments just had a wider range to enjoy it. And maybe talk to her and voice your concerns, discuss *WHY* she feels it's the best option for you.
  • ryanhorn
    ryanhorn Posts: 355 Member
    Listen to your dietician. She's a professional, and she will have a better grasp of your needs than MFP.
  • KimberlyinMN
    KimberlyinMN Posts: 302 Member
    I used CalorieKing to figure out how many calories to consume to lose weight based on your weight, age, and height (and sedentary) and it estimated between 1650-1850 calories. I would suggest going by what your dietitian gave you. Most likely it is still less than what you were eating prior to starting on your bariatric surgery journey. And, since the expectation is that you do not have to lose weight during this time frame, go with it. Deprivation at this point isn't necessary.

    Once you have the surgery, your calories will be quite limited for a while. I think I was only getting around 300 calories daily for a few months and then was able to bump it up to 600 calories, then 800, 1000, and now about 1300 calories at 2-1/2 years out and down 162 pounds. It sounds pretty dang low, but my stomach could only hold about 1/2 cup of soft food at first. Now I'm restricted to about a cup of food at a sitting. I've learned a LOT during this time. (And I love exercising!)
  • mightygirlruns
    mightygirlruns Posts: 18
    Maybe she wants you to gradually decrease your calories instead of cutting so low, so fast. It might be more sustainable if done in small increments. If you qualify for bariatric surgery, chances are you were eating more than 2100 calories per day. So cutting your intake to 2100 would be a good first step. When your body is used to that, gradually move it lower.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    MFP is a computer program. Somewhere, it will say it's not a substitute for the advice of actual professionals.

    I would never, ever trust a computer or random people over actual doctors or dietitians (and would recommend that you don't, either.) :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Take the advice of the professional.
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
    If you're big enough that you don't currently qualify for bariatric surgery, you definitely should be eating more than 1200cal/day.

    Listen to your dietitian.
  • lindainprogress
    lindainprogress Posts: 129 Member
    it would appear you are already 1/3 of your way to your goal without the surgery. any chance you will reconsider going under the knife? while it will change you physically, it wont make the "brain change" you need. start moving a little each day. it doesn't have to be dramatic, just small, slow steps. before you know it, you will go from sedentary to super nova. what ever you decide, best of luck and many, many blessings to you
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Take the advice of the professional.

    ^This.

    Listen to the professional.

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