Pre-op stage to Bypass
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mbgadomskii
Posts: 6 Member
Hi, I'm Melinda. I'm 22. I'm a hairstylist from Massachusetts. I'm a wife and mother to an 18mo beauty! I've tried many things to lose weight but I get stuck at 10-20lbs and then gain it back every time. This is the heaviest I've been besides when I was pregnant. I'm worried about my health so I decided that the gastric bypass is the best option for me. I'm so close to setting a date, I'm excited!
MFP has set my calorie goal for me, but the dietician I see wants me to only consume 1,500. Is there any way I can set it myself? I feel like that's a lot less than I should be consuming but I'm not educated enough on calories...
Also, does anyone use the flipp app? Does it help you budget and get the sales like the commercial says? Eating healthier means more money spent..
MFP has set my calorie goal for me, but the dietician I see wants me to only consume 1,500. Is there any way I can set it myself? I feel like that's a lot less than I should be consuming but I'm not educated enough on calories...
Also, does anyone use the flipp app? Does it help you budget and get the sales like the commercial says? Eating healthier means more money spent..
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Yes if you click on the "My Home" tab and then on "goals" you can adjust your calories and your macronutrients there.1
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If your dietician set a goal of 1500 calories for you, that's probably what you should stick to. 1500 calories, if used wisely, is absolutely sufficient, it's what I adhered to when I started my program. A big key to success in this whole process is adhering to the outlines given by your surgeon and his team.
Eating healthier doesn't always have to mean more money spent - I think it just seems more expensive but in the long run, I think it's totally managable. I think if you shop wisely you will be fine. I have heard of the flipp app but never tried it. I love using apps, I would be curious too to see how it's worked for people!2 -
What are your height and weight? Your caloric goals are determined by that. If you are a 5' 5" woman, you need 1725 calories per day to maintain your weight. If you are 5'10" woman, you need 1820 calories a day to maintain your weight. And if you are 5'0", you only need 1630 calories per day to maintain your weight. (Source: WebMD BMI calculator). If you eat more than those amounts, you will gain. If you don't eat less than those calories, you will not lose.
If you approved and have the gastric bypass, you will eat far fewer calories than this. Starting out as a 289lb male, my caloric goal daily to maintain was 2652 calories per day. After my gastric sleeve procedure, I could barely eat 500 calories a day. After five months, I eat an average of 1200 calories per day now.
After surgery if you are anything like me and the people I know, eating healthier will still be cheaper. I no longer eat out and cook food at home. That saves money. I eat a cup of food MAX for a meal. That's about 25-33% of what I USED to eat. Vitamins are cheap. The most expensive part of my post-op regimen is protein drinks and protein bars. I drink and eat one of each per day. Premier Protein chocolate drinks (30 grams protein) are $6 for a 4-pack or $1.50 each. Atkins Chocolate chip Granola bars (16 grams protein) are $7 for a box of 6, or $1.17 each roughly. So that's only $2.67 a day. I save more than that by not stopping before work for a fountain soda and a bag of chips!
A usual day for me is a protein drink, Atkins granola bar, two cheese sticks and a cup of food for lunch and one for dinner. It doesn't cost much at all.1 -
And like @garber6th has said, your personal success will depend on you adhering to what your dietician and surgeon tell you. The surgery is not a magical cure-all where you can just "eat a little less than before" and everything will work. You have to be willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes which include eating healthier foods and exercise. You get out of the surgery what you put in.1
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What the posters above me stated is correct. Also, my surgeon said that if you can't stick to what the dietitian outlines then they will not approve you for surgery. Diet is a huge component of the surgery. If you don't do what they tell you to do you can sabotage any surgical remedy by either stretching the stomach, popping staples, etc.2
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As @fattymcrunnerpants stated, most insurance companies will not approve you for surgery if you fail to follow the dietary outline. Just make sure you are aware that the surgery is just the beginning of a life-long lifestyle change. Good luck and let us know how everything comes along!0
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I appreciate all your replies! I am aware of everything you all have said, I was just asking because when the dietician said 1500, it just sounded like a generic number she gave everyone (just something I sensed about her) - I'm not trying to wriggle my way out of following the rules! Simply asking fellow people what their process was like as well and if it was the norm! Thanks again!1
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1500 is fine for a preop diet. 1200 would be better. After surgery, you should be sticking to 800 or less until you are done losing.
Calories are just a measure of energy. Fat is stored energy. We want to burn off the fat, and the more calories you eat, the less fat you'll burn.1 -
grim_traveller wrote: »1500 is fine for a preop diet. 1200 would be better. After surgery, you should be sticking to 800 or less until you are done losing.
Calories are just a measure of energy. Fat is stored energy. We want to burn off the fat, and the more calories you eat, the less fat you'll burn.
Everyone is different. Post op, some people are not hungry, others are very hungry. Some people are always sick, others are never sick.
If I were to try to eat 800 calories or less per day, I would fail. I would also make myself feel like I was starving and thus more prone to relapsing into bad eating habits. I didn't put on the extra weight in a day and don't feel the need to try to lose it in a day either. It took me 30 years of bad habits to get to where I was. I'm a little over five months post-op and have lost over 70lbs. I have around 45 more to lose to be in my healthy weight range. All the literature says the weight loss process after surgery is 12-18 months. I'm more than happy with the weight I have lost in such a short period of time and losing 2lbs a week right now is just fine with me.
To each their own and happy you had the willpower to maintain a strict diet.
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I agree with grim_travlier. I stuck to the 800 - 900 calories per day until I got to my goal weight. I made sure those were quality calories, protein, vegetables, and fruit. If I went over the calorie allowance I exercised those off. I made my goal about 16 months post opt. I then continued to lose for another 3 - 4 months while finding the balance between increasing my calories and exercise. It's doable but you have to plan.
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I am currently getting my lapband removed and revision to the bypass. I am doing the pre-op diet and my dietician said to have a caloric goal of 1200 or less and then set your goals to 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. It is working for me 2
