Higher Calories & Lifting as WLS Post Op?
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ChristieStearns
Posts: 94 Member
Hey everybody! So firstly, I am almost 2 years post op from VSG (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy). I can eat about 1 cup of food per meal and eat roughly 6 meals per day. Lately I've become intrigued by all of the fabulous postings of women losing weight in a healthy way by eating higher calories, doing heavy lifting and less cardio. I have just read the book New Rules of Lifting for Women so I also posted this in their forum, but wanted to get the opinion from other WLS post ops!!
My surgery has been a great tool for me but I am ready to start strengthening and dropping the rest of my weight... and I just DON'T think the super low calories are going to get me there!
I started MFP with 1200 cals per day which seemed low to me at 210 lbs, but in WLS circles this is high since many aim for 600-800 cals per day.
I am now already aiming for 1500 calories per day.
Post op, you are eating so low in calories because your stomach is teeny tiny. I remember barely taking in 300 cals per say at 300 lbs, and exercising just a little would burn 500-600 calories at that size, so I would net NEGATIVE 200-300 calories for the day. Rapid weight loss? Absolutely. But it may not have been the best in retrospect for long term weight loss, given all I am now learning about how low calorie intake slows the metabolism. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my sleeve and glad I did it. Wouldn't change it. But I think the low calorie losing in the beginning stages might set you up to HAVE to eat those low calories for life of 600-800. So many post ops say they gain if they go above that.
My surgeon stressed high protein and 6 meals a day to help with metabolism. But I believe it's finally caught up to me. My metabolism isn't happy it seems. So I have two choices. Join the WLS bandwagon of 600-800 calories today, which I feel would be impossible for me at 2 years post op... or jump on the higher calorie bandwagon with strength training.
So far I've been lucky. I've been eating 1200-1500 and losing. I also eat back my exercise calories.... if I can. I try to, I honestly do.
Here's my dilemma. I am almost 2 years post op. My tummy can only accommodate around 1 cup of food per sitting, give or take depending on the type of food. Because of my type of surgery, most likely my tummy will not stretch any more and I will still be eating 1 cup per meal for the long term. I eat 6 times per day (also give or take).
If I start this program with New Rules of Lifting for Women..... they suggest eating MAINTENANCE calories for the first month. I got lost on what comes after that, how much you go down in calories but I know it still stays fairly high.... but my maintenance calories at 210 lbs and 5'5" are somewhere in the range of 2,100 calories per day.
That means with 6 meals a day, on average, each meal should be around 350 calories. Tougher... but, could be doable.... it's just hard to eat that many calories in 1 cup of food without it being "bad" food. I don't want to eat junk, I want to up the calories in a healthy way.
This is without exercise, too. I often burn 500-600 calories in my workouts and would have to eat all those calories back as well!!
Any tips on this? Any other WLS patients manage to do this? Or anyone else with any ideas?
Thanks all!
My surgery has been a great tool for me but I am ready to start strengthening and dropping the rest of my weight... and I just DON'T think the super low calories are going to get me there!
I started MFP with 1200 cals per day which seemed low to me at 210 lbs, but in WLS circles this is high since many aim for 600-800 cals per day.
I am now already aiming for 1500 calories per day.
Post op, you are eating so low in calories because your stomach is teeny tiny. I remember barely taking in 300 cals per say at 300 lbs, and exercising just a little would burn 500-600 calories at that size, so I would net NEGATIVE 200-300 calories for the day. Rapid weight loss? Absolutely. But it may not have been the best in retrospect for long term weight loss, given all I am now learning about how low calorie intake slows the metabolism. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my sleeve and glad I did it. Wouldn't change it. But I think the low calorie losing in the beginning stages might set you up to HAVE to eat those low calories for life of 600-800. So many post ops say they gain if they go above that.
My surgeon stressed high protein and 6 meals a day to help with metabolism. But I believe it's finally caught up to me. My metabolism isn't happy it seems. So I have two choices. Join the WLS bandwagon of 600-800 calories today, which I feel would be impossible for me at 2 years post op... or jump on the higher calorie bandwagon with strength training.
So far I've been lucky. I've been eating 1200-1500 and losing. I also eat back my exercise calories.... if I can. I try to, I honestly do.
Here's my dilemma. I am almost 2 years post op. My tummy can only accommodate around 1 cup of food per sitting, give or take depending on the type of food. Because of my type of surgery, most likely my tummy will not stretch any more and I will still be eating 1 cup per meal for the long term. I eat 6 times per day (also give or take).
If I start this program with New Rules of Lifting for Women..... they suggest eating MAINTENANCE calories for the first month. I got lost on what comes after that, how much you go down in calories but I know it still stays fairly high.... but my maintenance calories at 210 lbs and 5'5" are somewhere in the range of 2,100 calories per day.
That means with 6 meals a day, on average, each meal should be around 350 calories. Tougher... but, could be doable.... it's just hard to eat that many calories in 1 cup of food without it being "bad" food. I don't want to eat junk, I want to up the calories in a healthy way.
This is without exercise, too. I often burn 500-600 calories in my workouts and would have to eat all those calories back as well!!
Any tips on this? Any other WLS patients manage to do this? Or anyone else with any ideas?
Thanks all!
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Replies
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Have you had your RMR checked by one of those breathing tests? My only concern that for most of us WLS peeps our metabolism is permanently messed up from years of bad yo-yo dieting and our WLS itself. I would start by doing that before trying to eat a lot more calories.
And I do cardio for my heart health, which is important even if it does not help lose weight.
Here is something profound a NUT posted on another group I'm on to a sleever who is struggling to lose her last 50 pounds:
"It is so important to understand something - overweight individuals aren't fighting lack of effort or will, but a disruption of the endocrine (hormone) system. Don't beat yourself up first and foremost. Preventing weight regain would be an outstanding achievement. If you reach your goal FANTASTIC!!! If not, realize it isn't all in your control and the amount you've lost has literally saved your life and would have been impossible w/ out the surgery. with this said, a more invasive surgery is likely required to lose more than 75# for "most people." not everyone, but perhaps most. Being realistic, optimistic, and loving yourself will help u to reach your full potential - whatever that is."
Good luck and keep us posted!!0 -
Have you had your RMR checked by one of those breathing tests? My only concern that for most of us WLS peeps our metabolism is permanently messed up from years of bad yo-yo dieting and our WLS itself. I would start by doing that before trying to eat a lot more calories.
And I do cardio for my heart health, which is important even if it does not help lose weight.
Here is something profound a NUT posted on another group I'm on to a sleever who is struggling to lose her last 50 pounds:
"It is so important to understand something - overweight individuals aren't fighting lack of effort or will, but a disruption of the endocrine (hormone) system. Don't beat yourself up first and foremost. Preventing weight regain would be an outstanding achievement. If you reach your goal FANTASTIC!!! If not, realize it isn't all in your control and the amount you've lost has literally saved your life and would have been impossible w/ out the surgery. with this said, a more invasive surgery is likely required to lose more than 75# for "most people." not everyone, but perhaps most. Being realistic, optimistic, and loving yourself will help u to reach your full potential - whatever that is."
Good luck and keep us posted!!
Hey thank you so much for this reply. I didn't know there was such a thing as having your RMR tested by a breathing test? I thought all we could do was a standard online calculator. Is this something I can do at the dr?
I totally agree about the messed up metabolism. I KNOW mine is definitely messed up! But I think over the past two years I have definitely improved it, I just don't know how much!
Thanks again!0 -
I am not even 3 weeks post op ( March 7, 2012) and you brought up a question I have been having. I am taking in less then 550 calories a day. Including 2 protein shakes a day. I am starting walking (can't exercise heavy yet). If we are taking in so little calories and then burn a percentage of those calories on exercise is that good for us? What kind of exercise did you do at this point after surgery?0
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Also what is RMR?0
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Hey everybody! So firstly, I am almost 2 years post op from VSG (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy). I can eat about 1 cup of food per meal and eat roughly 6 meals per day. Lately I've become intrigued by all of the fabulous postings of women losing weight in a healthy way by eating higher calories, doing heavy lifting and less cardio. I have just read the book New Rules of Lifting for Women so I also posted this in their forum, but wanted to get the opinion from other WLS post ops!!
My surgery has been a great tool for me but I am ready to start strengthening and dropping the rest of my weight... and I just DON'T think the super low calories are going to get me there!
I started MFP with 1200 cals per day which seemed low to me at 210 lbs, but in WLS circles this is high since many aim for 600-800 cals per day.
I am now already aiming for 1500 calories per day.
Post op, you are eating so low in calories because your stomach is teeny tiny. I remember barely taking in 300 cals per say at 300 lbs, and exercising just a little would burn 500-600 calories at that size, so I would net NEGATIVE 200-300 calories for the day. Rapid weight loss? Absolutely. But it may not have been the best in retrospect for long term weight loss, given all I am now learning about how low calorie intake slows the metabolism. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my sleeve and glad I did it. Wouldn't change it. But I think the low calorie losing in the beginning stages might set you up to HAVE to eat those low calories for life of 600-800. So many post ops say they gain if they go above that.
My surgeon stressed high protein and 6 meals a day to help with metabolism. But I believe it's finally caught up to me. My metabolism isn't happy it seems. So I have two choices. Join the WLS bandwagon of 600-800 calories today, which I feel would be impossible for me at 2 years post op... or jump on the higher calorie bandwagon with strength training.
So far I've been lucky. I've been eating 1200-1500 and losing. I also eat back my exercise calories.... if I can. I try to, I honestly do.
Here's my dilemma. I am almost 2 years post op. My tummy can only accommodate around 1 cup of food per sitting, give or take depending on the type of food. Because of my type of surgery, most likely my tummy will not stretch any more and I will still be eating 1 cup per meal for the long term. I eat 6 times per day (also give or take).
If I start this program with New Rules of Lifting for Women..... they suggest eating MAINTENANCE calories for the first month. I got lost on what comes after that, how much you go down in calories but I know it still stays fairly high.... but my maintenance calories at 210 lbs and 5'5" are somewhere in the range of 2,100 calories per day.
That means with 6 meals a day, on average, each meal should be around 350 calories. Tougher... but, could be doable.... it's just hard to eat that many calories in 1 cup of food without it being "bad" food. I don't want to eat junk, I want to up the calories in a healthy way.
This is without exercise, too. I often burn 500-600 calories in my workouts and would have to eat all those calories back as well!!
Any tips on this? Any other WLS patients manage to do this? Or anyone else with any ideas?
Thanks all!
A few thoughts:
If you are eating only 600-800 calories at two years post op, you are definitely not eating enough, wrecking your metabolism and likely causing long term damage to internal organs like your heart. I am "one of those" who believes that we DO train our bodies to exist on a certain number of calories, within reason of course. I ate fewer than 1000 calories only for the first 6 months or so after my RNY. Did I lose more slowly than some? Yep. Did I reach my goal weight? Yep. Have I regained any weight? Yep...not a lot and not permanently though; I have basically maintained between 150-155 for over 10 years! My maintenance calories are anywhere between 1800 and 2200 calories on an average day; if I've gained a few pounds (like I did after my Mother's death), I cut back to 1500 calories and lose. I do not participate in consistent, heavy exercise; I do, however, get in a daily walk and/or hike more days than not in a week.
I understand you do not want to eat junk just to meet your calorie goals...I agree with that. Have you tried adding some higher calorie healthy foods, like avocado, nut butters/nuts, olives and olive oil? I eat those three times a day, at least...sometimes more. A tablespoon of ground flaxseed added to your morning oatmeal or yogurt is an easy way to get those healthy fats in. Adding a tablespoon of natural peanut butter to your protein shake would probably be delicious AND nutritious. Definitely continue to hit your protein goal (or maybe increase it) if you are going to lift....you need it to build and repair muscle.
My advice: if you really want to see how you do with the higher calorie regime, increase your calories SLOWLY over the course of a few months. You said you recently increased from 1200 to 1500....perhaps you can stay there for 3 or 4 weeks and see what effect it has on your weight. After all, we can follow all the "rules" out there, and maybe NONE of them will work for OUR body!!Life after WLS really is a hit or miss experience; you have to mix it up to find out what works for you.
To the other poster: RMR is resting metabolic rate; it is the calories your body burns at rest, with NO added physical activity.Body builders and others sometimes use it to determine their daily calories.0 -
Hey thank you so much for this reply. I didn't know there was such a thing as having your RMR tested by a breathing test? I thought all we could do was a standard online calculator. Is this something I can do at the dr?
I totally agree about the messed up metabolism. I KNOW mine is definitely messed up! But I think over the past two years I have definitely improved it, I just don't know how much!
Thanks again!
My bariatric surgeon has the machine in his office. I haven't had mine done yet because maintenance has been pretty easy for me so far (I'm 3.5 years out from RNY).0 -
At 3 weeks post-op, it's almost impossible to eat more than that.I am not even 3 weeks post op ( March 7, 2012) and you brought up a question I have been having. I am taking in less then 550 calories a day. Including 2 protein shakes a day. I am starting walking (can't exercise heavy yet). If we are taking in so little calories and then burn a percentage of those calories on exercise is that good for us? What kind of exercise did you do at this point after surgery?
Here on MFP you will have people tell you over and over that you MUST eat your exercise calories because we have to fuel our bodies. But what they don't seem to understand is that we do have a good source of energy -- our body fat! The body doesn't refuse to use that source for any calories burned in "exercise" because, to our bodies, it's all "exercise".
My experience is that your calories go up naturally over time and there is no need to force it. Unless you have some sort of eating disorder that forces you to starve yourself.
I got my RMR tested through this gal:
http://www.expressmetabolics.com/
A lot of gyms have the machine too.
BMR is how many calories you burn just existing. So, if you were in a coma or stayed in bed all day. RMR is how many you burn just sitting around. Like if you watched TV for 24/7. It's easier to test your RMR than BMR because you can measure how much oxygen you burn when you breath into the machine while sitting very still.
A lot of people with WLS are middle-aged women who aren't very active and have slowed their metabolism with years of yo-yo dieting. Many of them end up eating 1000-1200 calories in maintenance. So eating 1000-1200 calories to lose weight isn't going to cut it for them. For myself, because I exercise so much, my metabolism recovered. I now burn 1450-1750 calories a day even on days I don't exercise. Even though I consumed 700-900 calories during most of my losing. Metabolism isn't an organ you can break. It's the rate your body burns calories and you can improve it or hobble it but it's ever changing.
Do a lot of strength training, move your body, and your metabolism will improve.
I can't remember if I posted this but here is what I ate, how much exercise I did and how many pounds I lost for the first year:
http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2010/07/calories-protein-carbs-exercise-weight.html
As you can see, I was exercising quite a bit and eating low calories but once I hit maintenance, I was eating an average of 2000 calories a day!0 -
I am not even 3 weeks post op ( March 7, 2012) and you brought up a question I have been having. I am taking in less then 550 calories a day. Including 2 protein shakes a day. I am starting walking (can't exercise heavy yet). If we are taking in so little calories and then burn a percentage of those calories on exercise is that good for us? What kind of exercise did you do at this point after surgery?
There really isn't much you can do about upping calories at the point you are currently at. I think when we choose surgery we must accept it's going to be pretty low calorie until we can eat more food. I do think as long as choosing the high protein foods and healthy choices, you should eat the highest cals you can without stretching your tummy by trying to go for a bigger amount. I started walking 3 days after surgery and just went for a walk at least 30 minutes a day. I can't remember when I started doing other kinds of exercise honestly, but my blog has great records http://christies-blog.com .... you want to look back to June 2009 (I had surgery May 20th 2009). Hope this helps!0 -
Thanks to you all for the helpful and thoughtful replies!0
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Thank you so much for all the advice. I actually haven't been able to even walk much yet. I had problems with the area where my drain was and have a wound that needs to heal. I walk the dog a few times a day but no real walking yet. Supposed to wait another week. Blehhhhh
You all have made me feel better.0
