Calories

[BypassBee]

So today I saw a dietician, who I had been referred to through my mental health team, as I seem to have developed a few problems with food post op.

Well, this lovely lady worked out my BMR, and from which how many calories I should be eating a day to just maintain my current weight... a whopping 2400 cals!

Which is what she would like to see me eating, and has given me an eating plan...

Now, to be honest, for me to get near that I would have to eat nonstop all day!
She is going to talk to the dietician who works with the hospital where I had my op done.

But something she said got me thinking.
She said regardless of a bypass, a body is still a body.
She also said the body would need 1000 cals a day even if you were just in a coma.

So I am left wondering, what would happen to me if I were to eat those 2400 cals? I mean, that’s what she says my body needs to maintain my weight.. and I wouldn’t even absorb that 2400 if I were to eat it.

Now personally, I would like to lose a few more lbs, but she didn’t deem it necessary.

So I guess I shall follow what she says, unless my dietician from nuffield gets in touch to tell me other wise...

wish me luck!!!

.x.

 

[Sambucca]

Ive got to be honest and say I dont think she has worked that out correctly, I worked out on foodfocus yesterday that to maintain my weight (and Im about 3 stone heavier than you) I would need less than 2000 cals. Even if she has - it would be very hard to eat that many calories in a day without resorting to high fat/high sugar foods which can cause us problems with dumping and or fat malabsorption with our bypass.

I know she is a dietitian and I am not, but I would be wary of trying to eat that much at this stage without speaking to the dietitian that is part of your bariatric team.

 

[BypassBee]

Hey Sam, thanks for the response!!!

I was suprised how high it was, however, i was there as she worked it out, based on my height, age, weight and activity level.

Im going to have a wee look into now, as I have worked out what she did before, and I think it told me around 1800 cals if I wasnted to loose 2lbs a week!

Im hoping my dietician will be in touch as i have emailed her twice today alone lol

.x.

 

[BypassBee]

Just checked the daily plate too, to see what that says, and it says 2216 cals to maintain... but my height is out my half an inch cos i cant put in the extra half inch in height... ooooft, its all rather confusing!!!

lol

.x.

 

[Pandora_150]

Hi,

I am not a dietician and only know the basics about how the body works. But I have been told by my doctors that due to my medical conditions (PCOS and Hypothyroidism) my body needs less than the average calorie guidelines to maintain/loose weight. Basically my body runs on less calories than the majority of other people; and so if I increase my calorie intake to that of a 'normal' person then I will gain weight.

This can be seen in people who yo-yo diet. The body gets 'use to' a lower calorie intake and so when you go back to a 'normal' consumption of calories then your body will gain weight as it is use to the lower amount.

It is because of this that I find that the formula used to work out your basic Metabilic Rate is flawed.

However, the advise given by your dietician is the advice you should follow - they are the professional people who have (you would hope) studied the body in much more depth.

If you are worried or concerned then you should wait to hear back from the dietician from the hospital where you had the operation, as they are most likely to be more informed about the exact effects the bypass has on your long term Calorie needs.

If anyone understands this differently then please feel free to correct me. I am only going on what my own doctors and specialists have explained to me.

Steph x

 

[phatgirl]

I would have to agree with the lovely ladies who have already posted, that number sounds way out of bounds for a bypasser. I have heard of numbers like 1800 cals to maintain for an active person but never higher. Again, I am not a health professional and when in doubt trust your team and you docs not some random person like me with an opinion!

I too suffer from PCOS and struggle with my body burning less calories than others do so I know for me anything over 2000 cals a day would probably make me put on weight. In fact, for me anything over 1800 cals would probably be too much. But you are younger and probably have more muscle than me so I am not a good example.

Let us know what you figure out as I am interested to hear what they tell you.

Nic

 

[Sambucca]

However, the advise given by your dietician is the advice you should follow - they are the professional people who have (you would hope) studied the body in much more depth.

If this advice had been given by Bee's Bariatric dietitian then I would agree with you, but it seems to me that the dietitian that Bee has seen is not a bariatric specialist. I would be incredibly wary of increasing your calories to 2400.

Hope the dietitian from your team gets in touch soon Bee x

 

[Pandora_150]

I agree Sam, which is why I also said she might also want to wait until the Dietician from the hospital where she had her operation got back to her; as they are most likely to better understand the specific impact of WLS on Calorie intake long term post-op.



Steph x

 

[BypassBee]

Thanks so much for the replies.

Logically I can't see why having had a bypass should mean it would take LESS calories to maintain weight than a normal person.

Age does come into, as I am only 25, I have a faster metabolism than someone over the age of 30 for example.
I don't have, nor have ever had pcos, and as far as I am awear, have what i classed as a normal metabolism for someone my age, sex, weight etc etc.

The only reason I think 2400 is high, is because I dont think I could manage near that in a day unless i grazed all the time... I would be much happier around the 1800 mark even 1500!

However, all I do know is I have been having 1130 cals, and not lost weight for a month, I tried upping to 1300, and still didnt lose, nor gain, and even upped activity level... no loss still! I can't believe 1130 would be too high as I was previously eating 800, stalled, and then started losing once I went up to 1130...

lol im driving myself potty!

.x.

 

[Sambucca]

LOL Bee, its a nightmare isnt it!

I have seen people here (and on other forums) who want to move to maintenance start by increasing their calories by a 100 a day for a week, and keep increasing until they see their weight start to stabilise.

And I agree. Logically, you would think if anything we could "get away" with more cals than the average person, but as Nic said, I have not seen anywhere of any bypasser having more than 1800 cals a day - even at maintenance.

Hope you get some answers from your bariatric team soon.

 

[BypassBee]

lol sam! its a mine field huh!

Id really like to shift a few more lb, but i cant eem to get it moving, i jut go between 11stone and 11stone 3! Im very confused hahaha

.x.

 

[Sambucca]

well if you are still hoping to lose a few lb then you definitely need to avoid increasing your cals to 2400 at this stage. The idea of increasing by 100 a day for a week at a time is to allow your weight to stabilise over a slow and steady period, instead of just suddenly increasing the cals by a huge amount when you decide you are done losing.

Nic is maintaining now. Ask her how she moved from losing to maintenance. Also Shelbell, although it was obviously different for her as she had to try to gain weight during her pregnancy. Carole would be another good one to ask....

Theres plenty of maintainers here. Hopefully between them and your dietitian you can come up with a plan of action.

 

[BypassBee]

Your dead right Sam! I tend to forget there are so many maitaining!

If any of you lovelies who are would like to help me out a wee bit i would be forever greatful!!!
Would be intereting to know how you found the right balance...

Im happy as long as i dont gain! i have to fit into my wedding dress in 5 weeks!!! eep!

.x.

 

[Sambucca]

oh gosh, I didnt realise you were getting married. How exciting. Congratulations.

Now sod calories, tell me about your wedding!

 

[BypassBee]

lol!

Im getting married in Las Vegas. My parents are flying out to watch us get married too.
I had my dress made by a super sweet american lady who made me some vintage 40s inspired clothes a wee while a go, and she was lovely enough to do the wedding dress for me based on a 1950s patten she had, and a dress I had seen, and loved (but that dress cost £6000!!!)

So Liam and I fly off to vegas on the 20th of May, and get married on the 23rd (which is our anniversary) Then on the 25th we fly off to New york for a week

Heres a pic of my dress

 

[rybens]

You are going to look stunning on your wedding day x fab dress x

 

[BypassBee]

awww thank you so much lovely!!!

i cant wait to post pics of it on here, i really hope it will give insparation to those who will just be on the start of the wls route, i know looking at pics of how well people had done really helped me at the start, id love to do that for others.

.x.

 

[rybens]

The pictures you already have are great , they give everyone hope of thinking they can do as well as you x

 

[BypassBee]

aww, thats so nice! thank you! your going pretty good guns yourself!

its odd cos i still feel like such a novice lol

.x.

 

[Sambucca]

Bee your dress is just stunning and you are going to look amazing. What an inspiration you are.