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Having issues

I have been gone for a while from the forums. October is a tough month for me emotionally. My Dad, Mom and Sister each passed in October each 7 years apart. I am ruining my diet and I don't know if it is emotional or what but I have to fix it. I am getting my proteins in but way too many carbs, What is the total carbs you should have a day & what is the calorie count you should stay under? I am very emotional and have always been an emotional eater but with the coming holiday months I have got to get on track. At least I can start walking again, although I was told my knees were bone on bone and I would need knee replacements. But cortisone shots helping so far. Just had to get this all out. Thanks
 
Linda, I feel for you sweetie. My mother & brother also both passed in October, brother when I was 17 & he was only 22, and my mother in 2003. I think my overeating began after my brother's passing as an unhealthy way to deal with grief. It puts an edge on celebrating my b'day at the end of the month.

I hope you & I find a way to celebrate the love we've shared with our family members by trying to be & stay healthy. It is so difficult dealing with the emotions involved in loss, but remembering the love & good times shared with each of them and thinking of the progress we've made since WLS helps make them a part of our wonderful new life, cheering us on in spirit.

Please take care. ❤❤❤❤
 
Okay, Linda, I'm gonna give it to you straight.

If you'd spend as much time creating a food plan and following it as you do listing excuses, you'd be losing weight at a healthy pace.

You don't need to count calories or carbs. Get your 50 to 70 grams of protein in and stop eating. Period.

We could have a duel over who's had a tougher October, historically, but if you wallow in the past, you're absent from the present.

Stop.

Write out your eating plan, not WHAT you ate.

If you want detailed nutritional information, talk to the dietician you were provided as part of your bariatric team.

Scroll down our home page and look for two documents I posted under Resources. Read them and you should find your practical questions answered.

No one should have this surgery unless they're medically educated in advance. You're having a huge part of a functioning organ removed. You need to know what to do to maintain balance after that.

Get professional medical help, and get it in writing.
Thanks for your straight talk. That's what I need to get back on track and snap out of it
 
Linda, I feel for you sweetie. My mother & brother also both passed in October, brother when I was 17 & he was only 22, and my mother in 2003. I think my overeating began after my brother's passing as an unhealthy way to deal with grief. It puts an edge on celebrating my b'day at the end of the month.

I hope you & I find a way to celebrate the love we've shared with our family members by trying to be & stay healthy. It is so difficult dealing with the emotions involved in loss, but remembering the love & good times shared with each of them and thinking of the progress we've made since WLS helps make them a part of our wonderful new life, cheering us on in spirit.

Please take care. ❤❤❤❤
Thanks for understanding. I know I have to move on and I am really trying now. It is hard and this program is harder than I thought but I have to get going.
 
Okay, Linda, I'm gonna give it to you straight.

If you'd spend as much time creating a food plan and following it as you do listing excuses, you'd be losing weight at a healthy pace.

You don't need to count calories or carbs. Get your 50 to 70 grams of protein in and stop eating. Period.

We could have a duel over who's had a tougher October, historically, but if you wallow in the past, you're absent from the present.

Stop.

Write out your eating plan, not WHAT you ate.

If you want detailed nutritional information, talk to the dietician you were provided as part of your bariatric team.

Scroll down our home page and look for two documents I posted under Resources. Read them and you should find your practical questions answered.

No one should have this surgery unless they're medically educated in advance. You're having a huge part of a functioning organ removed. You need to know what to do to maintain balance after that.

Get professional medical help, and get it in writing.
I am hitting my protein level daily, I have the Baritastic app on my phone where I record all I eat. I'm trying to find the number of carbs I have to limit to. And calories so I can make sure I don't overdue those. You wouldn't happen to know that would you? I am reading your documents now.
 
Hey, Linda. I am sorry you are having such a hard time right now. I think you have to find your own "sweet spot" for calories and carbs. My nutritionist actually suggests 1000 calories a day and basically keto. Or taking it down to 800 if I wanted to lose a few more pounds. That would not work for me, as I am a fully grown, active human being. She did suggest I go with a macros count of 35% of my calories from Carbs, 35% Protein and 30% Fat. I try to stick to that and when my protein is up, I'm done for the day It keeps both your calories and carbs in proportion.

I do agree that it's much better to plan your meals than track after the fact. My best days are when I plan out my meals and put the entire day in before I ever take a bite. (well, after breakfast because I eat the same thing every day.) That gives me the entire layout and I can adjust to those macros numbers where I need to. Dinner high in carbs? Change what I'm having for lunch. Or adjust how much dinner I am going to have.

Also, don't be too hard on yourself. Many of us are emotional eaters. We may have to learn to control our drive to do so but no one is perfect. Sometimes we ALL get into our heads and struggle with regaining control. You can do it.

Using my nutritionist recommendation for ME:

1000 calories a day would give me:
350 calories from carbs, 350 from protein and 300 from fat.
Each carb has 4 calories per gram, as does protein. Fat has 9 calories per gram.
So in this example, you could be getting 87 grams of protein, 87g of carbs and 33g of fat.
350 calories/4g per calorie = 87 grams of protein & carbs
300 calories/9g per calorie = 33 grams of fat

You can do the same math for any daily calorie intake and macros combo that is recommended for you. Hope this helps a bit.
 
Hey, Linda. I am sorry you are having such a hard time right now. I think you have to find your own "sweet spot" for calories and carbs. My nutritionist actually suggests 1000 calories a day and basically keto. Or taking it down to 800 if I wanted to lose a few more pounds. That would not work for me, as I am a fully grown, active human being. She did suggest I go with a macros count of 35% of my calories from Carbs, 35% Protein and 30% Fat. I try to stick to that and when my protein is up, I'm done for the day It keeps both your calories and carbs in proportion.

I do agree that it's much better to plan your meals than track after the fact. My best days are when I plan out my meals and put the entire day in before I ever take a bite. (well, after breakfast because I eat the same thing every day.) That gives me the entire layout and I can adjust to those macros numbers where I need to. Dinner high in carbs? Change what I'm having for lunch. Or adjust how much dinner I am going to have.

Also, don't be too hard on yourself. Many of us are emotional eaters. We may have to learn to control our drive to do so but no one is perfect. Sometimes we ALL get into our heads and struggle with regaining control. You can do it.

Using my nutritionist recommendation for ME:

1000 calories a day would give me:
350 calories from carbs, 350 from protein and 300 from fat.
Each carb has 4 calories per gram, as does protein. Fat has 9 calories per gram.
So in this example, you could be getting 87 grams of protein, 87g of carbs and 33g of fat.
350 calories/4g per calorie = 87 grams of protein & carbs
300 calories/9g per calorie = 33 grams of fat

You can do the same math for any daily calorie intake and macros combo that is recommended for you. Hope this helps a bit.
Missy, thank you for breaking this down. When my PCP & bariatric team told me this week to increase my carbs & calories, I forgot to ask about the amount of carbs (calories can be 1,100 now). You gave me some hard numbers that make sense. :)

I also really want to try to do more meal planning to go along with tracking. I keep telling myself to start doing that so it becomes an action habit. Fingers crossed!
 
Karen, meal planning makes the whole thing so much easier. At least it does for me. I've been out and about all weekend (since Thursday) and have no idea what I've put in my body or where I am at with food numbers at all. I don't eat fast food, only local restaurants with real food. So tracking is out of the question. My options for an omelet ran from 110 calories to over a thousand. How the heck am I supposed to figure out which one it was?!?!

I prefer to follow my menu and prep as much stuff as I can. I know some people do not like to eat the same thing all the time, but I tend to eat mostly the same things over and over. I eat oatmeal every morning and I eat berries and yogurt at least 4 days a week as a snack, sometimes as lunch. If you can stand to eat mostly the same things, once you make a few weeks, or even a month, worth of meal plans, you can rotate them. Good Luck!
 
Well, I did get some harsh comments but I did expect that. I got back to a program that works for me, making sure I have more protein and less carbs and I am back to losing weight. I have to admit I had to take a step back and absorb comments which I thought were ok at time but then hurt some. Now I know I have to do what is best for me and to remind myself I am not 6 months out from my surgery yet. Thanks for all the good advice and kind words!!
 
I'm almost 2 years post-op -Jan. 22, 2020 was surgery date. You're a little over 4 months post op. Your surgical team should have given you a meal plan to follow. Follow it.

I still do weekly food prep - this includes all food I'll eat over the week. I write down every thing I eat and the amount I eat.


We all have/had bad eating habits. One of my worst eating habits was grabbing a package of cookies -or a bag of chips - or a container of ice cream - whatever food was my kryptonite at that moment and sitting in the recliner with my feet up, TV on, and eating the entire container of whatever I was munching on. Now, I only eat at my kitchen table. It doesn't matter if its a meal or a snack - I only eat at the kitchen table. I'm more aware of what I'm eating - and I only eat what was prepped for that meal/snack. This works perfect for me. Best of luck to you as you continue this awesome journey!!
 
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