who counts calories ?

[Spiky Bugger]

I'm a little ...I dunno...shocked, maybe?

If you WERE consuming 600 calories/day...and
If you WERE/ARE (I'm not sure) consuming 50g of fat/day...then,
you were consuming +/- 450 of those 600 calories in fat, HOWEVER...
You probably malabsorbed enough that you body got no calories from 80% of those 450 calories, which means...
That your daily calories (that were NOT malabsorbed) were 600- (80% x 450) = 360...and from that you would need to subtract the smaller bits that were not absorbed from the other food...so........

I'm thinking that your body was trying to operate on less than 350 calories per day which is not only very dangerous, but also causes your body to DESPERATELY, because it IS a matter of life and death, hold on to everything it can from every bite you take.

IOW...your body is doing what it can...conserving where it can...because it is convinced you are starving to death. Until you scarf down a couple of ribeye steaks cooked in butter (not necessarily literally, but you get my drift) your body is going to continue to try to keep you alive in spite of what you think it should do.

 

[Honeybeeblue]

I'm a little ...I dunno...shocked, maybe?

If you WERE consuming 600 calories/day...and
If you WERE/ARE (I'm not sure) consuming 50g of fat/day...then,
you were consuming +/- 450 of those 600 calories in fat, HOWEVER...
You probably malabsorbed enough that you body got no calories from 80% of those 450 calories, which means...
That your daily calories (that were NOT malabsorbed) were 600- (80% x 450) = 360...and from that you would need to subtract the smaller bits that were not absorbed from the other food...so........

I'm thinking that your body was trying to operate on less than 350 calories per day which is not only very dangerous, but also causes your body to DESPERATELY, because it IS a matter of life and death, hold on to everything it can from every bite you take.

IOW...your body is doing what it can...conserving where it can...because it is convinced you are starving to death. Until you scarf down a couple of ribeye steaks cooked in butter (not necessarily literally, but you get my drift) your body is going to continue to try to keep you alive in spite of what you think it should do.

I have increased my calorie intake to 1500 a day with more protien and fat. Thank you for your help

 

[southernlady]

I have increased my calorie intake to 1500 a day with more protien and fat. Thank you for your help

While it's good that you increased it, STOP counting calories. Count grams of each: Protein, fat, carbs and oz of water

 

[Honeybeeblue]

While it's good that you increased it, STOP counting calories. Count grams of each: Protein, fat, carbs and oz of water

Hey
I do try and keep to all my goals. My biggest fear is going back to the huge me. So I do get a little carried away with number over all.

 

[southernlady]

Hey
I do try and keep to all my goals. My biggest fear is going back to the huge me. So I do get a little carried away with number over all.

We ALL have that fear. But the DS DOES work IF you let it. And while bounce back is real and a bitch, she can be kept under control if you do two things. Stick to protein FIRST and limit your carbs.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

1500 calories absorbed or 1500 calories counted straight? If it's the former, you're in a much better range. If it's the latter, you're still far, far behind the curve.

Please stop counting calories. It's the WRONG way to approach DS nourishment.

 

[Honeybeeblue]

1500 calories absorbed or 1500 calories counted straight? If it's the former, you're in a much better range. If it's the latter, you're still far, far behind the curve.

Please stop counting calories. It's the WRONG way to approach DS nourishment.

Hey that's 1500 consumed not absorbed. From all I have learnt here I need to eat more and stop the calorie focus.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

How many grams each of carbs, protein and fat have you figured in to that 1500 calories? That makes an ENORMOUS difference.
:
I'll use a hypothetical day's consumption that sometimes comes close to what I eat at 8 years out (this would be a relatively tiny belly day). Remember, too, that the "DS Math" numbers are a guesstimate based on one very small study attempting to judge protein and fat absorption via stool samples:

100 grams of carbs, figured for convenience at 100% absorption (might or might not be accurate) @ 4 calories per gram = 400 calories absorbed

100 grams of protein @ 50% absorption @ 4 calories per gram = 400 cals consumed, 200 cals absorbed

100 grams of fat @ 20% absorption @ 9 cals per gram = 900 cals consumed, 180 cals absorbed

TOTALS: 1,700 cals consumed, 880 cals absorbed.

I would feel half starved to death on this and would not function well on this level of intake for any length of time. I'm more likely to be somewhere around 150 grams of fat and protein and the carbs vary quite a bit. Other than making a point of eating 30 grams of protein minimum at any meal before I give myself permission to eat carby stuff, I do not limit any intake. (Which, I know, makes me a lucky duck! Some folks would gain like crazy this far out if they were not far more watchful of their carbs.)

 

[Honeybeeblue]

How many grams each of carbs, protein and fat have you figured in to that 1500 calories? That makes an ENORMOUS difference.
:
I'll use a hypothetical day's consumption that sometimes comes close to what I eat at 8 years out (this would be a relatively tiny belly day). Remember, too, that the "DS Math" numbers are a guesstimate based on one very small study attempting to judge protein and fat absorption via stool samples:

100 grams of carbs, figured for convenience at 100% absorption (might or might not be accurate) @ 4 calories per gram = 400 calories absorbed

100 grams of protein @ 50% absorption @ 4 calories per gram = 400 cals consumed, 200 cals absorbed

100 grams of fat @ 20% absorption @ 9 cals per gram = 900 cals consumed, 180 cals absorbed

TOTALS: 1,700 cals consumed, 880 cals absorbed.

I would feel half starved to death on this and would not function well on this level of intake for any length of time. I'm more likely to be somewhere around 150 grams of fat and protein and the carbs vary quite a bit. Other than making a point of eating 30 grams of protein minimum at any meal before I give myself permission to eat carby stuff, I do not limit any intake. (Which, I know, makes me a lucky duck! Some folks would gain like crazy this far out if they were not far more watchful of their carbs.)

I worked out that I would increase my protien to 150g a day and fat to 100 g a day. I will still watch my carbs and keep them complex at 50g a day. I still have 30 lbs to go so I want to continue losing.

 

[Sheanie]

@Honeybeeblue , do you do okay only focusing on protein grams? Or are you a "numbers person" and NEED something more to focus on? Maybe if you are really into numbers, you'd do really well reading Diana Cox's "DS Math" at DSfacts.com, if it's still available. It might be here in the files as well. I am personally NOT a math or numbers girl, they make my head hurt. So I just focus on fatty protein grams in a day. When I reach my required amount for the day, I relax and eat other things that I'm hungry for.

We are not jumping on you, although it might feel like it. We all just want to help you avoid the pitfalls we had ourselves. That's why we post and talk to you. Because we genuinely care that you do well with this DS.

Relax and let the DS work it's magic. Focus on what gives you comfort, and forget the rest.

 

[Honeybeeblue]

@Honeybeeblue , do you do okay only focusing on protein grams? Or are you a "numbers person" and NEED something more to focus on? Maybe if you are really into numbers, you'd do really well reading Diana Cox's "DS Math" at DSfacts.com, if it's still available. It might be here in the files as well. I am personally NOT a math or numbers girl, they make my head hurt. So I just focus on fatty protein grams in a day. When I reach my required amount for the day, I relax and eat other things that I'm hungry for.

We are not jumping on you, although it might feel like it. We all just want to help you avoid the pitfalls we had ourselves. That's why we post and talk to you. Because we genuinely care that you do well with this DS.

Relax and let the DS work it's magic. Focus on what gives you comfort, and forget the rest.

I do not feel that you are jumping on me. You all are very helpful and supporting. Thank you for all the help so far.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Well, then here's how it looks, more or less, for you:

50 grams complex carbs, not absorbed at 100% but we'll call it that = 200 calories
150 grams protein at 50% = 300 calories
100 grams fat at 20% = 180 calories

Total ~ 680 calories .....Or fewer calories than were given (officially, on paper) to the slave laborers in Nazi death camps, which planned, using the best science of the day, to use up all the energy existing in each laborer--planned death by starvation.

Folks like us, the ones with the most efficient metabolisms, lasted the longest.

See how ridiculous it is to run your DS by counting calories?

 

[Honeybeeblue]

Well, then here's how it looks, more or less, for you:

50 grams complex carbs, not absorbed at 100% but we'll call it that = 200 calories
150 grams protein at 50% = 300 calories
100 grams fat at 20% = 180 calories

Total ~ 680 calories .....Or fewer calories than were given (officially, on paper) to the slave laborers in Nazi death camps, which planned, using the best science of the day, to use up all the energy existing in each laborer--planned death by starvation.

Folks like us, the ones with the most efficient metabolisms, lasted the longest.

See how ridiculous it is to run your DS by counting calories?

Wow when you put it like that it sure does look and sound silly. I can finally eat and relax and stay away from silly numbers. Focus on protien and fat.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Counting calories is the way you used to do it. And, long run, it never worked.

So...yeah...count your protein and fat...and count carbs enough to limit them. (And go out for the ribeye, or a steak and lobster meal with PLENTY of drawn butter.)

 

[Barbara]

@Elizabeth N. @Spiky Bugger @Sheanie I am way early pre-op but wonder about counting protein, fat and carbs-- did you weigh everything in the beginning? I hated that about WE. Is that the best way at the start?