Sorry not even close to where you are, but wanted to say Congrats!

Spotz: so nice to see you back again. Congrats on your fabulous new athelticism!

I was always told ( I'm not a nut) that you need protein to support muscle mass. So you may want to increase your protein intake. You burn carbs when you do cardio, so a pre- cardio carb snack might be in order.

If you aren't keeping a food diary at this point, you might want to start it again, using FitDay or LoseIt, for example. They keep track of macro nutrients as well as calories. If you track your intake and then examine your results and how you feel after your workouts, you may be able to experientially determine what your unique nutrition needs are.

Of course, you also could consult a nut, given your new situation, it might be the right time for a professional assessment.

(You are correct that 1200 calories is a good maintenance number. That's what works for me But I do no where near your level of activities (arthritis, alas).

Hope this helps :)

I was typing almost exactly what farm girl said. The lean body mass you are building is going to require additional caloric intake. If you do not have enough energy stored when you exercise, your body will break down your muscle to create amino acids which then is converted into glucose, the best thing to do is to increase your caloric intake by 200 calories a week until the week you gain weight. The weight you gain with your exercise may just be muscle so you might have to work with it until you're happy with the way you look, the amount of exercise you are doing and the amount you are able to eat. The last thing I will say, is that I read somewhere, that one and a half to two years out from your surgery, if you do everything they tell you to do, you may require 1800 - 2400 calories if you have replaced fat with some lean muscle.

First: I recommend L- Glutamine and creatine in your morning protein shake. When I was working out kinda like you are, I upped my carbs a bit (but I wasn't trying to lose fat at that point...just trying to get get best body fat ration I could.

What you eat depends on your goals. Is it a particular weight or a particular body/fat composition.

The formar relies on caloric intake alone. The latter is a bit more complicated.

JJ

I'm eating around 2000 calories, close to 200 grams of protein. I am working toward better body composition, as I have FINALLY come to terms with the real meaning of numbers on the scale :-) Yesterday after work I rode 15 miles and had a one hour upper body strength training session at the gym. 15 minutes after the ride, I bonked. Felt like severe lack of sleep. My body just wanted to shut down. And that was at 6:45 pm. Way too soon for bedtime!

On Sunday, the ride was 2 hours, and I had eaten 430 cal. in 1 1/2 hours prior to riding. Ate half a Quest Bar an hour out, and had a Nectar ice water drink when I got back to the car. That was up at 8, riding at 9:30, normal Saturday errands etc. bonked at 2pm. I guess things are improving, just a bit.

Thank you guys for the help! And the congrats! After not posting in a while, it's like coming home! :-) nice to "see" everyone again! I think I'm on the right track now. I have been tracking all good, beverages, activity and sleep. Got a Fitbit in February. For someone who is NOT gadget oriented, I'm quite surprised how motivating this little wristband thingy is!

That should have been food, not good! Coffee hasn't kicked in yet :-D

Whoops! I meant - "wasn't trying to lose weight at that point"

It sounds like you are having fun!! Exercise is one of the healthier addictions, just don't overtrain - it can lead to injuries.

Bravo that you can get 200 grams of protein in a day! I was never able to get over 100 grams.

BTW - I want to see the 6 pack when you get it!!!

JJ