Alex Brecher

OMG! That sounds delish! Please share the recipe. http://healthyrecipesblogs.com/2013/11/04/eggs-baked-in-portobello-mushrooms/ I used garlic pepper seasoning and black pepper along with light sharp cheddar instead of parmesan. It was so good. I'm a dude! Going to need more details. How high? How long? Step by step instructions would be greatly appreciated!!

They do! I will post an announcement next time they're having one.

Copying and pasting from word to anywhere online that uses rich text or other online editors has always been an issue. We plan on upgrading this site as well as the text editor within the next 90 days or so. This should improve copying and pasting from word to bariatric pal.

You hear all kinds of stories about fat shaming and discrimination at work and everywhere else. You may have even experienced it from your coworkers or strangers you meet on the streets or in stores. It’s hard to prove, but I’m pretty sure it happened to me. Since I’ve lost the weight, I feel as though people treat me a lot better. They are more polite, and seem to have more respect for me even before they get to know me. That wasn’t the case before surgery. People seemed to assume I was lazy or stupid rather than giving me the benefit of the doubt at least until they knew me well enough to make a reasonable judgement. If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight (enough to be visible to other people), have you noticed that people treat you differently? Better or worse?

OMG! That sounds delish! Please share the recipe.

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Protein Power You already know protein is the foundation of every meal and snack you have. When you have protein at lunch, you keep your metabolism up, you feed your muscles, you reduce hunger for hours during the afternoon, and you’re less likely to nod off during an afternoon meeting. Good stuff! Here are some easy protein options for lunchtime. nonfat Greek or regular yogurt: plain or no sugar added. string cheese (cheese sticks) or other hard cheese, preferably low-fat. cooked chicken breast. hard-boiled eggs. canned tuna, salmon, or sardines. Filling up on Fiber Dietary fiber slows digestion. That means it’s a filling nutrient because it helps keep you full for hours – just like protein. Fiber also helps stabilize blood sugar: so your levels don’t spike as much after a meal, and they don’t drop and leave you starving too soon. Fiber isn’t just filling. It helps lower cholesterol. Plus, it’s a nutrient that comes in healthy foods, so choosing high-fiber foods helps you choose nutritious foods, too. Think of these sources of fiber, and think of the other nutrients they have. Vegetables and fruit have potassium, vitamins A and C, B vitamins, and tons of antioxidants. Legumes (beans, split peas, and lentils) have protein, B vitamins, and potassium. Whole Grains have vitamin E, magnesium, and antioxidants. Peanuts, nuts, and seeds have heart-healthy fats, vitamin E, and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols. So what’s easy for lunch? You could take a green salad with chopped vegetables, beans, and nuts; pinto beans with some cheese and shredded lettuce; stir-fry with any cooked vegetable and tofu, chicken, or fish; fruit salad or whole fruit (optional: with nuts or seeds); or fresh cut raw vegetables such as grape tomatoes and bell pepper strips. Putting It Together If you’re stuck for ideas for balanced, healthy, and portable lunches, these might help you out a little. Any kind of greens-based salad. Pack spinach, spring greens, or romaine or other lettuce leaves in a big container. In a smaller container, pack some healthy additions. Try cooked chicken, low-fat cheese, beans, or hard-boiled egg slices for protein, chopped vegetables or fruit such as grapes for extra fiber and nutrients, and sliced avocado or nuts for healthy fat. You can pack a couple tablespoons of light dressing on the side. One or more homemade “deli” or prepared salads, such as three-bean salad; Caprese salad with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese; marinated artichoke hearts with feta cheese; tuna, chicken, or egg salad with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Last night’s healthy leftovers such as chicken vegetable stir fry, chili, or veggie burger in a lettuce leaf. Roll-ups with all-natural ham or turkey spread with cottage cheese or non-fat cream cheese, plus carrot sticks. Whole or mashed sweet potato with Greek yogurt. Pack Some Snacks Your healthy lunch should include any snacks you’re planning to have in the morning or afternoon. Snacks keep your energy up and your metabolism going strong. They also reduce hunger so you’re not tempted to dive for whatever sugary, starchy, or fatty snacks you find in the vending machine or break room. Just like your lunch, your snacks should have some protein and fiber. They should also be calorie-controlled depending on your needs. For most weight loss surgery patients, snacks should have about 100 to 200 calories. These are some easy snack ideas. celery with fat-free cream cheese. almonds. dried garbanzo beans or edamame (green soybeans). carrots or apple slices with peanut butter. whole grain cereal or oats plus Greek yogurt. Use Helpful Helpers Packing your own lunch doesn’t need to be time-consuming or difficult. Feel free to use any helpful items you can find in the supermarket. Examples include salad mixes, pre-cut vegetables to eat or cook, low-sodium canned soups and beans, pre-cooked proteins such as ready-to-eat chicken breast strips, and single-serve packets of peanut and almond butter. You can use these helpful products, but beware of the diet saboteurs. Some may come in the form of way-too-big serving sizes, such as many pre-made deli salads. Others may be higher in calories or sugars than you expect, such as dried fruit. Some, such as canned and frozen products, can have hidden sugars and salt that you didn’t bargain for. Always read the label and ingredients! With these lunch ideas, you can easily make your own lunch and set yourself up for a healthy day. It doesn’t take much time to pack a lunch, especially once you get into the habit. By adding a few nutrients and saving a few calories each day, you can expect to see the results on the scale.

They weren't included in the current version of our app. It should be included in the next version, shortly.

@@CowgirlJane, Good luck with it. I have heard how painful kidney stones can be, and they sound awful. I really hope you can get it taken care of soon and figure out how you prevent more in the future!

@@Athenyx, Long flights are hard! One thing you can do in addition to walking around is to fidget. Kick your legs back and forth, do ankle circles, lift your legs up and down in your seat. It’s annoying to have to remember to do that – at least, I know sometimes I get lazy on the plane – but you’ll feel better after the flight. You can even set a timer to remind yourself every half hour or so. Drink plenty of water! Flights are super dehydrating. Figure out what you would normally drink if you were on the ground, and drink extra Fluid on top of that. With food, decide beforehand what you will eat, and take it with you. You don’t want to depend on airport or airplane food, especially if you’re worried about stomach trouble. If you do end up depending on airport food, there are usually some decent options. Even McDonald’s and Starbucks have things you can eat, like grilled chicken and oatmeal and fruit bowls and eggs. I would also suggest doing what you can to get plenty of rest in the days before the flight. The stronger you are going into it, the better you’ll do. Good luck!

I think I tried them all. At least, it sure seems like it. Most of them worked for me as long as I followed them. Probably the silliest thing I tried was drinking shakes to lose weight. Note to self: you’re not supposed to drink your calories if you want to lose weight! They just left me hungry and craving actual food. Thankfully, I never tried anything flat-out dangerous like some of those weight loss pills or supplements or cleanses.

Connie, thanks for this upcoming series. These are some serious issues you are planning to address! You are so right that even though these concerns may not adequately be addressed by surgeons, or proven by the scientific research, they are still real. I can’t wait to see the rest of your thoughts on these issues!

Most of us are creatures of habit, and that includes food prep. I tend to go down the same aisles at the supermarket and buy the same things week in and week out. Occasionally, though, I find or notice something for the first time, and it turns out to be a winner! My most recent find is seaweed Snacks. I know they’re hardly new, but I had not tasted them until recently. Now I am hooked! The small packages of dried, seasoned seaweed have only 30 calories each. They’re not as filling as some snacks, but they taste good and are definitely better for me to munch on than a lot of other crunchy snacks! Have you found any new products or new-to-you ingredients recently? What are they, and do you use them in recipes? Share your great finds here!

Thanks for all the grocery store tips! I’ll definitely be looking out for these as I go shopping! @@swimbikerun – I love it! Good luck with your gardening ventures!

Wow, quite a few have experienced changes in the way others treat you after weight loss! I’m not entirely surprised, though, based on my own experience. @@gowalking, good point about carrying yourself differently and that possibly contributing to the more positive treatment from other people. I think that does have something to do with it; I definitely do have more confidence. However, I think there’s still a big proportion of the better treatment that is due to people’s own decision based on how they see us. @@deeplue, I see your point. Hopefully your parents also see good things about you in other areas, and are voicing their pride in your weight loss because they know how hard this has been for you, and maybe that you’ve had to work harder at it than in other areas of your life? @@pink dahlia, Yes, it is a cycle! It is a vicious cycle when we are overweight and not making an effort to look good and be positive. That makes others treat us even worse. And it is a delightful cycle when we are losing weight and being cheerful and doing our best to look good!

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Weight loss surgery is a big deal. There’s a lot to be excited about. It’s a chance to start your life over and get back to the activities you love. It can let you lose weight and improve your health and energy levels. But it’s scary, too. If you’re pre-op, you might be afraid that people will judge you, that you’ll get a major complication from surgery (or even die on the operating table!), or that it won’t work for you. If you’re post-op, you might worry about regaining the weight over time, either because you don’t keep up the diet or you get a stretched stomach. You could worry about plastic surgery. If you have the band, you might worry about slippage or leakage down the line. So, what is your biggest fear about weight loss surgery? Is it something you worry about a lot, or is it just an awareness that it could happen? Is there anything you can do to prevent it from happening?

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style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! I hope you are doing well as winter may be coming to a close and spring is within sight! Hopefully, this winter has seen you move closer to your weight loss goals, whether that means scheduling surgery, losing some pounds, or keeping your healthy habits going strong as you maintain your loss. If you need a little motivation or some tips, look no further. The newsletter is here to help! Here’s what you’ll find. Choosing a Surgeon: Time-Tested Tips Member Spotlight in the Newsletter: Meet proudgrammy! Party Time! A Few Tips for the Perfect Healthy Bash If that’s not enough to get you going – or even if it is – make your next stop BariatricPal! The forums are there for encouragement, light banter, and heavy advice, while the store is there to make your bariatric diet so much easier. See you there! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Choosing a Surgeon: Time-Tested Tips Choosing a surgeon for your weight loss surgery can be one of the biggest decisions you make on the journey. You may not have much choice if you’re in an HMO or your insurance limits your options. If you’re self-pay or in some PPOs or other healthcare plans, though, you may have tons of choices. How can you get the surgeon that will you give you the tools you need to lose weight successfully? These are some of the basic tips for choosing a surgeon. Choose one with plenty of experience. Read reviews. Ask for recommendations from your primary care doctor and any friends or family members who are weight loss surgery patients. Find out about follow-up care and dietary support. Use your gut. It’s often good at telling which surgeon is right for you. Do You Understand Everything? Communication is a big part of weight loss surgery success. You need to understand what is happening to you and what your surgeon and nutritionist ask you to do. When choosing a surgeon, ask all of your questions about the procedure and the after care. Don’t blame yourself if you don’t understand what your surgeon answers. It’s your surgeon’s job to explain everything in terms you can understand. If you can’t understand and can’t get the surgeon to explain, it may be time for you to move on. This is too important of a decision to risk going with someone who cannot communicate. This Is as Good as It Gets It’s only natural to think things will get better, but don’t count on it when you’re choosing a surgeon. If surgeons don’t have time to meet with you and explain everything now, they won’t have time later. If you can’t get an appointment with the nutritionist now, it’s not going to be any easier later. In short, surgeons are putting their best foot forward when they’re trying to get you to commit to surgery with them. If they’re not satisfying you now, they’re not going to meet your expectations later. Go find a surgeon who starts off by going beyond your expectations – plenty of outstanding surgeons are out there! Member Spotlight in the Newsletter: Meet Proudgrammy! We are so delighted this month to feature proudgrammy in the Member Spotlight section of the newsletter. This 62-year-old was born in Hungary and escaped with her family during the Hungarian Revolution at the age of two. She is an encouraging and positive presence on BariatricPal, but things haven’t always been easy for her! Proudgrammy became overweight in her late teens. Her parents and four siblings were normal weight, and her mother was her worst critic. She even found out later that her ex talked to her parents about her weight! Proudgramy made many attempts to lose weight using the usual diets such as Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and Weight Watchers, but the weight did not stay off. It kept going up after her daughter was born. At 5’3”, proudgrammy’s high weight was 235 lbs. She decided to get the gastric sleeve because she was afraid of complications with the lap-band, and didn’t like the idea of malnutrition with the gastric bypass. She got surgery in 2011 at the age of 57, and is now weighing in at 130 lbs. and a BMI of 23. She’s had all kinds of victories on and off the scale. She’s cut out most medications, and is taking only half the amount of her epilepsy prescription as before. She feels healthier and happier than before. Some of the proud moments include having room to spare when sitting in the middle seat on an airplane, and shopping for smaller clothing sizes in regular stores. She’s also been able to enjoy volunteering at a hospital three days a week, whereas before surgery she had taken an early retirement and been reluctant to leave the house much. In the early days, proudgrammy came to BP to ask questions and get answers. Now she comes to give advice to newbies. She says that helps her stay on track and remember where she came from. Some of her advice is to be patient: the weight didn’t come on overnight, and won’t come off overnight. She also warns that maintenance is lifetime struggle. Thanks, proudgrammy, for being in our Member Spotlight and for being a great presence on BariatricPal. It is great to have you in the community! If you want to be in the newsletter or you want to nominate someone, please let us know in the Member Spotlight forum or by sending a private message (PM) to Alex Brecher. Everyone has a story to tell, and we want to hear yours! Remember, you don’t have to be at or near goal weight to be in the newsletter! Party Time! A Few Tips for the Perfect Healthy Bash Special occasions are some of the toughest time for weight loss surgery patients. Things like birthdays, get-togethers, and sports events – like March Madness – can remind you that life used to revolve around food – and that it no longer does. So what do you do when you want to party? Don’t worry, weight loss surgery patients can party just as hard as everyone else. It just may be a little different than it was before. Branch Out a Little Or a lot. You’re not a slave to the food table anymore. You now have the chance to enjoy all kinds of other activities besides guarding the buffet line. You can play with the kids, run the betting table, and circulate around the room to say hi to everyone else. You can take pictures. You can play volleyball. You can do whatever you want, because you’re not chained to your plate anymore! Score Big on Party Favorites! Still, let’s face it. Any good party needs good food. The BariatricPal Store has you covered! Let the others stick with their sugary cupcakes, starchy potato chips, and fatty dips. You can supply your own healthy fare – and you may find the others begging for more! These are a few great-tasting party ideas that use products from The BariatricPal Store. Raw veggies or Protein Honey Mustard Chips and dip made with non-fat cream cheese seasoned with Broccoli and Cheddar High Protein Soup Mix. BariatricPal Cinna Crunch N’ chocolate Protein Snack. You can make a gourmet snack mix by adding your own mix-ins like cashews, peanuts, and Protein pretzels. Party mix made with Peanut and Caramel and Chocolate Coated Protein Puffs Snack, plus almonds. Baked “fried chicken” coated in Low Carb Baking Mix and seasoned with Asian Style Sauce. Protein Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies. Love the party even more when you eat health and give yourself the chance to get involved in other activities! Whether or not you have any parties coming up, you can still use this advice every day. Weight loss surgery can be your inspiration to branch out and develop new interests while you choose healthy substitutes for old food favorites. Good luck finding your own healthy ways to celebrate special occasions and everyday life, and remember to share the experience on the forums!

If weight loss surgery is in your future, you’ve surely heard of the “liquid diet.” You may have heard of a clear liquid diet and a full liquid diet. You may know they come sometime before and after surgery. And beyond that, it may be a little hazy. Doing your liquid diet right can help you succeed with weight loss surgery. It can help you heal faster and lose more weight. So here’s the scoop on the liquid diets: what they are, when you follow them, and why they’re so confusing! Clear Liquid On a clear liquid diet, you only drink only clear liquids, that is, liquids you can mostly see through. Examples include water and flavored water (such as Crystal Light), sports and electrolyte drinks, diluted apple, grape, and cranberry juice, decaf tea, sugar-free juice drinks such as Kool Aid, broth and bouillon, and sugar-free popsicles. A clear liquid diet does NOT include protein shakes. It also excludes orange juice with pulp and carbonated drinks. Your surgery may ask you to go on a liquid diet a day or two before surgery. After surgery, you’ll be on a clear liquid diet for 1 to 2 days. Your surgeon may have you stay on it longer. When you get the clearance, you can begin your full liquid diet. Full Liquid The full liquid diet is more nutritious than the clear liquid diet. It can keep you nourished for weeks or months at a time. You may be on a full liquid pre-op diet for a few days or even weeks before surgery. A full liquid diet includes all the liquids on a clear liquid diet, plus milk. Your surgeon may allow watery cream of wheat and thin yogurt. A full liquid diet DOES include protein shakes. That’s key because it’s where you get most of your nutrients from. After surgery, you’ll stay on a full liquid diet until about 1 to 2 or more weeks post-op, depending on what your surgeon and nutritionist recommend. Then you’ll move to a pureed foods diet. The sooner you move from clear to full liquids, the sooner you can give your body important nutrients like protein. Still, don’t rush it! Giving your pouch, sleeve, or stomach more than it can handle is a sure way to develop complications, whether you’re shortly post-op or you just got a band fill. If you have the lap-band, you may be on a full liquid diet after a fill or adjustment. This may last a day or so. What’s the Point? Why go on a liquid diet? It’s a way of keeping you hydrated – and nourished, on the full liquid diet – without eating solid foods. Pre-op: It shrinks your liver, so the surgeon can see better and your surgery is safer. It also makes surgery safer because it helps you lose weight. Finally, it Post-op: It lets you stay hydrated without harming your surgery scars or getting in the way of healing. Your body uses some of the protein on a full liquid diet to help heal your wounds. After a fill: It lets you stay hydrated and get some nutrients even while you may be a little sore from the fill. What About Nutrients? Ask your surgeon or nutritionist what your daily goals are on the diet. You’ll probably be asked to have a minimum of 64 ounces of fluids, PLUS (if you’re on the full liquid diet) at least 65 grams of protein per day. You might be able to meet your nutrient needs if your protein shakes are fortified, but you might also be asked to take vitamin supplements. Liquid vitamins can help you get your vitamins without swallowing pills. Nearly all bariatric patients should take a multivitamin both before and after surgery. You might also need liquid iron, sublingual or liquid vitamin B12, and liquid calcium with vitamin D. If you’re among those weight loss surgery patients who are worried about losing hair after surgery, you might also want to consider a liquid biotin supplement. Ask Your Surgeon or Nutritionist! If you’ve done your research on liquid diets, you’ve probably noticed something: they’re all different! Ask five different experts or visit five different sites, and you’ll probably get five different sets of guidelines on liquid diets. They can vary in when you follow them and what you’re allowed to have. Why so different? For one thing, there’s a certain amount of risk and reward to weigh. Everyone agrees, for example, that you shouldn’t have celery and sunflower seeds the day after weight loss surgery. The risk of getting it caught in your band or ripping your surgery stitches apart are too great. But what about something less obvious, like decaf coffee? Some surgeons forbid it, claiming the acidity is too much of a risk. It can increase risk of heartburn irritate the stomach, which can slow healing. Other surgeons allow it. They may reason that the benefits of allowing it (hydration!) outweigh the risks of it doing any harm. There’s no single right answer; it’s a question of your health professional’s judgment. Another reason for different guidelines from different surgeons is that we don’t always know what’s best for YOU as an individual. Some patients respond differently, and there is no way to predict. So, some surgeons are conservative and forbid many foods, while others are more likely to allow you to experiment with a wider range of liquids. So, that’s all there is to it. The clear liquid diet is a short-term plan that can last a couple of days, while a full liquid diet can keep you going for weeks or more. Do your best to follow your surgeon or nutritionist’s guidelines, and you’ll be doing yourself a big favor!