Katie713

When the time is right, you can adapt some of the flavors you crave into healthier weight loss friendly recipes. For pizza flavor and a crispy crunch I've heard pepperoni slices nuked in the microwave or baked in the oven gives a crisp treat, if you top it with a little marinara and cheese, voila! pizza flavor...if you crave lasagna...try the ricotta bake which I make with meat sauce in the bottom of a ramekin, topped with ricotta cheese (mixed with an egg and parm) then more sauce and finally motzarella cheese and parmesan, and bake it in the oven at 375 until bubbly and browned on top (like 15-20 min)... For the taste of a brownie, I enjoy Protein bars but I limit the calories to 150 per serving and at least 10 grams of protein, I love the Atkins bars (low carb) or the Power Crunch bars. As for chips, once in awhile I do have some tortilla chips with some salsa or ceviche. It's a whole grain. I only allow myself a few on occasion. Mostly I focus on high protein items, but once in awhile I allow myself a treat. Then I get on with it, I no longer feel deprived! I know some people can't stop once they get started but thankfully I am not overindulging, I get full so fast I don't want to over eat...I hate that discomfort...and I do track my calories/carbs/protein/fluids, etc.

Follow your gut instincts. You may also want to add something to your diet like a fruit smoothie that has lots of nutrients, starting with some crushed ice, a banana, a frozen berry blend or frozen pineapple/mango and then a healthy green like spinach or kale with or without a plain protein boost. Both my sons are athletes and they swear by this concoction for energy. Follow up your work outs with a protein shake for your recovery mode. Perhaps you will soon be able to gauge whether this helps. You look great !

Congrats Thin Soon! Hope your recovery continues to go so well !!

Good Luck Slim Lady!! You're in good hands and the hospital is top notch!

From what I've read from the veteran sleevers here who've made it to goal, its a low carb diet that is most effective. I'm close to 4 months out too...and taking in about 800-1000 calories, under 50 grams of carbs most days, 70 grams of protein. I often have either cottage cheese with fruit for breakfast or an Atkins protein bar, salad with chicken for lunch and fish with steamed veggies for dinner. I have one protein shake a day and one protein bar to meet my protein goals, take my vitamins, and for snacks, nuts or cheese, sometimes a weight watchers ice cream bar at night or a SF fudgesicle. I still crave my chocolate!

Yep ! I'm adding them to my tuna, or as a snack item with some black olives on the side!

Good 4 you girl !! Work it!!

Check out the Flat Out bread website. I just found out about this product and the flat breads are high in Protein, low in calories, and they have whole grain products. They have some cool pizza recipes: http://www.flatoutbread.com/category/recipes/flatbread-wraps/grillin-pizza/

Happy Friday everybody !!!

You were gorgeous before your weight loss....but you are a shining star now...you've done great with your sleeve!!! Cute outfits too!!!

You should be ok just take it slow and chew well. I am loving my salads this summer. I'm about 14 weeks out and have been enjoying salads since week 6.

Tekara....such great news that it seems they got the tumor out and hopefully, all else turns up negative. For whatever reason, you were meant to take your health into your hands, and this decision, which led to the discovery of your polyps is so life changing. Enjoy every moment with your guy and your little girl !! I hope you get your sleeve surgery very soon so you can look your best and feel your best!! God Bless you and yours!!!!

peacequeen....glad to hear you are doing ok. If you did have some narrowing that might have caused the difficulty swallowing and food going down, I hope that this dilation improves that for you. At least you are done with this procedure and can move on. Hope you feel better soon!!

I would also love the recipe! Love crab cakes but dread the filler if it would be filled with carbs.

I took a month off work after surgery in early April so I was very in tune with how my body was healing and reacting to my my new dietary restrictions, digestion, etc. I would have to nap after most of my meals, especially the mid-day and evening meal. I would suddenly feel so tired and I knew I was home to recover, and allowed myself to follow the rythms and not fight them. I came to look forward to my little naps. At 3 months out, I don't need to nap after my meals anymore. But I do listen to my body much more as I move forward with my weight loss journey.

I would drink about 1 1/2 bottles per day for 60 grams total Protein of Isopure during the clear liquid stage. I would pour 2/3 of a bottle into a large plastic cup with lots of ice and just sip, sip, sip. The grape and orange flavors were tolerable. As the ice melts, it dilutes the taste of the Isopure enough to get it down easily enough. After those first days I never wanted to see the stuff again though! I would drink orange all morning and grape in the afternoon. For lunch and dinner I would have either chicken or beef broth.

Yes, for pureed/soft food stage, adding cheese is fine, as long as it is melted in. Right now it's all about texture so that you don't hurt your newly sleeved tummy as it's healing.

Are you taking a PPI?

Any kind of soft fish including tuna, steamed or baked tilapia, salmon or other fish including crab & lobster. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, steamed cauliflower, carrots or squash. Chili Beans, in fact any type of beans. Yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta Soups with more body like lentil, clam chowder, split pea with ham, bean with bacon Soup. Lunchmeat Braised meats - crockpot type meals are great during this time Good Luck!

Food is such an integral part of our lives, obviously we need it to survive, but the social aspect of our own experiences comes into the picture so strongly. Like you, I come from a family of wonderful cooks and the mantra at our table was the 3 ups, "Sit up, shut up, and eat up!" There were 9 of us at the dinner table, me and my 6 brothers and Mom & Dad, not to mention all the big family parties and my grandparents had a Mexican Deli so food was a huge part of our family life. During hard times, I remember that worry...how are we going to feed all the kids? As I grew up and had my own family and then became a single mom, the same thing rolled through my head, food, food, food. I have always loved food, and consider myself a foodie! The change in food intake is paramount now, as well as tracking and keeping myself in the weight loss mode, but I still love to cook and hang out with friends - I will never give up my love of food, I just have a new perspective! Thanks for your story!

One thing is for sure Ashlee...after you get through this, you will never take your health for granted again! You are a trooper, I have been following your story and I am blown away by all you have gone through! I had my gallbladder out years ago will no ill side effects from that. Hopefully this part of your ordeal with go like clockwork. Hang in there and let us know how you're doing.

I like almost all of the Atkins protein bars, they are 150-200 calories and 10-13 grams of protein. They have daybreak bars in cranberry almond and peanut butter fudge crunch with 2 net carbs and they are delicious for a breakfast on the go. The most decadent protein by far are the Power Crunch Bars they are basically a form of wafer cookie and really good. I only allow myself one bar a day and still drink one shake with 25 grams of protein.

I found that chicken especially white meat - is hard for me to tolerate. It feels awful going down and sits like cement block in my tummy. Hamburger meat does not sound appealing to me anymore, and actually I had been having a hard time digesting it, but strangely, tender steak goes down like a dream. Almost as easy as fish which is the best choice so far for me, it goes down easy, has plenty of Protein and is easy on the calories. I do eat nuts as a high protein snack. They don't bother me at all. I do not eat much corn as it is high in carbs, but I had one ear on the 4th of July and it went down fine. Popcorn is a no-no for me. I hate the way the gets stuck in my teeth! I drink both coffee and tea - caffeinated. I tried it out after 4-6 weeks with no issues.

Just incredible !! Congratulations !! What has been your dietary strategy? Calories/Protein/Carbs...just give me a glimpse of what a typical day of eating is for you. Thanks!! You look great !!

Here's something I picked up from the internet for high Protein foods: Beef · Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein · Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams · Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce chicken · Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein · Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size) · Drumstick – 11 grams · Wing – 6 grams · Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams Fish · Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce · Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein Pork · Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein · Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams · Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams eggs and Dairy · Egg, large - 6 grams protein · Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams · Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams · Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label · Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz · Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz · Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz Beans (including soy) · Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein · Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams · Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams · Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans · Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein · Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams Nuts and Seeds · Peanut Butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein · Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams · Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams · Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams · Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams · Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams · pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 8 grams · Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams