beachgal2935

@@Knitchic You're very welcome! Thank you for the inspiration. I now have chocolate and butterscotch pudding in a couple of the molds and the others are filled with different flavors of Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt. I'm loving having such a variety of high Protein Snacks that I can sink my teeth into that last quite a long time

@@ImBringingLisaBack RNY Being on here is step #1! I researched everything I possibly could ... Vitamins, Calcium, Protein shakes, etc. I ordered and tried several types of Protein Shakes, powders (flavored and unflavored), bars. Try different recipes for the different stages you'll go through. Have your home stocked with the essentials. Being prepared is the key to success. I had my surgery at Mayo and they have two separate after care meetings once per month. One is for post-ops under a year and the other one year and out. I attended 3 months of meetings prior to my surgery and listened, asked questions and learned so much. I took ear plugs and an eye mask so I could get as much rest/sleep as possible in the hospital. Lucky for me, my surgery was at 8 am and I went home the next day at 6 pm. I was very blessed to be feeling wonderful by day 3 and off the pain meds by day 4! I'm almost 6 months post-op and I never leave the house without my little cooler complete with a protein Water, Protein shake, regular water and a Protein Bar. You never want to get stuck somewhere and "choose" to eat something you shouldn't because there wasn't anything healthy. There are no excuses if you're prepared

@RuxieGirl Here are a few of my fave recipes: Magic Crust Quiche - Ham Ingredients 2 cups 1% Lowfat Milk 1/2 cup All-purpose flour 5 large eggs 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded 7 oz Ham diced small 1/4 cup Cooked red bell pepper diced small 1/4 cup Cooked Vidalia or sweet onion diced small Preheat oven to 350˚. In a blender or NutriBullet, mix eggs, milk and flour until blended, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder or whatever you’d like. In a bowl combine all cheeses, cooked meat and cooked veggies. Now add blended mixture and stir to combine. Pour into an 8”x8” or 9”x9” square glass dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let stand 5-10 before serving. You can add whatever cheeses, veggies or meats suit your taste. I steer clear of chicken as it seems to dry to me. The small amount of flour firms up the sides and bottom making the “magic crust” while saving tons of calories. The Nutrition Facts are based on recipe above. FYI - the heavier meats, like ground beef, tend to fall to the bottom. Serving size is approximately 2”x2 1/2” Nutrition Facts Servings 12 Per serving: Calories 120 Protein 12g Fat 5g Cholesterol 94 mg Sodium 253 mg Potassium 59 mg Total Carbohydrate 7 g Sugars 2 g pizza CRUST – (Chicken) Ingredients One pound ground (raw) chicken breast ¼ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne) Tools Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combing method) Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust) Parchment paper Wax paper Rolling pin Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray Instructions Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness). Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings. Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier. Crust Only: Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving: Servings 6.0 Calories 114 Total Fat 3g Carbohydrate 1g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 0g Protein 19g As Prepared : 1 Tbsp Prego pizza sauce 2 Tbsp Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds 1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion 1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper ½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef Nutrition Facts Servings 1.0 Calories 238 Total Fat 10g Carbohydrate 5g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 2g Protein 31g Premier Protein pudding Cups or Pops Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy! Nutrition Facts – Pudding Nutrition Facts – Pudding Pop Serving size: ½ cup Serving Size: 1 Pop Calories 93 Calories 62 Fat 1g Fat 1g Carbs 10g Carbs 7g Fiber 2g Fiber 1g Sugars 0g Sugars 0g Protein 12g Protein 8g Crustless Protein pumpkin Pie 15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling) ½ cup Egg whites 1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake ¾ cup Splenda ½ tsp. Salt 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving. Nutrition Facts – Pie Only Servings: 6 Calories 77 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Fiber 4g Sugars 6g Protein 9g

@@Alicia Richards You will be just fine. I had surgery at 8 am and the next morning at 8 am they weighed me. When I saw that I'd gained 9 lbs. I was furious. I had just spent 2 weeks losing 15 lbs. on a liquid diet and now had to lose this same 9 lbs. all over again ... what?! I heard, "Oh it's just the fluids we've been filling you with post surgery. You'll lose it." Well of course I will as I have no choice, but I still had to lose it! I find it funny (not laughing funny) they neglect to tell you this when going through all those months pre-surgery. Anyways at almost 6 months post-op and 81 lbs. down, I can laugh at it now. The surgery will do its job so long as you follow your plan. Here's some very sound advice to take to heart: Follow Your Plan Too many people treat bariatric surgery as if it is simply a diet and turn their head to the intensity of the operation. A smart friend quipped that if we woke up with a giant bolt going through our leg we would get it, but since there are Band-Aids on our belly, we think it’s nothing. Your internal surgical wounds must heal – this is no time to go to the mall, out to dinner, visiting friends and on vacation. Sew what? In terms of food, you must stick to your surgeons program for post op food stages. You need time to allow the tiny pouch cut and sewn from the fabric of your giant floppy stomach to heal itself closed. We have all glued something only to have the seams pop open. The liquid and soft food stages are to avoid stressing pouch seams and give your stomach a break from the process of digestion. Is ice cream a puree? Sirloin steak is not a soft food. Ice cream is NOT a puree. You can’t eat popcorn, raw carrots or celery ten days after surgery. People ask if we think they could have a pork chop, we say ‘no’, they eat it anyhow, then tell us ‘they didn’t have a problem’. No alcohol for a year… non negotiable… but people push back saying their surgeon said five weeks was okay. Folks… we know better and we are trying to help you. General Tso? NOT your friend The post op dietary stages are not a suggestion, they are a requirement for you own safety. You cannot eat Chinese food the week after surgery because you ‘chew it well’. A ‘craving’ for Orange chicken landed one support group member in the hospital! It’s a very bad idea to push. Being ‘released’ to ‘regular food’ does not mean what you think it does, but you already know that. How long until you can have pizza again? “Pizza is not a food for someone having obesity surgery.” (that’s a quote from Dr. N on My 600 lb Life) Every single week in our support group, these actions land new post ops in the hospital. Sip sip sip sip sip… If you had a back injury, you would not tile your kitchen floor the same week. Yet, people think nothing of making a trip to a theme park when they should be at home resting and taking in fluids. People ask us ‘Do you think I would be able to go on a cruise two weeks after my sleeve?’ (Nooooo!) As high as 30% of post ops are dehydrated enough to land back in the hospital with a Fluid IV. Not drinking enough Water after surgery can cause heart damage. Dehydration is the most common bariatric complication, yet it’s largely avoidable. Stay home and heal… drink hot water, cold water, broth, Diet Snapple, herbal tea, eat sf ice pops and Jello. (We have a free bariatric water app called HY, click for GetHyApp.com) What’s eating you? If eating is a compulsion that you cannot control, ask your surgeon to suggest someone for you to talk to. A therapist can help you come to conclusions about your life – you talk, they listen and even after one chat you’ll often have a clearer truth of why you use eating as comfort. Knowing what drives you can help you deal with your eating issues to better work with your surgery. Vitamins are critical It is impossible for you to have your stomach surgically removed or reconfigured and take in the nutrients needed to run your body. While your surgeons group has mentioned Flintstones, that is so you will possibly take something instead of being one of the 67% of post ops who take nothing. They are not optimal and won’t prevent long term problems like broken bones from simple falls and losing teeth, but may keep you from dying in the short term. The idea behind supplements is to prevent issues from grabbing you in twenty years when it’s too late to change the path. Take them! Protein from food? What a novel idea! Yes, yes, yes, we’d all like to get our protein from food and that’s what you want to hear. However, if you are unable to take in 70 grams of protein per day, you can either weaken and lose your hair or you can figure out another way until you are able to learn and eat the right foods. Protein drinks make up the difference between what you can eat and what you need. They are not simply a tasty beverage for your enjoyment for you to be all picky and ridiculous over. They are the antidote for your disease of morbid obesity. Morbid means death and obesity surgery only slows and reverses the disease IF you follow your plan.

@StephOnTheMove So sorry to hear this. The human body becomes dehydrated when it loses more fluids than it consumes. Nausea can be a symptom of dehydration, as well as a cause of the condition. Human bodies need Water in order to function properly, so dehydration can be a serious problem if it is not addressed quickly. Not sure if you're getting enough fluids, but what about trying Protein2o water, (like H2o). You can go to their website drinkprotein2o and put in your zip code to find which stores carry it in your area. For 70 calories it packs 15g of Protein in just one 16 oz. bottle! Comes in 4 delicious flavors. I pray tomorrow will be a better day for you.

@@sarahbethemails You might want to try this - Protein2o Water, (like H2o). You can go to their website drinkprotein2o and put in your zip code to find which stores carry it in your area. For 70 calories it packs 15g of Protein in just one 16 oz. bottle! Comes in 4 delicious flavors. It helps me continue to get in my 100+ grams per day at almost 6 months post-op

Premier is my favorite as well. If you want Protein in your Water as another alternative, I love Protein2o (70 cals & 15g of protein in 16 oz. bottle). Go to drinkprotein2o and put in your zip code to find which stores carry them in your area. If that fails you can always order them from Amazon.

@@toasty Awe, I'm so sorry it didn't agree with you. Since you are only 1 month post-op, you're right, it may be the pumpkin or spices. My guess would be the spices. Not sure what brand you used but they do differ. I have McCormick (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice) and Trader Joe's (cinnamon, ginger, citrus, nutmeg, cloves and just a hint of cardamom). I used Trader Joe's. At least it tasted good going down, right?!

I'll be 54 this coming Saturday, always had big boobs. HW 285 lbs. SW 257 lbs. CW 176 lbs. Bra size was 46 DD and now 36 D. Don't look too bad in clothes but let's get real here ... that's after I lift everything up into the ole cup. This includes all the loose side fat - yuck! Yesterday was my annual mammogram. If that doesn't humble ya, nothing will. Felt bad for the nurse having to lift my "flat as a pancake" breast up and lay it on the machine. Good news? No breast cancer! Great news? I've suffered through much worse ... had a stroke the day before Thanksgiving 2013! As a result, I have a chronic debilitating nerve condition that while it won't kill me, I will die with it. Think of your worst sunburn ever and then a cheese grater vigorously scratching it. Add numbness when walking more than 20 minutes at a time and that's what my whole right side feels like 24/7! I choose to stay positive and this gift I've given myself of gastric bypass surgery will not be wasted. My sweet 80 year old mother asked me the other day, "Honey what will you do when you have loose skin?" My reply, "Just tuck it in my clothes and go on about my life because now at least I can have a life"!!! Don't worry as it changes nothing and only stresses your body out. Everything's going to be just fine

@@Tina1969 I went through Mayo's Pain Rehab a year ago because I have chronic pain due to a nerve condition called Thalamic Pain Syndrome. I have it as a result of a stroke I had 11/27/13. I'm on Gabapentin and Lyrica. They both come in liquid form. Have you ever been on either of them? I'm in 24/7 pain even with the meds but I can't imagine if I wasn't on them. They're actually membrane suppressants and not pain killers but I know Lyrica works for my best friend who has Fibro. Just an idea.

@@gbveteran4d I don't think you asked this question to be personally attacked. However, it seems you may have opened up a can of worms. That being said, I'll just share with you what we discussed in our monthly meeting this past Monday. Our meeting was comprised of post-ops from 5 weeks to 11 months out. Our psychologist is the one who runs the meeting and she's wonderful. She wrote on the board "food Quality"! We all had our surgery at Mayo. We all attended the same pre-op classes. We all were given the exact same booklet which I've posted pages from on this forum with what to eat at each stage of this process. Some of us read and studied the guidelines and some did not. Page 14 (shown here) is very specific when it states "Avoid these foods permanently: carbonated beverages, tough meats or meats with gristle, fried foods, crusty or doughy breads." Well a man in the meeting who's 3 months post-op proudly stated "I ate 2 slices of pizza (doughy bread) and a diet Coke yesterday and I was just fine. Why before my surgery I could eat a whole pizza". The Dr. didn't make a face, wasn't judgmental, but simply asked him his opinion on the food's quality. He didn't have an answer. This same man was in a wheelchair prior to WLS. Some people just don't get it. I don't think you're one of those people. I think you may be pushing the envelope because you don't believe in your heart of hearts that this tool you've been given will actually work for you. I told very few people I was having gastric bypass because I felt that way myself. I honestly thought, it will work for everyone else, but not me. It will just be another one of my diet failures. After all, that's what's always happened to me in the past. Then I finally listened to what we were being taught ... this isn't brain surgery, it's gut surgery. If we're not willing to change what we put into our mouths, we will fail once again. It's just that simple. That's why Mayo no longer performs lap band surgery because they found simply restricting food intake doesn't produce long term success. I made a vow to myself that I would do everything in my power to find and tweek recipes so I could enjoy the foods I love but with Bariatric compliant recipes. So far, so good, especially with my pizza (crust is made with ground chicken breast, is high Protein and tastes amazing). For the first time in 25+ years I feel there's hope for me. I encourage you to seek help and find your answer. Definitely NO judgement from me, only support and positivity because YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

When you've gotten to the stage where you can eat meat and you LOVE pizza like I do, give my recipe a try! The crust is made with ground chicken breast. I've included pictures for those who are "visual" like I am. Last time I made the crusts, I bought the 3 lb. package of ground chicken breast and it made 19 individual crusts. I put them in the green container and keep it in my freezer. When reheating, I use a pizza stone. I'll take a crust out of the freezer, put the stone in the oven and set it at 450°. Once heated I put the crust on the hot stone for about 30 seconds on each side. Then pull the stone out of oven, top the pizza and return to oven for 6 minutes. The pizza stone creates a crispier crust, especially the edges - YUM! Let me know if you have any questions or how you like it. PIZZA CRUST – (Chicken) Ingredients One pound ground (raw) chicken breast ¼ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne) Tools Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combing method) Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust) Parchment paper Wax paper Rolling pin Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray Instructions Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness). Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings. Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier. Crust Only: Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving: Servings 6.0 Calories 114 Total Fat 3g Carbohydrate 1g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 0g Protein 19g As Prepared : 1 Tbs Prego pizza sauce 2 Tbs Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds 1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion 1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper ½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef Nutrition Facts Servings 1.0 Calories 238 Total Fat 10g Carbohydrate 5g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 2g Protein 31g

@@TMG1980TMG I made and like the cauliflower crust but it is soft and doesn't reheat as well. I much prefer the chicken crust for two reasons. #1 it's higher in Protein and #2 it has more of a crust feel and gets really crispy around the edges which I love!

@@taysidebell Here's my pizza recipe. The last time I made the crusts, I bought a 3 lb. package of the ground chicken and it made 19 individual crusts. Now granted, since I could only bake 4 at a time, it took me over 2 hours in the kitchen. I put them in a container (pic) and keep it in my freezer. When I put my pizza stone in the oven and set it to 450° I pull one out. Once the oven is preheated, I just lay it on the hot stone for about 30 seconds on each side then put my sauce and toppings on and back in the oven for 6 minutes. It's well worth the prep time because when you want pizza, you've got it quickly! My husband and son like to order Pizza Hut once a week so now I eat pizza right along with them, only guilt free Lately, I've just been putting cheese and veggies on it since the crust is made of chicken! PIZZA CRUST – (Chicken) Ingredients One pound ground (raw) chicken breast ¼ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne) Tools Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combing method) Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust) Parchment paper Wax paper Rolling pin Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray Instructions Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness). Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings. Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier. Crust Only: Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving: Servings 6.0 Calories 114 Total Fat 3g Carbohydrate 1g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 0g Protein 19g As Prepared : 1 Tbsp Prego pizza sauce 2 Tbsp Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds 1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion 1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper ½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef Nutrition Facts Servings 1.0 Calories 238 Total Fat 10g Carbohydrate 5g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 2g Protein 31g

@@TMG1980TMG Yours looks really good! The flavor possibilities are endless. I've never baked mine in a round pie pan. Baking it in the 9x9 square pan, the crust stays pretty thin. I say whatever works, right?!

@@Dub When you're ready for some high Protein totally delicious pizza, let me know. It's always been one of my absolute favorite foods. I now eat it 2-3 times per week. The difference now is the crust is made with ground chicken. As weird as that may sound, it tastes AMAZING!!! I shared the recipe on here and with my after care class at Mayo last month. We had our monthly meeting tonight and 4 of the 7 people who took a copy of my recipe had made it. No one could believe how wonderful it tasted. My commitment is to not eat bread, Pasta or rice ever again!!! Tonight I gave them my crustless protein pumpkin pie recipe as well as my protein pudding cups & pops recipe. They said they can't wait to see what I'll bring them next month

I craved quiche and pizza. Luckily I was able to come up with Bariatric friendly recipes to satisfy both of those cravings. I just couldn't imagine never eating pizza again as it's one of my favorite foods. My next challenge will be finding a way to make Thanksgiving stuffing or as my family calls it "dressing" down here in the South! My 6th month post-op blood work and surgeon visits are 10/23 and NUT 10/27. I will definitely have something to pass by my NUT by then

@@Knitchic I researched these ProYo frozen yogurt treats and you're right, while they are high in Protein, they are very high in sugar. You inspired me to come up with a frozen treat which was high in protein but low in sugar and still tasted good, so here goes: Premier Protein pudding Pops 2 cups Premier chocolate protein shakes 1 small pkg Jello sugar-free/fat-free instant pudding (dry mix) Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet but if using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into Jello pudding pop molds or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each and are what the Nutrition info is based upon. Place in the freezer to set (approx. 2-3 hours). You can use any flavor pudding. I also made vanilla. Nutrition (Protein Pudding Pops) Serving size: 2 pops (5 1/3 oz.) Calories 124 Fat 1g Carbs 13g Fiber 3g Sugars 0g Protein 16g Nutrition (ProYo) Serving size: 4 oz. tube Calories 140 Fat 2g Carbs 16g Fiber 3g Sugars 13g Protein 20g You can certainly have just one pop but I listed the nutrition info as 2 for a better comparison to the ProYo. Next I will try breaking up either a Quest Cookies and cream or brownie Protein Bar, toasting it in the oven and then pulsing it in my mini food processor. I think adding in a few of the crunchy crumbs would make for an interesting texture to the bar. I'll let you know how that turns out

FYI - don't discount the loose stools. Trust me, with the high amounts of Protein we're required to take in, if you don't drink your Water and take your stool softner/miralax you will live to regret it! High protein diets = concrete poo which in turn = OUCH!!!

@@Dub LOL - I've never had this as a "snack". It's always been a meal for me and according to Mayo, where I had my surgery, it's 100% Bariatric compliant! As a matter of fact, they pass it out to new patients all the time now. I'm almost 6 months post-op and haven't cheated even once!!! I don't have to because I can find or come up with on my own, recipes to satisfy anything I want to eat. This is my new lifestyle and I'm fully embracing it

@@Daisee68 Absolutely not! I've been eating this since day 15 when I went on "soft" foods. I always input all ingredients into MyFitnessPal to calculate the nutrition facts. 1/2 cup of any kind of flour isn't going to affect us one way or another (unless you are gluten sensitive) because it makes 12 servings which equals only 2 tsp of flour per serving

You can sub any flour or milk

@@ImBringingLisaBack RNY I must admit ... my tastes haven't changed at all. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I'll tell you what I did pre-op. I tried several different Protein shakes which is where I found that I wasn't a fan of mixing the powders with Water (yuck). It may cost a little more to buy the ready-mades but well worth it to me. Premier is my favorite and the 12 packs go on sale at Sam's Club every couple of months for $12.99. That's when I stock up. At 30 grams of protein in only 11 oz., they're just really hard to beat. By using them I was able to get my 60 grams of protein in as early as day 2 post-op. I now use the vanilla in my coffee as creamer. I also love the Protein2o water because it tastes great and has 15 grams of protein in 16 oz. for only 70 calories. I drink one of those almost every day and then it counts as my water as well, win-win! You can go to their website drinkprotein2o.com, put in your zip code and find a retailer in your area. It helps me achieve my 110-120 grams of protein per day while staying between 800-850 calories. Whenever I leave the house I always carry my small neoprene cooler with an ice pack and some form of liquid Protein as well as a Quest Protein Bar. Preparation is key in setting yourself up for success! Please let us know how your 6 hour class goes. One of the ways I give back now is to sit in on a couple of those classes at Mayo where I had my surgery and answer questions. Most people don't want to hear a 98 lb. NUT telling them what they should and shouldn't do - LOL!