LisaS73

There are at least THREE Thanksgiving threads now.
Just saying.

some custard based pies without the crust would probably be good
a simple sugar free strawberry pie....make a pack of sugar free strawberry Jello according to the box directions and put it in the fridge. When it is about halfway set mix it with half a tub of sugar free cool whip. You can pour this into a pie crust and let it set, or pour it into individual cups as a "mouse"

My husband Roger and I are celebrating 37 years of marriage! My, how time flies. This year we have attended many receptions for newly marrieds and have admired all of the great gifts they receive. We often joke about


My husband Roger and I are celebrating 37 years of marriage! My, how time flies. This year we have attended many receptions for newly marrieds and have admired all of the great gifts they receive. We often joke about how great it would be to have a reception and invite all of our friends so we could get new stuff to replace our old worn out stuff. You know, like the toaster that only does one slice, the dull knives, and the old, “lost their fluff” towels.
Somehow after 37 years, we feel that we have earned it! Then I realized that we do have “good” knives and “good” towels and “good” china, but I have been saving them for years in the dining room and in my mother’s cedar chest.
You know, the ones I have been saving for…??? Well, that’s the thing I realized; that I didn’t really know exactly what or who I have been saving them for?? So I did it! Just the other day, I used the good towels! The good towels are bigger, softer, and even smell better than the everyday towels I have been using.
Such a silly thing, but using the good towels made me feel better about myself, and proud that I felt worthy of such a luxury. Since then, I have identified a few other little things that simply help me feel better; like keeping my car windows spot free, replacing my gunked up make up bag, getting my hair cut more often.
I don’t know about you, but I am quite convinced that my self-esteem is deeply connected to my eating and health habits. Hmm, seems that when I use the good towels, I feel better about myself and when I feel better about myself I eat less. Makes me wonder what other simple changes I might make. How about you? May I leave you with a challenge to do something special for yourself today? Something small and simple, yet something that will make you feel well and cared for. Then, see if it makes a difference in your eating habits. Come on; get out the good towels!

For a multitude of reasons, the weight loss surgery journey—mentally and physically-- is easier for some than others.
The first month or so can be understandably challenging.
I have treated hundreds of weight loss surgery patients here in New Jersey and can assure you of one fact:

It’s probably not going to be smooth sailing from day one—



like real life, there are going to be some obstacles thrown in your path.




I’d like to help you overcome some post-op issues that may come up:
Recover From Your Operation First, Then Focus on Weight Reduction
You’ve prepared for weight loss surgery for a long time and you’re eager to start shedding those pounds--right now. But first, it’s far more important to heal properly after your operation. As a result, you'll very likely lose weight faster and avoid complications which could potentially set you back.
“I’m Not Losing Enough Weight!”
That’s a common concern and one that is certainly justified! Often patients think they will never be able to overcome obesity and metabolic disease since WLS was a last-ditch effort after years of dieting didn’t work.
Keep your nutrition diary updated. Keep moving. Drink all that Water every day. If you didn’t see the scale move this week, you’ll be happier next week. If not, call your bariatric doctor to take a closer look to determine what is causing this temporary setback.
Doubting Your Decision
I view the first few weeks or even months after weight loss surgery as a perfect storm for generating self-doubts about your choice to have the sleeve, gastric bypass or the lap band.
You now realize that subscribing to a lifetime commitment of changing your eating habits and lifestyle is a pretty big deal.
Additionally, you have not eaten solid foods for weeks, which can also be unnerving to some people.
These feelings are completely normal—and temporary.
You’ve undergone a big life change that’s going to take some time to get used to.
Just make a little note to carry with you that says:
1) You are fighting back against obesity-related diseases.
2) You are lengthening your lifespan.
3) You are going to enjoy a significantly improved quality of life.
4) You will look better and feel great every day.
Comparing Your Weight Loss to Others
Everyone fighting obesity is completely unique. While Bob may lose 28 pounds in the first month, Linda may lose only 15. Months down the line, the weight loss figures even out, more often than not.
Think about it. A general round number for great first-year weight loss after bariatric surgery is 100 pounds. That’s an average of 2 pounds a week, or 8 pounds a month.
If you lost 20 pounds in your first month, you’re doing fantastic! To hit 100 pounds in your first year, you won’t even lose a pound every three days.
Don’t worry if the scale doesn’t go down every single day. If you’re eating right, you’ll lose weight.
Better yet, only weigh yourself about once a week.
Take Weight Loss Surgery One Day at a Time
No matter how frustrated you may feel at times, stay positive and focus on following your bariatric team’s instructions to the letter. Continue to eat a liquid diet and then pureed foods. Use this recovery time to plan a day-to-day system to help achieve your long-term success. Learn to measure your food. Schedule specific days/times for food prep, sleep and exercise.
Should you have any pain or discomfort of any kind, call your doctor sooner rather than later. (Yes, it’s often gas, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!)
We want to hear how you’re doing, I assure you.
Weight loss surgery is a lifetime adventure. Your world is changing for the better. When you are temporarily frustrated or disappointed, move forward, look ahead. Because your future is going to be very bright (and healthy!) indeed.
(Photo Credit: Courtesy Witthaya Phonsawat via freedigitalphotos.net)

I am in orange too Anna! Small world!!

I am in orange too Anna! Small world!!

While you are on the puree stage it does seem like a waste. Later when you are on regular solid foods, that is different. You have very little stomach room right now and fruit seems like a bad choice.
Try to find better nutritional advisers.

No, my bariatric program encourages eating fruit -- after we have conquered Protein, colored veggies, and have a little more room left.
I think your surgeon doesn't know squat about nutrition.
Many fruits have a lot more going for them than "just a sugar stick," including Fiber, Vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, phytonutrients.

Im in Orange

I just finished a bag of the Parmesan ones and they're pretty good.

Absolutely! Jerkey is one of my favorites.
I have had popcorn several times though. The SmartPop by Orville Redenbacher has 100 calories and 19 carbs for 5 cups. I measured out a single cup, and gave my DH the rest.
That cup of popcorn logs in at 20 calories and 5 carbs... it worked into my day just fine as a planned treat! The key is to not eat the whole bag, which I don't even think would be possible now!

Are you unknowingly following some of your old dieting habits? After decades of dieting it can be hard to let go of old beliefs and behaviors. But be careful, some of those old rules and tricks are downright dangerous after WLS.


Bariatric Dietitian Elizabeth Anderson unveils 5 common but Dangerous Diet Myths.
Today, myth #2--low calorie food don't count.
Let’s start with pure, innocent popcorn.< /p>
Popcorn is a great, high volume, low calorie, whole grain snack-- if prepared in a healthful way.
Dieters love air-popped popcorn! It provides a BIG feeling of fullness for very few calories. It can be a great tool for managing late night snacking when you’re watching your weight …
if you aren’t a bariatric surgery patient.
For weight loss surgery patients, it’s that feeling of fullness that’s the concern. After WLS, you’ve got to be very careful about high volume foods—even if they’re ‘healthy’ or low calorie.
Those neat little bags of baby carrots are a classic example.
In many diet plans, these low calorie veggies are the perfect ‘free food’ because they’re high in nutrition. I’ve had many clients tell me this is their go-to snack because ‘they really don’t count.’
Don’t get me wrong, we all need vegetables and carrots ARE super healthy. But WLS surgery intentionally left you with precious little capacity in your pouch or sleeve.
For the very best and most healthy weight loss/maintenance, you need to fill that tiny space very strategically. Protein, vegetables, whole grains—in that order.
Be careful not to override your surgical tool with very low calorie vegetables or…popcorn. Yes, they’re healthy but standard dieting advice is just one more of things that don’t fit after WLS.
Tomorrow dangerous diet tip #3: Fooling Your Stomach with Fluid.< /p>

'If I'm not really hungry for lunch, what's the big deal about skipping it?'
Bariatric Dietitian Elizabeth Anderson sheds light on the classic diet technique of skipping meals to save calories.


After decades of dieting—books, programs and classes—the ‘rules’ of dieting can become second nature, perhaps even subconscious.
Following these practices can reap temporary results for dieters, but for weight loss surgery patients, these rules can be unhealthy and even dangerous.
In our hustle-bustle, productivity-obsessed work world, taking time for lunch can seem like a time suck. It’s almost virtuous in this country to skip meals because you’re ‘just too busy to eat.’ Hey, it’s a win-win, right? Your work dedication impresses the boss and, extra bonus--you didn’t consume any of those lunch-time calories! Great for the diet, right? Wrong.
Missing meals isn’t smart for the dieter or the bariatric patient. Skipping meals throws off metabolism and triggers a biological effect in our brains making it almost impossible not to overeat at the next meal.
But before that, a skipped lunch sabotages those ‘saved’ calories if we start justifying grazing with the thought, ‘It’s okay, I didn’t eat lunch, I can have this.’
For bariatric patients, eating three meals and two portioned Snacks each day is essential to:

· reach your ideal weight loss
· maintain weight loss
· keep blood sugar balanced
· manage hunger by keeping your pouch or sleeve comfortably full
· fuel your body during the most active part of your day Bottom line, a missed meal compromises your weight loss and weight management efforts.
I tell my clients to think of skipped meals like missed sleep; your body doesn’t dig it and will let you know! You’ll slog through the day without sleep and you’ll be a starving beast at dinner if you miss lunch.
Tomorrow, dangerous diet tip #2: Low calorie, high volume foods are your best friend.

How much hummus can you load onto a chip, cracker or pita wedge?
If hummus is healthy, is it a freebie food after surgery?
Bariatric Dietitian Elizabeth Anderson helps clear the air.


“But Elizabeth, hummus is supposed to be good for you.”
My post gastric sleeve client sat across from me in the office, confused and frustrated.
“Are you telling me I can’t eat hummus?”
As a bariatric dietitian, I’ll tell you what I told him, “You can eat hummus…. cautiously.”
Here’s the deal with hummus. Hummus is a savory and delicious, bean-based condiment or dip.
Yes, it’s full of good-for-you monounsaturated fat but at 50 calories per 2 tablespoons—the good times add up FAST.
Every two bites mean 50 calories.
4 bites = 100 calories.
You get the idea.
If you’re not paying a whole lot of attention to your snacking --you can easily be in pain and overloaded with calories in no time.
The hummus example is just one in a long line of misconceptions that set dieters back but can be downright dangerous for weight loss surgery patients.
I’ve picked 5 of these misunderstood dieting tricks and in the next five days I’ll clear the air.
Tomorrow check out the first myth: missed meals = missed calories.

I've been thinking about this. My local grocery store sells large and thin pita pockets that are 100 calories each. I'm thinking you could cut one up into quite a few little triangles (16-24) and the bake em with salt & pepper (maybe garlic or onion powder) in a Pam coated baking pan.
Combine with a Greek yogurt dip and you'd have more than you possibly eat without going over 150 calories.

Practice does not make perfect. Yep, you read that right. If you are hoping for perfection in the journey after weight loss surgery, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. There are going to be setbacks along the way, so how do you prepare for that?


Depending on how you approach this journey, you may enter it “gung-ho” thinking “I'm in this to hit my goal in the quickest time possible and I'm going to stay there no matter what!” That is an awesome attitude! I think it is great! However, when a setback occurs, it's best to be prepared so that it doesn't hit you so hard that you fall on your butt in shock and not know how to jump up and keep pushing forward again. Here are some key things to remember.
You are not perfect. Sorry, but it's true. Neither am I. None of us are. It's a fact that we all have to embrace and accept. If we can come to terms with the fact that there WILL be setbacks, we will get a lot closer toward are goals than if we get discouraged by every bump in the road.
There is something to be learned from a setback. So you gave in and had some of your “old” favorite food. Was it fabulous? Okay, cool. What did you learn from the experience? Did you dump? Have guilt? Feel disappointed? Take a moment to really listen to your mind, heart, and body to determine what you learned and go forward from there.
Success is long term. You did not gain the weight overnight, and you won't REGAIN it all overnight, either! Don't beat yourself up over one setback. If you start being too hard on yourself, go back to #2 and check in again. Live through it, learn from it, and don't press the repeat button.
Be kind to yourself. Take note of the small successes along the path of your journey. You chose not to partake in your “old” favorite food? Bravo! Do something nice for yourself that DOESN'T involve food. You came up with a new recipe that is a WLS-friendly version of something you love? Way to go! Share it with friends as you binge watch your favorite series.

There are so many obstacles that you will face in your new life, don't overwhelm yourself trying to get everything perfect. There's no such thing. Just aim for “close enough” and you'll stay on track.

Our nutrition guidelines specifically mention incorporating skim or 1 percent milk when you do have milk. This is for milk that comes from cows. We get questions from our patients about what that really means.


Milk that has no fat is also called skimmed, fat-free, non-fat or 0 percent fat. The USDA National Nutrient Database uses the terms nonfat, fat-free and skim as descriptors for milk with no fat. The fat content of the milk refers to the percentage of weight that the fat contributes to the serving size. It does not refer to the percent of calories the fat contributes. Each 8-ounce cup of milk, no matter how much fat, will have 12 grams of carbohydrate as milk sugar.
Milk sugar is also called lactose. Each 8-ounce cup of milk will also have 8 grams of Protein. An 8-ounce cup of skim milk has 80 calories. Milk with 1 percent fat is also referred to as low-fat milk and has 100 calories and 2 grams fat. Milk with 2 percent fat is also referred to reduce- fat milk and has 120 calories and 5 grams fat. Whole milk is also called Vitamin D milk and has 150 calories and 8 grams fat.
Most of the fat in milk is saturated, which can contribute to elevated cholesterol. Increased fat also means increased calories and a potential for dumping issues. Along with protein, milk also packs in Calcium, potassium and Water. There are several lactose free milks on the market if you are lactose intolerant. For those that enjoy milk, you are getting a nutrition-packed Fluid. Next week’s tip will be an overview of the other milks on the market like almond and cashew milks. Stay tuned!

@@LumpySpacePrincess gave you some of the best advice I've seen around these parts.
I'm a couple weeks further out than you, and I can rarely eat vegetables at this point - it's all Protein. For Breakfast I have one scrambled egg with a little cheese in it. For lunch I have one slice of meatloaf, or some steak, or chicken, or shrimp, or fish, or meatballs (Costco) whatever is leftover from dinner the night before - no more than1/3 cup.
After dinner I like a sugar-free popsicle.
For Breakfast, if I don't feel like cooking an egg, I'll have a dannon light & fit yogurt (I checked the labels yesterday on that vs. Oikos triple zero - Oikos has 3 grams more Protein but also more carbs), or a piece of lunch meat wrapped around cheese and heated in a pan.
My fluids are crystal light, unless I'm in a store and I'm thirsty then I'll have a bottled Water. Definitely no juice.
That's it.

Tips from a successful sleever on what made me more successful than most (in my observation and talking with others who were sleeved at the same time as me)
1. Protein and Produce before Carbs and Crap. If it is a starchy veggie or fruit, put it in the carbs and crap category (any root veg like potatoes, carrots, parsnips unless consuming less than a teaspoon per meal). Green leafies and very low carb veg (spinach, mushrooms, sometimes onions and peppers in very small amounts) are the only things that should go in the produce category so far.
2. Track, track, and track some more! Find a website you like. I like sparkpeople.com because it has a function to let you enter in your own recipes by ingredients, calculate servings, etc so you know exactly what you are putting in your body.
3. Watch your calories! At this point, you should still be around 650-800 calories per day total. And your carbs! You should be around 50 total for the day, if not less.
4. Keep your Protein HIGH with lean meats such as tuna, shrimp, chicken (dark meat is OK if you have trouble with white meat), and extra lean ground beef. Fill up on your meat portion FIRST before you take a single bite of any veg or side dish!! This will keep you fuller longer and stop blood sugar spikes that cause false hunger later. If you find you are hungry between meals, plain non-fat greek yogurt (single serve cup) sweetened with splenda or similar will cut cravings and give you an extra protein boost.
5. You have no more hunger hormone; you are not physically hungry you are either thirsty, emotional, or bored! Take a drink of Water (or a few!) and find an activity to do instead of eat unless it is a designated meal time. AVOID SNACKING LIKE THE PLAGUE! That "eat every few hours" concept is bunk and can lead to you eating hundreds of extra calories during the day you do not need.
6. Plan your meals out in your tracker first thing in the morning so you know exactly what you are going to eat and when. This helps curb snacking because future meals are no longer an unknown.
7. Get moving! It doesn't have to be much. Park your car further from the door and jog at a comfortable pace to and from your car. Take stairs. Get up and dance to the theme songs of tv shows you watch. Dance with your cat, dance with your gram, just move a bit!
8. No refined sugar. PERIOD. You'll get it back later, but for now, Splenda is your best friend!
9. Watch your portion sizes! At this point, one third measured cup total per meal (unless it is something like plain non-fat yogurt or similar) should be more than enough. One extra bite today leads to two next week which leads to very little restriction a year out.
10. Lastly, if you are having trouble emotionally adjusting or the thought of letting go of food is troubling you, find a therapist to talk to. They are invaluable throughout this experience!
I am almost two years out. I lost almost all my weight in 10 months after surgery using these parameters and I have been able to keep it off for 13 months. Good luck!

Today i am putting a pork loin roast in the crockpot with fat free italian dressing, carrots, mushrooms, onions and brussel sprouts. On low for about 12 hours. YUMMMMM

Today i am putting a pork loin roast in the crockpot with fat free italian dressing, carrots, mushrooms, onions and brussel sprouts. On low for about 12 hours. YUMMMMM

Try Pinterest

There were some really good slow cooker recipes in the myfitnesspal site:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/15-slow-cooker-recipes-under-375-calories/?user_id=102838197669437&alt_source=mfp&alt_medium=email&alt_campaign=weekly20151012&utm_source=mfp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly20151012&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoksq7LZKXonjHpfsX96O0pWKS1lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DRcBiI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFSrTFMblm0LgLXhM%3D

I love my slow cooker, and with 5 kids (all grown now), I used it a lot. I always hated the clean-up! Then I discovered Reynolds slow cooker liners. They are plastic bags, (but don't melt) and when you are ready, just lift them out, leaving a clean crock-pot!

I had the same Dr and mine was done on 9/28. I live in Fort Worth.