kcmagu

Try making a spinach dip using knorr spinach dip packet but instead of using mayo or sourcream - use 1/2 nonfat plain greek yogurt and 1/2 lowfat cottage cheese (or all yogurt) - blended in the blender till smooth. To boost flavor I add the following: 1/2 tsp salt (or to your liking), 1-2 packets splenda, 1/2 tsp of both dill and garlic powder. (This is great with veggies or chicken - and you made it so you know most of the ingredients and it has no oil or mayo) Once you've made the dip - toss it with chopped crab (I prefer fresh or canned instead of imitation - but do what you like), halved grape tomatoes, sliced black olives, chopped avocado, diced red bell pepper and either diced sweet onion or chopped green onions. One last ingredient I think compliments the sweetness of crab that would be great to toss in is sweet corn (either cooked and cut off the cob at this time of year, or sweet corn from the can, drained) Although making the dip is a little bit more work (not really but not as easy or quick as opening a jar) - I think the flavor and health aspects outweigh the ease of a jar. To counteract that - get the other ingredients you toss in (except for avocado) from the supermarket salad bar

I like to make mexican bowls - top shredded chicken, fajita meat, taco meat, etc with Beans, cheese, salsa, any mexican style ingredient (etc) MY FAVORITE - canned black beans - i prefer their texture to kidneys and with that will buy the more expensive brand only because i find them too have a creamier, softer texture as well. 1 can black beans, drained I then add the following to taste: ground cumin, garlic powder, salt warm in microwave and top with a light squeeze of fresh lime juice - great on their own but especially as said above

Let me make one thing clear - the following recipe still has calories and fat but it is lower in fat and calories than regular chocolate cake and has Protein - so it makes a nice chocolate cake fix and an even better alternative to a small piece of regular chocolate cake. It is FLOURLESS and for the most part (depending on which chocolate chips, vanilla you use) GLUTEN FREE. Although you won't believe it when you taste it - the main ingredient it garbanzo Beans - trust me - my family loved it! (recipe was adapted from a similar recipe on all recipes.com) Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake (12 servings) INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup eggbeaters 3/4 cup Splenda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. espresso powder (opt.) pinch of salt 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting Sliced strawberries for topping DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan. 2. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent. 3. Combine the beans and eggbeaters in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the Splenda, salt, espresso powder, vanilla and baking powder, pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. 4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving and top with sliced or diced strawberries. In addition to topping with strawberries - I like to serve it a-la-healthy-mode: instead of ice cream, top with a dollop of splenda sweetened greek style fat free plain yogurt Also good made as cupcakes (easier to keep to the 12 servings) - for a more decadent serving - warm slightly, poke a little hole in the top and place a small scoop of vanilla or coffee frozen yogurt - to help myself out I use a small scooper - golf ball sized scoops I've only made it post-banding and have not had a problem with it - maybe due to no flour - Good luck. Texture is similar to making a batch of brownies and using the cake style directions. Hope you enjoy!

B: 1/2 c. nonfat plain greek yogurt sweetened w/ splenda, 1/3 c chopped fresh strawberries and 1/4 c. granola flakes on top. L: chicken fajita bowl - 9 oz bowl filled with leftover chopped fajita chicken meat, grilled onions, black beans, shredded cheese, chopped fresh colored bell peppers and topped with a little dollop of guac. D: not sure yet - thinking about making turkey sloppy joes but instead of a bun eating it with a couple baked scoop chips s: latte

I am so glad you enjoyed them - my nephews love them too - my sister freezes them and reheats them in the toaster oven. (She makes a huge batch - she usually ends up using an entire large container of cottage cheese - of course there are 5 mouths in her household and no banders.

absolutely - the term pancakes is deceptive - if you closely look at the ingredients there is only 1/4 c. flour - very little in contrast to the amount of batter - it is mostly eggs and cottage cheese but texture-wise it seems like a thin pancake or thick crepe.

I hope you enjoy. We just had them while visiting my sister and we talked about how they remind us of a cross between pancakes and crepes - which is probably why they have inspired so many sweet and savory variations. -Speaking of we also tried fresh sliced peaches with sweetened ricotta cheese for me and sweetened cream cheese for her rolled up - delicious. Of course with as good as summer's fresh produce is - you can't really go wrong.

br: slim fast optima shake mixed w/ plain yogurt, blueberries and extra protein powder. snack: 1/3 a chicken, cheese, black bean enchilada lunch: 1/2 apple, couple grapes, 1 oz lite caramel, 2 oz diced cheese and a pack of snackwell cookies. (not the best meal - at least there was some protein) dinner: hamburger patty with slice of muenster cheese and some tampenade. i really need to work on my veggie intake!!

I am an RN in the ICU where we also do a lot of heavy lifting. Our hospital has done away with light duty on the unit - you will work as a secretary somewhere else or fold laundry, etc. So I took off 4 weeks - 3 weeks may have been doable with some minor discomfort but I did not want to take a chance.

I make something close to this by adding a little white queso (tostitos) just enough to add a little creaminess, shredded rotisserie chicken, canned black beans (drained) and even some drained chopped frozen spinach - it really ups the Protein and tastes fantastic!

I loved your idea and made a mexican version. I took the jarred tostitos white queso dip and added some to shredded rotisserie chicken, chopped frozen spinach, canned black beans (drained) and chopped sweet onion. Tastes like the inside of a scrumptious enchilada.

you should get about 4 - it's hard to say because it depends on what size you pour and this is a scaled down recipe.

I think I can still eat them - I've tried to avoid them though because they are something that pre-band I could just sit and eat blindly. I LOVE LAUGHING COW CHEESE! My favorite way to eat it comes from an old 70's era classic appetizer (I warn you it does not sound appetizing but tastes amazing) spread laughing cow cheese on a thin slice of hard salami and then place a mini sweet gerkhin pickle (mt olive makes one made with splenda) and roll up and enjoy - it satisfies all my creamy rich, salty, sweet cravings and the pickle gives it a little crunch. Trust me I know how it sounds - but oohh so good!:whatchutalkingabout

I just had to share this favorite of mine - I had originally posted it at the home page for food and nutrition but figured this might be a better place. You wouldn't think these would turn out or be good with so little flour but they do! Healthy pancakes 1/2 C. Eggbeaters (or 4 large eggs) 1/2 C. lowfat cottage cheese 1/4 C. flour (I use whole wheat - doesn't matter) 1/8 tsp. salt 1 Tbls cannola oil 1 Tbls Splenda 1/2 tsp vanilla Blend all in a blender/magic bullet until smooth. Allow to sit a few minutes to thicken. If batter thickens too much add a little milk. Coat griddle with cooking spray and heat until Water sizzles when dropped on griddle. (alternate adjustments: my mom doubles the cottage cheese and adds a little extra flour and egg beater - it still always seems to work out. I have not tried adding a little vanilla Protein powder but thought I would this week. I have given below some of the ways I use them - for the more savory options I will use half the splenda and instead of vanilla add a dash of cayenne - but I have also eaten the slightly sweetened ones in the savory ways and enjoyed them just fine.) You of course can just enjoy them as you would any pancake but here are some fun options: Sweet - Mix 2 tbls. reduced fat Peanut Butter (warmed a little in the microwave) with 2 packets splenda (tastes like a reeses) and smear some on a pancake and top with some chopped bananas, pears, apples or strawberries - ROLL and enjoy - I mix a little reduced fat or fat free cream cheese with a little homemade strawberry jam and warm it up and dip the pancake into it. Savory - layer with deli sliced turkey meat and sliced cheese - ROLL and enjoy - also good with a smear of Garlic and herb Boursin Cheese - Spread with a little warmed refried Beans, top with a little ground chicken or turkey taco meat and shredded cheese, ROLL and enjoy with a little salsa to dip in Breakfast - Top with a little scrambled eggbeater/egg, turkey sausage or bacon and shredded cheese - Roll around turkey sausage (brown and serve makes small turkey breakfast links) and dip in some warm maple syrup (think of a sweet pigs in a blanket) Hope you enjoy and have fun creating new ways to enjoy them - eating them alone offers some decent protein but I've enjoyed them in fun ways that add delicious alternatives and extra protein. _________________

If it's on the sweeter side - I love to mix the following ingredients: soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, splenda, a little rice wine vinegar (if you want the sauce a little thinner or for an asian vinagrette, and a dash of cayenne and sesame oil (go sparingly with both of these though).

sorry, so many people I know have one, I didn't think about it. It's a great mini blender - was originally an infomercial but now you can get them just about anywhere they sell small household appliances - target, bed bath & beyond, etc. ebay has them as well. It takes up little room, is high powered - really perfect for anyone but especially for us!

I personally never cared for the taste or texture of most protein shakes talked about here. But surprisingly to me back at the start of my journey, I have ended up loving the slim fast optima shakes - they have a high protein one as well. They're good on the grams of protein but are a little higher in sugar - but only because they are made with milk which has natural lactose (sugar in it) - for anybody who was on south beach - its why we could have lowfat dairy products even though the sugar grams were high. the calories are under 200. I think it is the combination of dairy and protein that makes them so satisfying both in keeping me from getting hungry and enjoying them. It has been 4 months since my surgery and I still have them occasionally if I need an easy, fast but nutritionally sound meal and especially on days after a fill when I'm tighter. In fact I just enjoyed one for breakfast today - I took a high protein creamy vanilla shake (my favorite) put it in the magic bullet with 1/4 c frozen blueberries, 1/4 c. plain lowfat yogurt and 1 packet splenda - it tastes like a blueberry cheesecake shake form a diner - not a protein shake.

Now I like to cut it into slices and marinate with portobellas in the following: 1/3 c soy sauce 1/3 c balsamic vinegar 2 tsp minced garlic 2 tsp minced ginger (opt - I love it) dash of cayenne and grill on high for 6-7 minutes per side. This is really good with grilled salmon fillets (i sprinkle the salmon with a little sea salt and then baste it with the marinade after the veggies come out) I did also find the recipe below for a different option. Eggplant Supper Soup INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 pound ground beef 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 pound eggplant, diced 3/4 cup sliced carrots 3/4 cup sliced celery 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian diced tomatoes, drained 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup dry macaroni 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese DIRECTIONS Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion, beef, and garlic until beef is evenly brown. Drain grease, and mix in eggplant, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Pour in beef broth. Mix in sugar, and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Mix macaroni into the soup, and continue cooking 12 minutes, or until macaroni is al dente. Mix in parsley. Top with Parmesan chreese to serve. This recipe comes from allrecipes.com it claims: per servings (8 total) 228 cal, 10.8 g fat, 15.7 g carbs, 3.3 g Fiber, 15.9 g Protein Good luck

I agree the health of the stomach lining is very important and I would totally support the idea that prevention is never wrong. However, many people will never have a problem with ulcers due to NSAIDS banded or not. My physician is ok with my occasional use of Ibuprofen, and as I stated before everyone needs to follow the advice of their physicians.

I totally remember dreading that too. i used to drink like crazy while I ate - I could easily drink 3-7 diet cokes, iced teas or Water when I would eat out. I was unsure how I would handle this after banding. At first I found that it was not a problem (except the diet coke) and so I got a false sense of enjoyment - now having had a few fills - it is a big problem (unless I start to like pain and the occasional re-emergence of the chosen beverage) I have gotten used to not drinking for awhile after eating - there are times if my meal is a softer meal where I might only have to wait 20-30 minutes before drinking - BUT BEWARE my Dr warned me - that this practice may lead to lower weight loss / less success. The reason - if food moves through faster you do not get as much satiety and if you don't feel full then you want to eat more. (brief disclaimer before I make this next statement: do what your dr says and everybody has a reason for why they do what they do) The importance of feeling full on the success of your journey is why my Dr has his patients eating normal food by 2-3 weeks post-op. Good luck and hopefully you'll find a way to deal with this and other issues.

I've always had a different problem when it came to this. I too could rarely find a bra that fits me - but usually do to a failure of the industry (as I always liked to think) to realize that not all overweight/obese women have large breasts. if I had a perfect bra it would be a 44-46 A.:confused2: yes thats right an A cup. This has also always made shopping for dresses, shirts and blouses a problem too - nothing hangs right-everything would look funny because the clothing industry also thinks everyone in a larger size has large breasts. I used to be able to find a couple B cups at lane bryant that I could make do a couple years ago but in the last couple years they have changed their sizing and if you took one of their B cups and held it up to the cup of a bra purchased in a department store for an "average" person - it would be a c or d cup. So needless to say I can't wait to lose more weight - not just to be in a smaller size but to be more in proportion all together!

Healthy pancakes 1/2 C. Eggbeaters (or 4 large eggs) 1/2 C. lowfat cottage cheese 1/4 C. flour (I use whole wheat - doesn't matter) 1/8 tsp. salt 1 Tbls cannola oil 1 Tbls Splenda 1/2 tsp vanilla Blend all in a blender/magic bullet until smooth. Allow to sit a few minutes to thicken. If batter thickens too much add a little milk. Coat griddle with cooking spray and heat until Water sizzles when dropped on griddle. (alternate adjustments: my mom doubles the cottage cheese and adds a little extra flour and egg beater - it still always seems to work out. I have not tried adding a little vanilla Protein powder but thought I would this week. I have given below some of the ways I use them - for the more savory options I will use half the splenda and instead of vanilla add a dash of cayenne - but I have also eaten the slightly sweetened ones in the savory ways and enjoyed them just fine.) You of course can just enjoy them as you would any pancake but here are some fun options: Sweet - Mix 2 tbls. reduced fat Peanut Butter (warmed a little in the microwave) with 2 packets splenda (tastes like a reeses) and smear some on a pancake and top with some chopped bananas, pears, apples or strawberries - ROLL and enjoy - I mix a little reduced fat or fat free cream cheese with a little homemade strawberry jam and warm it up and dip the pancake into it. Savory - layer with deli sliced turkey meat and sliced cheese - ROLL and enjoy - also good with a smear of Garlic and herb Boursin Cheese - Spread with a little warmed refried Beans, top with a little ground chicken or turkey taco meat and shredded cheese, ROLL and enjoy with a little salsa to dip in Breakfast - Top with a little scrambled eggbeater/egg, turkey sausage or bacon and shredded cheese - Roll around some turkey sausage and dip in some warm maple syrup (think of a sweet pigs in a blanket) Hope you enjoy and have fun creating new ways to enjoy them - eating them alone offers some decent protein but I've enjoyed them in fun ways that add delicious alternatives and extra protein.

Chronic use of any medicine is a problem. Anyone (banded, not, overweight, not) may potentially experience stomach upset or potential ulcers from NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen) - but usually it is due to long term and/or heavy use. NSAIDS can cause ulcers by affecting the LINING of the stomach in 3 different ways but they only affect the lining - our bands or on the outside of our stomachs. If you just happened to be getting an ulcer at the spot where your band is - that would be unfortunate and you should (upon recommendation from your DR) stop use of anti-inflammatories - but would be separate from any erosion caused by your band - if you happened to have both I would consider you very unlucky but the 2 events would most likely be unrelated. Now I could possibly see a potential correlation if you are someone who pushes your band to the limit (eats fast, takes big bites, eats a lot, throws up routinely) - here there would be more stress on the lower area of your pouch created by the band and your stomach lining itself may be more stressed (more from throwing up than the improper eating) BOTTOM LINE - You need to do what your DR says! But educate yourself and know it's ok to ask questions.

Good question - i was wondering the same thing. My dr had said a couple months ago that pills were ok if they were smaller than an m&m (which the coated caplets are) - but i did nor clarify for how long that was going to be ok. I see them again in a little over a week so i'll have to ask

It pushes the food through too quick and gets stuck sometimes is usually the problem. A lot of times it is the air trying to escape - picture a large vase full of big stones in which you immediately dump a whole pitcher of water into - that is what it feels like - it usually doesn't take much to remind me. Again the worst time is the first week or so after a fill and during that time sometimes i even have trouble drinking water first thing in the am even though food goes down just fine - my theory is that with the bad tighter - water goes down so fast - it hits the band and wants to come right back up whereas food goes down a little slower. good luck!