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4 boneless skinless chicken breast 1 can ready made spaghetti sauce (low fat low salt) 1 cut shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 3 to 4 pinches sea salt Salt the chicken. In a separate bowl mix spaghetti sauce with Parmesan cheese. Use a glass baking bowl and put the chicken in mixed with the spaghetti sauce. Bake at 400 - 420 in the over 20 to 30 min. Remove and sprinkle on mozzarella. Leave in another 5 min and then remove. Boil some plain spaghetti with this (add a bit of sea salt to the boiling water) and there is usually some sauce left on the chicken pan that you can spoon over the spaghetti. Serves 4 *my husbands favorite!

4 skinless boneless chicken breast 1/4 cup soy sauce (light) 1 small piece ginger 3 to 4 pinches sea salt 1 hour before In a tupperware bowl - sprinkle salt and soy sauce over chicken. Cut the ginger into small slices (they don't have to be to small) and place over chicken. Cover and put in the fridge. (I usually do this in the morning before I leave for work, and when I come home its all ready to be cooked) When ready to cook discard ginger and soy sauce mixture and grill chicken on a grill pan (Tefal makes a nice one it has little ridges on it, looks like a regular fry pan but has ridges to grill the meat) or on a grill, or bake in the oven. Goes well with a ginger salad and white rice. Serves 4

1lb. ground beef (lean) 1/2 cup beef stock (low salt, low fat) 1 can peas(optional for mushies) 1 can sweet corn (optional for mushies) 1 medium onion, diced 8 medium potatoes 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese Boil potatoes, mash and season to taste with milk and butter. Brown ground beef and onion with salt and pepper. When cooked, add peas, corn, and beef stock. (a bit of flour or cornstarch can be mixed in with the broth to thicken the mixture a bit) Let simmer until heated through. In 13x9 pan place meat and vegetable mixture in bottom of pan. Cover with mashed potatoes and sprinkle cheese on top. Place in oven on BROIL until cheese is bubbly or light brown. Serves 4

4 carrots 4 potatoes (medium sized) 1 onion 1 scallion 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 to 4 pinches of sea salt Chop all the vegetables up and put them in a pan of Water. Add salt, and boil until soft. When soft, blend with a hand blender and add the olive oil. More or less water will make it thicker or thiner. May add unflavored Protein powder as well. Serves 4 This is the recipe my nutritionist put me on for my 1st week out from surgery, she said to eat 100ml each time I ate. With the Protein Powder this gives you carbs from the potatoes, protein from the powder and nutrients from the onion and carrots. *there is a more complex version on the mushies thread

Here we can post band friendly nutritious recipes for every one to find.

One of the healthiest and tastiest things that Portuguese people eat is their Soups. Their creamy and filling and full of Vitamins. This is a Soup for people who hate to eat vegetables and who don't get enough minerals and vitamins. There are many variations so I will start with the basics. The base for any Portuguese soup: -1 cup cubed pumpkin or acorn squash (Portuguese use pumpkin but I bet you can use any variation of squash and it should be nice, I know it sounds weird but trust me these soups are great!) -2 cups carrots cubed -1 medium onion chopped -1 cup scallions chopped -2 medium potatoes cubed or 1 can of Beans (your choice they usualy use navy or butter beans) (use ONLY potatoes OR beans but not both) -1 tablespoon of sea salt -4 tablespoons olive oil Bring a large pot of Water and salt to boil. Add all ingredients and boil until soft, add water as necessary. When all the vegetables are soft, add the olive oil and blend with a magic wand (hand blender) until smooth. This is the base. Soup Variations If you used beans: -1 cup chopped artichokes or 1 cup chopped cabbage or any other vegetable you like to eat with beans. Add to the pot, and boil until soft. If you want chunks the soup is ready, if you want it creamy, blend again. If you used potatoes: - add whatever vegetables you want, green beans, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, peas add as much or as little as you like, all chopped into smaller pieces. You can even add more potato or carrot if you want chunks. -If you want a creamy soup, add these vegetables and boil until soft (always adding more water as needed) and then blend again when all the vegetables are soft. The more water you use the thinner it will be, the less, the thicker it will be. -If you want chunks in your soup, add the vegetables cut to your desired size and then boil until soft. -Small chunks of white meat chicken can also be added for extra Protein. Options: you can always add herbs for different taste like thyme and parsley. I sometimes use Mrs.Dash for extra flavors and fresh ground pepper; it’s a taste choice so have fun with it. Also you can use bags of frozen mixed vegetables that are already chopped up to save time and to get a better variety. Note: These soups freeze well, I often freeze individual portions and then thaw and microwave on the day I eat them. If you make a big pot it will usually stay in the fridge for about a week, frozen about a month. I know it sounds like a lot of work but 1 pot usually makes a weeks worth of servings so if you make it on the weekend it will last all week. Most Portuguese people eat these soups for dinner because they generally have a big lunch. I also like to eat a bowl of soup with some wheat crackers and sliced lunch meat like turkey or chicken. It makes a very filling and healthy meal.

Hey every one, I thought I would start a stages recipe thread for the 3 stages. Maybe a mod can make these stickies. Then when ever we want a recipe from a certain stage we can check out these threads, and if we find a good new recipe we can post it in the threads. What do you guys think??

Hey guys, I'm on Day 5 of my pre-op and I feel like shit. I'm not really hungry, but my stomach hurts soooo much. Last night it felt so bad I couldn't even sleep. I'm not sure if my tummy hurts because I'm hungry or because it's feeling sick from the stuff I'm eating. It's weird because I don't feel like eating, but my tummy seems like its telling me to eat something, but a yogurt or soup doesn't cut it. Last night I could have eaten almost any thing, but I got a yogurt instead and just sipped on it until it was all gone. If I'm having these problems now, what's going to happen after I'm banded? TMI----I seem to be having a lot more gas then usual, and some acid reflux when I lay down at night. In addition, I either can't have a bm when I feel I need to, or I'm having diarrhea...how the hell does that happen? After I drink a protein shake it's straight into the bathroom, but when I wake up in the morning I feel like I need to have a bm but nothing happens. This liquid stuff is screwing my whole system up, and to boot I don't think I have lost any thing. Maybe only 1 kilo or something. What I'm eating: Protein shake for breakfast (slim fast type of thing) yogurt for snack (low fat no sugar) vegetable soup for lunch yogurt for snack (low fat no sugar) chicken soup for dinner (no chicken just broth and noodles) sf pudding or another yogurt for desert -+1.5l water -+1l crystal light or tea Help guys-.......:help:

lol, I ment when I get to eat solids again.....:nervous

God Susan, great minds DO think alike. It's 1 am here and I'm sitting here sipping on a yogurt. My tummy was making funny noises and I couldn't sleep, I'm starving and I feel like I could eat ANY thing right now. I was laying in bed thinking if I can't handle this liquid diet for a week how am I going to handle it all afterwards..... But I'm trying to be strong. This is for my health, for a better me, for a person who can feel better about themselves. I just have to keep telling myself it is all going to work out in the end. We CAN do this.

I'm on a strict liquid diet from now until surgery...which is why im up at almost 1 am here. Im starving my tummy wont let me sleep. I'm here sipping on a yogurt. I might try some grilled fish with tartar sauce see if that helps me get use to fish.

yah, tarter sauce is the only way I'll eat fried fish. I never like to eat grilled fish, but maybe I can try it... I need to find some kinds of fish here in Portugal that I like.....they dont have grouper or mahi mahi or flounder or any thing...that i have seen.

the most awkward place was with my brother in law.....i feel more comfortable telling complete strangers then him. He has had a weight problem too and I could just feel him judging me. I didn't even bring it up my MIL. ick....*shiver* don't want to relive that.

That all sounds great...any ideas for some one who doesn't LIKE fish? You should have seen the disappointment on my nutritionist's face when I told her I don't do fish......:phanvan

humm...sometimes I look and say...what a hot momma! Other times I look and see the bags under my eyes and the stress lines (not good at 25 years of age) but you know what....it doesn't really matter to me what I see in the mirror. I know who I am, a good caring fun loving person, and I have people that love me...on my good days and on my worst ones! The mirror can shove it for all I'm concerned! :heh:

Hey Lins, I just wanted to add my part. I met my husband online about 6 years ago, before all the internet dating stuff. It worked out for us and there are loads of stories like ours floating around. However, you should also be prepared for rejection and not get to down on urself if the guys act like jerks, or..if you don't like them. It happens. My mom has been dating online for awhile and so far has had no luck. But don't dispare, just like any thing else in life there is a lot of crap out there you have to wade through until you get to the good stuff. Another good bet for dating is to join a local community group or charity organization, like minded people go to the same places, find some places that have to do with what you like and maybe thats a good way to find some one as well.

I'm sure that the editing feature will be back guys, there is no need to worry, it's only temporary, and in a few days I'm sure we will have an answer from the admin as to what they are going to do.

ok...at what point was this supposed to get easier? I'm in the middle of day 4 now and I still feel like crap, headaches, I'm tired. My husbands fish even looked good last night...and I HATE fish! Maybe I'm not eating enough, or to much? Last night I actually mixed some rice in with my Soup and I'm sure I shouldn't have...*sigh* Protein shake for Breakfast soup for lunch yogurt for snack soup for dinner SF pudding for snack 1.5 liters of Water about 1 liter of crystal light and tea

3loves: ohhhhhh cute baby!!!! I love the back ground. Alison: no worries, I'm in Portugal! And I'm sure someone would LOVE a gift from Greece! Jorjet: I didn't get a PM from ya with your info, I don't know if it got lost some place or if you just didn't send it yet. Everyone: Thanks for letting me do this. I know I live in Portugal but I am still an American at heart. The European media isn't always very kind to Americans and sometimes it makes me so sad to see the things they say. I love my country and my home and even though it might seem silly this thread and exchange have just given me a little way to contribute again to my country.

This is a great poll, and hopefully can be useful to the admin in making their decision. I voted.

Yeah, the sticky is no longer needed, but its not a problem leave it open in case some one comes back....like my bunny...errr...

works for me.

Thanks so much Penni! Your a gem!

My doc has given me Lexapro for my pre surgery jitters.

Congrats sounds like its a great deal for ya, but what the heck is 3ft club? How do you lose 3 feet?:Banane56: