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Update on Whole Foods Plant Based diet. I continue to lose weight - I think 3 pounds in the past couple of weeks. I am not yet 100% plant based (still using some Greek yogurt, whey protein, and occasional egg in chaffles), but 90 % plant based. This means a lot more legumes, nuts, seeds and whole cooked grains. I am getting plenty of protein - no issues with that. A lot more carbs, which is so counter intuitive with weight loss, but it is still coming off. This morning before my bike ride I had a bowl of Old Fashioned oats, cooked with quinoa, teff, and amaranth. Added some hemp hearts, flaxseed meal, and barrel cactus seeds (like chia). Sweetened with raisins, and a little banana, with soy milk. Very yummy and filling. I ate this 2 hours before my ride. For lunch I had split pea/lentil soup with carrots, celery, onions. Also some fruit (cantalope and berries.) I added half a scoop of pea protein to the soup. Also had a spoon of peanut butter after my ride. Dinner will be a "Budda" bowl with shredded Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, romaine, spinach, cucumber, tomato, avacado. Cashew nut/nutritional yeast "cheese" mixed with apple cider vinegar for a dressing. Topped with slivered almonds, hazel nuts, dried edamame, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, barrel cactus seeds, and hazel nuts. Cooked beans, butternut squash, and cooked buckwheat on the side. If I have room, I will steam some squash and beans from the garden, along with some broccoli. I may also have a couple mini corn tortillas with refried beans and salsa. Evening snack is soy (or Greek) yogurt with mixed berries, mandarin orange, slivered almonds, and homemade granola. Sometimes I have a square of 80% cacao chocolate. I eat about 2 pounds of vegetables/fruit per day (mostly veggies). Legumes every day, seeds/nuts every day, whole grains every day. I am completely full all the time - never hungry. With prepped veggies always in the fridge, there is always something to grab if I feel the need for a munchie. I feel good - mentally alert, physically strong, sleeping well (better, in fact). I don't feel as "heavy" inside as when I was eating more meat. However, I do have to be careful for bloating and smelly gas. I found this to be a problem with raw broccoli and beans that I cooked without draining the soaking water. Even Beano did not help. Canned beans do not do this. It can be a problem with bypass patients, as our gut biome changes, and it is harder to digest and break down those particular foods. I just have to cook the broccoli and be careful with the home cooked beans. So far, so good. My fear about inadequate protein is completely dismissed. I am getting so much good nutrition and I hope inflammatory markers will be way down with my next lab draw in Feb.

Are you making sure that you are eating protien rich foods, like soft meats, cheeses, and eggs? One thing my NUT told me to buy was unflavored protien...I usually add it to some low fat pudding or yogurt and it turns my yogurt from being 13g of protien to 23 grams of protien.... It was a good investment....also I like Injury strawberry sorbet protien powder and if I see I'm not going to meet my Protein numbers (which is 60 too) I mix a scoop of that with 8oz of crystal light lemonade and have a 8oz strawberry lemonade drink that I really like... the lastest thing I have been experimenting with is with Jerky...I have to eat it slow of course (6 wks out) but I found one that's 80 cal and 14g of protien.... What Vitamin do you take?? I take the Celebrate chewables and like them....they are expensive, but I'm worth it!

I say we really shouldn't have any unnatural sugar, we don't need it. Plain greek yogurt is full of protein and delicious!

I relied heavily on protein shakes for the first few weeks, but have lately changed to Greek yogurt. The same level of protein but fruity and doesn't taste so much like chemicals (to me shakes just taste artificial). They come in 1/2 cup portions...and you could thin them with a tablespoon of skim milk if you wanted. You can also get shakes that have more calories AND more protein. My choice is usually Atkins Dark Choc Royale...about the best one I have found. A friend likes Muscle Milk. BUT I agree that you will have trouble losing weight on such a low calorie regime. You can't get your metabolism out of park with that. I didn't really lose weight after the band operation until I started eating 1200 calories a day. Then I lost 2-3 lbs a week. Lately it has slowed and I think I have to lower it a bit or settle for a smaller loss or 1-2. As you lose weight you need fewer calories to maintain.

Very good!!! Love this yogurt!! Costco has them in blueberry, peach, and strawberry.

Is it just me, or has greek yogurt just exploded in popularity? Honestly I had never given it a second look until May of this year, when I had my first NUT visit and she mentioned it for post op. Now I see even the store brands have their own version of the higher priced yogurt at a cheaper price. Unfortunately, I happen to do most of my grocery shopping at a super-busy grocery store and they frequently run low on ALL brands of greek yogurt....ugh!

Ooh I almost forgot on of my favorite “no cook” recipes is quiche. They have one made with egg whites at Walmart deli that is 300 calories. If that fits your stage and calorie budget you can slice it and heat up one piece or more at a time. I like it crispy so I like to do it one piece at a time. Just bake it for 28 minutes. I always have one in my fridge for last minute lunch or dinner plans. Also Panera has half salads on Their kids menu which also gives you the option to get yogurt instead of bread or chips. When you can tolerate lettuce. I like to take it to go or bring my own dressing with me though cause most of their dressing's are pretty high calories.

sugar free Jello, plain yogurt with some sugar free carmel or chocolate topping mixed in, tomato Soup made with skim milk, sugar free pudding made with skim milk. khy

Hi I was banded on 10/19/06. I just got back from McDonalds and had a grilled chicken salad. I ate the chicken first, very moist. After I ate about 50% of the greens. Don't forget, they have yogurt parfaits,skip the granola.

shakes, protein brownies, tuna lunch packets...I keep all those in my car for emergencies... if all else fails I go to Kroger and get a yogurt or soup

Hi sorry for these questions but actually am curious! Ok, one I'm on soft foods.... I love yogurt can't do plain .... is everyone not eating flavored yogurts?! Like chiaboni? There's are not super low sugar. And does anyone know what the number we should keep our sugar to daily!? Also is there a way to only track Protein on MFP my fitness pal, or see it where it shows calories?!

Had my sleeve one week ago today and feel great. Each day is getting better. I have no problems getting my fluids in, and mixing up my full fluids to keep it interesting with creamed Soups, yogurt, etc. Protein Shakes are getting easier to tolerate each day as well. On day of surgery, I was 283.1, and this morning I was 266.6! Looking forward to continuing the journey

I miss pizza!!! But I make homemade pizza using a zucchini crust. I also do mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, I use non fat creek yogurt anytime something calls for sour cream or cream cheese. I also make veggie Pasta, and I use ground turkey anytime you would use ground beef.

Cajun - I was told by the pharmacist as long as it isn't an extended release capsule, like effexor that it can be opened and mixed with something like applesauce or yogurt.

I would email Gaby and ask her - tell her what you've been doing. I don't think it will hurt you -- I know I that everytime I crushed my pills and mixed them with Water, I threw up. I started crumbling them intead of crushing them and taking them with just a tiny bit of yogurt or applesauce (this was about 10 days out). I know others have swallowed their pills since the day after surgery. I think it best to go to the source and ask Gaby (or Nina or Renee) and see what they have to say. Let us know.

I use plain Greek yogurt out I always add fruit or berries to it. I especially like frozen mango chunks & the frozen dark cherries. I defrost the fruit, sprinkle with cinnamon and mix into my yogurt. Not super sweet, but cuts the taste of the Greek yogurt.

I was banded on 8/15/08 and just got my first fill on 9/13/08. I don't think that I got a big enough fill. She said it was 2.6 and that the typical was 1.8. Does that sound right? I still get really hungry between meals and think that I need too much in order to be satisfied. The hospital does their fills with fluoroscopy, so I thought they would be more accurate than fills that are done blind. I lost well initially, about 26 pounds and gained 3 pounds back. I also have been having problems eating. I have been eating soft foods like cottage cheese, yogurt, bean puree, and soft scrambled eggs. I have tried to start introducing regular foods like small pieces of chicken rather than chicken puree, but I get severe pain and throw up. When is it ok to move away from purees and start eating "normal" foods?

Hi all! I had my second fill 3 days ago, and i'm going back tomorrow for an unfill..I'm up to 2cc's in a 6cc band.. i was doing fairly well with 1 1/2 cc. but 2, has been WAY too tight... i can't even eat yogurt! Also, my doctor said i didn't have to go on liquids after my fill, does that sound right??? Thanks for any info.

My doctor does not believe in Snacks. He wants me to eat 3 meals a day that's it. My quesiton for you is have you made preplanned eating times in your day and you eat whether you are hungry or not? My normal eating plan is: Breakfast- Chobani fruited yogurt, half scoop whey isolate vanilla Protein powder, benefiber, about 1/3 cup Kashi high protein cereal. \ lunch - 3 oz skinless chicken breast with either laughing cow cheese, or salsa and low fat cheese, or spagetti sauce with parmasian, raw mini sweet peppers, grapes/cherries/small dole fruit cup Snack- Premier Protein shake (prework out) Dinner-3 oz skinless chicken breast, veggies, fruit I do have a prework out protein shake (160 cal) as I usually have a long time between lunch and dinner (6-8 hours). This is a will power diet until you get restriction. I find the best defense against the munchies is a plan. Have an apple or banana if you need a snack in the evening. Sure they are 100 calories but the pizza was probably 2-3 times that.

There are many other ways you can use fage yogurt....since it's high in protien and people are struggling with protien, you can add it to other foods to increase you protien...found this link that has great ideas....:sad0: Things to Do with Fage Yogurt | Recipe4Living Caro

Have you notice yogurt slows your weight loss?

I may have to try this as well. I did try freezing a little of a strawberry frozen yogurt as someone had told me that it does help you to get in some of your protein, and since it is frozen its impossible to eat it too fast so it helps you with learning the timing that is new to post ops. I bought these little containers that are made just for making homemade ice cream and froyo, and I made one little tub. It came out to be SOOOOO hard that I can't even get a spoon into it. I was curious if it needs to be thinned with a little milk before freezing?

I've never had any instructions to do liquids or mushies after a fill, personally, I've had a fill and then gone out for lunch an hour later, of course, I ate lightly and carefully, but there's really no risk to your band as such, its more to let everything settle and calm down in case you Pb. I virtually never PB and am quite confident about how I "feel" after the first mouthful or two, so although I'd choose an easy food, I dont actually do liquids etc. I certainly wouldnt go all day without eating. Why on earth would you just not have some yogurt or milk, or thicker soup?

I take 4 pills every night NOW. However, I have been restricted so tight that I was unable to swallow water, much less pills, so I had to ask the pharmacist for a liquid alternative. The taste was utterly horrid. Otherwise, if you can't swallow them, you can crush them and hide them in yogurt or pudding etc. However, if you have capsules, you need to make sure they are not time released and it's okay to open them. Otherwise, your pharmacist may be able to suggest an alternative.

Hi I'm with Midwest Girl I used to love to gulp water all day long! I'd get over 100 oz down a day, then i got sleeved and guess what? Can't even get down the blinkin' 64 oz now. . . like Midwest, I add sf crystal light or SF welshes blended berry mix to the water. . . it's much better now and as long as i sip small amounts i do really well. . . i'm now at almost 60 oz at it's taken me about 3 1/2 weeks. . . keep trying it'll get better, I promise. . .I'm definately NOT allowed oatmeal or potatoes at all during the first 6 months . . doctor told me it would slow down the weight loss because of the amount of carbs. . . maybe don't eat those and substitute with something else. . I'm still on high protein foods, fatfree cottage cheese, fatfree ricotta cheese, fatfree string cheese, fatfree refried Beans, sf puddings, fatfree yogurt, fatfree mootopia milk, Protein shakes, very mushy tunafish and so on. . Next week i get to try extra lean ground hamburger meat and extra lean ground turkey, we'll see about that! Good luck, I hope it all settles down and you can carry on with your journey. . .