Otay..so after we get to point where we are eating normal food after the surgery... we're supposed to do high protein and low carb.. is anyone gonna kinda do atkins and if so.. is it gonna be like the original one where you eat however much cheese, meat, etc... or are you gonna do a "lighter" version where you are watching the calories more?? Just curious what everyone is gonna do...

This is where it is going to get tricky for me. I am not a huge Protein eater. In fact, I was a vegetarian for about 13 years. I am also the type of person that when I try to chew protein about 20-30 times, I want to vomit. It brings back all sorts of bad memories of being a kid and crying at the dinner table because I didn't want to eat. LOL

Seriously, I believe that for the most part I am going to be relying on Protein shakes to make sure I get enough protein. I know that my entire eating lifestyle is going to change drastically. I won't really be able to eat a lot of the foods I like.

I would think that the Atkins diet (btdt) would work but I'm thinking you will be better off updating it a bit (like South Beach?). JMHO, of course.

Very good question. I'm curious to see what others are doing.

THat would be hard for me to be a vegetarian.. but I can see your dilemna! Do you like Tofu and Beans...that's Protein.. What are alot of the foods that you like that you won't be able to have now?

I could live on just meat, eggs, and cheese..lol What is btdt??

btdt=been there, done that.

i'm not a veg. anymore but still not a huge meat fan. i will eat some chicken and seafood.

THat would be hard for me to be a vegetarian.. but I can see your dilemna! Do you like Tofu and Beans...that's Protein.. What are alot of the foods that you like that you won't be able to have now?

I could live on just meat, eggs, and cheese..lol What is btdt??

Oooooh yah..been there done that..duh!

I love meat! lol I'm gonna try to start eating more fish after surgery!

I loved Adkins, except that eventually I'd just 'need' a hunk of bread, so I'm going to try sticking mainly to protiens, but watch the fat. We raise cattle, so I'm glad I'll still be able to enjoy a good steak after, since our meat is to die for .

I loved Adkins, except that eventually I'd just 'need' a hunk of bread, so I'm going to try sticking mainly to protiens, but watch the fat. We raise cattle, so I'm glad I'll still be able to enjoy a good steak after, since our meat is to die for .

OMG Carol you are SOOOOOOOO lucky to be raising your own meat! I envy you! Do you just have cattle or do you have other animals too? Do you guys have cows so you get your own milk? YUMMY!! Raw milk RULES!

I loved Adkins, except that eventually I'd just 'need' a hunk of bread, so I'm going to try sticking mainly to protiens, but watch the fat. We raise cattle, so I'm glad I'll still be able to enjoy a good steak after, since our meat is to die for .

Still not banded myself but my daughter and son-in law have been for about a year. According to them:

Because they don't want you to drink anything 1/2 hour before or during or 1/2 hour after your meal to insure that the meal isn't just washed through meat density and dryness are issues for us to be aware of.

Fish is the easiest meat to take with the band, shell fish and shrimp/lobster next. Sushi hangs up in both of them so be careful with that.

Next is chicken moist dark meat is ok breast and wings sometimes causes problems cause it's denser and dryer. Leave the chicken skin on the plate it too can block in the stomach hole left by the band and besides thats where almost all the chicken's fat is. Turkey and other fowl pretty much follow the same guidelines.

Next is pork they introduced me to Mrs. Dash lemon & herb in the George Forman. 1st build up the front feet to eliminate the slope to the drain. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil building up the edges for a tray effect. Brush the Mrs Dash on both sides of 3/4" thick boneless pork loin chops and lay in a single layer on the Forman. Then cover them with another sheet of foil crimping them lightly together. cook for 12-15 mins. The meat retains more juices with the Mrs Dash cause it's salt free (Salt pulls Water from meat). They cooked it for us and it was yummy. One 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" chop will equal approx a 4 oz serving of protien. Do not expect a crisp chop it'd be too hard to pass anyway.

Last on the common meats is beef. Whole meat like steak and roast will tend to block the band leading to pain and or PB Productive Burp, Sliming (if something gets stuck or hangs up the body produes great quantities of thick saliva to try and wash it through if you swallow this then you are on a sure and fast track to expelling the meat into the toilet). They advised that meatloaf and ground beef are less of a problem but chew well and wait a minute or two between bites. This will be tough for me, I've always eaten too quickly and not chewed my food as much as I should have. It's one of those enforced behaviors brought on by the band and I truely hope I don't forget that when I get to eat.

Finally eat the protien (Meat, Beans Tofu) first then the veg,

They also served this as a meatless meal and they had no problems getting it down and it was very tasty too:

CRUSTLESS SPINACH–MUSHROOM QUICHE Sodium Per Serving – 112mg Serves 6 as an entrée, 8 as a side dish This recipe was given to me by a vegetarian friend. It is so good and no one will ever

know it contains tofu . . . unless you tell them!

Optional - I add 2 level tablespoons of Oscar Mayer real bacon bits but it does increase the quoted fat and salt levels a bit.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (This is also know as sweet butter)

½ sweet onion, diced

2 shallots, chopped

4 ounces mushrooms, chopped (about 1½ cups)

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon garlic or onion powder

¼ teaspoon dried tarragon

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 eggs, beaten, or ¾ cup egg substitute

8 ounces firm tofu

½ cup lowfat ricotta cheese

2 ounces no-salt-added Swiss cheese, shredded (about ½ cup) They used slices diced into small bits.

¼ cup lowfat milk

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out

teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (ground spice may be substituted but flavor is not as intense)

Preheat oven to 350oF (180oC). Coat a 9-inch quiche or pie dish with nonstick

cooking spray.

Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; add onions, shallots and

mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes;

add garlic, basil garlic powder, tarragon, thyme, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly,

until you smell the garlic, 1 to 2 minutes;

remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Mix together the eggs, tofu, ricotta, Swiss cheese, milk, and spinach; add to onion

mixture.

Pour into prepared quiche dish and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until custard has set and top is lightly

browned. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO PER 6 SERVINGS:

Calories 200

Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 5g)

Cholesterol 125mg

Carbohydrates 9g (Fiber 2g, Sugar 5g)

Protien 20g

Sodium 112mg

Hope this post is helpful but our doctor's and your nutritionist's will surely go over the warnings post op if they havn't already done so before the surgery.

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing over Chick Pea salad

This recipe is from EatingWell.com

They say it's a side salad but I can see it as a mid day meal a serving is about a cup of food and that's about all we will be able to handle, for myself I would add a piece of thinly sliced ham, chicken or turkey breast from the deli. Those meat options are not included in the nutritional tables suppied in the recipes.

Cottage cheese blended in a food processor to a creamy texture, while not traditional in Ranch dressing, delivers unbelievable richness with minimal calories and fat.

Serves: 10

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1 small shallot, peeled

3/4 cup(s) nonfat cottage cheese

1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoon(s) buttermilk powder

2 tablespoon(s) white-wine vinegar

1/4 cup(s) nonfat milk

1 tablespoon(s) fresh dill, chopped

1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

Procedure:

With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

Note: I don't have a food processor so I used my blender. I hand minced the shallot and put it in en masse with all the other ingredients except for milk. Don't remove lid while running to add anything! Turn it off, then add the milk and restart blending till smooth. It worked fine for me and the dressing came out rich and full bodied. The only problem is that the dressing, being freshly made wo/ preservatives, does not keep more than a day or two, but has a very nice lite flavor and is easy to make.

Nutritional Information

(per serving) 1/10th of mixture

Calories 19

Total Fat 1g

Saturated Fat 0

Cholesterol 1mg

Sodium 125mg

Total Carbohydrate 2g

Dietary Fiber--

Sugars--

Protein 2g

Calcium0

Try it over this Chickpea Salad for a light band friendly lunch:

This recipe was also from EatingWell.com

Feta cheese and chickpeas lend a Mediterranean flair to this satisfying side salad. The Creamy Dill Ranch is great with it, but would also be good with a tangy vinaigrette.

Serves: 6

Total Time: 10 min

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1 can(s) chickpeas, rinsed

3 cup(s) cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

2 cup(s) grape tomatoes, halved (or cherry tomatoes)

1/4 cup(s) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

1/4 cup(s) red onion, diced (I substitute w/ sweet onion)

1/2 cup(s) Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing, see recipe above

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Place chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, onion, dressing and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix until coated.

Nutritional Information

(per serving) 6 servings Including Dressing

Calories 90

Total Fat 2g

Saturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 3mg

Sodium 238mg

Total Carbohydrate 14g

Dietary Fiber--

Sugars--

Protein 5g

Calcium 0

Thanks for all the info! I used to make quiches all the time when I did low carb before. I see alot of people mentioning fat... which is why I wondered if people who are banded follow the old school low carb way or if it's some new version..cuz from what I know of low carb/high protein.. fat content really wasn't an issue but I see people mentioning it.. is it because of what the docs told them, their own choice, or this is the low carb way they are talking about?

Thanks for all the info! I used to make quiches all the time when I did low carb before. I see alot of people mentioning fat... which is why I wondered if people who are banded follow the old school low carb way or if it's some new version..cuz from what I know of low carb/high Protein.. fat content really wasn't an issue but I see people mentioning it.. is it because of what the docs told them, their own choice, or this is the low carb way they are talking about?

We need to be mindful of fat only because it is the most calorie dense food. However, some of the more essential Vitamins are only in fats. In the qieche 5 grams of saturated fat per serving is really very low. For example a 4 oz slice of Bon Appetit pound cake shown above has 430 calories and 24 grams of fat, 49 grams of carbs and only 7 grams of protein. Notice that the calories and the fat are more than double the values for the same weight of quiche and it has more than 5 times the carbs. ( I showed that because I love those things) The choice of low fat swiss cheese helps keep it that way. This particular quiche was really good and even though it has onion and shallot and garlic those ingredients do not overwhelm the meal. The mushrooms can be white button or the more flavorful portabello's the choice makes no difference in the nutritional values. I made this when I got home from visiting my daughter and added the bacon, just cause I like it . Once you can eat solids again I am sure you will enjoy it.

That cake looks good right about now..LOL and I'm not a sweets person. I'm gonna do some research and see what kind of low carb I'm going to do. Generally, things that are "low fat, Lite, fat free, etc" have more carbs than the regular things and sometimes more sugars if I remember correctly...it's been a while since I knew all sorts of information about low carb. I'll figure out what I'm gonna do.. What I wouldn't give for a piece of cheese right now!

That cake looks good right about now..LOL and I'm not a sweets person. I'm gonna do some research and see what kind of low carb I'm going to do. Generally, things that are "low fat, Lite, fat free, etc" have more carbs than the regular things and sometimes more sugars if I remember correctly...it's been a while since I knew all sorts of information about low carb. I'll figure out what I'm gonna do.. What I wouldn't give for a piece of cheese right now!

You are absolutely right on the low fat ad scam a tad lower fat but more salt and more sugar mostly as high fructose corn syrup. Getting away from processed foods as much as possible would be good. There are anecdotal indications that the obesity explosion was helped along by three main things since the 1950's Processed food (made with cheap high calorie fillers, read in SUGAR) the obscuring of what a normal portion size is by the Super Size Crowd and our increasingly sedentary workstyle. This dosen't absolve us of personal responsibility but it does make it harder to succeed. Well you and I and all the rest of us past, present and future bandsters are aware and working on the problem. As far as the food goes, I am planning to eat the foods I like and with the bands help control portions and avoid feelings of constant physical hunger. The mental hunger issue also has to be met square on and dealt with by honest introspection whenever it rears up, I think that this will be the hardest part. I am not going to go on any regimen that severly reduces or elimanates any food class such as carbs and fats. We all know that fad or trick diets don't work and fats and carbs satiate hunger. Like your desire for a bit of cheese most of which do have substantial fat contents. The real skill is balancing your nutriants and contriolling quantites while keeping physical hungar at bay. Sadly, up to this point, I have failed multiple times. None of us are deluding ourselves by thinking the band is a cure all and no work is required but the assistance of not being able to engorge ourselves like a bloated tick ready to drop off the dog will help . So I think you are doing it right by researching and knowing whats in the food you are about to consume and then making the appropriate choices. So easy to say but so hard to practice in our lives, I guess thats what the doctor means in the phrase " changing your lifestyle "

So what are you eating now 3 days after the surgery? clear liquid or onto mushies? Are you healing up OK?

Homemade Tomato Soup

Here's a nice low calorie low sodium Homemade Tomato Soup for you when you progress from Clear liquids.

This is a nice soup with a little more flavor than the typical canned ones. Vary the consistency by changing the amount of Water or leave it our completely for a condensed tomato soup you can use in recipes.

Note the Campbell's condensed tomato soup has 550mg of sodium per serving (2 servings per can)

1/2 c Onion,Chopped

1/2 t Garlic,Minced

1/2 c Celery,Chopped

1/4 t Red Pepper Flakes

2 T Olive Oil

4 cups No Salt Added Tomatoes I used the diced variety (available canned in most grocery stores)

1/2 cup Water

Saute the onion, garlic, celery and pepper flakes in the oil until softened. Add the tomatoes and water, bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor.

Yield: 4 Servings

Servings Per Recipe 4

Nutritional Facts per serving:

Calories 111

Total Fat 7 gr

Saturated Fat 1 gr

Polyunsaturated Fat 1 gr

Monounsaturated Fat 5 gr

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 43 mg

Potassium 517 mg

Carbohydrates 12 gr

Dietary Fiber 3gr

Protein 2 gr

Start with the condensed option listed above and this makes a base for a nice mild spaghetti sauce. Just add to it 1 pound of cooked 93% lean beef add 4 oz can of mushroom stems & bits (drained), and one chopped and sauted bell pepper plus 1 T Italian seasoning allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or more to marry flavors and serve over whole wheat Pasta. It's tasty, low cal and without added sugar and salt of store bought sauce. Because of the low salt it may seem a bit bland to the taste to some of us but if you usually salt your pasta while cooking, you probably won't notice.

For us bandsters 1/2 cup of pasta with 1/4 cup sauce is a reasonable serving. (my banded daughter that that amount makes her feel full) Whole wheat pasta takes longer to cook, doesn't swell as much and is dense enough that it stays above the band long enough for you to feel full.

You can also make Chili from it to substitute chilli powder (amount varies based on your taste but no less than 1 T) for the Italian seasoning and add 1 can of drained black Beans and one can of drained pinto beans add Cheyenne pepper and jalapeno to your taste. As chilli should be hot and sweet 2 T of sugar is optional and not included in nutritional calculations.

Makes 8 - 1 cup servings

Nutritional Facts per serving:

Calories 240 Based on an average of 2 oz beans 2 oz beef per serving

Total Fat 12 gr

Saturated Fat 2.5 gr

Polyunsaturated Fat 1 gr

Monounsaturated Fat 5 gr

Cholesterol 61 mg

Sodium 300 mg

Potassium 517 mg

Carbohydrates 22 gr

Dietary Fiber 6gr

Protein 21 gr

This soup is a very versatile base.

Sorry I've been MIA.. I'm in the middle of a blizzard here in Chicago.. maybe you've heard about it? Dude.. it's crazy here!! People have been on this highway road thing called Lake Shore Drive for over 12 hours stuck in their cars.. INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE!!

Otay.. I only had to be on clear liquids like 1-2 days after my surgery.. Monday was my day 3 I think and I slept most of the day..I was really tired.. I had a couple of protien shakes and I think some tomato soup. I guess I"m kinda doing my own thing cuz that's how I roll Yestarday I had some chicken and corn chower...I addes some shredded cheese to it..duh..lol and an Isopure and a berry smoothie.. Ya know.. seriously.. if everything was so set in stone with what your before and after surgery diet were supposed to be..then every doctor would have it all the same.. there wouldn't be so much deviation from the other.. so.. I figured if I stick to mushie stuff and chew alot.. SMOKEY will be otay! Today..I'll prolly have some creamy soup and try to make a protien shake..I"m outta the RTD ones and I'm not going to the store.. so I guess I'll try to make my own..I have some protien powder. I'll try to keep it like that pretty much every day till my check up... I'm eating WAY less than I did before.. I was never really an emotional eater just an over eater and non-mover..

My staples are still pretty sore.. well, just the ones that are for the port.. those hurt..the rest are otay.

Thanks for the recipe..I love tomato soup! I would make a grilled cheese and break it up and add it to my tomato soup.. SOOOOO GOOD!!!

I really don't eat hardly any processed foods...I rarely eat anything in a can besides like tuna, smoked oysters, pinto Beans, etc... that sort of stuff... I rather have fresh fruits and veggies.. and even my chese..lol I never buy those like individually wrapped slices.. I only get from the deli or the cheese section with all the blocks of specialty cheeses.. I love chese..LOL I miss cheese!

I was just looking at the pics of the storm and thase poor folks stuck on the road. I don't miss the snow at all if I would have to be out in it. Not much snow here in Tampa bay though Boy is your doctor liberal in the post op foods mine has already advised me that 1-2 weeks of clear then we'll see on mushies, wait some more and then Real food. The post op phase is what other threads have called Bander Hell I hope that I can just tip the hat to that devil and move on rather quickly. But I guess it all depends on how quickly I heal and how I tolerate the new food limits brought on by the band.

Did your doctor pre fill your band? If not, when did he/she say you could expect your first fill?

You seem to have a great attitude about your surgery and by what you type you seem to have a good outlook on the eventual outcome. That, right there, is more than 1/2 the battle. Keep up the good work, I am sure you will do great.