Everyone seems so organized as to food plans etc. I am a very unorganized person who eats most meals out and has a tough time preplanning meals. I'm sure that is why I have always been unsucessful with most diets. I am worried that I will have trouble planning and preparing meals as well as keeping on top of my vitamins. Anyone got some helpful tips

It is really not as hard as you may think....

I eat out often and just have to make smart choices, many resutrants have a "heart healthy" menu or diet conscious menu, lo-cal menu.... many times on that type of menu they offer grilled chicken, grilled salmon or shrimp,, baked fish -- all are very good choices for us now as your focus has to be on protien first.

I have had two resturants that it was hard for me to find something not deep fried & covered in batter.... I chose breakfast items and it worked fine, I had an omelet with ham & cheese at one and the other actually made poached eggs which was wonderful! Most resturants offer speciality salads now - McDonalds even has a grilled chicken salad. I often order a specialty salad and only eat the meat & cheese from it. Another suggestion is many resturants offer cottage cheese - order cottage cheese instead of a potato... no carbs, great protien... its all good!

We have a pizza/beer pub a mile from our house that my husband & I would go to all the time... I was so nervous going there and not having a good food choice... it was fine... I had to drink water with a lemon slice, sometimes now I have diet 7 up,, but for food choice I get super nachos with out the nachos! Its great, just the burger, cheese, sour cream.... They offer a chicken fajita pizza, so I asked for just the chicken that they use for the fajita pizza and that works great! They have an antipasto salad and I ordered it with less letuce and it works great for me cause I am eating meat & cheese...my veggies/lettuce last.

All this may sound crazy but it is protien focused, which we need. The down side is most of it is NOT reduced or lo-fat cheese, sour cream, etc... I recently saw commercials in our area for Subway now having grilled chicken, which you could get the chicken & cheese - no bun!!! My work friends and I have subway once a week, I get the seafood sub and ask for the seafood in a cup, I get my cheese but no bun, no veggies... it totally satisfies me. If we go to Wendys, I get chilli, if we go to Taco Bell - I get the pintos & cheese no red sauce and add meat.... it is awesome!

Now this sounds like a eat your way through resturant guide!!! LOL -- I honestly eat very, very well most of the time or I would not be losing! I do try to keep my calories under 1200 and my carbs under 45... I still do a protien shake in the morning (17 grams of protien and 110 calories) I eat fat free cottage cheese 4-5 times a week - it is great in protien and low calories --- I eat beef jerkey 3-5 times a week which you can get at any party store... just saying there are many options out there...

hope this helps!

It is really not as hard as you may think....

I eat out often and just have to make smart choices, many resutrants have a "heart healthy" menu or diet conscious menu, lo-cal menu.... many times on that type of menu they offer grilled chicken, grilled salmon or shrimp,, baked fish -- all are very good choices for us now as your focus has to be on protien first.

I have had two resturants that it was hard for me to find something not deep fried & covered in batter.... I chose breakfast items and it worked fine, I had an omelet with ham & cheese at one and the other actually made poached eggs which was wonderful! Most resturants offer speciality salads now - McDonalds even has a grilled chicken salad. I often order a specialty salad and only eat the meat & cheese from it. Another suggestion is many resturants offer cottage cheese - order cottage cheese instead of a potato... no carbs, great protien... its all good!

We have a pizza/beer pub a mile from our house that my husband & I would go to all the time... I was so nervous going there and not having a good food choice... it was fine... I had to drink Water with a lemon slice, sometimes now I have diet 7 up,, but for food choice I get super nachos with out the nachos! Its great, just the burger, cheese, sour cream.... They offer a chicken fajita pizza, so I asked for just the chicken that they use for the fajita pizza and that works great! They have an antipasto salad and I ordered it with less letuce and it works great for me cause I am eating meat & cheese...my veggies/lettuce last.

All this may sound crazy but it is protien focused, which we need. The down side is most of it is NOT reduced or lo-fat cheese, sour cream, etc... I recently saw commercials in our area for Subway now having grilled chicken, which you could get the chicken & cheese - no bun!!! My work friends and I have subway once a week, I get the seafood sub and ask for the seafood in a cup, I get my cheese but no bun, no veggies... it totally satisfies me. If we go to Wendys, I get chilli, if we go to Taco Bell - I get the pintos & cheese no red sauce and add meat.... it is awesome!

Now this sounds like a eat your way through resturant guide!!! LOL -- I honestly eat very, very well most of the time or I would not be losing! I do try to keep my calories under 1200 and my carbs under 45... I still do a protien shake in the morning (17 grams of protien and 110 calories) I eat fat free cottage cheese 4-5 times a week - it is great in protien and low calories --- I eat beef jerkey 3-5 times a week which you can get at any party store... just saying there are many options out there...

hope this helps!

**Just wanted to add that the above is all once you are on the food stage... your first 3-6 weeks (depending on your doc advise) you will be on liquid, puree, soft, -- food stages which of course would limit you on eating out ---but that is only for a short time until your tummy heals and can tolerate normal food...

'Everyone seems so organized as to food plans etc. I am a very unorganized person who eats most meals out and has a tough time preplanning meals. I'm sure that is why I have always been unsucessful with most diets. I am worried that I will have trouble planning and preparing meals as well as keeping on top of my Vitamins. Anyone got some helpful tips'

Yes, I am in week four post-op. Find out which flavored bottle Water you like, non-carbonated, and buy 15 or 20 bottles. Send off for some UNJURY Protein powders; the samples, the unflavored, the chicken flavored (yum) and the chocolate (really yum in LF milk). You will need these as soon as you get home and powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury is the best. Go to their web site. Also buy some chewable Multivitamins and some Prevacid. I also used a ton of GasX right after surgery and was even still taking some a few days ago Get the pills AND the chewables AND the strips. I also got Tums - came in very handy. These things will get you through the first week or two. Oh, buy lots of chicken broth too, in cans. Good luck.

**Just wanted to add that the above is all once you are on the food stage... your first 3-6 weeks (depending on your doc advise) you will be on liquid, puree, soft, -- food stages which of course would limit you on eating out ---but that is only for a short time until your tummy heals and can tolerate normal food...

Thanks for the tips! I love cottage cheese so that will work for my lunch.

Yes, I am in week four post-op. Find out which flavored bottle Water you like, non-carbonated, and buy 15 or 20 bottles. Send off for some UNJURY Protein powders; the samples, the unflavored, the chicken flavored (yum) and the chocolate (really yum in LF milk). You will need these as soon as you get home and unjury is the best. Go to their web site. Also buy some chewable multivitamins and some Prevacid. I also used a ton of GasX right after surgery and was even still taking some a few days ago Get the pills AND the chewables AND the strips. I also got Tums - came in very handy. These things will get you through the first week or two. Oh, buy lots of chicken broth too, in cans. Good luck.

Very helpful! Thanks.