I am 12 wks post-op on Sat. I am constantly feeling like I'm doing this.wrong, guilty when I eat, etc. I want to know if this looks ok or if I am on the wrong path, so here is my info from yesterday. Please weigh in even if it's criticism. Thanks in advance!

Cals: 1030

Carbs: 92

Sugar: 31

Protein: 61

My.day.consisted of:

Sf latte

1/2 of a kids z bar

1/2 of rtd muscle milk light

Taco salad (ground beef, lettuce, Beans, a tbsp of sour cream, a tbsp cheese)

Salad w/ ham, tbsp cheese, 6 olives, 6 cherry tomatoes, romaine, almond slivers, tbsp of green goddess dressing

1/2 whole wheat bagel thin w/ 2tbsp cream cheese

So???

It looks good to me~ I myself stay away from the bagel' though. I don't like the way it feels in my tummy.

This is similar to what I ate/ eat. I was never under 1200 cals though!

My take is that you have a lot of carbs and a lot of "filler" with little nutritional value. Lettuce is a waste when it comes to nutrients and you are eating it twice in a day. You might try substituting raw spinach or shredded zucchini for more nutrients. I think Dorrie is right about the bagel half, too--not too many nutrients and a lot of carbs. Maybe oatmeal, for soluble fiber and whole grain? I don't know what a kid's Z bar is, but kid food usually has a lot of sugar to make it taste good. Have you tried Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars? 10 gms of protein, 190 calories, and they taste good and fill you up. Have you thought of beef jerky as a snack? a hard-boiled egg or 8-10 almonds? You are barely making your protein requirement in this example and I think you should try for more. I know I would be starving if I depended on two salads a day to fill me up. I see that you have a ways to go and there is nothing wrong with the occasional salad to mix things up but think "Protein first."

Wow.............this just shows that there is a great difference in diet plans given out by doctors. I am still not allowed to eat lettuce and the bagel....no way. To me it looks like you are consuming a lot of carbs and sugars. I know that most of my diet is still Protein, veggies and some fruits. I am now 4 months post op and according to my diet plan the lettuce and that much bread are still way out there. I also think that if you get away from the z bar there are other more things with a great food value for you to eat.

If you are at your goal weight and can maintain your weight at this level then I say go for it. I know that I could not eat what you eat at this point and I still have a ways to go to reach my goal.

Yes I would say less of the lettuce and bagel and a bit more protien.

Here are grains by protien/carb ratio:

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/grains-highest-protein-carbohydrate-ratio.php

Also don't forget protien-fortified food options, there is breads and milk and much more that come in protien-fortified form.

I find that "bars" are mostly super high in carbs. I wouldn't think a bagel thin would hurt. I only eat Protein bread these days though (1 slice had 10 grams of protein). I don't have much room so I don't like to waste the space.

Yeah, more protein (>70) and less carb. Also maybe substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream. It boosts protein. Instead of ground beef and ham, perhaps some leaner less processed meat.

That's just what I would do to tweak it. You are doing pretty darn well.

Hum, what kind of ground beef do you use? Try to use the leanest ground beef or try ground turkey. Also use low fat ham or even turkey. That will cut down on some of the fat.

It's not perfect, but it looks sustainable and free of junk, which is what's important in the long run. Sure, you SHOULD'VE had like 20 egg whites, a grilled chicken breast, and 5 leaves of lettuce instead, but who actually does that day after day.