Mac N Cheese

[CelticHarpist 26]

quoting from above: "unfortuanately many candy stores have now had to lay off people or have totally gone out of business"

Thought that was soooo cute!

I also have wondered about cheese sauce from the bariatric diet foods companies. I think they might taste great on cauliflower or broccoli.

I actually tried the health food store Annie's whole wheat Pasta shells mac and cheese, and added more cheese to it. I didn't eat much as I'm not eating much, and it lasted 5 meals as an adjunct (and fed my dogs, too). I can eat whole wheat bread (I take off crusts) but found I didn't really enjoy the Pasta all that much so that one try quenched my interest.

My dietician encourages me to have some special snack every other day. If I want something, it would be a weight watchers dark chocolate singlestick raspberry ice cream pop, or a ww wildberry ice cream stick. They satisfy me for any interest in something sweet. I only seem to crave Protein. I am seeing more and more that when I feel hungry, I am actually thirsty or haven't been drinking my liquids like I should.

Reminder to get another drink! hehe

[slimshadee 26]

What an inspiration! It's nice to see on here once in a great while someone who is actually commited- and not just here to justify bad behaviors.

I am same as you- no sweets- no sugars- no candy- but I'm also not eating any kind of fast foods (no matter HOW "nutritious " someone says they are)- NO starches, pastas or breads, no caffine at all- no high fat anything- no junk food- no soda of ANY kind-

Mostly I'm eating whole foods, nuts, grilled meats, things I pick or cook myself.

Keep up the good work!!! You're inspiring!

PS- I'm also one of those weird people that is drug free too- so I don't believe that pot is a nessessity- and I have never touched the aweful stuff.

With such willpower, why did you even have the surgery? You could have lost weight just sticking to that diet. I take great offense to your comment about "bad behaviors" we are all human and this site is to support people through good behavior and bad. Because we don't have your willpower...doesn't mean that you have the right to judge us.

[Wolfgirl1978 256]

With such willpower' date=' why did you even have the surgery? You could have lost weight just sticking to that diet. I take great offense to your comment about "bad behaviors" we are all human and this site is to support people through good behavior and bad. Because we don't have your willpower...doesn't mean that you have the right to judge us.[/quote']

It's about maintaining your loss, rather than getting there to begin with. The sleeve is a tool to help keep the weight off.

Lots of people on here have adopted new, healthy lifestyles since being sleeved. Myself included. I'm trying to make sure I get the most out of my tool.

I can guarantee Pink's post was not a personal attack on anyone on this thread, as yours was. She was simply comparing how she eats with another sleever who eats the same way.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

You may feel an intense craving for mac & cheese, but if you were to try this (assuming you're healed enough to tolerate it and your medical team has signed off), you may find you don't actually like it!

Many people who have had VSG surgery find they don't tolerate Pasta well at all post-op (same with bread........).

In addition, if you're following your post-op diet closely (you should be, to make the most of this fresh start at a healthier food life!), you'll note that our focus is to eat Protein first, vegetables next (if you have room) and carbs as a last resort. Mac & cheese is very nearly 100% carbs (the cheese is negligible, especially if it's boxed mac & cheese that uses processed cheese powder and not real cheese). So your nutritional value is very low, carbs are very high (usually an impediment to weight loss) and may make you feel unwell, bloated, nauseous and generally unwell!

So my recommendation is to try a bite or two from a friend (don't cook it at home....you'll be left with a pot/pan of it left that you can't eat!) and see how it sits. I'm nearly certain it won't give you the happy contented memories you remember.....

Let me throw in my two cents worth. I am almost 27 months out and I haven't eaten mac and cheese. My daughter got some at Dickey's Bar B Q two weeks ago. I lectured her that there was NOTHING good in that stuff. I took on piece of it just to see what all the fuss was about. It was "ok" - but I wasn't thrilled with it. It sure isn't worth all the carbs and calories! IF someone wants this.....and I'd suggest nothing like this before reaching goal. I'd make it at home to TAKE somewhere. Leave any leftovers. That way you can use 1) whole wheat Pasta 2) Reduced fat cheese and skim milk. Minimal or NO butter. Ok, there's my advice, you get what you paid for it!!

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I'm another one that had NOTHING sweet, NO sugar and nothing fried as long as I was in the losing stage. It was five months until I reached my doctor's goal and another month when I reached MY goal. Just in time for Christmas, but it was easy as 'pie', no pun intended. I finally started introducing foods back into my life. Some will NEVER make it into my mouth again, but when I attended the pre-op seminar, it was stressed, this surgery is a tool for us to live a normal life, it is not a diet. I took that to heart. I don't ever feel deprived, and if I gain a few lbs, it is not difficult to get back on track and see what I need to do to lose those few lbs. I also still weigh and/or measure my food when I'm at home and I keep an on line food log. I can see what I am doing. I keep track of calories and especially Protein. It's my new way of life, I enjoy it, so that helps. I feel like, for the first time in my life, I eat like a normally thin person. Life is good!

[Catracks 865]

i was thinking about the using the whole wheat Pasta. I tried quinoa and corn Pasta, but I hated the texture.I don't make Mac & cheese using a butter and flour roux. My family has always just layered macaroni and longhorn cheddar, added milk and then baked it. I really don't care for the creamy kind and longhorn cheddar melts well.

As funny as it sounds, I don't eat reduced fat cheese except for string cheese, cottage cheese and lite Baby Bell. I'm usually Under 25 grams of fat per day, but I don't really control it. I use butter and coconut oil too. What sets me back is sugar and carbs. Fat doesn't seem to affect me in the losing department.

Maybe when I reach goal I will try the wheat elbow macaroni, Longhorn cheddar mixed maybe with some skim mozzarella and 2% milk. Nothing below 2% for me thanks. I'll have to see how my body deals with carbs over 50g a day.

Have any of you tried stirring in a laughing cow wedge into hot whole wheat pasta? It would make a good replacement for Alfredo. Throw in some broccoli too!

I will always be adamant that certain foods never hit this sleeve, but I am SO far from deprived. I try to tell people that I have never eaten so well. For lunch I'm having shrimp that I stir fried in coconut oil pineapple and chili paste. Tonight I'm having tri-tip and scallops. Contrast that to one of my before sleeve meals of a Big Mac, 10 McNuggets and a super sized large fry.

Okay, I will admit to a tiny bit of sugar in the occasional bit of Trader Joe's 82% dark chocolate. I only eat a square of it and I have read repeatedly that it actually helps weight loss and is good for you. Win/Win I say.

[mylifeinpink 349]

It's about maintaining your loss' date=' rather than getting there to begin with. The sleeve is a tool to help keep the weight off.

Lots of people on here have adopted new, healthy lifestyles since being sleeved. Myself included. I'm trying to make sure I get the most out of my tool.

I can guarantee Pink's post was not a personal attack on anyone on this thread, as yours was. She was simply comparing how she eats with another sleever who eats the same way.[/quote']

lol

[NtvTxn 1,262]

i was thinking about the using the whole wheat Pasta. I tried quinoa and corn Pasta, but I hated the texture.I don't make Mac & cheese using a butter and flour roux. My family has always just layered macaroni and longhorn cheddar, added milk and then baked it. I really don't care for the creamy kind and longhorn cheddar melts well.

As funny as it sounds, I don't eat reduced fat cheese except for string cheese, cottage cheese and lite Baby Bell. I'm usually Under 25 grams of fat per day, but I don't really control it. I use butter and coconut oil too. What sets me back is sugar and carbs. Fat doesn't seem to affect me in the losing department.

Maybe when I reach goal I will try the wheat elbow macaroni, Longhorn cheddar mixed maybe with some skim mozzarella and 2% milk. Nothing below 2% for me thanks. I'll have to see how my body deals with carbs over 50g a day.

Have any of you tried stirring in a laughing cow wedge into hot whole wheat pasta? It would make a good replacement for Alfredo. Throw in some broccoli too!

I will always be adamant that certain foods never hit this sleeve, but I am SO far from deprived. I try to tell people that I have never eaten so well. For lunch I'm having shrimp that I stir fried in coconut oil pineapple and chili paste. Tonight I'm having tri-tip and scallops. Contrast that to one of my before sleeve meals of a Big Mac, 10 McNuggets and a super sized large fry.

Okay, I will admit to a tiny bit of sugar in the occasional bit of Trader Joe's 82% dark chocolate. I only eat a square of it and I have read repeatedly that it actually helps weight loss and is good for you. Win/Win I say.

I've used the 2% reduced fat American and cheddar and chedar/colby mix since way before surgery, to me it tastes the same except for fat and calories.....fat free on the other hand....NO WAY!!! That FF cheese is bad. We like the whole wheat pasta, we've been using it for a long time too.

[Catracks 865]

I've used the 2% reduced fat American and cheddar and chedar/colby mix since way before surgery, to me it tastes the same except for fat and calories.....fat free on the other hand....NO WAY!!! That FF cheese is bad. We like the whole wheat Pasta, we've been using it for a long time too.

I tried the reduced fat cheese and found that they did not melt well. It's also next to impossible to find a variety of cheeses that are fat free and I never met a cheese i didn't like. Tilset smells like feet though.

I do stay away from pre-shredded cheeses. First you are limited to the homogenized, lame/same old varieties, second, they add cellulose to stop it from clumping and third, it costs more.

I did tend to use a lot of cheddar for the midwest hotdish/casserole stuff I used to do, but I love everything from aged provolone to Camembert and everything in between.

I think I might have fruit and cheese tonight. Perfect for a 100+ degree day.

Fat free cheese is a sacrilege.

[Nikki613 120]

Shelly from eggface makes a cheesy califlower bake that may hit the spot!!

[Nikki613 120]

Shelly from eggface makes a cheesy califlower bake that may hit the spot!!

[DT2687 3]

Actually my behavioral food therapist ( she is also a dietitian) says that treating yourself is ok, and that she doesn’t want me to completely deprive myself of anything. That being said not until I heal.

[ShoppGirl 3,370]

I have bought cauliflower Mac n cheese and it was just cauliflower with the cheese sauce like from a packet and I have made it. I actually posted the recipe on here and it used real cheese which was healthier but not quite as cheesy so it may or may not hit the spot like boxed or homemade Mac n cheese. I know you can buy just the cheese sauce packet at dollar tree. It would certainly be better to have it over cauliflower than Pasta but it should probably still be just a special treat on rare occasion once you get to maintenance ideally.

[HashiHope121 74]

Here’s my opinion & it differs from others:

I am 1y post op & have surpassed my goals. I believe that a lot of my issues with weight gain came from diet culture. Now, I live in the land of balance. I absolutely have had Mac & cheese (I like the reduced guilt from TJs & have it with Tuna). I think long term health & success comes from eating a healthy balanced diet. I do not ban anything, and never ever plan to diet or ban foods again. I eat a ton of Whole Foods, lean Protein, Veggies & fruit. I feel and look healthy & fabulous. What I avoid the most is processed foods. I also tracked for the first year so I knew how many carbs, protein, calories and fat I took in & that helped me learn good habits. It also helped me learn what was not worth the splurge. So, IMHO, eventually you can have some Mac and cheese- once in a while.

I realize everyone is different but this is my opinion & experience. I hope this helps.

[DT2687 3]

53 minutes ago, HashiHope121 said:

Here’s my opinion & it differs from others:

I am 1y post op & have surpassed my goals. I believe that a lot of my issues with weight gain came from diet culture. Now, I live in the land of balance. I absolutely have had Mac & cheese (I like the reduced guilt from TJs & have it with Tuna). I think long term health & success comes from eating a healthy balanced diet. I do not ban anything, and never ever plan to diet or ban foods again. I eat a ton of Whole Foods, lean Protein, Veggies & fruit. I feel and look healthy & fabulous. What I avoid the most is processed foods. I also tracked for the first year so I knew how many carbs, Protein, calories and fat I took in & that helped me learn good habits. It also helped me learn what was not worth the splurge. So, IMHO, eventually you can have some Mac and cheese- once in a while.

I realize everyone is different but this is my opinion & experience. I hope this helps.

I love this response ❤️ and this is basically what I will be striving for. This is exactly what my food behavioral therapist recommends. 😃