I have constantly been getting little hunger attacks to eat over the last couple months in between planned meals (6x a day to total 1200 calories), when I am not supposed to be eating. Gets worse every day. So today I thought perhaps cottage cheese would make a good satiety food for these moments when I am being pulled *hard* by hunger. It worked!!

The reason why I wanted to try is because I was remembering about a cottage cheese test to determine size of stomach from a VST book I read pre op (yes, I read a lot of books about post op but nothing trumps post op experience). I thought if cottage cheese is being used to determine size, it cannot slide through. This is great! I just hope a random couple spoonfuls are not going to blow maintenance. High in Protein, low in fat and low in carbs. I never did eat cottage cheese more then once post op, so it is good to be eating again.

What are some *other satiety foods* you use to bury that nagging goal weight hunger?

Two rules:

1. It must be smaller serving size then a normal full meal of 1 cup of protein / veggies. In other words, eating a meal does noes not count as a solution to my question.

2. It must not be a slider food. I am looking to satisfy the hunger, not delay it for more battles in 20 minutes. Besides, I do not want to eat sliders during maintenance of weight. I want to eat as healthy as possible to support physical activity.

You could probably even substitute regular milk for the cream and it would still be good... sounds good!

Hunger sucks. I really hoped surgery would just take it all away! I feel very normal now, which is good, but it's hard realizing I'll continue to have a lifelong battle with food.

I think this is the thing a lot of people think, and when it is not the reality, they struggle. I am 2.5 yrs post op. I get hungry (not the same feeling as before, and not as ravenous, but it is still there), I still enjoy food (nothing ever tasted weird), it was never a chore to eat, and I still get cravings. Learning to handle them is the key. The sleeve is a great jumps start, but the battle will always be there (for most people anyways!). I have been maintaining for almost a year, but still worry about gaining and watch what I eat. I am not a food fanatic, and will have treats, but if I don't watch, I start to gain.

One thing I find very filling (if you are ok with healthy carbs) is homemade sugar free granola. I use thick-cut organic oats, almonds, puffed brown rice (like rice krispies, although I aim for the organic kind without anything added to them), sugar free maple syrup and vanilla stevia. I mix it greek yogurt and it keeps me for hours, even further out from surgery!

I will have to try it with sf maple... I made some this morning with 1/4 old fashioned oats, a T of coconut, 1t butter (optional!) browned a bit then ad 1 1/2 t of agave syrup, stir until moisture evaperates, then turn out on cool plate to set up a bit, or dump directly onto yogurt...(I even make a version with walnuts and chili flakes to use on salad) I will try your recipe next time!

Hunger sucks. I really hoped surgery would just take it all away! I feel very normal now' date=' which is good, but it's hard realizing I'll continue to have a lifelong battle with food.

[/quote']

I think this is the thing a lot of people think, and when it is not the reality, they struggle. I am 2.5 yrs post op. I get hungry (not the same feeling as before, and not as ravenous, but it is still there), I still enjoy food (nothing ever tasted weird), it was never a chore to eat, and I still get cravings. Learning to handle them is the key. The sleeve is a great jumps start, but the battle will always be there (for most people anyways!). I have been maintaining for almost a year, but still worry about gaining and watch what I eat. I am not a food fanatic, and will have treats, but if I don't watch, I start to gain.

One thing I find very filling (if you are ok with healthy carbs) is homemade sugar free granola. I use thick-cut organic oats, almonds, puffed brown rice (like rice krispies, although I aim for the organic kind without anything added to them), sugar free maple syrup and vanilla stevia. I mix it greek yogurt and it keeps me for hours, even further out from surgery!

I'm totally making that this weekend! Hopefully it's not a trigger for me and I'll want the whole batch. We'll see...

You could probably even substitute regular milk for the cream and it would still be good... sounds good!

It probably would. I think the cream was for lower carbs, but milk would be lower calories...

I could eat this every night as a dessert and be happy.

I will have to try it with sf maple... I made some this morning with 1/4 old fashioned oats, a T of coconut, 1t butter (optional!) browned a bit then ad 1 1/2 t of agave syrup, stir until moisture evaperates, then turn out on cool plate to set up a bit, or dump directly onto yogurt...(I even make a version with walnuts and chili flakes to use on salad) I will try your recipe next time!

There is so many ways you can make it healthy, isn't it great! I was actually able to get my hands on a sample maple syrup from a company that makes Isomalto-Oligosaccharides syrup (it is what they use in Quest bars...it is a natural sweetener and prebiotic fibre and from what I have read, fairly healthy). It does have some calories but is ridiculously high in fiber! I hope some day they will be releasing it to the public, I think it is a great option for people trying to get away from artificial sweeteners.

I'm totally making that this weekend! Hopefully it's not a trigger for me and I'll want the whole batch. We'll see...

I do have to be careful around carbs, but this doesn't seem to bother me that much. Other things, like sweets especially, once I start, I can't stop and I crave them more and more. Bread and Pasta, meh. I enjoy it when I have it, but it doesn't turn me into a raving carb lunatic like chocolate does!

There is so many ways you can make it healthy' date=' isn't it great! I was actually able to get my hands on a sample maple syrup from a company that makes Isomalto-Oligosaccharides syrup (it is what they use in Quest bars...it is a natural sweetener and prebiotic fibre and from what I have read, fairly healthy). It does have some calories but is ridiculously high in fiber! I hope some day they will be releasing it to the public, I think it is a great option for people trying to get away from artificial sweeteners.[/quote']

How much of these ingredients make a batch? Do you just throw everything together and use the syrup to bind it? And then bake?

Yes - I LOVE this stuff.

3 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup cottage cheese (I sometimes use more)

2/3 cup Splenda sugar substitute (granular)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

(I add a little All Spice)

Directions:

Whisk together all ingredients except cottage cheese until well blended.

Stir in cottage cheese.

Pour into a greased 1.5 quart casserole dish and bake at 350 for 75 min. or until top is lighly browned.

Around halfway through' date=' I gently stir so the cottage cheese doesn't settle at the bottom.

Eat warm or cold.[/quote']

Mmmmmm yummy!

Sent from my iPhone using VST

How much of these ingredients make a batch? Do you just throw everything together and use the syrup to bind it? And then bake?

I do 2 cups oats, 3/4 c almonds, 1 cup puffed rice, 1/2 cup hemp seeds, and then about 1/2 c syrup and 1tsp liquid vanilla stevia to hold it together and make it granola. I actually cook mine in my T-fal Actifry, no need to stir, so I am not sure what it would be in the oven, you would just have to experiment. If you search online or on pinterest, you can find lots of recipes, granola is fairly easy and you can make it almost anyway you want.

I make mine in a fry pan. all dry ingredients first, till light golden, add liquid sweetner while hot, stir until liquid steams off and oats are browned.

Stupid question (we don't really eat granola in Australia) do you chop the almonds?

Stupid question (we don't really eat granola in Australia) do you chop the almonds?

For granola you would. The only time I leave almonds whole is when I'm planning to count them out and just eat them plain.

You can also add Protein powder to your homemade granola. But it is definitely something I can eat too much of and most granola is a high-calorie (good calories tho) food. So I have to watch it around granola.

Sometimes I chop the nuts, sometimes not, depending on how chunky I want it. I make it one serving at a time so its not just sitting around the house tempting me. 1/4 cup oats...then whatever you want makes a pretty big serving. Sometimes I will even divide this into two... I will have to try the Protein powder! You add it at the end? I think I will make it for Breakfast this morning...(suggestible much? )

I buy almonds that are already sliced for me (you can usually buy slivered or sliced almonds in the baking aisle or bulk food store). The slivered ones tend to brown quickly, so I prefer the sliced. It does not slide for me, I find it very filling ( I also mix with yogurt as well). It keeps me full usually all morning!