I will not use artificial butter items, such as the I can't believe it's not Butter stuff. I'm Leary of all the chemicals. I've found a Greek yogurt/butter substitute I'll use. I also won't eat fat free or 1% cottage cheese. I'll eat the 2% stuff. I'll use low fat cream cheese and sour cream, and low fat cheeses. The fat free stuff just tastes gritty or tasteless. I realize this may slow down my weight loss a tad, but I want to enjoy my food still.

What foods substitutes are you just not willing to use?

Stuff I've read about artificial sweetener scares the crap out of me. Have had to have some during the all liquid phase but never again once I'm through. If I can't do real sugar, I won't do sugar at all. Won't do the fake, chemical stuff. Yuck!

I don't eat cheese often but when I do, it's the real deal. No fat free cheese for me. I also can't do crystal light or any similar beverage made by adding something (liquid, powder) to water. They are too artificial tasting, imo.

I refuse to eat any low fat cheese other than ricotta and mozzarella. I also refuse to eat margarine. I eat butter and olive oil. I just don't eat much. I eat nuts and avocados. I am eating almost no carbs. And absolutely no sugar and a gal has to eat something.

I'm only 4 weeks out but I hate the sugar free stuff. And the margarine or fat free "butter" sprays. All that seems counter intuitive. We are learning to treat our bodies better yet putting the chemicals in. Makes no sense.

@SMO @nsquared @@dansgem

Oh man, peeps. I feel ya! I'm 8 mos out. Since I was 2 months post-op, I have not been able to stomach fake food/chemical food. I can taste the fakeness. I have taken a bite of a Protein bar, chewed once or twice, and spit it out. Premier Protein, the shakes I used to love, taste like drinking a "melted Frisbee"- hella plastic. I don't see how it is better for us to eat super-processed, unpronounceable ingredients.

I WILL USE REAL (greek yogurt) CREAM cheese ON MY MORNING PIECE OF HIGH Fiber, HIGH PROTEIN TOAST! And, I would rather drink something totally plain that use sugar substitute. Note: I LURRRRVED SPLENDA pre-op. Now, I can finally understand what all those people were telling me all those years about the "fake taste". I honestly never ever noticed it before.

My NUT definitely encourages supplement use and sugar-free beverages, but there must be alternatives for those of us trying to "eat clean". My go-to sugar free drink is Water or unsweetened tea. The side effect of me eating only "real food" has been that I rarely make my protein goal. I could supplement with shakes but it makes me gag. Any ideas for an easy-to-digest natural (plant based?) protein boost?