I am 5 weeks out of surgery and doing good. Getting protein and fluids in. But I am starting to crave vegetables. I'm so sick of meat, eggs and cheese. Anybody have any suggestions of something different?

I'm 6 weeks out and I'm surprised you can't have vegetables. My nutritionist gave me a list of vegetables I have to eat as long as they're cooked. Spinach, zucchini, carrots, Brussels sprouts, onion, eggplants. Those are a few. Ask your doctor. I'm supposed to have half a cup of vegetables twice a day. Reading here I'm realizing my diet is very different than everyone else's. I had the surgery in Dominican Republic. I spent one month on liquids and now I'm on soft foods. Lost 40 pounds since August 4th.

I ate (and still eat) a lot of veggies.....squash, spinach, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, edemame, carrots, brussel sprouts, zucchini, etc. The spinach is easy to incorporate with protein (ie spinach/egg /cheese scramble). I also drink V8 juice....veggies AND fluids. I was told to cook the veggies really well so they were soft for the first 3 months. After that even raw was OK.

I go for a follow up on Monday. I sure hope they tell me I can have veggies. It is strange how so many people's diets are so different after surgery. I'm five weeks out of surgery and I've lost 39lbs. My starting weight was 255 and I'm down to 216.

Hello. Can you guys please post a typical day of eating for you? I am about 7 weeks out. I barely get 55 grams of Protein in. I am stuffed every time I eat. I honestly don't have much room for veggies. I have greenbeans or broccoli....very very very little with my dinner. I can't stand V8 juice. I'm just curious how you get the veggies in and how much you can typically eat at a meal. Thanks!

I'm 3 months out, and I must confess that I don't eat very many vegetables. I try to eat a few bites after my Protein, but it really is only a few bites that I'm able to cram in. That being said, I am getting the protein and fluids in, which some of you seem to struggle with, so below is a typical day's menu that helps me meet those goals. I'll keep trying to get in more veggies, and look forward to reading any posts with suggestions on how to make that happen.

Okay, below is a "typical" day's menu:

As for carbs, mostly I get them from my shakes, Greek yogurt, and the very limited veggies I'm able to fit in after my protein. Other doctors and nutritionists give you carb targets, but Brebbia just says to limit them as much as possible. If you're not logging your food yet, I'd suggest using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It helps you keep track of your protein and fluids, but also can help you figure out if anything is going off track and affecting your weight loss. And if you haven't checked it out yet, you might want to join the BariatricPal Forum at http://www.bariatricpal.com/. There are thousands of users online all the time, with a wide diversity of experience. If you post a question, you will undoubtedly get answers and/or suggestions.

Okay, here's an example of my day:

• I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz Tervis tumbler (with a handle) both at home and at work.
• I count my morning Protein shake as a meal, not a Fluid. (30 grams of protein)
• 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a fluid if you like.)
• After that, I drink a 24-oz. cup of decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light. (Lots of frequent sips)
• Then I walk for 40+ minutes.
• Then it's lunchtime - tuna or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein) and maybe a bite of veggies.
• About 45 minutes after lunch, I'll fill another 24-oz cup of iced tea and sip that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack.
• At around 4:00, my afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or V-8, or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies if you're getting enough protein at other times.)
• Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.)
• Then dinner – again, getting 20-25 grams of protein from lean chicken, fish, steak, or pork, and maybe a bite or two of veggies.
• Finally, another 24-oz cup of iced tea or Water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening.
• If I'm hungry later, sugar-free Jello or sugar-free popsicles are good.

So that's 70+ grams of protein and 72+ ounces of fluid, with some exercise as well. Lately I'm finding that all that fluid is taking away my need for Snacks, so I have to make sure I don't miss out on some protein! If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work.

The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids, especially if you're going to be away from home or work. In those cases, I always make sure there will be something I can eat, or I bring along a Protein shake or some kind of meat to carry me through. I've also gotten pretty good at restaurant eating. I usually avoid the bread and salad, order chicken, steak, lamb, fish, or pork, trade in the starch for a second veggie, skip dessert.... and end up taking half of the meat, and almost all of the veggies home.

I know we need to learn to eat "normally", but I'm not there yet – especially when it comes to carbs. When I get to goal weight, I'll work on finding my new low-carb "normal".

Hope that helps!

My nut said I can make my own soups (with any soft blended vegs I want). I can get my protein from shakes twice a day. I am 2 weeks out.

I am 5 weeks out of surgery and doing good. Getting Protein and fluids in. But I am starting to crave vegetables. I'm so sick of meat, eggs and cheese. Anybody have any suggestions of something different?

my new favorite alternate source of protein is boiled peanuts. but, peanuts, lentils, Beans and other nuts are good sources of protein and are all a nice change in texture from what you have been eating. If you want more details on stuff like this you could search the internet for vegetarian or vegan recipes - there is a LOT you can do for protein without limiting yourself to meat sources.