Okay, more that a little miffed. A bit of advice/help would be welcome.

[winklie 518]

@@beachgal2935

Well I don't move to diet stage three for one more week, and honestly, I don't know. I am sort of still milking stage 2, I eat at least one meal a day, but there are days when I am like, ah the hell with it, I'll just have another shake.

As for the soft foods stage, I have to do a lot of reading and gather some recipes to sort of figure that part out. At this point, other than turkey chili I have no solid plans on any food.

Suggestions?

[beachgal2935 596]

@winklie It may be a lil while before you can eat the pizza but the quiche is a staple in my diet and a go-to even now when I don't have time to prepare anything. It takes a little while to make initially but when you only have to spend 1 minute 30 seconds in the microwave to reheat a piece, you'll be loving it. Same with the pizza as far as time goes to make the crusts but then only 5 minutes in the oven and you're eating delicious pizza - yum! I kinda like taking pics of my food too

Magic Crust Quiche - Ham

Ingredients

2 cups 1% Lowfat Milk

1/2 cup All-purpose flour

5 large eggs

1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack cheese shredded

1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Swiss cheese shredded

1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded

7 oz Ham diced small

1/4 cup Cooked red bell pepper diced small

1/4 cup Cooked Vidalia or sweet onion diced small

Preheat oven to 350˚. In a blender or NutriBullet, mix eggs, milk and flour until blended, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder or whatever you’d like. In a bowl combine all cheeses, cooked meat and cooked veggies. Now add blended mixture and stir to combine. Pour into an 8”x8” or 9”x9” square glass dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let stand 5-10 before serving. You can add whatever cheeses, veggies or meats suit your taste. I steer clear of chicken as it seems to dry to me. The small amount of flour firms up the sides and bottom making the “magic crust” while saving tons of calories. The Nutrition Facts are based on recipe above. FYI - the heavier meats, like ground beef, tend to fall to the bottom. Serving size is approximately 2”x2 1/2”

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12

Per serving:

Calories 120

Protein 12g

Fat 5g

Cholesterol 94 mg

Sodium 253 mg

Potassium 59 mg

Total Carbohydrate 7 g

Sugars 2 g

PIZZA CRUST – (Chicken)

Ingredients

• One pound ground (raw) chicken breast
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne)

Tools

• Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combing method)
• Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust)
• Parchment paper
• Wax paper
• Rolling pin
• Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

1. In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.

1. Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness).

1. Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings.

1. Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier.

Crust Only:

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving:

Servings 6.0

Calories 114

Total Fat 3g

Carbohydrate 1g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 0g

Protein 19g

As Prepared :

1 Tbsp Prego pizza sauce

2 Tbsp Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds

1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion

1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper

½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef

Nutrition Facts

Servings 1.0

Calories 238

Total Fat 10g

Carbohydrate 5g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Sugars 2g

Protein 31g

Premier Protein pudding Cups or Pops

Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts – Pudding Nutrition Facts – Pudding Pop

Serving size: ½ cup Serving Size: 1 Pop

Calories 93 Calories 62

Fat 1g Fat 1g

Carbs 10g Carbs 7g

Fiber 2g Fiber 1g

Sugars 0g Sugars 0g

Protein 12g Protein 8g

Crustless Protein pumpkin Pie

15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling)
½ cup Egg whites
1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake
¾ cup Splenda
½ tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving.

Nutrition Facts – Pie Only

Servings: 6

Calories 77

Fat 1g

Carbs 10g

Fiber 4g

Sugars 6g

Protein 9g

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

Because the body is fickle and will hold onto every ounce of fat. Stay the course. Once your body gets the message that you aren't dying it will release and the weight loss will continue. It times like this that make it important not to rely on the numbers on the scale as your only measuring stick for progress. Take your measurements. I do beck, boobs, waist & hips. Even on days when the scale isn't moving or appears to move backwards, those measurements will tell you how your body is shifting.

[Dream4tc 192]

@@winklie Stop calling yourself a tool - LOL! Reading how much you walk has literally exhausted me. I wasn't allowed to exercise until month #2 so imagine how that would've had your stress levels up?!

Now for my 2nd point and I'm sure you may already know this AND I mean no disrespect to whomever stated earlier that muscle weighs more than fat. Here's the perfect explanation I found online: "Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat." I too have had stalls and they always work themselves out.

I took pics and measured my body at several points before surgery, at 3 months & 6 months post-op so far. Being 54 years young and Class III Morbidly Obese at the beginning, this was NOT easy to do but I knew I'd never have to look that way again and I'm so glad I did! That's where I can see a huge difference. That scale may lie to us because of the fluctuation in Water our bodies hold (after all the human body is 70% water) but those pics and that tape measure will tell the truth every time I'm currently residing in the Class I obesity realm and have lost 17" in my waist alone - Yippee!

Now I have a question for you ... what are you going to eat now that you can sink your teeth into some "soft" stage food???

This is what a pound of fat looks like in relation to pound of muscle

[Dream4tc 192]

@@winklie It may be a lil while before you can eat the pizza but the quiche is a staple in my diet and a go-to even now when I don't have time to prepare anything. It takes a little while to make initially but when you only have to spend 1 minute 30 seconds in the microwave to reheat a piece, you'll be loving it. Same with the pizza as far as time goes to make the crusts but then only 5 minutes in the oven and you're eating delicious pizza - yum! I kinda like taking pics of my food too

Magic Crust Quiche - Ham

Ingredients

2 cups 1% Lowfat Milk

1/2 cup All-purpose flour

5 large eggs

1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack cheese shredded

1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Swiss cheese shredded

1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded

7 oz Ham diced small

1/4 cup Cooked red bell pepper diced small

1/4 cup Cooked Vidalia or sweet onion diced small

Preheat oven to 350˚. In a blender or NutriBullet, mix eggs, milk and flour until blended, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder or whatever you’d like. In a bowl combine all cheeses, cooked meat and cooked veggies. Now add blended mixture and stir to combine. Pour into an 8”x8” or 9”x9” square glass dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let stand 5-10 before serving. You can add whatever cheeses, veggies or meats suit your taste. I steer clear of chicken as it seems to dry to me. The small amount of flour firms up the sides and bottom making the “magic crust” while saving tons of calories. The Nutrition Facts are based on recipe above. FYI - the heavier meats, like ground beef, tend to fall to the bottom. Serving size is approximately 2”x2 1/2”

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12

Per serving:

Calories 120

Protein 12g

Fat 5g

Cholesterol 94 mg

Sodium 253 mg

Potassium 59 mg

Total Carbohydrate 7 g

Sugars 2 g

PIZZA CRUST – (Chicken)

Ingredients

• One pound ground (raw) chicken breast
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne)

Tools

• Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combing method)
• Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust)
• Parchment paper
• Wax paper
• Rolling pin
• Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450°F.

• In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.

• Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness).

• Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings.

• Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier.

Crust Only:

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving:

Servings 6.0

Calories 114

Total Fat 3g

Carbohydrate 1g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 0g

Protein 19g

As Prepared :

1 Tbsp Prego pizza sauce

2 Tbsp Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds

1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion

1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper

½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef

Nutrition Facts

Servings 1.0

Calories 238

Total Fat 10g

Carbohydrate 5g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Sugars 2g

Protein 31g

Premier Protein pudding Cups or Pops

Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts – Pudding Nutrition Facts – Pudding Pop

Serving size: ½ cup Serving Size: 1 Pop

Calories 93 Calories 62

Fat 1g Fat 1g

Carbs 10g Carbs 7g

Fiber 2g Fiber 1g

Sugars 0g Sugars 0g

Protein 12g Protein 8g

Crustless Protein pumpkin Pie

15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling)

½ cup Egg whites

1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake

¾ cup Splenda

½ tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving.

Nutrition Facts – Pie Only

Servings: 6

Calories 77

Fat 1g

Carbs 10g

Fiber 4g

Sugars 6g

Protein 9g

Where did you find the pudding pop molds from? I have been looking for those.

[winklie 518]

@@beachgal2935

OMG thank you so much. I bookmarked this page, lol. Some of those dishes sound wonderful. Refried Beans and cheese is getting a bit old.

[beachgal2935 596]

@@Dream4tc I found the Jello pudding pop mold right next to the puddings in Walmart. They only had one. After I began using it and loving it, I went online and just ordered another. It comes with 4 boxes (2 vanilla & 2 chocolate) of regular pudding for only $4.98. I love putting my Oikos Greek yogurt in them and enjoying a variety of flavored frozen yogurt pops as well. The possibilities are endless

[beachgal2935 596]

@@winklie You're very welcome. I'm always looking for recipes to tweak into bariatric friendly ones since this is our new way of life from now on. Since we can eat only a small portion, I make sure that everything I eat is 100% delicious! It drives me absolutely crazy when I hear people either in my after care meetings, on Facebook or even here say some of the things they eat just because "it didn't bother them". Really?! I did NOT go through this life changing surgery to eat smaller portions of the crap I used to eat. Instead, I'm learning how to eat the proper way to sustain this 2nd chance I've been given at having a long and healthy life

[goblue9280 481]

@@winklie

Here are a couple simple recipes I made this week that I have really enjoyed... and trust me, if I can make them, anyone can.

Shelly's Baked Ricotta

8 oz of Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 large Egg, beaten

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup Marinara Sauce

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave

Hungry Girl Buffalo chicken Dip: http://www.food.com/recipe/hungry-girl-buffalo-chicken-dip-413265

[winklie 518]

@@goblue9280

I had nearly the same thing, I used RAO's Pasta sauce, no sugar, basically all veggies, low cal, low or no sugar, but aside from that it was the same thing, and I loved it.

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@goblue9280 - Thanks for the buffalo chicken dip recipe! That sounds amazing. I actually need to take a potluck dish to work tomorrow and I think I have all these ingredients! And I can have some too!!

[irishaggie 304]

@@goblue9280

I had nearly the same thing, I used RAO's Pasta sauce, no sugar, basically all veggies, low cal, low or no sugar, but aside from that it was the same thing, and I loved it.

That is a good sauce…. Another good one for us post surgery is Mari Batalli's sauce. Very low sugars

[winklie 518]

@@irishaggie

I'll have to look that up. It's hard having GB and being Italian, we have a special bond with food, lol. I can live w/o Pasta, but sauce, it just goes so well in so many things.

Edited October 30, 2015 by winklie