Prior to surgery and the months following, our diets are so restricted and very planned out for us. A question I get asked a lot is what do you eat now that you are a ways out from surgery? So I decided to make a list of recipes and snack/meal ideas I use now at almost 4 years out. Remember, I eat six meals/snacks a day.

Breakfast:

• Frittatta with Ricotta and Mixed Greens- omelet
• Nonfat greek yogurt with fruit and granola.
• oatmeal (old fashioned oats) with cinnamon and banana
• One piece of whole wheat or 9 grain bread with Almond/Peanut butter
• Turkey bacon with egg whites and salsa
• Special K Protein Cereal with almond milk, or 2% milk
• Any kind of Breakfast smoothy with protein powder
• Protein shake

Morning Snack:

• Apple Slices and Almond/peanut butter
• Apple sauce
• Fruit- bag or grapes, orange, pear, banana, etc.
• Protein Bar
• Homemade protein bites- meat and low fat cheese and wheat thins and a cookie.
• dinner left overs.
• Grilled chicken Cesar Wrap (homemade)
• Tuna fish with low fat mayo, apple and pickle relish with wheat thins.
• Grilled chicken salad over spinach and kale with veggies and lite dressing.
• Turkey Meatball sub with heart smart marinara sauce, low fat Parmesan cheese and whole grain/wheat hogey roll.
• Grilled chicken fajitas and veggies on a low carb, wheat tortilla.
• Quinoa with black Beans and corn- Jerky
• Low fat string cheese
• Sunflower Seeds
• Protein bar/shake
• Sweet Snack
• Rice Cakes
• Low Fat Popcorn (Smart Pop)
• Celery and Almond/Peanut butter
• Veggies with lite ranch
• Hard Boiled eggs
• Sliced avacado

Dinner:

• Turkey Chili- pizza Frittatta- pineapple juice and cayenne pepper, served with a slice of grilled pineapple and steamed or grilled veggies.
• Any type of grilled fish with mango salsa.
• Baked pork chops over apple pie filling with roasted new potatoes and asparagus

Evening Snack:

• Low fat greek yogurt with honey or fruit
• Cottage cheese and fruit
• chocolate milk
• Sweet treat
• Peanut Butter Spoon
• Protein Shake
• Fold over peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat or whole grain bread.

By no means is this all I eat, but this is a list of my favorites and most used. If you have any questions about recipes or preparation or possible calorie and protein amounts just let me know. Hope this helps.

Some recommendations include the carbs due to the onset of fatigue the body will gain by going into ketosis if no carbs are consumed. Those soups have carbs but they are simple carbs that your body will use as fuel as opposed to complex carbs stored as fat. I wouldn't eat it more than 1 time a day though.

My opinion is counting calories will make you go insane lol! Focus on protein alone.by the time you hit that goal the isn't room or hunger for anything else.

ann, jamie and brian thank you so much for the info. I have been mostly focusing on getting my Protein in. Over the past 2 weeks since I have been allowed to begin to eat some foods I had one day when I only could get in 57 grams of protein. The rest of days I have had 63 to 97 protein. Of course that is still drinking at least 1 Protein shake a day. By the way by 6 weeks my Dr said I shouldn't be drinking any protein. I can't see how that is possible, do you?. So I guess I am doing ok. Thank brian I didn't realize that the soups were simple carbs and that was ok. So not all carbs are bad. I guess I need some more education on carbs.

@@ssflbelle I was told to stop drinking my protein as early as possible too. Mostly because drinking calories is a no-no in general and also the shakes don't keep you full as long as solid food. I switched to protein bars once I was allowed solid foods. You just have to be very careful when choosing protein bars because many can be high in carbs and/or saturated fat. I still rely on protein bars to meet my protein goals at 18 months post-op, mostly for the convenience factor. Ideally I would get my protein through less processed foods, but that's just not feasible in my real life. You have to figure out what works for you and sustainable over time. Many people still drink 1-2 protein shakes a day a couple years out for the same reason. Ultimately, while it's important to adhere to your nutritionist's and surgeon's guidelines in the early stages so you can full heal and develop new healthy habits, you are the one who has to be able to live the rest of your life.

@@Katnroyal ... awesome initial post. Thank you.

To the person (?) who asked about calories / Protein -- I count both. I use My Fitness Pal, which I use to plan and track my food / Water.

Below was my weight-loss eating plan -- not proselytizing at all (this worked well for me, but do what works best for you):

Months 1-4 - I averaged 800 calories/day and 80 grams of protein (couldn't really eat much more than that during those months anyway)

Months 5-6 - I averaged 1,000 cals/day and 90 grams of protein

Months 7-8 - I averaged 1,200 cals/day and 100 grams of protein

I reached my weight goal (150 pounds) at 8.5 months post-op. Since then I've ratcheted up my calories and have slowly lost another 15 pounds and weigh 135 pounds. Now in maintenance, I'm eating 1700 - 1800 calories/day on average and still eating 90-100 grams of protein.

We all have different lifestyles, workout routines, activity goals. I am NOT a gym rat. I do walk a lot and am so much more active than I used to be. I'm 70 years old. Feel great. Look amazing for my age.

@@VSGAnn2014

I wonder if this is why I'm having such a hard time losing right now. I'm 8 months out and my doctor/nutritionist insist that I stay between 600-800 calories. Most days I get around 950 because there's just no way for me to stay that low and not lose my mind. I still have another 80-100 pounds to lose and I'm having such a horrible time getting the scale to move.

I am extremely carb sensitive so I try to stay under 30 per day.

Edited February 23, 201610 yr by her1981

@@her1981 ... again, just reporting my own experience and NOT telling you what to do ....

I ratcheted up my calories from 800 to 1,000 and then 1,200 because my surgical P.A. told me that if I did so I could avoid teaching my body to subsist on very few calories later on when I was trying to maintain. I REALLY wanted to avoid not being restricted to only 1,000 - 1,200 calories to maintain my weight.

What would you think about conducting a science experiment? If what you're doing isn't working well enough, why not (mindfully and responsibly) do some other things -- to see how they pan out?

One thing I have learned for sure about all this stuff is that, although there are some basic principles everyone should follow ("Don't eat slider foods!"), not all bodies respond in the same ways to a generic eating prescription.

Ultimately, we all have the ability to find the way that works best for us.

Again, I'm not suggesting anything irresponsible at all! Just conscientious experiments over a long enough time period and applied consistently to determine the effects on YOUR body.

@@JamieLogical drinking calories are mainly referring to higher calorie type stuff that have higher sugar in them. look into universal nutrition whey Protein. its a life saver. many great flavors too! im currently using chocolate peanutbutter banana and its awesome! 88 calories but 1 g of sugar and 25g protein in 1 scoop. you could do 1 in the a.m and 1 just before bed and that's half your daily protein in the first few months.

@@ssflbelle 2 carb types. complex and simple carbs. the way the body digests and stores or uses them are how they are based. its rather simple. eat a little complex in the morning with Breakfast to help fuel you and kick start your metabolism. simple carbs are a no-no! I got this for you!! happy motoring lol http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/types-of-carbohydrates.html

@her1981 I really need to know what you are eating to determine if its hindering your losing weight. post me a typical day worth of food. what carbs are you eating to get to the 30? are you exercising? I bet I can get your weight falling off! just help me a little on some specifics and lets smash some goals!

I think I got everybody! lol if you need personal help, just pm me! I wont bite I promise! well ok maybe I might!! good luck guys and gals!

remember this, if you don't have enough gas in your car to go down the street, will it make it across state lines with the same amount of gas? answer= nope! you must add fuel to increase travel distance! adding calories will help metabolism speed up. they must be clean calories though! the calories in a chicken breast are not the same as say potato chips! have youever seen someone wear something that clearly doesn't fit? same with your calories! just because you have some calories left to eat within your target doesn't mean they can come from anything. they MUST FIT in your clean diet. this is why I am opposed to calorie counting all together. count Protein. use lean protein or low calorie whey protein and hit the protein goals! I guarantee results! im living proof! again ive lost 218 in 9 months this way!

again, if you have a question or issue and don't want to post it here pm me! no question is a dumb one! im here to help in any way I can! bring the question on!

@@JamieLogical drinking calories are mainly referring to higher calorie type stuff that have higher sugar in them. look into universal nutrition whey Protein. its a life saver. many great flavors too! im currently using chocolate peanutbutter banana and its awesome! 88 calories but 1 g of sugar and 25g protein in 1 scoop. you could do 1 in the a.m and 1 just before bed and that's half your daily protein in the first few months.

I fully understand what "drinking your calories" means. I am very happily maintaining where I am and have no issues getting my 100 grams of protein in per day. For me, bars are preferable to shakes. They keep me fuller longer and if the processing and chemicals in them is doing me any harm, it's not showing up in any of my labs, effecting my workouts, or causing me to gain weight, so I am perfectly happy with them. I'm certainly eating far fewer heavily processed foods than I was pre-op!

This post is just a snap shot of what I may eat in a day. Everyone has different diet plans and intake goals. I am not currently training for anything, I just go to the gym five days a week for light lifting and cardio. I am maintaining and not trying to lose at the moment. I am four years post op so I can eat bigger portions and actually have to pay attention to what I eat. By no means am I claiming to be a nutritionist, so if your nutritionist is suggesting something I would follow their directive, if you feel something is off, then discuss that with your nut.

Thanks so much for this wonderful list. I have marked this and will return when I am that far along.

Lifeofblair wrote I 'm still in the losing phase (5 lbs or so from goal) and my nut said to eat between 600-800 calories a day, but I have a hard time with those calories and to get the needed Protein. I like to get others opinions on what works.

that is not enough calories!!

What that makes no sense to me as I am 4 weeks postop tomorrow and I have been eating 500 to 650 a day. Your eating less than I am if your eating 600 and your almost to goal. Is your NUT a specialist in WLS? Sounds like she is way off on her thinking.

She's the nut at my surgeons office. And when she said between 600-800 calories she said that was the average. I emailed the other nut to get her take on it because some days I could eat way more but feel bad going over 800 calories. All these responses make me feel better though, so I do appreciate them!

Depends on where you are in size and post op surgery. I'm 11 months out, and pretty much holding steady.. I lose best when I reach 80-90 protein grams a day, and lower calorie. And I work out almost every single day, at least 60-90 minutes a day, and I'm averaging about 1000 calories a day. When I eat more, I stall.. and carbs count too.

again, if you have a question or issue and don't want to post it here pm me! no question is a dumb one! im here to help in any way I can! bring the question on!

I would love some help on figuringout my macros. I currently run 4-5 times a week, cycle, and am weightlifting.

what is your current height, weight and age? on all your current exercising, I need length of times doing each. I need to get a ballpark on your resting metabolic rate from that info and then we can figure out your daily macros.. great job on your journey so far by the way!!

@@oldbriannomore Sent you a PM.