Hi guys, I am looking for simple daily menus (with recipes) with what to eat and suggested portions. Is there anything like that out there? Maybe 6 weeks worth of menus.... I am trying to get back on track and need some help. Thanks

Portion suggestions: 3 to 4 oz lean protein 3 meals (goal 60-100 grams) Vegetables until you reach the point of full then stop. two small snacks throughout the day. My instructions were add carbs after I lost 75% of my weight to slow or stop weight loss for maintaining. I still ate plant based carbs.

If you are instructed healthy carbs (whole wheat, brown rice sweet potato...Nothing white or proceed) two table spoons.

Recipe and menu ideas below

http://insidekarenskitchen.com/bariatric-friendly-recipes/

Meal prepping ahead of time helps. ......Just some options

Cook larger amounts of food. Example-Bake or grill a full package of marinated chicken breasts, White bean chili (on the website above), Porkloin. Place food in freezer bags or freezer microwave safe sealed containers. Easy heat up quick meals. Portion some for family meals. Others for you to grab and take to work etc.

For some people meal prepping sunday is a religion lol It takes work. One meal sized container for each meal for a week. Each meal box is measured and portioned to hit your calorie and protein macros for the day.

19 hours ago, jenn1 said:

Portion suggestions: 3 to 4 oz lean Protein 3 meals (goal 60-100 grams) Vegetables until you reach the point of full then stop. two small Snacks throughout the day. My instructions were add carbs after I lost 75% of my weight to slow or stop weight loss for maintaining. I still ate plant based carbs.

If you are instructed healthy carbs (whole wheat, brown rice sweet potato...Nothing white or proceed) two table spoons.

Recipe and menu ideas below

http://insidekarenskitchen.com/bariatric-friendly-recipes/

What I want to know is....Where can I get one of those plates?

11 hours ago, DropWt4Life said:

What I want to know is....Where can I get one of those plates?

Many of these types of plates on the market. Just google

https://www.enasco.com/product/WA29064R

I have a chart on my wall at home:

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4-8oz cottage cheese

1 piece of fruit

1 egg

3-7oz beans (black, kidney, pinto)

1oz nuts/seeds/peanut butter

4oz meat or fish

non-starchy vegetables (unlimited)

Optional: 1 cup starchy veg: potatoes, winter squash, etc.

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When I eat something, I check it off the chart. Every day looks a bit different, but it keeps me on track, making sure I eat a variety each day, and when everything is checked off, I know I don't get more food (except I can ALWAYS have more non-starchy vegetables.)

When I get to maintenance, I'll have to figure out how many calories I get long term. If I eat the largest quantity of everything on this list, it's about 1200-1300 calories. Add in a couple cups of milk or coconut water, and I'm getting up to 1500-1600.. which will likely be close to maintenance. So an extra hungry day has to be balanced out with a day that I hardly eat any of it, or losses won't continue. (I go for protein first on those low calorie days... meat, egg, beans, and cottage cheese.. 650cal). Low-fat dairy helps the calorie totals, as does leaving off the nuts. (Nuts are a LOT of calories for not much food: I can eat the fruit AND 1/2 starchy veg for the calories in the nuts!). Cheese = nuts' macros, but I already have dairy, so prefer nuts for variety.

When we eat vegetables, we need to eat fat with them to get all the fat-soluble vitamins. Still working on the best way to food-combine to make this happen. Throwing nuts or cheese with the veggies helps add fat and protein, but can get calorically dense very quickly.

It feels like things should be a lot easier once in maintenance and can eat more calories!

If this post seems complicated.. well, it's because it IS. The menu is simple, but you still have to think about everything and where each thing fits in. I'm lucky that I like everything and don't have food intolerances. If there are special needs, then substitutions have to be found.

It's noon, and this morning I've had a cup of 2% milk, a cup of cottage cheese, an apple, a cup of sweet potato and a small sausage patty. The rest of the day I'll only get an egg/beans and 3oz of meat. (I usually don't even eat until noon, but this morning I was STARVING). Trust me, if I didn't have my list.. today could easily turn into a 2000 calorie day! But, that's why I have the list.. to keep me on track. (Fingers crossed it works!)