What did a daily day look like?
Mine is mainly chicken nuggets and string cheese both because of restriction and limited recipes despite searching
When did you have bread? Even low carb? The only I found is sarah Lee? Low carb tortilla?

Did you start eating out? What were your favorite bariatric friendly go to?

At almost 4 months I was eating a wide range of meats and seafood , dairy, vegetables and some fruits. . Yes I did have some favourites because I like a routine and it’s easy to stick to that and not think about food. Plus I wasn’t hungry or really interested in food except as a source of nutrition. My meals were pretty simple and straightforward consequently.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs or rolled oats. Lunch tended to be fish or chicken tenders usually with salad. Sometimes an omelette with cheese & vegetables, a pork sausage, or a meat ball (made and froze a lot of these). Sometimes I just ate the protein component. Mid afternoon I’d have a high protein yoghurt or some fruit (watermelon or apple) or string cheese. Dinner would be meat (any) and vegetables in some form. I cooked everything myself from scratch so I could control the ingredients and cooking methods. (Except the sausages from the butcher of course.) I rarely use recipes & if I do I usually don’t follow them exactiy. I’m a I’ll use that instead or that looks enough type cook.

I still don’t eat bread (or rice or pasta - sits too heavily). The only ‘carb’ I had then was rolled oats about 4 times a week. Added multi grain crackers when I was trying to maintain so from about 6 months (though I think it was more like 8 months).

In the first 4 months I went to big 60th & 40th birthday celebrations, went out to dinner and lunch at casual restaurants /cafes and at people’s homes. Wasn’t a lot but when I did I just made the best choices I could. Like I remember ordering a wrap less wrap for lunch so just the filling, & eating the insides of steamed wontons at an off the cuff Chinese takeaway dinner. Did the same with gyoza too - just ate the filling. At month 5 my niece turned 21 and we went to a fine dining restaurant (where portions are more appropriately sized) & I ordered a fish main course.

Is it your restriction that limits you or do certain foods upset you (is your tummy still fussy)? My restriction only made itself known if I ate too quickly or too much. If the food was too dry or coarse than it could become the foamies. Still is the same now. I used to take 30 minutes up to an hour to eat. Now it can be 30 - 45 minutes. Don’t eat more than my appropriately sized portion even if it takes me the hour. If I eat more quickly, I can’t eat much and don’t get enough in regards to calories and nutrition and risk discomfort like the foamies.

I try to eat similar food for breakfast and lunch (because I work and they're packed) so a sandwich for breakfast (one protein toast, turkey breast, lite cheese and jalapenos) I cut that in half.

My lunch is usually a salad with grilled chicken and between breakfast and lunch I have a bag of protein chips, fruit, some nuts, a protein bar and an oat milk flat white before breakfast.

Dinner is the one hot meal I sit and enjoy with my family and it's different every day, but it's almost always a protein and veg with a side of carbs. So think smash burger tacos with a low carb tortilla with a side of broccoli and air fried fries or baked wedges, enchiladas, Thai basil chicken, stir fries, ceviche, poke bowls, steaks. I like my dinners to be elaborate and varied, so we try a lot of recipes and make entrees and side dishes. Due to restriction I only eat the protein and some vegetables but later snack on something that has carbs (prefer to have some carbs before bed because it helps me sleep better).

I started having protein toast at 3 months post op, then regular bread (not daily though) at 6 months post-op (my surgeon recommended I add carbs to my diet).

I eat everything, I eat carbs and I eat dessert and I eat out weekly (never stopped) but I eat more consciously and in much smaller amounts. I try to make good food choices but I don't deprive myself of anything. Disclaimer though: I workout a lot and that contributes to how I eat and what I choose to eat.

Edited September 30, 20241 yr by Lilia_90

I know I am a bypass patient so it is a little different, but I tend to eat similar things as others have said this far out!

Breakfast (when I manage to eat it) tends to be a protein porridge pot, or if I don't feel hungry in the morning I have like a protein iced coffee & a protein shake/Huel shake.

Lunch tends to be either some form of wrap with chicken, or some sort of salad pot. I don't pre-make my lunches which is probably a bad thing, but also just to encourage myself to walk to the shop at lunchtime so I can get some steps in ?

Dinners really vary, but I have found that I can eat most things: chicken, beef, fish, seafood etc. So I just cook normal things like spaghetti Bolognese, curries, salmon & broccoli, anything that takes my fancy really! I can eat a small amount of carbs, especially things like brown rice & pasta, but burger buns are just too much so I just take the bun off ??

At 6 months I started to incorporate more carbs, but now at 8months post op this is what I do:

Morning weight lifting Post work out -Protein ice coffee

Breakfast- Egg White Turkey Sausage Bowl

Snack: Nuts and fruit

Lunch: This week is a chicken teriyaki bowl (I meal prep every weekend so bfast and lunches are always prepped)

Post cardio snack: mini archer beef stick and sargento light cheese stick

I have a yogurt with granola before I go home so I am not munching on junk while making dinner

Dinner: is whatever I make the family just mine is smaller and instead of a lot of carbs Ill load up on the protein and veggies.

Dessert: I made these chocolate pumpkin almond butter yogurt bites that are DELISH!

I am not perfect by any means I am eating around 1800-2000 calories a day, 150g + protein, 120-160g carbs and 40-70g of fat. I have been able to maintain my weight -/+ 3lbs this month by doing this.

Also, I weight list for 30-45min in morning and run 3miles in the afternoon M-F and Saturday I do HIIT workout for 35-40min and cardio for 35min. Which is why I eat a lot. I am coming to terms with it, last week I had a slight panic but this group is awesome. They gave me the advise do this for a month and see how it plays out. if I gain then I need to tighten up the rains, If I still lose (which I have not) then go up in 100calories increments.

Do you live alone Fars? That seems so much harder than if cooking is being done for more people but it's doable with a bit of meal planning and a well-organised freezer I suspect.

At 4 months I was eating pretty much everything apart from white carbs and sugar (including hidden sugars). I still eat those in very limited quantities 3 years post op because those are what made me obese. I also cook everything from scratch but I love cooking so that's not a chore.

Soup I had by the gallon - all types - lasts several days and it's very freezable in one portion pots. @summerseekeris a huge soup fan and might be able to suggest some more adventurous ones but I did a lot of chunky chicken soup, hot and sour lentil, fish chowders. I liked plain greek yoghurt with a few berries for breakfast. I always had oatmeal for supper. Eggs eggs eggs are your best friends - scrambled, fried, boiled, poached. I never tire of them and they're so quick if you get hangry. My dinner was a small portion of your average family dinner without the carbs. Pasta dishes, stews, curries, burgers, tacos, sausages, fajitas, roast dinners with veg. I still eat all of these things, just more now!

I hope you can find some variety, you must be fed up of the same few dishes.

Edited October 3, 20241 yr by Spinoza

Thank you so much. For the detailed repsonse

i am indeed fed up of nuggets and shrimps which’s what my diet is predominantly composed of not bec of any indigestion but the restriction of the sleeve and my no interest I. Cooking

I don’t like Greek yogurt.

would love trying oatmeal but thought that would be too high carb

frutis fill me fast at the cost of protein and fluids

soups sound divine and recipes would be welcome

ideas to diversify proteins beyond baked chicken and nuggets would also be very very appreciated

On 10/3/2024 at 4:21 PM, Fars said:

Thank you so much. For the detailed repsonse

i am indeed fed up of nuggets and shrimps which’s what my diet is predominantly composed of not bec of any indigestion but the restriction of the sleeve and my no interest I. Cooking

I don’t like Greek yogurt.

would love trying oatmeal but thought that would be too high carb

frutis fill me fast at the cost of Protein and fluids

Soups sound divine and recipes would be welcome

ideas to diversify Proteins beyond baked chicken and nuggets would also be very very appreciated

Do you like seafood? I mean have you tried it post surgery. I didn’t like it presurgery. Would occasionally have a little Mahi just because I knew it was good for me but never really liked it. Post surgery I usually eat seafood at least twice a week, I also have things with ground turkey such as a Mexican skillet, meatballs or turkey taco filling (I just do the meat and toppings without the taco shell or the lettuce). The lettuce would be fine of course but it just takes up valuable room. I also do things with lean beef such as chili. I will also do a “pasta” dish once a week which is either the ricotta bake which I make with a protein and veggies added, zucchini noodles with fresh basil pesto, or a low carb Italian bake that I found the recipe for online although I make mine with turkey sausage to cut the fat a bit. There are quite a few bariatric recipe sites that have some great recipes. I did like 3 weeks of all different recipes. You can also do like a white chicken chili or southwest chicken with peppers and onions. Just so your don’t have to eat just plain chicken nuggets. If you don’t love to cook the southwest chicken and the chicken chili are recipes from seasoning packets so they are fairly simple if you have a Walmart the southwest ranch is a street taco seasoning from McCormick and the white chicken chili seasoning is by McCormick as well. Those two and the McCormick tex Mex chili are three of my favorite meals that are relatively simple and the chili Freezes well so I have been doing a double batch and then use my souper cubes to freeze single servings. The chili does have healthy carbs though so of course be mindful of that. I am allowed some carbs because I’m pretty active but I still budget for them by doing pretty low carb for breakfast and lunch on days I know the plan is chili is for diner.

I found some good bariatric recipes on Pinterest. I love bread, but a recipe I discovered in my preop days is really good. It’s called cloud bread, no carb and high protein. I also found a great book online by Megan Moore called the Complete Bariatric Cookbook and Meal Plan. It’s broken down by recipe category and even lists the stages.