I am sure this has been covered, but I did not see it. Sorry if this is a repeat.:wink:

Anyhow, I think one of my biggest problems is that I have no sort of routine, other than my morning coffee, and I just seem to wing it throughout the rest of the day. I am certain that I am taking in more calories than I think I am just because of mindless eating. I would like to establish some day to day meal plans to stay more routine and would appreciate any meal plans that have worked for my band friends.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Melissa,

I will just throw out a few examples of what I might eat on a typical day -- each line item listed would represent a complete meal:

Breakfast:

• 1 South Beach High Protein Cereal Bar
  

• One egg with one piece of toast with butter
  

• 1/3 of a ham, cheese, veggie omelette with some fruit and/or a small serving of potatoes

lunch or Dinner:

• salad with 2-4 ounces of chicken or fish, ranch or caesar dressing
  

• 4-6 ounces of chicken or fish with 2 ounces of cottage cheese and/or broccoli with Asiago cheese sauce

• 4 ounces of chicken, small piece of bread with butter, small serving of mashed potatoes, steamed veggies with spices and teriyaki sauce

• 4 ounce serving of Quiche Lorraine with a small garden salad and ranch dressing.
  

• 1/3 of a Cubano sandwich
  

If I need one more small meal to take the edge of my hunger I will have one of the following:

• 1 ounce of smoked almonds or cashews

• 1 slice of swiss cheese

• I slice of turkey breast

• 2 ounces of cottage cheese

• 1 ounce serving of string cheese

• 1-2 ounces of smoked almonds, cashews and raisins mixed.

I try to strictly follow my Doctor's post-op instructions to avoid snacking and eating between meals. I feel this is good advice, because I am able to eat small portions of anything I want with no problems at all, and I could easily consume LOTS of calories by grazing all day long.

I do eat Breakfast every morning and take my Vitamins at that time as well. I pretty much weigh, measure and count everything to make sure that I am not eating too much each day.

Hope this helps!

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Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Melissa, Here is my average daily meal plan. Its kinda boring, but it keeps me filled up.

Breakfast: Protein shake w a snack size yogurt blended in

Lunch: My big meal usually a 4 oz can of tuna or chicken mixed w/ FF mayo, diced onion and celery. Steamed veggie, usually cauliflower

Dinner: Either a shake or snack size applesauce and snack size FF cottage cheese

On days I want to really cook, I make 4 oz of Tilapia or Salmon and 1/2 baked potato

I usually do a south beach protein cereal bar around 10 for breakfast two sticks of 100 calorie high protein cheese for lunch and then a small portion of whatever is for dinner. I finally have restriction though and am just starting to loose..

You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for the great ideas, I am definitely going to try them.

Keep the ideas coming, they are much appreciated.

Frangipani,

I noticed in your daily diet you mentioned "bread" more than once. It was my understanding bread was a "no-no"??? Was I misinformed???

Frangipani,

I noticed in your daily diet you mentioned "bread" more than once. It was my understanding bread was a "no-no"??? Was I misinformed???

Frangi will probably answer you too, but my doctor did not forbid me to eat it. He did tell me that some people would not be able to tolerate it because it might get stuck in their band. He was pretty adamant though that we should not completely eliminate any food completely unless our band will not tolerate it. I am REALLY tight now so I won't even try it, but before I got this tight I had bread a few times a week. Rice on the other hand as been terrible to me since the beginning. I think it is an individual thing. If you have been able to live without bread so far, it isn't necessarily something that you would have to incorporate in your meals. On the other hand, if the cravings for bread are going to ultimately lead you to binge on it (like I would!) then I would think that it would be best to have it in moderation.

Frangi will probably answer you too, but my doctor did not forbid me to eat it. He did tell me that some people would not be able to tolerate it because it might get stuck in their band. He was pretty adamant though that we should not completely eliminate any food completely unless our band will not tolerate it. I am REALLY tight now so I won't even try it, but before I got this tight I had bread a few times a week. Rice on the other hand as been terrible to me since the beginning. I think it is an individual thing. If you have been able to live without bread so far, it isn't necessarily something that you would have to incorporate in your meals. On the other hand, if the cravings for bread are going to ultimately lead you to binge on it (like I would!) then I would think that it would be best to have it in moderation.

Thanks Salsa -- well put!

Steve, I think bread is a "no no" for many banded people because they are unable to eat it. Thus far, I consider myself very lucky that I can consume any food I want, including bread, Pasta, rice, etc.

I believe in a low carb diet, but not a "no carb" diet. Therefore, I do have small portions of bread, potatoes, rice and pasta a few times a week.

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Great thread! Always good to see what everyone's doing, and it's definitely helped me put things in perspective today, since I seem to be a bit stalled the past few weeks.

If I'm really being strict, here's the plan from my clinic:

- 3 meals a day, 3-4 oz lean dense Protein per meal plus whatever else fits as veg or fruit

- 1 c skim milk 3 times a day

I realized that my fat, carbs and protein have been creeping up, and I've been nibbling sunflower seeds during the day, so it's probably what's causing my stall. When I log my food, it comes out somewhere around 1300 calories a day, but I'm guessing it might be higher since estimating usually comes out lower than reality.

I've decided to go in for a fill next week, and hopefully the liquids, mushies etc. will help me get my habits back on track too. I'm relatively sure it's my eating habits and not just a regular stall right now, so I'm going to use my tool and get things under control.

I don't want to lose the momentum I've had the first 4 months! My goal is to be under 200 by March, so I need to get crack-a-lackin!

I try to stick with my docs plan (same as Pizzi's) about five days a week. I allow myself more options if we're going out to dinner or something special is happening. But even if I'm having a little splurge, my portions are very small, thanks to the band. I am one of those people who does not tolerate bread, rice, or Pasta very well, so I do avoid them.

I think the more carefully you follow the rules, the faster you will lose. That said, we have to find a balance that we can live with. As we all know, dieting doesn't work in the long run. Be careful most of the time and give yourself a treat on occassion. That's what trim, healthy people do and that's where we are all headed.

Amen, Becky! I haven't been as strict lately and I'm paying the price!

The plan DOES work if you play by the rules! Then again, that goes for most things in life, doesn't it?!

LOL Guys!!!!

This is a great thread, but reading it makes me realize that compared to everyone else, I am eating like a horse!!!!!

I just scheduled another fill........

Becky, I love reading your posts. You are a woman with a lot of wisdom and you have a great way of expressing yourself!

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Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

LOL Guys!!!!

This is a great thread, but reading it makes me realize that compared to everyone else, I am eating like a horse!!!!!

I just scheduled another fill........

Becky, I love reading your posts. You are a woman with a lot of wisdom and you have a great way of expressing yourself!

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Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

I don't know if I would go as far as a horse! Is it more than I eat... yes, but you are not eating like a horse. It looks like healthy choices and if you are loosing weight and it certainly looks like you are then don't stress yourself out over that. if you feel like you need a fill then certianly get one, but remember we are here for each other, but must remember that this is an individual journey. Here is the thing though you can't cut calories too much, especially with the way that you exercise because you still need fuel to keep up your metabolism. Yes calories in, calories out, but too few calories can also cause a problem. Too bad we can't teleport some of the fill that is in my band to yours:rolleyes:. You want more and I want less!!!

aaaaaaaaaaahh

LOL Guys!!!!

This is a great thread, but reading it makes me realize that compared to everyone else, I am eating like a horse!!!!!

I just scheduled another fill........

Becky, I love reading your posts. You are a woman with a lot of wisdom and you have a great way of expressing yourself!

Crazy Ates JANUARY Exercise Challenge

13/30 Exercise Sessions

Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Ahh, thanks Frangi. Your diet sounded great to me and pretty comparable to mine except for the bread, Pasta, etc. Don't be surprised if those won't work after your next fill. I suspect that I could eat them if I were just a little looser. When I get to goal I hope I can settle in to a fill level that will allow for those carbs in reasonable quanties because I do love them. Life without an occasional bit of pasta might not be worth living.:smile:

Salsa, thank you for the lovely message. You are such a sweet person -- and I am really glad you post here!:smile:

Thank you for reminding me that I do need to take in a few extra calories with all of the working out I have been doing lately. That is an excellent point and I often tend to forget that.

Becky, LOL regarding your comment about Pasta. According to my Italian relatives, that is not just an opinion -- that is an absolute fact!

Thanks to both of you for the encouragement!!!

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Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico