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Homeade smoothies



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I read in a sticky that homeade smoothies are not recommended. Can anyone tell me why? I bought some plain yogurt and frozen berries with a plan to add some unflavored protien powder. Is this a bad idea?

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I have not heard that either....I have heard that they are good for you and highly recommended during post-op dieting...they couldn't be healthier!!

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smoothies were recommended to me. My particular favourite is frozen smoothie. Blend frozen fruit and a little fruit juice togethor. Yummy and refreshing. Frozen fruit is availiable all year round too, 125g frozen fruit and 75 mls apple juice is about 100 cals.

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People often rely on smoothies and Protein drinks for the period after surgery when on liquids and mushies. Once you are on solid foods, most (actually I think all) of the literature supporting the Lap Band and most of the medical professionals associated with the band do NOT recommend the regular consumption of smoothies and Protein Drinks. This has nothing to do with the merits or healthiness of the drink.

My understanding is that the meals you drink do not stay in your newly banded stomach pouch (they just slide on down), which can be a risk for weight gain as you may not feel full from a shake and may eat other solid food as well. In effect you can be doubling or tripling your calorie intake by drinking your calories, as well as eating, and now you have defeated the purpose of the band, which was to consume fewer calories. All the literature I have seen has recommended that the only "food" of caloric value that you should be drinking is milk.

The other purpose of the band is to "retrain" your eating patterns into eating habits that you can maintain for the rest of your life (portion control). To my mind that means eating real food (including the harder to eat meat and vegetables) that you will always be eating for ever.

Being banded shouldn't be about enduring or tolerating a diet for the time it takes you to lose weight, but a complete readjustment to lifestyle. Do you plan on getting much of your nutrition from shakes and smoothies for the rest of your life? If not, you probably don't want to get into the habit of relying on them.

Think about how Jenny Craig and other diets get you to eat their food. They work great as long as you eat their food, but you haven't actually made changes in your life to accommodate, so many (if not most) people put on the weight again once they start eating "regular" food, because they haven't learned to control portions and fat and calories themselves.

Just my 2 cents :blushing:

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I too believe it is important to change for life the way I've been eating for way too long. This dieting and exercise program is working with and without the band but my thought is to ultimately enjoy this whole process. Eating well, exercising and consistency are my longest term goals. I am constantly trying to figure out what I will eat once I do reach my weight goal. I want to continue to eat the right combination of healthy foods that maintain my weight. Currently exercise helps to keep the weight loss rolling even when the dieting is not perfect. I am always seeking a book or formula that will keep the weight monster from getting back into my life. Long time bandsters have any advice for maintaining your goal weight long term?

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People often rely on smoothies and Protein drinks for the period after surgery when on liquids and mushies. Once you are on solid foods, most (actually I think all) of the literature supporting the Lap Band and most of the medical professionals associated with the band do NOT recommend the regular consumption of smoothies and Protein Drinks. This has nothing to do with the merits or healthiness of the drink.

My understanding is that the meals you drink do not stay in your newly banded stomach pouch (they just slide on down), which can be a risk for weight gain as you may not feel full from a shake and may eat other solid food as well. In effect you can be doubling or tripling your calorie intake by drinking your calories, as well as eating, and now you have defeated the purpose of the band, which was to consume fewer calories. All the literature I have seen has recommended that the only "food" of caloric value that you should be drinking is milk.

The other purpose of the band is to "retrain" your eating patterns into eating habits that you can maintain for the rest of your life (portion control). To my mind that means eating real food (including the harder to eat meat and vegetables) that you will always be eating for ever.

Being banded shouldn't be about enduring or tolerating a diet for the time it takes you to lose weight, but a complete readjustment to lifestyle. Do you plan on getting much of your nutrition from shakes and smoothies for the rest of your life? If not, you probably don't want to get into the habit of relying on them.

Think about how Jenny Craig and other diets get you to eat their food. They work great as long as you eat their food, but you haven't actually made changes in your life to accommodate, so many (if not most) people put on the weight again once they start eating "regular" food, because they haven't learned to control portions and fat and calories themselves.

Just my 2 cents :rolleyes2:

Almost word for word what my Dr said on the subject. He's not a fan of drinking your meals (minus the day of / after a fill). I've only just added a Protein Drink to my daily calorie intake (EAS Carb control - 110 calories/17grams protein) before my workouts to get the extra Protein. Since burning over 700 calories a workout - this doesn't impact my normal "solid food" meals / I count it as a "snack" in my food dairy.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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