Hello,

I had the lap band surgery 11/26/08 and have lost 10 lbs so far. Is that normal? Should I have lost more by now?

Also, what do you think about eating a Weight Watchers Smart Ones meal? It has Pasta in it, but there are very few low cal frozen dinners that do not have pasta. Should I avoid these?

Hello,

I had the lap band surgery 11/26/08 and have lost 10 lbs so far. Is that normal? Should I have lost more by now?

Also, what do you think about eating a Weight Watchers Smart Ones meal? It has Pasta in it, but there are very few low cal frozen dinners that do not have pasta. Should I avoid these?

This is really up to you.. My personal opinion is this

alot of peeps get stuck on pasta as it expands so not the best food choice although once in awhile is ok. Also for frozen dinners I do not eat them just because the carbs in them are almost always over 50 carbs with sugar and real high sodium. Plus you want to find something that will help you reach your protien intake per day. I think good solution to meals on the run would be to make a huge batch then freeze single servings to take with you to eat. But I do know peeps who eat the frozen dinners, I do not just because the carbs scare me and I have edema so the sodium is a killer.

Thanks for the reply. Do you think it is normal to only have lost 10 lbs? I was banded 11/26/08

My nutritionist said Pasta is ok as long as it's well cooked (and it usually is in a frozen dinner) so you should be ok. Also post op most people don't have much restriction yet so unless you've had trouble swallowing certain foods, you'll probably be ok.

Yes it's normal not to lose or not to lose much. You aren't restricted yet. It takes time.

Thank you so much, I feel alot better knowing I am normal!

Ten pounds is great!!! Congratulations!!!

What I have been doing when I do choose a frozen meal is to go for the ones where the feature is Protein, like a big chicken breast. I heat it up as directed, then pull out the protein first. I put it on a plate that is on my food scale, measure out three ounces of meat, then one ounce of whatever food is left in the box.

Then (though it sounds wasteful) if there is only starch left in the box, I just throw it out. Nobody else in the house will eat it. You could pack it up too.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for the info. I never thought of that!

10 lbs is great! WTG! That is a great loss, remember you are on track if you are losing 1/2 to 2lbs per week.

I do the same thing that SunnyRachel does with frozen meals. If I have to eat a frozen meal, I eat the Protein first, then veggie and throw away the starch. I also agree with Chicamam1, too much sodium. You really have to watch it with prepared/frozen meals.

Keep up the good work!

I am like Rachel except I don't weigh my food. I am not real fond of the pasta and rices that are frozen so skipping them is not a problem. One of my favorite frozen meals to eat is the salbury steak. Good luck and keep up the good work.

Thank you very much!

Oh yeah, that salisbury steak is so tender and moist! That's a good choice!

Why do all the rices and pastas in those things taste that way anyway? Do they all come from the same waxy rice factory? lol

It has been just over a month for you, and I think 10 lbs is a very respectable loss.

As for meals, I make salads (Romaine, Parmesan Cheese, grilled chicken breast, cut up a hard boiled egg, and use light Caesar dressing), using a container for dressing and the other salad stuff. I also sometimes put Turkey meatballs in spaghetti or marinara sauce, some Parmesan cheese on top in a microwavable container (meal portion) and nuke for 2 minutes. That way you eliminate the pasta at least for the time being. When you feel ready to try pasta, use the whole grain type. Better for you.

I also like chili. I brown a package of ground turkey, scrape of the narly fat stuff that cooks off it, then add a 15 oz can of kidney (light or dark) or pinto beans, undrained, a 15 oz can tomato sauce, a small can of chopped green chilies, some chopped onions, and simmer until hot and bubbly. Then I sprinkle Kraft Free fat free cheese on top and let it sit for a little bit so the cheese will melt. The I get out my Tupperware and divide up the whole pan into about 6 meals or more. Then you can nuke for 2 minutes to reheat at home or at work. No fridge at work? Get an insulated lunch bag that uses freezer packs. I carry a ready to drink protein shake, some yogurt, a small can of V8, some nuts (not roasted and salted, but the kind you bake with--I get almonds, walnuts, and pecans and count 10 of each and put in a snack bag--they can be a little hard to digest, so you might want to wait a while on those). I also get cereal and snacks from kaysnaturals.com. They sell them in 1-1.5 serving bags, and I will often pour the cereal into my yogurt to eat, or eat it by itself. They also have protein chips in different flavors. They sell a sampler box that allows you to try different flavors.

I also make crustless pizza. You may find that chewy bread tends to get stuck (I do fine with fat free croutons on my salad-they disintegrate rather than get chewy). I take two microwavable dishes (meal portion size), cover the bottom with 1/3 to 1/2 jar of Ragu Homemade Style pizza sauce; cover with Hormel Turkey Pepperoni; cover with toppings of choice--I like peppers and onions and keep Birdseye Pepper Stir Fry in the freezer to use--it is just chunks of 3 color peppers and onions: cover with Kraft Free fat free Mozarella or Cheddar; nuke for 2 minutes. As a recovering pizzaholic--I would work out at Curves, pick up a pizza for dinner, and eat the entire 12-15 pizza myself--this really satisfies my craving for pizza. Try it.

A lot of post-op eating is trial and error. I don't do low carb, but I try to eat good carbs, like cereal, salad, whoe grain pasta. I have read where some people have a problem with salad greens; I don't. Sometimes I don't know for sure until I try something. Just be sure to chew thoroughly. Some of the harder to digest foods will go down if chewed thoroughly.

Hope this helps.

I get the turkey meatloaf lean cuisine knockoff from my local safeway, and just eat the meatloaf and the veggies, and toss the mashed potatoes. The portion is perfect and I've had no trouble eating it (I'm 2.5 weeks out). I've never done well with meal planning, advance preparation, etc so grab and go from the freezer is just the ticket for me. Thanks to those who've shared ideas!

squeue WTG on the weight loss this part is tough!! I was banded on the 18th and it's alot of trial and error. I don't have lots of restriction so i have to snack inbetween meals. During my pre-op process my dr. asked that I go 6 mo's without touching a frozen meal or foods out of a box ( i.e Mac & Cheese, Ravioli .. prepared foods) What a diffrence it makes!! Most of the dinners are not good due to the chemicals they need to put in the food to preserve it then you still have all that sodium which makes you retain water.

For lunches at work I buy Boars head lunch meats I get the turkey or chicken breast they have 5 flavors of each and 2oz is only 60 calories I have a slice a cheese and do roll ups. I add a few triscuts or flips to satisy my carb fix and the for snacks I pack protein shakes and sugar free pudding that is only 60 calories. I fins the more protein I take in the longer it holds me.

I also learned a trick from the boards that if you take powder pudding mix and add some of it into your protein shake it thickens it up for you and holds you longer.

From what I gather it's going to take us a while to figure out what works best for us. Good Luck

Try the south beach diet frozen meals.