moofish

I love pickles, too, but I would be a little concerned about the high level of acid in the juice. Afterall, many of us are taking antacids to help coat the stomach...I will be waiting another couple of months before I indulge my pickle obsession...

It needs to be whey protein ISOLATE,,,

Try braising boneless skinless chicken thighs...moist, yummy, full of protein!

From what I understand, protein shots are made from collagen, the lowest quality (least bio-available) type of protein for us. Buy some unflavored whey protein isolate and sneak it in to everything you eat...

Italian Turkey Spinach Bake Lightly oil a 2 Qt. casserole dish. Saute 1 med. finely chopped onion in 2 t. olive oil. Add 1 16 oz. bag frozen chopped spinach. Season w/ salt & pepper. Add chopped turkey meat balls (I used 1 16 oz. bag Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Turkey Meatballs). Heat through and taste for seasoning. Spread mixture in the bottom of the casserole. In small bowl mix 1 15 oz. container part skim Riccotta cheese with 1 egg, ground black pepper, and some chopped fresh basil. Dollop Riccotta mixture over spinach mixture in casserole dish. Spread with Pasta Sauce to your liking (I use 12 oz. Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil). Sprinkle with 8 oz. shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese. Bake in a 375 oven for 30 minutes or until top is brown oozy cheesy goodness. Let sit for 10 minutes or so to solidify. If you enjoy Italian food, you will love this. For friends or family members who are non-WLS people, you could add a side of pasta and a green salad and everyone would be good to go!

um, that would be funky

I buy Super Green Drink from Trader Joe's. It's Berry Flavored. but has no sweeteners. I mix it in cold herb tea. Maybe some people would think it tastes finky, but I like it.

Lots of Cape Codders here! @Michelle Did you have your surgery at Tobey, too?

Woo-hoo! God job!

@Fawn Just be sure it is low fat in addition to sugar free....I live in Dennis, next town over from you!

Many ice cream places sell sugarless frozen yogurt

I am drinking it daily now, because I'm less than 3 wks post-op, and I am having trouble fitting in my veggies...

@ bekki yeah, I like to make my own balls, too, but I wanted to make a casserole that would be perfect for a weeknight, so, Trader Joe's to the rescue...lol

I heard something about Meat Tenderizer (which I guess is basically papaya enzymes) being helpful...

workingforshoes: I should enter the ingredients on one of those websites that figure the nutritional data for a recipe. I'd like to know how many gms of Protein per 1/2 c. serving for example. I just made the recipe up yesterday, so....

I walk the beach with my German Shepherd, and on inclement weather days I use a recumbant bike on my 3 season porch. I also do the Comcast On Demand videos with an exercise ball and resistance bands. I have found that I can be more consistent in my work out routines if I don't have to go to the gym, so I encourage you to get the equipment so you can do it at your home. For those that enjoy the social environment of a gym, it's a less than favorable option, but I like to exercise in the comfort of my home!

ooops, take that back, some varieties do have some soy, but they are mostly a low carb starch from an Asian tuber

It's really essential to rinse Japanese Shirataki VERY well...otherwise they do taste funky. They are actually made from a type of yam, and are not soy-based...

Never thought I would savor 1/4 c. mashed pintos with 1 T. melted jack and a little salsa. Wow, that's what 2 weeks on liquids will do. It was sooooo good!

I am under the impression that you need to get your protein however you can: from food, supplements, or a combination thereof. You don't want your body burning your muscle for energy---do what it takes!

EEsMom: I have a similar issue. I don't eat/drink ANY artificial sugar substitutes. In fact I try to stay clear of chemical additives in my food/drink. I'm pre-op, but I ordered Unjury PLAIN protein powder and also several different flavors of pure all natural extracts (Silver Cloud brand). I make a 30 gram protein (5 grams sugar) shake of 1 scoop Unjury, 8 oz. plain soy milk, 1/2 tsp. extract (I love strawberry and banana) and 1 tsp. raw organic Agave syrup. YUM!