beachgal2935

6 months out - down 85 lbs. and feeling fabulous

@@dhrguru Gorgeous - inside and out! Yay for us 6 month post-op girls

@@winklie You're very welcome. I'm always looking for recipes to tweak into bariatric friendly ones since this is our new way of life from now on. Since we can eat only a small portion, I make sure that everything I eat is 100% delicious! It drives me absolutely crazy when I hear people either in my after care meetings, on Facebook or even here say some of the things they eat just because "it didn't bother them". Really?! I did NOT go through this life changing surgery to eat smaller portions of the crap I used to eat. Instead, I'm learning how to eat the proper way to sustain this 2nd chance I've been given at having a long and healthy life

@@Dream4tc I found the Jello pudding pop mold right next to the puddings in Walmart. They only had one. After I began using it and loving it, I went online and just ordered another. It comes with 4 boxes (2 vanilla & 2 chocolate) of regular pudding for only $4.98. I love putting my Oikos Greek yogurt in them and enjoying a variety of flavored frozen yogurt pops as well. The possibilities are endless

@winklie It may be a lil while before you can eat the pizza but the quiche is a staple in my diet and a go-to even now when I don't have time to prepare anything. It takes a little while to make initially but when you only have to spend 1 minute 30 seconds in the microwave to reheat a piece, you'll be loving it. Same with the pizza as far as time goes to make the crusts but then only 5 minutes in the oven and you're eating delicious pizza - yum! I kinda like taking pics of my food too Magic Crust Quiche - Ham Ingredients 2 cups 1% Lowfat Milk 1/2 cup All-purpose flour 5 large eggs 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded 7 oz Ham diced small 1/4 cup Cooked red bell pepper diced small 1/4 cup Cooked Vidalia or sweet onion diced small Preheat oven to 350˚. In a blender or NutriBullet, mix eggs, milk and flour until blended, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder or whatever you’d like. In a bowl combine all cheeses, cooked meat and cooked veggies. Now add blended mixture and stir to combine. Pour into an 8”x8” or 9”x9” square glass dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let stand 5-10 before serving. You can add whatever cheeses, veggies or meats suit your taste. I steer clear of chicken as it seems to dry to me. The small amount of flour firms up the sides and bottom making the “magic crust” while saving tons of calories. The Nutrition Facts are based on recipe above. FYI - the heavier meats, like ground beef, tend to fall to the bottom. Serving size is approximately 2”x2 1/2” Nutrition Facts Servings 12 Per serving: Calories 120 Protein 12g Fat 5g Cholesterol 94 mg Sodium 253 mg Potassium 59 mg Total Carbohydrate 7 g Sugars 2 g PIZZA CRUST – (Chicken) Ingredients One pound ground (raw) chicken breast ¼ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne) Tools Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combing method) Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust) Parchment paper Wax paper Rolling pin Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray Instructions Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness). Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings. Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier. Crust Only: Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving: Servings 6.0 Calories 114 Total Fat 3g Carbohydrate 1g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 0g Protein 19g As Prepared : 1 Tbsp Prego pizza sauce 2 Tbsp Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds 1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion 1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper ½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef Nutrition Facts Servings 1.0 Calories 238 Total Fat 10g Carbohydrate 5g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 2g Protein 31g Premier Protein pudding Cups or Pops Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy! Nutrition Facts – Pudding Nutrition Facts – Pudding Pop Serving size: ½ cup Serving Size: 1 Pop Calories 93 Calories 62 Fat 1g Fat 1g Carbs 10g Carbs 7g Fiber 2g Fiber 1g Sugars 0g Sugars 0g Protein 12g Protein 8g Crustless Protein pumpkin Pie 15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling) ½ cup Egg whites 1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake ¾ cup Splenda ½ tsp. Salt 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving. Nutrition Facts – Pie Only Servings: 6 Calories 77 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Fiber 4g Sugars 6g Protein 9g

@@winklie PF Changs with my family

@@winklie Stop calling yourself a tool - LOL! Reading how much you walk has literally exhausted me. I wasn't allowed to exercise until month #2 so imagine how that would've had your stress levels up?! Now for my 2nd point and I'm sure you may already know this AND I mean no disrespect to whomever stated earlier that muscle weighs more than fat. Here's the perfect explanation I found online: "Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat." I too have had stalls and they always work themselves out. I took pics and measured my body at several points before surgery, at 3 months & 6 months post-op so far. Being 54 years young and Class III Morbidly Obese at the beginning, this was NOT easy to do but I knew I'd never have to look that way again and I'm so glad I did! That's where I can see a huge difference. That scale may lie to us because of the fluctuation in Water our bodies hold (after all the human body is 70% water) but those pics and that tape measure will tell the truth every time I'm currently residing in the Class I obesity realm and have lost 17" in my waist alone - Yippee! Now I have a question for you ... what are you going to eat now that you can sink your teeth into some "soft" stage food???

No and after your "slime" description don't think I will - LOL!

@@GadgetMan Optifast 800 shakes are a well balanced Meal Replacement. When you drink 5 per day, that's your 800 calories. You need the sugar content pre-op vs. post-op. Even though my insurance covered my shakes for the 2 week pre-op diet, I purchased a box of the French vanilla shakes, some packs of the powdered shakes and Soups on eBay. I wanted to try them to see which ones I liked best. I researched so many things pre-op it was crazy but for me being prepared has been key to my success! I much preferred the ready to drink shakes and like I said, I came up with ways to "pump up the volume" because it's hard to go from eating to just drinking for 2 weeks and feeling full. Of course post-op, because of the sugar content, you CAN NOT drink them so I just sold my extras on eBay (pic)! I didn't care for the soups at all. Also know that I'd been diabetic for 10+ years and my Endocrinologist was completely on board with these shakes. In Mayo's Bariatric department they also have a supervised weight loss program. The Optifast 800 shakes, soups and bars are what they use! OPTIFAST 800® Ready to Drink Shakes Chill and enjoy! Available in three flavors - French Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry - OPTIFAST 800® Ready to Drink formula is a full meal replacement product. Nutritional Information Calories 160 Protein (g) 14 Carbohydrate (g) 20 Fat (g) 3 Sodium (mg) 220 Potassium (mg) 470 Fiber (g) 0 Vitamins & Minerals 10-30% of RDI Lactose (g) <1 Ingredients (French Vanilla): Water, Sugar, Sodium Caseinate (Milk), Calcium Caseinate, Corn Syrup Solids, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Phosphate Tribasic, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Cellulose Gel, Carrageenan, Potassium Hydroxide, Mono and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Ascorbic Acid, Cellulose Gum, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Gluconate, Manganese Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin, Chromium Chloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Phytonadione (Vitamin K1), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).

@@kempermorris Congrats - you look Awesome!!!

@@Veronica_mm Smart move - if they're not in your house, you can't eat them!

@@kelly lynn I hear a lot of people who share in your struggle. I'm glad to see you're reaching out as that is the first step back to success. There's a wonderful website called bariatriceating.com. They also have a Facebook page with thousands of people in your exact same situation. The website was started and is hosted by a woman who is 15 years out so she knows all about the regain. I hope you'll check it out as there's a world of great information on the site. I just love it! I wish you the best and know you will succeed!!! They have a program called BOT (Back on Track): Information is pretty thin stuff unless mixed with Experience. Just one year ago I had a closet full of clothes. AND. NOTHING. FIT. ANYMORE. I was ashamed, astonished, upset, despondent and had to do something. I’m older and my body is different but I figured it out again. The Secret to Losing Weight AFTER Weight Loss Surgery is Diet & Exercise. Yes, the big bad ‘Fad Diet’ that the negative Nellies are up in arms over is Diet & Exercise! (that’s okay, let them wallow in their Oreo and Tortilla eating while we lose regain weight) The secret sauce of a plan is simply Old Fashioned Diet & Exercise fueled by Bariatric Surgery, Inspire Protein drinks, small workout routines and our Kick Butt Bariatric Eating Support Group on Facebook! Thousands of members in our Facebook Support Group excitedly post their ‘BOT’ or Back On Track successes. People are losing a lot of weight again. ‘BOT’ works! It is hard to get the ball rolling but you have what it takes to dig in and do it. I know exactly how you feel and what you face and so do BE Team members on Facebook who are there to help you! Make up your mind and lets get moving. There are two parts… follow both and you will see that it is like flipping on the switch for weight loss. No kidding. Nothing like a fast ten pound weight loss for an amazing attitude adjustment! 1. DIET – 5 SMALL PROTEIN MEALS A DAY Reality Check. IF we made good food choices before bariatric surgery, we would not have been Morbidly Obese. The same denial works against us now. I tried telling myself I was not eating differently than I was ten years ago! You are trying to float that by folks too. Get real with yourself. I gained weight back because of my food choices. You know you are eating differently. Say it out loud. Admit it. Own it. There are bariatric groups all over Facebook where they talk about how much they can eat, that sugar doesn’t make them sick, that Mountain Dew or drinking soda doesn’t hurt them, they compare notes on how many slices of pizza they can fit and how much of a Subway Sandwich they can eat. Until you admit YOU are the problem and take ownership of the situation, it’s pretty certain that you will continue along the same path to where you started. This is where we split into two groups – the Dreamers and the Doers! Solution? Removing choices to limit calories, carbs and sugar. Five Small Protein Meals a day – 4 of those consist of Protein Drinks and the last is a Healthy Protein & salad Meal – this will limit your total caloric intake. This premise of protein drinks throughout the day paired with a healthy protein and vegetable supper is the cornerstone many successful diet plans, including world renown Johns Hopkins Hospital medically supervised weight loss programs. (there is a $6000 program fee to join the JH plan and it’s an amazing program that shepherds many to large weight losses, but ours is free so you might want to try us *first*) #InspireLiquidWillpower You can use any brand of Protein Drink to follow the plan but we recommend and use Inspire Protein powder and my current pantry contains vanilla, strawberry White chocolate, banana Smoothie and Peanut Butter Cup. The satiety or ‘fullness factor’ of Inspire protein drinks is off the charts and they taste fantastic. Inspire is liquid Willpower for me, it is applauded by nearly all in our Support Group and it should do the same for you! One bag of Inspire makes 20 drinks & at 4 per day, you will need 3 bags for your 2 week commitment, or 6 bags for your 4 week commitment. A smaller investment than Nutrasystem! We do recommend a 5th shake to be used after supper IF nighttime snacking is a problem for you as it is for me. I drink an Inspire Peanut Butter Cup drink while watching The Real Housewives so I will stay out of the fridge. It’s a 100 calorie indulgence that works like a charm. My Day Breakfast – 1 scoop Inspire protein powder blended with about 6 ounces of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk or Skim Milk or Water. TIP: I am a reformed *lifetime breakfast skipper* I fix myself a huge mug of black coffee and at the same time blend an Inspire protein drink. Inspire is like a glass of chocolate milk, small and thin: and allows me to ‘break the fast’ with protein. No Blender Needed. Glass – Milk – Powder – Stir – Sip Mid Morning Protein Snack – 1 scoop Inspire protein powder blended with about 6 ounces of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk or Skim Milk or Water lunch – 1 scoop Inspire protein powder blended with about 6 ounces of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk or Skim Milk or Water Mid Afternoon Protein Snack – 1 scoop Inspire protein powder blended with about 6 ounces of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk or Skim Milk or Water Healthy Protein Supper – Bariatric Eating Menu for the Week The easiest meal plan is Protein FIRST, followed by lower carbohydrate vegetables, fruits. Our ultimate goal is to transition to a really sensible healthy diet that you read about all the time. For Back on Track the nightly meal consists of a grilled, broiled, pan seared, roasted or poached protein such as salmon, shrimp, cod, halibut, chicken, beef sirloin, turkey tenderloin served with seasoned lower carb vegetables or salad. IMPORTANT: 1. No bread, no potatoes, no tortillas, no rice, no rolls, no Pasta, no high carb foods. 2. Do NOT drink with your meals. If you have been drinking with meals. STOP IT. 3. Drink 8 cups of water or zero calorie liquid daily. If it’s difficult for you, download our free Hydration app at GetHyApp.comHere is your first week of evening meals. All recipes are linked on our site. Monday – Salmon with Mango Salsa, broccoli Tuesday – Asparagus omelet, lettuce tomato salad Wednesday – Chicken Cutlets, baby spinach salad Thursday – Cheesy Meatball Skillet, romaine tossed with lemon, olive oil and parmesan Friday – Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Saturday – Warm Shrimp Salad with Avocado Sunday – Grilled Marinated Flank Steak, lettuce tomato salad 2. EXERCISE – THE NEW ‘EASY WAY OUT’ OF OBESITY There's a whole plan laid out on the website for this! The Skinny It’s a beautiful thing and you’ll be So Proud when the fat begins to slowly melt away, almost as it did when you first had surgery. The clouds clear and the sun shines more brightly when you’ve got your Groove Back! In just a few days you will feel better and notice a difference. In two weeks your clothes will fit differently and this great feeling will begin to pull your through this plan with EXCITEMENT instead of the PUSH that it will take right now. This plan for weight loss after bariatric surgery is proven to work for either first time or regain. I have lost over fifty pounds that ‘I found’ after all these years, but more importantly I redirected my life. I am talking ‘tough love’ because I am the person who put away her skinny jeans that no longer fit and ignored the problem until I had to do something. I was the one in danger of failing. My experiences can help you if you truly want to lose more weight or take control of a gain. This plan turns on the fat burning engines. No kidding. Let’s roll. The only reason not to begin right now is fear of failure and I promise if you follow this, YOU WILL NOT FAIL. We got this one.

@anwen_ut You most certainly CAN have your warm "pumpkin spice" tastiness and get 20+ grams of Protein in at the same time! I just received my pumpkin pie Inspire Protein powder in the mail Friday and had this delicious treat as my Breakfast Saturday morning. You can order this and other flavors from their website, bariatriceating.com. I've copied the exact recipe for you: How to turn INSPIRE Pure whey Isolate Protein Drink Mix flavors into a mug of warm goodness! 1. Place scoop of protein into a clean dry mug 2. Add about two tablespoons of tap Water and blend with spoon into smooth paste – allow to rest 30 seconds if needed 3. Slowly add hot, but NOT boiling liquid into your paste while blending While it may seem ‘faster’ for you to blend it all up and microwave it, if you boil your drink once protein has been added, you will get a drink that is grainy rather than smooth. Tip 1. Use CoffeeMate sugar free Liquid Creamer instead of tap water in step 2. Tip 2. Fill mug with about a cup (or to taste) of hot coffee instead of water. Tip 3. Use Almond Breeze Unsweetened vanilla or chocolate or Coconut Almond Milk instead of water. Tip 4. Add a small swirl of Land O Lakes Sugar Free Whipped Cream to kick your warm protein drink up a notch for an occasional treat. Another way I like to get a warm (protein packed) drink in is to mix chocolate Premier Protein (ready-to-drink) into my decafe coffee for a decadent hot chocolate. I use the vanilla Premier protein drink in my decafe coffee (as creamer) with English toffee or Pumpkin Spice liquid Stevia. It tastes like a Starbucks latte! SweetLeaf makes several flavors of their liquid Stevia and it only takes a few drops to completely change any beverage, hot or cold. Hope this gives you some tasty ideas on how to warm up this season

@@TristanNicole Everyone's probably tired of me raving about this wonderful Water but I was having a hard time at even 6 months post-op getting water down. I found Protein2o and it tastes delicious. It has 15g of quality bio-available Protein and only 2 carbs in the 16 oz., 70 calorie bottle. Four flavors and I've tried two - berry and grape splash. Love them both. When I need some extra flavor, I'll put a few drops of SweetLeaf flavored liquid Stevia in them. I usually have 2 per day, so that's 30g of protein and 32 oz. of water - multi tasking If you go to the website drinkprotein2o.com you can find where they sell them in your area. Been buying them at a local gas station chain but just last week my Walmart started carrying them. Check out my pics and Best Wishes!!!

I LOVE Quest Protein bars (pic #1 - my stash) but the fat and sugar content don't really concern me since I can only eat 1/2 a bar at a time because they are so filling. It's a great way to get your fiber in with all the protein in our diets. The cinnamon roll (pic #2) is really good heated in the microwave for 20 seconds & then sprinkled with a lil Splenda for Breakfast - Yum! My other faves to heat and make Cookies out of are chocolate brownie, chocolate chip cookie dough (pic #3) and chocolate Peanut Butter. Grab and go faves are vanilla almond crunch and peanut butter supreme and strawberry cheesecake. The new pumpkin pie totally grossed me out and I love pumpkin. It's the first "coated" bar they came out with and as far as I'm concerned they can take it back!

@@Sajijoma I've never tried them but I'm going to take your expert opinion and steer clear of these. My current fave drink is the Protein2o Water. I love the mild taste but sometimes I'll enhance it with flavored liquid Stevia. You just can't beat 15g of Protein, 70 calories and 2g carbs in a 16 oz. bottle! Not only that but now my Walmart has them in stock. If anyone is interested, just go to their website drinkprotein2o.com and do a store search in your city. If they aren't local for you then you can order a 12 pk from them or Amazon for the same price. Thanks for posting this

Being a huge (literally - LOL) chip fan pre-op, I got super excited when I heard about these so I tried all flavors prior to surgery - YUCK to all of them! I agree with everyone else ... tasteless cardboard with fake powder flavoring. I love most of the Quest Protein bars and especially like making warm ooey gooey Cookies out of them in the microwave but the chips are just not good. They are used in several of the recipes on their website, after you grind them to a powder, so I've been tempted to buy a bag or two to try them in that capacity. I'll let you know if that happens.

@@silkouj I just posted this for someone else seeking pre-op shake recipes, so I'll re-post here for you. My NUT said she'd never seen someone have as much fun with the pre-op liquid diet as myself. I lost 15 lbs. as well I had surgery at Mayo and they provided the liquid Optifast shakes. My shakes were 8 oz. and I was to drink 5 per day for 2 weeks prior to my surgery. At 800 calories per day, I knew I was going to have to pump up the volume in order to be full. Also I didn't want to be depressed by just drinking the little boxes, so I got creative. I bought a Nutribullet and would add ice and liquid flavored Stevia. Pour them in pretty glasses, sip slowly and enjoy them. I'm a Starbucks girl, so with the vanilla I added ice and pumpkin spice Stevia then blended for a frappuccino. Added the English toffee to cold coffee for a delicious iced coffee. Used chocolate, more ice and didn't blend it as long which made an ice milk consistency which I could eat with a spoon. I added the chocolate Stevia to hot coffee and it tasted like a delicious hot chocolate. Added vanilla to Tazo chai tea for a chai tea latte. So you get the idea. SweetLeaf has several flavors to choose from and I love and use them every day, even now at 6 months post-op!

@Mogwaicat I had surgery at Mayo and they provided the liquid Optifast shakes. My shakes were 8 oz. and I was to drink 5 per day for 2 weeks prior to my surgery. At 800 calories per day, I knew I was going to have to pump up the volume in order to be full. Also I didn't want to be depressed by just drinking the little boxes, so I got creative. I bought a Nutribullet and would add ice and liquid flavored Stevia. Pour them in pretty glasses, sip slowly and enjoy them. I'm a Starbucks girl, so with the vanilla I added ice and pumpkin spice Stevia then blended for a frappuccino. Added the English toffee to cold coffee for a delicious iced coffee. Used chocolate, more ice and didn't blend it as long which made an ice milk consistency which I could eat with a spoon. I added the chocolate Stevia to hot coffee and it tasted like a delicious hot chocolate. Added vanilla to Tazo chai tea for a chai tea latte. So you get the idea. SweetLeaf has several flavors to choose from and I love and use them every day, even now at 6 months post-op!

@starrspunn I've been on Lyrica for almost 2 years. Started out 75mg 2x per day but now 200mg 3x per day (max dose). Sleepiness was my #1 issue. Every time they upped my dose it would literally put me out for the day. By day 2, I'd be better. Never affected appetite or weight gain.

I haven't tried Fairlife milk but here are the nutrition comparisons if anyone's interested