beachgal2935

@@Tina1969 I went through Mayo's Pain Rehab a year ago because I have chronic pain due to a nerve condition called Thalamic Pain Syndrome. I have it as a result of a stroke I had 11/27/13. I'm on Gabapentin and Lyrica. They both come in liquid form. Have you ever been on either of them? I'm in 24/7 pain even with the meds but I can't imagine if I wasn't on them. They're actually membrane suppressants and not pain killers but I know Lyrica works for my best friend who has Fibro. Just an idea.

@@gbveteran4d I don't think you asked this question to be personally attacked. However, it seems you may have opened up a can of worms. That being said, I'll just share with you what we discussed in our monthly meeting this past Monday. Our meeting was comprised of post-ops from 5 weeks to 11 months out. Our psychologist is the one who runs the meeting and she's wonderful. She wrote on the board "food Quality"! We all had our surgery at Mayo. We all attended the same pre-op classes. We all were given the exact same booklet which I've posted pages from on this forum with what to eat at each stage of this process. Some of us read and studied the guidelines and some did not. Page 14 (shown here) is very specific when it states "Avoid these foods permanently: carbonated beverages, tough meats or meats with gristle, fried foods, crusty or doughy breads." Well a man in the meeting who's 3 months post-op proudly stated "I ate 2 slices of pizza (doughy bread) and a diet Coke yesterday and I was just fine. Why before my surgery I could eat a whole pizza". The Dr. didn't make a face, wasn't judgmental, but simply asked him his opinion on the food's quality. He didn't have an answer. This same man was in a wheelchair prior to WLS. Some people just don't get it. I don't think you're one of those people. I think you may be pushing the envelope because you don't believe in your heart of hearts that this tool you've been given will actually work for you. I told very few people I was having gastric bypass because I felt that way myself. I honestly thought, it will work for everyone else, but not me. It will just be another one of my diet failures. After all, that's what's always happened to me in the past. Then I finally listened to what we were being taught ... this isn't brain surgery, it's gut surgery. If we're not willing to change what we put into our mouths, we will fail once again. It's just that simple. That's why Mayo no longer performs lap band surgery because they found simply restricting food intake doesn't produce long term success. I made a vow to myself that I would do everything in my power to find and tweek recipes so I could enjoy the foods I love but with Bariatric compliant recipes. So far, so good, especially with my pizza (crust is made with ground chicken breast, is high Protein and tastes amazing). For the first time in 25+ years I feel there's hope for me. I encourage you to seek help and find your answer. Definitely NO judgement from me, only support and positivity because YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

When you've gotten to the stage where you can eat meat and you LOVE pizza like I do, give my recipe a try! The crust is made with ground chicken breast. I've included pictures for those who are "visual" like I am. Last time I made the crusts, I bought the 3 lb. package of ground chicken breast and it made 19 individual crusts. I put them in the green container and keep it in my freezer. When reheating, I use a pizza stone. I'll take a crust out of the freezer, put the stone in the oven and set it at 450°. Once heated I put the crust on the hot stone for about 30 seconds on each side. Then pull the stone out of oven, top the pizza and return to oven for 6 minutes. The pizza stone creates a crispier crust, especially the edges - YUM! Let me know if you have any questions or how you like it. 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 Tbs Prego pizza sauce 2 Tbs 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

For those in the "soft" food stage and beyond ... this is my all time FAVORITE recipe! I'm almost 6 months post-op and this remains a staple in my diet. I've shared it before but since there are so many new people at any given time, I thought I'd share it again. I take copies of this recipe to my monthly WLS meetings to hand out and haven't found anyone yet that didn't love it. It may take a little time to prep, but it makes 12 servings that take less than 1 1/2 minutes to reheat in the microwave. Trust me, you will be thrilled then. When I came home from a 3 hour shopping trip yesterday I was so happy I'd made one the day before because I had lunch in a snap! I've never been able to stomach scrambled eggs but because this is so moist and delicious it's never given me any problem. It's also very portable. I take it when I go to someone's house in my lil cooler. If they have a Protein I can eat, I'll add a lil with it. Enjoy 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

@@TMG1980TMG I made and like the cauliflower crust but it is soft and doesn't reheat as well. I much prefer the chicken crust for two reasons. #1 it's higher in Protein and #2 it has more of a crust feel and gets really crispy around the edges which I love!

@@taysidebell Here's my pizza recipe. The last time I made the crusts, I bought a 3 lb. package of the ground chicken and it made 19 individual crusts. Now granted, since I could only bake 4 at a time, it took me over 2 hours in the kitchen. I put them in a container (pic) and keep it in my freezer. When I put my pizza stone in the oven and set it to 450° I pull one out. Once the oven is preheated, I just lay it on the hot stone for about 30 seconds on each side then put my sauce and toppings on and back in the oven for 6 minutes. It's well worth the prep time because when you want pizza, you've got it quickly! My husband and son like to order Pizza Hut once a week so now I eat pizza right along with them, only guilt free Lately, I've just been putting cheese and veggies on it since the crust is made of chicken! 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

@@TMG1980TMG Yours looks really good! The flavor possibilities are endless. I've never baked mine in a round pie pan. Baking it in the 9x9 square pan, the crust stays pretty thin. I say whatever works, right?!

@@Dub When you're ready for some high Protein totally delicious pizza, let me know. It's always been one of my absolute favorite foods. I now eat it 2-3 times per week. The difference now is the crust is made with ground chicken. As weird as that may sound, it tastes AMAZING!!! I shared the recipe on here and with my after care class at Mayo last month. We had our monthly meeting tonight and 4 of the 7 people who took a copy of my recipe had made it. No one could believe how wonderful it tasted. My commitment is to not eat bread, Pasta or rice ever again!!! Tonight I gave them my crustless protein pumpkin pie recipe as well as my protein pudding cups & pops recipe. They said they can't wait to see what I'll bring them next month

I craved quiche and pizza. Luckily I was able to come up with Bariatric friendly recipes to satisfy both of those cravings. I just couldn't imagine never eating pizza again as it's one of my favorite foods. My next challenge will be finding a way to make Thanksgiving stuffing or as my family calls it "dressing" down here in the South! My 6th month post-op blood work and surgeon visits are 10/23 and NUT 10/27. I will definitely have something to pass by my NUT by then

@@Knitchic I researched these ProYo frozen yogurt treats and you're right, while they are high in Protein, they are very high in sugar. You inspired me to come up with a frozen treat which was high in protein but low in sugar and still tasted good, so here goes: Premier Protein pudding Pops 2 cups Premier chocolate protein shakes 1 small pkg Jello sugar-free/fat-free instant pudding (dry mix) Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet but if using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into Jello pudding pop molds or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each and are what the Nutrition info is based upon. Place in the freezer to set (approx. 2-3 hours). You can use any flavor pudding. I also made vanilla. Nutrition (Protein Pudding Pops) Serving size: 2 pops (5 1/3 oz.) Calories 124 Fat 1g Carbs 13g Fiber 3g Sugars 0g Protein 16g Nutrition (ProYo) Serving size: 4 oz. tube Calories 140 Fat 2g Carbs 16g Fiber 3g Sugars 13g Protein 20g You can certainly have just one pop but I listed the nutrition info as 2 for a better comparison to the ProYo. Next I will try breaking up either a Quest Cookies and cream or brownie Protein Bar, toasting it in the oven and then pulsing it in my mini food processor. I think adding in a few of the crunchy crumbs would make for an interesting texture to the bar. I'll let you know how that turns out

FYI - don't discount the loose stools. Trust me, with the high amounts of Protein we're required to take in, if you don't drink your Water and take your stool softner/miralax you will live to regret it! High protein diets = concrete poo which in turn = OUCH!!!

@@Dub LOL - I've never had this as a "snack". It's always been a meal for me and according to Mayo, where I had my surgery, it's 100% Bariatric compliant! As a matter of fact, they pass it out to new patients all the time now. I'm almost 6 months post-op and haven't cheated even once!!! I don't have to because I can find or come up with on my own, recipes to satisfy anything I want to eat. This is my new lifestyle and I'm fully embracing it

@@Daisee68 Absolutely not! I've been eating this since day 15 when I went on "soft" foods. I always input all ingredients into MyFitnessPal to calculate the nutrition facts. 1/2 cup of any kind of flour isn't going to affect us one way or another (unless you are gluten sensitive) because it makes 12 servings which equals only 2 tsp of flour per serving

You can sub any flour or milk

@@ImBringingLisaBack RNY I must admit ... my tastes haven't changed at all. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I'll tell you what I did pre-op. I tried several different Protein shakes which is where I found that I wasn't a fan of mixing the powders with Water (yuck). It may cost a little more to buy the ready-mades but well worth it to me. Premier is my favorite and the 12 packs go on sale at Sam's Club every couple of months for $12.99. That's when I stock up. At 30 grams of protein in only 11 oz., they're just really hard to beat. By using them I was able to get my 60 grams of protein in as early as day 2 post-op. I now use the vanilla in my coffee as creamer. I also love the Protein2o water because it tastes great and has 15 grams of protein in 16 oz. for only 70 calories. I drink one of those almost every day and then it counts as my water as well, win-win! You can go to their website drinkprotein2o.com, put in your zip code and find a retailer in your area. It helps me achieve my 110-120 grams of protein per day while staying between 800-850 calories. Whenever I leave the house I always carry my small neoprene cooler with an ice pack and some form of liquid Protein as well as a Quest Protein Bar. Preparation is key in setting yourself up for success! Please let us know how your 6 hour class goes. One of the ways I give back now is to sit in on a couple of those classes at Mayo where I had my surgery and answer questions. Most people don't want to hear a 98 lb. NUT telling them what they should and shouldn't do - LOL!

Yes - but they must be blenderized "liquids". They have to be pourable.

@meghanl So the "meat" is baby food or canned, thinned. I bought some chicken, turkey and beef baby food. I'm not going to lie, when I opened the first jar it made me want to gag. I stuck with the creamed Soups and relied on my Premier Protein shakes (30g) to get my 60g+ in per day. When my soft food stage began on day 15, I made my Magic Crust Quiche recipe and was in heaven. It's a favorite and remains a staple in my diet almost 6 months later. I'm able to get in 110-120g per day now and stay in the 800-850 calorie range. I go back to my NUT 10/27 for my 6 month post-op check. We'll see what she changes then

@@ImBringingLisaBack RNY I agree with the others about the whole mixing thing. Here's what I was given from my Mayo NUT. I was also told to avoid any steak for the first year as it was one of the hardest things for our pouch to digest.