agreen67

If I don't stop drinking at least 20 minutes before I eat, I am still kinda full from the liquid and don't eat that much at my meal. Which, in turn, makes me hungry again faster. So I've learned to stop filling up on Water before I eat in order to get as much of my Protein in before I'm full.

Boars Head brand has an "All Natural" line of deli meats - there's uncured ham, oven roasted roast beef, roasted chicken and roasted turkey. I've had the chicken and roast beef - they taste great. http://boarshead.com/products/all-natural

Sleeved on 10/26/15, so I'm 6 months out already. Can't believe how time flies! Had my 6 mo. check up last week: weight 217.8 (down 55.5 pounds from surgery weight; down 62.2 from highest weight) A1C is 5.5 (down from 5.9 pre-op) pants size from a snug 24 to 18 tops size 2X to XL Only regret is that I didn't do this 10 years ago~!

My surgeon and I knew about my hiatal hernia prior to my sleeve surgery, so the initial plan was her to fix it while in there. Well, once she was inside and looking around, she found a small umbilical hernia that she also repaired. She said she does a lot of hernia repairs when doing sleeve surgeries.

Are you eating enough, drinking Water, exercising, etc.? I'm also 5 months post-op and I was kind of in a stall before I went on vacation earlier this month. I gained 2 pounds away from home, but went back on my "program" when I got back. That week after, I dropped almost 5 pounds and I've lost another pound this week. I'm a slow loser to begin with, averaging 5 pounds a month the last two months anyway. Maybe if you up your calories for a few days and then go back down, it will shock something? Or increase the intensity of your exercise for a week and then go back? I've learned the last 5 months that stalls are normal and nothing to worry over. It's just your body readjusting and you are still probably losing inches.

I am 5 months post-op and this is my abbreviated meal plan: Log my food & any exercise daily 900-1,100 calories per day 60-80g of Protein At least 64 oz. of Water No bread, rice or Pasta No dried fruit or hard, raw veggies Eat protein first and have protein at every meal/snack Avoid high fat foods (5g or less per serving) Avoid high sugar foods (14g or less per serving/25g or less per day) Avoid high sodium foods Take my Multivitamins Exercise 5 hours per week Typical Breakfast is a smoothie (Protein shake, 1/2 banana, PB fit) or Fiber Cereal w/milk, lunch is 1/2 c. refried Beans with cheese & ff sour cream or a salad with grilled chicken and low-fat dressing, dinner is chicken breast or shrimp or lean beef with steamed veggies or a baked sweet potato. Snacks are string cheese or triple zero yogurt or cottage cheese or almonds. Sometimes I will make chicken salad out of canned chicken and snack on that over a few days with a couple wheat thins crackers. I've been craving cuties lately, so I've incorporated one a day this week.

My nutritionist wants me to stay away from alcohol for 1 year, but I was on vacation and I made that exception. I was also told to stay away from soda, so I didn't have any cocktails that have soda in them. I'm almost 5 months post-op and stuck to Blue Hawaiians. I did have a mimosa before breakfast one morning and the bubbles felt weird/uncomfortable in my stomach, so I stopped drinking them.

We stayed at the El Dorado Royale in Puerto Morelos. It's approximately 45 minutes south of the Cancun airport and about 30 minutes north of Playa del Carmen. It is an adult only/all inclusive resort. http://www.karismahotels.com/.../El.../El-Dorado-Royale They also have another resort next door that is for families with kids (Generations Riviera Maya). This is our second stay there and everyone is so nice. We will definitely be going back in a few years.

My husband & I went to Mexico last week on vacation and I just wanted to share with everyone that it IS possible to have a fun vacation and not worry about food, even though we are on specific eating programs. I am 4.5 months post-op and pretty much adhered to my proper diet with a few exceptions. I took my vitamins, ate a lot of lean/grilled protein and tried to get my water in. If we were off-site on an excursion, I made sure to have a protein bar and extra water on hand. Breakfast was usually an omelet with veggies or a yogurt & fruit and lunch/dinner was grilled or poached fish, shrimp, chicken or lean beef and veggies. We stayed at our favorite inclusive resort and I pretty much ate dessert every night, only had pasta once (two spinach raviolis) and only ate rice once (a couple bites of sofrito & rice). I did have crusty bread at dinner most nights (usually with olive oil & balsamic) and I did drank alcohol most nights at dinner and at the swim-up bars at the pools. Before everyone gasps, I only gained two pounds. We walked a lot and went on several off-site excursions, along with swimming almost every day. I got back home Saturday night and went back on program Sunday. I weighed myself this morning and not only did I lose the two pounds I gained on vacation, but I also lost an additional pound. We took this same trip at the same resort two years ago and we both ate and drank like no tomorrow and I gained 14 pounds. I did have to say “no” to a lot of things that looked delicious and I couldn’t finish a lot of the yummy food on my plate, but it is possible to go on vacation and enjoy your meals with minimal weight gain.

This is what I have when the family is doing taco night. I get the fat free refried Beans and mix them with different things for variety. I will stir in the ground beef mixed with taco seasoning (sometimes I go meat-less), and then add a variety of toppings: cheese, low-fat sour cream, Rotel tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, etc.

Shelly's Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole 4 cups Cauliflower, steamed 4 Tbs. Butter, divided use 1/4 cup Flour 1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard 1 tsp. Salt 1/4 tsp. Pepper 3 cups Milk 3/4 pound Sharp Cheddar cheese (3 cups) 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (optional) Steam cauliflower set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, blend in flour & seasonings. Add milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in cheese; pour over steamed cauliflower and mix till combined. Top with optional crumbs mixed with remaining 1 tablespoons of butter. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. You can add cooked ground chicken, turkey or beef to this too. Throw your portion in the Mini Chopper food Processor and whiz away. You can add unflavored Protein too... mix it in milk like you would a shake so it's dissolved or you'll get clumps. Shelly's Ricotta Bake 8 oz of Ricotta Cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 large Egg, beaten 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning salt & pepper to taste 1/2 cup Marinara Sauce 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave.

I'm almost 4 months out and I have this issue off and on and I'm still trying to manage it. What usually happens is that I will be constipated for several days, then I'll eat something with high Fiber and will have diarrhea for an entire day. Then I won't go for several days and it starts all over again. I eat yogurt every day and get in at least 64 oz. of Water daily. I do try to incorporate natural applesauce or drink 50/50 diluted apple juice to help things stay regular. Most weeks are okay, but I go through the constipation/diarrhea thing about 2-3 times per month. I am seeing my surgeon and nutritionist next Thursday and will be bringing this up. But like @@Daisee68 mentioned, a high Protein diet (coupled with taking high doses of iron) can constipate you.

@@OutsideMatchInside Never heard of these, but they look very tasty! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I'm burned out with eggs, Cereal and oatmeal.

Has anyone tried this product, specifically the Power Cakes (Protein Packed Flapjack & Waffle Mix)? They have it on sale at my local costco and I was wondering how they taste. According to the nutrition label, 1/2 cup of mix has 14g of protein. At $9 I may as well buy a box and check, but wanted to ask first. Here is their website: Breakfast.. maybe add some berries or banana to dress them up a little.