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Wow! I just watched this documentary called Food Inc. It's much of the same info as the book, Fast Food Nation. I had tried to read the book in the past but just couldn't get into it. I am so glad they made this documentary. I am pretty informed about factory farming, especially where it concerns animals. I was a vegetarian for 13 years and did my share of pamphleting, protesting, and lobbying for animals but I really didn't know the extent of the Nation's food problem until I watched this documentary. It has changed me and will change the way I shop for food. Now that I am able to eat less food, I can afford to switch my family to whole, natural, locally-produced foods and that is what I am going to do. My husband is happily on board (rare since we usually disagree on "green-hippie" issues like this). He watched the film with me and is appalled at the state of our country's food processing methods. Watch it as soon as you can! It will change the way you look at food and what you learn from it could be a good companion to your healthy new lifestyle. Meanwhile, I had another good day with the band. For breakfast, I renewed my childhood love affair with Cream of Wheat. Man, that is good stuff. I added a little varietal (blueberry) honey to it and it was incredible. Later, I made chili for dinner and just ate some of the sauce. I am still having trouble getting all my water and protein, though. My Grandma stressed me out again today and for a second, I felt the old twinge to eat my feelings away. Instead, I just sat there feeling what I felt and then I felt better. I also had a ton of energy and felt like my old self. Since my car accident, I have not been able to do all the things I used to. My house stays messy because I can't keep up with it and it that been a constant source of guilt and anxiety for me especially now that I stay at home and feel it is my job to stay on top of this house. Today, I was able to do a lot of chores and chase after my kiddo and critters for 12+ hours. I even finished cleaning 3 rooms! That hasn't happened in 2 years when, before the accident, I could clean my entire house in a couple of hours. I am really really really happy that I got the band.

Wow! I just watched this documentary called Food Inc. It's much of the same info as the book, Fast Food Nation. I had tried to read the book in the past but just couldn't get into it. I am so glad they made this documentary. I am pretty informed about factory farming, especially where it concerns animals. I was a vegetarian for 13 years and did my share of pamphleting, protesting, and lobbying for animals but I really didn't know the extent of the Nation's food problem until I watched this documentary. It has changed me and will change the way I shop for food. Now that I am able to eat less food, I can afford to switch my family to whole, natural, locally-produced foods and that is what I am going to do. My husband is happily on board (rare since we usually disagree on "green-hippie" issues like this). He watched the film with me and is appalled at the state of our country's food processing methods. Watch it as soon as you can! It will change the way you look at food and what you learn from it could be a good companion to your healthy new lifestyle. Meanwhile, I had another good day with the band. For breakfast, I renewed my childhood love affair with Cream of Wheat. Man, that is good stuff. I added a little varietal (blueberry) honey to it and it was incredible. Later, I made chili for dinner and just ate some of the sauce. I am still having trouble getting all my water and protein, though. My Grandma stressed me out again today and for a second, I felt the old twinge to eat my feelings away. Instead, I just sat there feeling what I felt and then I felt better. I also had a ton of energy and felt like my old self. Since my car accident, I have not been able to do all the things I used to. My house stays messy because I can't keep up with it and it that been a constant source of guilt and anxiety for me especially now that I stay at home and feel it is my job to stay on top of this house. Today, I was able to do a lot of chores and chase after my kiddo and critters for 12+ hours. I even finished cleaning 3 rooms! That hasn't happened in 2 years when, before the accident, I could clean my entire house in a couple of hours. I am really really really happy that I got the band.

I am not a vegetarian, but after being banded I have much trouble eating meat. The protein shakes get old and I have tried many types. I drink a protein shake for breakfast. I also eat Atkins protein bars sometimes. I found some consentrated protein "shots" at bariactric choice that have more protein than many of the shakes. I take a shot every day and get 18g protein in just 1 ounce. They taste bad, but it is like taking medicine. One gulp and you get all that protein.

Even better- it is VEGETARIAN and KOSHER!!! Honest! J & D's - Everything Should Taste Like Bacon: Products I don't keep Kosher but I don't eat pork, so this is something I definitely plan to try! Thanks for the heads-up- kagead

I am home sick today too Pam!! I have a killer sore throat and let it go all week. Crashed yesterday..........I got up for a couple hours to go to my daughters school program but was out by 7pm. Not to bad though cause I woke up to a yard full of snow and I am glad I didn't have to drive the roads. My daughter ran the California international marathon yesterday with a relay team and she is home with a sore throat today. I am so proud of her 7 miles ....but she can hardly move today. Donna my legs are so sore from all the up and down at Arco Arena!! LOL. I should have done it a few more times. Next year I am going to volunteer with you. All my lab results came back in the normal range for all the Vitamins, Iron and protien.Even B12 which is hard for vegetarians is NORMAL. I am so glad. I take two vitamins and calcuim a day and I do try to eat lots of protien. I am happy I guess that means I can still be vegetarian. Working hard on losing this week. As soon as my throat heals up I am going back to the gym. Gotta hit this early this time....... Jes and Candra hoping you get fills too!! I bet you guys will this time and I bet you get big ones cause the other doctors do big fills but less often!!

I am living alone and I'm still going through trials and errors! Initially when I was supposedly ready to eat solid food, I would cook like for about 4 people as I been accustomed to (prior to surgery when I was raising a 14 year old boy and often feeding his friends). Actually I always cooked for more than just myself because I would eat much more than one normal portion, (let alone a 2 oz sleeve portion!) I then decided to go out and buy freezer bags and different sized containers in order to save the extra however I rarely ate my leftovers and eventually, (like this morning), they got dumped in the trash. Here is what I have found helpful. Having a carton of eggs is good worse case scenario you throw out only half the egg, (but soon enough you will be able to eat an entire egg.) Also, at costco (and all other big chain markets), you can buy boxed or bagged frozen foods which are already in portion sizes, therefore you need only take out and prepare what you think you can eat. This goes for fish, shrimp, meatballs, cheese raviolis, and lot's of other high Protein foods as well as frozen vegetables. If you can't eat the pre portioned size for one you may refrigerate the bit you can't eat or simply get rid of it. I do find it sometimes helpful to just go to a deli and order 2 slices of turkey or roast beef and a slice or two of low salt cheeses, (I like Alpine Lace)...if the meat is lean enough (I like Boars Head) I make a roll of the meat and cheese and eat it ever so carefully. The whole thing takes some adjusting to and this morning I found so much stuff in my refrigerator I had to throw away. Also before the surgery I went out and bought lots of canned foods like turkey chilly, vegetarian chilly, various soups, only to find that my tastes had radically changed and those same favorites were now sickening to me. I even bought a hoard of organic baby food and did not eat too many of them. I ended up bagging all the nonperishable food items I bought and donating them to a local food pantry. I find it's one big experiment. Someone here mentioned having those little puffy oyster crackers handy for eating soft cheeses and/or adding to soups, that worked for me. As for fruit I haven't eaten any yet since I'm so consumed with getting in enough protein since I fill up so easily. But I found a Protein Drink from "Naked" juices which is tasty like a nectar with no added or artificial sugar and each 15oz bottle contains 30 grams protein, 1 banana, 1.5 apples, .5 orange and a bit of pineapple and coconut. If I find any other suggestions I will send them your way. Yes Cream of Wheat, WHOLE GRAIN it has 7 grams protein per packet. I can almost eat 3/4 of a packet. It goes down pretty easy.

i'll be banded soon and just wondering what other vegetarians out there are eating post-op. are you having a lot of Protein shakes or ??

That's scary. I hope I can eat veggies later. I love them. I was planning on mushing them until real food on Jan 8. I was a vegetarian for 13 years and had friend who were veg but hated veggies. Here are some ideas for you: V8 (they make it in fruit fusion now if you don't like the tomato version) pea, squash or carrot soup (very creamy and yummy) Add them to everything! Get a slap chop (or similar) and chop a little green onion, colorful peppers, tomatoes etc) very very small. Keep the chop mix in the fridge. You can sprinkle the mix in eggs, soups, tuna or chicken salads (try grapes in your chicken salad!) Mash veggies that you might not normally think of mashing: sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots (with splenda brown yum), smashed peeled eggplant (top with canned tomatoes and a little parmesean to make a light italian- style casserole) Choose fresh over dried over frozen over canned for more nutrition bang for the buck. If you can tolerate breads, use whole-wheat flour and bake a homemade banana or zuccini bread (easy). Get baby-food veggies and add them to other dishes---baby squash in curry dishes, baby vegs in any soup, baby fruit and yogurt in hot cereal. You can get in an extra serving and won't even notice they are there. Make oatmeal with apple juice instead of water. It is good and I hate oatmeal. Add lemon to your water and orange or lemon or grapefruit to your tea. Avocados are amazing and you can use them in many ways: guacamole, in a dressing with greek yogurt to top chicken or fish, atop refried beans, on veggie burgers, to add a creamy texture to soups Try tomatoes and s/p with cottage cheese Smoothies! (yogurt, frozen fruit, milk, blender) (My favorite smoothie in the world is banana/blueberry) Yoiu can add your protein powder and other packaged nutrients to these. Try juicing. Buy a juicer with a money-back guarantee in case you don't like it, you can send it back.

I got up late and started pies late, but they are all in the oven (one traditional pumpkin and one apple cranberry) and I have broccoli and salad left to do. I made two cream cheese spreads last night...one crab and one vegetarian...with cranberries and walnuts. I also made two homemade salad dressings...blue cheese and red wine vinaigrette. My sister is making the rest. Gathering at 2 and dinner at 3. It's another beautiful day in the desert. Hope everyone is having a very nice day with their family and friends. Eva

1) Small size cutlery (9 piece set) 2) Bamix Wand Mixer 3) Fit and Fresh chiller shaker with storage base. 4) Fit and Fresh Fruit and Veg bowl 5) Fit and Fresh 'Lunch on the Go" 6) Fit and Fresh Healthy Snaker 7) Set of 6 Feeding Bowls with lids 8) Set 4 7oz tulip glasses 9) Walden Farms Asian Dressing Marinade Calorie Free Sugar Free, Carb free. 10) 85% Less Fat Powdered Peanut Butter 11) Walden Farms Ranch dressing calorie free, sugar free, carb free. 12) 2 x Sugar Free - Fat Free Instant Jello-O, vanilla and Bklack Cherry. 13) Hartley's Sugar Free Jelly 14) Dixie Carb Counters INstand Mashers (4 net carbs). 15) Linwoods Milled Organic Flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin seeds 16) 4 piece cup measures 17) Crystal Light Sunrise natural Classic Orange 18) Measuring spoons 19) 2 packs of 02GO flavourbursts 20) Blueberries and Cream - Flax & Snax Natural Hot Cereal (High Protein, high Fiber). 21) High Protein Instant custard Mix x 2 22) Jelly rich in protein. 23) Reflex Whey Refresh protein isolate drink x 4 24) Natural Flavour - Whey Protein Isolate Powder 25) Edamame Beans - lightly salted and baked soybeans (snake). 26) DaVinci Gourmet Coconut syrup (Sugar Free). 27) DaVinci Gourmet Banana (Sugar Free). 28) DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Amaretto Flavour Syrup 29) Thermos 500ml Water bottle with chiller 30) Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fry spray, 1 cal. 31) ProShot 25g Protein/0sugar and 0 fat. x3 32) Salter Nutritional Scale (weighs food protions and calculates nutritional values. 33) Low Carb diet Crispy Cool Ranch Cheese. 34) Fit and Lock set of food containers 35) Femfresh cleansing wipes 36) Night gown 37) House slippers 38) 4x Pairs PJ's 39) 80 Tea bags (decaffe) 40) Coffee (decaffe) 41) Beaker with lit. 42) Organic Agave Nectar 43) Johnson's Baby soothing naturals - intense moisture cream. 44) Johnson's baby soap. 45) 2 x 2oz containers. 46) 1 hand towel 47) 1 large food shelf container (for protein powder storage). 48) 2 x sugar free jelly 49) Small baking dish 50) 1 box of Splenda 51) 1 soup bowl and chinese spoon. 52) Vanity Case 53) Vanilla dessert Protein 54) Flaxseed Oil 55) 4 x bottles Egg Whites. (storeable at room temp. for upto 5 months). 56) Syntrax Apple Ectasy Protein. 56) Syntrax Carbbean Cooler 57) Bioclens Hand Sanitiser & Moisturiser 58) Vitamin E - Mint Lip chap stick. 59) Really nice Red travel case. 60) A nice Sundae Glass for jelly desserts/puddings (99p) 61) Breath mint Spray. 62) Hungry Girl 63) 100-Calorie Snack Cookbook by Sally Sampson. 64) Vegetarian Gelatine 65) Beef Gelatine 66) Salter Digital Bathroom Scales. ______________ 67) Molton Brown:- Toko Yuzu -Shower Gel and lotion. Cucumber Conditioning shampoo 68) Travel case for hospital. __________________

Well we made it home, round trip five and a half hours to go to the doc. I got the pain pump out and about half of the lipo stitches. I have to go back next thursday to get the drains and some more stitches removed. I am smaller and smaller every day so weird. I said that today to the doc that I feel like I am shrinking and he said you are. He said that every day I will be smaller as the fluid escapes through drains or just normal every day life. I finally had some relief with the bowels. It was ok until I started having a coughing fit holy moly that was terrible. I advise no coughing and no sneezing with garment down, up it's bad enough. My doc was thrilled with my incisions and said they are healing so nice and flat. My hubby is a wonderful nurse lol. The doc also was so excited when my garment came down he was telling danny look how nice and flat and see how she now has muscles on the sides, I can't see since my boobs are ginormous now but was excited to hear him say it looks like I will have a 6 pack when I am done .. who would have ever thought. lol. We talked about my thigh lift and he says I don't need one but will do one if I really want it. I think I do. I didn't do all this not to go the whole way lol. My teen daughters are making a vegetarian Thanksgiving for us so sweet. I have friends bringing turkey lol. I am bummed not to be out there shopping on black friday. :cool2: So all in all appt went great, I feel great, I didn't take any pain meds not even tylenol today and still feel great just tired. Going to go nap. But first I want to say how Thankful I am for all of you my lapband friends xoxoxo Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Well we made it home, round trip five and a half hours to go to the doc. I got the pain pump out and about half of the lipo stitches. I have to go back next thursday to get the drains and some more stitches removed. I am smaller and smaller every day so weird. I said that today to the doc that I feel like I am shrinking and he said you are. He said that every day I will be smaller as the fluid escapes through drains or just normal every day life. I finally had some relief with the bowels. It was ok until I started having a coughing fit holy moly that was terrible. I advise no coughing and no sneezing with garment down, up it's bad enough. My doc was thrilled with my incisions and said they are healing so nice and flat. My hubby is a wonderful nurse lol. The doc also was so excited when my garment came down he was telling danny look how nice and flat and see how she now has muscles on the sides, I can't see since my boobs are ginormous now but was excited to hear him say it looks like I will have a 6 pack when I am done .. who would have ever thought. lol. We talked about my thigh lift and he says I don't need one but will do one if I really want it. I think I do. I didn't do all this not to go the whole way lol. My teen daughters are making a vegetarian Thanksgiving for us so sweet. I have friends bringing turkey lol. I am bummed not to be out there shopping on black friday. :cursing: So all in all appt went great, I feel great, I didn't take any pain meds not even tylenol today and still feel great just tired. Going to go nap. But first I want to say how Thankful I am for all of you my lapband friends xoxoxo Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Well we made it home, round trip five and a half hours to go to the doc. I got the pain pump out and about half of the lipo stitches. I have to go back next thursday to get the drains and some more stitches removed. I am smaller and smaller every day so weird. I said that today to the doc that I feel like I am shrinking and he said you are. He said that every day I will be smaller as the fluid escapes through drains or just normal every day life. I finally had some relief with the bowels. It was ok until I started having a coughing fit holy moly that was terrible. I advise no coughing and no sneezing with garment down, up it's bad enough. My doc was thrilled with my incisions and said they are healing so nice and flat. My hubby is a wonderful nurse lol. The doc also was so excited when my garment came down he was telling danny look how nice and flat and see how she now has muscles on the sides, I can't see since my boobs are ginormous now but was excited to hear him say it looks like I will have a 6 pack when I am done .. who would have ever thought. lol. We talked about my thigh lift and he says I don't need one but will do one if I really want it. I think I do. I didn't do all this not to go the whole way lol. My teen daughters are making a vegetarian Thanksgiving for us so sweet. I have friends bringing turkey lol. I am bummed not to be out there shopping on black friday. :thumbup: So all in all appt went great, I feel great, I didn't take any pain meds not even tylenol today and still feel great just tired. Going to go nap. But first I want to say how Thankful I am for all of you my lapband friends xoxoxo Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Intentional or not, like I said, I was claifying the meaning of a vegetarian. Vegetarianism is a lifestyle that people choose for various personal reasons, and when you change your entire lifestyle for a particular reason, you tend to stand by what you believe in. Let me give you an example. If I were to donate money one time (say $20), to a charity of my choosing, yet never did any volunteer work, would I be entitled to call myself a professional philanthropist? No. And I'm sure that the true philanthropists might be offended that someone would call themselves such, given all that they do for other people.

I would just like to claify something. A vegetarian is somebody who DOES NOT EAT meat. This includes fish and chicken. So if you even occasionally eat fish or chicken, you ARE NOT a vegetarian....not even close! If you choose to only eat fish as your only animal meat, then you are a PESCATARIAN. Being a true vegetarian, this offends me when people eat meat and call themselves a vegetarian, or say they follow a vegetarian diet.

I'm sorry you had such a rough start, but it's not too late to make your band work. The first thing you're going to have to do is to set a lap band food plan - either with a dietitian or with your food guidelines. With good restriction, my meals are three 1/2 cup meals heavy on solid Protein followed by vegetables, if room fruit, and then starches. Obviously, I don't have a lot of wiggle room for fruit and veggies, so I try to incorporate them into my snack. The 1/2 cup meals are my doctor's recommendation and also the recommendation on the Realize Band website (I have the Realize Band). I have a 4 oz pouch and with good restriction, I stay fully satisfied for four or more hours after a meal. I rarely have beef, maybe twice a week. I mostly eat chicken, fish, and eggs for protein. I have pork on rare occasions too, but neither pork nor beef are a mainstay foods in my diet. If you're going vegetarian, I'm sure you can get some great ideas for meals in the LBT nutrition section, but you just need to make sure you're not relying on slider foods that don't give longterm satiety. I can only give you advice based on my doctor's recs, but he wants our band to be adjusted to where we can eat three 1/2 cup meals, one healthy snack, and plenty of Fluid in between meals (stopping 1/2 hour prior to eating and starting 45 mins after a meal). Some people have problems eating in the morning, and the NP that leads our support group said to be sure and start the day off with a low carb high Protein shake to get the metabolism moving in that case. I can eat, so that's not been an issue for me. If you find you can't eat your doctor's recommended meal which often leads to eating slider foods, he may want to take a tiny bit of saline out. If you're getting hungry when eating those 1/2 cup meals (ex. meal - 3 oz chicken, 1 oz broccoli) in less than two or three hours, you need a fill. I don't want to come off as saying my doctor's way is the only way though. Being a bit heavier than me, your doctor may have your band looser because you should be able to eat bigger meals and still lose weight. But, I wasn't sure if you were given clear instructions on how to get the most from your band. It's very important not to throw in the towel. Now, that you have a better doctor (at least I hope he's better), I'm sure if you made an appointment with him and gave him detailed information on your diet, how well you're able to tolerate solid food, and how often you're hungry, he'd be able to get you back on track.

I went to a bad doctor, basically. I told them I needed a fill and they dismissed me saying that I was doing fine. I mean, at that time I wasn't doing fine because I was still able to eat pretty regular meals and had NOT been filled. I had changed living locations, and that was the reason why I went to another doctor. Plus, I hadn't ever had a surgery like that and my body was getting used to the shock, so I think that's why I dropped so much the first six months. Then I gained it all back. I tried following the guide they gave us and I just got really disgusted by beef and pork after a while, so I tried vegetarianism with fish and chicken. I drink 3-7 bottles of Water a day (16 fl. oz), have cut out almost all sugar (exception is natural sugars) and don't eat anything that is a starch or carb. My doctor said it was fine to not eat, so I guess I should start forcing myself. Except, sometimes, when I do force myself I get really nauseous and just can't eat.

Hi, I was banded last July, and I had lost 60 then gained it all back with a bad fill. I went nearly completely vegetarian (only fish and occasionally chicken) and that helped me lost 21 pounds, which is so f**king depressing. Is there anything, other than complete starvation, that I can do that has helped? I work out everyday for twenty minutes: one mile walk I only eat when I'm hungry or faint, and it's often two times a day with the normal full feeling after it hits the band. I'm stressing out too because my body has shifted, I've gained a roll, and I still have lost two sizes. I was much sexier at the larger weight, shape-wise. Can't afford the reconstructive surgery after my goal weight is reached, either. Any tips?

Megan - I would recommend you order samples of a variety of Protein drinks as you may not like or be able to tolerate the same things as others -- me, I can't tolerate any of them - they're all too thick and too sweet or taste too protein-y. I also am extremely lactose intolerant since surgery and have to be very careful what I drink. The OhYeah Protein Drink is lactose free and it doesn't seem to be too thick, so I have a few of them I drink every now and again. Dr. Aceves pre-op diet was very easy to follow - high protein, low carb. Be sure to drink LOTS of fluids, too. I ate lots of eggs and cheese and veggies. I also ate chicken and veggie burgers - the veggie burgers are really good and high in protein. Being vegetarian shouldn't hinder you on the pre-op diet.

I am wondering how many of you eat soy and specialty veggie products with the band? I was a vegetarian for 13 years and found a large number of good soy products that provide a great source of Protein with very little fat/carbs. I am now rediscovering them on my preop diet. Morningstar Farms is one of my favorite brands. I ate 2 veggie sausage patties this morning with an eggbeater's veggie omelet. The whole meal tasted awesome, was less than 300 calories and I got nearly half of my protein for the day out of it. I am just curious now if I will be able to tolerate the foods post band. ****If anyone is curious about veg foods but afraid to try them, ask me for a list of the good stuff. From years of trial and error, I found a few gems that you can easily serve to meat-eaters and they never know the difference. I tried it all from Tofurkey to Quorn and Wheat meat. Trust me, you don't want to waste your money or your taste buds on the icky ones!

wow! ijust can't imagine a world without hunger! i love food so much. i hope i can get to that point. i just never ever feel full....my stomach controls me! i'm excited to get control of my life! susan....how was it for you doing dr aceves's pre-op diet. i'm a vegetarian so i'm kind of worried. i plan on mostly eating eggs, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, regular cheese and some shrimp....although i hate fish! so many doctors recomend different things before surgery. it's really confusing. i'm worried my liver will fail the test!!! SOOOOO much to worry about!

Megan, welcome to this forum! I am excited for you on your journey to good health. I am getting sleeved by Dr. Aceves Dec. 4 and I have the utmost faith in his and his staffs skills. I cannot address your concerns about being a vegetarian but there are so many wonderful sharing people on this forum that will try to help you that you put it out there and they will get you the answer. We are all here for you..

Hi Megan, and congrats on making the decision to change your life for the better with this wonderful surgery. As for the vegetarian diet, I have a dear friend who is vegan, and she suggested using tempeh, and seitan for Protein instead of meat. I never did get around to trying any of the recipes, but I posted a thread on here that I can forward to you with a lot of different recipes that you'll be able to use once you get to the mushy and soft solid diet. If you have head hunger issues, I highly suggest that you seek out a therapist or counselor that is experienced in food addictions, and diet management. None of the surgeries will cure your head hunger completely. Will the sleeve help control your actual hunger? Yes, but if you just want to eat to eat then you will not be as successful as you could be. The sleeve does indeed help with portion control because if you overeat, you will regret it. You will feel discomfort, sometimes pain, and vomiting can occur if you constantly overdue it. I am very rarely hungry. With that said, I have to actually have a reminder on my IPhone go off so I can remember to eat. I ate about 3/4 of a beef eggroll with soy sauce around 3pm this afternoon, here it is 7:45pm, and I have zero appetite. But, I know that I need to eat something for dinner. Food is simply fuel for my body now. I was a volume eater, and could eat A LOT. Now, I simply eat because I have to, and not because I'm bored, or stressed. No one can answer the question " can I stick with this?" for you, that has to be your decision. The sleeve is nothing more than a tool to help you succeed. You have to be willing to sacrifice a little in the beginning, and know that the weight will come off if you're willing to follow your surgeon's post op diet, and overhaul your entire relationship with food. For me, I truly do not feel like I'm on a diet constantly. I eat less than my 11 yr old son (who is lean, petite, and muscular), but the best part of it is that I am satisfied with very little portions now. I eat anything and everything that I choose. I wish you the very best in your journey, and you'll be a success. You just have to put your "best foot forward", and get mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared for this life-changing event.