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Nothing cheap but nothing outrageous either. My favorite is Whey+ by Legion Athletics. You can only get it online but all of the flavors are great and the calories are low. They also have an unflavored powder that you can mix in soups/broth and yogurts!

Walden Farms = WF (I've negotiated with myself that the value of zero calories/carbs/fat is worth the reduced pleasure in the taste of WF products. I make KNOCKOUT dressings...but they are packed with olive oil and fat grams, calories and things that go bump in the night--and I'm still trying to stay around 450-550cals for now while I'm in this early 2 month weight loss phase. WF dressings I tolerate well: Italian, Asian, Sesame Ginger. I also use WF cocktail sauce to mix with Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup and stuff to make a delish low cal, LC cocktail sauce. I also use WF ketchup to make a low cal version of 1000 island. I use WF Blueberry Pancake Syrup as a topping for yogurt and cottage cheese. I use WF Marinara in combination with the Central Market Taste of Italy Marinara sauce for a SUPER low cal/low carb version of marinara and pizza sauce. ) Nooge = Nutritional Yeast. I use either Bob's Redmill brand or I buy from bulk bin which is Red Star. It tastes a little like parmesan cheese without as many cals + more protein. For 16g (2 heaping TBSP) it's 60cals; 8g protein; 1g fat; 7g carbs; 4g fiber; 3g net carbs; 0g sugar. I rarely if ever eat a full 16g serving. Usually it's more like a teaspoon or sometimes a tablespoon. HEB has it.

I don't think so. I'm one who keeps carbs low, low or lo lo. LOL. But I add low glycemic fruit here and there--and as many veggies as I possibly can. Not too much in 1 day--but that's just me. Today my AS is scheduled to be 3 slices of Hillshire Farm Naturals Black Forest Ham + 1oz of fresh blackberries (sale+beautiful=score!) Last night I didn't feel like making dinner so we just had my "breakfast cereal" which is 1/2c mixture of 2% cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Isopure protein powder, PP (1oz to make it liquidy), 6g sliced almonds, 6g Fiber One, and 1/2oz blackberries. Sadly, I did get hungry about 2 1/2 hours after dinner--so am testing them again today with just the ham. I routinely have a snack of homemade coleslaw (1/2c) or salad made with WF dressings (so not to waist calories) and red fat feta or red fat blue cheese crumbles and sometimes some grated egg. Or I have a 1/2c of cooked veg with a spoon of Nooge on it. This morning I had scrambled egg whites with baby spinach and mushrooms and 1/2sl of 2% Kraft deli deluxe, and hatch green salsa, 1/2 c of goodness! 86cals; 11g prot; 2g fat; 5g carbs; 1g fiber; 0g sugar.

I am on the 2 week pre op liquid diet that started Wednesday. My surgery is April 25th. Unfortunately, I wish I could eat pudding and yogurt however my doctor has me on a CLEAR liquid diet which means I am restricted to broth, sf jello, sf popsicles, mio, crystal light etc. I can have protein shakes however but those get tiresome real fast. I am having no trouble meeting my fluid intake however I am so hungry I'm nauseous and not now. I've been feeling foggy, and occasionally dizzy even though I am taking vitamins religiously all of the ones my doctor told me to. Does anyone know of anything I can add to my clear liquid diet to give me a little reprieve?

Just an update, I had my surgery April 2nd. Stick to the pre op diet and lost 15 lbs before surgery. I’m 10 days post op and have lost another 11 lbs. I have to say that I was very uncomfortable immediately after surgery, the pain from the gas is sort of weird and it’s just hard to get comfortable and pain medicine really didn’t help. Once I was up and walking around and sipping fluids I felt sooooo much better—so to all you getting sleeves in the future, the first couple hours after surgery suck but push through you will find relief! Especially from walking. It has definitely been an adjustment drinking I was a “gulper” before now I constantly sip. I feel full from very little amount of food like 2 tablespoon of yogurt and I have to eat really slow. Just today I am starting to have my apetite back, I’m still on full liquids until I see my surgeon next Thursday and I’m hoping he advances me to puréed. Good luck everyone!

Baked ricotta is a yummy soft food. I ate a lot of tunafish mixed with hummus at this stage or those tuna creations in yummy flavors becuase it added to protein content. There is also canned chicken and crab if you can stand that. No mayo of course but I find the hummus a very yummy alternative, or avocado and lemon. If it is too hard for your tummy I recommend using a food processor. I also ate greek yogurt, mashed sweet potato with a little olive oil, homemade protein ice cream was a favorite too, fat free re-fried beans with a little taco seasoning and fat free sour cream on top heated in the microwave. Hope any of these help!

So, I got my pre-op diet plan. Two days before I have to do stage 2, the full fluid stage where I can have yogurt, protein shakes, and cream of wheat. One day before is nothing but clear liquids, so it won’t be tooooooo bad.

Fast food is a fact of life for so many of us, so is it really reasonable to expect it to disappear from the scene after bariatric surgery? Note: This isn’t an article on “How soon after surgery can I eat pepperoni pizza and wings?” This is an article on making the best choices you can given your situation. Consider Macros That is, “macronutrients,” or carbohydrates, fat, and protein. The news is bad on the surface since the average fast food meal has more carbs and less protein per calorie than the average home-cooked meal. You can work to turn this around, though. Carbohydrates: Cut back on carbohydrates by skipping the starchy sides: French fries, potato chips, and hash browns, steamed, fried, or Mexican rice, and breadsticks. Try to go “green” (lettuce wrap) or “naked” (no wrap) with your burger, tortilla, or sandwich; if the fast food joint cannot honor your request, just eat the filling with a knife and fork, and throw away the bread, bun, tortilla, or taco shell (if you are feeling guilty because of starving children in third-world countries, make a donation. You’ll do more good than you would by adding starch to your hips). Protein: How can you boost your protein intake at a fast food restaurant to be what you need? Skinless grilled or baked chicken, lean cold cuts, cheese, and beans can all up your totals, and yogurt is an increasingly common side option. Even a small burger patty can give you 10 to 15 grams of protein, although it comes with a few extra grams of fat. A good protein goal for a meal is about 20-30 grams. You can get that for 200-300 calories with any of the following. Burger King Double Cheeseburger, no bun; Grilled Chicken Garden Salad, no croutons; or Veggie Burger with cheese, no bun or mayo. McDonald’s Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad, no cheese; or Grilled Chicken Sandwich, no bun or spread. Taco Bell 2 grilled or fresco steak soft tacos, no tortillas; chicken or steak Power Menu Bowl, no rice or cheese. KFC Grilled Chicken Drumstick plus green beans or side salad. Panda Express Grilled Teriyaki or Asian Chicken. Fats: Your first order of business is to avoid anything fried. You will be avoiding excess grease while also avoiding sneaky carbs in breading – did you know that the amounts of carbs in onion rings and fried chicken are comparable to the amounts in bread? Also, watch the fatty spreads – think mayonnaise – salad dressings, and dips. Find the Vegetables Protein and vegetables…does this sound familiar? It should, since your goals when eating at a fast food restaurant should be the same as when you eat at home. Vegetables help fill you up without filling you out, and it is best to eat as many of them as you can handle with your pouch or sleeve. It may take a little more digging to find vegetables at fast food restaurants than at home, but you can usually do it. Here are a few leads. Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and any other available vegetables on burgers and sandwiches. Order a side salad or baby carrots with your meal. Check for salads with grilled chicken as an entrée. Pile salsa and diced vegetables onto your naked burrito. When “Value” Isn’t Besides the convenience, the deals are among the most tempting things about fast food. For pennies more, you can often add fries and a drink, or you could get a second burger or taco for half the price. Don’t do it! “Value” depends on what you want and need; why would you pay extra, even if it is “only pennies more,” for extra fat, sugar, starch, and calories? A healthier definition of “value” might be to pay the least you can for a meal that is convenient, delicious, and healthy. Why include “oversized” in your definition? For those times when fast food simply makes sense, go for it – just keep yourself on track by reading the menu carefully and staying focused. You can do it, no matter where you end up. You might as well enjoy it!

Consider Macros That is, “macronutrients,” or carbohydrates, fat, and protein. The news is bad on the surface since the average fast food meal has more carbs and less protein per calorie than the average home-cooked meal. You can work to turn this around, though. Carbohydrates: Cut back on carbohydrates by skipping the starchy sides: French fries, potato chips, and hash browns, steamed, fried, or Mexican rice, and breadsticks. Try to go “green” (lettuce wrap) or “naked” (no wrap) with your burger, tortilla, or sandwich; if the fast food joint cannot honor your request, just eat the filling with a knife and fork, and throw away the bread, bun, tortilla, or taco shell (if you are feeling guilty because of starving children in third-world countries, make a donation. You’ll do more good than you would by adding starch to your hips). Protein: How can you boost your protein intake at a fast food restaurant to be what you need? Skinless grilled or baked chicken, lean cold cuts, cheese, and beans can all up your totals, and yogurt is an increasingly common side option. Even a small burger patty can give you 10 to 15 grams of protein, although it comes with a few extra grams of fat. A good protein goal for a meal is about 20-30 grams. You can get that for 200-300 calories with any of the following. Burger King Double Cheeseburger, no bun; Grilled Chicken Garden Salad, no croutons; or Veggie Burger with cheese, no bun or mayo. McDonald’s Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad, no cheese; or Grilled Chicken Sandwich, no bun or spread. Taco Bell 2 grilled or fresco steak soft tacos, no tortillas; chicken or steak Power Menu Bowl, no rice or cheese. KFC Grilled Chicken Drumstick plus green beans or side salad. Panda Express Grilled Teriyaki or Asian Chicken. Fats: Your first order of business is to avoid anything fried. You will be avoiding excess grease while also avoiding sneaky carbs in breading – did you know that the amounts of carbs in onion rings and fried chicken are comparable to the amounts in bread? Also, watch the fatty spreads – think mayonnaise – salad dressings, and dips. Find the Vegetables Protein and vegetables…does this sound familiar? It should, since your goals when eating at a fast food restaurant should be the same as when you eat at home. Vegetables help fill you up without filling you out, and it is best to eat as many of them as you can handle with your pouch or sleeve. It may take a little more digging to find vegetables at fast food restaurants than at home, but you can usually do it. Here are a few leads. Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and any other available vegetables on burgers and sandwiches. Order a side salad or baby carrots with your meal. Check for salads with grilled chicken as an entrée. Pile salsa and diced vegetables onto your naked burrito. When “Value” Isn’t Besides the convenience, the deals are among the most tempting things about fast food. For pennies more, you can often add fries and a drink, or you could get a second burger or taco for half the price. Don’t do it! “Value” depends on what you want and need; why would you pay extra, even if it is “only pennies more,” for extra fat, sugar, starch, and calories? A healthier definition of “value” might be to pay the least you can for a meal that is convenient, delicious, and healthy. Why include “oversized” in your definition? For those times when fast food simply makes sense, go for it – just keep yourself on track by reading the menu carefully and staying focused. You can do it, no matter where you end up. You might as well enjoy it!

Add some mayo to that tuna! LOL *cry face* Your diet makes me sad! I cook a lot and take leftovers most of the time for lunch. I use Kayln's Kitchen for a lot of my cooking inspiration. She has her website broken down by diet type. I try and do Keto mostly. Instead of jello, I would add something with protein. You could do cottage cheese, a low fat cheese stick, Greek yogurt, or even a non starch veggie. I personally eat a lot of edamome, brussle sprouts, and chick peas.

A lot depends on your doctor's schedule for food transitions, at 2 weeks, I would have had to puree the soups and couldn't have noodles. I could have yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, cream-of-wheat or thinned oatmeal, basically anything that had a "blended" texture.

Hi! I'm a little over 5 weeks. What I was told was to keep protein to 70-90gm, increase complex carbohydrates, and try to get in 1000 calories a day minimum in the 1st trimester (it goes up each trimester). I never jumped on the deli meat band wagon, and honestly most meat makes me sick now. So, what I've been doing is yogurt every morning (I switched to full fat greek), 1 cup a day of beans (Navy, Great Nothern, or Black Beans), a package of the the Green Giant microwave steamers veggies, a piece of fruit (cuties, berries), cheese snack, and then dinner at the moment is up in the air depending on how I feel (my nausea is worst at night) but I try to eat fish like tilapia or salmon and then if possible some sweet potato and maybe salad. I split a lot of those up into smaller portions and am eating about every 2hrs just to keep the nausea at bay. Other good foods to add would be hard boiled eggs, spinach, avocado (I had a friend who would literally have half an avocado for lunch every day), banana and high fiber foods. If you are ok with straight dairy add a glass of milk. If grains are your thing feel free to add them but you don't need them with the beans as long as you are still eating animal products. Oh, and chocolate. I have one piece of good dark chocolate every day. And, as a side note, I have some days where nothing sounds good at all and I just have a protein shake (the orgain organic pre-made ones). Oh, one last thing, I don't know which app you are using to track you food, but I really like cronometer as you can track possible micronutrient deficiencies, and you can change the setting for how much of each nutrient you are shooting for (makes it very bariatric and pregnancy friendly). I've found that most vitamins don't cover your full need for Choline, Potassium, and Iodine so you may need to add more foods that supply those nutrients. Hope that helps!

Was recently put on a liberate diet due to me not being able to keep food down along with my medication. Also I have lost about 45 pounds since my surgery that was March 1st. They want me to eat mashed potatoes, crackers, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, low fat yogurt, sugar free jell-o, and creamy soups.... Food is definitely not appealing to me. But my weight is at a standstill.... Having a hard time coping with this. I know it's the beginning but I just don't want to fail.... They also prescribed a medicine that goes behind my ear to help with nasuea but it have me blurry vision so I stopped it but my vision is still blurry. They told me to stop all medicine to see how I would do temporarily.

I'm 9 months post op and everyday for breakfast premier protein, yogurt for lunch. I still have a hard time eating chicken, rice, ground turkey any type of meat at this point and rice, spaghetti.

Nuts--I prefer cashews or pistachios, myself. You have to be a ways down the line for this, but beef jerky works. Yummy. Yogurt (I know, not crunchy at all). I do some carbs, so cheese and crackers. A friend gave me some Medifast products, so I also have high-protein pretzel sticks and crunch bars (for what it's worth, I like the peanut butter ones, the chocolate mint ones, not so much--there's an artificial flavor I can't get past). But it's good to have a crunchy, high-protein, 110-calorie snack on hand.

I have been hungry alot more than I expected. I also have been able yo consume alot more than others whenever I eat. For example, I am able to eat a whole banana; a whole container of yogurt; a whole packet of instant oatmeal. Then an hour later I am hungry. My Dr. is not concerned; said some people reacr this way. Moved me to final stage as I can tolerate! Has anyone experienced this? I was told not to worry but I’ve been thinking I went through all of this and it’s not going to work??? Anxious to hear from anyone!

To preface, many moons ago I played soccer in college and despite my weight gain, I still identify as an athlete. Exercise is not punishment for me, it’s something I’m excited to do again and to have more successful with. That being said, I recently hit 4 wks and doc cleared me for cardio. I downloaded a couch to 5k app and for the last 5 days have been going on hour long run/walks for about 3-4 miles. Combined with daily activity I’m getting in 5-6 miles/day. Problem is that I get really tired in the afternoon and am constantly hungry. I’m eating about 800-900 cal/day but wondering if I need to up that? Also following a keto diet. I’ve been doing soft foods for a couple weeks and am capable of eating more but have been trying to stay less than 900...for no other reason than most people on here are eating so damn little after 4 weeks and I’m trying to follow suit. A typical day may be: 8am - Decaf coffee w/ half premier protein 9am - 2 scrambled eggs 11am - Half serving ground beef noodle-less lasagna 2pm - other half lasagna 5pm - Greek yogurt 7pm - 2 oz Smoked Salmon, one soft cheese wedge 9pm - 1/4 cup cottage cheese 11pm - Decaf coffee w/ half premier protein I’ve been keeping track in MyFitnessPal and you can see the breakdown. Questions - for those that exercise, how many calories are you consuming? Any suggestions on why I’m hitting a wall in the afternoon and need a nap? If I don’t eat every 2 hours my stomach starts grumbling and I get light headed. Should I be eating more at meals? I’ve been hesitant to because I’m nervous that I’ll still need the snack and will go too high on calories for the day. I’ve also been in a pretty major stall over the last 3 weeks. 10 days with nothing, then 5lbs in 2 days, now another 6 days with no loss. Thanks for any help! Sleeved 3/12/18, HW 270, SW 253, CW 238, GW 160, 5’9”

Did you hear back from your RD? I feel very blessed to get to add raw veggies back already. I swear I haven't even noticed an increase in gas! Makes me sometimes wonder just how much malabsorption she did on me? It felt really good to drink that green smoothie yesterday. The chard made it kinda grassy/dirty tasting and it would have been better if it was smooth. But even though I'm sure it was placebo, I felt really good after drinking it. NO dumping or cramping or extra gas--and that with needing to "chew it" LOL! Gross right? I just got to thinking that Dr. W. might be right from the perspective that until we can get more volume in, doing a "mechanical pre-delivery digestion" with a blender would help make fiber and veggies "slider" foods. The big question was whether it would raise my BG or if it would increase hunger or make the scale go up. That's why I kept the apple skin--to have the pectin that slows down the absorption of the carbs in the apple. I really liked that I was able to get in that many ounces of veggies within about 45 minutes. I may play around in the next few days with ditching the PP powder and just adding some Greek yogurt but that really jacks up the carbs and nat. sugars. :-/ And I don't like the texture of cottage cheese or ricotta in smoothies. So I may just say wth and continue the PP. I'm looking forward to my gs today though! LOL. As I sit her chewing my chicken and broccoli in WF Sesame Ginger dressing. I may try to get off the Miralax tomorrow. So far it's yielding 1 smooth move a day. But maybe the colace will be enough to do the same thing? And if not, then a cup of Smooth Move Tea every 2-3 days should suffice? I have no issues with any kind of intolerance--including lactose intolerance. LOL, I am currently doing my SF Peppermint Mocha Latte with the Choco PP and Torani SF Peppermint Syrup along with the colace and miralax. It's my current crush. I'd started drinking them the year that Starbuck's came out with their Peppermint Mocha Latte, only in the old days I would use SF Hershey's Syrup the SF peppermint syrup and real cream. But the PP RTDs work so great in it! It's easy to put the cream down and step away from the ledge. I'm just using much less PP now that I'm adding the gs in the afternoon! I'm sorry you're having issues following your lattes. Let me know what your RD says!!!

Today was my 2 week appointment as well! I just had my first puréed food- IT WAS THE MOST DELICIOUS THING I HAVE EVER EATEN!! I mean, I realize I’m biased because I haven’t had anything besides protein shakes and yogurt for the past month- but what a magical experience! 2 tbsp’s of Trader Joe’s edamame hummus!! [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106] HW: 420 SW:320 PRE-VSG: 301 CW: 274 GW: 185 Sleeved: 03/26/18

Only advice I can offer is to build good populations of good gut bugs. My kiddo is a microbiology major who just went to a lecture on gut microbiota and fecal transplant (yep, this is a thing) and she was telling me that a lot of chronic constipation and diarrhea issues can be related to out of balance gut microbiota. How can you improve your gut bugs? Eat quality dietary fiber... 30g a day for the gals. More for the guys. (obviously, discuss this with your doctor) Fiber feeds the most beneficial gut bugs and helps them re-establish healthy populations when they've been wiped out by antibiotics, or dealing with the new conditions of a modified gut. Here's a cool list: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948 Also, try to eat cultured and fermented foods...yogurt, miso, pickles, sauerkraut, kefir, cheeses. The key...she says...is not quantity...it's diversity. Don't overdo portions, but mix up the variety a lot. Just a little bite of each kind of thing adds up to benefits.

I haven’t had my surgery yet but in trying to lose weight before the surgery, I have struggled to try to find more convenient healthy options. One of the things I had to admit to myself is that, just because I’m busy and don’t have time, there’s always a healthier option. Starbucks actually has a sous ve egg white thing that sounds gross but is awesome and way better for you than the wrap. Or a piece of grilled chicken from a fast food place over chicken wings. I also realized that it was possible to buy things that involve very little prep like: The seasoned tuna packets have low calories almost no fat and a lot of protein and involve no prep. Part skim string cheese. Yogurt. Protein pudding. Chicken sausages (get ones that are already cooked and you just need to heat up). Rotisserie chicken. Cottage cheese. Hard boiled eggs. Protein shakes. Smoked salmon.

Ditch the chips. Why chips anyway? You are eating the wrong carbs and those carbs make you crave more carbs - that is one reason you are hungry. Not enough protein every day and good fats. Take higher protein yogurt for lunch, make a dozen hard boiled eggs (it only takes a few minutes - you can do this while cooking dinner), (take dinner leftovers for lunch and eat while taking a walk instead of driving to Subway) and take the eggs for lunch and some cheese for a snack. I need daily totals. A whole day. Are you weighing/measuring food? Tracking food on an app? I use Baritastic, it's free. Eating takeout for lunch is an excuse, unless you pick better takeout than Subway and chips. Seriously.

Stay positive and be focused. Im at the puree stage and am eating cottage cheese, yogurts, puree soup, puree beans, hummus. I normally eat every 3 hours. I still use my liquid protein ( Isopure zero carbs) along with silk high protein milk.

Premier caramel in coffee, boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurts (breakfast and lunch) Nuts and dried fruit (snacks) Legumes, veggies, Salmon or lamb (dinner) VSG 11/17 HW 270 SW 238 CW 185 [emoji91][emoji91][emoji91]