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Simply put head hunger (& food noise) is not real hunger. It just often is more powerful & what we listen to. They often have an emotional cause - sad, angry, anxious, stressed, frustrated, etc. & you use food to comfort or sooth yourself. They can have a hormonal cause like craving carbs in the lead up to your period. They can get louder when you’re bored or because of habit & what you’re doing like watching tv. After surgery they can be particularly strong. You can be on a emotional roller coaster after surgery, your hormones can be all over the place, everything is strange & you can worry about doing the right thing or making a mistake - information overload, you may have some pain or discomfort for a little while after, and so on. Generally, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture it’s head hunger. Your tummy rumbling (hunger pains/pangs) aren’t usually a sign of real hunger either - just your digestive system working. Real hunger feels different. Because we tended to listen to the food noise & head hunger cues we forget what real hunger feels like. I get restless like something is wrong. Don’t crave anything. And there is always a logical & legitimate reason to be hungry - I haven’t eaten (missed a meal) or didn’t eat much of my previous meal or it’s around or after my usual meal time. Distraction is the easiest & most commonly used technique to help. Read, check social media & this forum, phone a family me, ring friend, harder, craft, go for a walk, undertake a household task (clean out a cupboard or drawer), sip a warm drink. Delay satisfying the head hunger or food voice - often it will lessen in intensity & can pass after 30+/- minutes. I used to ask myself do I need this food or need the next bite or do I just want it. If I want it why? Actually I still do this a lot. Makes you really think about what’s driving you to eat, why the food voice or head hunger is shouting & it works towards understanding your relationship with food, Have a chat with your therapist too. If you didn’t meet with one as part of your pre surgery process, it may be helpful to ask for a referral to help you work your way through this. Many find them extremely helpful.

Well. I am waiting on my appt to know for sure what my pre op is supposed to be because the girls at the front desk don’t know but I THINK I have two weeks left to eat what’s in freezer and panty so I don’t think I will be having anything healthy to post on here. Hopefully by the time I get back to normal foods there will be lots of new ideas to keep me on track.

How is everyone doing now? I had my surgery February 20th. I'm faring pretty well. Still some pain. Feeling like I need to eat all the time. Holding myself to food every hour to 2 hours. Very small amounts. Getting my protein. Starting a food diary tomorrow.

Of course!! I have my alarms set for 9, 12, 3, 6 and 9 (every 3 hours). I am up before the 9am but I do my Yoga or walk in the morning and then it takes me a while to drink that big proffee drink so it’s usually 8:30 or 9 when I finish it. It’s more of a reminder if I set it down and forget about it. Lunch at noon, small snack at 3, dinner at 6 and small snack at 9. This works really well for me for food and I am able to get my multi, 3 calcium’s and then my magnesium and hair vitamin all separated by a few hours. Ooh and Chomps Turkey Jerky is a good snack to keep on hand as well. They have mini turkey sticks but the pepperoni ones are better tasting. I just eat half and save half for later. I also have a pack of ziplocks in my car.

Me and hubby have had this food conversation recently. On my list is Pizza Hut, a fillet steak dinner and a chippy tea. Other than that, I can’t really think of anything else that I would want, maybe a burger at some point but I think everything else can wait and be adapted post-op or shared with hubby (though not chippy tea as he hates it 😳) We are off to London soon, staying in a posh hotel for 3 nights so I know that I will probably lose the run of myself come breakfast time! I’ve already scoured food places around where we’re staying and around Covent Garden. Greek is on the list and booked as I like chicken souvlaki, which I know is a relatively good choice. Other than that I will just play by ear. I know it’s our last break away for a long time so yes, there will be some indulgences but I will still try and keep some form of control!

I love the lentil soup idea! Lentils are very underrated. I also found you can make sweeter lentils with datepaste, milk of choice and/or protein powder, and cocoa or pumpkin pie spice and it is a higher protein, lower carb version of oatmeal that is soft food stage friendly too! 😃

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part is also the hardest to explain. The best way I can put it is that pre-surgery, I had a demon in my stomach. This demon demanded rich foods and thought that if one of something tasted good, then four of something would taste amazing (this made the demon a liar, but I had to obey these lies). The surgery removed the demon. I no longer feel controlled by cravings. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The 48 hours prior to the surgery were miserable. I could only have water, Gatorades and black coffee. Then I had to take strong laxatives prior to the surgery, so I was defecating so much that my body was expelling food I hadn't even eaten yet. And I couldn't go to sleep because any flatulence had the potential to be ... explosive. So it's 1 am, I am starving, dehydrated, sitting on the john and I need to be at the hospital at 5:30. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing major. I greatly underestimated how sore my stomach would be and how long it would take for the soreness to go away. I am a stomach sleeper and it was three months before I felt comfortable sleeping on my stomach. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I love the new life. I am able to exercise (bike, jog, lift weights) like I never have, I have great energy. I can shop at pretty much any clothing store. It has allowed me to become a better version of myself. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? It was probably 8 months to a year before I felt like I could try any food and not have to worry about my stomach having trouble. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? Can't eat, as in, I physically cannot handle it? Nothing. But there are plenty of things that I used to love that I am uninterested in. Like I have no desire to eat a donut. Just seems like pure sugar to me. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I did not have dumping syndrome (although some sugar alcohols hit my stomach hard). I did have some vomiting, but it was either due to eating too fast or eating a food that my stomach wasn't ready to handle yet (I had some stewed beef at like the 90 day mark and I wasn't as ready for it as I thought I was. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I would say 90-120 days before I felt physically normal (could sleep on my stomach, could handle most foods) 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? In the immediate aftermath of the surgery, no. This was my first (and so far, only) major surgery and I really underestimated how much it would sap my energy. I was walking gingerly for a while. But once I fully recovered, I have had way more energy. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, in mostly good ways. The pre-surgery success-failure cycle of yo-yo dieting impacted my psyche way more than I realized. So this state of long-term success helped greatly (and success, both great and small, is an excellent anti-depressant). Will it cure your depression? Absolutely not. To the extent that you think your problems in life are caused by your size ("I'm single because I'm overweight" or "My weight is why they won't give the promotion" or "my weight is why my mother is passive-aggressive toward me"), the surgery will not make those problems go away. I'm very lucky and very blessed to live an amazing life and the weight-loss has only further revealed what an amazing and blessed life I have. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I do not regret it. I make it a personal policy not to outright recommend it to anyone because everyone has their own journey. For many years, I saw bariatric surgery as a last resort, a kind of "pull in case of emergency" lever. I realized that I was 40+ yrs old with a wife and children and no diet had ever worked for me and I was only fooling myself if I thought the next one would do the trick. I had to either pull the lever or make peace with being morbidly obese for the rest of my life. I pulled the lever and I would pull it again without hesitation.

By 6 months out, I feel like I could eat double of I can right after surgery. Nutritionists said that’s because I am working out now. It’s not where near how much I used to be able to eat, but I sometimes feel worried that I could eat so much more now compare to just 3oz. I think I could eat about 6-8 oz if I really want to. I need to eat denser food to feel full. I could drink a full bowl of soup and still don’t feel full. So I eat a lot of meat. I work out about 3 hours a week. I think more though. On the days I work out, I do consistently feel that I want to eat more.

I had bypass, but from illustrations posted on here it looks like the stomach gets smaller in the switch operations too. There is a healing phase which takes a while. It seems to take a 2-3 week longer process if you’re a person with reflux issues. Some of that process is testing what your body can tolerate at different stages. I had a hard time getting eggs or chicken down. I still have trouble with turkey 3 years out but it may be a sensitivity at this point. Mostly all foods are fine now. The funniest/cute thing is the regurgitation is like a baby burp. The new stomach is so small! Seriously, a baby burp that’s quick and fast and tiny. The yuckiest for me was a communion wafer. It’s made of wheat. It’s hard and dry, and Covid was still on so no sharing the wine. I still hold it in my mouth until it’s thoroughly wet, then swallow. It got stuck and I had the “foamies” which is basically like dry heaving for a long length of time and it was painful. The whole problem of foamies can be avoided by taking small bites, chew thoroughly and try to use some sauce type thing to help food slide down. Stick to the stages and extend them a week or two if you’re worried, but talk to your team about it first.

Usually weight loss & eating more nutritious foods boosts your immune system. Maybe you’re a little run down from the recovery & healing, the physical & emotional stress of it all, from the changed diet/lower calories & the initial more rapid weight loss. Low protein can affect healing but, if I remember correctly your protein intake has been okay. How are your iron levels? Anaemia can affect your immune system too. Sorry lancing the abscess was so painful. ☹️

Hello again! Yes, @ShoppGirl - that's exactly what it was, now that you mention it that rings a bell! It was Heparin to help prevent blood clots. Maybe I won't need to B12 since I do still have my gallbladder - time will tell! I, too, had forgotten about the recipes on Baritastic until earlier today when I went to add the recipe I ended up using for the chicken salad I had for dinner. I need to get some fat free mayo; today I cheated and just used two teaspoons of regular mayo because that's what I had; and also sweet relish as opposed to dill relish. Are you taking an ADEK supplement? My nurse was insistent on my having to take them as a SADI patient post-op, so I ordered some from Barimelts that have thankfully not tasted terrible and dissolve quickly. It's a GREAT reminder about the recipes in Baritastic - thank you, @draikaina8503 for the reminder as well! When you get your staples out I'd suggest asking them to be liberal in their application of steri-strips, especially for ones that are on the sides or at an angle. Having that extra support against the pulling really did make a big difference. Weirdly, so has using antibiotic/pain relief ointment?! I'd never really experienced 'pain relief' from that ointment (generic over the counter) but I was shocked to find that after I applied it my pain did actually lesson! Who'd have thought?? Also, I totally kept the two reusable ice bags from the hospital and have been using them this whole time because they were softer than the ice packs I had and the ice being able to move around a bit as it melted was just more comfortable. I'm glad you'll be able to get back on your Adderall and normal medications now! I will say that nice warm showers also feel really nice overall during recovery, especially if you have an alternate shower pressure setting that can go easy on the surgical site and maybe more pulsing/massaging on the back. Just my own personal experience. I came across an inspiration idea for the puree phase today when looking around on Amazon! A friend of mine had given me about 2/3 of a container of the 30g powder protein in Vanilla and I realized that oatmeal is a great thing to add it to! I feel like if I cook the oatmeal and let it get soft and fluffy, then add in the protein powder with it to the food processor that I bet it will be perfect AND help me get my protein goal! Plus since oatmeal is high in fiber it should help with regular bowel movements. I even thought I might add some of my zero sugar caramel macchiato creamer to it in order to give it more flavor without adding an artificial sweetener. I do have some xantham gum though should I need it. I'm planning on exploring what types of purees I can make with my greek zero sugar vanilla yogurt, various fruits, and that protein powder. I'm not sure why but something just CLICKED earlier when I was in my kitchen and I realized that between the ricotta, strawberries, blueberries, low fat cottage cheese, and protein powder that I actually have a lot more options than I'd previously considered! You can also mix protein shakes with sugar free pudding instead of milk - but word to the wise, learn from my mistake and don't make up too much at once because at about day 3-4 it starts to separate and get runny. Before that it's quite tasty and filling, though! My chair isn't bothering me quite as much today after I laid a thick folded blanket down on the seat for cushioning; and I think part of my discomfort may have also just simply been from constipation and gas that needed to be passed. I'm proceeding with caution on starting new foods that I haven't already tried, but I will say the chicken salad sat really well on my stomach. I even 'cheated' and crumbled up two Ritz crackers on top for some texture variant - it was the first 'meal' I've eaten really other than my half a scrambled egg this morning that I found to be satisfying. I'm using the timer in Baritastic to make sure I go 30 mins before and after eating without a drink - that's still been rough but as long as I distract myself the time goes by pretty quickly. Oh - @draikaina8503 - I'm not sure if it is allowed for you per your doctor, but I've dealt with the dry mouth using sugar free jolly ranchers sparingly. I'm so sorry you're struggling with getting water down, but glad you're getting some relief with ice chips! Sonic definitely has better ice chips; as do a few gas stations here any there. Ice chips are SUCH a nice thing to have available. I'm cursing the fact that I don't have an ice dispenser in my fridge - sadly it isn't that fancy - but it sure would make it easier to fill these ice packs than having to fight to crack an ice tray and refill lol @Onemealplan - Yeah, what's with the ice cream? That sounds delightful lol - I mean, obviously one ounce wouldn't be bad - It just wasn't something I thought of myself as being allowed to have! Now you've got me thinking of all the sugar free varieties I saw available at Braum's in their store section! I guess I can also finally have my sugar free popsicles - Woohoo! Also thank you to @Rob Nissam for your insight about the gas and general knowledge sharing! I hope you are doing well on your path and in recovery! @AndreaJD - Thanks for the suggestions about what purrees are working for you! I'm all ears when it comes to tips to carry me through these next two weeks. I was thinking about my cream of soups earlier and how I can now have them warm. I know I need to buy some unflavored protein powder -- Does anyone have a suggestion for an unflavored protein powder they've found works well and mixes well? Just curious what's working and what if anything isn't! Wishing all of you the best in preparing, having surgeries, and recovering from them in the coming days! This forum has been invaluable to me and I'm grateful to all of you for sharing your tips and experiences so far!

I feel like my intentions weren't exactly clear when I wrote the original post.. Its not really about if i can be around food without over eating or if there are other things out there to do...It was more about does anyone feel like if the celebration doesnt revolve around food then the celebration seems to not actually happen? Like, if my family cant treat me to a meal then why bother celebrating type of thing...

Have you ever thought of making your own clothes? I’m just thinking it could be a win/win for you - get the clothes you actually want to wear (no cutesy puppies or kittens here either 😉) plus it would keep you busy and occupied so distracting you from food both short and long term. Congrats on your losses so far. It’s immensely difficult when you’re putting yourself under pressure because of someone else’s expectations (your surgeon in this case) Just think about YOU, not him. You’re doing brilliantly and that’s all that matters 😊

So i started taking the b12 complex ( advised by the doctor to switch to complex) and it hasnt completely cured the itching but im not wanting to scratch my skin off now lol hopefully within the next few days it stops altogether. I also have been using cocoa butter to slow it down. Now the other issue im having is eat pureed foods. I have threw up every time i try to eat the recommended foods and measured amount. I tried to puree the food myself but maybe im not doing it right. I called the nurse anyway and was advised to puree it more, take smaller bites ( i mean how small do i need to do really like a baby spoon? ) and if im still having issues in 2 days call back and they will figure out something from there. When i swallow it feels like its stuck in my throat and just sits there and it hits my gag reflex when i drink water ( after 20 min of eating) so everything is just floating around in my throat and blam its coming back out. I feel the measurements i was advised to eat is still too much for me 1/4 cup i cant eat it. The only thing close to normal i can eat is yogurt and that is technically in the full liquid category. Im getting agitated again because its like man when will i be able to EAT!?? I dont care if its broccoli or carrots at this point i just want to be able to eat food again lol but im stuck at full liquids at this point i dont know how this is going to go but as always ill keep you all posted. Wish me luck.

Hi, @Farhad! Congrats on having your surgery. I definitely hear you on the food. I'm on my liver-shrink diet still and I cannot wait for some salad with low-fat dressing rather than balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and cider vinegar. (After my protein, of course...) The other thing I've been missing is fruit. I know I have a long way to go before I will be eating salad or fruit, but those are the two things I've been missing. My surgery is tomorrow! Eek! 24 hours from now I'll be back in my room afterward.

Just had my second follow up with my Dr. (who I'm not very impressed with anymore) and would like some help figuring out how to get all my protein needs in. I am supposed to get 80g a day but only eat 3 times a day 5 hours apart, no snacks, and I can only physically eat 4oz at a time Not allowed cheese or protein shakes, I don't really like yogurt. No added carbs that aren't already in food ( which isn't that big of a problem). I am also supposed to be adding vegetables in but don't see how I can eat vegetables and get my protein. I just requested a meeting with a dietician and hope they can help. Just a little discouraged after my appointment and needed to vent.

I bet I will be right there with you in a week, honestly, so please don't feel alone. I DO feel that it is totally ok to be looking forward to *real food* and wonder if your therapist wasn't using that word to prepare you for the fact that maybe food will end up tasting differently once you DO go back to it? I know my taste buds have changed a lot just during this liquid diet phase, and it makes me think of how when I stopped drinking soda my mind would be like 'Ooh a Coke sounds so NICE' but then I'd go to take a sip and it just.. tasted awful. My Chantix has caused the same effect for me regarding cigarettes. Once in a while I get to thinking that I want one, but because of the medicine even if I take a puff it doesn't taste good or satisfying AT ALL. There are some things that I used to not particularly enjoy that I'm now finding I like, though, like hot lemon water, well salted vegetables, and chicken/salmon much more than say - a burger. I'm not sure what is causing my change in preferences, I know in part is is the no-sugar, but it's also just across the board. I even rinse my mouth after the shakes and don't like the drink mix I used to use very much. I agree wholly with what others have posted here - It's fine to enjoy food, we'll just be enjoying it in a different way once we ramp back up to being able to eat it, and any sugary indulgences will have a cost-ratio we'll have to consider when we DO decide to treat ourselves. So glad you posted here, and hope you're doing well! My surgery is the morning of August 5th - I'm having a virgin SADI - a sleeve plus revision style surgery to my intestines all at once as my first WLS.

Happy Wednesday everyone! I spoke with the nurse today and she suggested I add protein water to help get me to 60 grams and my 48 oz of water. Once I get there I can start to add some puréed food. She also said it will help me start to lose more weight. @ShoppGirl I did not think I would try a vacuum at this point. I can’t even bend over to open a kitchen drawer. I’m lucky though I have 4 teens that have been super helpful with anything I need.

Yea. The mind is pretty powerful and it is possible to swap disordered eating patterns. Going from emotional overeating or binging to under-eating. Talking to someone about your fears and guilt is a great idea. But from a non professional two chicken wings is definitely not a lot and your food choices sound great to me. The one thing you have to realize is you’re not going to eat your 2 ounce or half a cup portions forever. eventually you will land somewhere close to a normal serving size. Everyone is a bit different, but you will get back to a new normal at some point it just looks like a lot of food after eating so little for a while. Will you get to follow up with anyone at 3 months? I actually asked to meet with my nurse practitioner more often than they require just because of my anxiety. I always have too many questions to email or call and ask, but they normally require it at three months because they do labs to check your vitamins. If so, you could ask them what to expect in terms of portion size. What you should be aiming for over the next how many of months until you see them again. Do you find that you do not crave your sweets as much after the surgery? Before I had my sleeve, I was actually a salty snacker, and after the sleeve I started craving sweets, which I think may partially have to do with why it wasn’t so successful for me. so far since my Sadie, I do not crave sweets, so I think it reverted back to where I am a salty snacker again. Well, I mean right now my snacks are not something that I actually feel like I need because I’m not hungry but something that’s necessary to reach my protein goal.

I had my gastric bypass in June of 2020. It was a revision from a sleeve due to GERD. I did really good after surgery as I went from 260 to 220 and than As of the past week I have went from 214 to 202lbs in a week. I have been soooo sick, throwing up everything I eat, I’m crazy restless and my chest feels tight. I feel like something might be wrong but I was in the hospital overnight and they couldn’t find anything other than some levels that were low but I’m still really sick, to be honest it is about as bad as when I first had my bypass. I would love to hear if anyone else has had this after 4 years or if you have any advice on how to get food and nutrients in me. I am getting kinda scared and desperate.

Ok, so I'm 2 years and 4 months out from my 1st surgery and 1 year 3 months out from my revision. I'm still losing (trying to stop losing but so far I'm still losing an average of 4 pounds per month) so I haven't experienced the rebound weight gain yet. I can tell you I eat popcorn all the time. I also eat smokehouse almonds, cheese cubes, salami and/or peperoni slices for snacks. I eat Rebel ice-cream, keto brownies, sliced apples mixed with fresh blueberries and raspberries, Greek yogurt with fresh berries and monk fruit sweetener mixed in, keto cake with sugar free icing, French toast with keto bread, fresh berries, and sugar free syrup. If I want "guilty" food, I have something like steak, 2 spoonfuls peas mixed with mozzarella cheese, and 2 spoonfuls of Bob Evans mashed potatoes. I don't tolerate carbs very well, so I have to be careful with them. I also have kettle chips fried in avocado oil, 1 packet (instead of my former usual 2-3) of oatmeal such as cinnamon apple or banana cream, and minestrone soup and crackers (only like 4 or 5). Everything is a balance. Nothing in excess, no large portions, no "off plan" foods too often. Just a little here and there and whatever you have should be fine. Just remember to keep working out, keep moving your body, keep prioritizing protein and you should be good.

Food I’ve eaten lately part 3 (cheeky part): Chocolate fondant cake with praline ice cream, salted praline cream, chocolate mousse and fudge. This was so good, I had 3 big bites of this. (I did not make this). Upside down mango cheesecake. I am a big fan of cheesecake, especially baked cheesecake. This one was chilled but it was so delicious. I had 2 big bites. (I did not make this). My banana bread. While the ingredients are fairly healthy, the amount of chocolate I top it with isn’t LOL. I didn’t try it, the kids and the hubs almost cleared it. Turkey and pepperoni panini on sourdough focaccia, slathered with pesto, grated cheddar, arugula, sriracha and spicy mayo with a side of salt and vinegar chips. I had 1/3 of this panini in the picture and 3 chips.

I don't think my cat is impressed with my new lifestyle as he sits in front of the oven expecting to be served food however I don't think I have used my oven more than twice in the year since my op, now it is air fryer or slow cooker if cooking. Guess he misses his oven cooked chicken 😂 I know he missed me (his servant) while I was in hospital for so many months with my post-op complications as he has been so affectionate and chatty since I was finally released last November. For weeks I felt he would go into panic mode if I grimaced and had a bit of pain but I presume he was just afraid I would not be home to serve him!

Happy Monday! I'm approaching my 4-month post-op mark at the end of this week and happy to say the long stall I had in month 3 is behind me and I'm back to losing at a good clip. I had been worried that it would be a permanent slow-down, but it wasn't. This morning, I hit 60lbs lost since my highest weight, which was almost exactly a year ago when I went back to my weight management team after a long absence and seriously discussed entering the surgical program. I'm going through a patch right now where food is just not at all appealing. Maybe it's the start of the hot summer weather, or just the fact that cooking and eating such small quantities is tedious. I don't know. But nothing sounds appealing and I get a few bites into a meal and really don't care if I finish eating it or not. No real hunger, and the head hunger from the beginning has quieted down, too. At least hydration is going well. I ordered a swimsuit online for an upcoming trip to the waterpark with my kids and tried it on yesterday, size 16 US. It fit! It even looks reasonably good! I'm finally down to a weight I legitimately haven't seen in half a lifetime, and I can finally see the difference more. In the early days, I think I still had a memory of being the weight I was before, like I never fully recognized getting bigger, so losing that weight was just bringing me in line with what I believed I had looked like all along, if that makes sense. But now, at 15 pounds less than the very lowest I had ever managed to get with nutrition and exercise alone, I find myself surprised to realize my silhouette has changed and that I'm looking smaller, or that I can easily sit in a seat at a theater or a booth at a restaurant. 6 more pounds and I will be "overweight" instead of "obese" for the first time in about 25 years! The big challenge coming up is family vacation. We're doing water parks and amusement parks, and the food choices are sure to be dismal. I have no desire to eat the junk food, so my bigger concern is really that I won't get in enough healthy foods over the week. Especially fruits and veg. It's so hard to get healthy food when you travel, and I still get enough issues with my stomach that I've bought some discreet vomit bags to keep with me in case something doesn't agree with my tummy on the road.

I really don't, and that's because it's a very slippery slope for me. I have found so many alternative foods that taste good and don't leave me feeling deprived that it's not worth the inevitable guilt, the possible weight gain, and extra work it'll take to get me back to where I am now. I'm 2 years out from my original surgery and a year out (at the end of this month) from my revision surgery. I'm so use to how I eat that I can't imagine trying to eat any of the stuff I use to eat. There's keto bread, keto bagels, keto English muffins, keto brownies, keto blueberry muffins, Legendary pop tarts and cinnamon buns, mashed cauliflower (works beautifully in place of mashed potatoes), crustless pizza, pizza with cauliflower crust, riced cauliflower instead of regular rice, monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar, sugar free tropical popsicles, Real Good Foods keto protein chicken nuggets, Atkins 1 person meals, Real Good Foods 1 person meals, the list goes on and on. We get creative with what we cook (still have steak and chicken and stir-fry), chocolate milk has now become almond milk, 1 tbsp cacao powder, and 2-3 packets of monk fruit sweetener. Use a frother and it's AMAZING. There's chips you can get at Whole Foods that are made with soy flower or almond flower and tastes EXACTLY like regular chips (I love the BBQ and the sour cream cheddar ones). For ice cream, I get Rebel ice-cream. Low to no carbs, nearly no sugar at all, low calorie, lactose free. Tastes AMAZING. I just have no need for any cheat meals.