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Hi everyone - I've been back in my kitchen experimenting again! This time of year I love everything pumpkin and I recently purchased some really good Inspire brand pumpkin pie Protein powder. I've had it hot, cold and thought ... what else could I do with this tasty stuff?! Then voila - I decided to mix it with all my favorite things and freeze it. I know it's not Summer, though it's been in the low 80's here in Florida this weekend, but I'm freezing all the time now anyways, so what's the difference. These frozen yogurt pops are beyond delicious. I used the coconut/vanilla blend yogurt because it's what I had on hand but all you taste is pumpkin pie so I don't think it really mattered. They taste good without the SweetLeaf liquid Stevia but let me tell you with just a few drops of it, they taste GREAT! I just love the fact that they're packed with 12 grams of quality protein! Now that you can't beat!!! Oh yeah, I found the ice pop molds in Walmart at the end of the ice cream case for those who may not have any. The brand is goodcook (see pic). Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt Pops 2 Scoops Inspire Pumpkin Pie Protein Powder ½ cup Premier vanilla Protein Drink 3 – 5.3 oz. Dannon Toasted Coconut Vanilla Greek Blends Yogurt ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon 5-10 drops SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia - Pumpkin Spice (optional) Blend all ingredients (I used my Nutribullet) and pour into ice pop molds. Place in freezer for 2-3 hours then enjoy! Nutrition Facts Servings 7.0 Calories 71 Fat 0 g Carbs 5 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 3 g Protein 12 g

I had gastric bypass. My taste buds are extremely sensitive. I had lemon Greek yogurt once and I couldn't even get one bite in it was so sour! I spit it out in seconds. food for the most part is extremely bland. I love Water. Certain shakes taste gritty to me so I mostly have to do Protein powder in crystal light. It's just crazy to me how much things have changed.

@@Ray92 Yours does seem very different from most of the other plans I've seen. Mine is similar to others, just the length of each stage varies. Day 1-3 clear liquids only but included clear Protein such as Isopure RTD Days 4-10 full liquids including enough Protein shakes to reach at least 60 gm per day, low sugar yogurt, sf pudding, etc Days 11-21 - pureed/soft foods - use real food as much as possible but make up difference in protein shakes to continue getting enough protein Day 22 and on - regular food, chewed to applesauce consistency 3 meals, 2 Snacks per day. Although I agree with following your own specific directions I would ask why they don't have you on any protein except the bit of yogurt? It seems like you would be burning up a lot of muscle, without adequate protein intake. Are you a vegetarian or vegan? I know there are some vegan protein supplements available though I don't know anything about their quality.

i made a mini hamburger. ate it just as fast as i wanted to and the size bites i wanted to.....just cuz i was frustrated and rebellious. then i threw it up. so win win. i'll b ready to get back on the ball tomorrow. and to man up and stop bitching. in the meantime i lived on 3/4 of a turkey lunchable today. a little cup of mandarin oranges and a couple bites of yogurt.

You might try making one with higher Protein that would be better for you to get your protein goals. I made a Skinn(ish) Buffalo chicken dip for a party tonight that was really good and high in protein, low carb, moderate fat. Also, at about 4 weeks post-op, I made a mexican layer dip that was easy for me to eat with fat free refried Beans, mashed avocado, 0% greek yogurt (mixed with a little lime and taco seasoning), 2% sharp cheddar, pico de gallo and olives. I left the pico de gallo and olives out of my portion. It was easy to eat and got protein from the yogurt, beans and cheese. @@Babbs is right about the dipper though. I just used a fork.

Yes…tons of restrictions! But first, congrats on being cleared for regular food. That sure feels and tastes good! The first thing is to listen to your body. Only try one new food at a time, and only have a little at a time, and see how your sleeve reacts. Since you have the sleeve and likely can’t eat too much at one time, the most important thing to do first is eat your Protein, like tuna, chicken, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and fat-free cheese. Then there are fruits and veggies – go for easier ones first, like cooked veggies and super ripe (soft) melon. You can add in healthy starches like oatmeal. Restrictions: of course, the foods that may have been problems in the first place…high-calorie foods like sweets and fatty foods…pizza, brownies, Pasta, chips…you may be able to have tiny amounts later on, but you’re safest not having them now. Also, even some healthy foods are a little harder to handle at the beginning. Raw veggies are tough, especially fibrous ones like asparagus. Nuts and seeds, and fruit with peel or seeds, are hard. Also, acidic foods like citrus fruits and tomatoes may rub you the wrong way. Congrats again, and good luck! Let us know how you’re doing!

You are lucky! I was sleeved the 19th too and I've only gone once! I know you have probably heard this line a million times but are you drinking enough Water? Makes a huge difference. Also plain, lot fat yogurt. It really gets my stomach cleaned out. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

You should be fine, make sure meds are in original containers. Ask for a water immediately when getting on plane or buy one in the terminal to bring on with you. In Atlanta I found a few terminals had a few stores with yogurts/cheese/pepperoni. Greatest part is fitting more comfortably in seat!

My acid reflux varies but I mainly get it at night. Here is what I noticed: by virtue of this surgery I never ever feel like eating, especially at night. However tonight for example, I had panadol (pain killer similar to advil or Tylenol) because of some uterus cramps and my birth control pill. Since my stomach is empty, the acid reflux is here with vengeance punishing me for taking the pills on an empty stomach. HOWEVER when I eat a couple of spoonfuls of low fat plain yogurt or the yogurt drink called laban ayran, I don't get the stomach aches/reflux as I usually do. My reflux pill is in the morning so I find that by the time night comes around if starts to fade and consuming some Probiotics really helps.

A lot of vegetarian recipes use lots of dairy products. I've read that many people become lactose intolerant after WLS. If you are using recipes that use dairy products (cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, cream, etc), you are getting lactose, so your pain could be simple lactose intolerance. Since dairy products make my arthritis flare up, I've avoided them for years; so feel free to ask me if you want to try some of the excellent dairy alternatives out there (including a home-made nut-based "cheese" to die for!). The other culprit could be simple fats/oils. Many vegetarian recipes will replace the loss of flavor from meats with more fats (even the "leanest" meats are naturally very high in fat). You might try some low-fat flavorful recipes. My favorites are from the book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by dr. Caldwell Essestyn. Many people rave about free recipes from the happyherbivore.com and fatfreevegan.com, too. Best of luck!

Happy Halloween from BariatricPal!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Halloween! It’s a fun time and the beginning of the holiday season. We’re celebrating a lot here at BariatricPal, and we’re super excited to share it with you! Here’s what’s in this newsletter. The BariatricPal Store: Grand Opening! Your Ready for the Holidays? Thanks for your support and for making it possible for BariatricPal continue to grow. There’s no way we could do it without you. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Grand Opening of The BariatricPal Store! We are so excited to announce the grand opening of The BariatricPal Store! We know, The BariatricPal Store doesn’t fit into a Halloween newsletter because it’s anything but spooky, but we just can’t stop talking about it! That’s why we’re offering 10% off all orders with coupon code SPOOKY10 just for you! Your Source for Bariatric Protein, Meals, Snacks, and supplements Weight loss surgery changes everything, especially your diet. You need to get enough protein without too many calories; eat a nutritious diet while keeping portions in check; and get your Vitamins and minerals without fail. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming…unless you have help. The BariatricPal Store can give you the help you need. We have the protein supplements, meals, snacks, and vitamins to help you lose weight and get healthy. Protein bars, shakes, and powders. Low-calorie, high-protein snacks, Entrees and breakfasts. Bariatric vitamins and Fiber supplements. Make Weight Loss Shopping Easy We know you need the top products, and they need to be healthy, nutritionist-approved, and convenient. We have all that! We also have: Tons of BariatricPal brand products. Product packages so you can pick up a bundle at once for a discounted price. meal plans for the pre-op and post-op diets, plus maintenance and back-on-track diets, so you can easily pick up the foods you need to stay on track. Sampler packs of different items so you can try different varieties to see which you like best. Other Reasons to Shop The BariatricPal Store We truly believe we’re number one. Here are just a few more reasons why. Subscribe and Save options on every product so you can get automatic re-delivery, 5% discounts, and free shipping on each order. Lowest prices – guaranteed. Free shipping on orders over $69. Save money with sales and discounts plus our Refer-A-Friend program. For help, you can look at the FAQs, give us a call at 855 WLS-BPAL (855 957-725), or use our live chat with a customer service specialist during business hours. Visit store.bariatricpal.com often to see current specials, and check out our blog for updates on promotions and new products. We can’t wait to take this next step in helping you reach your weight loss and health goals! Your Healthy Halloween Plan Halloween is about costumes, haunted houses, and scares. Unfortunately, some of the “scares” are the ones that show up on the scale if you eat too many Halloween treats, or the “scares” that come from feeling sick from too much sugar. You don’t have to experience the bad scares this Halloween, though. The trick? Plan ahead! Here are a few things to think about as Halloween approaches. Trick-Or-Treating Almost everyone is affected by trick-or-treating. If you have kids, you’ll probably find one or several big bags of Halloween candy showing up at your home when they come back from trick-or-treating. Your best defense here is to have a healthy dinner before taking them out. Then, focus on anything other than candy – you might fix your children’s costumes, be the flashlight holder, or designate yourself as the neighborhood crossing guard to keep kids safe. If you don’t have children, you may be the one handing out candy to the neighborhood children, which probably means buying a bunch of candy to give out. If that’s the case, you’re best off choosing candy that you don’t like that much, so you’re less tempted to eat it. Again, have a healthy dinner, and focus on other things besides candy for the evening. You might work on answering the door in a scary way, or taking photos of the cute costumes you see to share with the kids’ parents tomorrow. The Aftermath No matter what happens on your weight loss surgery journey, there’s always tomorrow. After Halloween, “tomorrow” is November 1. Take inventory. See what’s in your home that shouldn’t be there. Get rid of the extra candy. If you must keep some candy in your house because of your kids, make sure it’s not tempting you. You can always ask them to hide it away in their rooms. You can also make a game out of it: have them label each piece so they and you will both know if you “steal” some. Go for a walk. There’s nothing like a walk to clear your head and get you ready to go back to healthy eating patterns. Halloween’s scary, but it shouldn’t be scary because of the weight gain. It should be scary because of the fun things you get to do. With a little planning, that’s exactly how your Halloween can be. Healthy Halloween Tips Did you know there are tons of fun things you can do to get into the Halloween spirit without touching a piece of candy? Here are a few ideas! Go for a Walk It’s true…walking is really quite a good answer to most questions. How to burn off a few extra calories before Halloween? Go for a walk. How to enjoy the Halloween decorations in your neighborhood? Go for a walk. How to let your kids show off their Halloween costumes to all the neighbors? Go for a walk. Get the point? Get moving! Volunteer That’s right. You may think that volunteering is just asking for trouble, since you may be faced with a lot of candy. In truth, it’s a chance to be surrounded by the Halloween spirit while being so busy you don’t have time to grab a treat. Volunteering at a local school, homeless shelter, or retirement home can be the perfect way to immerse yourself in Halloween. Help decorate for a party, serve treats, clean up afterwards, or help make costumes. You’ll be appreciated, and you’ll get to be a part of the holiday in a way that’s healthy for your body and soul. Make Healthy Treats It’s true…treats make Halloween so much better. But you can do better than chocolate, candy corn, and decorated Cookies and cupcakes. Here are a few ideas. Greek yogurt popsicles: Use a little sweetener and keep them white for ghosts, or add some pumpkin and cinnamon and shape them into pumpkin shapes. Then you can decorate them like jack-o-lanterns! Jack-o-lantern orange protein cups: hollow out oranges to leave the peel mostly intact. You can “carve” a face in the peel shell to make it look like a jack-o-lantern, and fill it with cottage cheese or fruit. Greek yogurt “eyes:” freeze circular spoonfuls of Greek yogurt with blueberries for eyes. A happy, safe, and healthy Halloween however you choose to Celebrate it. Don’t forget to come talk about yours on the boards at BariatricPal! See you there!

Ohh I wasn't thinking of now but in a couple weeks I'll be cleared!! I just love kibbeh with a cucumber yogurt so yummy!! Haha yes Hamburg sometimes because lamb is very expensive!! So isn't pine nuts actually!! Lol yes from Rhode Island!! Yes my boyfriends mother in law makes Spanish food and Syrian food he's cape version Puerto Rican and Syrian and Italian so his mom makes all types of food of what I love!!

I don't snack. I eat 3 measured meals a day, with an occasional 4th if I'm pulling a super long day. My caloric intake ranges from 500-600 a day. And, the only 'sweet' that I have is an occasional No-sugar added instant breakfast in skim milk. I don't even eat yogurt because they're too sweet to me anymore. My foods are pretty simple: boiled egg, baked plain chicken, and tuna fish are a majority of what I eat. I have a protein powder I mix & sprinkle throughout the day. Other than the instant breakfast my fluids are straight water only.

After browsing the forums for quite a bit now, I can't help but notice that there is quite a bit of variation in the post op diet plans that are given to each respective person by the surgeon and nutritionist. So, out of curiosity I am making this thread for anyone interested to post the plan that they were given to see what are common factors and what are different approaches. My assigned plan: Day of surgery: nothing entered my stomach. I was on IV fluids all day. Day 1-7: Clear liquids only. chicken, beef and vegetable broth. The seasoning was limited to very little salt, pepper and cumin. Only 2 juices are allowed: apple and watermelon, preferably fresh and without artificial sweeteners. Highly recommended: Tea with anise to soothe the stomach from gas, green tea, any kind of tea. Can add honey or up to 2 tsp of sugar a day only. Day 8-25: Anything mentioned above. oatmeal. Low fat/Non Fat plain yogurt. Yogurt drink called laban ayran or kefir. pureed Soups such as lentil Soup, squash, potato, carrot soup. Still avoiding any citrus, fruit heavy dairy. 2 times a week instead of juice: pudding, milk pudding or Jello. Day 25-35: Anything mentioned above. 2 spoons of soft rice without oil/butter etc. with grilled/steamed/boiled veggies, savory yogurt (this is a middle eastern thing), thin tomato sauce. Fitness Cereal with low fat milk. Make sure the cereal gets soft with the milk. A cracker or biscuit with tea. After that, no restrictions but they have given a long guideline of things to avoid, nutrition tips etc. So far I am hating the diet plan. I want meat, I want solid food, I want fruit, I want orange juice. All those things are banned for 35 days

HUH? 2 days post op????eat anything??? omg I didn't eat anything for 2 weeks post op. you are suppose to be on just liquids,gradually to pureed then mashed no solid foods for 4 weeks, I am confused? I still have just Soup (half cup) for lunch and or scrambled egg |||( half an egg) for supper I just have my Protein shakes as my staple, greek yogurt....pureed chicken and veggies. Liquids and Protein drinks are your priority and its hard to get that down for first 2 weeks.

Keep trying. There are loads of Protein shakes and drinks. Some find it helpful to add greek yogurt to them, some mix them with milk (dairy or nondairy), some mix them with Water. Some need to thin them out with extra water or dress them up with nut butters or flavor enhancers. Also look at foods that are high protein such as greek yogurts, kefirs or cottage cheeses. Play around with temperatures. Some need room temp, some prefer ice cold. Take teeny tiny sips and walk after eating. It's really all trial and error, keep testing until you find what works for you.

I never measured sips or ounces per hour, I just sipped on and off all day. Early on I figured out a way to get both in. My Protein shakes were 1 scoop of Protein powder, ¼cup FAGE 0% Greek yogurt mixed with Water and served over lots of ice. This got in my protein and a little water. Total protein count was between 31 - 38 gms of protein. It took me 45 minutes to drink it, but one of those for Breakfast and one of those for lunch and I had hit my 60 gms of protein by mid day. I then spent the afternoon simply sipping on water. dinner was the veg broth with half a scoop of unflavored protein powder.

Sounds fine. If you need to supplement with 1 shake a day to hit protein goals, then go for it. Some people prefer a protein bar instead of a shake. I say whatever works. My doctor is fine as long as most of my nutrition comes from food. I would try to get more protein than 60 gms. If you add plain greek yogurt to a shake it ups the protein. Another option is diluting a protein drink with water. You increase your fluid intake and up your protein as well.

You work up to it. You may have try a variety of drinks and shakes until you find those you like. Blending plain greek yogurt in to a shake will increase your protien. Just keep sipping and trying to do better each day. It took me a good 2 weeks until I could get in 60 gms of protein and 64 ounces of fluids. Now I regularly do 100gms of protein each day.

i would take a cup cake and have a bite or two if i was closer to goal lol. im going back to Protein shakes for a little while. it's the easiest thing to count and i don't feel well most of the time so it doesn't bother me not to eat food right now. dinner sat fine. i had cinnamon tea later on last night and that was nice. i always feel icky in the morning but that's due to my inherent stomach issues that i had before surgery. so i chew my dreaded Vitamins and Calcium. then take a pepcid. then wait for things to settle. today im having a Protein shake for Breakfast and i'll have yogurt later cuz i think it actually helps with digestion. in other news im wearing someone i haven't worn in a while so i'll use that as my motivation to continue and not be upset that i don't feel well cuz i really don't care that much truth be told. least i'm losing. i haven't tried veggies. nor do i miss veggies lol. i will start using cauliflower soon to make some of the lowcarb stuff i used to make (fried "rice" and "pizza") but haven't tried it yet. have a great day everyone. xo

Are you still on a liquids only phase? I used Isopure Clear Protein drinks = 40g protein in 20oz. I also used Premier Protein Drinks = 30g protein in 11oz. I used unflavored Protein powder in my Soups = 27g per scoop. I ate yogurt with high protein, low carbs, sugars and calories. 12-14g I drank soy or skim milk by itself or flavored with protein powders like vanilla or chocolate (varies).

@@Elode you've got this! Thanks for being a great ringleader!!! So glad you've got your Premier Protein shakes now. Made my own blended shake tonight for dinner--threw in some frozen scoops of pumpkin purée (I keep frozen fruit and such in the freezer just for shakes), plain Greek yogurt, vanilla Syntrax matrix some pumpkin pie spice and fair life milk! Felt very virtuous! I tried to tell myself that Panera Butternut squash soup counted as a liquid, but held strong and just had iced coffee! Got in all my water plus several cups of coffee with a splash of half and half.

Thanks! I realize this phase will pass too. Each day is one day closer. I am on liquids for 2 weeks- but they allow Jello-o (since at room temperature it's a liquid), chicken broth, cream of chicken powdered/puree type soup, popsicles, powdered smoothie mix, drink mixes (crystal light etc...) and Protein drinks/powders. Just feel like I have run out of new options and I am already sick of everything LOL. One more week until I can have pureed foods and I cannot wait. Can you have hummus? Falafal sounds so good right now, thanks! LOL Popsicles were not mentioned to me and I am not allowed any fruit Apparently this is so that I don't shock my stomach with fruits that have too much acidity and end up uncomfortable. I can have Jello, custard and a middle eastern type milk, orange blossom Water, mastic pudding. I know it sounds strange but it is very delicious. Also I would very highly recommend adding a drop or 2 of orange blossom water to your glass of water if you are having a hard time drinking it. It is an acquired taste so do be forewarned!! However it has also proven to be very soothing to the stomach. I have read around these forums that people do eat hummus but if I were you I would ask the doctor as well as check the packaging before buying it. Different hummus brands are made in different ways and some are healthier than others!! For example, I am on a trip to the Middle East right now and I would avoid the hummus here as much as I can because the way they make it is very fatty. However, if I was back at home in Canada, I would be more likely to buy hummus because it is made and geared as a healthy food. Same with the falafel, I would not eat falafel because it is deep fried here. I would think we are not allowed to eat falafel in the pureed food period anyway! On another note, I just realized that you and I had our surgeries in the exact same day!! Awesome- hello surgery buddy! Are on the Oct 19th Surgery thread that has been going on for a few weeks now? I don't buy hummus, I always have just made my own Yes, my surgeon said we are allowed to have sugar free popsicles in the early stages for a few reasons (1) they count as your liquid intake [each one is almost 2oz] (2) because you eat them slowly, it helps so you aren't gulping etc... (3) Eating them so far has been really soothing on my stomach, which often times gets upset when I eat different temperature foods (4) They just taste good, and are like getting a special treat. I have been using sugar free drink mixes (like Crystal Light) to flavor my water. I love water and the taste- and thankfully still love it after surgery, so that part isn't a big deal for me. Optimally, my goal is at 6 months to be completely weaned off protein drinks and the "crap" like the drink mixes, jello's and powdered protein smoothies. I really much prefer to eat more fresh vegetables than anything. So I am excited for that p.s. I am jealous you are in the middle east right now! I am in Michigan in the States, and we always joke we might as well be Canada sometimes- we have similar enough weather that's for sure! LOL sorry for the late response! I think it is so great that you make your own hummus. Personally I cannot wait to have some middle eastern garlic paste. It a white, tangy garlic paste made out of crushed garlic, lemon, vegetable oil of some sort and salt. It's obviously no carb but does have fat in the form of vegetable oil but I wouldn't mind just a little taste. My surgeon did not suggest the popsicles! If sounds pretty good. My only thing so far is that cold water makes me sick so I guess that would include popsicles. I am having a very hard time getting my daily water intake. Are you drinking Protein shakes? This is another thing my surgeon did not suggest. My diet is: 1 week clear liquids, 2 weeks thick vegetable soups, clear soups, apple juice, low fat plain yogurt, custard, milk pudding only twice a week in the place of juice. Then 10 days of two spoons of rice with soft vegetables and thin tomato sauce or yoghurt and fitness Cereal with low fat milk but have to wait for the cereal to soften along with anything mentioned before. No meat or cheeses, no fruit and I was at first a little surprised that he is allowing a small carb intake but his patients so far have been very successful so I am optimistic. Middle East has been great so far!! I know that there are some conceptions that it might be dangerous/problematic at the moment but I am currently in nice, conflict free countries so it's been a blast. I have heard a lot of things about the Michigan winter! As a fellow survivor of snow storms and really cold wind, do you ever worry that you might have to buy a new coat soon with the weight loss? Also what kind of post op diet are you on?

Lol yeah the peeing is the worst! I am sitting here at the HS waiting to pick up my freshman and weighing the pros and cons of trying to find a bathroom on campus! I can't live without my PB Cookie Protein shake, I put the powder in yogurt, oatmeal, basically everything! Mint choc is my second fave. Hope you get your Premier Protein soon! And yikes that's early, wow I would be taking zzzquil too!

@@Dream4tc I found the Jello pudding pop mold right next to the puddings in Walmart. They only had one. After I began using it and loving it, I went online and just ordered another. It comes with 4 boxes (2 vanilla & 2 chocolate) of regular pudding for only $4.98. I love putting my Oikos Greek yogurt in them and enjoying a variety of flavored frozen yogurt pops as well. The possibilities are endless