Sample Menus

[LoAnneNorth 0]

Hi Everyone

I have looked at the posts here and haven't really found what I was looking for. What I am looking for is sample menus from people that have been successful in losing weight. I am having a hard time losing weight and being imaginative and creative in the food department.

So, with that being said, if any of you could put just post what you eat for Breakfast, lunch and dinner I would really appreciate it.

Thank you,

[jess-band4/06 0]

Hi,

This is what I eat on a typical day

B:1 cup cottage cheese 1cup puffed rice Cereal 1/2 cup blueberries

sn:fat free yogurt

lunch: 2tbs hummus, carrots, 1 cup fruit, 5 crackers

snack:peach or apple

dinner:3 oz chicken or veggie burger, vegetables

sn:fudge pop or 1/2 cupp cottage cheese

= 1,000-1,070 calories

Hope this helps:)

[LapBandit 5]

I started a post like this awhile ago but didn't get too much of a response...I'm not sure why.

But, I'll offer my usual "menu"...I'm not saying it's perfect but it's just what I've been doing:

I have to eat 6 times per day:

Breakfast: 1 serving of Kashi Lean Cereal w/ skim milk

Mid snack #1: South Beach snack bar

Lunch: EAS CarbAdvantage Protein shake w/ 2 low fat cheese sticks

Mid snack #2: EAS CarbAdvantage Protein Shake or Protein pudding

Dinner: Low carb/low fat wrap with spinach, turkey, mustard, low fat swiss

Mid snack #3: Piece of fruit or something small

[Jachut 487]

Typically I eat muesli for Breakfast, sometimes toast.

For lunch it could be anything, sushi, kebab (half a small one), sandwich made at home, salad, Soup, leftovers from dinner.

For dinner, its often meat and 3 veg, like a roast lamb or chicken, lots of casseroles (from the slow cooker) rice and vegetables, we eat a lot of lentils in the form of dahl and various lentil dishes, occasionally we have takeaway, we eat Pasta like lasagne or spaghetti bolognaise, home made pizzas etc etc.

My point being that I eat exactly like a non-banded person, healthy fresh homemade foods in smaller quantities than I used to.

The quantity is key, as long as you eat less calories than you take in you'll lose weight.

[socalgal3 4]

Okay, this is what I was looking for. Before I was banded my idea was like Jachut-eat the same things just less. That's what I thought the band would do, which is a big reason I chose it. But so many people can't eat so many "normal" foods , like Lap Bandit's example of 2 Protein Shakes in a day. I'm just confused. I want to lose, but I don't want to have to eat Soup, cottage cheese and Protein shakes for the rest of my life.

[LapBandit 5]

like Lap Bandit's example of 2 Protein shakes in a day. I'm just confused. I want to lose, but I don't want to have to eat Soup, cottage cheese and Protein Shakes for the rest of my life.

That is my "rest of my life" plan. I don't see anything wrong with that either. Sorry, to each their own.

[FunnyDuddies 6]

I choose to not take the "menu" point of view, because with 2 small kids it is hard for me to figure out a menu. What i like to do is just figure on how much I am going to eat, and try to make a majority of it Protein. I also have 2 fruits and 3 veggies I HAVE to get in throughout the day. So When I make meals for the kids, I will have one egg, some cottage cheese, or yogurt. I will have a piece of fruit for a snack. For lunch I will have some lean fish or chicken and a small salad with vinegar and oil. One more fruit snack. For dinner I usually have a small piece of whatever protein we are having, and I always serve two veggies with my dinners, so I have my last two veggie servings at this point. I then treat myself to some sort of dessert. Either a sugar free Jello, pudding, popcicle or fudgecicle. I really try to not focus on food so much. If i do I get obsessed.

[Jachut 487]

The thought of cottage cheese and Protein shakes gives me the screaming horrors - eek, I like my food too much. But it is very definitely to each their own.

I think I"ve been extremely lucky, my old cast Iron gut handles everything and I've always been that way. I really expected banding to be kind of good in that respect and for me it has been.

BUT - I will say I choose to be looser and to exercise like a fiend so that the extra calories I take in over and above people who eat more traditional diet fare dont stop me losing. I lose reasonably fast at first and am losing quite slowly now, but I figure I can live this way the rest of my life very happily.

[mousecrazy 2]

When asked to give a "menu", I will give the one that is on a "good bandster day".

In real life, I eat regular stuff, but less of it. I have not yet found a food I cannot eat, except sometimes dry meat is really difficult. I actually like cottage cheese, so it works for me for the Protein. I love Zone Perfect Bars, and they are easy to keep in my desk at school for a snack.< /p>

I totally understand the "rest of my life" approach, and wholeheartedly support that point of view...I definitely want to approach food like a regular, non-obese person, and that's what I have tried to do.

I hope you get some helpful responses, and I bet you will!

[BeachBumFL 0]

Hello all,

I am new here and glad to see a post like this as well. I wwas banded June 8,2006. My first fill was July 27th. I have a 10cc band and he put 1.5ml in the band. I am still trying to figure out my diet. I have found that thick bread does not go down very easy and I PB somtime if I eat it or it may be that I eat it too fast. I am still trying to learn to take smaller bites and chew longer. I eat a shake or eggs for breakfast. I learned long ago, pre-banded, that if I eat carbs for breakfast it sets the stage for the rest of the day. So, I eat Protein. Then for lunch I eat a salad with some kind of meat on it and cheese. I have not had a lot of luck with tuna. I dont know if it is too dry or what. but salads go down well.(good thing - I love them) then for dinner I eat smaller portions of meat, veges, and usually applesauce. I am a BIG applesauce fan. I lowe the whey shakes with frozen fruit in them especially if I dont have time to sit down and eat "properly". I like the pria low carb snack bars and the Slim-fast high Protein Shakes. My doctor told me to try to eat solids- that the band does its best work if I will eat real foods and not "soupy" foods. I do enjoy cottage cheese, string cheese sticks, and yogurt. I have always liked this type of food anyway. I started at 240 and I am down to 225.5 this am.

thanks for the info. and I look forward to getting to know you all!!!

Hugs, Donna:decision:

[maryb 1]

As soon as I get up, I go get a cup of hot green tea and a Slimfast Lo-Carb chocolate shake. I take them back to my bathroom. I sip the hot tea and take my morning meds. I also take 2 Fiber Choice Tablets, 2 Max Strength Antacids, and 1 Flintstone Vitamen. I then shower. I get out of the shower and start drinking my slimfast. I put on my makeup and blow dry and fix my hair. By now I am done with the slim fast and my lotion has dried. I get dressed and take my empty tea cup back to the kitchen to prepare myself a cup of oatmeal. I use the Weight Control Cinnamon with hot Water, which I thin down. I add a package of sweet-n-low to it. After eating my oatmeal, I grab a bottled Water if I am headed out the door.

At lunch, I usually have a Lean Cuisine Meal, or Single serving tuna with unsweetened applesauce, Light Miracle Whip and some relish., or Non-Fat Cottage cheese with snack size Lite fruit, or Cup of Turkey Chili with a little shredded cheese, or Broccoli Cheese Soup (Like Quizno's or Panera), or 1/2 a Grilled chicken Breast and some Grilled Veggies.

Mid Afternoon I eat my Yoplait Nonfat Yogurt.

I usually swim for 30 minutes around 3 pm. That is my exercise!

dinner - If I cook dinner I eat 1/4 cup of whatever I fix. Example: 1/4 Cup Meatloaf, 1/4 Cup Green Beans, and a 1/4 Cup of Mashed Potatoes. If I don't cook, I eat leftovers or what I usually eat for lunch.< /em>

Around 8:00 pm I usually have Fiber One Cereal, Skim Milk and either strawberries or blueberries. How much I have depends on how much or little I ate during the day. I use Fitday.com to keep track of my calories, Protein and fiber intake. I eat no less then 1000 calories and no more then 1200 calories per day. My Protein intake 60 grams minimum. My fiber intake 25 grams minimum. I don't worry about the carbs because I am not eating bread or Sugar.

Other things I eat sometimes: sugar free Jello with Cool Whip Free, sugar free pudding, Canned Spinach with sauted onions and garlic, sugar-free popsicles, deli prepared chicken salad, grilled fish, broccoli chopped and well cooked, Refried Beans, Guacamoli, Vegetarian Baked Beans, Black Beans, 1/2 Baked Potato, 1/2 or less Baked Sweet Potato, Minestrone Soup...

Eating out -

I ate Chinese last Wendesday. First time since banding. I ate Hot and Sour Soup. I ordered Moo Goo Gai Pan. I ate 4 small pieces of the chicken, all the mushrooms, and 4 peas. It looked like I didn't touch the plate. I took the rest home. The next day I made chicken salad out of the rest of the chicken.

Mexican food I usually order one cheese or beef enchilada, small guacamole and refried beans.

Other restaurants I either order a cup of soup or a potato with everything on the side. I don't eat sour cream, chives, or bacon bits. I do put a small amount of margarine sometimes and some shredded cheese. I don't even try to eat the skin and I only eat one half of the potato.

I don't eat bread, sweets, or anything that is empty calories except a sugar-free Jello, or sugar-free popsicle every once in a while. I drink at least 64 ounces of water a day...never with meals.

Staying away from the fried foods, bread and sweets has helped most. I never have the food cravings that I use to have. I use to never eat Breakfast. No wonder my metabolism was shut down. Now eating small amounts 4 to 5 times a day really has helped!

[socalgal3 4]

I wasn't trying to criticize anyone's way of eating. You've done awesome with your weight loss Bandit, it's just that my impression was when I had this surgery that I could eat a majority of the same foods as before, just less of them. But so many people can't eat bread, Pasta, meat, etc. and it scares me because I don't want to live on Protein Shakes and yogurt.

[niche 0]

i am pretty much able to eat anything, just in smaller amts. even though i am fairly tight. i can eat moist meat no problem, veggies and bread, rice, Pasta etc. but honestly i do try to severely limit my empty simple carb consumption as much as possible bc it makes me crave like crazy!

[Miss me baby 1]

Mary B... you got it going on! Great job!!!

[maryb 1]

I choose to restrict what I eat. My Best Friend Banded eats pizza, Pasta, bread, Fried food, ice cream, tortilla chips, etc.. Basically what she liked prebanded, but in much smaller quantities. She has not had the consistent weight loss that I have, but she is still losing weight. She has also required more fills then I have. I have only had 2 and don't feel I will need anymore.

You have to do what works for you! What will keep you satisfied and still lose weight is most important.