Let's talk diet staples?

What in your diet helps you to stay on the straight and narrow? I know we have all probably tried drinking with our meals, or gotten thristy too soon after a meal, or needed a sugar fix, or a carb fix.... what do you do to deal with these kinds of things? Let's share?!

One of my favorites of taking care of that nagging need to drink when you really can't for another 20 minutes or so is... Jell-o! I know it is sad, I am still eating sugar free jello! However, I am having fun with it! I spend one day a week mixing up batches in my mad laboratory! I use those great 1/2 cup serving sized containers from ziplock or gladware to hold the jello (it sets up faster and takes up a lot less room in the fridge, not to mention it is handy for on the go stuff! I mix up flavors that I would like in my measuring cup and pour them into the containers, I even do layering of flavors for something unique or sometimes I add carb clever fruit to it if I am making it up for dessert purposes. Anyways, I keep these in the fridge and when I am thirsty but I can't drink I eat these and I add a bit of ReadyWhip to the top, it helps to cure my sweets craving and it is a liquid but still a food so according to my doc it really doesn't flush away your meal. I keep sugar free hard candy on hand to keep my throat wet during periods where I am not supposed to be drinking. I keep a small insulated lunch box in my truck with bottle sof water in them just in case I am not near a water course or near a store to buy some. I found this coffee that gives me my fix for coffee but has a whopping 20g of protein per cup!!! Plus I have some SF syrups and stuff to make lattes and such! Brightest Blessings for a Wonderful Day~ Jamie M. aka Lady Autumn Weight- 257/154/146 BMI- 44.1/26.4/25 Height- 5'4" Total Weight Loss: -103 lbs. Surgery Date- 1/19/05 Visit my OH profile or stop by My Weight Loss Journey Website at: home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-LadyAutumnsWLSjourney Visit my Live Journal at: livejournal.com/users/magickalmom

Jamie can you share the coffee with protein what it is and where you are getting it? I am having a terrible time getting enough protein and getting very frustrated at not being able to accomplish my needs on a regular basis. I eat the protein bars and the meal replacement bars but most are to big to eat at one setting so if I could drink coffee and help my protein intake at the same time that would be great. Thanks and you have a wonderful day. Peg

Well first off it isn't real coffee.. but if you like coffee it tastes like a really dark earthy blend! I usually make some up and put a shot of SF flavored syrup, 2 packets of splenda, and some steamed milk in it! And a shot of reddiwhip and sprinkles too! LOL! Yeah all frufru and fancy! RocaMojo (organic roasted soy, coffee alternative) high protein and fiber, caffeine free! 1 cup= 60 cal, 0 fat, 0 sodium, 0 carbs, 6 fiber, 0 sugar, 13g protein, 0 A, 0 C, 6% calcium, 10% iron, 25% riboflavin, 25% Niacin My coffee mug holds a cup and a half of coffee plus the milk or cream and other stuff I put into it so mine works out to 20 g per mugfull! YUM! I bought it from a low-carb food center in Nashville!

Peg, I drink a protein latte everyday and it helps get in 26 grams of protein. Put 8 oz of skim milk in a large cafe mug and microwave for a minute and 15 seconds (you want the milk warmed but don't let it come to a boil). Add one scoop of unflavored protein powder (I use AnyWhey) and use a battery operated whip to froth the milk (could probably get a similar effect in the blender or if you have a Magic Bullet). Add sugar-free syrup and coffee. Tastes just like a coffeehouse latte without having to pay $4 bucks for it! Give it a try! Mary Ellen 280/169/160

Ok I will have to admit I am very bad, I can not get through a meal with out having something to drink. I do not drink allot, but I do have a few sips, and I know I eat less then I need to because of it, but I just feel like I am chocking if I can not drink. For my sweet tooth, sugar free mini chocolate bars. One usually curbs the need, unlike pre surgery when I could eat a bag of the real stuff. Carbs, I need fruit, I eat one piece a day to curb my carb craving and to lend a healthy boost to my diet. However if it bread I want, I will have a few bites of bread, after you have chewed that to liquid, you pretty much do not need more. I also get a craving for fatty foods on occasion, like in the mornings sometimes I want hash browns really bad. So I give myself 1-2 bites of it and through the rest away. I get the need for coffee too. I tend to just have coffee for breakfast on many days. I felt bad about this for so long, then I talked to the nurse at my doctors office and she said it was ok, because I get a latte and it has allot of protein. So I drink sugar free non-fat vanilla lattes. Jenn

Yeah that is what I do, I make sure to go sugar free and I always get lattes; thing is.... I can't do caffine! The one time I tried it I was in su*****readable pain... it tore up my intestines in knots for over an hour! I LOVE FRUIT TOO!! I can't get enough of it! I put it in my cereal, my oatmeal, my low carb icecream, in everything that I can.... I LOVE IT!!! Yeah when I am craving fatty foods, I let myself take a few bites or try to go for a healthier alternative. For example, for bacon I eat one serving of the Oscar Meyer Microwavable bacon. OK and this might sound gross but... I was raised on SOS, corned beef hash and SPAM.... so when the mood strikes and I crave one of those I get the low fat or turkey alternatives. Lite Spam and Turkey spam are actually pretty good! (I never thought I would say that about Spam!) And the low fat hormel hash is really good! LOL! See I am more human than you folks think.... hehehehe Jamie

Hey Jamie, My food addictions have always been in the form of carbs! I eat crackers when I can't seem to fill that empty spot.: I have sf candies if I need a chocolate fix, I usually go for the Russell Stovers carmel clusters. I've never touch liquid with my food. I do have trouble waiting after I drink to eat. I try to wait as long as possible, usually 1 hr to drink after I eat. Try and try to remind myself that we sometimes feel extra hungry when we're dehydrated, so if in doubt, drink drink drink! Take care, Syndi

I usually sip with meals. Can someone tell me why we are not supposed to drink with meals, or before and after. I have never had a clear answer. I have no problem getting in enough food (scarey).

My surgeon says no drinking during meals because it will flush the food out too quickly. Basically we lost length in our intestines, where all of our absorption occurs. To compensate for the lack of length we need to keep our food bolus relatively solid and not soupy, that way it goes through more slowly. If we drink or have a watery type of soup, it makes our chewed food very liquidly, and therefore moves through our GI tract moire quickly, giving us less oppertunity to absorb the nutrients. My nutritionist says the the majority of the calories are absorbed in the begining of the process but the vitamins and mineral we need are absorbed easier towards the end of the process, so if we flush our food, we are getting the calories but barely any of the nutrients that we need. So basically both my specialists agree that drinking is bad, however they differ on the reason why. LOL! HTH! Jamie