Looking for Suggestions for Eating!

I feel I have done Great losing weight, I am down 76 pounds since surgery but am starting to stall. I am sure this is normal, but frustrating. Went to my 3 month checkup last week and the doc told me I needed to start trying to eat my protein instead of drinking it. I thought protein shakes were a good thing? But I am getting in a rut where I drink my protein for breakfast, have a small bowl of cheese soup for lunch and drink protein shake for supper. Seems like when I try to eat something it hurts so I find drinking my meals is so much easier. Any idea's?? And I need idea's on how to drink more fluids a day too! I don't like tea, crystal light and most juices I am tired of water! I found a Orange Pineapple juice I have been living on. HELP!! Cathy

I'm surprised. My doc said it was perfectly OK to replace meals with a protein smoothie. I get it at Tropical Smoothie - it's called Lean Machine and I ask for it with double whey and splenda. It's 173 calories and 44 gram of protein and it replaces one or two meals. It also counts for liquid - at least it works for me. I know there is a version at Smoothie King, too. Jus****ch the calories - some have a lot of calories so you have to go for the small one. For breakfast, low sugar oatmeal works for me. I drink hot teas now that it's getting chilly in Ohio. I put splenda in it, too. Hope this helps some! Hang in there! Cheryl

I'm not a big fan of eating either. Especially things that are "heavier". When I am not in the mood to eat but know i need to I go for egg beaters. It's light enough for me that is slides down. As for drinking- have you tried putting stuff in your water- lemon, lime, oranges, cucumber, mint leaves? Something to mix it up a bit. What about sugar free hot cocoa. Or sugar free jello or popsicles. those count as liquids too.

I was warned early on about not drinking my meals, as a matter of fact I haven't had a shake since I was a couple of weeks post-op. I am able to eat lots of different protein sources, but believe it or not beef seems to be the winner the past month or so...chicken is a little harder. I use my crock pot all the time, roasts, round steaks with pepper, onions and tomatos, chili, ham and beans.....those all work for me. I am making my own refried beans in the crock pot as well, that way I can season things the way I like. I also tolerate and love beef jerky as a snack. Alot of people don't tolerate it this early out, but I do....when I eat it I find that I drink more water later in the day also, probably partly the sodium content, but that hasn't stopped me from eating it. Drinking is always a challange for me as well....is it the sweet you don't like or the taste of the artifical sweetner? I try to stay away from juice except for v8, it is to much sugar for the pouch.....but I do like the sf hot chocolate and sf hot cider mixes...a friend also got me hooked on water with lime and mint and a little bit of splenda.....also slushes are great for me right now....I have one of those cheapy snowcone makers and I pour the davinci sf syrups over the ice Hope some of this helps....it is alot of trial and error to see what works for you! Good luch! Amy

I'm lucky-- I too have an iron stomach, and have been eating jerky (Turkey) since September. No fat, and 11g of protein per ounce-- it's perfect! I never eat more than an ounce at a shot though-- the sugars can be pretty high, especially with the teriyaki flavor. But like you, I can't stand many beverages, either. I was a Propel fiend pre-op, now it's tinny tasting-- probably due to the supplements we take. I found diet ocean spray cran-grape is great, and only 5 cals. per 8 ounces. I also like water with lemon and a little Splenda-- cheap lemonade! I'm also loving the Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate--and hey-- where'd you find the sugar free cider mix?

I found it at my wal mart next to the hot chocolate mixes. It as made by Alpine. There are 15 cals per serving.....I love the stuff!

Cottage cheese is a great thing for the tummy. Fish goes down easy. I make a small can of salmon like tuna. I put it in the small rubbermaid containers and eat one for lunch at work with a whole wheat low fat cracker (Ak-Mak crackers) Also I thought about putting this in a tomato like a stuffed tomato. I'm able to eat most meats except like a dry roast or dry chicken breast. What I do with chicken is pound thin with a tenderizing hammer. I'm still having a protein drink a day so I can get to the higher end of my protein requirements. My hair is starting to come out so I a bit worried about it. One protein drink ups my calories to 123/day for me so I'm trying to be careful. Heidi ps if you don't like fishy fish try like a dover sole or orange roughy.

Since I was okayed for regular food at 5 weeks out, I progressed to regular meals and very limited (rare) protein drinks now. I have one once in a great while if I'm just hankering for something chocolate, or if my tummy is being particularly snarky that day (seldom) and it's too late in the day to be able to meet my protein requirements through food. Most of my protein comes from chicken, beef, pork or fish. A little reduced fat cheese, some yogurt. I basically eat a very healthy, normal diet that includes enough meat/protein to get me minimum of 60 grams, and typically between 70 and 80. In addition, I have 3 to 4 half cup servings of veggies per day, 1-2 (I'm supposed to be eating 2-3) servings of fruit, and 1 to 2 servings of dairy. Today's meals for example are: Breakfast: Trader Joe's Apple Cranberry Fiber Cake with 1 tablespoon of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter Morning snack: 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese and 1 medium apple Lunch: 1 cup slow cooker sausage and lentil stew (made it yesterday, has lentils, lite skinless kielbasa, spinach, onions, celery, garlic, other spices and it is SOOO yummy and filling) Afternoon snack: Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt with 1/2 cup of Fiber One Cereal Dinner: 3 oz. broiled flank steak and 1 cup steamed broccoli Might have an evening snack. We'll see.

hi there one thing that I have found was ground turkey with some taco seasoning mixed in and a little salsa and you can add guacamole and sour cream and cheese kinda like a taco salad - lettuce and 4 ozs of the ground turkey is 22.2 grams of protein

Meatballs and Stroganoff Make a turkey meatball with ground turkey, 1 egg salt & pepper. (Garlic salt for the marinara) You can then add them to simmering marinara sauce and cook for 30 or 40 minutes. No frying and they are softer and easy for me to digest. I eat about two. I also make a stroganoff with 1 can of 98% cream of mushroom soup and ~1 can water. Drop the meatballs in for about 30 minutes. After about 10 - 15 minutes add a package of ff cream cheese. I top these with whole wheat pasta.