Any Snack Recommendations

I have always had 5-6 "meals" from the beginning. Three that I call breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2-3 that I call "snacks". Though sometimes dinner may be a bit higher in calories all of my planned meals are about the same size and are protein based. Cottage cheese is a big go-to for me at anytime because I love it, there is lots of protein and it fills me up. Yogurt is also good, but doesn't fill me up as much.

IMO, you should do what you need to do to not feel hungry but stay within the bounds that your surgical team has suggested and within your own calorie/protein goals. Make a workable plan which you can sustain in the long run.

Hey Liz,

thanks for your input. I've taken to the cottage cheese and it is high in protien. Takes a bit longer to eat at this phase and i start to fill a bit full. But it's very good. And will keep using it. I'm good on the meals. Was just concerned about the snack eating, because I didn't want to be eating my third meal counting as dinner at 5 or 6pm and still out. And suffer from the hungry at 9 or 10pm if not sleep by then.

Im a little night owl lol.

but i do have a plan and im working it. Just wanted some advice on what others would say.

Thanks again

You can try hummus for a snack too if you like hummus.

Yes i love hummus. My practitioner told me i could have that. Just forgot. I'll go and pick some up. She also suggestted watermelon. Which is good with the hot days we're having in Jersey.

Thank you for the help.

Two of my snacks are typically at 4 pm and 8 pm because those are "danger" times for me when I want to eat.

I'm so glad you've gotten so much good advice. Try to follow it as much as possible - these people know what they are talking about.

As far as the cheese puffs? You may as well have just eaten the damn things. Sucking on them doesn't do anything good for you at all. You likely absorbed about 99.9% of the calories even if you spit them out at the end.

Also, sucking on food and spitting it out is eating disorder behavior. There are also people that chew food and spit it out. This is a dangerous road to head down - stop it right now before it becomes a habit. You want to be healthy and that is not healthy eating.

Sometimes when we are super early out like you are it takes some experimentation to find things that keep us satisfied. Just keep in mind that your stomach is still healing so you may not get that "full" feeling until it's way too late. That's why it's so important to be absolutely anal about recording your food and weighing and measuring everything you put in your mouth. You can eat so much food that you injure your insides and not even know it until it's way too late. Don't count on the "full" feeling that you used to get pre-op. It doesn't exist anymore and chasing it is dangerous.

You're going to do great! All of us have our struggles at various stages but if we stick to our eating plan (and do whatever it takes to do that) things settle down eventually and eating won't become such a confusing struggle. When in doubt, go to the eating progression schedule/diet advancement guidelines that your surgeon provided and do EXACTLY what it says.

These early weeks go quickly and soon you'll be settled in to more of a routine as you are allowed more and more food options. Take Care, do what your surgeon tells you to do. You'll be just fine.

Hey Amy. Thanks for the awesome advice.

The cheese puffs i was eating were just an alternative given by a friend. Their really baby soft and dissolves like water when i eat them. However just looking up how many i can eat the calories are about 113 and that's only for 13 pieces. So i'll stray away from em. I've been doing really well for myself over the past couple of weeks. Since surgery im down 20 pounds and i want to keep it going.

i'm constantly Just following my instructions given to me. Which is why I haven't added any pureed meats to my doet because i want my stomach to fully heal the right way. Already had an incident after surgery that kept me in the hospital longer than i was supposed to. I usually stop eating once i feel that discomfort pain and i know im finished. But im also measuring my food right now 4oz. Every 4 hours. So im sticking it. And if i need a snack i'll just combine my 2oz snacks for a yogurt or applesauce, or sugar free pudding that equals 4oz. And that's normally at the end of the day.

thanks again for your response

It doesn't help with the protein, but when I wanted a snack at that stage (and still) I go for sugar free jello or sugar free popsicles.

Hey sam. I just gave up on the Jello all together. It doesn't go down right for me anymore. It just gets stuck and it's so painful. But i do sugar free ice-pops when i am at home.