life after oatmeal and creme of wheat???

can anyone give me some eating tips.. i am one week post op and am bored to death with the foods i get to eat... i get full and i am not too hungry, it is just boring eating that stuff. i tried the jello.. it was ok, but i dont think it is a good meal. i have eaten mashed potatoes... they are ok, but i would like to know if i can have fruit or vegetables or SOMETHING else... i eat like a bird, so it seems silly to even eat sometimes, but my head wants a variety i guess. i hope you understand...i hope i dont sound crazy...OH, official one week weigh in today.... down 19 lbs. i am excited about the future.... love to all

Hi Donna, I'm so glad to hear that you are doing so good after surgery.. But may I suggest that you don't try pushing it too fast.. Stay with foods that are soft and easy to go down.. Your body will help you decide what you can eat and not eat real quick!!! I still to this day have issues with white flour, bread, tortillias etc.. I try to avoid them. Have you tried yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese, eggs, etc.. Vegetable soup.. Good luck to you.. GerrAnn

Fat made me feel ill early on, so you might try this only in moderation, but you might try deviled ham on a cracker. You can also try cheese (not melted though - it toughens it up) and crackers. I would have eaten eggs early on but the thought made me nauseous. Dr. A mentioned them in the post op diet. One day I ate some pureed chicken curry over very soft cooked cauliflower, chopped to mimic rice. It was so yummy. I also made a spread from chicken vienna sausages with mustard and put it on a cracker. One thing I loved was to take a small tub container of fat free philly cream cheese and mix in a few packets of Splenda and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. It is high in protein and tastes like peanut butter cheesecake. You can spread it over a cracker or rice cake. I got these things called Corn Thins and they are like really really thin rice cakes. Load the spread on thick and fill up on that first. You can also take and mix up cottage cheese with dry sugar free Jello and let it set up a little. It's quite yummy. Great dessert. I had that my first week out. You can also try pureeing your favorite dinners, especially soups. You can cook veggies very soft and have those, just make sure you get enough protein in first. I ate Boca burgers early on also. They are so yummy and the texture is so tender that there was no problem for me right off. I would cook them up and put a little cheese on top and add ketchup and mustard on top and eat it without a bun. It was really good and great variety. Hope some of those things help give you ideas! Congrats on the 19 lbs lost! That is incredible for 1 week! Dina

Hi Donna, glad you are home and doing good! I ate different kinds of soups and anything soft. It was a whole new way of life at first, but apparently I survived! Now days I eat whatever I want---just not hugh amounts......you're stomach will tell you when your full or getting close!!! This is going to be great!!!!! Just wait a couple of months and the eating will be second nature to you! Good luck, Cathy Fowler

I stayed at the apartment until day 9. On the day before I left I went to Ensenada's corner grocery store and purchased an avocado and spinach, along with a low fat FLAN and some milk, and things I intended to leave for the visitor following me. I cooked the spinach way down and added a little bit of salt. Used that to eat on the plane on the way home. I had taken some baby food. (Boy, have you read the labels on those things... Baby food is BAD bad for a baby. The amount of carbs and sugar, and fat... I was shocked... especially the "minute meals" EEK... but I digress) Anyway, I ate a bit of lamb from the baby food jar a few days prior. Emptied the baby food jar, and have since used it as my volume guide. If it doesn't fit in the 2.5 oz baby food jar, it didn't go in my mouth. Avocado was easy on the tummy and was a good source of a few unusual vitamins ... http://www.thefruitpages.com/chartavocado.shtml I also went through Campbell's chicken noodle and Campbell's chicken & stars. I really couldn't eat until day 10 or 12. I did notice that about 2-3 weeks I ate more than I did at 4-6 weeks. Kinda unusual I guess, but maybe not. Most of the recipes I used were Atkins, South Beach, or Perricone Promise recipes which I made for my whole family... I simply blenderized my portion and put it in my baby food jar. Used a baby spoon to eat and was a happy camper.

There is a protein pudding out by Sylvester Stallone... you can read about it at http://www.fitflex.com/instone-protein-pudding-review.html or http://www.instonenutrition.com/ But they have the same kind of thing at GNC and Bariatriceating http://store.bariatriceating.com/proteinpudding.html Or why not buy some tasteless protein supplement and make your own? Add it to anything, really. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/any.html By the way... protein requirement? http://www.unjury.com/reg/calculator.shtml I'm not promoting the BARIATRICEATING.com site, but did find these and thought I would share: When winter comes.. http://store.bariatriceating.com/neelpr.html Cookies http://store.bariatriceating.com/sufrpi.html Chocolate craving? I used this even BEFORE surgery when I catered. You can buy it and similar products in regular grocery stores. http://store.bariatriceating.com/sasusufrmomi.html .. .. .. .. .. Later, when you can visit the grocery store... Grocery food list link and other information link http://www.misila.org/Misi/FAQ.asp First month: During the first month after surgery, your stomach and the opening into your intestines are swollen and very small. You will be able to eat only very limited amounts of food. It is important that you concentrate on eating the most important foods for healing: PROTEINS. All proteins must be very soft, moist, and well chewed in order to pass through your new little stomach successfully. If you eat too fast or too much, it will feel like heartburn and may cause you to become sick, so be careful. Grocery list of Protein Foods: 1. Cottage Cheese (low-fat or non-fat). 2. Yogurt (low-fat, non-fat, plain, or artificially sweetened). 3. String cheese 4. Eggs (any style, limit yolks). 5. Tofu 6. Refried beans 7. Lentil or black bean soup 8. Fish (soft and moist). 9. Small amounts of cooking spray 10. Small amounts of non-fat mayonnaise or mustard to moisten food. Just for good measure, I included this too... The link is http://www.misila.org/Misi/FAQ.asp How do you create your own Protein Supplement Recipes? With flavorful additions like: Sugar-free drinks--any Kool-aid or Crystal Light flavors Extracts - imitation flavors and real flavor extracts also bolster supplement taste. However, if you use extracts that contain alcohol, limit the amount you use to 1 1/2 teaspoons per beverage because alcohol contains wasted calories. Remain limited to the following low calorie extracts (calories per teaspoon): Black Walnut - 4 Chocolate - 7 Coconut - 8 Vanilla, imitation - 3 Pineapple - 6 Vanilla - 8 Maple - 6 High Power Pudding - mix one small pack of sugar-free pudding (chocolate, vanilla, or pistachio) to 2 cups of skim milk and 1/2 cup of non-fat dry milk and chill. One 1/2 cup serving provides 9.5 grams of protein and 120 calories as mixed. Protein Pudding - mix one vanilla protein supplement with approx. two ounces less liquid than directions call for. Next, add three tablespoons of your favorite sugar-free, fat-free instant pudding and five ice cubes. Blend at high speed for 60 seconds and enjoy. Orange Pudding - 3 ounces of boiling water, 1 1/2 teaspoons (2/3 envelope) orange flavored sugar-free gelatin, 7 ounces of sugar-free TANG and your protein powder. Mix well and chill. Fruit Cubes - 1 cup of heated diet soda (not boiling) to one envelope of unflavored gelatin. Then mix in your protein powder and 1/2 cup of cold diet soda and pour into an ice tray and chill. Eat all the cubes as one serving. Slush Recipes Designing your own -- Mixing instructions 1. Pour 3 ounces of fluid into a measuring cup. Add ice until fluid line reaches 12-ounces. 2. Pour ice mixture into blender. 3. Add flavoring and protein powder. 4. Blend on low speed 2 to 3 seconds with quick pulses, then blend on high speed until mixture is the consistency of slush. Raspberry Slush - 6 ounces of sugar-free raspberry flavored fruit tea and ice to 1/2 teaspoon of rum flavoring and protein powder. Blend and serve. Hot Beverages Designing your own -- Mixing instructions 1. Mix dry ingredients together. 2. Hea****er until steaming, either in a saucepan or microwave. Do not boil. 3. Add 9 fluid ounces of ho****er to the dry ingredients. 4. Immediately mix with spoon until powder is completely dissolved. 5. Do not use a blender or shaker as hot liquids may splash and burn. 6. Do not mix protein powder and water prior to cooking in microwave as this will cause lumps to form. Coca - mix 1 teaspoon of cocoa to 2 packets of Equal sweetener, a dash of cinnamon and 9 ounces of water to chocolate or vanilla protein powder. Peppermint Coca - 1 teaspoon of cocoa, 1 teaspoon of chocolate flavoring, 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract, a dash of cinnamon and 3 packets of Equal sweetener to 9 ounces of water and vanilla or chocolate protein powder. Mousses Designing your own -- Mixing instructions 1. Mix 1/2 cup boiling water into gelatin. Stir vigorously with wire whip until dissolved. 2. Add remaining ingredients to gelatin mixture. 3. Mix well. 4. Pour into container with tight fitting lid. 5. Put in freezer until set and very cold, but not frozen. 6. Mix with electric mixer on high speed until peaks form and mixture is lightly fluffy. 7. Serve at once. 8. Due to the increased caloric content of these mousse recipes limit to one per day. Chocolate Mint Mousse - 1/2 cup boiling water, 1/2 envelope (1-1/8) Knox unflavored gelatin to 2 packets of equal sweetener. A dash of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of creme de menthe extract to 1/2 cup of water and chocolate protein powder. Chocolate Almond Mousse - 1/2 cup boiling water, 1/2 envelope (1-1/8) Knox unflavored gelatin to 2 packets of equal sweetener. A dash of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon of pure almond extract to a 1/2 cup of water and chocolate protein powder. What about the exercise? (If I could only jump like that!) Begin exercise program at 6 weeks after your operation. Perform exercises 5 days per week and resting 2 days every week. 1st thru 3rd week: Brisk walk for 15 minutes on first day. Increase by 2 minutes per exercise day until after 2 weeks you are walking for 35 minutes. 4th thru 6th week: Continue brisk walking 5 days per week for 35-40 minutes per session. 7th thru 10th week: Begin resistance training using bands. Perform upper body training for 15 minutes 3 days per week and lower body resistance training for 15 minutes 2 days per week. Follow resistance training with 15 minutes of brisk walking (or some form of cardiovascular exercise). 11th week and Beyond: Alternate 2 weeks of cardiovascular exercise (brisk walking, jogging, or biking) for 35 to 40 minutes (exercise 5 days, rest for 2 days) with 2 weeks of combination training (15 minutes resistance training and 15 minutes cardiovascular training).

wow... very helpful.. thank you so much.