Recipe I'm trying today

I think these sound tasty, healthy, and freezer friendly. Will be making up a batch today! 

Yum!  I spent most of yesterday torturing myself looking at cookbooks and figuring out which recipes I was going to try once I was able to eat solids again.  I'm kind of a foodie (although I hate that term).  I have a MASSIVE cookbook collection and that aspect of my life was what made me most concerned about RNY (would I develop weird intolerances, would I never be able to eat gourmet food again?).  But since deciding to have the surgery, I've discovered that I can re-target that interest to finding ways to make all of my cooking healthier while still being delicious.  It just takes some patience and creativity.

I've bought a spiralizer because I intend to keep carbs like pastas and breads to an absolute minimum (if not completely cut them out).  There is this amazing site:  Inspiralized.com that has delicious recipes that use "veggie noodles" in the place of regular pasta.  I'm looking forward to converting some of my old stand-bys to lower carb versions that will support my health and weight loss.

Those cookies look really yummy.  Someone posted a recipe for peanut butter cookies yesterday that Karen had provided.  I'd basically kill for either right now (but that's the Opti talking)...

Let us know how your cookies turn out!

I will check out the site! I spoke with Lorainne in detail about carbs, and my suggestion to cut them out, was met with negativity. I sat back and thought it over, and realized I have spent so many years dieting, the main focus of those diets being no carbs. I don't want to live like that anymore. I don't want to restrict, I just want to be able to control it, and enjoy things in moderation. I am eating carbs now. I have toast, crackers, cereal. I just don't have them every meal, or every day. Luckily, for now, for the most part, I am not craving anything, but when I do get hungry, I seem to want meat. 

I too considered myself a foodie' I also hate the word :) but going out weekly to the best restaurants in the city was one of my favourite things to do, besides cooking, hosting and serving food to others. I love the kitchen, and being creative with food. I love to cook. Sad to say, at this point, 8.5 weeks out, the amount of food we eat, per serving, its not as rewarding (for me) to cook a meal. I am still trying everything out, and seeing what I can tolerate well, what makes me feel good and energetic etc... I have found, leftovers do not taste right to me since surgery, so making a big meal, and freezing it, or tupperware' ing it for next day' isn't working for me at this point. Unfortunately. 

You are going to do great, you seem so very well prepared and as though you have done plenty of research. 

Hi Jennifer

I would like you to read my opinion on this - and take it or leave it.  I DO understand we all have our own journey - but you have indicated an attitude that worries me.

IMO - there is nothing "moderate" about weight loss surgery.  I can do some moderation almost 6 years out - but its tough and I really have to watch getting into trouble like I did 2 years post op when I ate restricted amounts of all foods - wasn't a good idea!

I especially advise against moderation during your fast weight loss mode.  You have one big chance to get all the weight off - and its during the first 18 months. 

If I break that 18 months down into thirds - the first 6 you lose quickly regardless of what goes in your mouth for the most part.  Eating a bit of everything will still allow you to lose - but maybe you will lose 10 - 20 pounds less then the person who persists in protein and veg - water  for the most part....the person *****ally concentrates on avoiding sugar and simple carbs.

The second 6 months things begin to slow down - you are still losing at a good clip - and diet fatigue can set in - but what you eat begins to matter more.

The last 6 months can see some people stop their weight loss entirely.  They have added all foods in moderation and it isn't working anymore.  Calories do matter.  They find inadvertently that they are in maintenance.

You only get one chance at this initial honeymoon phase.  You will never regret optimizing this time frame.

Moderation - and eating all foods - is a tough dance to play when you are in maintenance - but in my opinion it is a waste of an opportunity when you are early out. 

Good luck -  food will be waiting for you when you are at goal  - just something to think about

I need to check out that site. I would love to get a spiralizer! I love the idea of a "pasta" type dish with veggies. Maybe I will need to gift one to myself for Christmas!

NorthernStar, I ended up finding mine in Homesense -- I saved some decent money on it (and it happened by chance, I shop there regularly and had never seen one there before).  I've subbed eggplant for lasagna noodles in my lasagna before and it works like a charm (provided you salt the eggplant first to remove some of the moisture, then cook it before putting it in the lasagna).  The spiralizer takes things to a whole new level -- now when I'm in the grocery store (which isn't often now that I'm on Opti) I look at produce and wonder "Will it spiralize?"  It's a pretty fun game!

Carbs are really difficult for me to manage with moderation -- I'm hoping that changes after surgery, but I'm going to have to be really careful that I get all my protein in, and the space that's left I'm going to try to fill with mostly veggies and very little if any processed carbs.  I don't want to get too fanatical about it, but I want to really work the tool while there is still calorie malabsorption during the first 18 months.  I've always wished that I didn't have this love affair with bread-like substances, and I'm hoping that changes after surgery, but I'm not going to hold my breath that it will.  Sigh...

If you wouldn't mind, could you post about your experience with the spiralizer once you've had the opportunity to use it a bit - I have been considering getting one of those myself!

How do these fit into your newbie post-op eating plan?

Bananas = carbs and sugar

Applesauce = carbs and sugar

Raisins = carbs and sugar

Oats = carbs

No thank you.

Morning,

I appreciate all your advice, and maybe you are thinking I am going to be eating these on a frequent basis, well I would not. They are something I would freeze, and have the occasional piece of. And oats are a great source of protein. Oats are on my plan from TWH and have been since 2 weeks post op. I only eat sugar free apple sauce, which has barely any calories in it, and zero grams of sugar. Bananas are a good source of potassium, and natural sugars. And raisins are optional, and I wasn't planning on adding them anyhow.

I get in at least 80 grams of protein a day, everyday. It is what I go to first, and as mentioned, its what I crave first anyhow. I think I have a great attitude, and I know I am going to be successful. I am following my centres guidelines to a tee' 

Why wouldn't one assume you would be eating them regularly - you mentioned nothing about using them moderately or as a very rare treat, provided no nutritional info and basically advocated for them as *healthy*.  We are letting you know that they are not. Birdiegirl said it all in her response to you, quite frankly. As an aside, if you are going to post a *healthy* recipe to appeal to newbies, consider including nutritional info so that they can see for themselves how these particular *treats* are NOT on plan, sorry.

You can argue and justify all you want, Jennifer, and even mention your dietician - I am still not going to agree. 9 years of success dictates my response and I will stick by it.