Foods I miss...

http://www.theroastedroot.net/garbanzo-bean-brownies/ - for the brownies

You'll (obviously) need to adjust the recipe and use your favorite sweeteners instead. You can use chick peas instead of the beans and adjust the recipe for cookies! I've made a cookie cake with better than decent results.

I quickly googled protein shake ice cream and came up with a ton of results, perhaps that can help?

I will say I do miss some foods. I try to think about how they made me feel prior to surgery. I will tell you a few things I don't miss.

1. I don't miss being afraid of sitting in a booth in a restaurant

2. I don't miss using a seat belt extender on an airplane

3. I don't miss having to take my seat belt off to pop the gas tank open

4. I don't miss shopping in just the plus size store.

5. I don't miss worrying if a chair is going to hold me

6. I don't miss lying to my family and saying I don't feel well because I was too tired to walk. I don't miss watching my life go past with me being a bystander.

I am sorry this may not help you. I just know making lists and seeing what I was able to do. Feeling so much better now. I will say I do crave some foods. I have eaten a few things I shouldn't have.

Working on the head hunger is hard. But doable. 

This may not be the smartest suggestion, but it helps me. 

Sweeten the PB2 with the sugar substitute of your choice.

Sweeten a little tiny bit at a time until it's to your liking. For me, that goes A LONG way to make it taste more peanut buttery. I add a serving to my banana cream Greek yogurt. Seriously yummy...and it doesn't add a lot of calories to the yogurt...and it adds some extra protein!! 

For frozen yogurt, I've successfully frozen Dannon Light and Fit Greek yogurt. I will pop mine in the freezer for an hour or so. The cherry chocolate frozen...oh yeah! 

Check out Eggface. She has some really great recipes. Please don't take my comments earlier as being snotty. 

When I had surgery I never said I would "never" eat something again... I decided to learn to eat healthy/balanced and if I wanted a treat I would have it. Over time I have decided to no longer eat certain things (i.e. McDonald's) because of personal choices when it comes to animal welfare, factory farming, GMO's etc... but that all came over time.

Everything you listed above, I eat (except cookie dough, yuck). All about moderation IMO. You can do healthier versions of most of the foods... you can sub unsweetened apple sauce in most baking recipes... peanut butter I eat raw peanut butter, my taste buds eventually adjusted to the lack of sugar and oil.. I love it, pb2 is good mixed in, but its definitely not the same. I found a really good greek yogurt dip made by dannon.. or you can make your own dip at home and bake your own chips, bake veggie chips etc.

This does not work for everybody, this is what has worked for me. Personally I saw too many people "fail" because they would say NO to so many foods and that would last 6 months, 12 months, even a few years then they would start eating their NO foods and ended up backsliding and gaining weight etc... that's why I personally chose to go for a balance so I could "learn" how to incorporate foods and "treat" myself while still eating healthy etc. I will say when I was trying to reach goal I would limit treats much more than I do now... but at this point in the game I know what I need to do to maintain my weight etc.

I don't believe in never. It is impossible and sets such high standards that will result in such feelings and disappointment. 

" I will never have birthday cake"

"I will never have a glass of wine"

"I will never enjoy a hot dog at a ball game"

i will never say never. 

its okay to have something in small portion in moderation. The dietitian I see agrees.

if it gets out of hand then it's time to reevaluate 

Something that has worked for me is eating simple.  Foods with no ingredient list.  Meat, eggs, cheese, fresh or frozen fruit, fresh or frozen vegetables.  I eat protein, veggie, fruit.  

Strawberries have no ingredient list, hamburger has no ingredient list, pumpkin has no ingredient list - get the idea?

Nothing in a box, factory made, no artificial chemicals, etc.

There are times I do mix ingredients to make from scratch, but most days I just eat "whole" foods.

Penny

I focus on the alternative and make my head think it is the best option available. Quest bars, I can talk myself into that is what I'm dreaming of having! Honestly, it is all a game. I can make protein ice cream and believe it is as good as real ice cream.

i love making alternatives and I'm happy with them most of the time!

and nothing tastes as good as it did before surgery...