Question:
soft foods, diet plan

Can anyone give a sample diet of what they ate in stage 3 soft foods, including how much?    — bikermama (posted on May 18, 2008)

May 17, 2008
egg salad,tuna or chicken salad,fish cooked in microwave pimento cheese made with cream cheese instead of mayo,i also enjoyed a pot od stew beef cooked in a slow cooker then i would take a serving of meat ,and veg no potatoes pu tin in blender and process a bit ,freeze the results in ice cube trays .after frozen i put them in a plastic bag and kept in freezer.could take out a couple at a time and microwave ,taste very good quick and satifying.did the same with chicken and cream of chicken soup.almost always have to have some kind of sauce or gravy with meat for it to go down.Chili is also a good basic.sine a med cup wa sabout the amount i could eat when i made something i found a way to freeze it in very small portions.good luck portion size and tfood variety will increase as u progress.take it slow and remember to chew chew chew
   — Bette Drecktrah

May 18, 2008
I just ate whatever I cooked my family. I have always eaten healthy rounded meals so just being able to cut my portion to a handful was enough to lose weight and keep it off. (meat, veggie, grain, salad, fruit) This is the order in which I normally eat all my meals. Fruit is usually separate as a snack/dessert which I eat alone or put into an unflavored greek yogurt or SF jello if I'm feeling ambitious! I think it's odd that people don't know "what to eat" or how much. What did you all used to eat? You really have to go at your own pace and eat til you are satisfied and never try to acheive that "full feeling"...That is a certain way to gain weight. It's so odd to not feel full and sometimes you find yourself just wanting that feeling. It feels awful to be full after WLS. Just as soon as I feel the tiniest bit full, I know I've already over eaten. You have to pay attention to every bite...and master what is normal feelings and what is no longer something you should feel, such as "full"! I still get the urge to push it to that point...and it bites me in the grumpy pouch everytime! The list of protein foods you should be eating is basic...the post above tells you some great ideas. But this is just the basic food ingredients and it sounds boring...Get some really awesome quickie recipes. Learn to cook stuff that is healthy but really tasty...Make a full meal and freeze in individual containers or food savor bags (for much fresher and longer lasting freezed meals) Aim for 20 ounces of lean protein 3 meals a day with healthy snacks in between. Here's a nice list of foods from EAS "Body for Life"...These are basically the only foods I eat. (With an occassional bite from the past of naughty food) I'm not perfect! Find some great recipes for these ingredients ...I would go to Borders Books (just to get out and about) and pick up a cook book (without buying it) and get cool ideas for dinners and lunches! I really did! Or get on google and search for lean, protein recipes...There are MILLIONS! and printable too! You don't have to eat baby food mush forever...Make life grand! Eat GRAND! Just make it healthy grand!
   — .Anita R.

May 18, 2008
Arden: To do the job right, the best thing you can do for yourself would be to consult a nutritionist. The nutritionist would be able to fine tune your diet so that you would MAXIMIZE your weight loss potential. You would get a list of foods that would be acceptable to eat and you would be told the EXACT amounts that you would need to eat FOR YOU to lose the amount of weight that YOU want to lose. You would be told how many times a day you would need to eat and how much water a day you would need to drink to maximize your weight loss. Each person is going to be different because each person is different. Each person STARTS from a different place in their weight loss journey and has a different goal. Each has a different VEHICLE that they use to get there (their body). The nutritionist takes all of the different variables into consideration and does a calculation based on those and gives you a PERSONALIZED diet based on those factors and your own personal preferences and needs. Mine also had to take into account my many ALLERGIES to food products. Considering that I am allergic to DAIRY, EGGS, SUGAR and BEANS, she didn't have a whole lot to WORK with. In SOME ways, it made things easier, in others, it made things HARDER. It is best if you find a nutritionist that has experience with Weight Loss Patients. This way, they know what they are dealing with. They know what your limitations are. Asking how much food someone else was given is not really a good way to go. This is something that you should have gotten or should get from your own surgeon or from his nutritionist if he has one. The best thing to do is to follow the guidelines given to you by your surgeon or by a competent nutritionist. Doing it this way is a poor second best, at best. Scrape up the $60 or $100 fee to see a nutritionist if your insurance company won't pay for it. Skipping the meals at Taco Bell you would normally have been eating before the surgery should pay for it. I know that this may SOUND harsh. I don't mean it to be. I strongly feel that this is your best option instead of trying to get advice and winging it. Let a PROFESSIONAL guide you on your diet. At least THEN you will have a good idea where to go from there. Best of luck on your weight loss journey, Hugh
   — hubarlow

May 18, 2008
I ate a lot of egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad I even had broiled fish. Everyone is different it really depends on what your body will tolerate and believe me it will defintley tell you if it can handle your choice of food.
   — tracyv07

May 18, 2008
Arden: To do the job right, the best thing you can do for yourself would be to consult a nutritionist. The nutritionist would be able to fine tune your diet so that you would MAXIMIZE your weight loss potential. You would get a list of foods that would be acceptable to eat and you would be told the EXACT amounts that you would need to eat FOR YOU to lose the amount of weight that YOU want to lose. You would be told how many times a day you would need to eat and how much water a day you would need to drink to maximize your weight loss. Each person is going to be different because each person is different. Each person STARTS from a different place in their weight loss journey and has a different goal. Each has a different VEHICLE that they use to get there (their body). The nutritionist takes all of the different variables into consideration and does a calculation based on those and gives you a PERSONALIZED diet based on those factors and your own personal preferences and needs. Mine also had to take into account my many ALLERGIES to food products. Considering that I am allergic to DAIRY, EGGS, SUGAR and BEANS, she didn't have a whole lot to WORK with. In SOME ways, it made things easier, in others, it made things HARDER. It is best if you find a nutritionist that has experience with Weight Loss Patients. This way, they know what they are dealing with. They know what your limitations are. Asking how much food someone else was given is not really a good way to go. This is something that you should have gotten or should get from your own surgeon or from his nutritionist if he has one. The best thing to do is to follow the guidelines given to you by your surgeon or by a competent nutritionist. Doing it this way is a poor second best, at best. Scrape up the $60 or $100 fee to see a nutritionist if your insurance company won't pay for it. Skipping the meals at Taco Bell you would normally have been eating before the surgery should pay for it. I know that this may SOUND harsh. I don't mean it to be. I strongly feel that this is your best option instead of trying to get advice and winging it. Let a PROFESSIONAL guide you on your diet. At least THEN you will have a good idea where to go from there. Best of luck on your weight loss journey, Hugh
   — hubarlow

May 19, 2008
I also am getting ready (next week) to start this phase I was told chicken, fish and so forth. Things that are tender to a fork red meat may be a problem since it tends to be chewy and tough if not cooked right. Other foods I was given were cottage cheese, eggs, tuna and so forth. Vegetables that are cooked until very tender nothing like raw carrots and such. I don't know if this helps but I hope it made a little difference. My nutritionist just gave me a list of foods to avoid which I am sure everyone got. So I have nothing specific to give you.
   — Melanie C.