Question:
Having a problem with remembering to eat...

I went in to my 3 month post-op appointment and had only lost 9lbs. Although I workout 3 days per week I find myself forgetting to eat and only drinking my protein. My doctor stated that I needed to eat my protein and not drink it. Any suggestions on a sample of what to eat each day to get in 70 grams of protein and not resort to a shake?    — owee24 (posted on November 30, 2009)

November 30, 2009
On an average day, I have for Breakfast - 1 svg of Egg Beaters Original scrambled up with half a slice of WalMart's Great Value Fat Free Turkey Breast lunchmeat and a quarter cup of diced mushrooms and 15 grams of Weight Watchers 4 cheese shredded Mexican. I also have 1/4 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a small banana (but remember that I am 9 months out). After my hour waiting period, I drink Crystal Light Live Active with Fiber. For midmorning snack, I have a Weight Watchers String cheese, or a quarter cup of fat free cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon of Polaner Sugar-Free Strawberry Preserves with Fiber stirred into it. For lunch, I make a pouch of Starkist Lemon Pepper Tuna into tuna salad, adding a diced hard-boiled egg and dill pickle relish along with ONE tablespoon of Best Foods Light Mayonnaise - then eat 3 ounces of it. Or, I might eat one Hebrew National 97% fat-free hot dog with a Mission Carb Control Fajita size whole wheat tortilla wrapped around it (along with one tbsp of light mayo and some horseradish mustard and the dill relish); or maybe I'll have a couple of ounces of salmon and a couple of tablespoons of black beans. Then, I'll drink another Crystal Light Live Active with Fiber, and then maybe some herbal tea. Then, at dinner, I might have a Gardein meatless entree.... you can get them at Safeway or Whole Foods. They're vegetarian, but made of textured vegetable protein that tastes just like chicken. They have several dishes, but my favorites are "Santa Fe Good Stuff" (like a southwestern stuffed chicken breast), and "Tuscan Breast" with an Italian-type tomato-herb sauce on it. I can only eat half at a time, but that's okay, as they have a pretty good protein content. I add a few green vegetables (asparagus is not too bad as far as carbs go, neither is spinach or broccoli) sprayed with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". Today for lunch, I had Chinese food - Chicken and Broccoli. I ate maybe 1/3 cup of chicken, 3 pieces of broccoli, and I was good. Tonight, I will have pistachio-crusted salmon - about 3 ounces - and 3 spears of asparagus, and maybe a quarter cup of cottage cheese. Tomorrow, I will have the same breakfast (I'm a creature of habit), some turkey and a little cranberry sauce for lunch, and the rest of the pistachio crusted salmon for dinner with the rest of the broccoli from the Chinese food. If you are eating your two ounces SIX times per day, concentrating on PROTEIN FIRST, then you should be able to make your 65 to 80 grams of protein. If you just can't get it in, do what I did.... I have Any Whey unflavored protein powder, and I added it to Kroger CarbMaster Yogurt, along with a couple of tablespoons full of Nutricology Ground Fiber (available at Vitamin Cottage for $15). That gave me a boost. But, there are days when I get "stuck".... the food won't go down. Either I've eaten too fast, or not chewed well enough, or whatever... and the food comes back up again. In that event, you're not going to get in your protein quota for the day. So, I have a backup supply of chocolate protein powder (Syntrax Nectar Sweets Chocolate Truffle - it's the highest protein for the lowest calories that I can find), and if I'm short on protein for the day, I'll have one made with really hot tap water before I go to bed. It's like having a hot chocolate. I don't think it's hurt me at all.... I'm 9 months out, have lost 127 pounds and am 9 pounds from my surgeon's goal! And I gotta tell ya, I think that I'm doing myself a favor getting in 120 grams of protein instead of the 65 to 80... and the BariatricEating website agrees with me. They say that the higher amounts of protein, along with taking Biotin and using a salon-recommended shampoo and cream rinse will help you retain your hair, or if it starts to fall out, the higher protein intake will help it to grow back in faster. Who knows? My hair's been thin for several years, and although I'm noticing a little more than usual in my comb, I don't know if it's from the surgery, lack of sufficient protein, or as a side effect from my thyroid medication.
   — Erica Alikchihoo

November 30, 2009
Hi! Congrats on the surgery! To remember to eat I would suggest journaling. I forget to take pills and couldn't remember how much I had drank, and journaling helped me out. I keep track of ounces , grams and calories in. I am 17 months out and still do it! I eat 4 ounces since I met goal 7 months ago. You should be eating about 2 ounces per meal. When I was 3 months out my loss was very slow and the nut said I wasn't eating enough. When I bumped my meals to 2 ounces, it melted off. I was going to the gym every day for an hour and walking 30-60 mins in the evening. My body was in starvation mode until I took in more. I think it will help for you too! I would egg beaters, 1 ounce with 1 ounce of cheese for breakfast. lunch may have been an ounce of meat with an ounce of cheese, and dinner was also meat and another protein. I didn't like cheese before surgery, so I ate my fill after, when I developed a taste for it. I drank 10 ounces of milk a day. That was 10 grams of protein and then I had a shake for 20 grams. I always got 60 grams in or close to it. If you like fish, shrimp , scallops, they are low cal and high protein. Best of luck to you! Hugs,Kim
   — gpcmist

November 30, 2009
Until you are on solid food, eating it well and keeping it down, I would suggest that you get protein in by eating yogurt with fruit (choose a fruit w/o a lot of sugar) cheese stick with thin sliced deli meat (not packaged) and wrap it around the string cheese. Peanut butter is a good one, only in small amounts, tofu, cottage cheese that should be a good start for you right now. Don't try to eat meat unless you blend it up like in a stew and puree it. (without lumps) I would blend just about everything my family ate, just mine was thinner but it helped. It tastes the same just seems weird to eat it like that. But you are getting in the meat products, without risking it getting stuck in the opening. Hope this helps.
   — Kristy

December 1, 2009
I forgot to mention that if you are forgetting to eat, buy a minute timer that dings and set it for every hour or so, or set a reminder on your computer to eat. I know it is hard to remember when you aren't hungry, but the timer should help.
   — Kristy

December 1, 2009
Everyone has great suggestions! I just want to tell you hang in there and don't give up;}
   — maryjo68