High Protein, low carb/sugar economical meals?

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . My favorite protein drinks are Click, Fit Frappe and Muscle Milk Light. I have at least one a day. If I am in a hurry I do drink Atkins as well.

1) My doc demands WHEY ISOLATE, only.
. . . not whey isolate "plus"
. . . not whey protein
. . . not whey "whatever"
2) Too much junk in the other diet or weight lose drinks.
3) You NEED the protein so weight loss does not eat muscle instead of fat.
4) And, they say no to Adkins and "protein" bars - again too much other stuff (did you see the sodium !!!)
5) But, if your doc says OK, then it is good it works for you.

PS - The doc was good enough that there was ZERO PAIN. Sure, a little
sore the next day from disturbing muscle and flesh, but that was like you
would exercise too much and wake up the next morn. NEVER had morphine
or even a Tylenol! It was less painful than teeth cleaning!

 

[Julylady]

Wishing you all the best! I had the sleeve surgery 2 1/2 years ago and it was the best decision I ever made! It completely changed my relationship with food. I eat a high protein, low carb diet. For example, I went out for breakfast yesterday and ordered the eggs Benedict. I ate the eggs, ham, and sauce. I left the English muffins behind. For dinner I made chicken Parmesan. Baked chicken with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. For a late night snack I had a about 1/4 cup of peanuts.

It will be harder for you to eat before surgery than after as you will still have a huge appetite. After surgery you will just focus on the protein and not have to worry about anything else. I don't eat any bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. None at all! And I don't miss it even a little. That's the beauty of the surgery. I eat a tiny bit of fruit or vegetables. For example, last week I bought green beans, sweet cherries, and green grapes because I had kids coming over. Except for what they ate, all of it is still in my fridge. I just don't want it......even though it would be fine for me to eat.

I lost 105 pounds originally and then gained 10 back. I am now able to maintain this weight. I am off diabetic meds and hypertension meds. I do take a lot of vitamins but for me that is better than the alternative. Don't worry too much now about what you will eat after surgery because your whole relationship with food will change.

Prior to surgery I heard all the same warnings you are getting on this thread. Everyone knows someone.... However, I was killing myself slowly at my prior weight. I am 100 percent convinced that I would have never been able to lose the weight without the surgery no matter how hard I tried.

I hope you do well, OP!

 

[TrueLove's1stKiss]

Thank you ALL for the links, food ideas, pointers and concerns!

I had seen "Paleo" before on Pinterest but had no idea what is was... I plan to look into that more.

Just to clarify as to why I ask for ideas in the way I did is because after surgery it will be eating every 3 hours and what is eaten must be high protein/low carbs & sugar because my body can only have 3 ounces at a time (and no eating and drinking together).

I am not a big veggie eater but know that I must begin to eat things that I have not eaten/eaten frequently before. I also know that making my own food and not eating fast food is a must. I want to succeed so beginning now is also a must... I know that there is a need for retraining not only myself but my family!

From the farmer's market today I have a plethora of fresh veggies that I have never tried (eggplant, squash, zucchini) as well as cucumbers, tomatoes, hot peppers and green peppers. Tomorrow after Church there is no eating out. I am prepping eggplant, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onions and green peppers to grill tomorrow with boneless/skinless chicken breasts! I am excited to enter this "new world".

I know there are a lot of negative stories about WLS and many that gain it back. Prayerfully I do not have complications. I researched doctors and facilities until I found one that has a good strong program and accountability of the patient (e.g. I must keep food logs and must show weight loss before the surgery). I also must see him monthly and undergo many tests and exams. My hopes are to lose weight, become healthier and to reduce the # of meds that I take daily for conditions caused or made worse by my weight.

Thank you again for your replies!

I don't know a lot about WLS, but I do know a lot about weight loss. It sounds to me that what you are looking for is very much what I'm doing! I highly recommend that you read The Eat Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno. It is 5-6 small, high protein meals a day. This diet is the best thing that I have ever done! I'm also following the exercise which is lots of weight lifting and cardio. I'm getting so much stronger!

I absolutely love grilled veggies, and the farmers market is an excellent place to try new things! If you like red onions add them to your grilled veggies it makes it imho! I've discovered that if I take one or 2 days a week and do all my food prep it is so easy to stick to the plan! Kale is usually really cheap I get 1 lb bags from BJ's for $1.99!

A typical day for me looks like this:
BREAKFAST

1/4 C oats
1/4 c oat bran
1 Tbs ground flax seed
blueberries, raspberries,
cinnamon

5 egg whites (usually hard boiled occasionally over easy with one yolk cooked in coconut oil)
white tea

SNACK
1 C Chobani Plain 0% yogurt
cinnamon
sliced strawberries

LUNCH
Raw kale salad (you can dress it ahead of time)
tomatoes
red onion
avocado
grilled chicken

SNACK
veggies
hummus
grilled chicken

DINNER
Fish
salad

SNACK (only if hungry I RARELY AM)
5 egg whites
celery sticks

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

Well, I haven't had WLS, but I have lost 70lbs on my own, and I can tell you that a few things have helped me. LOTS of eggs/egg whites...most mornings I do an egg white omelette with a piece of low sodium ham and Trader Joe's lite Mozzerella cheese...sometimes I put it in a Trader Joes reduced card tortilla.

I do a lot of turkey sandwiches on Joseph's Flax Pitas....half a pita is 30 calories. I buy all my fruits and veggies once a week and cut and prepare them all the same day so it is easier to eat them. I also eat a lot of spaghetti squash which I love.

Unfortunately, my three close friends all had WLS and they have all gained almost all of it back and are now struggling. None of them wanted to change their eating habits. Wish you lots of luck!

 

[sherry7]

I had a RNY over 5 years ago, and don't regret my decision at all. I would recommend checking out the forums (and recipes) at thinnertimes.com and obesityhelp.com. Do a search for the recipes on thinnertimes.com by my username (same as here). I posted some really good ones over the years.

A few suggestions off the top of my head: canned tuna and chicken (quick and easy), any lean meat, eggs or egg whites, Greek yogurt (preferably the plain type mixed with fresh fruit), cottage cheese, fat free refried beans, reduced fat cheese, protein shakes (whey protein ISOLATE only), low fat ricotta cheese (awesome mixed with vanilla extract and artificial sweetener), chili made with lean ground beef or turkey, white chicken chili, etc.

As far as meals, I have 2 very hungry men in my house who can't be bothered with low carb. I usually cook some type of starch (rice, pasta, potatoes, etc) on the side. For example, last week I cooked a big batch of unstuffed cabbage rolls, and served the rice on the side so I didn't have to eat it. If I make something like beef stew, I leave the potatoes pieces large enough that I can easily remove most of it from my own portion.

Edited to add: here's a link to 70+ recipes that I posted to a cookbook on SparkRecipes a couple of years ago. I had forgotten about some of these, I'll have to try making them again. http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/cookbooks.asp?cookbook=64597

 

[Mommy Poppins]

Renewed Reflections is a great website for WLS information. Here is a link to their recipe forum.

http://www.renewedreflections.com/forums/gastric-bypass-recipes/

 

[kimsuenew]

Just a quick note to THANK ALL OF YOU for your replies!

 

[DizMom11]

I eat mostly low carb, vegan, minimally processed foods. this morning I made scrambled tofu with tomato and vegan chorizo, non dairy cheese. The non dairy cheese and sausage can be pricey and are minimally processed but you only need small amounts. I learned how to do the scrambled tofu from a chef at Boma!! Also I have Coffee with unsweetened almond milk. I add cinnamon to the coffee which helps stabilize blood sugar. I lost 55 ponds over a year ago with low carb. I really don't like any animal products.

 

[pjlla]

First of all, I have to say that I have NO personal experience with WLS. I am a WW leader who lost 80+ pounds several years ago though. I have a DH who follows Atkins for nearly 3 years now (having lost about 80 pounds that way) and a DS with food allergies, plus a DD who has moral issues with eating certain foods.... so in our household finding meals that EVERYONE will/can eat is a huge challenge. As much as I LOVE one-pot cooking and casseroles, that doesn't happen for us much any more.

I have learned to adjust many recipes and make foods that can be served separately. For example, yesterday's ratatouille stew was modified to be made with lean pork loin instead of chicken, since DS is allergic to chicken. I also bulked it up a bit by adding more veggies (for me... I'm a volume eater!). I did NOT serve it with the recommended pasta because DH and I wouldn't eat it and DS didn't care about it (DD is at college now), but if he had wanted the pasta I would have been happy to cook him a serving.

I have several soup and stew recipes that I have modified to be reduced fat (for me) and reduced carb (for DH). And as I mentioned above, I make many "chicken" recipes with lean pork loin because of DS's allergy.

For other nights I will make what I consider a "normal" family meal..... but without the starchy side dish. If I think DS would like a starch, I make it just for him (small serving of brown rice, baked potato, couscous, etc). I often make up a full batch of brown rice and freeze it in individual servings. I also make TWO different veggies for most meals. It seems that most folks want to see THREE things on their plate, even if one of them isn't a starch.

For example, we might have grilled pork chops with steamed broccoli and roasted cauliflower. Or hamburgers (on low carb rolls) with grilled green beans and steamed carrots.

Stir fry is also our friend.... it is easy to adjust the amount/types of veggies to suit the family. I've also found a few healthier "sauces" for the stir-fries that don't have much/any sugar, such as garlic black bean sauce.

We have also discovered some new favorites that I might never have tried a few years ago.... curried carrot soup (a bit of carbs in the carrots and the full batch does have one potato, but overall low carb), a light broccoli cheddar soup (again, it has a bit of flour as a thickener, but overall low carb), hamburger soup, tuna cheddar chowder (although I don't make it any more because I have stopped buying all seafood). If I am making a soup that calls for noodles or rice, I cook them separately for the others, then put them in the individual bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles. That way the rest of us who don't want the noodles aren't stuck picking them out. Same for stews that might call for potatoes, corn, or peas.

You CAN do this and your family can still eat well and healthy along with you and you CAN do it without breaking the bank. Sure, pasta, potatoes, and rice are all cheap. But your HEALTH cannot be bought. Spend just a BIT more and save your health. Good luck.................P

 

[scrapquitler]

Hi! I am going through my 6 month insurance mandate to prepare for Bariatric surgery. This is relatively new to me so trying to eat well, in an economical fashion, is a challenge.

I have seen "Dis-friends" post on here before about the eating @ WDW in a thrifty way since their own weight loss surgeries. We are not planning a WDW trip but I do want to begin eating now in the same way I will be eating after December surgery!

I wanted to ask those of you that have had WLS, or spouse/partner has had it, how do you cook in a healthy, economical way that still tastes good enough the whole family will eat?

I look forward to being healthier, hopefully cutting the amount of medical problems and medications down, and potentially living longer so I am willing to do whatever it takes!

I was just hoping for recipes, pointers, links, information... anything that my wonderful Dis-friends feel like sharing!

It is a huge difference already in the way we eat (a lot less going out to eat and/or fast foods) as a family however I really would love ideas for healthy high protein meals that have no (very low) sugar, fats, and carbs. It would be an awesome bonus if they were cheaper and easy to prepare (I am not much of a cook, LOL and on a tight budget)!

Thank you!

One of my favorite cheap low carb/high protein meals is EGGS. Make omelettes, fritattas, scrambles with various meats and veggies plus eggs (and cheese if you like). You can also mix eggs, veggies, and cheese pour them in cupcake pans sprayed with Pam and bake them at 350 for about 20 minutes then put them in the fridge or freezer and just reheat in teh microwave when you want to eat them.

Stir fry is another good and easy option. You can use just a little bit of meat (or more if you want) and use lots of veggies of all sorts. Just skip the sugary sauces (I use teryaki, just a bit) and skip the rice. When I was eating low carb, I'd just skip or use very small amounts of the higher carb veggies and use more of the lower carb ones (so I used lots of bok choy, cabbage, green beans, not so much peas, carrots, no baby corn)

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I eat extremely low carb for other reasons.

I love the Atkins shakes - the best price is at Sam's Club (at least where I am). I will even freeze them into itsy ice cubes and then grind them into smoothies in my Ninja. No weird taste and no blood sugar spikes. I drink them straight for a meal, and keep an open bottle in the fridge for my coffee (also a replacement meal, lol).

I buy a lot of plain meat and block cheese. Green veggies are cheap and low carb and can be fixed up to taste really good.

Also, it's cheap to throw a chicken or whatever meat was on sale at the supermarket into a crockpot with some spices and wait a bit and have really yummy food. Add on asparagus or green beans or a green salad or greens and you have a full, low carb meal that tastes good and didn't cost much.

If you want to spend a little bit of money, Carbquik baking mix doesn't spike my blood sugar the way other supposed "low carb" breads and mixes do and works just like bisquick. It's made from Carbalose, which I use just like flour and also doesn't spike my blood sugar. Netrition.com has the best prices for both products. Totally worth the spendy, IMHO, because you can quell a craving for bread so easily with these two products in your pantry!