An idea I thought would be good to try & share with others

I saw this on another forum and thought "WOW, what a great tool for recent post ops and those that are pre ops, as well. I think it is a great way to get more choices for those that are further out and gives the newly out more ideas.

---- What are your top 5-10 foods that have helped you stay on track and stay motivated.

---- Also, are there 1-2 things that you found helpful that are not food items?

I've learned a lot from people on this board in the last 6 months and am so excited to see what choices and ideas everyone comes up with, so please be generous with your answers.

Oh, gosh, I could go on forever about this particular topic!! It is a great one...always happy to share what works and what doesn't. I should probably relate that I am a lover of crunchy foods, and preop my biggest weaknesses were breads and pastas rather than sweets. I still struggle with boredom eating. Top 12 Good Stay-on-Track foods: 1) Fage Yogurt with granola and dried fruit mixed in with a Splenda packet. Great source of protein. 2) Crystal Light/Walmart equivalent drink mixes 3) No Sugar Added Fudgesicles 4) Muscle Milk Light protein bars. Tastes just like a Milky Way, I swear. 5) Sugar free, fat free pudding. I mix this with protein powders and dip fruit in it. 6) High-protein Lean Cuisine meals 7) Tomato soup...love to mix unflavored protein powder in it 8) Smucker's All Natural Light Peanut Butter. Mmm mmm good! 9) Pickles wrapped with deli meats and veggies 10) Any kind of savory, lowfat soups that I make with high-protein ingredients. I have cooked more with my Crock Pot now than I ever have. 11) Goat cheese and baguette 12) Caprese salad (fresh tomato drizzled with olive oil and fresh basil) Helpful Things: 1) Never shop hungry. I tend to buy more bad snacky-type foods if I do that. Buy only what is on the list and do not deviate from it. 2) Personal motto: "Just because I can have it doesn't mean I should have it" 3) Personal motto #2: "Stay out of the kitchen...both body AND mind." Engage in activities that do not revolve around food, as it is very much the norm in society these days to socialize around food and therefore, our minds are constantly in the kitchen. 4) Stay away from large bags of stuff, like pita chips, popcorn, pretzels, etc unless you are disciplined enough to portion them out into smaller bags. I am not and I admit it! I tend to go overboard on these, just like I did preop. I just can't eat as much of them at one time. This may make it difficult to shop at Sam's for these kinds of things. 5) Seek out and go to support groups or be around/keep in contact with people further out than you if you have time constraints. People often think they do not need that, but they are invaluable in so many ways. 6) Get a Magic Bullet! I am sure I will think of more stuff that I will post as I go along!

I still consider myself to be a "newbie" --  I am always trying to learn new things regarding WLS, and I am still pushing towards goal, but here are my answers: Top Foods: 1.  Without a doubt, the Greek yogurts (Fage or Oikos).  Loads of protein.  I mix them with Kashi Go Lean Cereal (about 2 Tbsp), some ground flaxseed and some fresh fruit.  It is filling, very nutritious and as I said...a great source of protein. 2.  I LOVE homemade decaf iced tea.  I am not a big water drinker and can't handle Crystal Lite and the others, so this is great for me.  I make it, keep it in the fridge and drink it all day long. 3.  Protein shakes -- gotta have them!  I still love the RTD (ready to drink) Muscle Milk Light, chocolate flavor.  I am on the go all of the time, and this works great, especially cold.  The other one that I really like:  Unjury, chocolate.  When I mix it up, I add ice cubes and let it go for a little longer than normal in my "bullet" -- it comes out creamy and cold and frothy -- almost like a shake!  I love it.  I have that a couple of times a day as well. 4.  Minestrone/vegetable soups.  I am only now starting to tolerate meats, so this has been a good alternative for me when I go out to a restaurant, etc.  I have that with a small salad and I am ready to go. 5.  Bariatric Choice has some awesome pretzels that are made with soy, I believe.  Some people say they have an aftertaste, but I haven't found that to be the case for me.  When I want something to "crunch," I reach for a bag of those...perfect...AND they have something like 12 grams of protein in the bag. Helpful things: (1)  Without a doubt, attending support groups -- as many as I can fit in.  My surgeon's office has two a month, and then I attend Jackie and Sue's group in Falmouth every month.  Learning from the surgeons, the nutritionist, Jackie, Sue and all of the others has been wonderful....I don't know that there are any books out there that could provide the kind of information I am able to get from all of these people. (2)  As much as I hate to admit it, as a former "exercise-avoider," exercising is a biggie.  I work out 5 days a week, and am at the point where if I don't, I miss it.  Who would have thought I would have ever said that?  The simple fact is, the more I exercise, the more I lose, and the more I lose, the more I exercise.  It works well.  I hope that helps some.  The important thing to remember is that everyone's different -- and each of us has to do what works best for us while taking advantage of, and taking care of, the tool we all have now, our WLS.  Constantly be on the prowl for GOOD information from GOOD, RELIABLE sources...it will be well worth the time and effort!  :)

I thought of one other thing: Helpful: (3)  Keep track of what you eat, the nutritional value, etc.  I have been tracking mine for many, many months and would be lost if I couldn't do it.  I have been constantly surprised by the calories, fat, carbs, etc. in many foods I always thought were "good."  I even plan to the point where if I know I am going out, I look up the menus of the restaurants I am going to so I am prepared when I get there, and know what to order.  I even log it into my food journal so I know where I stand BEFORE going out.  It really keeps me honest, and helps me to know that I am staying within the guidelines given to me by my nutritionist.  The program that I use is www.fitday.com.

Great topic!

My top foods that help me are -

1. Fage Yogurt - mixed with Splenda and SF pudding I tablespoon - Banana, butterscotch and chocolate are my favorite!

2. Snap Peas - raw - sweet and crunchy and great when I am in the car and want to snack! 3. SF Jello - all flavors  - 10 calories a cup - love them!

4.  Protein balls - love them! Sometimes even eat them as a meal substitute rather than a snack lol! 5. Hot Oatmeal with a small handful of raisins (and sometimes the banana oatmeal Healthy Heart option ) 6.  SF Reese's peanut butter cups - so I can have one on the odd occasion I really need some chocolate  - three makes me really gassy and ill so I am forced to only have one or two - a great thing! 7.  SF fudgesicles - these are great and I love them! 8.  Waldens Farm SF No calories dips  - marshmallow and caramel 9.  Home made turkey chilli with chili beans, cheese and touch of sour cream - recently I love this so much  10.  Tamalie pie - we all love this..... Things that are not food items: I love going to the support groups  I attend - I learn so much from each ones I go to and the support given is fantastic! I hope they realise how much good they do me - keeps me motivated and on track Jackie