Things to eat

I'm really surprised they didn't say anything about it.  So you were probably about 3 months out like I am now?  I really don't see how it can be a problem as long as you don't eat too much and you can handle eating it.  When I was in Florida I did have a little bit of ice cream.  Everyone went to DQ and it's really hard to not eat anything when everyone else is eating ice cream.  I did get a child's cup of ice cream and didn't eat it all.  My PCP said today that she didn't think that it was a bad thing because I didn't feel deprived that way and I didn't get a blizzard like I would've loved to have done.  I definitely want this surgery to work for the long term, not like the last surgery I had. Candy

Hi Candy, I didn't do pasta until I was about a year out.  Then I used only Barrilla Plus (yellow box).  It is high protein (10 grams per serving) and high fiber (4 grams per serving).  Make sure you come to the cooking classes that Anessa and Ruthann put on.  You will get some great recipes.  And they will provide you with plenty of alternative foods.  Send me an e-mail and I'll put you in touch with Richard.  He has copies of all the recipes she has already demonstated that he can e-mail to you.  They are wonderful and my whole family loves them.  As for calcium, I just asked Ruthann to check into a company that has a powdered calcium that you can add to your food or drinks.  They will let you ask for samples, but only through your bariatric clinic.  So I asked her to check into it for us.  I just talked to Ruthann and she is going to check into the company and see if she can get us access to some samples.  I'll be sure to post something on the board if I find out we can get them.  I hate taking the pills, so I'd much rather be able to add a scoop of the powder to something 2 or 3 times a day.  Hopefully it will turn out to be as easy to use as the Creamy Bites were.

Cindy, What is the name of the company?   Thanks, Kim

Hi Kim, I can't remember the name of the company (Global something), but the product I was interested in trying was Upcal D calcium citrate powder that can be added to foods or drinks.  I haven't heard back from Ruthanne about whether or not they were going to get the sample request postcards.  I'll check with her again in a couple of days.

It may be www.unjury.com

Hi Cindy!  I was fixing Barrilla Plus before I had my surgery.  Richard does e-mail me about the meetings, etc.  I live in Kokomo and haven't been able to make a meeting or cooking class yet.  I'm hoping to change that next week and make the support group meeting.  I'm hoping that the calcium stuff you are talking about is okay.  I agree, it sounds better than the pills.  Easier the better....lol.  One of the reasons I had the surgery this time was so I could get off most of my meds.  I was taking about 8 or 9 pills a day and I don't take pills easily......especially bigger pills.  I'm off most of them now.  I just had my blood tests today and hopefully I can get off my other 2 pills.  The vitamins don't bother me since it's not that many.  It's alot better than taking the number I used to take!!! Thanks for the info you gave me.  I do need to get the recipes....maybe it'd help.  I'm not thrilled about cooking, but I hate eating the same things all of the time. Candy

Hi Candy, I'm glad you get e-mails from Richard.  Just ask him for the recipes.  I have gotten into cooking much more since I started using Anessa's recipes.  It's become a kind of personal challenge with me to see if I can fix things that my husband, children and I will enjoy and still make them healthy.  Now I get a kick out of inviting my family (sisters & brothers-in-law) over for dinner and feeding them foods that are tasty and good for them!  I also enjoy making things to bring into work for pitch-ins, etc.  I sometimes have to tease some of my co-workers into trying stuff (they all know I use unusual ingredients), but quite often they are plesantly surprised to find out that they actually like stuff that is made with healthy ingredients.   Don't be afraid to try recipes that call for ingredients that you are not familiar with or thought that you didn't like.  I've found that even veggies and stuff that I thought I didn't like turned out to be good in one of Anessa's recipes.  As it turns out, I just hadn't had them fixed in a tasteful way.  A good example is beets.  I'd tried them at MCL and thought they were disgusting.  But Anessa made them as part of a vegetable dish at the last cooking class and I really liked them.  Happy cooking!