Perfect Protein AND INTRODUCING: Meal Plan Monday!

So, you guys hear us talking about "perfect protein" all the time. And I bet you're wondering what the heck "perfect protein" is! Today I'm going to tell you guys a little bit about perfect protein, what it is, and give you some examples of good sources!

AND!! This week, we're starting a brand new topic! Meal Plan Mondays!
Meal planning is SO important for bariatric patients - especially in the beginning! It helps us stay on track and helps us from falling into a rut.

Perfect Protein

What is perfect protein? A "perfect protein" is a protein that gives you the biggest protein boost for the least amount of calories. A perfect protein has at least 4 grams of protein per ounce and less than 2 grams of fat per ounce. These are great energy boosters, blood sugar stabilizers, and can be super delicious to boot!

Some "Perfect protein" examples are:

Eggs whites. At 17 calories per white and less than 1 gram of fat, these little puppies have about 4 grams of protein per white. Most of us can handle about two egg whites (which equals about an egg in quantity) which gives us about 8 grams of protein.

Chicken Breast: This is a power punch - it has 35 calories, just over 5 grams of protein, and less than 2 grams of fat per ounce. Most bariatric patients can eat 3 oz of chicken breast at a meal. This gives you a whopping 15 grams of protein per serving!!

Shrimp: Ounce for ounce these little puppies pack more protein than just about anything - they are 28 calories per ounce, with zero - that's right ZERO fat - and - are you ready for this? 6 GRAMS OF PROTEIN!!

Pork Loin: There's a reason I love the pig ... This protein is 40 calories, 1 measly gram of fat, and 7 grams of protein. SEVEN!! Three ounces of lean pork loin gives you 21 grams of protein! That's almost 1/4 of our recommended amount!

Runners Up:
These didn't quite make the cut for "perfect protein" status, but they're still great protein choices!

Salmon
Tuna
Lean Beef steak
Ground turkey
whole eggs

So, go eat some protein!

This week launches our Meal Plan Monday! Since I (Jen) am struggling - as many of you are - I'm going to be sharing my meal plan here on Mondays (for Monday-Friday). The next week, I'll tell you how I did!

This week my menu is a little different than it's going to be otherwise - I am starting an elimination diet for health reasons, which means I'm not eating eggs, dairy, gluten, corn, soy, nuts, or aspartame this week. The good news? I CAN have potatoes and oats - which I have previously been cutting out!

Check out this week's plan here!
PS I'll be sharing recipes on our facebook page too!

The First Few Weeks

This week I was reminded that many of you out there are just beginning your journey with weight loss. I was reading on one of the many groups on Facebook where a lady had just had her surgery and was asking questions.

1) How long will the gas pain last
2) Sipping is monotonous
3) Broth and liquids are nasty
4) What if I just take a taste of real food
5) I feel so tired
6) My strength is low and I need to go back to work
7) Will my hair fall out
8) I don’t want anyone to know I’m losing weight

I know there are more but we will start with this few.

The gas pain is real. Some of you will have really painful gas like Jennifer did. I did not have nearly as much, but I am a mover, I wiggle and jiggle, and walk a lot so it moved through me pretty fast. I putt putted along, and still do (that is one of the after effects). Gas moves through with reckless abandon...don’t be upset, it is your body moving waste products out of the cells and into the bowel to be removed, this is just what you want to happen. If you are having constipation issues early on, talk to your Doctor and he will give you the best answer on how to handle that. I did not and do not have constipation issues.

Now for the “gotta run” issue, that is going to happen and you should always think ahead. Sometimes I would feel like I was going to explode with gas only to find out it was the bowel dumping! Yes, some sleevers do dump and we need to understand that early on it is a normal process but after we get on solid food if it continues to happen it can be from sugar, lactose, or other issues. If you are having problems with dumping call your Doctor immediately. This is also common with the RnY and the duodenal switch.

Sip, Sip, Sip, was what my Doctor told me to do! With the Lap-band I was told to use a straw, with the Sleeve I was told not to use a straw! I did not use a straw till I was six months out. It supposedly brings in more air to the stomach….I don’t know, I was told the same thing about using the straw for less air, so whatever your Doctor recommends, I would suggest following his directions. He makes that choice on his experiences with lots of patients. I have only myself to use as the guide line, so I followed his advice. I do know that I had to experiment with lots of different flavors: Crystal light, Kool aid, and Mio were a few I used. To me if it was super sweet, I did not like it. Crystal Light became my go-to, and they add flavors pretty often. Also I drink decaf tea and coffee, so that was not an issue. But if I had to give up regular coffee and soda, and go on liquids all at the same time, I would have gone nuts. I was off caffeine for several years, and had not had soda in at least 15 years before the surgery, so I know I would have been struggling a lot if I had not got off of those early on.

Drinking broth and liquids for long periods is really yuck in a cup. If you haven’t seen the first episode of the our show, you might want to review that. In it we give some ideas for making the "yuck" a little more palatable. There are several kinds of herb mixtures available for seasoning - they do not add substance to the liquid, and are easy to strain out, so look through the offerings at your local supermarkets and see what you can find. I like the garlic parsley for chicken broth and the Mediterranean for a change. There were also some in the reduced salt products but I just did not like them very well.

I still cannot tolerate milk, whey, or soy in protein shakes. It is very expensive to buy a large container of shake mix, to only discover you can’t drink it. The health food shop in our small town does carry trial size of some of their offerings. I recommend if you live in a metro area, visit several health food shops and ask for samples, if they are available, and the trial sizes so that you can try without spending big bucks. You can also find some companies online such as Unjury, Bariatric Advantage, and

If you are on liquids or pureed foods do not! DO NOT! take a bite of solid food and think you can swallow it and not have a problem. It will happen! I have talked to too many people that just wanted a bite of steak, vegetables, chicken, cake, WHATEVER!!!! Don’t do it!! I can cause harm to your new tummy that you don’t want to have to deal with!! Pain, cramping, and worst of all you might just bust a staple and start a leak!!! That is something YOU don’t want to happen.

Follow the directions, do the liquids for exactly the days your Doctor says, do the same with pureed and then take it easy on real food, start out slow, well cooked chicken, fish and vegetables, don’t jump in and think you can eat barbecue ribs or grilled steak you just aren’t ready for that work up to it take your time, you have a life time to re discover those foods.

Feeling tired? Well, you just had major surgery! Even if it was laparoscopically it was major, and 6 weeks is the recovery time. During this time you should be starting to take vitamins. If you can’t tolerate the pills, you can get liquids and they are tasty! Remember to take them and they will definitely give you a boost. Also protein is the most important! Carbs give you a spurt of energy but protein gives you the long term boost. Count the grams of Protein and then you will feel much better. I know I get downright grumpy and out of sorts if I don’t get 60 grams minimum of protein a day.

If you are in a hurry to go back to work and your don’t feel like your energy is back where it needs to be, double check your protein count if it is 60 - 80 grams of protien and you are taking your supplements then by all means talk to your Doctor. He may want to add B12 or some other supplement to your diet. They usually do blood test at 6 months to check A , B12, calcium and D so ask they might need to do it early on you.

Will your hair fall out? Probably some of it. Some people have lots of hair loss, I did with the Lap-band and again after the sleeve but not as bad as some. There are lots of products to “Help” but I think diet and supplements worked for me. If you see large clumps coming out there again your Doctor needs to know and he will check to see if anything else is going on.

I hear people say, “I don’t want anyone to know I’ve had surgery”. That is all well and good, but some of you loose so fast that people are going to think you have a serious malady, and real friends are going to be concerned. I personally feel it is my mission in life to let people know there is a way to live without being obese! I am so proud of my daughter that she is a new person on the outside, and has let her real personality come out with her new body. I see myself as a new person, and I love being who I am physically. You have to handle your challenge the way you feel is best for you. BUT if anyone who has not had bariatric surgery thinks it is the “EASY WAY” to lose weight they have another think coming. IT is not the easy way, we struggle every day to eat enough, but not to much.

To get protein and not over do the carbs... We will always struggle….that is why we were obese in the first place...we have to come to terms with our bodies and see ourselves in a new mirror. I have met so many people online and see their changes and the stumbling blocks that they put in their own way sometimes and I just want to say to all of you...you have made a positive choice for your own health and well being, if you lose a friend because they can’t lose weight or they make fun of you, then find a new friend, one who understands and supports you. My daughter has faced these challenges with some overweight friends that continue to sabotage her ability to eat, or should I say her desire to eat some things. I told her it is better to not have a friend than to have one that wants to hurt you. I know from experience what those people can do to your self esteem. I remember when I decided to get the lap-band, my husband’s good buddy, told him that I was looking for a new man! How ridiculous I just got him house trained why would I want a new one!. But that is the thinking of people who are afraid to take control of their future and their health.

I don’t know if I have answered your questions but I hope that I have helped one person by writing about my experiences. If you have any questions or would just like to comment please do and either Jennifer or myself will do our best to help out. Always remember whatever or whoever you get your advice from it is always better to check with your Doctor if it is a medical question, we can only tell you what happened to us, they can check to make sure your are healthy.

*Sue*

I LOVE this post! I really think Mom hit the nail on the head with this one! What do you think? Here's this week's meal plan! This week I get to start re-introducing foods I eliminated last week Which one is causing all the fuss?? We shall see! <3 Jen <3

Falling and Having Trouble Getting UP?

This morning I was cruising the bariatric sights looking at what problems folks are having.  Looks like it is the same story everywhere I looked.  Large initial weight loss then stalls!  Sound familiar?

This seems to be a normal trend along with snacking on poor quality products.  How to break the stall and quit the snacking. Honestly, it is different for everyone.

We always say “Back to Basics” meaning 2-3 days of liquids followed by protein heavy diets for a week or 10 days to break the stall. This sounds easy and it really can be but obviously for some who are seriously addicted to carbs this is tough!

First of all, if you cleaned out the cabinets of all the white carbs at the beginning of your surgery why did you bring it back in?  I know I have done this a dozen times.  This last week when my husband went to the grocery store with me he picked crackers and sandwich makings and chips.  Guess who has been eating the stuff?  Yep, even though I know I don’t need it, it is bad for me and I know what it does to my system, I found myself eating the last few bits of the barbecue potato chips then cleaning out the last few bites of the Fritos!  No matter how you justify eating just one bite, it adds up!  It has for me at least.

So Back to Basics for me…..cleaning out the cabinets AGAIN!  Admonishing the hubby that I can’t have it in the house without stuffing it in my mouth.  And making protein rich snacks to keep on hand for the both of us. I know we are going to snack I just need to control what we snack on so much better.

There are so many low carb options now even on the grocery store shelves but be aware, low carb doesn’t mean NO CARB!  So the creative juices have to kick in and make items that my Husband can't resist and that I will feel satisfied with a bite or two and leave the bag alone!!

Now breaking a stall is a whole different ball game.  Sometimes you literally have to re Shock the System!  That means up your game if you are working out, change from walking to jogging, change from light weights to a little heavier or harder workout and of course change what goes into the furnace.  Up the protein and water.  

If you aren't using a tracker system I heavily suggest that you find one.  I have an IPad and an android phone.  Trackers that are free are out there, you just have to find one that you like.  The IPad apps had several that were free and so did the android phone.

Upping your game plan takes just that, planning.  Planning ahead for meals, water and exercise.

I know these are probably getting old being repeated and repeated but if it works don’t fix it but if it ain’t working you gotta fix it!! If you know what I mean.

We didn’t have these surgeries to fail.  And if we are down big numbers on the scale we want to keep it going.  I know Jennifer has struggled after the first 100 pounds and I did to.  I thankfully am at goal but I want to stay there!! And Jen wants to get there!! As does everyone reading this.  I want all of us to be successful.  So “Back to Basics” reminding ourselves that one day of falling off the plan does not constitute failure but not jumping back on track immediately increases the chances of long term problems.  So Jump “Back to Basics” and make it more fun and easier by doing the planning.  

Track your Meals

Track your Water

Track your exercise

Weigh once a Week not every day

Plan your meals ahead of time and make your own snacks

And get back on the road to complete success and being happy with yourself and your choice to have bariatric surgery as a tool toward this success.

*Sue*

St. Patty's Day Fun - And Why We Deprive!

Birthdays run amok in our family around St. Patrick's Day. From the other adult Munson children to Jen's son, niece, and other family members ... The cupcakes are flying! Check out what we made this week on the show!

While we're having fun and making yummy things to share with the ones we love, it's important to remember that even though these treats are made better, they are NOT everyday foods. One of the traps so many of us fall into - as we did prior to surgery - is the belief that one shouldn't deprive themselves. I do not adhere to this belief for one simple reason:

I didn't get to 310 lbs by depriving myself ...
And chances are, you didn't deprive yourself to the weight you were prior to surgery.

We were told over and again by diet expert after diet expert to NOT deprive ourselves. To allow ourselves to eat these foods "sometimes". My problem was I didn't fully understand the concept of "sometimes". To me, "sometimes" meant "once a day, every day, all day long".

The philosophy behind NOT depriving yourself is simple - you deprive yourself too often, you binge later.
But let's face it - we don't tell alcoholics or drug addicts to NOT deprive themselves!
WHY isn't it the same with food?
We talk about addiction all the time - FOOD IS AN ADDICTION! And it's stronger than any chemical you can put in your body. Why? Because it's there all the time - because we NEED food to survive!

For addicts, deprivation is the ONLY way to get over their drug of choice.
We NEED to deprive ourselves in order to heal.

A sugar-free or all natural gluten free cupcake is okay every once in a while - once a month, maybe. But the majority of the time we HAVE to deprive ourselves. We can't be successful if we don't.

Jen’s Product Review #1: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix

So, recently my family has started a low-gluten eating plan. We’ve decided on this for a few reasons - first, I believe I might have a gluten sensitivity. Second, we think my daughter has some health issues that might be linked to a gluten sensitivity. As a result, I have been on the lookout for products that will be healthful for my family and not make them feel like they’re deprived of anything.

There are many, MANY gluten free products on the market. My local Super Center has a good selection. Natural grocery stores have an even better one, however. And gourmet markets have the best that I’ve seen.

The problem? Most of them are made with “filler flours” such as white rice flour or potato starch flour. While better for someone with a gluten issue than wheat products, they are still refined and most contain an elevated amount of sugar and/or fat to compensate for the flavor and texture of the gluten free products.

When I found Bob’s Red Mill several years ago, I was on an organic kick. I loved the selection of flours they have - everything from fava bean flour to almond meal and everything in-between. I’ve used their products in the past, so I was fairly confident when I found the chocolate cake mix that I was getting a decent product. I was also excited to see the inclusion of such ingredients as fava bean flour and garbanzo bean flour - this gives the mix protein and fiber that wouldn’t be there before. An added bonus - less sugar than conventional g-free cake mixes! This excited me greatly!

So I brought the mix home (well, actually to the test kitchen!). While mom was working on her amazing Guinness-laced cupcakes for our upcoming St. Patrick’s Day episode (to air next week!), I was working on these little babies. I wanted a version that gluten-free people could do, but unfortunately, the way the cake mix was created I did have to add more products. No worries, though! I added a sugar-free root beer instead of the Guinness, then added an egg, butter, and vanilla (as the recipe called for). I tasted the batter. Then I almost spit it out. It tasted HORRID!! I was immediately concerned. My kids are NOT going to eat something healthy for them if it doesn’t taste good! But I didn’t want to add more junk to it if possible ... So, I added a bit more sweet (in the form of Stevia- about 1/4 C) and some more vanilla (1 more tsp).  Tasted it again. It was a bit more palatable, but no where close to what I thought would be edible ... But I threw it in the oven anyway.

After about 30 minutes, my mini nuggets of chocoholic love were done. I let them cool for about five minutes before the taste test. I grabbed one and peeled the paper off the outside, preparing for the worst ...

And was completely and totally surprised! These cupcakes were DELICIOUS! Moist, chocolatey gooey ... EVERYTHING a cupcake is supposed to be! I decided that next time I will prepare them by package directions and see what happens, but I’m pretty sure the extra sweetness and vanilla are going to be key components ... I guess we’ll see next time!

This was the nummy result:

And this ...
















And the consensus from the kids?

Mr. J: "Mama, these are the best cupcakes you've ever made!" (Boy after my own heart ...)
Miss E: "They kind of tasted weird ... But ... OK. I'd probably eat them again ..." (Such a teenager, that one!)

So ... There you have it! Will I use Bob's Red Mill cake mix again? Absolutely. Will I recommend it to a friend? Absolutely! Go give it a try, then let us know what you did!

Want the recipe? GO HERE!

Suzette's Story

I started my weight loss journey on April 11, 2005 when I had Lap-band surgery.  I lost eighty five pounds before the weight loss came to a screeching stop!  I regained 20 pounds that my Doctor and I both blamed on the stress of dealing with an elderly parent who was ill and ultimately passed away.

This event caused me to lose focus for about 3 years.  By the time it was over I was out of control, eating carbs that would easily pass through the band.  ( I call these sliders)

In the summer of 2013 my daughter Jennifer, my co-author, decided to have the Gastric Sleeve surgery.  When we were making the final plans before her surgery, I finally confessed to my Doctor the issues I had been having with regular vomiting and not being able to eat protein and how bad I had gotten out of sink.  I will never forget when Dr. Frank Veninga’s nurse Barbara Moorehouse ask it I had considered the revision.   Of course my answer was like a lot of patients, “ I don’t know if the insurance will pay, as I have already had one surgery.”  Wise as she is she said again, what if we check? and within a week she called to let me know that they would indeed pay for the revision!  You would think I would have been jumping up and down, Right!  Well, I guess I was shocked, scared, and apprehensive about going through surgery again, so I told her I needed to talk to my husband.  Standard answer when we are caught off guard.

After discussing the surgery with family and deciding that if I was ever going to get the rest of my weight off I would go through with the surgery.

On October 10. 2013 I had the surgery that would indeed change my thinking, my life and my outlook.

On October 13, 3 days after my surgery, my oldest grandson, Robert was hit by a truck and thrown off his bicycle landing 60 feet from the impact.  He was in ICU for 7 days and had a steel plate put in his pelvis to stabilize the crushed bone.  I waited 10 days after the surgery and with Dr. V’s blessing flew to Tampa, Florida to “sit” with Robert while his parents tried to get back to work and his sisters back in school.  He came home from the hospital the day before I arrived and rode with is Dad to the airport to meet me.  Being 13 he was much more resilient than me.  Because their house is full of 4 kids, I stayed in a hotel for the 17 days that I stayed with Robert.  I could only bring him his food and coach him through his exercise.  

As traumatic and stressful as this emotional trip was, I managed to lose 17 lbs during that 17 days.  I had to go to the hotel  work out room to weigh and would walk back to my room excited that the sleeve was working and I was able to not eat bad choices.  Remember the first two weeks are liquids, second two weeks are soft foods and then solids.  I had stocked the hotel refrigerator with yogurt, peanut butter, tuna, and sugar free pudding.  I searched out places to eat that I could get a child's portion of food and bring it back to the hotel for the next days lunch.  Sometimes I was so hungry for solid food I could scream.  But I knew I wanted results and I was so far from Texas I did not want to get sick.  

When Robert was able to return to school in a wheelchair and had help arranged I was able to get back on a plane and come home to finally relax.  I found that I was much stronger than I thought I was and had been able to control my eating during one of the most stressful times of my life.  I was on the right track and my new tummy was going to work for me!

Food was not my priority and when I got home for the first time in several years fixing food for others diets was not going to happen.  If I couldn't eat it no one in the family was going to eat it.  Now, truthfully, I like everyone fall off the wagon...yep, I do occasionally eat something I shouldn't but the more I moved toward my goal the more I cut out the bad stuff! (ie...bad carbs)

Jennifer has been my redemption, she has helped me stay on track, and I hope I have helped her.

We attended a support group in Dallas, which was 80 miles from home.  We could not go every week but for about 6 months we went every month.  We started joining forums on facebook and found that those helped us tremendously.  Then like a lightning bolt we both realized that there is not a cookbook that addresses our situations.  There are bits and pieces, low carb, no carb, high protein etc cookbooks but no one has really addressed our eating needs.

No one has put together a comprehensive book on what we go through, we, being anyone who has had surgery on their stomachs, whether it is bypass surgeries, lap-band, sleeve, or repair on the esophagus.  No one has put into writing the process of re-teaching our guts to work correctly after these surgeries.  They “explain” it one on one, they give us “handouts” and if we are lucky they tell give us a few basic recipes on liquids, pureed and soft foods but it is sort of a “go sic um” attitude toward what we eat and how we can stay on track after the initial surgeries are healed and we are in the kitchen looking for something to snack on!  

Dr.  V had been exceptional in all his support on doing this project.  I know he probably thought we were just talking and would never get it off the ground.  I am so glad that I can now share what I have learned, I am not the only one who will be sharing.  We are receiving ideas and recipes from other members of our community.  By starting this blog and the YouTube show we are fulfilling the desire to reach out to our friends and neighbors who have had surgeries and don’t know what to do.  We want to help them not fall back into the bad habits.

I do most of the experimentation with recipes and Jennifer is the exceptional writer and computer person in this partnership. Jennifer and her family are my guinea pigs as is my Cousin Debbie and her family.  Thank goodness they are game to try just about anything.  And I will cook anything at least once and living on a farm that does include some critters that most people think live in a zoo!  That makes life fun and teaches the children where our food comes from.  I hope you enjoy the recipes we share and open your minds to using products that you may have never heard of and tasted before.  May you enjoy your new life as much as I am enjoying mine!