Another head work question

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this, so since I'm having a hard time with head hunger, I figured this would be the best place. I'm sure this has been talked about before somewhere on this site, but I guess I'm being lazy and just asking for help this way.

I'm having trouble knowing what to eat as a night time snack. Sounds quite simple doesn't it?.. but yet I'm having difficulty with snacking any time during the day.

I get a lot of protein in, and I've cut way back on the carbs (but still I have some here and there). If we aren't suppose to eat raw veggies, or some fruits with lots of fiber, do we just eat protein snacks? If so, what does everyone recommend, and how do you keep it low calorie? I'm to the point now, that I need variety, not the same yogurts, puddings, crackers (my downfall), light mozzarella sticks. Does anyone do the protein shakes for a snack, or just as a meal replacement. Or how about the Carnation Instant Breakfast drink with extra milk powder for protein.

Thanks.

[kristina]

does it have to be high protein donna- or any decent healthy snack?

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

That's just it, I'm not sure what to have.. I looked at my papers and it said to eat 3 meals a day with 2 high protein snacks per day, of course I know I'm snacking more than I really should. So this is what is confusing (or so it's confusing to me), what to have to fill me up. I really don't have any 'signs' to stop eating, until I get so full that if I take another bite of anything ... I know it'll come back up, so I stop eating. That's the ONLY signal I have. I wish I had a signal of some sort.. at this point, I feel like some of the others that have posted a while ago, I feel like I'm on a 'diet' with a band. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sorry I have it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.. I guess this is what bandster hell is all about eh ? :)

[Mloukas143]

by 5 months out of surgery, don't some bandsters find themselves eating normal foods again, but of course what they can and cannot tolerate? Have you gone outside of the box and tried different types of foods yet, or still taking it slow? nuts are high in protein, protein shakes made by recipes online are also an option, although i don't know if that is considered a meal or snack. of course cheese, but you can always have it with fruit to spice it up a little. those are a few ideas, but you might have already tried them. hope this helped a little =/

[kristina]

sounds like it love...i think ur- if i eat another bite- signal, is a good one....before we would eat anyway right? so thats good...and your portions are small...i think if you are going to snack it just needs to be healthy snacks..what u knew all along...what we all know..calories consumed verses calories burned...you arent getting in alot of calories with your teeny tiny portions..u are walking again, which could also be making you hungry...so just eat healthy snacks..like cottage cheese, or a boiled egg, or fruits, or veggies...u can do this..it is head work. but u have beat it before and u will again...the band will work, if we work the band...and u do work ur band girl!!!

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Yep I've tried nuts, but they're so high in calories, and cheese is high in fat.. I can eat more than one SF pudding so that's not a good thing.. lol I did make those black bean brownies, but I found those hard to control because they're so good. I made just the pumpkin custard a couple times.

I guess I'm whining because I got some oranges the other day and I'm really afraid to eat any of those. I absolutely love fruit, maybe that's what I'm missing.

I tried to eat just 1000 - 1200 calories a day, and for my body 1200 calories is way too much food if I want to lose weight. So by the time I get all the protein in, that takes calories, then if I have a few carbs, that takes the calories in too... I dunno, I'm just in 'a mood' tonight I guess.

[kristina]

well guess what- we are all entitled to have moods! i have the quite often. hehehe....and u know we love ya anyway!!! :)
u are doing everything right sweets...u are counting calories, u r walking...be proud of yourself!!!
see i am not tight enough to be afraid of anything yet. i can still get anything down as long as i eat slow.

[kristina]

hey peel that orange and suck the juice out of it!!!

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

What would I do without ya Kristina? :) From what I used to eat my portions are small, but sometimes I wonder if they're truly small enough.

I have a support group meeting tomorrow night, and I'm gonna ask this question there.

I ate supper tonight about 6 pm, had 1 small baked pork chop, with maybe 1/4 cup of potatoes that I baked in with the chops, covered with cream of chicken soup, and spices. I've been drinking water like crazy today, and I feel like I could go find something right now to snack on. Makes me want to go to bed early just so I won't eat .. :(

I figured up so far total calories I've had today is about 1200, so I'm at my limit. I find I do have restriction but it's when I don't chew well enough. Is this the only restriction you feel.. is when you don't chew well enough.. or do you really feel restriction to stop eating? Is there such a thing as really not thinking about food ever?

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

hey peel that orange and suck the juice out of it!!!
I do have a juicer, maybe I'll get that out. Good idea!

[Mloukas143]

maybe it is time for another fill? restriction should be a feeling of satiety and not chewing well enough isn't really fullness, it is just harder to go through the pouch since it wasn't chewed completely, and it probably gives you some discomfort. from what i have been reading and "studying" lol, i am pretty sure feeling satisfied after a small amount of food is your sweet spot, and if you aren't feeling as satisfied these days, and are exercising more, then maybe it is time for a fill?

[Mloukas143]

mMm an orange sounds REALLY good right now
haha

http://images.inmagine.com/img/inspirestock/ispc032/ispc032059.jpg

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

You're probably right Michelle.. I do go for a fill on Nov 17, and my Dr did say that in most patients they don't get to the 'sweet spot' until around 8 months out.

I did peel an orange and they're kinda dry.. not the best tasting orange I've had.. lol Not enough juice in it to squeeze it.. and I don't think it's going thru very good.. lol Guess this is enough of this eh ? lol

I was just wondering what other bandsters do for snacks, thanks to you and Kristina for responding. I sure appreciate it.

[kristina]

i dont snack...remember??? but i am here to hold ur cyber hand!!!

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk451/Filly2204/hopresolatuamano.jpg

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much!!

[wingsfly825]

Hmm i dont know if i can be much help. i am trying not to snack at all. but i will tell you i take the protein dessert , take 2 scoops with like 4 ounces of water and i make it so it is pudding consistency ( Got the idea from BETTY ). I leave it in the fridge and sometimes when i open up the fridge ( you know just to look lol) i take it out and have some. I could easily go for the cheese stick but i figure i am getting the protein with less calories. im sure you have had sf jello and such and yes your nuts are high but how about the powdered peanut butter make a serving 53 calories and slice a half a banana in it. Again its a snack around a hundred calories but higher in protein. i think snacks should try to be around 100 caloreis or they will push us right over the intake for the day. how about jello jigglers ( they are more fun to eat anyway lol. if you find nite time is your hardest try skimming off 100 calories from breakfast lunch and dinner and have a bigger snack before 8 pm. you have to really go by what satisfies you because if you snack and you were like eh then you will look for more. if you want have eggsalad with 5 crackers or tuna. you have to go by what you kinda craving . if i want something sweet , i would just assume throw a hard boiled egg at a wall than eat it lol. Ok ive rambled enough ..hope i helped but hey wheres that hamburger recipe i asked you for on that other thread lol

[brwneyedbeauty]

I don't eat after dinner. But when I'm snacking I eat something different all the time.
And I am a chocolate crazed women. So when I need it I eat some. Prevents me from ripping someone's head off LOL. that is the one thing I won't give up!
Okay Donna lots of blabbing...just try different snacks see what you like try something new.

[newlifeat57]

Donna, did your nut. and Fill Dr. tell you that you aren't supposed to eat raw veggies or fruit?

my nut encouraged me to eat fruit as a snack. I will cut up some pear and apple in one of those small 1 cup glad ware containers, pop it in the microwave with a little water to soften it a little, then I pour a little of that SF caramel sauce over it and voila!!! A great snack!!! Sometimes I just put in cinnamon, OR i add other fruits, like banana and grapes and add a tbls of plain yogurt and SF jam---YUM i would think a fruit salad would be ok. When i eat an orange, i peel it, then carefully peal away the membrane surrounding the pulp. i can't handle that part of the orange.

i also eat raw veggies. baby carrots, red & yellow peppers dipped in ranch (low carb or low fat)--celery-- I de-string it--cucumbers--yum. Sometimes i just grab a spoonful of Adams peanut butter with SF jam and eat it on 4-5 crackers--pretty tasty. My nut. also said i could eat raw almonds (about 10). I try to stay away from the crackers and chips.

i realize that our nut. and Dr are all different and they expect us to follow their rules, but you might ask them for some suggestions or ask if you can eat any of these things. just a thought....

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Thanks so much everyone for all your suggestions. I wrote them all down. That's what I needed was ideas.. it helped a lot. Seems I tend to get in the same rut of ideas.. and this really helped.

Mel, I guess I'm afraid to try raw veggies, that's my main problem. I haven't seen my nut since surgery, altho I have emailed her one time and she got right back to me, maybe I should do that again. I haven't talked to my Dr about snacks, because mainly it hasn't bothered me till now. I have eaten raw almonds, and those go down fine. I got those little pre-packaged ones and keep 1 in my purse.

I'm gonna get a calorie book today, I have lots of Weight Watcher books, but everything in those are listed as points or core, I do know that 50 calories is considered 1 pt usually.

Thanks again for the ideas. I appreciate all your responses.

[Mloukas143]

those are the longest hands i have ever seen!
no problem donna, as i am learning, i am also trying to help with questions, even though i am not banded, i study! lol

i know u didn't mean to, but it is melissa, u called me michelle, but hey either one works =p

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Sorry Melissa.. that's what I get for posting when I'm tired.. my Dad named me and he still sometimes called me Dinah (I asked him once if he named me after an old girlfriend, he said "No.. but I could have called you Cleo".. (honest.. he dated a lady in town named Cleo). :) Sorry about that again. I'll try to pay better attention to my posts. :)

[Mloukas143]

lol that is too funny..i had a great uncle that never knew my name either..to this day i think about whether he was joking or being serious, it is not a problem =)

["Just Jess"]

hey donna - i eat fruits and veggies as snacks all the time!!! and although nuts are higher in calories (but have all that good fat and protein) i love my deluxe mixed nuts. i buy the big container at BJ's wholesale and prepackage them into serving size bags. i also LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE sugar free popsicles. my favorites are lifesaver brand and jello diet soda flavors. not the most filling - but they keep your mouth happy for a good amount of time - which is sometimes what i need! :) other snack ideas are:
-mixing cottage cheese with jello - yummo!
-unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon
-protein shake with 1/2 the water than you would use milk for thicker consistancy like pudding
-laughing cow cheese wedge with a couple reduced fat sesame sticks
-mini rice cakes (nacho, ranch, chocolate, caramel)
-small glass of milk (sometimes with sugar free chocolate sauce!) or sugar free hot chocolate
-fruit/yogurt smoothie

here are a couple other ideas with nuts if you tire of just a handful of raw nuts (minimal prep)...

SWEET NUTS (serving size = 1/2 cup)

3/4 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup walnut halves
1/2 cup whole blanched almonds
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/3 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a 15- x 10- x 1-inch pan with cooking spray.
-Combine pecans, walnuts, and almonds in a mixing bowl; add egg white, tossing to coat.
-Combine SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and cinnamon; sprinkle over nuts, tossing to coat. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
-Bake 30 minutes or until nuts are toasted, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool on waxed paper. Store in an airtight tin.


SWEET & SPICY SNACK MIX (serving size = 1/4 cup)

3 cups crispy rice cereal squares
2 cups toasted O-shaped cereal
2 cups small reduced-fat pretzels
1 cup oyster crackers
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 egg white
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper


Directions-Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
-Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
-Beat egg white until foamy; stir in SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper. Pour over cereal mixture, tossing to coat.
-Spray a 15- X 10-inch jellyroll pan with cooking spray; spread cereal mixture in a single layer in pan.
-Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool.


** Store mix in an airtight container.


there are also some great websites out there with healthy suggestions, try some of these:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collections/quick_healthy_snack_recipes.html (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collections/quick_healthy_snack_recipes.html)




:) best of luck!

[kristina]

jess...u rock!!! what great ideas!

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Oh Jess.. thank you so much for those recipes.. you know.. with the holidays coming up, these would work great to take to parties. I copied these down, and I put the Healthy Snack site in my favorites.

And thanks for your suggestions too.. some of them I hadn't thought about. I copied those down too.

Thanks and good luck with all you're dealing with now too. I really shouldn't be whining so much when you're dealing with what you have. Get well soon. :)

["Just Jess"]

I really shouldn't be whining so much when you're dealing with what you have.

don't say that - we're all at different points in our journey and here to help one another where ever we are!!!!! i am happy my suggestions were able to help you. i had to rewind back to the beginning and dig through my band books to find interested full liquid recipes before sending DH to the store yesterday for food. a week on liquids is going to drive me crazy - but i don't think i've ever had more motivation to be strict as can be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

I appreciate all your research for finding things for me to try. Last night at our support meeting a lady said she got some textured vegetable protein (TVP it's called), and she got it at our local Kroger store. It's made by Bob's Red Mill company ... I'll start a thread in the nutrition section and give more details. It really doesn't have a taste, but it's crunchy when added to yogurt. I'll come back and post the link to it. Thanks for your help.

["Just Jess"]

you're welcome, donna. interesting about the TVP - i've never heard of that. i look forward to more info.

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Ok.. here's the link to the thread I started on the TVP.

http://www.band2gether.net/showthread.php?t=8108

It's good and filling, and not many calories with more protein for us. :)

[MarkB]

Donna, I bought some that night too after the meeting and I am using it in my yogurt in the morning. Carol used it today in her noon meal of yogurt, but I do not know how she liked it. All I can say is that it is crunchy if you do not let it sit too long in the yogurt and that I think it swells in your stomach to make you feel fuller.

Like you said it has no flavor but it is crunchy.

Pretty good and filling along with very few calories and pretty high protein.

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Yep Mark.. I like it too.. I also used the hemp seeds today in old fashioned oatmeal, stick to your ribs type of breakfast.

I've told some of my friends about the TVP too, one that is vegetarian because of Dr's orders and the other one had gastric bypass surgery and really has a hard time getting all her protein in. I thought the meeting was pretty good.. I didn't mean to hog the meeting, but I did get some answers to questions that I've been having, and I think it might have helped some of the other ones that needed the same thing.

I really look forward to these meetings, I wish I could come to the ones you have too, I might not be able to come all the time, but I'd like to..the more I learn the better off I am.

[MarkB]

Hi Donna, I glad the meeting helped you. I do not think anyone worries about you dominating the meeting. We are all there to help you and sometimes you can help us too. The two new women are very interested in the Thursday meeting since they want to know about the Lap Band. I believe that they are due to have bands installed in the next few months. I think that they are coming to the Thursday meeting next week. They seem a little scared about the whole process, which I think is entirely normal.

I am glad I picked up on the TVP. It seems great to use. It really adds something to the texture of the food and it is filling.

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Maybe I can make it to the next meeting on Thursday Mark. I know the one lady seemed to be a little more scared than than the other lady. I hope she got on here .. I gave her my nickname to look for.

I really like that TVP too. Today I got in 117 gr of protein and I didn't even use a protein shake or bar.. I'm so happy for myself! Maybe I'm finally on the right track. Let's hope!

How did Carol like it?

[MarkB]

Maybe I can make it to the next meeting on Thursday Mark. I know the one lady seemed to be a little more scared than than the other lady. I hope she got on here .. I gave her my nickname to look for.

I really like that TVP too. Today I got in 117 gr of protein and I didn't even use a protein shake or bar.. I'm so happy for myself! Maybe I'm finally on the right track. Let's hope!

How did Carol like it?

She liked it too. Hope to see you on Thursday. I really think that the two noobies will be there since they want to learn as much as is possible. How can you do better than talking with someone who is already banded or coming to B2G where you can do the same thing online.

Great job on the protein intake for the day. I bought some Snickers protein bars today at Sam's club which are less calories around 150 calories per bar. They have decent protein too. The premier protein bars are pretty good but so many calories when you are trying to stay below 1200 calories a day and you take a hit for 300 + on one protein bar it is a little hard to stay down in calories.

[Nick N Ava's Grammy]

Yep I agree about the Premier Bars being high in calories. I'm about to run out, and I'm not gonna get anymore. I'm going to try to get my protein in this way. After Sandy said that drinking protein won't stay in the pouch long, and I've found this way of getting more protein.. I'll try to get it all in like this.. maybe this is what I needed. I've found that I really didn't snack as much today.. which was a biggggggggggggg surprise to me. I did have 5 baby carrots for a snack today, and it did real well for me, along with all the other stuff I had. I ended up with 885 calories with 139gr of protein, 21gr fat, 116gr carbs.

Let's hope tomorrow is like today. We're going out for dinner with Max's family for our annual dinner. I'm already thinking what I'm going to order.