At first when thinking about eating liquids for two weeks you can feel like your going to go crazy with the cravings and lack of variety. So far I have to say it hasn’t been bad! So I wanted to share some of the things I’ve eaten and some of the things still in my pantry to start eating.
[box type=”note”]Some doctors require different diets right after surgery so make sure you follow the diet that your doctor prescribes for you, these are just ideas to help you through.[/box]
Protein Shakes
Premier Protein Shakes (Vanilla) – This is a premixed protein shake that I got a large box at Costco. These are okay, my favorite is still Muscle Milk Light, tastes great and the low calories with the high protein is great. I will probably get more Muscle Milk when I’m out of the Premier shake. But the premier was great for when I wasn’t up to blend up a shake. Try adding a little cinnamon or Torani Sugar Free Caramel Syrup.
[box]Chubby Monkey Shake: 1/2 Banana, 1 cup Milk, 1 TBS Peanut Butter, 1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Mix (Or vanilla with a tablespoon unsweetened cocoa)[/box]
Muscle Milk Light, Vanilla Creme – Since I liked the premix of the Muscle Milk I thought I would try this also. I was a little disappointed you can taste the protein in this powder, but this is what I’ve had in my house and I want to use it up. So I have been making up shake recipes to use this powder in.
[box]Creamsicle Fiber Shake: 1 Cup Milk, 1 serving Orange Flavor Metamucil, 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Mix[/box]
GNC Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 Cookies and Cream 1.22 LB – Loving this protein powder! What I love the most is that they haven’t over sweetened the mix to try and hide a flavor. Plus the flavor is very subtle which I like. After drinking sweet stuff for a few days not having something sickeningly sweet is great! I’ve also tried the Chocolate
and Vanilla.
[box] Cinnamon Bun w/Cream Cheese Frosting Shake: 1 Cup Milk, Cinnamon, 1 oz Cream Cheese, 1 TBS Sugar Free Cheese Cake Pudding Mix, 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein[/box]
Greek Yogurt
Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt – This is an absolute post op must! Having something with just a little consistency has been so nice. I got the large container to easily serve out 4 oz at a time. This is also great to add to shakes to thicken them up and add some more protein.
[box]Try using 4-Ounce Containersand freeze some of the yogurt for a quick ice cream replacement![/box]
Soups
I make soups with milk or add milk to them to raise their protein content.
Chicken Broth – This is really nice just after surgery. Just something comforting and so easy to digest to enjoy.
Pacific Natural Foods Butternut Squash Soup – This is a sweeter soup, so if you like sweet soups you will like this. I found with all the other sweetness with the shakes that I looked forward to a salty treat which this soup didn’t provide.
V8 Tomato Herb Soup – This was a great soup! I loved the herbs in it. I didn’t blend it the first few times I ate it, I just used a straw and left the chunks in the bottom of my cup. But now that I have my Handy Dandy Hand Blender I will blending it up to get all the yummies.
V8 Garden Broccoli Soup – This is a great option for a creamy soup! Again this has a few chunks in it, so it needs to
Bean With Bacon Soup – I just had this last night and I made it with milk. It was sooo yummy and creamy. It’s rich and definitely helps with my salty craving.
Treats
I let myself have one of these per day. These are things that were not specifically on my doctors list but that I have for pick me ups and as a break from the routine.
Fudgesicles – I haven’t even had one of these yet, but I figured they will be a good treat when I’m feeling a real need of something “chewable” or something with more consistency
Ice Cream – The other night my hubby really wanted a treat from the store so he got me a little one serving of chocolate ice cream. This was perfect as I only had the one serving in my house so no more temptation once it was gone. This was the day after my surgery so it was also a mood pick me up which was nice.
Light Eggnog – Tis the season. This is one of my favorite treats and even when I drank it before I would count it as a snack, not as a drink. I am using this more as a twist on something to mix up with my protein mixes instead of milk.
Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding – SF Caramel – Yummy! I had this as my treat today and loved it. I wouldn’t even share it with my boys – I know I am a terrible mommy. But this was a nice treat as the consistency is a little different than anything else I’ve had this week. And when you are limited to liquids you start being able to really tell that everything is the same consistency.
Drinks
MIO Mango Peach – I’ve talked about Mio’s before, but I have to say they are the greatest. I will drink crystal light, but I find it too strong and too sweet. I love how with Mio you can make the sweetness just how you want with small little squeezes. My boys absolutely love this for their drinks also and since it is sugar free I don’t feel bad about giving them a tiny squeeze. I also have Berry Pomegranate and Fruit Punch available for me to mix it up (oh yes try mixing the flavors too!). I also have enjoyed Strawberry Watermelon.
True Lemon, Lime & Orange – I love these. While I was pregnant I was avoiding too much of artificial sweeteners, but I also could not drink straight water without getting sick. If you are finding that you can’t drink straight water or if you are like me and tend to drink more when your water has flavor definitely get yourself some of these. I also use these in my recipes for muffins, chicken and more!
V8 Vegetable Juice – You won’t be getting a lot of veggies in your diet right now so think about getting yourself some V8 juice. Plus it is one more thing that is easy to swallow and satisfies your salty cravings. I’ve been having about 1 4 ounce serving a day.
V8 Fusion Juice – Juice is one option I’m allowed to drink on my diet, but I’ve been really cautious about juice in my diet for years now. But I did get myself a bottle of the V8 fusion juice as this can be one more serving of veggies for me a day. Plus I know that with as little food as I’m taking in a little juice would be good to get nutrients into me.
Low Calorie Cocoa Mix – Again this was on my list of items I could have from my doctors office, but I haven’t had any. I did buy a box last night just in case I wanted to have some. It is a nice comfort food and I think having a few things in the house I haven’t tried yet, will not make me feel like I’m being too restricted.
Tea – Again I haven’t had any tea yet, but this is something I always have in my house and like to have available. If you are shopping for your post op diet I would considering getting a few kinds to try. I would recommend a minty tea like the Tazo linked because mint really helps with nausea and upset stomachs, so this may be a nice soothing drink option for you.
Tools
Immersion Hand Blender – I actually borrowed the one I’m using this week from my sister-in-law as I wasn’t sure if this was what I wanted. But I’m sooo in love! What a great little tool and so much easier to clean up than the blender. Plus I don’t have to have special cups like I will need for a personal sized blender. This is on the top of my Christmas List this year!
Double Wall Tumbler with Lid and Straw – Got to have at least a few of these. I find if I have these filled with my water for the day I can watch more closely how much I’m drinking. Also when you are going out and about it’s fun to have a cute cup for your drink or meal. Plus the doubled wall is nice as you don’t leave water rings wherever you go!
Bendy Straws – I have a lot of these from parties I have hosted in the past and I actually have to say if you are having surgery, buy yourself a pack or two. It made my drinks a little more fun and festive and much easier to drink. Plus with things like soups that may have chunks I knew if it didn’t go through the straw to not eat it!
4-Ounce Containers – I just picked up some more of these as it was frustrating to see my glasses all get dirty when I was only putting 4 ounces of liquid in them. Also having something like these cups is great so you don’t have to measure out what your are serving, you know if you fill the container it is 4 ounces. Plus you take a little more time to go back for seconds if you think you can handle a couple more ounces and this bit of time may make you realize no you are full.
Black & Decker Food Processor – This food processor has the best reviews and the best price I have found and I did a lot of research. This is a great little tool to have before hand.
[box]Premake soups. Then using your Food Processor bring them to a liquid consistency. Spray a 12-Cup Muffin Pan with Pam. Then pour the soup into the pan and freeze them. After a day in the freezer I popped them out and place them in a freezer bag. You now have single servings of soups ready to microwave in the freezer![/box]
Black & Decker Blender – If you are making a shake filled with peanut butter and banana you may want to pull out your blender for the job. So before surgery make sure you have a good one!
My Wishlist
This is my quick wishlist of things to have as I continue on my adventure with my lap band:
- Laptop Lunch Bento in Black And Magenta
- Bento Buddies Set of 4
- BlenderBottle with Blenderball, Pink
- Nonstick Mini Donut Pan
- Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker
- Black & Decker 1-1/2-Cup Electric Chopper
- Just the Cheese Mini Round Snacks
- CLICK Espresso Protein Drink, Vanilla Latte
- PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
- Torani Variety Pack, Sugar Free
Hope this Helps
To Be Continued…
After the two weeks of liquids I will be going onto two weeks of mushy foods. Which I’m very excited that Thanksgiving is landing on mushy foods and not liquids! So I hope to share with you some pantry ideas and recipe ideas for a mushy diet. But also I will probably share with you a Mushy Thanksgiving Menu! I hope you will stay tuned to my adventure!
[box type=”info”]Links in this post are to affiliate links. If you purchase something through these links I will get a small percentage. This does not change my review of these items.[/box]
Hi!
Wonderful ideas! I would love to go with yogurt and soups. They are a wonderful source of nutrition. Also, juice of gourd and spinach is very helpful after surgery. Thanks!
Hi!
I hope you recover soon! Thanks for sharing these excellent diet ideas. it may be helpful for many. Protein shakes are super excellent for your body especially after surgery. You can take Cytosport drinks too.
Thanks for your helpful post, Pepper! You inspired me months ago to finally take the plunge and have WLS. I also went to OWLS and am just waiting to hear back to go ahead and schedule my surgery. Your list will come in handy, I’m sure! Good luck on your weight loss journey! you are an inspiration!
Wow, thank you Tanya! I’m so glad to hear that I have inspired someone and have helped someone with my posts! Good luck and please stay in touch and let me know how it goes for you!
I really appreciate the way you have shared the details about your diet. I would certainly share it with my friend who has recently undergone a surgery. Please keep informing on your recovery or any future diet changes.
I would suggest that for a healthy diet you check out the American Dietetic Association website. They have excellent, unbiased information and resources on nutrition and healthy eating. They are a nonprofit organization, and they are not trying to sell you anything.
At first it does sound like the worst thing that could happen to you but its not that bad now with the advances in food technology. 40 year ago it would have been a lot worst but now I think we could practically survive off liquid food if need be, but I wouldnt like to!
They are a wonderful source of nutrition. Also, juice of gourd and spinach is very helpful after surgery. Thanks!
This is very nutritious diet. But I guess I till have to consult my doctor if it will work out for me. Thanks for sharing!
That infection ahs to be compleyely cleared and the bone fusing must also be complete. Estimates are usually made on the avergae jealing time but in your case the healing proces may have slowed, thus the doctor has to take a wait and see approach.
nice! this is indeed a very helpful information! i really love the ideas. thanks for sharing.
thank you for gathering all this information.
I my point of view is that this is very nutritious diet. But I guess I till have to consult my doctor if it will work out for me. Keep up good work, thanks for sharing!