Tips for Making a Recipe More Weight Loss Surgery Friendly

As a weight loss surgery postop, you have things you look for in a recipe--like high protein content and low carb counts. You also have things you try to avoid--like sugar and high fat content. There are many ways to modify recipes in order to make them more WLS friendly. I hear so many people say "I'm no cook!" or "I'm not very creative." It can be pretty simple to change up an old favorite to make it a healthier choice. Here's a few tips I've gathered:

1) Add protein!
You can boost the protein content of a recipe by adding protein powder. When baking, you can replace flour with protein powder. When cooking other things, you can stir protein powder in to the liquid in the recipe as long as the temperature will not defeat the purpose. For example, adding protein powder to something that will be brought to a boil or simmered for a very long time is of no value as this will make the protein powder ineffective and can cause it to be grainy and just downright nasty at times. But, in cold recipes such as puddings, yogurts, things with cream and milk, etc, you can stir protein powder into the liquid before you add it to the recipe. Quite often the flavors of the dish will prevent the protein from being noticed!

2) Reduce Fat
The first thing to look at with fats are, of course, your meats. Choosing leaner cuts of meat can reduce fat and cholesterol. But, you can also try using other meats--such as turkey and chicken versions of things in place of beef or pork varieties. For example, turkey bacon, turkey pepperoni, and turkey sausage have much less fat than their "regular" counterparts. Try using ground chicken or ground turkey in place of ground beef. In many recipes you will not notice the difference in taste, but the calorie and fat differences can amaze you!
When baking, you can sometimes delete an ingredient from a recipe to reduce fats. You can also use a lesser amount--simply cut the amount in half. But, most often you'll have to replace it with a more suitable item. For example, you could replace lard with a healthy vegetable oil such as canola or olive oil. You might substitute unsweetened applesauce for all or part of the fat in a recipe. You can sometimes find a fruit based fat-replacer in the baking aisle of your grocery store.
You can also help reduce the fat content of a recipe by using low-fat, reduced-fat, and fat-free ingredients. But, please remember that a certain amount of fat is necessary in everyone's diet in order to keep your skin, hair and nails healthy! And, don't forget to read the labels on these lower fat, reduced fat and fat free items as sometimes the fat is replaced with sugary contents and they truly are not a healthier option.

3) Reduce cholesterol
Many WLS postops began their journey with high-cholesterol and have been battling that for a while. As the weight comes off, the blood cholesterol tends to improve, but it can't hurt to watch the cholesterol in the food you are eating. One great way to reduce cholesterol is eating leaner cuts of meat. We eat less of something, so why not buy a better cut of meat and savor the flavor! Or, try substituting ground turkey or chicken for ground beef or ground pork. Reducing fats, particularly saturated and trans fats is the first step. Another suggested way to cut cholesterol is to use an egg substitute such as Egg Beaters when cooking with eggs. Adding an omega-3 supplement (often fish oil) to your diet is also supposed to help reduce your cholesterol as can adding fiber (see fiber further down in this entry).

4) Reduce sugar
Reducing sugar can make a recipe more tolerable to the WLS postop as well as reduces calories in a recipe. You can do this in many ways. No one way works for ALL persons because we have different tastes and different things we tolerate. For those who simply wish to replace sugar and have no issues with sugar alcohols, replace the sugar in a recipe cup-for-cup with the Splenda granulated product that is sold in a bag. Walmart and Krogers both have a generic/store brand of this item available now. The Splenda in a bag (granulated) is NOT the same as the Splenda in the little packets as it has been "bulked" up so that it works in this cup-for-cup way. There is also a Splenda/sugar blend that can be used if you prefer, but it does not remove all the sugar from a recipe and is not going to reduce the calories as much as most prefer. If you do not care for Splenda, there are several other sugar replacement products on the market now--Equal, Sugar Twin, Sweet & Low, etc. Many of these have a baking version as well. If you can not tolerate sugar alcohols and are forced to use real sugar, you can often reduce the quantity of sugar and enhance the flavor by adding spices such as cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg and/or vanilla or almond flavoring.
A note regarding BROWN sugar--Splenda has a brown sugar version that is simply a mixture of Splenda and real brown sugar. It reduces, but does not eliminate the sugar in a recipe. And, it is expensive--$4.99 on average for a bag that is equivalent to 2 pounds of brown sugar (usually about $1.69 for the real brown sugar). You can make your own Splenda/brown sugar mixture by mixing equal amounts of Splenda granulated (the Splenda in a bag) and light or dark brown sugar. Mix 1 cup of brown sugar to 1 cup of Splenda and stir in an airtight container.

5) Add fiber!
Fiber is very important in EVERYONE'S diet--whether they've had WLS or not... It is recommended that you women eat 21 to 25 grams of fiber per day and men eat 30 to 38 grams of fiber per day in order to maintain regular bowel movements. As a WLS postop, it is hard to get this amount of fiber into your diet on a regular basis because we focus so greatly on getting in our protein each day. The further out you are, the easier it gets (for some) because you are able to eat a more varied diet as you eat a bit more food in a day's time. But, if you focus as much on the fiber as you do on the protein, it can help.
Fiber supplements are available in a wide array of options. There are fiber pills and capsules you can take. There are fiber powders you can stir into beverages and foods and even add when baking or cooking. BUT, too much of a good thing is not always better. It is possible that using more than necessary can actually cause constipation instead of helping keep you regular. It can be a delicate balance. For that reason, many WLS postops prefer to add fiber to their diet via real food. Good fiber choices are found in many forms! Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are your biggest fiber sources. A list of high fiber foods with rankings can be found here. An article on fiber from the Mayo Clinic can be found here.

6) Change how something is prepared
Sometimes the WAY something is cooked is as much to blame as the ingredients themselves. For example, a piece of chicken might be a perfectly healthy food choice. However, baking it with seasonings is a better option than flouring and frying it. Instead of frying, consider grilling, baking, boiling, broiling, steaming, or braising something. Instead of basting something with the fats/drippings, try using fruit/vegetable juice, wine, or vegetable broth. Instead of adding oil or fat to a skillet, consider using a non-stick pan or spraying the pan with a non-stick spray.
Another thing to consider is using less pre-packaged ingredients and replace them with fresh foods. Pre-packaged foods often have higher sodium, fat, and calories than their fresh food counterparts. And, the nutrients can be diminished in the packing process. The vitamin content in fresh veggies is better than that in canned items AND they just plain taste better!

7) Watch portion sizes
Many WLS postops admit that portion sizes as a preop were a big issue for them. "It wasn't WHAT I ate, but rather how much..." is a common quote. I know that I never really had any "trigger" or "binge" foods, but when I ate, I ate too much. It doesn't matter what you change, alter or delete from a recipe if you still eat too much of it. I often tell my hubby (who is overweight and a type 2 diabetic) that he can eat anything--in moderation. This is true after WLS as well. You can usually eat anything, but must do so in moderation, Even postops who dump from sugars and/or fats can usually eat those things in moderation. Therefore portion sizes are key! Portion sizes are also an important element in eating only till satiated, and not till you are overfull or make your self sick. Measure your food. Learn what a true portion is. This alone can be an eye opening experience! When you measure out what a package or recipe tells you is ONE PORTION, it is often MUCH less than you had previously imagined! Portion control is the #1 key to long-term management and maintenance of weight loss. You don't belong to the "clean plate club" anymore! Just because something is on your plate does not mean you have to finish it! Starving children in China will not be better off because you ate it all! If you are eating out, ask for a to-go box to take home the rest. If you are at home, put it away for later. Click HERE for an article from the AARP on portion control.

I often tell someone that I had this surgery in order to be "normal." What is normal? Well, to most folks, normal is just a setting on a clothes dryer! But, in this instance, "normal" is truly "what everyone else does." Normal people eat what they want, when they want. So, if I want chocolate, I eat chocolate. But, I eat a heck of a lot less of it than I did as a preop! If I want a muffin, I eat a muffin, but it has added protein and fiber! If I want steak, I eat steak. I pretty much eat what I want, but I am careful to watch my portion sizes and I prepare those foods as healthfully as possible. For these reasons, I don't eat out very often and when I do, I order what I want from the menu with no expectation of discounts due to my choice to have WLS. They didn't charge me more when I was fat! I order what I want and ask for a to-go box for the leftovers. Restaurant leftovers make great lunches! When I have a craving for something, I go ahead and eat it. I do not wait and wait till I want it so badly I could eat a whole plate or package of whatever it is. I am much more in control of what I eat this way. Everyone is different. Some postops choose to never, EVER again eat some foods. This could be because they feel it is not a healthy choice OR it might be because it was a food that they binged on before surgery. For me, no food is off limits (unless it makes me sick), but I am the one in control now, not the food!

What's For Dinner? Taco Soup Here!

I was wondering what everyone else was doing for dinner tonight?? We've been sort of stale with dinner choices lately. Tonight I tossed together something different to try to get us out of this rut! We're having taco soup. Here's what I used!

Taco Soup
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch salad dressing mix

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain and add to soup pot.
Open and dump in all canned items (do not drain!).
Open and add seasoning packets.
Mix well. Heat till bubbling then turn heat down to simmer and cook for 1/2 hour.

With these ingredients, it boils down to this for one cup of soup:
cals--280
fat--10 total, 3.4 saturated
cholesterol--54
carbs--20.8 total, 5.1 fiber and 3.8 sugars
protein--22.6 grams

Not too bad for something SO simple to fix! I may just sprinkle on some of Michelle's cotija cheese too!
Hugs,
Lea

Recipe: Mix your own nuts!

Hi gang!
My biggest quick-snack-grab is mixed nuts. I hate paying the price that stores charge for mixed nuts though, so I mix my own. I go to Dollar General and buy the following items:
2 cans cashew pieces ($2.25 each)
2 cans roasted almonds ($2.75 each)
2 bags (6 ozs ea) pecan halves ($2.50 each)
1 can peanuts ($1)
1 bag of peanut, sunflower seed and raisins mixed ($2)
1 box raisins ($1 to $2)

Then, I get out my great big Tupperware mixing bowl (or a big roasting pan would work) and I dump ALL of these into it. I don't use quite all the raisins, but I use better than half to 2/3 a box. Make sure you rub them between your hands to seperate them a bit. Once it is all in there, tumble it around with your hands to mix it all up and then pour it into the nut cans or some other container for storage till eaten. As there are a couple items in there that don't come in cans, you'll have to use some sort of container OR save cans from the previous batch... I have a big plastic container from mixed nuts that I rewash and use for the overflow once the cans are all full. For about $20, I have no less than 6 to 7 regular nut can sized cans of mixed nuts. You can use ANY nuts you like. You could even add walnuts, macadamias, pine nuts, soy nuts, etc. You could add other types of dried fruit if you prefer those--berries, apples, etc. I just like raisins and they are cheap so keep the cost down. You can bag an ounce of this mix up in snack sized ziplocs or just get a handful out of the can when you want some. BUT, don't sit down with the open can as it is SO easy to eat half the can!

Nuts are a great source of healthy fats! But, fats are higher in calories, so the total can add up quick if you overdo it!
Lea

A new year and new goals?

So, I got in on a conversation today about New Year's resolutions... It got me to thinking and made me realize that I had NEVER made resolutions as all I had ever seen were folks who made them and then failed to DO them. And, then there were all those folks who resolved to lose weight in the new year... That never was pretty! They'd get off to such a good start with measuring portions and counting calories. They may even have gotten as far as actually exercising beyond the remote control lifts they'd done the previous year. BUT, then they crashed. It always happened. They'd crash because they went a week without losing weight OR they really wanted _____ to eat or whatever reason, but they always crashed. And, to make matters worse, they gained back anything they had lost AND put on a few more pounds to boot. I had enough issues. I didn't need that painful cycle!

Don't get me wrong--I dieted! Oh boy, did I diet! And I tried everything I knew of to make a difference. But, nothing worked for me. My hypothyroidism complicated matters further. Then I had gastric bypass surgery and my life has been changed forever. When 2006 started, I had NO clue that I would finally pursue the WLS that my doctors had been suggesting for no less than 5 years. I had not even started the process as I just knew that they'd finally figure out why I couldn't lose the weight and help me do something about it. But, as my health continued to falter, it became obvious that things weren't going to get better, only worse and that I needed to take that step in order to change the way it all turns out.

SO, here I am another year later. I'm also 205 pounds lighter! I've lost 100 pounds in a year---twice! I lost the first hundred between July of 2006 and the end of 2006. I lost the second hundred during 2007. I'm now making a New Year's resolution to lose another 20 pounds and reach my personal goal of 185 during 2008. I'm also going to commit to sticking to my new, healthier lifestyle of eating and exercising and to increase the level of exercise that I do and maintain. AND, I am going to participate in a PUBLIC exercise event in 2008! I will be walking a leg of a marathon relay on Feb 16, 2008 at Myrtle Beach's Bi-Lo Marathon. For me, this is a 5 mile walk and my time affects the whole team's time. This is HUGE for this lady! I hope I don't let my team mates down! I am also hoping that this event goes well enough that I will want to do it again later! I'd like to work up to doing half marathons (13 miles).

Half of me!

Today when I weighed myself, that wonderful scale said TWO OH FIVE! Yes, 205 pounds. That is the half-of-me point. I have lost as much as I weigh. I weigh half what I did when my journey started (410 start weight). This is a milestone for sure! Next milestone will be 199 and ONEderland!
Happy holidays!
Lea

I'm Still Amazed...

I'm still amazed that each day I wake and rise without pain.
I'm still amazed each day when I look in the mirror and see that my loss isn't really a dream.
I'm still amazed each day I drive somewhere and look down my "belly" to see that huge gap between me and the steering wheel.
I'm still amazed at how far and long I can now walk without pain or being out of breath.
I'm still amazed when I see that number on the scale.
I'm still amazed at the looks I get from friends who haven't seen me in a while.
I'm still amazed by how much my hubby loves me--fat or not-so-fat.
I'm still amazed by how much I can do now that I've dropped 200 pounds!

I just had to post this after composing an email to a high school friend for whom I just recently got an email address and I haven't seen since our 20 year reunion in summer of 2005.

Hugs to you all!
Lea

209 this week!

This week, with the departure of good ole Aunt Flow, I am down to 209... That is 201 pounds lost! When I hit 205, I'll be half the person I was when I started at 410. Next big step after that is ONEderland!