Today starts the third week I have regained control of my my eating and I have lost right at 10 lbs so far with about 85 to go. What is unbelievable is that I am actually cooking!! (Me the queen of the melted pot on top of the stove). That's another story I may tell one day. It's amazing how fast you get satisfied on real food instead of junk food.

I got the magic bullet blender that I saw mentioned here. Actually they were having a buy 1 get on sale so I have two. One for home and one for work. I only have a canister of Unjury unflavored protein powder for shakes so saturday and sunday I tried mixing half and half with crystal light orange for a dream cycle shake. It was really good. The first day I added way to much ice though and had ice cream rather than shake. I have also tried the Muscle Milk Ready to drink light shakes I saw mentioned here but they have a weird aftertast. Darn why did I buy 4 boxes of them without tasting first. Atkins RTD tast the best to me. The only protein bar I have found I really like is the atkns cinnamon breakfast bar. The other bars I bought taste great but end up with about 19g sugar alcohol. I wish atkins made more flavors than just chocolate.

Anyway I made a roast in the crock pot saturday. I loaded that puppy up with sage. I love that flavor. The roast was great. I used Soy flour for the gravy but that came out pretty nasty looking. Tastes ok though. I have the ingredients for the pumpkin sausage soup that I may try this weekend. I decided to use Eckrich link sausage rather than regular sausage though to see how that tastes.

Real food really does make a difference in how you feel - and how your body reacts...Sounds like you are off to a terrific start. Keep up the good work!

Jas, It sounds like you are off to a great start! Keep it up sweets! I no for sure that foir me nothing stays in the pouch as well as real solid foods.

Keep an eye out in the kitchen forum and Celadon will have you inspired to be cooking up a storm in no time!

hugs!
Ang

Yeah, looking like you're going gang busters, jas! Keep up the great work, and keep us posted on your story. Congratulations!

Woo hoo!!!! You go Jas!!!!

Keep it up!!! Hey you may wanna do the challenge about visualizing your weight....Kim started the topic...something about donating our excess pounds....anyhoo, you may just want to read that thread...I think it could be very gratifying as well as motivational! Check it out and see what you think! Blessings!!!!!

Way to go Jas! Sounds like you are totally getting back on track. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your Progress!

10 lbs gone while you're eating yummy stuff?! Who'd'a'thunk'it?! It sure is a
revelation isn't it! Congrats, jas...
I gotta ask... what exactly is this "magic bullet" I see mentioned here in
the Hood?? I want one!! Where to find???

Hi there!

How is the Bullet working out for you? What about that cooking?? Are you the Master of Your Domain yet?

mickeefynn I ordered my blender here http://www.buythebullet.com/ That thing is sweet for making protein shakes, takes up a really small space and cleans up in a jiff. I really like the cups that come with it (4) and there is even a lid to seal it so you can take it with you.

Re: What about that cooking?? Are you the Master of Your Domain yet?
Kim, I'm learning to cook slow but sure. I have this software called the Living Cookbook which I am storing recipes and ingredients in. It lets me make a meal plan for the day and give me the total nutrition for the day. Cooking on the weekend is kind of fun but after a 10 hour work day I want dinner now. Cooking is no fun then so I'm trying to store up ideas that I can make in 10 min or so. I use my weekend leftovers for lunch 4 days in a row so I don't want it for dinner too. I'm trying to keep my carbs somewhere around 30 and the software really helps for that. Since I am banded I don't have problems with dumping but I do have problems with fiber in such veggies as spinach.

I use my magic bullet all day, and I want one for work now. And an ice maker!

Homemade protein shakes are definitly more filling than the premade ones and you can vary the thickness of them by adding more ice for an almost icecream texture. I made a couple over the weekend from half orange flavored crystal light and half &half with unjury unflavored protein powder. It was really good. I have sugar free davinci orange, lemon, banna and strawberry syrups for shakes too. I haven't tried the lemon yet but the strawberry is a fairly strong flavor that tastes great. Banana is a pretty weak flavor so I am trying to find banana extract to make the tast stronger without using a huge amount of the syrup. I do like the atkins RTD shakes for the extra vitamins in them since the unjury powder does't have any added vitamins. I haven't taken the childrens vitamin the surgeon suggested since the first year of surgery back in 91. I have tried off and on but can't get past the HUGE pills with hours of aftertaste nor the nasty flavor of the chewables.

I have noticed since being back on low carb high protein that my hair is getting healthier. I have waist length hair that has been really dry for a while. After DH died I lost almost half the volume and it got really dry. The fallout was partly stress but my diet was whatever was handy to survive. Read mostly sugar with very little protein. I get more protein in a day now than I was getting in probably a week.

I adore my Magic Bullet as well as my Living Cookbook database. I like the whipping feature on the bullet---I can make whipped cream super easy with it, plus my son brought me some whole bean coffee when he visited so I use my bullet as a grinder. You are gonna love the Living Cookbook. I like the email and import features of it. Right now I have almost 20,000 recipes in mine. The search feature comes in handy with that many recipes for sure.

My crock pot is also a cherished friend in my kitchen---working such long days as you do---it is ideal to have---you can always put something in it that night and just pop it in the base the next morning---you have great meal by the time you get home--

Also I'm a big one on cooking and eating real food no food products here....

You are doing great at this.
keep up the good work..

I haven't been able to get registered for the Every Last Recipe website associated with the software so I have to enter all recipes and ingredients by hand. Otherwise I would have loads of them. I like the way the software seems to be database driven and is so customizable. Big Oven was rated better but I didn't like it at all. Where else do you import your recipes from?

Check under the internet tab after you open LC...it has all the sites listed...

but here's one of my fav because it has the Food Networrk chefs

Thanks for the link BamaGal. I'll check it out.

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i'm just a few days out of the operation. four days in fact.
am starting protien drinks
tried the famous ENSURE powder mixed with bottled water.
but found it sweet, and question wether it is really healthy.

would love recipies to make my own protien shakes.

where should i buy the protien mix? At a body builder store or pharmacy?
which one?

is fruit really a problem for most post op patients here? I love fruit, am a real fruit addict. Or is it that I must mix fruit and protien.

Sugar has always made me wonky. but was just a borderline case with high sugar levels. Now i really need to rule my health as best i can.

i still am in shock that I did this and it is really happening. Haven't fully grasped
the diet schedule etc.

Any suggestions girls and boys?

thank you again.

Hi Worldgurl, fruit may cause dumping for you if you had the rny though there are some here who use fruit in thier shakes. Ensure I don't think is a high protein shake and is pretty expensive. You can find Atkins ready to drink shakes and several different protein powders in Walmart and many grocery stores. It's usually in the same section where you found the ensure. Slim Fast is also near by but is not high in protein. Congratulations on your arrival!!

jas, if you read through this thread you started and your replies to different people do you see a new pattern emerging? I am so proud to see a woman who came here so unsure about her future that is now speaking like a veteran!

The fact that you were really willing to keep trying even after some missteps in the kitchen speaks volumes!

As to the cooking software, I prefer my Master Cook program to anything else because I have had it the longest and have worked with it the most. I have both Big Oven and Living Cookbook. I agree with your assessment of them, Big Oven is highly overrated as to what help it can actually be to you. I use Living Cookbook for my compiled 'family' recipes just to have them stored somewhere else than in MC. It is a fine program and will serve you well the more you learn about it.

The magic bullet was probably one of the smartest purchases you have made. With as many protein shakes and minced and pureed foods as we eat, it is a way to get in and out of the kitchen quickly with little mess or cleanup.

I am so happy to see your progress in such a short time! If you go through the Community Kitchen and follow the pages back to early last year, you will find a lot of recipes for protein shakes and drinks that you can make in your bullet. Thanks so much for the update and keep letting us know of your progress!

I found the magic bullet at Target for $60 bucks. You can check at ebay too. I thought 100 bucks was a bit much, even if you get 2 of them. I don't need two 21 piece sets. Did anyone find it someplace else cheaper?

Right on!!
Congratulations!

congratulations on your success so far and here is to lots more of pounds that will be melting off.....keep it up