Daily menus - vegetarians

[TiaLi]

My meals yesterday:

Breakfast: 1 Wasa crispbread slice with smashed avocado, topped with a mix of lemon zest, chilli flakes and black sesame seeds
Lunch: 1 small potato baked in the oven, with Arla Protein cottage cheese, 1 chopped cherry tomato, chives and herbal salt
Dinner: 1 Quorn vegan fillet (100g) with a side salad of spinach, rocket and watercress, two cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta

Snacks: None
Drinks: 200 ml skimmed milk, 400 ml water, 1 litre sugar free lemon squash

 

[TiaLi]

Got a call from the dietitian the other day, with the results from my 3-month (well, it's been 4-months now) vitamin/mineral analysis. My iron and ferritin levels were low, but I already knew I was anaemic (my blood count was pretty atrocious when I was discharged from the hospital). All other vitamin levels look fine now (woohoo!!) - I was, however, deficient in selenium, which is quite unusual. So I've been ordered to have 3 Brazil nuts daily, as these are packed with selenium. Will need to keep an eye on it though, too much isn't good either.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast: 1 Wasa crispbread with smashed avocado, red onion, crumbled feta and black sesame seeds
Lunch: Home made carrot, courgette & halloumi cake with tomato/avocado salsa and a Greek yogurt dip
Dinner: Quinoa salad with peas, yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, spring onion, feta cheese and mustard dressing

Snacks: 3 Brazil nuts
Drinks: 1.7 litres water, 500ml sugar free lemon squash

 

[TiaLi]

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast: Got really excited about these, they were labelled "Protein Yoghurt" in store. 20g per 200ml pot. Got home only to discover that it isn't yoghurt at all, but quark. Super thick and creamy - a consistency I really can't stomach after surgery. Managed two spoonfuls and then threw it away...
Lunch: 1 Wasa crispbread with smashed avocado, 1 cherry tomato, crumbled feta and black and white sesame seeds
Dinner: Salad with spinach, watercress, rocket, half-fat halloumi, red onion and cherry tomatoes

Snacks: 3 Brazil nuts (as per dietitian's orders)
Drinks: 2.2 litres water

 

[x.Nicky.x]

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast: Got really excited about these, they were labelled "Protein Yoghurt" in store. 20g per 200ml pot. Got home only to discover that it isn't yoghurt at all, but quark. Super thick and creamy - a consistency I really can't stomach after surgery. Managed two spoonfuls and then threw it away...
Lunch: 1 Wasa crispbread with smashed avocado, 1 cherry tomato, crumbled feta and black and white sesame seeds
Dinner: Salad with spinach, watercress, rocket, half-fat halloumi, red onion and cherry tomatoes

Snacks: 3 Brazil nuts (as per dietitian's orders)
Drinks: 2.2 litres water

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Loveeee halloumi..ur meals look amazing!!!

 

[Kellylou]

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast: Got really excited about these, they were labelled "Protein Yoghurt" in store. 20g per 200ml pot. Got home only to discover that it isn't yoghurt at all, but quark. Super thick and creamy - a consistency I really can't stomach after surgery. Managed two spoonfuls and then threw it away...
Lunch: 1 Wasa crispbread with smashed avocado, 1 cherry tomato, crumbled feta and black and white sesame seeds
Dinner: Salad with spinach, watercress, rocket, half-fat halloumi, red onion and cherry tomatoes

Snacks: 3 Brazil nuts (as per dietitian's orders)
Drinks: 2.2 litres water

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I tried the yogurts too..... really not my thing at all

 

[TiaLi]

Thanks @Nickynooo ! Yes, I love halloumi too (as you can tell)! Tesco has a lighter version (30% less fat) that is really good.

Yeah they were not nice at all @Kellylou . Had I known they were quark and not yogurt I wouldn't have bought them, but Tesco advertised them as yogurt. Very annoying.

 

[TiaLi]

My meals yesterday:

Breakfast: Home-made protein boost shake (spinach, frozen banana/pineapple/mango/melon/papaya, almond milk and protein powder) topped with chia seeds + 4 Brazil nuts
Lunch: 0.5 Quorn schnitzel with a side salad made of spinach, watercress, rocket, chives, 2 cherry tomatoes and goat's cheese
Dinner: 1 Wasa crispbread with smashed avocado, chives, chilli flakes, crumbled feta and black sesame seeds

Snacks: None
Drinks: 1.8 litres of water

Having one slice of crispbread a day has really helped combat constipation. Sorry, bit gross to mix food and bowel talk perhaps, but as all of the post-oppers (particularly bypassers) will know, that's a common issue.

 

[TiaLi]

Had my very first "ooh I miss that" moment the other day when walking past the crisps aisle. I didn't get any, and it wasn't particularly hard to resist - but it worried me nonetheless. It's been so nice to not have the food demons whisper in my ear for the past 5 months. While I knew they would appear again sooner or later, I guess I was hoping for a few more months of quiet bliss. Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast: 1 fried egg + home made protein boost shake (frozen banana, frozen blueberries, skimmed milk, protein powder) topped with chia seeds
Lunch: 2 broadbean falafels, 2 cherry tomatoes, low-fat feta cheese and salad made of quinoa, peas, broccoli, black eyed beans, carrots, pumpkin seeds and peanuts
Dinner: 250 ml tomato soup with spinach & chickpeas, topped with croutons, chilli flakes and sesame seeds

Snacks: 4 Brazil nuts (for selenium deficiency, as per dietitian's orders)
Drinks: 1 litre of water, 500 ml lemon squash (no added sugar), 200 ml chamomile tea

 

[TiaLi]

I can highly recommend my lunch from yesterday (halloumi/kiwi bites, see below). Very yummy, only 181 calories, and pretty much nothing but protein and vitamin C. Please note the calories are calculated from using Tesco's light version of halloumi (30% less fat), if you use a regular one that will go up somewhat. My meals yesterday:

Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with low-fat cheese and chives + 1 slice Wasa crispbread with a thin layer of Philadelphia Sweet Chilli Light, 1 slice Leerdammer Light and 1 cherry tomato (229 calories, 20g protein)
Lunch: 56g (1/4 of a pack) Light halloumi, 0.5 kiwifruit and salsa made of 2 cherry tomatoes, chopped green chilli and chives (181 calories, 15g protein)
Dinner: Spanish tortilla (eggs, potatoes, mozarella, red peppers, onions, parsley and basil) with babyleaf salad, 1 cherry tomato and a splash of low-fat honey/mustard dressing (178 calories, 8g protein

Snacks: 3 Brazil nuts (for selenium deficiency)
Drinks: 200 ml milk, 400 ml chamomile tea and app 750ml water. I think! I honestly don't count my fluid intake as thoroughly as I did earlier on when I had trouble getting enough in. These days I can fairly easily get 2 litres in, it is more a case of me sometimes forgetting or being out and about too much.

 

[TiaLi]

So, I am 5 months post op today! I've lost 7 stone since the day of surgery. I should be happy with that, but at the moment all I can feel is worry that the weight loss has slowed down so much. Only lost 10 lbs this month, despite how good I've been. Hopefully it's just my body stalling for a bit, and things will kick off again.

Moving on to yesterday's food intake: I finally got around to trying that soybean spaghetti (see post from July 3). They do taste more like noodles than spaghetti, so decided to use it in a stir-fry. Worked well! Very high protein content and low in carbs. Obviously doesn't taste exactly like the real thing on its own, but when you flavour it with spices, sauces etc they do make a perfectly good substitute for pasta and noodles. The texture is very similar.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast: 1 slice Wasa crispbread with smashed avocado, red onion, chilli flakes and black sesame seeds
Lunch: Home made protein boost shake (frozen banana, frozen pineapple, skimmed milk and protein powder) topped with almond flakes
Dinner: Stir-fry with soybean noodles, sesame-crusted tofu, red chilli, onion, cabbage, garlic, red pepper, carrots, egg, dark soy & Maggi liquid seasoning

Snacks: 3 Brazil nuts for selenium deficiency
Drinks: 200ml pomegranate & aronia juice (no added sugar), 750ml water, 400ml chamomile tea

 

[Nearly there-1]

7 stone is an awesome about of weight loss in a short time. Well done. Your meals look so tasty a beautifully presented. Thanks for the amazing ideas.
Be good to yourself , your human and have taken on an epic task as have most of the people on this site.
Be proud of this great achievement.

 

[TiaLi]

7 stone is an awesome about of weight loss in a short time. Well done. Your meals look so tasty a beautifully presented. Thanks for the amazing ideas.
Be good to yourself , your human and have taken on an epic task as have most of the people on this site.
Be proud of this great achievement.

Thank you @Nearly there-1 , that's very sweet of you to say. I needed to hear that today. On a purely objectively logical level I know it is a good loss, but as always my brain is very good at persuading me I'm a failure. The weight loss has become less and less with each month that passes, and while it makes sense that the pace will slow down, it almost feels like a countdown and that I'll soon grind to a halt forever! I still have a lot of weight to lose...

 

[FeeBee]

I've struggled with the fact I've been maintaining for months. When I really thought about it I realised I was used to gaining if I wasn't losing. It was always one or the other. Plus seeing the scales drop every week is addictive so when that stops it makes sense that we panic. Trying to get used to the idea that we can actually stay the same weight takes a lot more getting used to than I expected. I'm not sure where you are weight wise but 7 stones is a lot to lose in a short period of time so maybe your body is just recalibrating?

 

[TiaLi]

I've struggled with the fact I've been maintaining for months. When I really thought about it I realised I was used to gaining if I wasn't losing. It was always one or the other. Plus seeing the scales drop every week is addictive so when that stops it makes sense that we panic. Trying to get used to the idea that we can actually stay the same weight takes a lot more getting used to than I expected. I'm not sure where you are weight wise but 7 stones is a lot to lose in a short period of time so maybe your body is just recalibrating?

Yeah I'm hoping it's just recalibrating. I do have a lot more to lose (I'm quite tall and was very heavy when I started) so there shouldn't be a reason why my body would stop here. At least not considering how good I've been diet-wise, and that it's only been 5 months since surgery. I can so identify with what you are saying about the maintaining - like you, I have always either been losing or gaining (through starvation or bingeing). I find the whole concept of people who just stay the same weight to be almost like science fiction! I don't think I've ever had a stable weight. It will be a very weird feeling.

 

[Hannah2]

I struggle to understand maintaining, I think we all think the same on that! I know that there has to be some sort of levelling off and finding a level but not quite sure what that will be like!

 

[missymoo]

Nearly five weeks post band and still loving your post I've tried a few of your meals delicious so please keep them coming x

 

[OkieGirl]

I'm not a vegetarian, but dang, my mouth is watering! I'll certainly keep some of these in mind once I'm post-op and able to eat again!

 

[TiaLi]

Thanks @missymoo and @OkieGirl ! I've been really busy lately and out and about all day, so often forget to photograph my meals etc, which is why I'm posting less often these days. But I'll try and keep it up, I'm really glad you find it helpful! It's a good way for me to keep track of what I'm eating as well.

Hope your surgery went well and that you feel happy with your band missymoo!

 

[missymoo]

Hi

Band went really well. I've healed really quickly and adapted to living with my band well. I never feel hungry at the moment so hoping that lasts

I've got my first fill next week so feeling a bit nervous.

Thank you for putting up ur posts they are really fab x

 

[Mazza]

Haven't had a look through your lovely food pics for a while, so just catching up.

Seven stone is an amazing amount to lose in five months and as the results of your bloods have shown, you must be going about it the right way