What I have done is just clean up what I was already eating. My mcdonalds breakfast used to be egg mcmuffin, coffee 5 sugar 6 cream. Now it is coffee 2 Splenda, white milk and order of bacon. Old calories 500 new calories 170. My old dinner twice a week was Vietnamese Super Bowl of pho , 2 fresh rolls, Thai tea. Now I make Shirataki noodles in broth with veggies and chicken sausage with crystal light to drink. Old calories 2370 new calories 250. I used to make tuna/chicken/salmon/surimi salads with mayo now I use Greek yogurt. I make dips from yogurt because it is almost 3/4 lower in cals than mayo. I use raw veggies for chips. I serve cheese on slices of fruit instead of crackers I don't eat wheat rice or potato any more. When I want pizza I make a squash pizza crust or use portobello mushrooms or red bell pepper slabs for the base. When I want a dessert I make Panna cotta. All you really need is meat dishes and choose a non potato side veg. Snacks are usually protein bars, 100 cal nut packs, slim Jim minis, cheese sticks. Chinese meals are moo goo gai pan, no sauce, no rice, no egg roll. Mexican is fajitas, no rice, no chips, no tortillas. BBQ is meat and cole slaw. You don't have to reinvent the wheel just take out all the carbs from the food you ate before and make sure the meat is easy to get down

You will hear this referred to as "clean eating". Avoid processed foods, buy fresh and cook yourself. By doing that, you control how much fat and sodium get added to your diet. For instance:

I make all my own soups. I use fat free, low sodium broth (chicken or beef depending on what I'm making) meat and usually some form of frozen vegtable. Divide up into 1 cup servings. Use the receipe builder on here and it figures out how many calories, grams of protein, etc. for you. I can get a cup of soup for less than 200 calories per meal but with 20 or more grams of protein because I add way more meat than you get in premade/canned soups and way less fat and sodium

I love salad and top with a little cheese and a portion of chopped meat. I buy Bolthouse Farms salad dressing because they are made with yogurt (more protein) and the calorie levels are lower especially the ones that are not creamy. Small salad with 4 ounces of meat is very filling and a whole meal.

I use a mini tortilla for a wrap. 4 ounces of deli meat and a slice of cheese, maybe a little mustard or a very little mayo or I sometimes use a cheese spread instead of slice. It's the perfect size for a meal.

Grilled or broiled steak, chicken, pork or 4 ounces of ham. Add a small salad or a 1/2 cup of non starchy vegtable and you are full.

Keep high protein snacks around. I like a slice of deli ham wrapped around a dill pickle slice (stacker). Lots of flavor and very few calories.

I know it sounds like a lot of work and it is. I typically cook on the weekends, making lunches for the week. I'm lucky that my husband cooks during the week, but you could cook enough for dinners as well so you can heat and eat if you don't have time to cook daily.

Hope that helps some and remember, always eat the protein first and then eat what you can of the rest. Get used to not cleaning your plate and realize that's OK. Eating everything just to eat everything is how we got to where we needed WLS.

Thank you soooooo much for the help and ideas...This is the kind of info I am trying to find. Pretty much what others are eating for meals to get me kick started in the right direction. I am already 4 mths out and have only lost 34 pounds....

Nicki, only 34 pounds down? Girl that's great for four months! That's almost 10 pounds a month! For those of us that have been doing this awhile, any loss is a good loss. Two things I would like to say if I may. #1, don't compare your journey to anyone else's. While there are similarities, each person's journey is unique to them. #2, some of lose slower than others, so while someone with the same amount to lose hits goal inside a year, someone else may not. For instance I am almost 3 years out and still not at goal. First off I started at 386 with 226 to lose and was told not to expect to get it all off in a year. Secondly I lose slowly, some of us do. Third, I've had several loooong stalls. Although I am sometime frustrated, I am not discouraged and I am not ready to be done. So I am working the plan and continuing to strive and I will hit goal at some point.

Be patient with yourself, work the plan, do what your doctor tells you and you will be successful.

there is a website : two sleevers that has some good recipies