Hi, Starlight--

I try not to think about "good" and "bad" foods too much--rather, I think, "What foods can I choose that will give me the best bang for my buck?" It's like I am going on a shopping trip, and I want to get the best possible deals, that combine good taste and good nutrition. Oh, and I have a budget--my daily calorie goals!

These days, my goal is to "spend" between 1,300 and 1,500 calories a day. And just to complicate things a bit, because I am post-RNY, I know that I need at least 90 grams per day of protein. My nutritionist says I should aim for three main meals and two or three snacks per day, with each main meal being at least 300 calories, and each snack being at least 150 calories; and every time I eat, I need a minimum of 7 grams of protein. (It sounds super-complicated, doesn't it? But I promise, when you get going, you'll find it gets a LOT easier! )

Okay, so, given all these rules, here's a sample day for me:

Breakfast (8 a.m.): 1 cup of Kashi Go Lean cereal (13 g. of protein right off the bat! Yay!), with 1/3 c. 1% milk, and half a cup of raspberries or blueberries.

Snack 1 (10:30 a.m.): Atkins Advantage protein bar, Chocolate Chip Granola (another 15 g. of protein...)

Lunch: (1 p.m.): 1/2 c. baked chicken breast, 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese, 1 T. crumbled bacon, 1.5 c. romaine lettuce, 6 cherry tomatoes, 5 oz. fresh strawberries (hey, it's summer--time to live it up with the fresh fruit!)

Snack 2: (3:30 p.m.) 1 Finn Crisp rye cracker (they're big, so one goes a long way) with 1 T. peanut butter

Supper: (6:15 p.m.) 8 oz. salmon filet, 1/2 c. cooked broccoli, 1 small baked potato, 1 t. butter

Snack 3: (optional) (9 p.m.) 1 envelope low-calorie hot chocolate

This is just a sample--but the main pattern is the same. And you'll see that I try to never go longer than 2 or 3 hours without eating either a meal or a snack. I think this is a key part of staying on track for me: I know that when I'm hungry, I'll make really dopey food decisions, whereas when I'm not hungry, it's super-easy to eat what's good for me.

I really hope this helps!

carbs are the root of all evils.... I am trying to cut back on them as well as bumping up the protein and vegies. My boss is also a post gastric person and she had a regain too. she is focussing on going wheat free and has actually lost 45 pounds the past couple months. going to foucs on trying the wheat free but rally address the carb issues. one day at a time.