Kick Start for Sleevers!
I am SO excited to launch this plan!
This is a 4-week plan to jump start your metabolism and help your weight loss
get back on track. This plan is intended for those that have had their sleeve 6
months or more. Please be sure to consult your doctor or nutritionist before
starting any plan as the information found here may differ from your doctor’s
orders.
First some information on this plan.
There are “allowed” and “avoid” foods, just with every plan.
The reasons behind this are nothing more than carb and sugar counts, for most
of them, although protein counts are also a high factor as are health benefits.
Keep in mind that MOST of these foods will be re-introduced after a time
period. There is a huge similarity between this plan and the Atkins and South Beach
diets. This is on purpose. These diets have proven health benefits and results.
The main difference here is the “allowed” foods and the AMOUNTS. Remember,
Atkins and South Beach – along with every other diet plan
– were created for people that have not had weight loss surgery, so
modifications must be made in order for them to work correctly for us.
All nutritional and calorie counts have been formulated
using My Fitness Pal and are to be thought of as an approximation. Counts may
differ depending on brand and measurement differences.
Week one consists of an ULTRA low-carb ULTRA protein-filled
reset type diet. It is similar to “stage one” of the Atkins plan, with a few
small tweaks that make it appropriate for a sleevers lifestyle.
Week two will reintroduce certain fruits and vegetables that
were removed during week one. These will be lower-carb fruits such as berries
and vegetables such as green leafy veggies.
Week three will reintroduce MORE foods that were cut out
during the first two weeks such as beans and legumes and even more veggies.
Week four we will begin re-introducing whole grains back
into our diet – some sleevers have issue with rice and bread, so be careful
there. But small amounts of quinoa, millet, and flax can go a long way, baby!
This week we start with WEEK ONE!!
Week One
Ultra High Protein
Remember when you started your full-liquid diet after
surgery? What did your doctor tell you? What advice did your nutritionist give?
If they were anything like mine it was:
PROTEIN FIRST! WATER SECOND! PROTEIN FIRST! WATER SECOND!
Not that protein is MORE important that water – but they are
on the same level of importance. Why? Well, of course water is hydration – our
bodies are 90% water, so we kind of HAVE to have it to live, right? But why so
much protein?
I admittedly didn't take much stock in this at first until I
learned more about our bodies and how the sleeve is so different than anything
else, but here’s the gist:
After surgery, our bodies NEEDED the protein for healing. It
was a huge part of that process. It helped with iron and niacin – two integral
building blocks of life. It was this protein that helped the seem of our
“little bananas” heal.
Fast forward to a few months after surgery. By now you were
on solid foods. What was that like? Which foods did you eat first? My very
first actual solid food was scrambled eggs. I remember how heavenly they
tasted!! Hey, after weeks of protein shakes and yogurt, eggs were a very
welcome change! From there I tried chicken, beef, fish, and shrimp. Notice
something missing? That’s right. Vegetables. Now, I did try mashed cauliflower
a time or two and green beans, but my focus was still on the protein. Protein
was first. I wasn't even allowed raw veggies until I was two months out!
Week one focuses on that protein surge that our bodies
received the first few weeks after surgery. The lack of carbohydrates that most
of us had made our metabolisms skyrocket! Our bodies went into ketosis which
jump started our weight loss. The first 2-3 months, most of us lost ¼ of our
excess body weight or more! The first week of this plan will do just that. Our
bodies will return to that ketosis stage and our metabolisms will, once again,
skyrocket!
Allowed Foods:
Meats, fish, poultry, tofu, pork products, high protein shakes (low-carb!),
cheese, milk (whole milk), plain (unflavored) yogurt, sour cream, eggs, all
natural no sugar added nut butters – ANY high protein, low carb food with no
added sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, etc.), any and all spices, herbs and
seasonings you wish, broths (beef, chicken, veggie).
Avoid foods:
ALL carbs including bread, pasta, rice, oats, all flours, crackers, etc.
Vegetables (may use some such as onion and garlic for seasoning purposes and
may also use tomato-based sauces)
Fruit
Artificial sweeteners (If you MUST have a sweetener use
stevia)
Notice there are no veggies on the allow list. Not yet. Although
seasoning with things such as onions, garlic, and tomato based sauces are okay
for this week, the addition of vegetables for eating will take away from our
protein needs for this week. Please note that this stage is ONLY one week, and
SHOULD NOT GO past the week!!! We WILL re-introduce those vital plants back
into our diets, but this week is to re-focus on protein. This allowed foods
list seems restrictive, and in a way it is, but keep in mind that cheese means
ANY cheese, meats mean ANY meat (yes, even bacon!). The main thing is to READ
LABELS. This week PROTEIN ONLY (beans will return, BTW!!). Don’t just limit
yourself to the list, however. ANY food that is high protein and (virtually) 0
carb is allowed. That includes butter and oil. In fact, I encourage you to cook
with butter and (yep, I’m gonna say it!!) LARD. Confused? Don’t be. Studies
have shown that animal fats are actually BETTER for you than margarine, canola,
and safflower oils. Not comfortable with “going there yet” – no worries! You
can still use the other oils (canola, olive, peanut during this plan if you
like, but refrain from margarine altogether. Yes, spices, herbs and seasonings
are all allowed. Coffee is allowed as well, but be sure to use half and half or
heavy cream instead of flavored creamer. Tea is even better and not as hard on
the digestion. If you HAVE to sweeten it, use stevia to taste and if you want
some flavor to it, feel free to add all the vanilla extract or cinnamon you
like. Stay as far away from chemical artificial sweeteners such as aspartame
and saccharine as possible. You might also choose to avoid sucralose, as it is
being discovered that it can hinder weight loss as well.
Here is a sample meal plan for the first week. Don’t
be alarmed by the calorie counts (some days are lower and some days are higher
than others). Keep in mind that this is NOT about the calories, but about the
protein. If you’re uncomfortable with the calorie count, feel free to add more
fats to raise the count, or less to lower it. Also note that I have tried to be
frugal in making this meal plan – some days you will have a repeat. This is so that you can save on
grocery bills! Those of us on a budget know how frustrating some meal plans
with their refusal to use leftovers – NOT this one! Always remember that this
is a SUGGESTED meal plan. Feel free to create your own custom plan from any of
the allowed foods!
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