28Sep
Hop on Sheri’s Keto-Train for a week – Choo Choo!
 
Last week I asked a question on our FaceBook Private Support Group…. JOIN HERE
 
I had GREAT response from our private group. I had over a hundred of our members say “yes, please! I want to join you”. 
 
I asked everybody if they were interested in hopping on my ketogenic train. This train has already left the building but I am leaving nobody behind. You see, I have come to realize that playing the “carb-game” always gets me into trouble.   Lesson learned(again).
 
My “carb-game” looks like this … a few chips, a bite of a sandwich, a few crackers never killed anybody. Sure, that’s what the first few weeks look like. Then my appetite comes back with a vengeance. I start to do my grazing next. I find myself opening and closing the fridge. Grabbing an apple here and a granola bar there! Next thing I know it’s PASTA FOR EVERYBODY (me included).
 
I hopped off the carb-bus and onto the keto-train over a week ago. I got fed up with being constantly hungry. My weight was creeping up and I felt “outta control”. I went to the supermarket and did a keto-haul. I got my favorite cheese, deli meat, olives, veggies, proteins, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds, and dark chocolate.
 
I stopped by the pharmacy and grabbed some “keto-sticks”. These are urine analysis sticks to see if you are spilling ketones. Now, it’s not the best way to measure ketones but I use them only for motivation for the first few weeks. It motivates me to see that I am in ketosis and to see the little sticks go from beige to pink to purple to dark purple. If you don’t know what this is, google “keto-sticks”. You can order them on Amazon also.
 
I am back on track after only a week. I feel better. My weight is better. I am sleeping better and I feel back in control again. Why did I fall off the wagon? I want to say that the pandemic gave me a bad case of the F—It’s. I don’t think I am the only one who hopped on the carb-bus. I saw a lot of my clients on that same bus.
 
Guys, the first few days are kind of rough when you say “adios carbs”… but it gets a whole lot easier from there. Do some gentle exercise. Drink lots of water. Go to be an hour earlier. Sugar is a drug and getting off it can be a bit difficult but so worth it!
 
If you tried a ketogenic lifestyle a few years ago, let me tell you, the keto-world has changed. It is no longer gobs of butter and coconut oil. It is also nothing to do with all those products that have flooded the market with the word “keto” on the “package”. This lifestyle is only REAL FOOD. You are not going to pile your plates with fat. Natural food already contains natural fats. We are focusing on those types of fat.
 
I’ve prepared a beautiful 6-day ketogenic menu for you. This will get you into ketosis, curb your carb cravings, and get you off the sugar-bus.
 
I’ve doubled the menu twice so you are not chasing new meals and ingredients each day. Monday and Tuesday are the same, as is Wednesday and Thursday. We finish off Friday and Saturday with identical menus. If you love the menu plan and you want more meals like this, just let me know.
 
I’ve focused on super simple meals and snacks for you. There is nothing fancy or complicated. There are no “special ingredients” that you need to purchase. This is just REAL FOOD.
 
I’ve provided the macros so you can see how many grams of fat, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber are in each meal and the totals for each day are included. 
 
Remember, net carbs are: total carbs minus the fiber.
 
If you don’t like salmon or tuna, switch it out for chicken or beef. 
 
If you don’t like avocado, switch it out for mayo or a pat of butter.
 
Trust the process. As the days go on, your appetite will subside. You will start to feel better with fewer cravings. Your energy levels will improve.
 
Let’s get on this Sheri-Keto-Train together – Choo Choo!!   Download your free Sheris Keto-Train Bariatric 6-day Plan HERE
 
Healthy Ketogenic Hugs, 
Your RHN Bariatric Nutritionist and Surgery Coordinator.

About the Author: Sheri Burke is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.

For bariatric patients Bariatric Expert Amazon Line

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins.

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

 

 

BUY HERE
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BUY HERE
BUY HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Gastric Sleeve Plush Toy Keychain $11.99usd

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25Sep

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie 10 - Bariatric Edition

Print Recipe
Servings: 1 people
Ingredients Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1/2 cup Pureed Pumpkin
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder

Notes

No Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use cinnamon instead.
Toppings: Sprinkle with extra cinnamon or pumpkin spice if desired, and top with raw pumpkin seeds if you like some crunch.
Warm it Up: To serve this warm, whisk together the almond milk, pureed pumpkin, and vanilla in a small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer before adding it to the blender with the remaining ingredients.
 
 
 
NUTRTION
amount per serving
 
Calories...........165
Fat........................3g
Carbs................13g
Fiber....................5g
Sugar...................4g
Protein............21g
22Sep
Exercise and Weight Loss – Bariatric Edition
 
Did you think that by having surgery, you could escape from the dreaded exercise routine? Think again. It may not be for the reasons that you currently believe though.
 
Most of us believe that when we exercise, we burn calories and we lose weight faster. We’ve had it drilled into us for most of our lives. We need to exercise to lose weight. We need to continually exercise. Exercise and then exercise some more.
 
Exercising accounts only for a small amount of daily calorie burn.
 
Turns out that all that exercising doesn’t help us lose weight. That one-hour calorie-burn session on the treadmill can be undone in 5 minutes of eating. It also turns out that we have been seriously over-calculating the number of calories that we burn while in a Zumba class or on the elliptical machine. We now know that those machines can over-calculate by up to 50%!! So you can’t have that extra cookie Karen! 
 
Our bodies are super smart. They figure out how we are trying to torch calories and they want to hang onto them so the internal battle begins and once our bodies are used to a particular form of exercise, they don’t burn as many calories while doing that exercise. 
 
I know people who run marathons and are not particularly thin. How can you run for exercise every single day and still be overweight? The evidence is clear. Exercise is great for so many things but weight loss is just not one of them.
 
I tend to be heavier when I am working out the most. Why is that? Well, in my specific case, I am hungrier! Sure,I exercise but I also eat more when I work out. “I deserve it” right? That’s what I tell myself anyway. 
 
Some people exercise and they tend to do less throughout the day because they’ve exercised. Some people are tired after their sweat-session and lie down for a few hours. Other’s fidget less and burn fewer calories post-exercise.
 
I teach my clients to separate exercise and diet. We cannot exercise our way out of a bad diet AND besides that, weight loss occurs in the KITCHEN, and not in the GYM. We cannot eat chocolate cake and then hit the treadmill for an hour to burn it off. Well, we can but if we try to play that game, we will start to HATE the gym and we can become prone to injuries also.
 
My time for exercise needs to be fun and for me. It needs to lift my spirits. I don’t want to “punish” myself during my workout. I want to “ elevate” myself and enjoy the things that my body can do. That’s the only way that exercise is going to become a permanent fixture in my life.
 
If I try to exercise off the chocolate cake, then I am angry at myself for eating the cake. We need to stop it with this thinking. I’ve stopped weighing myself before my workouts because I want to detach from the mentality of “if I gain a pound”, I have to kill myself to burn it off. 
 
We need to EAT for weight loss and WORKOUT for self-care. 
 
So, if we are going to exercise NOT to lose weight, then why bother with it at all?
 
Exercise does so much more. We need to reframe the way that we think about exercise. It’s not about weight loss. It’s about lowering our cholesterol levels. It’s about lowering our blood pressure. It helps to lower blood sugar. It strengthens our cardiovascular system. It prevents muscle loss. It strengthens our muscles, tendons, ligaments. It helps with depression. It reduces stress levels and my TOP reason to exercise …. It releases ENDORPHINS!!  Yay for those endorphins. I am a total endorphin JUNKIE. Gimme all the endorphins. 
 
Now, if the above reasons are not enough of a reason to convince you to exercise, there are a hundred other reasons that I have not mentioned yet. You need to find your reason to exercise.  When I exercise, I am a happier person. I know that now as I go into my 50th year on this planet. If I am in a crappy mood, a workout can turn it all around for me. I use my workout as a time to celebrate me. It is my time for self-care. If my phone rings, I won’t answer it and if my email notifications come on, I ignore them. This is my time to get my head on straight and I won’t jeopardize that for anything.
 
Please find your reason to love yourself enough to move in a way that increases your heart rate and makes you sweat. I really, really, really want this for you. I want you to release endorphins and feel happy. If I could do it for you, I would. I can’t so you need to do it for you.
 
Healthy Hugs,
Sheri,
Your RHN – Bariatric Nutritionist and Surgery Coordinator 
 

About the Author: Sheri Burke is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.

For bariatric patients Bariatric Expert Amazon Line

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins.

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

 

 

BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Gastric Sleeve Plush Toy Keychain $11.99usd

Plush Toy Gastric Sleeve Recovery Fun Pillow $13.99usd

 

17Sep

Sheri's Vanilla Coconut Cups

Print Recipe
Servings: 1 people
Ingredients Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup Organic Coconut Milk (full fat, from the can, divided)
  • 1/8 oz Gelatin
  • 1/4 tsp Honey
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/16 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/4 cup Blueberries (for topping)
  • 1/4 cup Rasberries (for topping)

Notes

Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days.
No Honey: Use maple syrup or another sweetener of your choice.
No Berries: Use another type of fruit instead.
 
NUTRTION
amount per serving
 
Calories......202
Fat................14g
Carbs...........13g
Fiber................3g
Sugar...............8g
Protein............5g
15Sep
I am writing this blog from Quebec, Canada. Here in my neck of the woods, the temperatures are cooling down and there is a chill in the air. The leaves are changing colors and soon we will be outside with a rake in hand battling them.
 
A funny thing happens to me in September. I don’t want to eat lettuce? From May until the end of August, gimme all the greens!! Lettuce, spinach, and arugula are my main squeeze. I can eat this every day, topped with baby cucumbers and cherry tomatoes!
 
With the arrival of Fall, I don’t want anything to do with greens anymore? My palate starts to crave things like warm veggies. I believe in “eating with the seasons”. My ancestors came from Germany and Ireland and they arrived in Canada to huge plots of land, covered in snow. They had to know what to eat and how to store those foods during our long winters. I don’t think they ever got to eat fresh pineapple in February or fresh cherries in March. They ate root veggies which they gathered in early/ mid-fall and stored all winter long in a “root cellar”. They ate all the carrots, turnips, and potatoes. They ate all the soups and stews.
 
Soups and Stews! Get out the crockpot, turn on the oven, and gather some new ideas along with tried and true recipes. It’s Fall and it’s time to start cooking low and slow, blending all those wonderful flavors. 
 
I wanted to share some gorgeous Fall recipes with you. These are the kinds of meals that are served up in my home during October, November, and December. They are easy to make, economical, and oh so healthy! Remember, if you see “potato” and you are eating “low-carb or ketogenic”, omit the potato and add cauliflower instead. You can always make substitutions to keep your meals low-carb and bariatric friendly.
 
Do you know what happens to me in April? I don’t want to see any soups or stews – I start to crave greens again! I want the grill open and I want gorgeous salads and fruit. I think that our body knows what it is doing. We just need to listen to it.
 
DOWNLOAD MY BARIATRIC FRIENDLY LIST OF SOUPS AND STEWS HERE
 
Buen Provecho!
Sheri Burke
Your RHN, Specializing in Bariatric Friendly Meal Planning.
 

About the Author: Sheri Burke is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.

For bariatric patients Bariatric Expert Amazon Line

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins.

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

 

 

BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Gastric Sleeve Plush Toy Keychain $11.99usd

Plush Toy Gastric Sleeve Recovery Fun Pillow $13.99usd

 

7Sep
 Below you will find the link to my free “5-day September Slim Down” menu plan with all the bells and whistles.
 
You know how in March when most of us are freezing our butts off and eating things like stews, soups, and chilis … You know how we gain a few lbs in winter from all the starchy foods and all the Netflix binging?  How we move less and eat more?  How inactivity becomes the “norm” because “who wants to go outside in the rain and snow and wind”?  
 
You know how we all believe that we will lose those extra 5 lbs because during summer we will move more and eat better?  We will live on salads and fresh fruit?  
 
Ya, well this year it’s been different for me.  2020 is just a lot different in MANY ways.  I didn’t lose 5 lbs lol?  Hands up if you lost 5 lbs (not fair those of you who had surgery this summer lol)
 
This summer was full of salads and fresh fruit but it was also full of unnecessary alcohol and potato salads.  The bread basket makes it’s way back onto my table some nights.  Chips and salsa – NO COMMENT.
 
It’s September guys – the long weekend is now behind us and we need to get back to a more “normal” routine (if that’s even possible in 2020).  My normal routine will include longer work hours.  It will include longer workouts.  I will incorporate more low carb alternatives and healthier meals all around.  
 
I want you to join me and I have prepared us a fantabulous low carb menu to get started with.  It’s a 5-day plan to get ALL of us BACK on TRACK and prepping for healthier overall choices, options, and meals.  It includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one snack.  
 
Now, if you’ve already incorporated intermittent fasting into your lives, all you need to do is drop one of the meals and break your fast with my breakfast OR lunch option.  Heck, you can even eat all 3 meals in your eating window if you want to but that is kind of defeating the purpose.  Besides, if you are following a low carb lifestyle, you won’t be hungry enough to eat 3 times in a shorter eating window.  
 
I have included 5 different breakfasts, 5 different lunches, 5 different dinners, and 5 different snacks.  Doesn’t mean that you need to follow my meal plan each day.  You can pick and choose. I just wanted to offer you these ideas in order to expand your food repertoire.  Sometimes we get in a food rut and eat the same things over and over again. If I offer you lots of suggestions, something may jump off of the menu and onto your plate.
 
The portions are tinier than a regular portion.  I have given you recipes for ONE person but you can easily double, triple, or quadruple the recipe so that your whole family can enjoy them.  Every recipe is low carb, moderate protein, and fat.  I hope you find some new recipes to add to your life.
 
Let’s get our September Slim-Down on!  Download it for free HERE!
 
Sheri

About the Author: Sheri Burke is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.

For bariatric patients Bariatric Expert Amazon Line

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins.

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

 

 

BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Gastric Sleeve Plush Toy Keychain $11.99usd

Plush Toy Gastric Sleeve Recovery Fun Pillow $13.99usd