Menu Building – Bariatric Edition

I have been building up to this blog over the last few weeks.  Those of you who read my blogs or watch my FB LIVE videos on a weekly basis will understand what I mean.  

I have been talking a lot about low carb/ high-fat eating and how to get it right for bariatric post ops.  I have been going over the ketogenic rules with you and I have been providing you with the information to truly understand this WOE (way of eating).

I have attached a link at the bottom of this blog so you can go download it for yourself but, this menu is just a sample.  I want you to build your own.

If you have not been watching my videos or reading my blogs, take a few moments and go back over them to about a month ago. That makes 4 blogs or 4 videos that you can watch to catch up to where we are today.

Today is all about a LCHF, low carb, high-fat MENU.  This is menu building with Sheri. 

I am going to break it down into sections and then at the bottom I have gifted you a 3-day menu that you can use to see how incredibly powerful this WOE is.  The portions I have given you are smaller than “regular portions” because I have designed it for the bariatric client.  In only 3 days you will be feeling better, with less bloating, more energy and fewer cravings.

I am going to gift you with a 3-day menu BUT I want YOU to be able to build your OWN LCHF menu. I want you to feel in charge and in control when it comes to menu-building.  There is no reason why you need me to do it for you.  You know what you like and you know what foods work for you and your family.  This puts the power back in your court and your kitchen.

I don’t want you to get bored with eating the same menu over and over again.

I want to empower you to be able to take the reins of your own health.

I want to make this easy for you to be in charge of your own diet.

So let’s talk about macronutrients now and how they break down.  Here goes … 

First, we are going to have a diet that consists of 60-75% fat, 15-30% protein, and 5-10% carbs.

A lot of clients are confused and tell me that my numbers are one thing and another person is saying something else.  Well, my clients are different also and they have a reduced stomach capacity so things may look a bit different.

You can play a bit with eh macronutrient breakdown due to “biochemical individuality”.  Some of us can eat a bit more carbohydrates.  Some of us have to keep them super duper low.  I want you to start here and adjust if need be.

Now, this is the “bread and butter” of low carb or keto. Yes, the pun is intended!

When counting carbs, I use NET CARBS.  The term “net carbs” simply refers to carbs that are absorbed by the body.  Fiber and some sugar alcohols don’t count as “net carbs”.  To calculate the net carbs in whole foods, subtract the fiber from the total number of carbs.

Okay, let’s start by talking about which foods we need to avoid: 

Avoid foods full of starch and sugar.  Here are examples of these types of foods:

• Fruit that is high in sugar
• Potatoes
• Pasta
• Rice
• Tortillas
• Crackers
• Bagels
• English muffins
• Cake and Pastry
• Soda and juices
• Chocolate bars
• Ice cream
• Candy

What can I drink? 

• Water
• Coffee
• Tea/ herbal tea
• Diet Sodas – Yay or Nay?

Diet sodas maintain our cravings for sweet tastes, which can undermine our progress and keep sugar addiction in place.

• Alcohol on Keto?  Yay or Nay? 

Moderation is key.  Unlike most diets, which forbid all alcohol, the keto diet allows moderate consumption of specific alcoholic beverages.  Dry red and white wine is fine in moderation.  

• Beer is not okay – it is “liquid bread”.
• Spirits like vodka, gin or whiskey have zero carbs in them.

The take-away here is … small amounts of low carb alcohol are fine but, if your weight loss stalls or you still have issues of metabolic health, consider abstaining, at least for now.

Let’s talk about the kinds of foods which are recommended to eat on a low carb or keto lifestyle:

EAT MEAT

Meat – unprocessed meats are low carb and keto-friendly.  You don’t need to eat huge amounts of meat.  A normal amount of meat is enough.

Note that processed meats, like sausages, cold cuts, pepperoni sticks, beef jerky, and meat-balls often contain added carbs.  When in doubt look at the ingredients and aim for under 5% carbs.

FISH AND SEAFOOD

These are all good, especially fatty fish like salmon.  However, avoid breading as it contains carbs.

EGGS

Eat them however you like them.  Eat them boiled, fried in butter, scrambled poached or however you like.

NATURAL FAT, HIGH-FAT SAUCES

Most of the calories on a strict keto diet will come from fat.  You’ll likely get much of it from natural sources like meat, salmon, eggs, etc.  But, also use fat in cooking, like butter or coconut oil, and add plenty of olive oil to salads, etc.

You can also eat delicious high-fat sauces.  Remember, don’t fear fat because fat is our friend.

VEGETABLES GROWN ABOVE GROUND

Fresh or frozen – either is fine.  Choose vegetables growing above ground, especially leafy and green items.  Favorites include cauliflower, cabbage broccoli and zucchini.  Vegetables are a great and tasty way to eat good fat on keto.  You can fry them in a bit of butter and pour olive oil on your salad.  They also add more variety, flavor and color to your keto meals.  Many people end of eating more vegetables than before as veggies replace the pasta, rice and potatoes.

HIGH FAT DAIRY

Butter is good, high-fat cheese is fine and high fat yogurts can be eaten in moderation.  Heavy cream can be used for cooking.  Avoid drinking milk s the milk sugar quickly adds up. Avoid low fat yogurts.  Be aware of regularly snacking on cheese when you are not hungry is a common mistake that can slow weight loss.

NUTS AND SEEDS

Nuts and seeds can be eating in moderation, but be careful when using nuts and seeds as snacks, as it’s very easy to eat far more than you need to feel satisfied.  Also, be aware that cashews are relatively high carbs, choose academia or pecan nuts instead.

BERRIES

A moderate amount of berries is okay on keto!  Frozen or fresh are perfect.

So now that you know what you shouldn’t eat and what you should be eating … let’s look at a 3 day menu that I prepared for you and let’s go over the details of that!  Use this menu to get started and then switch to your own set of menus.  

LCHF strength in numbers …. Click TO 3 DAY LCHF MENU

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