February Meal Plan

DESCRIPTION: Ready to try something new? This meal plan has lots of yummy recipes that are guaranteed to get your taste buds out of a routine. It features recipes like Lemon Garlic Shrimp, California Sushi Bowl, Cranberry Date Energy Balls (snack), and more! Eating healthy never tasted so delicious!

AVERAGE NUTRITION FACTS PER DAY:

• Calories: 1,110
• Protein: 60 grams
• Carbs: 105 grams
• Fat: 50 grams
• Fiber: 21 grams

TIPS & GUIDELINES:

• Buy a food scale. It is very important to use the exact measurements we provide on the meal plan. Our recipes give measurements in both volume/amount and in grams so you are able to weigh everything. We use grams instead of ounces because it can be a more exact measure, especially for small things like seeds and nuts.
• Remember to stop drinking all fluids 30 minutes before and after each meal. Do not drink any fluids while you eat. Since your stomach has decreased considerably in size, this will help you to fill up with real food and not just liquids.
• Stay hydrated! Outside of your meal schedules, you may drink as much water as you want. Please avoid drinking coffee in excess and under no circumstance should you drink soda.
• Eat your protein first. If you are having trouble eating as much as you are supposed to then focus on eating the protein first and then as much of the remaining foods as possible. Remember protein does not always mean animal protein, it can also be legumes, nuts, and seeds for example, since not all your recipes will include animal-based protein.
• Try to not skip meals. It is important for your metabolism to get used to the new and healthy eating schedule
• Do not weigh yourself more than once per week. Pick a day of the week (we recommend Wednesdays or Thursdays) and weigh yourself every week only on that day and in the morning before having breakfast or any water.

MEAL PREP:

We use meal preps for grains so that you can cook all of these in advance for the week and save lots of time! You can prepare all these in a single day or as they show up in your recipes, and then cook everything for the week. Grains stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a week. For each week, we recommend you to cook the following in advance and store in the fridge:

• Brown rice, uncooked - 1/2 cup (90 grams)(can replace with brown rice or quinoa if intolerant to rice)
• Quinoa, uncooked - 1/4 cup (46 grams)

CHEAT MEALS:

• A cheat meal is one in which you eat something that is not listed on the meal plan. A cheat meal should never exceed 6 ounces so you don't risk stretching your pouch.
• *We incorporate these because it is unrealistic that you will not eat anything that is not on the meal plan. Life is filled with holidays, celebrations and special occasions that we should be able to enjoy. The important thing is that the base of our diet is healthy so that when we do have these special occasions it doesn’t take us a step back in our weight loss journey.
• We recommend keeping the number of cheat meals to no more than 2 per week. Try to keep them under 500 calories each. If you don’t use any, your transformation will be quicker.
• You can decide when you want to use these, but it is recommended that you save them for the weekends since that is when people are most likely to eat out or have special occasions. We also recommend that you try to not use more than one in a single day so that your body can recover from it over the next day or two.

VITAMINS, SUPPLEMENTS & MEDICATIONS:

It is recommended that all patients add the following supplements to their diet:

• Multivitamin. One per day with breakfast. Recommended brand: Centrum Adult Multivitamin Chewable Tablet
• Iron. One per day with breakfast. Recommended brands: NutriPure Chewable Iron Supplement, BariMelts Iron + Vitamin C
• Calcium. One serving per day split between lunch and dinner. Do not take at the same time as iron supplement. Recommended brands: Rainbow Light Calcium Citrate Chewable, Solaray Calcium Citrate Chewable
• B-complex. One per day with any meal. Recommended brand: Vitafusion B Complex Gummy

For more personalized supplement recommendations you can contact our nutritionist by clicking here (included as part of your premium membership).

Note: Always follow your doctor's insructions if taking any medication and consult with him before making any changes.

EXERCISE:

There is no need to excercise as part of this meal plan. However, it is recommended to stay active, meaning walking around 4,000 to 5,000 steps per day. To learn more about exercise for gastric sleeve patients please click here.

We hope you enjoy the meal plan!

-- The GastricSleeveRecipes.com Team