Food Cost After Surgery

[Guest guest]

I am pre-op

I thought my food cost after surgery would be reduced

well I just tried doing a pre budget and it will actually go UP by about

$40 a week, I had to adjust my budget and add $160 to my grocery budget.

it's because of the vitamins and 80 grams of protein you're required to

have a day. Remember that your new stomach is really small so you wont

be able to actually EAT 80 grams of protein a day. Most people get it

thru drinking protein drinks. My doctors office, being as strict as they

are, ask their patients to drink something called Zero Carb Isopure

premade protein drinks. They have 40 g protein per bottle. If you drink

one a day, plus your 3 meals a day with each meal about 15 g protein,

you will easily get enough protein in. I don't know if I will be able to

get in 15 g of protein per meal so I found this stuff called protein to

go. It has 10 g protein in these tiny purse side to go baggies. You just

pour it into your bottled water and there ya go. I'd have 1 of those a

day too.

yea ok but

that ZeroCarb stuff cost $35 for a 12 pack, I'll need 30 per month. That

will average to more than $70 a month.

That's not even including the new supplements I have to buy because I

won't be able to take pills/capsules/tablets anymore after I get the

surgery. Everything has to be either liquid form or chewables.

The protein 2 go is $16 for a 10 pack. I'll have to buy 3-10 packs each

month. That's $48 a month.

Now can you see how my grocery budget will get higher after the surgery

even though I will be eating 1/4 the food I eat now?

Here's the menu/budget I came up with. I would like suggestions BUT keep

in mind that I choose convenience over money in my lifestyle, even

though I am broke and in debt. Convenience comes first because I work

full time, go to school full time and am a caretaker for my grandmother

full time. I wake up at 6am , 7 days a week and get home at 10pm , I

barely get enough sleep. No cooking/blending/preparing food can be

included in your suggestions cause it aint gonna happen. Any other

suggestions are welcome such as other choices of pre made foods, or

other choices of 40+ g protein drinks,e tc.. places for coupons,

samples, etc...

Post Op GROCERIES

Pre Breakfast Snack:

Nature's Best® Isopure Zero Carb pre-made protein drink ($35/12 pack)

Required Bariatric Advantage supplements: calcium citrate ($14), b-12

($14), multivitamin ($14)

$26.00

$11

Breakfast:

low fat or sugar free:

2 - cottage cheese

3 –Fage Greek Yogurt <http://www.fageusa.com/products.html>

2 - ricotta cheese

$7

Lunch:

2 - Trader Joes salmon salad

1- Trader Joes salad with beef or poultry

bag of raw spinach

1 - Trader Joes Baked chicken with rice pilaf

$18

Dinner:

4 - South Beach diet frozen meal (split and eat half)

$16

24 pack - Bottled water

box of protein2Go ($16/10 pack)

$4

$12

TOTAL WEEKLY GROCERY BILL IS APPROXIMATELY =>

$94.00