bakawaka

Literally just google tofu recipes. There are many recipes on the Web. Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine features many tofu dishes that we in the West never think of. Tofu is great.

Nutritionists live in an ideal world. We live in the real world. Nutritionists' advice is a guideline. Some of us are very busy. We don't cook; I don't know how to cook. Low-cal frozen dinners with preservatives are better than my OLD eating habits.

I am on the pre-op liquid diet and find myself thirsty all the time. I get thirsty immediately after drinking a protein shake. I wonder whether it has something to do with the high amount of protein.

For those of you who are willing to use soy-based protein (I am) another alternative for shakes is to mix the powder with some very soft tofu (you can get low-fat versions). Mix along with some soy milk/almond milk or even dairy milk for more protein. Not everyone enjoys tofu. I love it because I grew up allergic to dairy products and learned to rely on soy. I also mix in some frozen fruit and ice cubes with the Bariatric Advantage power. It works for me. And I hope that this can give others some ideas. This liquid diet is definitely challenging. When I go to a restaurant with my colleagues, I order chicken soup and eat only the broth. That gives me something savory to eat. I do, however miss gin & tonic, vodka, wine, been and caffeinated coffee. i wish you success.

I find myself tired - low energy - while on this pre-op liquid diet. Does anyone else experience fatigue? It's not the worst fatigue. But it's a feeling of being slowed down. My memory does not function as well.

I use soy milk or almond milk for my shakes made with Bariatric Advantage. I like either of these better than dairy milk. The shakes taste better. The soy milk is calcium enriched. It's also low fat. Plus, it's more protein!

I am not a scientist or a medical professional. I am still pre-op. I am curious about post-op experiences with sugar substitutes. Do you find yourself still craving sugary/sweet stuff? Example: when I used real sugar, I put 4 or 5 teaspoons of sugar in my iced tea. Does your tolerance for sugar substitutes change? Did your preferences for sugar substitutes change? I'm wondering if I should simply try never to use them again. The evidence about their advantages versus disadvantages seems conflicting. I don't know whom to believe. But I do believe what people in this forum say about their real-world experiences. I'm using splenda and equal on my pre-op diet.

Dear Forum Friends, Today I met with my surgeon and decided to switch from the vertical sleeve gastrectomy to the gastric bypass. It is a complex decision. I still think that the sleeve is a fantastic procedure. But I've decided to switch to the gastric bypass (even though I am self-pay and it is costing me several thousands of dollars more) because, in his opinion, it will help me deal with my love of sweets/surgary foods. I have found this forum to be a source of inspiration. I will be switching to the forum for the bypass. I'm staying on the same pre-op liquid diet. I wish every person great success in his or her weight loss journey. I appreciate all of the insights and inspiration from the posts in this forum.

i wonder whether eating more complex carbohydrates might curb the hunger for sugar. it's an idea.

Lynda, thanks so much for your thoughts. My surgeon says that VSG and gastric bypass are actually very similar. He says that the recovery times are very similar. He also noted that it really was "up to me" which to choose but he thought that bypass has a slight advantage over VSG. I love carbohydrates - breads, cookies, cakes as well as ice cream. I can avoid eating them if I don't see them (so I never have them in my home), but when I encounter them out of my home, I want to eat and not stop (lay's potato chips: you never can eat just one - well that's me!). So I'm hoping that the bypass will help me with that. With the pre-op diet, I find that I am truly not physically hungry, but I daydream about potato chips, bagels, scones, etc. So I would assume that post surgery I'll do the same. I'm hoping that the bypass will prevent me from enjoying them. Good luck on your weight loss journey and thanks so much for your thoughts!

I find that with my pre-op liquid diet, I'm not losing weight according to the scale, but pants that I used to not be able to wear comfortably are now comfortable. But my weight fluctuates up and down. It's strange. But I do think that the pre-op diet is doing something positive. The headaches have disappeared. The mental hunger remains, however. The mental hunger seems to decrease with each day. I'm in the second week of a four-week liquid diet. Today I'm going on a multi-day business trip. Instead of the Bariatric Advantage shakes that I have to mix, I am taking pre-mixed shakes (drinkable) in my checked luggage. I bought them from GNC. They have 40 more calories than the Bariatric Advantage shakes (which I like, by the way) but are more convenient. Whenever I am at home, I use the Bariatric Advantage shakes. Whenever I am not at home, I am using the GNC shakes.

I think that the revulsion to sugar is a benefit! This is a way to retrain the brain to eat better. I'm hoping that my surgery will make me hate sugary foods. I'll definitely have to experience dumping syndrome because of the gastric bypass. I know that dumping syndrome is not pleasant but it will help my brain learn to make better food choices.

I think that it is an advantage not to be able to eat anything with sugar in it. My surgeon told me that he revulsion to sugar that my surgery should create will retrain my brain. That's what I'm hoping for!

Well, it turns out that the gastric bypass forum is not as sophisticated as the VSG forum. So I am going to stay here.

I think it is very human to slip up while on a liquid diet. It's hard to be on a liquid diet. I pass by solid food and want to eat it. I fully empathize.

I drink a minimum of three Bariatric Advantage shakes a day. I'm allowed up to a maximum of 6 per day. Everything else is broth, Water, etc. I mix the shakes with low-fat soy milk. I also use a banana in the shakes (surgeon says that is okay to do). No solid foods allowed.

I have been on the liquid diet for one week an have not lost a pound. Do others experience lack of weight loss after one week of the pre-op liquid diet? I had expected to loss at least 1/2 pound.

My surgery has been postponed by three weeks. Surgeon states I can choose to stop the liquid diet after 15 days but that it is okay to continue the liquid diet for one month. I have chosen to continue the liquid diet. I am on day 4 and find it easier. I did find the Halloween candy very tempting but walked on by. I am less hungry now on the liquid diet and find it a helpful tool to identify "head" hunger. I cannot say I enjoy the liquid diet but I can do it.

It sounds like the description for whey protein is just like the description for barium, which I found chalky and disgusting.

Suggestion: call your nutritionist and ask if anything else is allowed. I am in day three and tired of the shakes. I am not hungry, however. My nutritionist will allow steamed vegetables if I am very hungry but wants me to stick to the diet. I bought vegetable stock and bouillon to drink to change from something sweet to something savory, I am tired of drinking sweet stuff. I always find myself very thirsty on the liquid diet. I am drinking a lot of water but still thirsty.

Health care hardens people. It is a tough industry. Doctors and nurses do joke about their patients. I don't like it, but it happens. I just accept it. It might be a coping mechanism.

It is sort of like an oil change for your car. When you have it done at the dealer, the dealer charges extra for the oil. I started bringing my own oil to the dealer for oil and filter changes. Everyone is trying to make extra $$. Same with WLS. Our doctors are in business to make a profit. It's just reality. I am self pay and conscious of every dollar I spend. But I went ahead and paid. My surgeon makes it a condition of surgery. It's all about $$$ in the end.

I also find the vanilla truly gross.

I took Tylenol and found it helps with the headaches. I still feel a bit weak at the end of the second day. Other than that it is not so bad. I do think that the liquid diet helps to prepare me psychologically for the dietary changes.