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Like everyone has been saying, it has a consistency similar to sour cream. To me, it is less sweet (or fake sweet) than regular yogurts. I tried plain yogurt (not greek) and was convinced it had soured, had to have somebody else taste it and they said it was fine...i thought it was gross, I can eat plain greek yogurt without anything in it tho. Just tastes better to me.

I'm also 12 days post op. I feel like i'm a newborn, eating every 2 hours, lol. I eat about every 2-3 hours, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Sipping throughout the day. I should do better about tracking the portions, but portions are so small its hard to measure. On full liquids, I eat protein Atkins advantage shakes, yogurt, pudding, and creamy soups (blended in the blender). and fudgesicles. (all the above are the sugar free/no sugar added versions, except the soups.

Hi all I m 6 days out and for the first 2 days I was in so much pain I didn't 'want to eat either I just want the pain to stop but I got dehydrated because my liquids kept coming up so now I can have puréed foods and I can only eat about 3 spoons full so I open and have to go back to something as small as Greek yogurt less more eat a 3 course meal.

By Elizabeth Goodman Artis (Shape Magazine) We dissect the science of fat to help you pick the smartest strategies for losing it. Fat is the ultimate three-letter word, especially the kind that you spend so much time watching your diet and hitting the gym to keep at bay (or at least to keep off your butt). But beyond making you look less-than-svelte, fat can have significant physical and emotional implications. We talked to Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., a nutritional biochemist and author of The Secret of Vigor: How to Overcome Burnout, Restore Biochemical Balance, and Reclaim Your Natural Energy, to find out a few essential facts that might surprise you. 1. Fat Comes in Different Colors More specifically, there are different types of fat that have different hues and functions, according to Talbott: white, brown, and beige. The white fat is what most people think of as fat—pale and useless. Useless in that it has a low metabolic rate so it doesn’t help you burn any calories the way muscle does, and it’s the predominant type of fat in the human body, encompassing more than 90 percent of it. In other words, it’s a storage unit for extra calories. Brown fat is darker in color due to a rich blood supply and can actually burn calories rather than storing them—but only if you’re a rat (or other mammal); certain critters can activate brown fat to burn calories and generate heat to keep them warm in winter. Humans, sadly, have so little brown fat that it won’t help you burn calories or keep you warm. The third type of fat, beige fat, is in between white and brown in terms of its calorie-burning ability, which is actually very exciting. Why? Because researchers are looking into ways to shift white fat cells into more metabolically active beige ones via diet and exercise or supplements. In fact, there is preliminary evidence that certain hormones which are activated by exercise may convert white fat cells into beige ones, as well as some evidence that certain foods such as brown seaweed, licorice root, and hot peppers may have the ability to do this as well. 2. The Fat On Your Butt is Healthier than the Fat on Your Belly It’s probably safe to say that no woman favors the fat on one body part over another, but it’s actually safer health-wise to be more of a pear than an apple, Talbott says. Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is much more responsive to the stress hormone cortisol compared to the fat on your thighs or butt, so when stress hits hard (and you don’t find a healthy way to handle it), any extra calories consumed are more likely to end up around your middle. Belly fat is also much more inflammatory than fat located elsewhere in the body and can create its own inflammatory chemicals (as a tumor would). These chemicals travel to the brain and make you hungry and tired, so you’re more likely to overeat or eat junk food and not exercise, thus creating a vicious cycle and perpetuating the storage of more belly fat. The good news is that anything that helps you reduce inflammation helps reduce those signals to the brain. Talbott recommends fish oil (for the Omega 3’s) and Probiotics, which you can take in pill form or get by eating yogurt with active cultures. 3. First You Burn Calories, Second You Burn Fat The term “fat-burning” is thrown around willy-nilly in fitness circles, but as an expression of weight loss, it’s indirect. Before you “burn” fat, you burn calories, whether those calories come from stored carbohydrates (glycogen and blood sugar) or from stored body fat. The more calories you burn during each workout, the bigger deficit you will create and the more fat you will lose. You can also create a calorie deficit by eating less. The trick, though, is time, since it’s hard for most people to put in the time needed to burn enough calories to make a weight-loss dent. Talbott (and many other experts) advocates high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to burn as many calories as possible in as short amount of time as possible. This method, which alternates between hard/easy efforts, can burn double the calories in the same amount of time spent exercising in a steady state. 4. Fat Affects Your Mood Certainly there is no easier way to ruin your day than seeing you’ve gone up a few numbers on the scale, but having excess fat—especially around your belly—activates that inflammation/cortisol cycle, which studies show may be a factor in serious mood disorders like bipolar disorder. If you’re stuck in a stress/eat/gain/stress cycle, however, you’re likely to experience at least a perpetually low mood, even if you don’t have an actual clinical condition. To help break the cycle, try eating a square of dark chocolate, suggests Talbott; there is just enough sugar to satisfy a stress-induced craving, but the healthy flavonoids help calm inflammation that leads to more stress. Low-fat dairy products like yogurt can have a similar effect—the combination of Calcium and magnesium can help calm the stress response. 5. Even Skinny People Can Have Cellulite The dreaded c-word is caused by fat trapped under the skin (known as subcutaneous fat). The overlying skin "dimples" are created by connective tissues that tie the skin to the underlying muscle, with fat trapped in between like a sandwich. You don’t need a lot of fat to cause a dimpling effect, so you can be in great shape and have low body fat but still have a little pocket of dimpled fat, for example, on your butt or the backs of your thighs. Building muscle while losing fat (and the fat loss part is key—you have to have it to lose) can help minimize the appearance of cellulite; cellulite-specific creams and lotions can also help minimize the look of dimpled skin (though they can’t do anything about the trapped fat beneath).

(HUGS) I agree with everything Lissa said--I, too, have a latex allergy and the same thing happened/happens to me!! It will clear up soon--be sure you're using a really, really mild cleanser in the shower (you might get some Phisoderm or some Cetaphil until your itching goes away). And yeah, I totally couldn't choke down any Protein shake--my body rejected EVERY single one of them rather disgustingly. My suggestion: Make your own. Use milk of some sort (dairy if you're not lactose intolerant, or soy, or almond, or coconut), Greek yogurt, Egg Beaters (if you can tolerate eggs--these are pasteurized, so you won't be getting anything icky, plus they're great protein for minimal calories), flavoring (sugar-free Torani, sugar-free pudding, sugar-free Hershey's syrup, PB2 powder, whatever floats your boat), and a few ice cubes--zap it up and voila! a protein shake made from "real food." It won't have as much protein as the processed ones, but you will be getting protein and liquid and all the ingredients are things you can see and buy at a grocery store. You can amp up the protein by adding nonfat powdered milk and using the 2X protein Greek yogurt stuff--OR if you can tolerate a Protein Powder, add a tablespoon or so to this "regular food" shake and see if it stays down/is more tolerable to you that way. I totally feel for you. Also don't forget you can zap bean/pea/lentil Soups to a totally smooth consistency--they're way high in protein, especially if there's a little bit of meat in there for flavor, like split pea/ham or navy bean/bacon--zap them totally smooth, heat, and drink. Protein from real food. Your body may be able to handle this a bit better than the sweet shakes. Everyone is different. Hang in there. It really does get better. Lots of us had rocky starts and we're here to support you!!

Funny you should ask... just today I tracked 1/2 cup yogurt (not a big deal) AND 1/2 a clementine! Yes, 1/2 a clementine, which I might add, had no protein but is yummy!

i found it at our walmart next to the yogurts and butter. it is in a plain container and sort of looks like a bowl of butter. white dish with green writing.

At 6 days post op you should only be on liquids (most likely clear ones), which will go straight through your sleeve. Once you get to mushies you should start feeling fuller for longer. I was permitted full liquids at 1 week (ie anything that you can suck through a straw), so yogurt drinks helped me. Maybe you can try some protein shakes and I remember things like cream of tomato really filling me up - obviously assuming you have the OK from your surgeon.

Day six post op. and Still on full liquid diet, tat does consist of the yogurt, pudding cream of wheat. And I'll tell ya. I'm full!! I'm forcing myself to sip and take little bits!! Cause I know I need the nutrition:) good luck. It's gotta get better right!?!?!!! Hahah

19 days post op and the soup and liquid yogurt and protein shakes do not satisfy me! I'm glad I get to have real food on Friday. I'll have to watch my portions for sure. But is this what is called Bandster Hell???

You could try Beans. They will add carbs, but they are a good source of Protein. Lentils, black beans and split peas have the highest protein. You can blend them in a Soup or eat them whole. I sometimes have black beans with a sunny side up egg and a slice of avocado. Lentils I like in a soup with onions and mushrooms. Split peas I make a chunky soup and garnish with pepitas and a scoop of Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Good thing about beans is they won't make you constipated Be careful of bananas - they are high in sugar. I think Apples & bananas have the highest amount of sugar, but I'd have to google to confirm. I also added raw spinach to my smoothies early on. Since they were pulverized they weren't hard to digest.

Yes, I forgot about the yogurt! I will find a grocery store before I get to the hotel...

Yes and Yes!! With grilled you chicken you may need some sort of sauce with it in case it is a bit overcooked (it would be dry and might be uncomfortable in your sleeve). I love greek yogurt. My FAVORITE is the Fage 2%. They also make a 0% which has no fat and is lower in calories (but isn't as creamy IMO). If you are watching your carbs then get the plain (i substitute this for sour cream in recipes). Then flavor it yourself with sugar free syrups or crytal light packets. My favorite is to add espresso powder and half a packet of splenda. The variety is limitless really. Yogurt sits very, very well for me. So this is my go to on "tight sleeve" days as well.

I was banded October 28th too and I can sympathize with you! I moved on today to some yogurt and thicker soup but not creamy creamy! Thank God I'm going back to work tomorrow so I'm not at home bored just thinking I want to eat!

hey does anyone have any problems with dairy post op? i was banded a week ago and my nutritionist said we could have drinkable yogurt on day 4 and milk on day 6 and protein shakes. I cant figure it out, but something is causing me to have diarrhaea. Has anyone else had this problem? Also the yogurt is the activta kind (well I have tried both) any comments?? anyone?

I had the same problem. My doctor told me you can become intorerant and need to have only skim milk,nonfat yogurt, and try lactaid. Ask your doctor first though or go back to the nutritioist with some questions.

I mix a very small amount of beans with a protein like morningstar patties or soy protein crumbles. Top with cheese and plain yogurt. Lots of protein and minimal carbs. Plus it's good to get some fiber.

Hi Justin... I was also sleeved 8/21. There are a bunch of us august sleevers here. You will find support... my biggest problem has been getting enough Protein/food.... upped myself to pureed also... My best tolerated food thus far besides the obvious liquids...is Greek yogurt! Didn't like it at first....but it grows on ya and you crave it. goes down easy. Good luck!!!

I was banded last Thursday 12-19-13. I just started my phase 2a which is full liquids. I know it consists of cream Soups, puddings, yogurt and I start my Protein shakes this week. imm wondering if I should be feeling full when I eat at this stage? I know some people said on here that with their band they get a pressure feeling but I haven't felt that yet. im still in some pain from surgery and think that maybe that could be why. I also keep getting like a "gas" feeling through my stomach when im getting hungry and after I eat. I am ot sure if it is from the gas the put in me during surgery but that should be gone by now right?? Any advice would be appreciated and also if you have any other foods I could eat on this stage that would be great too!

Just slowly drink your meals. You probably won't feel full, but only drink your prescribed amount. I, usually, had my creamy Cereal in the am, my shake later, and then for dinner, maybe yogurt or some Soup. You might even want to try eating 4-6 "meals' because you don't want to over exert your stomach at this stage! It might take your whole 1/2 hour to drink the 1/2 cup of liquids that you probably are allowed. Best wishes. And yes, you might still be having gas attacks! Happy New Year, and new you, too! Karen..aka..kll724

Okay, here's my formula: I'm all-in with my doc's guidelines to minimize carbs and focus on lean Protein and fluids – AND take all my Vitamins and supplements. I have one 30g Premier Protein shake every morning to kick things off, a 24oz tumbler of Fluid (Crystal Light decaf iced tea) throughout the morning, lean protein and maybe a few veggies for lunch, another 24oz tumbler of fluid throughout the afternoon, a healthy (low-carb, no starch) dinner, one last 24oz tumbler of fluid throughout the evening, and maybe a couple of Snacks, like low-cal Greek yogurt, as needed. I haven't had a bite of processed sugar since surgery, and don't miss it. I don't really worry about calories because they take care of themselves, and my secret weapon "comfort" snack (or meal replacement) is beef Jerky (low-fat and tons of protein). I try to walk 40 minutes per day, and try to go to the gym on Saturdays. Lather, rinse, repeat. I go to tons of social eating events and quite a few restaurants, but always plan ahead in order to control what goes in my mouth. If necessary, I bring my own food and drink. And I Celebrate each and every scale and non-scale victory while focusing on enjoying the ride. So far, so good! You may notice that this involves a somewhat selfish, or self-centered approach. I kind of think that's necessary in order to always keep your program as one of your top priorities. Stuff happens along the way, but we can't let it derail our journey. Don't leave the possibility of failure as an option. That's "old thinking". A positive, I'm gonna do this, no matter what! attitude really helps. Good luck!

I've heard a few people mention adding Protein powder to their food, yougurt, etc..... Does anyone do this,like during the mushies stage or even at any time? If you add Protein Powder to yogurt, does it make it taste better? I'm not a big fan of yogurt, but if adding the protein powder to it will make the yogurt taste better AND give me the protein I need then I can try it?? I know there will come a time that I won't be allowed or encouraged to drink Protein shakes, so I'm trying to find out now what people have done to use the protein powder.... Thanks! kristi

I am about 9 months out and am just finally starting to feel the band work. Up till now it has been nostly will power, and not much band. But for the first time, I am starting to feel fuller longer. I can now go about 3 hours solid without feeling hungry. When I felt hungry, I would eat a healthy snack like a Protein bar, yogurt or cheese stick. But i have noticed the past few days that I am not as hungry now. I know the key is to eat protein, but it gets tricky sometimes. But I am constantly reminding myself to decided it I am stomach hungry or head hungry before I reach for sometihng to eat. I also drink a lot of Water to give myself a temporary fullness to stretch it out for the next meal. I actually have another appointment on Wednesday, so I wonder if the PA will give me another fill.

My dad arrives from India today so I have to make something his 90-year body (and teeth) can enjoy, AND tomorrow is soft foods day for us! yay! We were told to eat meats that were out of a crockpot or pressure cooker so they were soft. So here goes. This is massively modified from Anupy Singla's Indian Crockpot book a) not make enough to feed the entire state of Texas and not to blow the roof off your head with her version of spice. I'm Indian. Believe me when I tell you, this is the BEST chicken curry I have ever had and the EASIEST. Ingredients 1 onion peeled & quartered 5 garlic cloves peeled 2 inches ginger root sliced roughly 2 tomatoes quartered I tsp salt 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp garam masala, can buy ready mixed or I will post my fav, easy recipe shortly 1/2 cup greek yogurt 1.5 lbs of chicken, skinned 1 bag of baby spinach 1 2 inch piece cinnamon 4 green cardamom 2 whole clove Method 1. In a food processor, grind together everything except the chicken and the spinach and the whole spics. Make a nice, smooth paste. This may take a few minutes, be patient. 2. Put the chicken pieces in a crockpot, and pour over the yummy-smelling sauce you just made. Add the whole spices, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. 3. Chop up the spinach and add during the last hour of cooking. 4. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6. Us Sleevers may have to eat the chicken without the sauce and eat the sauce separately or something. Makes 6 servings of chicken (3 oz each, 21 gms of Protein each EDIT: Forgot the tomatoes in the first version and also the whole spices! brain is mush

So I know how we are supposed to eat 1/2 to 1 cup of food per meal. This is easy to measure if you are eating soup, yogurt, oatmeal, protein shake, etc. And this maybe a silly question, but say you are eating a sandwich, salad, chicken wing, pizza, etc....pretty much anything that you can't really put into a measuring cup. How are you supposed to know how much to eat??