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First off- I am 6 weeks post op banding. I have 3 ccs in a 10cc band, put in at time of surgery. I am Just wondering about getting something stuck. Thursday night (3 1/2 days ago) I accidently took a handful of pills all at once. How dumb! I knew as soon as I started to swallow I was in trouble. Well, since then I haven't had much of an appetite. I did have some pain between my breast a couple days. I am trying to eat but nothing sounds good. I have only been eating yogurt and scrambled eggs with melted cheese. That and warm Water is about the only thing that sounds good. Oh and I had some cream of wheat. Here it is Monday and I still have no appetite. My stomach feels "jittery" at times, if that makes sense. The pain has subsided. I just feel so weak. I do have an appointment with the surgeon day after tomorrow. They had planned on doing a fill, but I say NO! I don't think they would anyway with me feeling the way I do. My question is does this sound what others have gone through after getting something stuck? When the band slips you throw up right? Or can't get food down? Thanks

The West has already seen scorching weather, with temperatures reaching the triple digits, and the rest of the country is sure to see some heat waves soon. In summer, dehydration can sneak up on you fast, leading to headaches, fatigue, and confusion. Dehydration can also stall weight loss because water helps reduce hunger. When you need to drink more water, your body can mistake thirst for hunger, causing you to eat more than you need. Basic Guidelines for Meeting Fluid Needs after Weight Loss Surgery On a normal day, you need at least 64 ounces, or 8 8-ounce cups, of fluid per day. When the weather is hot, dry, or windy, you need more. Meeting your requirements can be challenging after weight loss surgery because you should drink fluids between meals, not with them. You need to stop drinking fluids at least 30 minutes before a meal or snack, and you should not start drinking fluids again for another 30 minutes after you finish your food. This is a sample daily schedule that can allow you to get all of the fluid you need without interfering with your meal plan. 7:00 a.m. 1 cup decaffeinated coffee 8:00 a.m. breakfast 9:00 a.m. 12 ounces (1.5 cups) water 10:00 a.m. morning snack 11:00 a.m. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth Noon lunch 1:00 p.m. 1 cup flavored water 2:00 p.m. 1 cup water 3:00 p.m. afternoon snack 4:00 p.m. 12 ounces (1.5 cups) unsweetened, decaffeinated iced tea 5:00 p.m. dinner 7:00 p.m. 1 cup water If your meal plan includes only three meals a day and does not include snacks, getting your fluid needs is easier because you do not need to work in the extra snacks around your beverages. Do Not Drink Your Calories! You only get a certain limited number of calories per day if you want to lose weight. Your calories should come from nutritious foods, such as lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and a small amount of starches and unsaturated fats. These healthy foods can help reduce hunger as you lose weight. Choosing to get your calories from liquids instead is called “drinking your calories.” It is a problem because liquid calories are not very filling compared to solid foods, and you can easily take in more calories than you realize if you drink your calories. For the number of calories in a 20-ounce bottle of soda, you could have a 3-ounce portion of chicken breast, a half-cup of cooked pasta, and a half-cup of steamed vegetables. You should really only get substantial amounts of calories from liquids right after weight loss surgery, when you are on a liquid or pureed foods diet and cannot meet your nutrient requirements from foods. Otherwise, if you drink beverages with calories, you can gain weight or stop losing weight in a hurry. The following beverages have about 100 or more calories per 1-cup (8-ounce) serving). Milk Fruit juice Regular soft drinks and fruit drinks Energy drinks Sweetened iced tea Milk-based coffee beverages or coffee beverages with flavor syrups What About Milk and Juice? Milk and juice are both nutritious, but they do not belong in your regular weight loss surgery diet. Fortified milk provides 9 grams of protein per cup and is a great source of calcium and vitamin D, but it contains 90 calories per cup. Fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese are better choices for your protein and calcium because they are solid foods. Milk is only a good regular choice when you are recovering from surgery and are on your liquid or pureed foods diet. 100 percent fruit juice can be high in potassium and vitamin C, but it is protein-free and high in sugars. Because of its sugar content, juice can lead to dumping syndrome. Shortly after surgery, your surgeon may allow a half-cup of juice diluted with water, but when you get to the solid foods stage of your weight loss surgery diet, juice is not allowed. I Can’t Tolerate Water! One of the common side effects of weight loss surgery is that your tastes change. Unfortunately, sometimes that means that you no longer enjoy drinking water. If you are having trouble getting down your water, these suggestions may help. Drink ice water instead of cool water – this can really make a difference. Place a slice of lemon or lime on the rim of your water glass. Squeeze lemon or lime juice into your water and add a packet of calorie-free sweetener. Try a calorie-free, non-carbonated flavored water. Place some leaves of mint in boiling hot water and let them steep. Drink your mint tea hot or put it in the fridge so you can have refreshingly cold mint tea later. Keep trying. In all likelihood, you will eventually be able to tolerate water again. What about Coffee and Tea? Some coffee and tea beverages are clearly out of the question, unless you’re ready to spend 200 or more calories on a sweetened coffee drink or tea. The caffeine is also a problem for weight loss surgery patients, since it can irritate the stomach. Finally, too much coffee or tea can interfere with the absorption of certain key nutrients, such as iron. If you do drink coffee and tea, limit yourself to 2 cups of decaffeinated coffee or tea per day. Skip the Alcohol Alcoholic beverages can be some of your biggest saboteurs after weight loss surgery. It is not just that alcohol helps to dehydrate you. Alcoholic beverages can be frighteningly high in calories. For example, a 5-ounce glass of red wine has 127 calories, a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer has 145 calories, and a 1.5-ounce shot of rum has 96 calories, and a 3.3-ounce margarita has 153 calories. The damage goes beyond the calories in your drinks, though. Alcohol relaxes you. When you drink, you tend to lower your inhibitions. That means that you are less likely to measure your foods, stick to small portions, and pass up the high-calorie temptations. You're more likely to overeat, and regret your alcohol and food intake later. Have a great summer and stay hydrated, safe, and healthy!

I am on some meds but I was on them before. I've been doing probiotics and fiber since I got home and I don't have a gall bladder anymore. I wish I knew what was going on! Ug! Oh and Greek yogurt goes straight through me!

I used the powder and just mixed it in my yogurt - od'd a bit and had some problems on day 4 but that resolved itself. I am 2 weeks out and still need some help in that department.

You know, I am 100% Greek and I have never had Greek yogurt. Do you find it with all the rest of the yogurt? We don't have Trader Joes here, just Safeway and Walmart.

Thanks. I can start eating yogurt tomorrow. Ill try it!

13 pounds down.. pretty excited! Must say was a good week. Pain was tolerable . Another week of liquids then can move on to yogurt . Hope everyone is having a good week.

To find out how to compare products to better understand added sugars, click on Natural vs. Added Sugars. Use the chart on the second page as a guide to compare products.The chart compares applesauce and Greek style yogurt. You will see the products with only naturally occurring sugars, products with added sugars and “light” versions of the product. You will also see that the product with the most amount of sugar has the most calories.The front part of the food label usually doesn’t have any clues that the product can have a lot of added sugars. You must be a detective and investigate the Nutrition Facts Label and the ingredients list. Start your sugar hunt by using foods and beverages in your pantry or fridge to discover where added sugars are lurking in your food choices. Like any hunting expedition, it will take some time and practice to find the healthiest products to use on your journey towards health. Sugar Comparison Chart We are born with a preference for sweet tastes. However, sugar carries calories without any fiber, vitamins or minerals. Sugar is basically empty calories. For bariatric patients, too much sugar can lead to dumping. Natural Sugars vs Added Sugars Naturally occurring sugars are in fruits (fructose) and milk and dairy (lactose). The current Nutrition Facts label doesn’t tell us the difference. A teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar. If you drink a 12 oz. can of regular pop or 12 ounces regular fruit juice, that means you’ve consumed 40 grams of sugar. This translates to 10 teaspoons of sugar. That’s almost 1/4 cup of sugar! Other names for sugar When you read the ingredient list, look for words like syrup (corn, high fructose, maple, pancake, maltose), corn syrup solids, agave, molasses, beet sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, invert sugar, cane juice, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, nectar (peach, apricot, pear), powdered or confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, maple sugar, date sugar, malted barley, honey and anything ending in “–ose” (maltose, dextrose, glucose, fructose). These are all types of sugar. When you see these words in the ingredient list, look for foods that have sugar listed after the 3rd or 4th ingredient. When you see several sugar ingredients, look at the total amount sugar. Decide if it’s worth it to eat that food. Sugar alcohols These have less impact on your blood sugars. They are more slowly digested than sugar. Sugar alcohols have anywhere from 2 to 4 calories per gram. If your weight loss stalls, check to see if your “sugar free” foods have high amounts of sugar alcohols. You may be getting more calories than you think. Caution…eating too many sugar alcohols can laxative effect! Alternative Sweeteners Artificial sweeteners include Splenda (sucralose), Sweet ‘N Low (saccharin), NutraSweet (aspartame), Sweet One (acesulfame potassium) and Neotame. Stevia is extracted from the stevia plant and is considered a natural sweetener. Monkfruit is extracted from the monkfruit and is considered a natural sweetener. Natural vs. Added Sugars: Comparison Chart How do I find the amount of added sugars in a food? One way to find out what the added sugars are is to compare similar products. Comparisons of applesauce and Greek yogurt are detailed below. The order of appearance is the unsweetened, sweetened and light or low sugar version. Use this chart to compare other products you might choose. Remember that natural sugars are in milk/dairy and fruit. Is all that sugar worth it?

I'm on day two post surgery. I have one more day of clear liquids. Then I have ten days of soft foods. Yogurt, pudding etc. Then I go to real food. So that's two weeks out. Just start small.

I was to be on clear and Protein shakes for 2 weeks, but my nut moved me to yogurt and cottage cheese day 10 and soft/mushie day 11. I plan to consult with her at six weeks, although next phase is 8 weeks Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

If you followed the rule about sticking with liquids the first day after a fill and then move slow to the more solid stuff to avoid swelling and you are now having this feeling whith yogurt, then yes, I think you are too tight. If you did not follow the liquids only rule, then you may have caused some swelling. You would be suprised with the results of getting a very tiny bit of an unfill. I'm talking VERY tiny , like .1cc or .2cc . Yes, point one or point two. Not even a half cc.

I like Kellogg's Special K Red Berries or Cascadian Farm's (any flavor) I really like the Great Value Greek yogurt. At this stage, I would get your Nut's approval before trying anything new.

Protein supplements are a personal preference and what works for one might not work for the other. The best advice anyone can give you is try different ways to get that protein in. Leverage greek yogurt, cottage cheese and fairlife milk instead of the protein shakes. You may have to eat more often in the beginning because your restriction might hold you up but that is what you have to do. Getting protein is not easy by any means but it is required to keep you healthy. You may have to deal with some yuck factor. I ended up getting used to Premier Protein chocolate. It is the only one i can tolerate and even now, i have one almost every morning to kick start my protein goal for the day. Best of luck to you!

I have my morning coffee (no breakfast - as I am almost never hungry for it), around noon I would have a salad with fixings and FF Italian dressing, a cup of coffee in the afternoon after work, for dinner some chicken or whatever meat I made that day and veggies (the vegetables in those steamer bags ), and at night maybe some frozen yogurt or pudding with coolwhip. Although lately I can't even eat anything! This morning I tried some egg beaters in the microwave with about 1 Tb of cheese and I can even eat it.... water is hard for me now.... I have bad (and I mean BAD) acid reflux at night and during the day but worse at night. I have to sleep sitting up right... I can hear my esophagus all night long... it gurgles.... all night... no matter what antacids I take its horrible. ....

Protein shakes almost never give me discomfort, it's just a tough call when choosing it over a real meal. Breakfast on an empty stomach is the when my I'm the most sensitive. A little yogurt, cut fruit with a tiny bit of honey sets me up for the day. Oddly enough I went to a "raw foods" restaurant. Where the food isn't cooked above 40c? I went in with zero expectations but I ate plenty with no gas, or discomfort. Generally the healthier the foods, the less trouble they give me. But this is all after ten years post op and I still have to be very mindful. Get to love boiled eggs as snacks, low fat foods and simple food combinations. A burrito, or any stacked sandwich with (fats) cheese, beans (carbs), meat (protein), dairy dressing and spice... I might as well stick a shotgun on my mouth! But I am no longer carrying around two suitcases (100lbs) with every step, which is a good thing. But that's all the physical, the mental attachment to taste stimulation is a different ballgame. Don't replace it with booze. Good luck.

After surgery, beef returns to the menu six months after surgery. Beef is a good source of protein, iron and zinc. We emphasize the low fat cuts of beef when you get to have them back in your diet to save calories and avoid saturated fat that can contribute to heart disease. After surgery, beef returns to the menu six months after surgery. Beef is a good source of protein, iron and zinc. We emphasize the low fat cuts of beef when you get to have them back in your diet to save calories and avoid saturated fat that can contribute to heart disease. The leanest, or lowest fat, cuts include any cut of beef that has the words “round” or “loin” in the name. These cuts include top sirloin, round steak, eye of round, tenderloin (ex: filet mignon), ground round or ground sirloin. Look for ground beef that is 90 percent lean or higher. Choose “select” cuts of beef over “prime” or “choice.” The select cuts have less fat than prime or choice cuts. Leaner beef can dry out and work best by using moist methods of cooking like stewing, braising, boiling and crockpot. Use a lid on your cooking dish if you microwave, sauté or stir fry to trap moisture. Dry cooking methods include grilling, broiling, roasting and baking which can dry out the beef. You can prevent beef from drying out by covering with a moist sauce or marinade like salsa, low calorie dressing or low fat or fat free yogurt mixed with herbs and spices. Beef, it really can be what’s for dinner!

I agree with the above statements. Because you had complications your stomach may need a little extra time to heal. Mashed potatoes can be kinda rough going down, I would try yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, and jello. Gradually work your way upto more dense food as time goes on. Best of luck to you.

Hi Texastina! What is your pre-op diet? Mine was Myocel 2 times a day with a oatmeal and yogurt breakfast and a lean protein and green vegetable dinner. The first 3 day were pure agony because I was having to detox from a Girl Scout Cookie binge! 4th day on was a lot better.

I at a ton or soups, yogurt, protein shakes. It does get better. Good luck and congrats on your surgery.

The 100 calorie snack packs are easy, convenient and portion controlled. However, have you read the ingredient list? The first ingredient is enriched flour, which is another way to say white flour. Other ingredients high in the list include sugar, saturated fat and salt. For bariatric patients, this kind of a snack provides little in the way of protein or fiber. Eat too many of these snacks and you’ll see your weight loss slow down or you’ll hit a weight plateau. With a little thought and planning, you can make a healthier version of a 100 calorie snack. Here are a few ideas for nutrient packed snacks that are about 100 calories each: •8 oz. glass of skim milk or light soy milk •2 tablespoons hummus and 5 pretzel crisps or 10 baby cut carrots •2.5 ounces flavored tuna with 3 reduced fat Triscuit crackers •6 oz. container of light yogurt with 2 tablespoons blueberries •14 unsalted almonds •Half a medium pear or small apple (peeled) with 1 ounce low fat cheese •½ cup fat free cottage cheese with ½ cup raw veggies •10 large strawberries and 1 oz. goat cheese •22 pistaschios •15 grapes and 1 wedge Light Laughing Cow cheese The goal is to combine protein and carbohydrate. You will get protein for your muscles. Combining protein and carbohydrate for a snack will provide sustained energy. Keep in mind the post-surgery diet phase you are in to pick out the snacks that would be appropriate for you. If you have an allergy or food sensitivity, avoid the snacks that contain these foods. Snack happy, but snack smart!

I'm on day 4 of my 2 week liquid pre op diet, and I'm having similar issues with digestion and stomach cramps. I've also had 2 really intense charlie horses since being on this diet. What are you having for liquids? My diet is 3 Glucose Control Boost drinks and 2 100 cal ff yogurts. The thought of Boost and yogurt is making me gag at this point, and I still have 10 more days. I am sooooo hungry, but I want to make my liver as small as possible. I just hoping that the hunger goes away post op.

It is odd that each surgeon has different diets after surgery. At 2 weeks after surgery I was JUST starting pureed diet. If you are concerned I suggest you eat something soft like eggs, refried Beans, greek yogurt, fish, or making chicken and pureeing it with some broth, sauce, or milk. If you don't feel comfortable then don't eat something so solid. It is suggested to follow your surgeons plan but but I feel like thats more the rule for when you want to move faster than their plan, if you want to move slower that is up to you!

Dorian, it's good but when I mix it into yogurt it gets soggy too quickly. You could probably snack on it dry. It had a subtle sweet taste to it. :-)

Are you making sure that you are eating protien rich foods, like soft meats, cheeses, and eggs? One thing my NUT told me to buy was unflavored protien...I usually add it to some low fat pudding or yogurt and it turns my yogurt from being 13g of protien to 23 grams of protien.... It was a good investment....also I like Injury strawberry sorbet protien powder and if I see I'm not going to meet my Protein numbers (which is 60 too) I mix a scoop of that with 8oz of crystal light lemonade and have a 8oz strawberry lemonade drink that I really like... the lastest thing I have been experimenting with is with Jerky...I have to eat it slow of course (6 wks out) but I found one that's 80 cal and 14g of protien.... What Vitamin do you take?? I take the Celebrate chewables and like them....they are expensive, but I'm worth it!

Hello, now this will be my experience. 1. It was very hard to get the calories in. The main thing was to stay hydrated and try to push the Protein shakes. I had little appetite and had some nausea. Make sure to sip sip and sip. 2. At 2 months out, I can sleep on my tummy. 3. The Protein drinks kept me full and with the nausea, I had no desire to eat. 4.Head hunger to me is when I am looking at. recipe videos and I get hungry. Other than that, its real hunger over here lol. I am set to eat every 2 hours. I stop drinking my Water 10-30 minutes before I eat. 5. My go to foods/liquids are yogurt,Protein Shakes or bars. I am still depending on the protein drinks. There are plenty of people that can help. Keep the questions coming. Later!