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Make a protein shake!!! How many days are you out!!! I just posted a recipe if the first protein shake I made and it's so good!!! Today I am 5 days out and this is the first form of protein I had in 7 days!!! Took three sips and I am full will be drinking this all day 45 grams of protein!! Glad to hear ur doing great!!!

Hey i will be 3 weeks out as of tomorrow. This has been the hardest 3 weeks of my life. Im ready to hit the ground running I want to get all my nutrition in protein in im ready to be active. I have no energy....I will look in your recipe. Im like sponge bob im ready!!!!!

I did the same thing, shake for breakfast 4oz of Protein with salad for lunch and the same for dinner. Then 3 weeks before surgery I was required to do my pre-op diet, I would have a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and 4 oz of protein and salad for dinner. I lost 50 pounds pre op. BUT I did not take any diet pills, check with your surgeon, they may affect your surgery. Good Luck and be safe!

Some of this depends on your protein goal. Since my goal is 100 grams of protein, if I didn't eat more than three times a day I would never get it all in. At a maximum of 20-25 grams per meal that means I have to plan meals and snacks throughout the day.

Six months to wait for your first fill is a long time, but there are lots of factors. The size of your band, whether your surgeon put any fill in at time of surgery and then your weigh loss and your hunger. If the food you are eating is satisfying you between meals, then I think you're doing great. If you find you are hungry between meals, then you might need a fill sooner. Are you tracking your daily calories and Protein intake? You might want to do that for a few days to see where you are. Now that you've lost 31 pounds, remember it takes less food to maintain your lower weight, so without giving up your protein, you might want to evaluate, if your 2 Protein shakes could be lower in calories. Can you subsitute one of them for a lower calorie Protein Drink? For example: One can of Atkins Advantange shake (less than a tall glass) is 160 calories, but a glass the same size of Isopure clear would be about 80 calories and over twice the protein. Sometimes a small decrease in calories and a larger intake of protein is enough to get the scale to move again.

I had my lap band put in in Nov of 08, two weeks later i had my tonsils removed and was in ALOT of pain. Needless to say i lost some weight approx 15lbs, once I was able to eat I noticed I had NO restrictions I advised my dr of this and he said just wait and it will happen. Fast forward to Feb 09 I have my first fill and I have NO restriction and that was with a 6cc fill(the capacity on this sucker is 9:crying:) I lost all faith in the lap band and had just decided it did not work for me. I became depressed and gained approx 40 lbs:mad:, Just this past November I decided to just suck it up and try something else. I set the timer on my cell phone and at small meals every three hours and hit the gym 4 days a week 30 mins hard cardio and 20 mins weights. I see results now I have lost just over 20lbs:thumbup: but i am hungry and I'm not ashamed to admit a little cranky. I just went to the Dr again to day and I am scheduled to have the remaining 2.5 cc fill hoping that it will help, I asked what my options are if this does not work. My Dr advised I can stay on the same path with the gym work and the lower calorie meals or do the bypass procedure. I am sooooo leaning towards the bypass because I am sooooo tired of being hungry, fat, and cranky. It is a drastic move and I am concerned with the permanent factor but right now hungry fat and cranky seems kinda permanent also as i have been two of the three for a while now. Any thoughts?:thumbup:

You'd better be careful with the fruit. Even tho the sugars in fruit are natural they're still sugars. My surgeon suggested frozen berries as far as eating fruit. I'd try adding ice, blending it and add fruit essence or extracts. I'm not sure about extracts as far as how healthy they are but essences purchased at health food stores would be best so soon after your surgery. Good luck! You could probably try nectar protein or soy if the whey is not your thing too. Look up bariatriceating on line. They have a good selection.

Oh my gosh.... I just ate a tablespoon of natural peanut butter mixed with protein powder and 1/4 of a small banana. I feel so stuffed. Like it's up to my throat stuffed. How long does it take for this feeling to subside? And should I just sit and wait for it to pass, or get up and move around?

@@scubasteph The first thing is congrats on your new band! The second thing is don't stress...take a deep breath and relax cause you are right on track. In the first few days to weeks after surgery you are going to be very swollen inside and the idea right now is healing. You don't want to force yourself to eat or drink anything right now. You want to rest and heal up. If you can take many many tiny sips of your Protein drink. Use a medicine dose cup. You are very much "babying" your band right now. You would not feed a newborn a half gallon of milk and neither can you feed yourself that right now. As you soon will see that as you are putting liquids in they will come out and soon enough the #2 problem you mentioned will right itself. Your not putting much in so...give it a chance. Feel good and let us know how your doing!!

Hey there @@scubasteph Congratulations on your surgery!! A few questions before anyone can properly answer your question - what kind of diet do they have you on post-op (clear liquid? Protein liquid?) How long have you been on that diet (may answer the 2nd question)

I'm with M2G. I'm 22 mos out and today I had a half In N Out Burger (my 1st!!!) with one bun removed and a very few fries for lunch. I can eat much more (and did for a few weeks) of slider food- cookies, crackers, candy etc. which is where you REALLY have to practice self control but to this day can still only eat a very small amt of dense protein (chicken, beef, etc). So you must eat good food first. The restriction is still there and with your guidelines WORKS! But it IS only a tool and once you get to goal and maintain you still have choices that must be up to you. I've gone back to watching carbs closely and don't intend to regain!

I had the same fears, and issues with food. I am about a month and a half from having been sleeved. Trust me, for this long out, it has not been an issue. Yes, I do find myself wishing I could have a few things I see in the store when grocery shopping. I have to remind myself that I can have them, but I DONT NEED THEM. If you stay focused on getting your liquid and Protein goals...you will stay too full to want anything else! At least, this is all my experience. You will go through different feeling as you get closer to your date. I was fine until two days out and then I was freaking with panic. Just put your thoughts into perspective. Talk to us, your friends and fellow sleevers. we are here to help! Now, that does not mean you can go eat BBQ right after surgery and think you will get sympathy from anyone here. There are times when we do something stupid and the group will let you know! I guess my point is, start getting yourself in the right mind frame to do this. Start now. If you continually tell yourself you are afraid to fail, odds are you will. CHANGE YOUR THINKING. Be positive and strong about it. See the Pooh Bear quote in my signature. Read it. Post it on your mirror or fridge or where ever you will see it LOTS. I did that, and it has helped in so many ways. Best of luck!

I am about 5 months post op and 65 pounds gone forever! I start my day with a coffee protein drink because sometimes my mornings starts busy. For Lunch is a protein, a fruit or a veggies. My lunch time is around 1130 Then I go to job number 2 and do some type of an active activitiy with my day care kids If I get hungry at the day care I will eat half of a protein bar I usually get home around 7 and I have dinner around 730. I work out while dinner is cooking in the oven. Good Luck to you and welcome to the otherside!

i was on protein shake for 2wks b4 surgery & 2 wks after than started very slowly w.an egg,cottage cheese,applesause but really it shld hv been blended foods good luck

A fellow WLS patient shared this with me, so I thought I would pass it along: Tofu Cheesecake pudding 1 8 ounce container Cottage cheese 2 packages Tofu 10-15 pkts of Equal, Splenda or sweatener of your choice 2 teaspoons Crystal Light Lemonade Mix 2 tablespoons vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon Butter Extract 1/2 cup Warm Water 2 pkgs Knox Gelatin Blend the first six ingredients in either a food processor or blender until creamy. Mix 1/2 cup water and two packages of Knox gelatin until the gelatin is diluted. Add the gelatin mixture to the tofu mixture. Blend again in either a food processor or blender until well blended. The consistency will be similar to instant pudding. Refrigerate the unused portion of the cheesecake pudding. Other things you may add to change the flavor: 1 teaspoon pineapple extract 1 teaspoon cherry extract 1 pkg sugar-free strawberry-kiwi Jello. Our dietician calculated 40 calories and 6 grams Protein per 1/2 cup.

I know this is going to sound really crazy, but I was so nervous about my first meeting with the surgeon this morning. I thought for sure he was going to tell me that I was crazy or something and wouldn't go forward with it. Yeah, I know - I was being really stupid. Anyway, I met with Dr. Northup and he thought that the sleeve was the right surgery for me and that I would be a good candidate for it. I had a few questions and he answered them all very openly. A couple of questions I had asked him I knew the answers from the discussions on here, but wanted to see what he would tell me. He gave me the same answers as I was finding here on the boards - so that's a good thing. With their program/package they include 6 months membership at their fitness facility (which is a really nice facility with special areas just for the weight loss patients) and 2 meetings with a personal trainer. The doctor told me that would start about 5 or 6 weeks after surgery to give me time to heal before starting it. Of course, I'm going to attempt to get in a few minutes walking daily starting next week as I really do need to start exercising (I am extremely sedentary). I also got to meet with the dietician who had some preliminary questions for me, as I did for her. She told me that it would be a 2 week liquids diet (with some real food - get to choose 6 foods from a list they will provide) before the surgery, and then it's 2 weeks of liquids after surgery before moving to mushies/soft foods and eventually real food again. I had anticipated that from these boards, but it's nice to have her tell me that too. She also took my measurements and said they would be repeated 3 months after surgery too. Since I am self-pay, the doctor wants me to have a number of lab tests done through my PCP, as well as a referral letter / letter of medical necessity from him to try to get my insurance to pay for those. So, since that office is closed today, I'll be making that phone call tomorrow. I travel a LOT for work - but been in Cincinnati, OH for the majority of the last 9 years. So, I decided to have the surgery in Ohio, but my PCP is still in Michigan. Needless to say, I have a bit of a drive to plan and will need to take a day off of work now to try to get the labs scheduled/done before I see him again. There is one test he wanted me to do there and that is scheduled for June 10. I see the psychologist on June 21. The dietician did give me some diet "tips" to follow until I actually start the pre-op diet: Discontinue Caffeine consumption, Discontinue Soda consumption (reg & diet), use a 9-inch plate to control portion sizes, eat 4-5 times a day, include Protein at meals and Snacks, avoid fried foods. Well, I already have done the first two - I cut out my diet coke a week ago. Eating 4-5 times a day will be tougher with my work schedule, but I will make that change since I need to for the after surgery diet (might as well start now). Avoiding fried foods will be slightly difficult - but I will definitely make the effort there too. I can't believe the journey is starting!

That's part of the reason I do it. I know if I don't, I have the tendancy to just kind of give up. I'm def in the catergory of yo-yo dieter. I have done the extreme juice diets, weight watchers- 3 times!- I've counted calories, counted Protein, I exercise, I stay active for the most part, but It's not something that I can do on my own. One of my biggest problems is that I am constantly hungry. I can eat, and 20 mins later my body will be telling me to feed it. It doesn't help that I went to culinary school, and I love to experiment with new recipes. And food is always on my mind. It's tough. And I am very thankful that there are people that understand what I'm going through. Don't get me wrong, besides my mom, she is my biggest supporter. And I am very thankful that she's by my side to make sure when I want to give up, she's always there to push me.

I was sleeved on april 30. I lost 10 lbs preop and another 20 in the first 2 weeks after surgery. I am in a stall that doesn't seem to want to break. I have been exercising (cardio) pretty consistently and I'm getting frustrated. I just started using "my fitness pal" to track my food and water. I am trying to get 60 g protein and 64 + oz of water. Calories seem to range between 600 and 900. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to eat more? Any help is appreciated.

I'm lucky I like Protein shakes. Plus I bought a few different extracts. It helps to mix up the flavors. I LOVE coconut and the caramel one is awesome too.

I am in the beginning of my new life journey. I have attended a seminar and am waiting for both my psych and surgeon appointments. Since I have decided to do this, I feel like my weight and appearance are getting worse and don't know how my view of myself changed so drastically in a matter of a month. I am just so ready for the change! On top of that, I have a great friend who I have been friends with for 15 years. She is "my person". She is also overweight however has no desire for surgical options. I completely understand that and know that it is a very personal decision. Unfortunately, I feel guilty because she is sad that I am going to be changing. She keeps asking what we're going to do when we go out because we can't go sit and talk at dinner or shop at the same stores. I know I shouldn't feel guilty and I am beyond excited for this journey. How do you deal with the varying degrees of opinions??

I was sleeved the 17th too and I'm having the same issue..I seem to only be able to get like 3 oz. in at a time before I'm full. I'm so sick of protein shakes too! When can you start food?

There's this period people around here tend to call "bandster hell" - I didn't experience this - but it's basically where you're banded and not necessarily losing, still hungry, etc.. I've found that high Protein foods and drinks/smoothies helped me avoid this. If you're eating your Proteins first and then moving on to veggies and starches you should stay fuller longer. The fills aren't how you lose the weight or really curb hunger, it's how you eat. The band just provides you the restriction needed to not overeat at one setting. It's a tool. If you're not making proper food choices you will gain weight, just the same as prior to surgery. If you've moved to soft foods early that's fine as long as you can tolerate them. But you must be careful as to what soft foods you're eating. If you're eating slider foods and softs such as mac n' cheese, ice cream and other things like that you will gain. I'm sure you know most of the above, just putting it out there incase you didn't or for anyone else who may not know.

Do you work and if so, how long were you out? Were you very sick right after? How are the Protein shakes going for you? Have you had any or many adjustments? I am very much looking forward to it and am anxious to get going already! How much can you eat now? What kinds of things do you prepare?

My sleeve journey is going great. I am down 76 lbs. & feeling great. Tomorrow I am going to start exercising 6 days a week with my boyfriend's sister who lost 110 lbs. all by sheer willpower. I love her because she does not judge me being sleeved at all. Here's the stinker. I have 3 1/2 weeks left of my college semester. My last day is April 28th & I leave for vacation on April 29th. I am abstaining from any social media or time drainers. Although I love this site & the supportive people here, I have to take a mini break. So, you won't hear from me again probably until when my vacation starts or some time after April 29th. I know you all are so sad! LOL....Seriously, I know you will all be here when I come back on. My plan for the next 26 days is go to the gym, get in my protein & water, do infinite piles of homework, cook & clean. It will be worth it when I am feeling relieved & healthy on my vacation. I can't wait to see what my updated story will look like by then. So, I'll see you on the flip side. Keep working those sleeves!

Okay, I am at such a loss!!!! I stalled out around 7/15/12 for about 2 weeks then around the 30th I lost 5 lbs then got down another 4lbs. In the last week I have gone UP 4 lbs. so in a month's time I have only lost 3lbs. I know it is around TOM and I started working out this past Monday, but anyone have any ideas on YYYYYY this is happening. I am getting anywhere from 800 to 1000 calories a day and about 40-60 grams of carbs. 60+ on protein and 8-10 glasses of liquid (water w/crystal light or unsweet tea w/sweet n low). I am sooo frustrated please any advice would help, I am crying almost daily.