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I am on the full liquid diet now. My dietician gave me a list of 5 things I can have. Most before surgery were great, but with the change in my stomach I can't eat them all now. Her list is skim milk, strained soups made with skim milk, sugar and fat free pudding or yogurt, protein supplements, and no ice cream. So wait.....that's really only 3 things. Please help me!!!! What was or is your favorite thing to eat on the full liquid diet???? I'm going crazy!

Why aren't you eating solid foods for breakfast? Or at least mushies like Greek yogurt or oatmeal. Protein shakes are a slider, I would be hungry 5 min. Later and I'm at restriction. Also for me salad is a slider food. Are you eating 3 oz. Solid protein Lunch and dinner?

Omg I am SO with you! I'm 13 days out- full liquids- bit can have yogurt, hot cereals puddings too. My problem is just like yours. Eating fills me so fast! I have zero problems getting my liquids in, though my tummy prefers them to be warm. Room temp water is so-so , therefore I tend to drink more hot tea than anything. Crystal lite is ok. Anyway- I'm supposed to have 3 meals of 4 oz each and drink liquids and protein shakes in between. I much prefer having one meal and upping my protein to make certain I get it all in. It is so darn hard! I felt "real" restriction for the first time today. Trying to get liquids in 30 min after I ate and each sip almost hurt[emoji20][emoji20][emoji20]. Spoke with my NUT today and she said that for now it was ok to do "food" as an in-between and protein shakes as main source. Said it may take a few more weeks for my new tummy to get used to food. She also cautioned me that she did not approve of this as a long term solution. Who knew?[emoji4]

for side protein I use Greek Vanilla yogurt (15 grams of protein tastes great goes down smooth) and for others I use the Atkins bars. I try to find the ones with lower calories but with higher protein. I just had a peanut butter bar one that had 19 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar...but has 220 cals...based on what I've ate for the day I was able to fit it in.

I had my gall bladder removed several yeqrs ago, pre VSG. For about 6 months post-op I was extremely lactose-intolerant. I couldn't even stomach a cup of yogurt. its not the same for everyone, of course, but something to be cautious of

Ok, I am 6 days post op and starting soft foods tomorrow. I have had a ton of protein today! Carnation Instant Breakfast, addred a scoop of Designer Whey Vanilla. Then some 3 parts water apple juice. Then blended up some fat free blueberry yogurt with skim milk and another half scoop of the whey. I still feel so hungry. Any tips?

Before surgery I bought a ton of the GNC lean 25 protein shake and I still have so much that I just use that brand. I bought 6 boxes cause it was buy and get second at 50% off. And then I also bought ready made ones that I can take with me to work. So I am still using them. I bought every flavor except banana. Vanilla, cookies and cream, chocolate, strawberry and mixed berry is excellent. I also got orange which is ok but not my favorite. Today I used the orange with fat free Greek vanilla yogurt to make a shake and it was good. Try out the GNC Lean 25 and you can try them in small packets or ready made ones in their fridge to see if you like them and then buy bigger ones. Let me know how it goes.

I was on soft foods after a week, I initially did okay with it but in retrospect I wish I waited another week. One thing I did that really helped me a lot was to take away the "protein pressure" I am about 11 weeks out and I very often will still have 2 protein shakes a day which equals 60grams of protein and snack on yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, eggs or deli meat in between. This way I know I am getting the protein I need but I am not force feeding myself food. My understanding is that technically I should be getting my protein from food rather then supplements however my doctor is okay with it because I am doing so well and I am taking food. Just a thought for when you do start eating foods

Hi there. I am recently banded and so far, I'm loving it. No troubles with food coming back up or reflux. Typical breakfast for me is fat-free Greek yogurt sprinkled with Kashi Go Lean. Typical lunch is sliced deli turkey and some veggie on the side. Typical dinner is broiled fish or lean meat, with a veg on the side. I like turkey chili too, and it works well in my meal plan. I found a chicken salad made with yogurt in place of mayo at costco -- it is delish and it too works well in my meal plan. My surgery was quick and recovery was quick and uneventful. I went into the operating room at 8:30 AM and left for home by 11 AM. I had surgery on a Wednesday and went back to work (a desk job) on Monday. My advice to someone looking into a Lap Band would be to consider follow-up care after the surgery when you are choosing your surgeon. Good follow-up care requires a surgical practice with experience and commitment to its Lap Band patients. You should expect to be visiting your surgeon's office regularly throughout the first year so be sure you are willing and able (financially and travel-wise) to do this.

Typically I do not eat breakfast because I'm not hungry in the mornings so I have an early lunch. Often this is a Greek yogurt with some mix-ins (otherwise, for me, the yogurt is a slider food -- it's the chewing and swallowing that gets the brain signal for satiety). I mix in chia seeds, sometimes a few chopped up nuts, a little gluten-free Cereal, sometimes a tablespoon of Protein powder if I'm feeling I need more protein....you get the idea. dinner is all over the place for me depending on whether we are home, entertaining or going out. We love taco night -- I make grass-fed ground beef with stock so it's all broken down and yummy with Mexican spices. I can eat one loaded taco and that is it (old days I'd do three or four plus other stuff!). I like fish a lot, salmon. Steak. I can't seem to do regular hamburger now but that's okay, I cook chicken thighs -- sauces are my friend now, not a no-no. There are a couple of links below in my signature that really helped me understand how the band works. I love my band and have had an excellent experience with it. Still have some weight to lose, but carrying around an extra twenty is so great compared to what I had before. Night and day. I was not prepared to do anything more drastic than the band and so am very grateful that, for me, it was just the right tool to help me lose weight. It has not been difficult. I am not in a diet. I make good choices most of the time and now I can stop eating -- no more going back for more, more, more.

Unfortunately, clear liquids do not consist of milk or yogurt...Clear liquids is anything you can see through....I am starving on my clear liquids too....then next week i go to full liquids...take care...gotta run..

Trust me you will all make it through. I have been on liquids for 8 weeks and now on mushies. I had jaw surgery and could only do liquids. Trust me after not eating solid foood for so long, I don't know what to eat anymore. I survived on juices, Water and yogurt. Today was my first day grocery shopping in two months and most of my cart was fruit as that what has been the basis of my nourishment for the last 2 months. It is interesting to say the least that you will begin to gravitate towards what your body is use to eating. With all of that said, do the liquids and use this time to try to retrain your mind to crave the good stuff. The down side to all of this for me is that I cannot grind food well enough with my back teeth to come off mushies any time soon. Hang in there, we can do it!!

Programs are different. I didn't have a pre-op diet other than the typical NPO 12/24 hours prior to surgery. It was recommended to increase protein and veg. So do not worry if you don't have a pre-op diet. Some of us don't. It's also not uncommon for programs to recommend transitioning to real food as soon as possible. A year out I still start most days with a Protein Shake, but this was my habit pre-op. I make my own concoctions in the nutra bullet before I go to the gym. When I do supplement it's with Isopure unflavored powder. I'm vegetarian so most of my protein is from eggs, Beans and yogurt. Shakes are a personal preference and taste. You have to consider whether you want powder or RTD, milk based or clear drinks. The major ones are Premier Protein, Isopure, Syntrac nectar and unjury.

yep, broth and crystal lite and maybe some protein shakes made with skim milk. day 3 was hard for me, starting with day 4 I could notice that every day got a little easier. I am not almost 2 weeks out and am able to get my 6 ounce protein shake down in 30 minutes no problem. yogurt I nibble on for half hour as well, just don't have the desire to woof anything down, just eating to provide fuel

I have almost identical story, first lapband then bypass. I am 4 weeks post surgery and I have no idea what to eat. I don't want what they want me to eat, I just don't feel like eating. I like to eat apples, greek yogurt is also OK, but I don't care for cottage cheese. Can you tell me what you ate? You are doing so well.

Oh heck yeah, I can totally relate. I was really worried about it before surgery too. I had made some small changes and lost some weight. I have been off reg AND diet sodas for almost a yr now. But I was still a fast food type person for the convenience, as well as the "gotta have it now" mentality. I didn't plan ahead and keep things on hand or prepare meals ahead of time. And that hunger I used to have, where I didn't wanna even take the time it required to cook before i shoved it in my mouth. But the sleeve has helped that, I don't get the omg I am starving, get in my belly NOW, feeling. I get a sort of empty feeling and kinda go by what time I ate last to confirm it is actually real hunger, not head hunger or acid. But I have to admit, I do mostly easy/convenient type foods at home. Cause to be honest, I don't know any other way of life,so I think as long as it's a good protein source and all, it's ok. I don't do the protein shakes as much, but I really like the taste and convenience of boiled eggs now. So I boil half a dozen or more at a time, to have on hand to eat, or to add to tuna/chicken salad, or make egg salad with. I've been babysitting this wk, and having to get up and leave WAY earlier than I am used to, so I have been taking my boiled eggs, cottage cheese, cans of tuna and chicken, my diet green teas, so I will have the ability to keep up with my protein. I use greek yogurt a lot not just cuz of convenience but it's high in protein and makes meat go down so much easier if I make it into dips. I add it to the tuna/chicken/egg salad. I use it in place of sour cream. I do string cheese and other cheeses a lot to add more protein to stuff. I will also take a whole bag of the frozen chicken breasts and put in the crock pot before bedtime, then the next day I divide it up into small portions and use some for chicken salad, some to dip in greek yogurt/w/ranch mix. I really like the hidden valley fiesta ranch mix. Or I will use other sauces and flavors like BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, white sauce (the kind that goes on bbq and smoked chicken) etc. to kinda change up each meal. You do have to watch the sauces for sugar and stuff, but some have fewer carbs than others. But I do eat a lot of chicken. lol. I like how the crock pot will make meat tender and fairly moist, I hate dry meat. But anyway!!! You are not alone!! And you have done a fabulous job losing 45 lbs pre-op, congrats!!! It seems to me, you are doing a good job of preparing yourself mentally for the sleeve and making positive changes. Give yourself some credit, and I am working on becoming more of a real cook, but until i master it, as long as I do protein first, I ain't gonna worry too much about it. The sleeve really does make it easier to stop and think and plan meals out, so you have that to look forward to!!

I'm a baker, not a cook so I still eat mostly convenience foods. Protein shakes, yogurt, Jerky, soups, etc. during the day. I cook a healthy dinner for the family every night and that's pretty much the only time I put effort into food prep. I'm very fortunate that my hunger is all but gone so I don't have an urge to snack anyway. Every now and then I'll cook an egg for b'fast but at 3 months out I still can't eat a whole one. I hate wasting food so it's just easier to dink a shake.

WW points won't work for you in the beginning simply because you won't be able to eat enough food. I was below 500 calories a day for almost 3 months. Also, I agree that WW won't be very happy with you as a post-op as you will probably be dropping way more than others who are there. However, I think WW might be helpful once you have lost your weight and are in maintenance. I haven't used them myself, but I know they are there if I need them! I used Sparkpeople.com after I was eating real food. For the first 2 months or so I just counted what was on the label of whatever I ate. Since a 6 oz yogurt lasted for 3 meals, I just divided the calories, Protein, and carbs by 3 and wrote it all down in a little notebook.

I’m 9 weeks out. I try to keep my calories in the 600-700 range but have gone in the 800s a couple of times a week. No problems with any foods, getting protein or getting fluids in. Typical menu for me would be a scrambled egg with tsp of butter for breakfast or protein coffee. Lunch is usually baby spinach, spring mix with 1 1/2 oz chicken breast strips topped with T sour cream and salsa. Dinner has lately been 1/3-1/2 c homemade chili beans or 2oz meat with broccoli or Brussels sprouts. At night I usually want a snack so I’ve had sf Greek yogurt, sf jello with a dollop of yogurt on top or some cheese and smokehouse almonds, but I can get carried away with the almonds so have pretty much cut them out. Often I’ll add a premier protein somewhere, but when I do my calories are closer to the 800 range. I am still having to resist the urge to graze, especially at night. I’m going to try doing the premier protein around 9pm to see if that will help with the grazing/snacking urge because it seems if I eat a snack it just starts up my “fat brain” and even though I’ve not had anything “bad” I can still slow weight loss with grazing on allowed foods.

I'm 7 weeks out and I still have a protein shake every morning that way I know that I'm getting in at least that much protein. I have no desire to eat still so I force myself with cottage cheese and yogurt and the only meat I can really tolerate is chicken so I've been trying to be creative with that! I would definitely agree with taking time to eat, little bites at a time. My nutritionist said that it may be a while before the stomach tolerates certain things but if you try them 3 times (at least waiting a week) and have a bad reaction, more than likely you should stay away from that food. Good luck!

Chicken pureed with a tiny bit of mayo or Greek yogurt and different seasonings (curry powder is great), same with salmon/tuna/crab, cottage cheese with some sugar free jam, refried beans with a little taco seasoning and salsa, cream soups with added protein powder. Check out http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html for some more pureed ideas.

I too got sick of eggs so now I only have them once or twice a week. I also have protein bars, cottage cheese, Fat Free greek yogurt with sugar free jam in it, Tuna salad, Chicken Salad, I have even had lean cuisine meals for breakfast. Anything to break up the monotony.

Il love that you are putting good carbs into your diet. So many people make the mistake of grouping all carbs into the bad category. I also really like the fact that you are avoiding white carbs. Great choice in using a super high quality Protein like the nectar line. One thing I'd like to address is the combination of Greek yogurt & Protein Powder. 1cup of Greek yogurt is about 25g protein(depending on brand), and a scoop of Nectar is 23g. Totaling up to 48g of protein. Unfortunately this is considerably more than your body can utilize in one sitting. The most your body can utilize at one time is 27g (many people round that out to 30). I'd really like to see that 48g split into 2 servings so that you can receive full benefit from what you consume. Great planning & great tracking. Enjoy the journey, you deserve it.

Think of a narrow necked bottle, like a ketchup bottle. You can drop m & m's through it fairly quickly, but something that is going to stick together and gum up in the neck, like scrambled eggs, is going to form a blockage. No matter how much you chew scrambled eggs, the pieces still stick together and form a plug. Yogurt, if it's thick, can do that too, although it is a thick liquid and if you are taking small spoonfuls, it shouldn't cause a problem. I'm making this up as I go, but that's why I think some foods that we don't expect to have problems with get stuck. Also, time of day has a lot to do with it. Many of us are just tighter in the morning, so morning foods seem to give us more problems than stuff we eat for dinner. Does that make sense?

I don't like sweets either. These were approved by my doctor for the liquid diet: plain Greek yogurt and sugar free pudding with protein powder in it. There were a bunch of others, but I can't remember them. Sorry.