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Definitely sticking with liquids and yogurt as the most solid food I'm doing until I get to see her next week. Thank you for your kind words

Hey all, I was at the grocery store today and came across a brand new Greek yogurt made by Yoplait! I've heard a lot of you talk about Greek yogurt because it's so high in protein and low in carbs and figured I would have to go to a specialty health market to find it. So I was surprised to find it and just thought I'd share. :thumbup1:

Im day 5 post op(banded monday). Last night was the first time I could drink a full 8 oz of the protein shake without feeling absolutely sick. Lol. I also weighed myself this am and am down 5 pounds since Monday. I do dream of eggs n cheese though but I trust there is a reason my dr has me on yogurt, shakes, amd soup for 2 weeks. I have been drinking water all day and walking.

Background: I ate "dinner" at 6 o clock (fish and yogurt). went to church. now i'm up to bat again at the plate-the dinner plate hahaha! not good. and now that it's night and i'm feeling blue i eat another even bigger dinner. I grew up as a grazer. I would eat a little here. Go Play. eat a little there. do my homework. eat some more. And it was all okay. I was a tiny kid/young adult that was healthy and hopeful. As I have gotten older this mode of eating has been slowly waging a war against my waistline. A little bit here and there has turned into a big problem. I guess now the major differance now is that my grazing portions have really increased...eat a lot here. eat a lot there. eat....eat....eat... Now for me grazing provides an opportunity to avoid responsibility for my food and my life. Grazing whenever I feel sad or upset helps me to avoid the problems in my life. Grazing also allows me to trump the food journal system. If I can't remember (or choose not to remember) what i ate because it was a bite here and there, then I can't write it down and feel bad about it. Food journalling makes me feel depressed. So I figure if I'm eating in weird patterns and ways I can somehow avoid the pain of accountability. I really don't know what else to say, other than I need help. Are there any other hardcore grazers out there? how did u face up to what you were actually eating. what rules or strategies did you use?

Thanks for the kind thoughts. I had surgery May 28th. SW 244, current weight 197. I am just struggling with getting enough protein and eating more solid foods. I am living on cottage cheese, string cheese, yogurt and fish.

my doctor allowed veggies too, but no yogurt or any of that. i could only use Protein shakes and 1 cup of veggies per day. so, it sounds like you have more options than I did. while you may lose weight on the pre-op, please try your best not to cheat on it again. you can make it 14 days and that is really the most difficult part (other than the 10 days of liquids only right after surgery, if your doctor makes you do that) if you are really having trouble sticking to the diet, you should contact your doctor and tell him. don't try to reason with yourself and give yourself permission to eat cheese or do anything that is not per the doctor. that is not a good way to go into this process. if you do that kind of reasoning now, believe me you will do that after you have healed and are ready to eat real food again. resolve now to do what you are supposed to do and stick to it as best as you can.

Those sound like good options if you have a cooler to take them in. You could also take fruit, yogurt, cheese and crackers and salads in a cooler. I can eat bread still! So I can always take a sandwich. But I dont eat the crusts anymore, lol. I usually elect to pack some sort of crispbread with something like vegemite (I'm an Aussie!) or Peanut Butter or cheese and some fruit. Its easy, quick and quite filling and doesnt go too yuck out of the fridge.

Now friends, I am an intelligent woman with a great job and education.....I'm saying this for a reason. I was reading some posts and thinking how am I going to manage pureed food AND get the liquid and protein in that I need daily. It is amazing how we now think of food wisely instead of carelessly did prior to being sleeved. Back to my being intelligent.....I read a post that talked about UNFLAVORED PROTEIN powder and how this fellow sleever put it into his/her soups and other items to ensure that s/he gets the protein needed per day without being overly concerned about filling up too quickly. This sleever puts it in his/her cream soups, puddings, and yogurts. So what does this have to do with being intelligent? Not once had this approach crossed my mind!!! It seems so simple and common sense like. LOL. Just posting this and having fun with it - just in case anyone else has the same concern or is having an issue getting in protein while eating soft or pureed foods.....UNFLAVORED PROTEIN!!! Thanks #1golfer, your post was right on time. Now I am going to take back this cookies and cream flavored powder and get an unflavored. ......the preceeding post was an "ah ha" moment that made my day!

Update....I finally purchased the unflavored protein powder about a week ago and it has been GREAT. During my full liquid phase I added it to almost everything......I am hooked on the low fat cream of chicken and cream of potato soup. I started my soft foods today and added it to yogurt and pudding.....I could not tell a big difference at all. I bought the Isopure brand at my local vitamin shoppe....it was $42 and I was not happy about the price but now that I am using it, I am SO GLAD that I bought it. I even added it to my cottage cheese today....lol...hey - just upped the protein content! Oh yeah - the nutribullet - turns out this is a great investment. I love to cook .... so every morning I make a nutriblend "smoothie" and get to enjoy cutting a cucumber or apple etc to add to my blend. My favorite blend so far is with spinach, a slice of jalapeno, cucumber, and frozen fruit with no added suger....oh and apple juice - gotta put in a liquid to make it a smoothie!

Oh yeah Yoplait makes a Greek yogurt Popsicle bar that is awesome. 90 calories and 12 gms I believe of protein. Delicious caramel. I loved them. Might be an option to try. Good luck.

Hi, I cannot do the shakes. Made me sick both ends. My doc kept me on full liquids for 6 weeks post op and then at my 6 week visit Thursday gave me a food list. I don't have to purée or do mushies. Just chew the heck out of every bite. I ate cottage cheese and lots of Greek yogurt and did fine. He did not give me a calorie or Protein requirement either. When I ask him about that his answer was just to be sure I burned more calories than I took in on a daily basis. He does not push the shakes because he wants to ensure that we learn as soon as possible to adjust our eating to real food and cutting off eating before we are too full. He says at bite three we should be asking ourselves are we full. Stop if so but ask ourselves on each bite to follow and stop before full.

For the soup, be sure to get the lower fat kind. The yogurt sounds good; I'll have to see if I can find that!

Stay away from acidic foods.Get a good probiotic...the ones that are refrigerated....with billions of active live cultures.Greek yogurt(plain) .Eat soothing soft alkaline foods and return to shakes..I have lived with this from my lapband days...stay away from fruits and tomatoes.

Hi again, I found this & thought some of us might be interested? (here's where I saw it:http://www.bospa.org/Information.aspx?Page=19) Pre-op liver reduction plan Just because you are awaiting a surgical treatment for your morbid obesity, this is not an excuse to sit back and gorge out on as much food as you can! Any weight you can lose through dieting before your surgery is an advantage - it will make the surgery easier and will reduce the risks associated with it. Some surgeons mandate a very restricted diet - one that is low in fat, sugar and carbohydrates - for one week prior to surgery and even if your surgeon doesn't ask you to follow this diet, doing so will increase your chances of your operation being completed laparoscopically because it will shrink your liver down in size. By following a strict diet, your body reduces its glycogen stores (glycogen is a form of sugar stored in the liver and muscles for energy). With each ounce of glycogen, the body stores 3–4 ounces of Water, so when you follow a very strict diet, especially one that is low in starch and sugar, your body loses its glycogen stores and some water. The liver shrinks as it has less glycogen and water in it. This diet is only recommended for one week before surgery and is not to be followed post–operatively. It is quite possible you lose a lot of weight that week, but it will be mainly be water loss. Please ensure you continue to drink throughout the day. Here are some menu suggestions: Breakfast Small bowl of Cereal, or 1 slice of toast with a scraping of low fat spread lunch 1 slice bread or 2 crispbreads Small portion lean meat or fish, or Small portion cheese, or 2 eggs (not fried) Green salad (no dressing) or tomatoes dinner Small portion lean meat or fish, or Small portion low fat cheese, or 2 eggs, or Tofu or Quorn based dish 1 small potato or 2 tablespoonfuls Pasta or rice Vegetables (as many as you like except for root vegetables) Daily 1/3 pint milk for use in drinks and on cereal 2 portions of fruit (e.g. apple, orange, banana, pear) Free water, tea, coffee, low calorie squash or fizzy drinks 1 low fat, low sugar yogurt or fromage frais

My pre op diet is 0% fat yogurt, 1% cottage cheese and skim milk. As much as I need to have. I can also have coffee, tea, SF Jello. That;s about it. I have been on it for 1 1/2 weeks and there have been some days that have been really tough. I have been able to work through them without cheating (going to be early a lot), so I feel good about that. I can make it and you can too! What's your pre op and how long?

Oh, bless you--small constant sips for fluid. Keep a beverage with you all the time and sip like a fiend. I never managed to get in all the protein I was supposed to, but folks do--have you looked at the pureed food suggestions on this forum? People make mashed-up chicken and egg salad and all kinds of protein-rich foods. I know I ate a lot of yogurt and a lot of smushed-up cottage cheese during mushies, plus refried beans with melted cheese--that seemed SO decadent at the time, after a couple of weeks of liquids! Hang in there--it gets a lot easier once your options expand. :-)

My doc is OK with it in the mushy/pureed stage. Someof it is higher in protein and lower in sugar (depending on the type) than some of the other things in that stage. For instance, all of the Gerber 2nd Foods meat flavors have 7 to 8g of protein, 0g sugar, 2 to 3g carbs, and about 70 to 80 calories per jar. That ratio actually isn't too far off of some of the protein drinks I have seen, and better than some of the light yogurts and soups that some people eat. However, the fruit and cereal flavors have less protein and more sugar and carbs. Baby food may not be the #1 best choice, but you could definitely do worse in that stage. BUT, I don't know anything about taste.

I posted this somewhere else...but I buy the plain 0% fat greek yogurt and add Smuckers Sugar free jams to it for flavor.

Don't know if you've seen this site before or not, but gets recommended a lot. There are some good recipes on there - http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html For my soft food/pureed stage I didn't do anything crazy. I couldn't do blended foods. I tried once with soup and it didn't taste right at all. So I stuck with the basics: cottage cheese with a tiny bit of pureed fruit, lots of yogurt, sweet potatoes, refried beans, scrambled egg with a bit of picante sauce, etc. One of the best things I had was the ricotta bake recipe that can be found on the link above. That was so damned good I wish I would have made it sooner. Even when I'm out of the pureed stage it's going to be a staple in my diet. It's super easy to make and is really good.

Maybe more protein in the afternoon? Lots of water and tea and not looking at tv commercials helps me. I also keep one good yogurt or low cal single ice cream as a treat for the end of my day. Good luck and post how you are doing! We care! And yes. I still fight the demons at night. After 9 years. Sometimes I have to go to bed and give up on the day. Sometimes. Snacking wins. Just not as often!

I am very grateful for this site. I just read this whole blog and relate to every bit of it. I was banded in Oct. 2007. Got all this the same responses from my surgeon and bariatric team...eat dime size bites, chew chew chew, shoulder pain unrelated, you're eating to fast, etc. Maybe this team should read this site. These symptoms are way to common in post-banders to say the symptoms are unrelated. To this day, I've never been able to eat much solid food. I've always had to live on a couple of bites of food...always with discomfort. I've never been able to eat sitting down. So going to dinner parties, vacations and restaurants are out of the question. I just went for my first unfill a few weeks ago. I notice mild difference. Still can't tolerate solids very well and still have to stand up. Only difference is I can eat about 2-3 extra bites than before. So I will have to probably get another unfill. Yes, the financial aspect annoys me because I am a self-pay. Paid for this surgery and fills and now have to pay again to undo what I've already paid for. BUT, I don't dwell to much because after all said and done, I am paying to try to be comfortable. This band is a love hate relationship. I've been able to lose weight but I am worried that I am not eating nutritious food. I eat whatever can get through. I can only tolerate very small amounts of meats and forget any potatoes, pasta (except small amounts of rice) and bread. My carbs most come from yogurt and crackers. Ironically, I can eat some junk food without difficulty...but hate eating the stuff. Yet when I am hungry...I am eating what I can. I hate fish and my doctor always says "Can you eat fish?" Well, I didn't get this band to live off fish....but I will say I ate swordfish last night and liked it. I sat down but could only get about 3oz of it down without anything else. Went to a movie and was able to get popcorn down. so I was thrilled just to have those two things and nothing else that night. This isn't how I want to live yet I don't want to put weight on again. If anyone out there is having the same fear of unfilling because of putting on weight, I relate...BUT it won't stop me from doing what's necessary. I say that because I don't want to eat junk...I want to be able to eat small meals and be satisified...not rade the cabinet. I also have heartburn. I know I can't remain like this because I will have further gastric issues if not treated. Again, this site and especially this blog has encouraged me to perservere and get whatever unfills necessary.

I have been starving lately!!!!!! I have been making a lot of smoothies with the Atkins shakes and putting yogurt in ( chobani) or Peanut Butter in the chocolate. I track everything in my fitness pal and just try to stay at 1000-1200 calories. And this weekend started to do Just Dance 4 as my exercise . I've been eating pretty mushy food but have also eaten a piece or two of pizza. I just track it. I definitely cannot eat as much as I once could and just try to take is slow and chew chew chew chew. I figure it will get better when I get my first fill which is next week. Until then I am not going to beat myself up (because I have done that enough in my life). This might be the wrong tactic and I know I need to get more Protein in but I am just going to keep working on it! I also and just cooking for my family and just eating smaller portions. Has lasagna "cupcakes" for dinner - emilybite.com and making chicken casserole tonight. These things last a whole lot longer now!!!!'

I spent a lot of time shopping and reading labels before and after surgery. I made a notebook of food ideas/recipes. Pinterest is great for Bariatric surgery recipes. I still buy low fat low sugar yogurt and cottage cheese, tuna, smoked salmon for my husband. I opt for low fat chicken broth to cook with. I still choose the low fat soups for emergency. I love the ease of rotisserie chicken for chicken salad, etc. Three years post op I am now drinking protein shakes once a day to jumpstart some weight loss. The best advice I have is to just choose foods which are healthy for you, and I am now on a journey to leave processed food out of our diet. I think of the years I got fat eating Lean Cuisine and WW meals daily. Never again. Good luck!

@@pandas22 Cookies, ice cream, candy, pop-tarts, potato chips, pretzels oh wait, that's what i USED to have pre-op!! present - i'll start the ball rolling Protein bars tuna fish pkg (serves 1) eggs NUTS yogurt, yogurt, yogurt and more yogurt (Dannon Lite and Fit) cottage cheese baby bel cheese deli meat - will roll with piece of cheese in it watermelon, cantelope sugar free popsicles (still love them) hamburger (for ie chii, love it) frozen boxed chicken - 6 measured 5 oz pieces salmon boxed too (don't yell, i know, i know all those preservatives but they are yummy and so easy) just a few off the top of my head your turn guys, next............... happy shopping good luck kathy I'm copying this list. You're the best Kathy!! Female NC HW:280 HT:5'9" VSG:9/6/16

So, I'm curious. After surgery, when do you generally see the weight loss start up? 1 week after? 2 weeks? I'm not sure if I'm not losing because of barely getting nutrients in, the fact that there's probably still IV fluids in me or if it's the swelling. All I'm eating are broth, Jello and popsicles. I did eat a little bit of Greek yogurt today and drank a little medicine cup full of a Protein shake.