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Keep your life simple. When you go to work you can live on 1 shake, water, and maybe a yogurt, or 1/2 to 1 boiled egg, if you need it for awhile. I have cases of shakes I overbought, dozens of soups I stocked up on, etc. etc. Your tastes will change, eating is so simple. Never heard of the boxes. My panty is stuffed with things I thought I might need. Good luck!

My is week 1 & 2 full liquids: protein shakes, cream soups(no chunks) and yogurt Week 3-6: Soft foods Then i start adding in regular food. I am on week 2

I did the pureed for the first 2 days of my soft foods. Mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, sugar free applesauce, pudding, and Greek yogurt. If at any time you have trouble with soft foods you can go back th o full liquids for a day and try again. I haven't had to do that yet. Good luck.

I am now freaking out that I am eating too much! I was sleeved on August 27... I am now eating 1/3 cup of egg whites for breakfast... 2 hard boiled eggs for lunch... No yolk...a cheese stick or yogurt for snack and 1/2 cup of chicken or fish for dinner and veggie... Have I stretched my sleeve ? I also just added some peanut butter on celery for a snack...I don't feel that restricted feeling that I use to feel after a couple of bites but I just stop after I eat those amounts. Am I eating too much!

Just curious how much everyone is eating for lunch and dinner. I don't know if I am eating too much or too little. I starting weighing the Protein (chicken, pork, turkey- my 3 main proteins) and eat about 3 oz. at each meal along with a little Greek yogurt or cottage cheese and a few edamame . Is that too big a serving of meat? I know I'm getting in my protein but just want to make sure I'm not eating too much. Don't want to stretch the pouch!

Well you have to get the protein in somehow and until you can tolerate more food....liquid's pretty much the only option. It's just a necessity. If you really hate the sweetness of the shakes, adding unflavored powder to Soups, Hot drinks, puddings, yogurt is also a good idea. If you can only stomach 1/4 cup of yogurt, then mixing a half scoop Protein Powder in with it will give you an extra 10-15 grams on top of the 7.5. (At two months out though, you should probably be able to eat a little more than you are--did you check with your doctor to see what he or she says about only being able to tolerate so little?)

Today was Day 4 - I got 62 oz of Protein in with 42 oz of Fluid (counting Water, juice, Protein shake, yogurt, and soup). As soon as I am at the 4 oz. mark, I start getting this heart burn feeling in my chest. At least today was better than yesterday. It give me hope! Thank you all for your experiences!

Ice pops are great. Yogurt is good, and I now love those cup in hand Soups. It will take a while to get the whole thing down but you can have it a few times. There really isn't any protien in them. My favorite thing post-op was and still is egg salad, scrambled eggs with salsa on top, corned beef hash, pudding. I was able to go on mushies after 2 weeks which was a wonderful thing!!! Good luck your going to love your band!!!

It is very important to get your protein in, plus you don't want to start losing your hair. As PaulB said above talk to your nutritionist they will be able to suggest other sorces of protein. Maybe try a different flavor of the powder, I know the shakes are not the best but I just drink mine as quick as I can and get it over and done with. I eat cottage cheese and yogurt which are both high in protein as well. My dr. says minimum 64 grams of protein a day... I do my best to get 80 grams a day.

I'm seven years out and I have truly awful sugar cravings at times. Eating properly is the key to preventing them getting really out of hand. i find with the band, I may not feel physical hunger, but my body knows that it's not had enough energy and nutrition. I mean, I might get up and run 8kms, get ready for work, get the kids ready, make the beds, put on a load of washing, feed the pets, tidy up, get to work, run a sport lesson, teach for the morning - all on half a cup of yogurt! Then I might grab a small tin of tuna and five or six crackers for lunch, perhaps somewhere in there I'll eat a piece of fruit. And then I wonder why I cave on the way home at 5.30 and call in at the supermarket for a feast of sugary carbs, and scoff an entire packet of biscuits before dinner? Stupid, when you think about it. PROPER meals during the day doesnt prevent the thoughts of late afternoon sugar for me, but it does make me able to resist. My 140lb active body cannot live on 500 calories for an entire day until dinner time! I dont get actually hungry, but my appetite gets out of control and I end up binging. I think a lot of bandsters seriously undereat. Yes, we want to lose, but if you want to lose fast and eat 800 calories a day AND exercise and never binge or pig out on bad foods, you're still going to need some serious willpower, because I dont think our bodies can be fooled for that long that we're underfeeding them. I had no trouble for the first year or two and then my body kind of wised up! Not that I havent managed to lose all of my weight and maintain that loss, but the cycle of undereating then binging is really not what the band is meant to encourage.

Bobby..The only thing you may notice is your weight loss may not be as good as it could be if you were to eat solids. One thing my Dr. tells me is if Iam relying liquids and soft foods like yogurts, puddings etc.. then Iam too tight and need a slight unfill. Liquid calories & soft foods can kill a bandsters weight loss...The liquids and soft foods go right through the band and all it does is make you hungry quicker. Be careful, watch your caloric intake on all of those liquid calories and yogurts & smoothies.This is not what the band was designed for..maybe you should consider a slight unfill .2cc's can make a huge difference in allowing you to eat solids. Im sure a meal replacement is as healthy as a chicken breast but the question should be will the meal replacement that goes right through your band curb your hunger for as long as that chicken breast sitting in your pouch for hours will? If the liquids go right through, wont you want another meal replacement sooner which is only more calories? If it were me I would be going in for a slight unfill..to live on liquids and meal replacements is not why I got the band . Best Wishes

When a craving strikes ask yourself Am I stressed out? When you're under pressure, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which signals your brain to seek out rewards. Comfort foods loaded with sugar and fat basically "apply the brakes" to the stress system by blunting this hormone. When you reach for food in response to negative feelings such as anger or sadness (like potato chips after a fight with your spouse), you inadvertently create a powerful connection in your brain. Its classic brain conditioning; "The food gets coded in your memory center as a solution to an unpleasant experience or emotion". Stimulate happiness "Women especially have a profound emotional reaction to music". Create upbeat playlists to listen to whenever a craving strikes. The songs provide a distraction and an emotional release. Wait it out "People give in to cravings because they think they'll build in intensity until they become overwhelming, but that's not true," Cravings behave like waves: They build, crest, and then disappear. If you can "surf the urge," you have a better chance of beating it altogether Choose the best distraction "What you're really craving is to feel better," You've heard the trick about phoning a friend or exercising instead of eating. But "taking a solo walk won't help if you're feeling lonely," Instead, identify your current emotion--bored, anxious, or mad; by filling in these blanks: "I feel ____ because of ____." Then find an activity that releases it. If you're stressed, channeling nervous energy into a workout can help; if you're upset over a problem at the office, call a friend and ask for advice. Ask yourself "Have I been eating less than usual If you're eating fewer than 1,000 calories a day or restricting an entire food group (like carbs), you're putting your body in prime craving mode. Even just 3 days of strict dieting decreases levels of the appetite-reducing hormone leptin by 22%. Do This! Lift any bans--safely Plan ways to enjoy your favorite foods in controlled portions. Get a slice of pizza instead of a whole pie, or share a piece of restaurant cheesecake with two friends. Don't "eat around" cravings; trying to squash a craving with a low-cal imitation won't satisfy your brain's memory center. For example, if you're craving a milkshake, yogurt won't cut it--especially if you've been depriving yourself. You may even take in more calories than if you'd just had a reasonable portion of what you wanted in the first place. Munching five crackers, a handful of popcorn, and a bag of pretzels, all in the name of trying to squash a craving for potato chips, will net you about 250 more calories than if you'd eaten a single-serving bag Are you getting enough sleep? In a University of Chicago study, a few sleepless nights were enough to drop levels of the hormone leptin (which signals satiety) by 18% and boost levels of ghrelin, an appetite trigger, by about 30%. Those two changes alone caused appetite to kick into overdrive, and cravings for starchy foods like Cookies, potato chips, and bread jumped 45%. Do This! Have some caffeine; it can help you get through the day without any high-calorie pick-me-ups. It won't solve your bigger issue of chronic sleep loss, but it's a good short-term fix until you get back on track. Portion out a serving, you probably don't have the energy to fight it, so try this trick: Before you dig in, dole out a small amount of the food you want (on a plate) and put the rest away. Are you a creature of habit? You may not realize it, but seemingly innocent routines, such as eating cheese popcorn while watching TV, create powerful associations. "The brain loves routine". The thought of letting go of these patterns can cause a fear response in an area of the brain called the amygdala. "Once the food hits your lips, the fear response shuts off in a heartbeat." Do This! Eliminate sensory cues; smells, sights, and sounds all act as powerful triggers. Watch television in your basement or bedroom so you're far away from the kitchen and the cupboard full of Snacks Picture yourself healthy; try the "stop technique": Every time the food you crave pops into your head, think, Stop! Then, picture a healthy image (say, you're lean and fit). After a while, your brain will dismiss the food image and the craving will subside. "One of my clients did this four or five times a day, and within 2 weeks, she stopped turning to sweets every night after dinner." Shift your focus; Australian researchers found that distracting your brain really does work. When a craving hits, divert your attention to something visual not related to food, like typing an e-mail. Passing up one bag of potato chips and 1 pint of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream per month can help you lose 10 pounds in a year

Are you exercising? Activity is every bit as important to this journey as the food you put into your body. If you are, that's great! You will probably need to add 5 or 10 minutes to your work out, switch up the order of your routine, or increase intensity. I hit a plateau a few weeks ago and my doctor suggested adding variety to my diet and exercise. That worked for me. There is nothing wrong with occasional chocolate. However if your craving for it is increasing, you just may not be able to eat it for the time being. There are certain foods I know could trigger me, so I try to avoid them or only eat them when I am out (like a restaurant or friend's house) so I am not tempted to binge privately. If it is the sweetness you are craving, how about vanilla yogurt with some fresh fruit sliced into it? Or just a glass of skim milk for a snack? Stay strong.

Clear liquids: Water, crystal light, diet iced tea, decaf tea, decaf coffee, sugar free Jello, sugar free Popsicle s, broth, diluted 100% fruit juice (half water/half juice) Full liquids: include everything in your Clear liquids list plus: yogurt (with no fruit bits - be careful of sugar and fat content), reduced fat creamed Soups (strained), skim milk, soy milk, thinned cream of wheat or grits, sugar free/low fat pudding. Hope this helps!

I had the greatest idea for opening a new chain of fast food restaurants this morning. It would be a post bariatric surgery patients dream come true. The only thing on the menu would be high protein meats and fish, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, sugar-free Jell-O and putting, some fancy flavored ricotta cheese desserts, veggies and low carb fruits. We would make our own delicious protein smoothies. There would be absolutely no bread, pasta, chips or even liquids of any kind served. The salad bar would offer customers a scale for their use so they could measure their own portions.,Every day would also feature a couple of high-protein low-carb hot meals. I would call it The Pro Shop. That should read *pudding! Damn autocorrect

I eat yogurt daily and it regulates my bowel movement. If I'm feeling constipated, I double my daily yogurt intake. I remembered I was constipated on the first week though. The doctor advised me to buy Dulcolax. It does get better though.

Susie, I'm over 3 months and get the rumbling with yogurt (although I live off yogurt) and also get the hiccups. They are both annoying and embarrassing. Glad it see it passes!

I tried oatmeal too as one of the first soft foods and it did not go well for me either. I switched to cream of rice, I made it with skim milk and splenda and it was pretty good, went down MUCH easier than oatmeal and I didn't feel like garbage afterward. If food is getting stuck, you might not be chewing it enough...I know! Chewing oatmeal? The other problem could be taking bites that are too big. Eating anything is completely different than before surgery. I am one month out today, and I learn something new every day! Today has not been a great food day for me, so I am just taking it super easy, more (yucky) protein drinks, yogurt, soup blah blah...Good Luck!!! Hope you find that eating gets easier. OH! The other thing I had to do when things felt stuck was take little TINY sips of water, just to lube things up and get it down. I know we aren't supposed to drink and eat but when you can't swallow....

I was allowed to have yogurt watered down with a little milk. I also made sure that I varied my protein shakes. I had premier and unjury chocolate, syntrax nectar lemonade and fuzzy navel, and some others. I also had some millie's sipping broths to use as some of my liquid so that I coudl have some savory. sometimes I'd add unflavored protein powder - but I didn't love the taste.

Ask your surgeon of course, but I was allowed blended bean and pea soups, cottage cheese, ricotta and greek yogurt.

May it slide down smoothly and neither get you with its spurs or try to peck your esophagus to death! Meat and me still have a very tenuous relationship, worsened by the fact my Previous Pouch does not like Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. She sort of tolerates ricotta and harder cheeses. like chedder, gouda, Monterey Jack if it's pepperless, mozzarella and occasionally Colby. Weird isn't it? I cut the cheese into postage stamp sizes , chew- chew, she probably sighs but doesn't send it back up. Lady cream of cauliflower last night, use the Green Giant broccoli, cauliflower or cauliflower medley in it, 3-4 meals of it, I take out and 1/4 cup, try to be optimistic but she usually makes me stop before the mini- bowl is empty. Last commodity box I got had multiple cans of mixed vegetables so make some sort of veggie soup, been thinking I might branch out to the almond, coconut and cashew soup based I saw at Wal-Mart, then try some seasonings for other tastes like cajun, Thai et, Spanish/Mecican, maybe even Caribbean?et cetera,

Sure, it sounds like you are too tight. I can get food down better standing than sitting when I am too tight. Strangely enough, we often don't lose weight when we are too tight, because it is too easy to eat the wrong things and give up on the band. That said, you need to re-evaluate your commitment to eating better. Why do you have mayo, gravy and potatoes in the house? You need to stop buying them! No one needs them and if they are what you use to eat badly, you need to get them out of the house. I have no sugar, flour, potatoes, Pasta, rice, or bread in my house at any time unless I am having long term guests. I know if those foods walk through the door, my resolution to not eat them walks out. This morning I was thinking pancakes sound good for Breakfast. I rationalized that swedish pancakes didn't have much flour and were mostly egg; then I realized I didn't have ANY flour around. Problem solved and temptation averted. Just because you are too tight is not a reason to eat high calorie foods. You can still do low sugar Protein shakes, lowfat low sugar yogurt, Soups, and other healthy mushie foods until your unfill. Consider yourself kicked in the ass. Get to work and make this work for you!

Yes, please check with your doctor or pharmacist. The type of pill really matters. In terms of general rules, I was told I could swallow anything that was smaller than an M&M. For me that means I only need to cut my metformin pills (they are huge...hopefully I'll be off them soon anyway) and I need to empty the capsule of Prilosec and take with a spoonful of pudding or yogurt. The pharm did need to change my metformin prescription from the extended release version so I could split them.

I agree that Zumba is fun and it's an added bonus that it's exercise! I like Dannon (Oikos) Greek yogurt. LOVE the Key Lime Pie flavor. The yogurt has 11 g protein, so that's a good way to start the day. I don't eat it until I have been at work for an hour or so. I just don't eat breakfast as soon as I get up, but I often have an Atkin's protein drink on my drive to work. (Cafe' Caramel) is my fave. I don't drink coffee but It's like my coffee in the morning, on my way to work. (actually made with coffee) and it's giving me 15g protein right there. I sometimes boil eggs earlier in the week so that I have several days worth, to take for breakfast. I usually make it into an egg salad. Easier to eat that way. Sometimes scrambled with a little bacon bits and low fat/fat free cheese. sometimes i put in minced celery to add a few veggies early on.

Stop the protein shakes and eat food. Liquid calories do not keep you full nor is it healthy this long after surgery to still be using protein shakes. Start by having a real breakfast even if its greek yogurt and a real lunch and real dinner.