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We were in the middle of the woods in the upper peninsula of Michigan, so we didn't have any options for not eating right. We stayed in a camper, so we fixed our meals. We didn't even have wifi or decent cell service. It was remote! LOL. We didn't even buy fudge, which is one of the things the UP is famous for. Thanks everyone. My leg and ankle was still swollen yesterday, but it seems to be down a bit today. I am going to stay on an all-liquid Protein diet for a few days with lots of Water and see what happens. Heather, your post gives me hope! Thanks. It really sounds similar to what I was doing, so I hope I have the same results.

Hi all! I have been enjoying reading your posts and thought it might be time to introduce myself! I posted a few days ago, but I figure some content is always helpful. Like most here, I have struggled with weight my whole life; I didn't understand health and nutrition growing up and I've always had to put other obligations before myself. I've made numerous attempts at losing weight - I'll lose 20 lbs, even as much as 60lbs ones...and then it comes back, plus more. Ugh! I made the commitment last summer to get a gastric sleeve done; unfortunately, I fell off track due to buying my first house and simply not giving it time! But here I am and if all continues to go well, I am looking to have the procedure in April/May. I'm taking these months to get into the routine of taking my daily Vitamins, exercising (I have a gym AT MY OFFICE-- so there really are no excuses!!), and meeting my water/protein goals. I also want to build as much muscle as possible so that my recovery time is less and as the weight drops, I'll tone up more quickly (reducing the chance of PS for skin removal). I've seen the nutritionist 1 time, been to 2 of 4 classes, met with my social worker twice. I think I"m about halfway there... So, patience is key at this point....how did you kill time???

Try the Nectar brand of protein powder. It tastes like juice to me with no nasty after taste. I drink the artic breeze.

I switched from one employer sponsored plan to a different plan choice. I didn't realize that the new company would only cover follow-ups and fills for 1 year after the surgery. Since my new insurer didn't pay for the lap band, I had to fight them to get to pay for my fills for the first year. I am fortunate to work for an employer that offers several options for health plans. During open season for 2014, I will be reviewing my plan choice. DH takes several name brand Rx's and even if I pay out of pocket for fills, we are still ahead because of my current plan's Rx benefits. If they change to a percentage based co-pay for name brands, I will switch back to my original plan.

Monster makes an energy drink called PROTEAN and it has 15 grams of protein and it's non carbonated but seems to have a flowery taste. Rockstar has an awesome non carbonated orange energy drink and it is sooo yummy,it tastes like an orange crush. I was a sf red bull drinker before getting banded and have had to switch to non carbonated. Best of luck to you. Btw the rockstar has 80 g of caffeine, it will get ya movin;)

I am almost 5 months out (I was sleeved 3/5/12) and I'm trying to keep my caloric intake between 700-900, although I am not strict. Some days I do 500 (rare but it does happen), most days it's 700-800. I work out 6 days a week, usually burning 350 calories minimally but more like 600-700. You are welcome to friend me on myfitnesspal and see what I do, I do publish my journals (although I use the disclaimer now to say I am not perfect. I do sneak in my chocolate or whatnots here and there... hey I'm sleeved, not dead ok?). I do still have a drink once in a blue moon and cheesecake or whatever, but yes, following a low carb/high protein/low fat diet with exercise into my usual routine seems to be working for me, as well as logging what I eat in myfitnesspal (I do that EVERY day). Best of luck to you all! always...

I am reading about people that can't drink down a 8 ounce Protein shake .. I am 5 days post op and able to drink it in 30-45 minutes. As the day goes on it does get harder .. Should I talk to my surgeon about this !? Anybody could drink 8oz in that time frame ? I also hear people getting gas .. I walk around the neighborhood everyday for 10-20 minutes depending on pain level and I have had no gas. I'm starting to think my sleeve is not as small as others .. Disappointed

No, you shouldn't feel this way forever. Try and taste a bunch of different things to see if you can find something you can tolerate. I suspect some people, when in ketosis, get such a bad taste in their mouth that it makes everything taste even worse. So the cure for them is to increase carbs to get out of ketosis. I recommend milk as the first thing to try (not everyone can tolerate it postop). It has fluid, protein, and carbs, so works great if you can stand it.

Are you getting enough Protein? You could try breaking from your current routine - adding a higher intensity workout or lowering calories. It's easy to eat more calories than we realize if we don't track everything including the bites, licks and tastes. Hope you figure it out!

Dlcoggin posted the following to one of my posts whey was once considered a waste product from the process used for making cheese. It is a highly digestible, complete Protein made from cow's milk. Whey concentrate is about 80% protein with relatively low levels of fat, carbohydrates, and cholesterol (but still higher than whey isolate). So whey concentrate not only has a high percentage of protein but also provides healthy fats that boost the immune system. But if you're lactose intolerant, whey isolate may be easier to digest. Whey isolate goes through an additional micro filtering process that is not used in producing whey concentrate. As a result, whey isolate is about 90% protein. Micro filtering removes the lactose and fat but also destroys many of the immune system boosting properties of whey. Whey isolate can also be significantly more expensive than concentrate because of the additional processing required. The digestibility of various Proteins is published in the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). The PDCAAS has been adopted by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. food and Drug Administration, and the World Health Organization. Proteins are ranked on a scale of 0 (least digestible) to 1 (most digestible). Whey, Soy, Milk, and Casein proteins all have a PDCAAS score of 1.0. The bottom line is that with whey isolate you get more protein per gram (but not necessarily any better) and it may be better handled by those who are lactose intolerant. With whey concentrate you get slightly less protein per gram but added benefits from the higher fat content. As several folks have noted, the first test that any protein you're going to drink or eat has to pass is - taste. If you are not lactose intolerant and you find a protein that you like, the difference in protein content for whey isolate vs. whey concentrate vs. milk concentrate should likely be a minor consideration. One word of caution - stay away from the protein "bullets" and "shots" that you will see in stores and read about online. If you look closely at their ingredient list, you will see that they are made with collagen protein. These products are attractive to bypass patients because they contain very large amounts of protein in very small volumes - usually 3 to 4 ounces. The problem is that collagen protein is an incomplete protein (meaning that it is missing one or more of the nine essential amino acids that your body requires and cannot manufacture) and more importantly, collagen has a PDCAAS digestibility score of 0.08. All the protein in the world is useless if your body cannot digest it.

I heard the collagen protein is worthless to us postop.

and yes, getting your protein from one place is not good. Meats, cheese, protein drinks, eggs. Other dairy such as fage yogurt or any greek yogurt, sour cream, milk.... *be careful, they add horrible stuff to yogurt. Just cuz they call it cane juice, doesn't make it any less sugar *

Today almost to the minute 2 weeks ago I had surgery. I must say that the recovery has been pretty easy, at least once I have gotten home ( and not running through customs and ATL 2 days after surgery!) but there really hasn't been anything I couldn't or can't do, I probably shouldn't have been holding my big baby 4 days after surgery, but what am I to do leave her in her crib? Eating is getting a little trickier, ecspecially when I am out. I need to figure out how to work around that, I LOVE eating out, it is one of my biggest pleasures in life. I also love being on the go with the kids or even for a little alone time. How do you spend the evening in a book store and movie theater when you can't eat anything they have besides a bottle of water and maybe a latte? I really also find it hard because many of the things they say are on the O.K list I refuse to eat ie... Cottege Cheese, Tuna. I'll have to try and make a plan to have on hand things I do like for on the run. But even then I know how I am I get bored easily with soup in hand and protein shakes. I know this is just the begining and at this point I am probably just grieving the foods that I will probably never be able to have again. I'm thinking that I may try a little Salmon this weekend for Superbowl Sunday. Erik makes the best grilled salmon, my diet for week 3-4 is soft foods still but even now allows for a little more give. At least that is a big change from last year with feasting on chips dip and hot wings. I have yet to get on the exercise band wagon, just getting back into the normal routine has been hard enough with very little family time due to my new work schedule. My goal is to walk tonight at work on breaks and be prepared with dinner at my desk and Mp3 player and walking shoes. No more excuses.

at my doctors office when I am weighed there is a ticker that states how many calories you need to maintain that weight. If you are eating less calories than needed, and you move your body the weight will come off. some of us just seem to have more stubborn fat. Keep up your Protein and fluids and take one day at a time.

Seriously? Your mother is a WLS expert? Keep doing what you're doing. Make sure you're getting in ALL your Protein, ALL your Water. Gradually increase the amount of exercise you do -- without injuring yourself (that would set you back, eh?). And tell your mother to back off.

The next point is chewing. It is very important that food is completely chewed. Before swallowing ensure the food is a liquid. As the weight loss progresses the opening from the pouch to the lower stomach will be getting smaller. Therefore the food needs to be chewed more thoroughly. If a piece of food is too big to go through the stoma, or opening, it will get "stuck". This can be very painful. Slower eating becomes inevitable. Eating too fast encourages bigger bites. The bigger bite means the food isn’t chewed properly and it can get stuck. As a Bandster with over 18 months in, I still find myself falling into this trap. I get excited, chatting with friends and just forget to pay attention. A Bandster’s Eating Order Lap Band patients have a specific order in which to eat their food. It is important that there is enough protein in the diet to keep the bodies moving properly. Therefore, the protein should be eaten first. WLS patients need 40-60 grams of protein every day. This can come in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, soy. The challenge comes when only certain foods can be tolerated. Also, it is important that the protein is a “hard” protein (chicken, beef, and fish) if possible. It shouldn’t all come from protein shakes and cheese. The vegetables should be eaten second, and carbohydrates/starches last (if there is room). Proteins last longer in the pouch and take longer to process through the band allowing you to feel full sooner and maintain satiety longer. Hard proteins are the most difficult for a Bandster to consume. The hard proteins need to be more moist, more tender and chewed more completely than any other type of food. Generally speaking, proteins are the foods that get “stuck” most often and cause spit ups. This happens because the bite isn’t small enough and/or, because the protein hasn’t been chewed sufficiently before swallowing. For the record, beef is generally the most difficult food for Bandsters to eat. Beef is one of the most difficult foods for humans to digest. It can take several days for a piece of steak to actually work its way through the digestive track. And that’s on an un-banded person! So, if you eat a piece of steak and it isn’t chewed it up completely, it can sit in the pouch for an extended amount of time. Further, the stomach acids that help an un-banded person process beef are not present in the pouch and therefore are not there to help the body break the beef down. Remember each and every person is different so you will have to test your own waters. Some Bandsters have no trouble with beef whatsoever; others won’t go near it. From personal experience I know that each Bandster will figure out what he or she can or cannot tolerate through trial and error. Trust me when I say that tolerances change; one day ground beef is fine and the next you realize it isn’t any longer. You must be willing and able to adapt to sudden changes in your body’s ability to process certain foods.

Hi, I was banded early Feb so im a few wks post op. Trying to learn to eat more proteins and stay full. Eating lots of fish, eggs, and chicken for dinner and lunch with shake for breakfast. Feels pretty much the same as pre-surgery so dr said might get fill next visit. Seems very early to me but Im often hungry and do want results. I'm down about 20 lbs since my pre surgery diet-so most pre-op weight loss. Any suggestions or tips? Im just about ready to begin exercise so im hoping that kicks it into gear.

My fav liquids were broths, propel water and the protein drinks- you may need to try several until you find ones you like. I ended up using unjury, strawberry and unflavored. Good luck! The road gets much easier to travel soon!

The tender coconut water was one of my favs during liquid phase (which covered 3 weeks). One cup of tender coconut water has 46 calories and 8g carbs. This was one of the liquid diet items suggested by my surgeon. Considering we get in very less amounts of calories during Clear liquids (I barely managed 400 - out of which 200 came from my protein shakes), I think the carb in coconut water is not a lot. But I'll have to ask my surgeon about how much we can consume a day - I'm curious now Ofcourse my surgeon's diet plan emphasizes protein -- I take almost 65 to 80g protein a day (mostly from Protein shakes and fish/chicken). But I think it is very difficult to achieve protein reqmts during clear liquid stages.

I think the liquid junkie is probably the most healthy option!!! Throw a little protien in and your good to go!

Yea thanks everyone for your comments and support!! Failure is not an option for me!

Yes that's the name pre-op diet I'm on!! I have a question do u drink anything else besides water and protein shakes?!????

@@Nikki Monroe Hi Nikki, First I will say, always listen to your surgeon and their team as they know what's best for you. But since you asked, this is how I did it: Going to my WLS meetings prior to surgery, they emphasized getting into some kind of exercise routine. One of the requirements from my surgeon's office was meeting with a physical therapist to evaluate your physical capabilities as to what exercise you "could" handle. The therapist was awesome, pointing out a few limitations that I had, but more importantly, showing me what I was really capable of doing, but I had never really tried. She went over many forms of exercise and programs that were out there for me to engage in and her point finally penetrated when I heard, your surgery will be easier on you if you work on your core, as any exercise is better than nothing. In my community I had a few options, one being a gym that I was just too self conscious to even walk through the door. And the other being Jazzercise. I joined Jazzercise 3 months prior to surgery and started going twice a week. Because of my weight and weight related physical limitations I found it hard to keep up at first, but I kept showing up, even if I just marched my way through the class, doing what I could. After about a month I noticed that I felt stronger, I started going 3 - 4 times a week. As I learned the moves I could do them better, therefore getting more out of the workout, and as crazy as it sounds I was enjoying it. By the time it was 2 weeks prior to my surgery, exercising 3 - 4 times a week, I still had not lost one pound. But I could feel my core was getting stronger. I started my pre-op UGH diet and ramped up to 5 times a week. Yes, I had to make myself go because I was very tired, but I felt better afterward. (LOL, I didn't want to admit it, but I did feel better) Fast forward to the day of surgery I had lost 16 lbs, my core was as strong as heck and I was so ready for this life altering event. I was up walking the evening after my surgery. By day two, I walked 2.5 miles around the surgical unit and got 50 ounces of Fluid in. Day 3 I walked even farther, drank even more and was sent home, I think they were getting dizzy from all my laps. At my age and weight, I felt I was running out of options to a healthier me. I went to all my surgeons seminars and meetings, read everything they gave me, followed their orders. I researched and read everything I could get my hands on and I simply did the best I could. I hope this helps.

I'm a picky eater, too. I'd say it's most important to get your Protein, so as long as you are getting your doctor-recommended amount, I wouldn't worry too much. You can always use Protein shakes to supplement. As for people wondering why you're eating less...just say you're trying to make better choices. With you eating with other people a lot, I would make sure to practice the bandster eating techniques so that you don't feel pressured to eat at their pace and end up in pain - THAT might be obvious. You might want to start now whenever you are around them. Cut your food in small bites, chew-chew-chew 30 times, no liquids with meals. Hopefully if it becomes second nature by the time you get the band, you'll be able to get through the meal without trouble. Make sure to not load down your plate, either, or you'll feel the pressure to finish and that can also be painful (eating too much). There are many things you can say...trying to eat better, not really that hungry, going out for a big dinner with the family that night, etc. I mostly just eat around DH, but we go out to restaurants and it's not obvious that I'm banded. Just don't let the pressure to eat like other people get to you! That has kicked me in the rear more than once. As to the hungry question during liquid phase. Hmm. Thinking back, I don't really remember being terribly hungry. I think it was because of the swelling. And really, you can drink to your heart's content while on liquids, so if you feel hungry again, go get something else. Protein goes a long way towards satiating hunger, so make sure you get your protein shakes.

At Cosco I saw natures bounty complete Protein powder. 2scoops=15g protein and amino acids and the b Vitamins. Anyone tried it? I'm trying to stay away from the sucrulose and other artificial sweetners so it's been tough to find powders. Open to suggestions! Sent from my iPhone using VST