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I'm scheduled for surgery 10/5or6 and was told to start pre op diet 2weeks prior. For me it's 2 Protein shakes and a lean meat for dinner. Nothing else. I've noticed everyone is different. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My op is scheduled for Oct 18. Pre op starts Oct 4.. 3 Protein shakes and veggies only.. Everyone's liquid diet is different so I suggest waiting until they tell u what they want you to do Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I haven't had my surgery yet. That said, I've seen and heard a lot about 'head' hunger... are you really hungry, or is your mind hungry? Also, I've seen people talk about remembering not to drink anything 30 min before, or after, you eat. You don't want to wash down the food you do put in your stomach, especially right now while it's all soft/liquid to begin with. Protein first. Veggies second. Fruit/bread/rice/sugar/etc last, or not at all at the beginning. Are you getting all the protein your doctor is recommending, and still squeezing in all the Water he wants as well? Ugh. I fear the 'head' hunger after my surgery... I have decided that taking up a new hobby might help get my mind off the food... just haven't figured out what that hobby will be ROFLMAO.

You mentioned in different posts that you thought you could just have smaller amounts of food and you are releaning. You should not be having food right now. You should be on a liquid diet of protein suppliement/drinks. Then you move onto pureed and moist food. What stage does your doctor have you in right now? Sent from my XT1609 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Emma, I hope you are feeling better by now. I am also experiencing some of the things you described like pain after eating I sip my protein drinks and water slowly just enough to wet my tongue and swallow and even wait a minute between sips but it just kills my left side, its like a horrible stabbing burning sensation that stops me in my tracks, my back has hurt since the day of surgery and I am almost 3 weeks post op. Have you been to see a doctor and if so did they find anything wrong?

Hi Dualstarr...I decided to have the surgery April 8th, 2013, saw my doctor the following day and she referred me. I went to the orientation the following week and started Options on May 1, 2013. I have not had my surgery yet. My class ends on July 17th. I have heard that some folks in classes that just finished have had their surgeries within a week of class ending. I think it may depend upon the Kaiser though. Our LCSW said it could be about 3 weeks before we get a call for an appt. with the surgeon...I think at our Kaiser that is the official line but I have heard lots of cases where that has not been true. My Kaiser has a support group on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. I went last night and it was pretty good. My Kaiser is in Harbor City.

Bux - in response to your question. I think the difference for me was my Protein Drink consumption. I had surgery on March 1st at 10:00 a.m. That night I was walking around the mall. I was back at work on the follow Tuesday. I have felt great ever since. Energy level and recovery from surgery will vary on the individual. All I can say is I have lost 45 lbs since March 1st, I have never felt better and had more energy. I often opt to walk to local businesses vs driving just so I can get exercise. Good luck to you. Find a good Protein drink and enjoy the start of your new life! Michael :thumbup:

I'm 3 1/2 years post op, and I am really lucky that I still really don't get hungry. Head hunger is another story. I've been drinking Protein shakes for awhile, to get rid of all my cravings and grazing. If I want a snack, I make myself have another Protein Drink. I am lucky that I love my Protein drinks. I have all sorts of recipes for them, and most of them are only 120 calories and 3 carbs. It's really helped with the wanting to snack all day and evening long.

Oregondaisy- what kind of protein powder are you using?

If you use the search option you will get an abundance of answers. I only searched this particular forum and here is what I got: http://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?&q=calories&search_in=titles

Besides Optifast .............I think what he currently have you doing is your best option........it's easier than most! Good Luck

I wanted to share this with you all. I mixed the Strawberry Sorbet Unjury with 16 oz of water and a pack it of on the go Crystal light pink lemonade! OMG it is soo goood!

Question about the hair loss-- Have y'all been keeping track of your protein? I've been afraid of hair loss too and have been making sure I get at least 60 grams of protein a day. I hope that hasn't been in vain.

I looked for high protein grams with the least amount of sugar. Premier Protein has worked for me. It has 30 grams of protein and taste good.

I got banded in May of '10. It was never a happy rind for me. I was slowly raised to restriction 1cc at a time with a month in between fills until I reached 7 cc in an 11 cc band. Since surgery I have never been able to burp. I know weird right?? But never could. My band is fickle there are many days I can eat tons of food and days when I can't swallow my own spit with the same full level with no apparent reason why. I began having horrible reflux about a year and a half after surgery when previously I had no reflux at all. It began getting worse... I paid over $1000 for an EGD. I had horrible acid erosion in my esophagus. My band was unfilled, and I was immediately relieved! But... I gained weight back (~25#, over 6 months) I had lost about 75 with the band. I started at 240, and made it to 164. But after the unfill I was back up to close to 200. I was engaged at the time and wanted to lose some weight for my wedding and couldn't seem to get the weight off on my own so I refilled my band. I have no restriction at 4 cc, at 5 I have terrible reflux... I can't even tolerate the 7 that used to be my "sweet spot" but the truth was, for me even before the reflux the first time, my weight loss was from not being able to keep down food. I would retch after a few bites but still be ravenously hungry... It never was healthy weight loss in my opinion. But I needed the loss so I took it how ever I could find it. We just went on our honeymoon and something happened-- I stopped being able to hold food down at all. And my reflux which was mostly controlled with dexilant became horrible. I would wake up projectile vomiting straight stomach acid through my nose. I can feel every food I eat sitting in my esophagus for hours and hours... It bobs up and down. I can't even keep down broth at this point. I was in Italy until last week and could not do anything about it. When I returned home, we have recently moved and I am 5 hours away from my previous surgeon. No doc would unfill my band. I am completely suffering, can't keep down anything and the docs are basically telling me I need to pay them $1000 to be accepted as a transfer patient???? WTH??? I could get an unfill in dallas for $50! But I did pay the fee and was referred to have a barium swallow... I did that last Friday I was called after and told by the surgeons office that the band had slipped pretty dramatically and if I experienced and further "trauma or changes" to go the ER. But otherwise they would unfill me tomorrow when I finally get to meet the doc. I want the unfill, but I feat that because of the slip it may not fix the problem.... I figure they will push for removal and possible revision. I'm looking at my options. I want to have babies soon and I am a PCOS'er. I'm currently 170 pounds. I still do not have regular cycles. My re said the only way I would ever be able to ovulate on my own will be to get at or under my ideal body weight. Which I can't attain with the band in place and holding nothing down. I'm feeling very discouraged and need to know if anyone else had similar stories? I would like to know if anyone is a revision pt in the Austin Tx area... I would like to hear the good bad and uglies of the sleeve and if I should consider it or just leave my band unfilled in its place??? I'm scared and craving relief from the hell of my band. But I'm scared of a new procedure and what hells it might entail also... Advice??

Nope not crazy! I've done a 2 day liquid diet before my last few weigh ins. I allow myself one high Protein meal as well. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

How much fat do you take in? How much is too little or too much for a day?? I'm 23 days post op -Currently I'm taking in 500-600 cals and about 80-90 protein, with 10 (or under) fat. Whatcha think? I know my protein if high do you think its too much? Can you have too much protein? Thanks for you help!

Yea you can't just wait until the first fill if you want to be sucessful. You kind of have to diet during bandster hell unfortunately. Plan your menu for the day, maybe add in a bit of exercise if you can. For me, exercise actually makes me want to eat healthier just because I have burned cals so I don't want to mess it up by eating too much. Try a low carb diet...lean proteins and veggies. I always had one dessert at night just so I had something to look forward to! Good luck :laugh:

Oh, and I would also do the best you can to lose a few pounds. Just start getting into the healthy eating mode early by eating lean proteins and veggies and lots of water. Do that for a couple of weeks, and you'll see the weight come off. Plus you'll feel great.

Hi, Well, yesterday was my 30 days post op, and I celebrated by eating meatloaf. So you won't be on liquids forever. I still take my protein shakes religiously, buy I also eat real food. You will too. We have to take it slowly, because our tummys are healing. I am healed on the outside, but my stomach is still healing. The shakes will be with me for a while, but that's ok. When I feel like a snack I take a little piece of Laughing Cow soft swiss cheese, or a yogurt. It makes me feel normal. I had the band before this, so I'm accustomed to stages of eating. Before I was sleeved, I worried about everything. It's very normal. I too, have 100 lbs. to lose. I'm on my way! Good luck!

SOS, Thank you very much... That makes me feel better... On a side note..... You look GREAT! What a transformation you have done... Unreal... Should I still be drinking my Protein shakes? I have stopped because I figured I am eating... But maybe I shouldn't have... Any thoughts? Thanks again.

I am 11 months out and had to have mine removed last week. He also removed some scar tissue and made some alterations to my hernia repair (from original surgery). I have to say it sucks because I am back on a liquid diet mainly due to the hernia issue. Knowing what I know now and if I was given the option, I would of had it removed in the beginning.

I use an immersion blender for Syntrax Nectar and all my other protein powders. Many other people like the shaker bottle, but I found it put too much air in the shake and dealing with the little wire ball thingy was just annoying to me. If you do use the shaker bottle, make sure it is completely full, no air at the top -- that will keep it from getting too much air in the shake. And yeah, stirring alone is definitely not going to mix it enough. You will pretty much always get lumps and clumps that way, sadly.

After the first few intense months, how much daily work is it for you to live happily with your band? How much time do you have to spend obsessing about, avoiding, or tallying up food? I don't really obsess. I usually try to make a plan as to what I'm going to eat. It's really easy to stick to that plan when I'm working. It gets harder on days off. I live with my parents and they don't choose a healthy lifestyle so I am surrounded by fats, carbs, twinkies, etc. In that aspect, it is very hard to avoid those things. Is it on your mind all the time, a whole new hobby, or can you live like a "normal person" who just eats only small amounts of lean protein and veggies? I do think losing weight is on my mind all the time. I weigh in every week with my personal trainer so I have to show him and myself that I'm actually putting the work in. Also, don't forget your fruits! (Not including exercise.) Exercise is insanely important! Do you find that, if you slack off, your band gives you a nice slap upside the head? If I eat too much, I get uncomfortable and I stay that way for hours. Do you get physical feedback if you eat the wrong things or do something unhealthy? It depends. You can eat a twinkie, and the band won't reject it. It doesn't know the difference between a cookie and an apple. I get a bad mental feeling when I eat something bad (I also got that feeling before being banded). Some things I do get stuck on, which are apples (ha!), peaches (haha!), some bread, and sometimes eggs as a few examples. Is it less mental work than doing a strict diet? It's more mental work. You have to be 100% committed to this. This is IT. You've tried so many diets before that have failed, so you cannot let yourself fail again! WLS is serious. You have to be on your game. You have to eat right and you have to exercise. Does it feel more like normal (but adjusted) life? My "normal" (or past life) included not exercising, eating McDonald's, and just not caring. My life has done a 180. I eat better than most people I know. I exercise more than most people I know. So, this doesn't feel normal for me. It will one day. Did I help or you scare you? lol :smile2:

Well for me I pureed everything! Soups chunky smooth you name it i did it. I wouldnt eat ritz crackers and peanut putter though, but I did put peanut butter in my chocolate Protein shake and made it taste like a peanut butter cup so that was good. 04948749-FFAB-E84C-90A7-1D94AFDDA05E 1.03.01