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Any kind of egg, morningstar farms breakfast links/sausage, cottage cheese, luncheon ham/turkey, any kind of cheese, protein shake, yogurt

I am pre op, just looking at my sample menu for weeks 2-10 my sample menu goes 8am: 1/4C scrambled egg + Protein powder, 1/4C canned fruit 11am: 2oz tuna, 1/4 C cooked carrots 2pm: 1/4C SF/LF yogurt 5pm: 2oz baked fish, 1/4C green Beans 8pm: 1C Protein shake, sipped for 1 hour The nutritional recommendations are Calories: 900 Protein: 60-80gm Total Meal volumes: Never to go over 1/2C or 4oz

Awesome to have such great advice and suggestions at this stage. Where were you 9 months ago when I was starting out? :-) Any new and interesting suggestions for cooking tilapia (my favorite food after chili and Greek yogurt)? Specifically a seasoning idea for foil-wrapped fish on the grill (to avoid fishy smell in the house)? For any type of fish the most important thing is quality-- I know it isn't always affordable but fresh fish actually shouldn't smell fishy. When you pick out fresh fish look for a nice color- not too slimy- and make sure and smell it, if it smells fishy it will taste fishy. When you buy fresh fish- store in an airtight bag and pack it in ice. To do this i usually just put it at the bottom of a tupperware container with enough ziplock bags of ice over it to cover it- this keeps it fresh- fish is very sensitive. But frozen fish can be really good too- sometimes better than fresh (as with the vegetables- flash frozen while fresh can retain more flavor and nutrients than something that sits in refrigeration). A lot of chefs use flash frozen seafood for crudos and tartars- it can be that good. To thaw it either thaw in the refrigerator or put it in airtight wrapping and place in a bowl of cold water and change water every 15 min until thawed--- this helps keep the flavor and freshness and safety of the fish. As for recipes my go to with a white fish is usually lemon juice and herbs- maybe a few spices like cumin or paprika. Or slices of lemon in the foil to keep the moisture. You can do really nice fruit and veg salsa with them too. Like a nice mango-red pepper, capers-tomatoes-garlic or cucumber-mint. Just work on those knife skills and the possibilities for toppings are endless! For me, fish is all about keeping it simple and fresh- the taste and texture are so delicate you want to highlight and compliment that!

What are some of your favorite foods and what types of foods can you handle? How have your taste become different? I am a personal chef and am curious about the kind of food I will enjoy after surgery. Right now I do enjoy eating healthy food, I am mainly a volume eater. One of my favorite meals in pork roast with a spicy rub then greek yogurt as a cooling agent. How do you handle spices?

Great news!! I'm just at the 8 week point and loving life myself! I've been another fortunate one that hasn't really had any adverse effects, except for some minor food in-tolerances. I've gotten into a nice routine ... I love the Ensure Protein shakes and Greek yogurt, so I'm not having any problems reaching my Proteins. I've finally gotten into a routine keeping Water on my desk so that for the most part, I'm hitting my water goals and I've been able to start exercising too ... starting with walking and now adding in the elliptical. It feels so good to have to "retire' some of the former big clothes and I'm down 2 sizes in my clothes now ... I'm still away from reaching the 100's ... but hey, hitting 250 isn't bad when you start over 300!! Thanks to all the info on this site ... it has been a great tool!!

I started to get the Greek yogurt with fruit... however I saw the crazy amount of sugar in it and chose not to go there. I use Stivia and other alternatives to sugar, try to keep the additives from SF/LC down as much as possible, so I feel like I'd be back tracking if I started adding things to my diet that have that kind of sugar count. Just me. Also, I don't know how true it is, but I read on one of the WL sites I frequent that any amount of protein over 30g at one time is excessive, and doesn't get absorbed. Just what that WL Dr. of Nutrition said. Haven't had a chance to check with my nut yet.

Yupp I got up and went to the gym this morning..then I purchased EAS Myoplex Lite and Im drinking that twice a day so I can get my Protein in..Im gonna have a turkey sandwich on wheat bread and a greek yogurt...stuff like dat...anything with protein is what I will be eating..so in 1 day ill be consuming 1000 calories and over 100g of protein...Im so excited to get back on track lol n Im proud of u for going back on track as well

Hi! So I'm excited yet so nervous I'm about to start the purée stage of my program. I received a week by week packet but it is very vague. I know a lot of it is a gamble because everyone is different, but I'm looking for suggestions on things and brands you may have tried during this period. On my list is said yogurt, puréed soup, scrambled eggs, and cottage cheese. Any advice anyone would like to share would be greatly appreciated!! ????????????

I am feeling really weak today. Hard to focus and just lethargic. I have been drinking my Protein shakes. I have been drinking Water. I have been eating my sugar free Snacks like pudding and yogurt. Is this jus my body going into ketosis? Also I have been taking my multi Vitamins and sub lingual B12 Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think I have felt so nauseous because I barely eat anything and it's a viscous cycle. I've lost 45 lbs in 37 days and has taken a toll on me. Today I've eaten a yogurt, 1 string cheese & just ate 3 shrimp (first time) & I feel quite a bit better. I hope I'm turning a corner, it has been an arduous journey & at times I have questioned it. For today I feel better and out of bed a lot more, with a trip to the store!!

:thumbup:My team says I am doing great. Starting weight shortly before surgery was 293 and I am now at 277.... 16 lbs so far. My incisions have all healed, I have had no gas pains, nausea or any of the other uncomfortable complications I have read about here. Stayed on full liquids day 2-10 and still incorporate a lot of full liquids such as yogurt, cream of wheat and protein water into my daily diet. In fact you could say I am on full liquids all day, eating whatever else will go down comfortably for dinner, keeping an eye on my own personal nutritional goals. I was doing this for awhile before surgery anyways, and has now bwcome habit. I worry about progressing too fast with the diet. I asked my doctor if I ate something wrong, would it cause any problems with the band, such as slipping? He assured me that might have been true in the “old days” but that he now ties the lapband in securely by bringing up some of the lower stomach and stitching it around the band. The band will not slip by eating something wrong. He did say if I had a prolonged bout of throwing there was a slight chance of slippage, but unlikely. He also said that before the first banding the stomach pouch will not stretch as there is little restriction, any excess food just slips through to the lower stomach. His said I would be limited in what I eat by what felt comfortable “slipping through” and could gage how much swelling is remaining from the surgery by what size goes down OK. I would learn from trial and error what I could eat and what would be not be nice to me. So I have tried out various other foods to see how they feel, being sure to chew very well. This is very much feedback trial and error, as if I forget and do not chew well it does not feel good going down. I have the best luck on foods that are on the soft slippery type, like fish(scallops, red snapper), noodles, eggs and various oatmeals, even soggy morning cereal. All with no problems. No gas, bloating nausea or any other complications that I can feel. All went down just fine. Rice, flour tortillas and anything fibrous that can’t be chewed into pieces get “stuck” and I have to wait for it to clear before eating more. Not painful, just annoying. My nutritionist did say to avoid coffee as that has tannic acid which could cause ulcers on the band. I wonder if that applies to tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, as tomatoes have tannic acid, as does wine, I think. I will need to verify that with her. I am thinking it may be the daily prolonged use of coffee that could cause an ulcer, but for now I just say no. The temptation is to keep pushing the limit, such as gobbling down a Burger King Steakburger ( I did not even though I probably could if chewed well), but I had better have enough self discipline to not do that or I have wasted my life, time and money on a procedure I do not respect. I log everything on FITDAY.com (have done this for years) and keep a careful eye on my calories, cards, proteins, etc. When I was on full liquids I was taking in about 800 calories and usually met the 60 protein goal. I am looking now at keeping my calories around 1200, so that I will continue to lose weight. My doctor has taken me off the high blood pressure med as I now test in the normal range. I have reduced my glyburide by 50%, and am slowly reducing my 24 hour insulin. I am experiencing fasting glucose of 120, which is about 100 points lower than pre lapband. So far I am very happy with my lapband.

Hi! I had a RNY on 7/15 (with a hysterectomy). I'm home and on liquids. I see so many more options than I was given!! I don't have yogurt in my list. I'll have to call my NUT tomorrow and see what she says. Anyway, we ended up renting a wheelchair because I have five kids (three bio two foster) and couldn't be stuck at home anymore. We went to a local fair and I walked some and ride some and it was lovely to get out! Anyone restricted on cold items? I'm told no ice in drinks. Is it truly because it will cause pain?

Thanks for the suggestions-- it gives me some ideas. @Menelly--I may try some of those, though I can't do nuts yet. I'm still full on 1/4 cup of food, so I'm sure the cheese and meat would be plenty. I don't think I'm supposed to do Protein bars yet, either. @missheidi47-- Thanks for mentioning the cafeteria. I kinda forgot about that! @BLERDgirl--I'll check out the yogurt things. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to have nut butters yet. I'm going to call my surgeon's office when I land tomorrow, so I'll ask (have to anyway, since I am probably not going to be back for my follow-up appointment on Tuesday.) @VSGAnn2014--Things are just so up in the air with my dad at this point, I don't know when or how much I'll be able to get away from the hospital. And it's about 45 minutes from my parents' house, so I won't be able to just run home and scramble some eggs. As for the Protein shakes, I'm not allowed to do Premier or other ready-to-drink ones. I have baggies with my Protein Powder, and I'm planning to just buy a little bottle of milk when I get thru security to mix one. It wouldn't be a long flight, but at such late notice, I couldn't get a direct flight and have to change planes in Atlanta.

Get some of those yogurt things in squeeze tubes. Just check the labels, they are aimed at kids so they may have a lot of sugar. However they freeze great so they can help keep your other food cold and you can eat them when they thaw. Also get nut butter in the tube packs. I know Target sells single servings of Justin's almond butter like this. get some oatmeal packets as well. You may want to open them and grind them finer and then seal them in zip locks, but this way you can get hot Water and a paper cup and mixed them.

I'm one week out from surgery now. In my book, it says to get smooth, no sugar added yogurt. My husband has been at the grocery store for over an hour now trying to find such a thing. Any brand name? He's ready to lose his mind! Thank you!

Plain Fage contains pasteurized skim milk and live yogurt cultures. THAT IT. I use protein powder, Torani SF syrups or puréed berries or fruit for flavor. Much healthier and less crap than all the flavored yogurts out there, and I can control the sweetness.

SpideyMom, No one has anything yummy at this point. It is hard to get excited about cream soup ,yogurt and protein shakes. LOL, but it is not funny. Maybe in a few days some people will be back on regular food and have some good recipes for us. The chicken sounds delc. and I am going to try it as soon as I am on regular food. I will have to go get a sf Dr. Pepper as I drank all of them before surgery. My how I miss my diet drinks.

I'm glad to see I am not the only one feeling this way! I was banded last Thursday and the first 3 days I had no appetite, but today I woke up ready to chew my foot off! I have been doing lots of tea, soup, I had a protein shake and a small yogurt cup...but for whatever reason, today I am very hungry! I am just trying to stay focused until my first fill.

I really like Greek yogurt with Stevia and I buy frozen blueberries. I put them in the microwave for a few seconds and they get all juicy. Mix it all together and it's like a dessert for me. It's very yummy. some people put sf jelly in there too. There are a lot of things you can do to make Greek yogurt very good. And they do make already flavored ones, but they have more carbs. Tiffy is right though. the sf cheesecake pudding makes it taste very good! There is a good chance your tastes will change after surgery. Many people say things they never liked before, they really like now.

Unless you're putting protein in your broth, you're not getting any protein in broth, jello, and tea. Are you counting your protein grams daily? Unjury makes a really good broth that is 21gr in 8oz. Greek yogurt is good protein although it has a fair amount of carbs too. Hope it gets better for you.

Wow. I had not even thought about it until Oregon Daisy pointed it out. I don't have a prescription for Nexium, but have some Prilosec and Prevacid at home. Will start on that today. I had some greek yogurt an hour ago, and I am already 'hungry'/acid hungry'

Ditto on the liquids stage....I had several slugs of drinkable yogurt and a chocolate protein drink (instead of traditional eggs Benedict) for breakfast, butternut squash bisque (instead of prime rib and fixings) for dinner, strained French onion soup as a snack, and vanilla PB2 shake (instead of Danish Kringler) for desert.

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Happy Halloween! It’s a fun time and the beginning of the holiday season. We’re celebrating a lot here at BariatricPal, and we’re super excited to share it with you! Here’s what’s in this newsletter. The BariatricPal Store: Grand Opening! Your Ready for the Holidays? Thanks for your support and for making it possible for BariatricPal continue to grow. There’s no way we could do it without you. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Grand Opening of The BariatricPal Store! We are so excited to announce the grand opening of The BariatricPal Store! We know, The BariatricPal Store doesn’t fit into a Halloween newsletter because it’s anything but spooky, but we just can’t stop talking about it! That’s why we’re offering 10% off all orders with coupon code SPOOKY10 just for you! Your Source for Bariatric Protein, Meals, Snacks, and supplements Weight loss surgery changes everything, especially your diet. You need to get enough protein without too many calories; eat a nutritious diet while keeping portions in check; and get your Vitamins and minerals without fail. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming…unless you have help. The BariatricPal Store can give you the help you need. We have the protein supplements, meals, snacks, and vitamins to help you lose weight and get healthy. Protein bars, shakes, and powders. Low-calorie, high-protein snacks, Entrees and breakfasts. Bariatric vitamins and Fiber supplements. Make Weight Loss Shopping Easy We know you need the top products, and they need to be healthy, nutritionist-approved, and convenient. We have all that! We also have: Tons of BariatricPal brand products. Product packages so you can pick up a bundle at once for a discounted price. meal plans for the pre-op and post-op diets, plus maintenance and back-on-track diets, so you can easily pick up the foods you need to stay on track. Sampler packs of different items so you can try different varieties to see which you like best. Other Reasons to Shop The BariatricPal Store We truly believe we’re number one. Here are just a few more reasons why. Subscribe and Save options on every product so you can get automatic re-delivery, 5% discounts, and free shipping on each order. Lowest prices – guaranteed. Free shipping on orders over $69. Save money with sales and discounts plus our Refer-A-Friend program. For help, you can look at the FAQs, give us a call at 855 WLS-BPAL (855 957-725), or use our live chat with a customer service specialist during business hours. Visit store.bariatricpal.com often to see current specials, and check out our blog for updates on promotions and new products. We can’t wait to take this next step in helping you reach your weight loss and health goals! Your Healthy Halloween Plan Halloween is about costumes, haunted houses, and scares. Unfortunately, some of the “scares” are the ones that show up on the scale if you eat too many Halloween treats, or the “scares” that come from feeling sick from too much sugar. You don’t have to experience the bad scares this Halloween, though. The trick? Plan ahead! Here are a few things to think about as Halloween approaches. Trick-Or-Treating Almost everyone is affected by trick-or-treating. If you have kids, you’ll probably find one or several big bags of Halloween candy showing up at your home when they come back from trick-or-treating. Your best defense here is to have a healthy dinner before taking them out. Then, focus on anything other than candy – you might fix your children’s costumes, be the flashlight holder, or designate yourself as the neighborhood crossing guard to keep kids safe. If you don’t have children, you may be the one handing out candy to the neighborhood children, which probably means buying a bunch of candy to give out. If that’s the case, you’re best off choosing candy that you don’t like that much, so you’re less tempted to eat it. Again, have a healthy dinner, and focus on other things besides candy for the evening. You might work on answering the door in a scary way, or taking photos of the cute costumes you see to share with the kids’ parents tomorrow. The Aftermath No matter what happens on your weight loss surgery journey, there’s always tomorrow. After Halloween, “tomorrow” is November 1. Take inventory. See what’s in your home that shouldn’t be there. Get rid of the extra candy. If you must keep some candy in your house because of your kids, make sure it’s not tempting you. You can always ask them to hide it away in their rooms. You can also make a game out of it: have them label each piece so they and you will both know if you “steal” some. Go for a walk. There’s nothing like a walk to clear your head and get you ready to go back to healthy eating patterns. Halloween’s scary, but it shouldn’t be scary because of the weight gain. It should be scary because of the fun things you get to do. With a little planning, that’s exactly how your Halloween can be. Healthy Halloween Tips Did you know there are tons of fun things you can do to get into the Halloween spirit without touching a piece of candy? Here are a few ideas! Go for a Walk It’s true…walking is really quite a good answer to most questions. How to burn off a few extra calories before Halloween? Go for a walk. How to enjoy the Halloween decorations in your neighborhood? Go for a walk. How to let your kids show off their Halloween costumes to all the neighbors? Go for a walk. Get the point? Get moving! Volunteer That’s right. You may think that volunteering is just asking for trouble, since you may be faced with a lot of candy. In truth, it’s a chance to be surrounded by the Halloween spirit while being so busy you don’t have time to grab a treat. Volunteering at a local school, homeless shelter, or retirement home can be the perfect way to immerse yourself in Halloween. Help decorate for a party, serve treats, clean up afterwards, or help make costumes. You’ll be appreciated, and you’ll get to be a part of the holiday in a way that’s healthy for your body and soul. Make Healthy Treats It’s true…treats make Halloween so much better. But you can do better than chocolate, candy corn, and decorated Cookies and cupcakes. Here are a few ideas. Greek yogurt popsicles: Use a little sweetener and keep them white for ghosts, or add some pumpkin and cinnamon and shape them into pumpkin shapes. Then you can decorate them like jack-o-lanterns! Jack-o-lantern orange protein cups: hollow out oranges to leave the peel mostly intact. You can “carve” a face in the peel shell to make it look like a jack-o-lantern, and fill it with cottage cheese or fruit. Greek yogurt “eyes:” freeze circular spoonfuls of Greek yogurt with blueberries for eyes. A happy, safe, and healthy Halloween however you choose to Celebrate it. Don’t forget to come talk about yours on the boards at BariatricPal! See you there!

my puree phase allowed soft scrambled eggs, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, pureed lean meats, etc. I pretty much lived on tuna or salmon pouches or canned chicken pureed with plain greek yogurt for lunch and dinner. breakfast i had an egg, or yogurt or cottage cheese (small curd). I think with the puree phase - you just kind of have to get through it and look at what you are eating as necessary medication to get your protein in.

someone mentioned I should buy mt self chickens cultry set like the gerber brand to help take smaller boys had anyone done this I think this should read: Someone mentioned I should buy myself children's cutlery set like the Gerber brand to help take smaller bites. Has anyone done this? Yes. I have also heard of this and plan to do so. I found one of my kids baby spoons in the drawer and have been using that to eat yogurt in prep for surgery. Will be getting baby cutlery in the next few weeks.