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I've since tried Chobani's flavored Greek yogurts and LOVE them! I don't even want to eat regular yogurt anymore because they can't compare with the protein content of Greek!

Just wondering, I am at almost a year post surgery and I have been at a stall for months now. Has anyone not exercised much and still lost weight? Looking for menu ideas for day to day. I know I need to cut down on my carbs especially bread :-( I still cant eat much at one sitting and I do eat 4-5 times a day from yogurt to protein bars to protein filled meals. Do you eat red meat or did you make the switch to turkey and chicken only? I want to break this stall. I cant do protein drinks mainly because I got burnt out on them from pre surgery and post surgery. The banana one is the only one I can get down these days. I cant do the gym, I am looking into streaming the videos from beachbody.com. Just getting frustrated.

I was sleeved on 07/24 and my energy level was in the dumps and I was tired all the time....why? Because my protein intake was non-existent and the liquid multi-vitamins taste like crap!! I got the Chobani flip low fat Greek yogurt and gummy vites today. After eating the yogurt n the vites with 30 mins I could feel the difference....I didn't feel as tired and I had energy. Even though there was only 12g of protein in the yogurt it made a difference...tomorrow I start mushy foods so I'll hopefully be getting most of my protein through my food. Good luck....try some Greek yogurt for an energy boost....I'm not fond of protein shake any longer(premiere protein vanilla and various flavors of Isopure) but I'm going to try mixing the premier with fruits and see if that works out. I also ordered the sample pack of unjury(recommended by another member) I'll see how that works out. Good luck!!

I would ask your surgeon or nutritionist what they recommend. I think everybody is told something a little bit different based on what their care team prefers. For me, my guidelines were that I should have about 4 protein shakes daily. With breakfast I could have 1/2 cup of berries and I could have a lean protein and a cup of veggies for dinner. I could also sub in a yogurt for lunch instead of a protein shake if I wanted.

I am getting my protein in by shakes, I also have Fage Greek yogurt. It has the most protein. I was concerned about weakness as well (2weeks out) and the surgeon said it may be the rapid weight loss that is causing that. For me cold smoothies or shakes go down better and also the sf carnation instant breakfast.

Try eating more earlier in the day. And drinking enough Water. In the meantime, I agree with focusing on a Protein snack. Greek yogurt is a good one. If possible, make some rules you don't allow yourself to break. For example, I can resist hubby's treats if I NEVER EAT THE FIRST BITE. Once I do eat that bite, it's all downhill. So I just keep telling myself it's completely off limits. It works most of the time. Try to cut down on bad (white) carbs, sugars, and oils. These foods feed microbes in our gut that then become more active and want more: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/your-gut-bacteria-want-you-to-eat-a-cupcake/378702/ Lynda

I was starving at 5 days too! I started with Greek yogurt and that helped a lot - protein and it filled me up!

I’m really struggling with things right now. I’ll be two weeks post op on Monday. I have my appt on Tuesday. Everything tastes so bad. It makes me sick. Like, actually eating is fine. My stomach doesn’t get upset, it doesn’t hurt, nothing like that. But it tastes so bad that I don’t want to eat anything. Is mental nausea a thing? I don’t get sick sick, but I’m still very repulsed by it. I’ve tried soooo many things and it all tastes awful. Various soups/broths, yogurt flavors, protein shakes, flavored water w/unflavored protein, pudding, jello... I force myself to drink one protein drink and a greek yogurt cup every day. Although, that’s even a struggle. So I’m averaging roughly 200 calories a day. And again, physically I absolutely think/know I could eat more but the tastes are just so bad. I was really, really sensitive to smells before hand so I don’t know if that has something to do with it? So, I haven’t found anything I remotely like... my friends all talk about their pizza and burritos and I really miss it especially not being able to find at least one thing I sort of like to eat right now. But even then I don’t think I’d like the taste of that stuff. I put cream cheese on a bagel for my daughter and licked a tiny bit off the knife and about gagged. And I freaking LOVED cream cheese before. I do take my vitamins twice a day. I mean, to be honest my chewable vitamins are the least offensive thing I eat each day... they taste like flintstone ones. Idk, I guess I’m just feeling down or frustrated. I hate all the food, wish I could just find something I like, and of course I just miss being able to eat normally. 5’6” 25 yo SW: 256

Hi there! Now, I don't make "gourmet" food or anything like that--I basically eat what "normal" people eat minus the fat, sodium, tons of carbs, and in smaller portions. No rocket science needed--I promise! If I can do this, you can do this! :girl_hug: The first thing I do is eat out of plastic containers that hold only a cup of food at the most to control portion sizes or I use a dessert sized plate rather than a dinner plate. It's a psychological thing! I usually aim for 1/2 cup of Protein at each meal then add in veggies, etc. Some people can eat more than a cup of food at a sitting which is fine--everyone is different. As long as you're still losing, it's all good! I eat three "meals" a day and I try my best not to eat at all after 6 PM. I don't snack between meals. Instead, I drink Water in various forms and strive to get in 64 ounces a day to flush out fat, keep from retaining too much water, and to stay hydrated. I don't really like plain water, so I got a PUR water filter and flavoring cartridge that I attached to my faucet. I either make flavored water by the glass or keep a pitcher in the fridge to fill up my water bottle. For dairy foods, I'll usually eat the low-carb 4 oz. yogurts although I find that yogurt does not do a very good job filling me up! I do still make Protein shakes with store brand skim lactaid milk (I'm still working on my bottomless container of Champion Nutrition whey Protein powder from a year ago)! I usually make it with about 8 ounces of liquid, 1 scoop of powder, and enough crushed ice to raise the volume to 10 ounces. I buy fat free cottage cheese and eat 1/2 cup with different things mixed in. I might add a teaspoon of sugar free strawberry jam (10 whole calories!) or a tablespoon of yogurt just to add some flavor. My doctor advised me not to add fruit like applesauce to it to avoid eating too many carbs. I eat string cheese sometimes with about 4 whole wheat crackers. I tried the lowfat version once, but wasn't too crazy about it. I also eat Egg Beaters for Breakfast often. Some stores sell flavored Egg Beaters--Southwest/Garden Vegetables, etc. Those are pretty good. I usually buy the plain kind and add something to it (chopped scallions, salsa, a sprinkle of cheese, chopped onions, peppers, and tomatoes, etc.). You can also play with spices as well. I eat refried Beans pretty often. I take a 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and combine it with a tablespoon or so of different types of salsa just to make it more interesting (peach salsa, pineapple salsa, etc.). Sometimes I add a teaspoon of fat free sour cream or a little sprinkle of shredded cheese on top (emphasis on little sprinkle--cheese can have a lot of fat). I also eat canned salmon a lot. I'll take a 1/2 cup of canned salmon and stir in different things (chopped scallions, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, dill, etc.). If you buy a couple of plum tomatoes instead of the big ones, that makes enough to mix in without having a lot of tomato left over to spoil. I add to that fat free mayonnaise or a fat free dressing that goes well with salmon. I do the same with canned tuna. I always rinse tuna (packed in water, not oil) in a collander to wash off the salt, too. That's an old habit I picked up from my dad's diet plan after he had a heart attack years ago. I also season salmon steaks with lemon juice and pepper and broil or bake it and then serve it with non-starchy veggies. I enjoy other types of fish as well (bake tilapia topped with salsa or canned chipotle peppers with adobe sauce which is very spicy, bake any white fish with a can of chopped tomatoes over it, etc.). All of these fish ideas can be split into smaller serving sizes and frozen. I make stir-fry often with chicken or shrimp and frozen stir-fry veggies. It's very quick and easy, and you can freeze the leftovers in small portions for another time. I find it's too salty if I use regular soy sauce, so I usually buy the low sodium kind. I make a basic soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch sauce found in most cookbooks. I usually cook rice for my son, but I don't usually eat any because I eat the meat and veggies first in my little plastic container and I get filled up. For chicken, I have the best luck if I use chicken broth to cook it. Dry chicken and I don't get along well! Blech! Sometimes I'll cook a whole package of boneless chicken breast in my pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth or a can of diced or stewed tomatoes to keep the meat moist. Once the meat cools, I'll chop it up and freeze it in 4 oz. serving sizes. I'll mix the cold or hot cubed chicken with all kinds of things. For warm meals, I'll heat the chicken up with some salsa, chopped tomatoes, or frozen non-starchy veggies. I'll add the cold chicken to salads, add fat free mayonnaise and scallions to make cold chicken salad, or grind it up with FF mayo and eat it on a few whole-wheat crackers. I use turkey the same way. I haven't quite mastered making pork easy to eat yet. I'm still working on it. I can't eat shake 'n Bake pork chops anymore. Again, if it's too dry, I gag on it! :puke:I do have beef on occasion, but I make an effort to eat fish, chicken, and dairy more often. I do purchase frozed meals sometimes (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.). I try to buy the ones that have just meat and veggies like steak tips and broccoli or turkey and veggies. If it's too much, I'll save the rest for another meal. If I buy a salad, I find that it lasts me for a good 2-3 meals. I dip my lettuce in the dressing as I eat rather than pouring the dressing all over the salad. It stays crisp a bit longer that way. You'll notice that I didn't mention the words bread or potato. I do eat some of these, but sparingly. I'll have a toast with Peanut Butter on occasion for breakfast. I can say now that I no longer eat doughy foods like doughnuts or cinnamon rolls. I avoid processed carbs as much as I can (chips, Snacks in the cookie/cracker aisle, etc.). I don't know if any of this babbling helps at all, but at least there's a few ideas in there that might appeal to you! Part of learning to live with the band is changing your thinking--the hardest part of this journey is overcoming what your brain is telling you from years and years of bad habits. If you make the food taste good and look good, you won't miss junk food at all. I feel like I'm a successful bandster not because I lost 100 lbs. in a year (which I most definitely haven't), but because I'm focusing on the good things I can eat and not bemoaning all of the foods I really shouldn't be eating in the first place. I'm choosing to lose weight at a slower pace than some folks--I'm not in a race with anyone but myself. I'm trying to make good choices to be healthy in order to change my lifestyle. I want to make lasting changes, not fall victim to the "fad diet" quick fix mentality if that makes sense. I didn't spend money to get banded and go back on the cabbage Soup diet, if you know what I mean! My band is just a tool to help me curb my appetite--the behavior modification and exercise is all up to me! Good luck!!!!

If too sweet thin with milk or plain yogurt.

I am a year out and this is the way I eat steak and chicken. For the most part, I don't cook, cause I live alone. So at home I drink a lot of Protein shakes,lunch meat, Protein Bars, greek yogurt, chicken or egg salad, and these are all soft foods. Dense foods like chicken or steak are things I eat when going out to dinner. Yes, I chew it up until it's just a mushy liquid in my mouth. If I don't,it's going to come back up.

Re: too tight Quote: Originally Posted by christa94 donna, you mentioned that you were losing before the fill. why did you have the fill? did you feel you were losing restriction? you mentioned that the fill is too tight. what makes you say that? are you still losing? Hi Christa, I got the fill because I had lost and regained the same pound four times over a two week period, which my doctor said is a sign you may need a fill. Additionally, I was at twelve weeks post op, by which time most bandsters are already on their 2nd or 3rd fill. LOL, I was afraid I was going to be left behind. Let this be a lesson, listen to what your body says, not what other people are doing or saying. What I needed to do was reexamine my caloric intake and increase my activity level. The other thing I did wrong was to try to be accomodating. I had my surgery in Mexico so I'm using a local surgeon's facilities for fills. I had already scheduled a fill and even though I had recently had a bad PB (my first) which caused swelling, I didn't want to cancel my appointment because I didn't want them to change their mind and not accept me as a patient - so I went for the fill. Big mistake. Having a too tight fill is miserable. After the PB swelling and the fill (1.4cc) I had constant pressure/pain at my sternum front and back. In the morning it hurt even worse and it even hurt to breathe deeply when I first got out of bed. I couldn't eat anything until 1:00 in the afternoon usually. To complicate matters, by the time I got in to the Dr.'s office for an unfill, my PB swelling was finally going away and I was almost comfortable with my fill level, so I wasn't sure if I wanted/needed an unfill. This was my first fill, I wasn't sure what it was SUPPOSED to feel like. I was already at the Dr.'s office so I decided I'd just have them check my band to be absolutely sure it was still in the right place - of course it was, but you hear so many nightmare stories here on LBT . . . . The surgeon was doing fills on that Saturday (!?!) and insisted on checking the band by removing all the fill and putting it back in - I still don't know why he didn't just look at the band on the fluoroscope. I didn't really feel like I had any choice, so I went along. He was terrible at giving fills - I've only ever had one and even I could tell he wasn't good at it! - the Lydocaine shot HURT. My first fill Lydocaine shot didn't hurt at all. He pulled the fill out, checked it, and then SLAMMED it back in! I had excruciating pain in my sternum till he pulled back on the syringe a bit. I was laying on that F'ing table gasping it hurt so bad. I don't know what he was playing at, but when he put my original fill back in - HE ADDED .5cc's! I went for a possible unfill and he added .5cc's! WTF? To make it worse, he didn't tell me he added .5cc's, in fact, he told me there was only 1cc in the band. Since we've all heard that it's very common to lose some or all of a first fill, I wasn't alarmed by that and was actually grateful because I was finally getting comfortable again. When I left his office I felt tight but was able to swallow easily - I just thought the tightness was because of disturbing the stomach area again. That was on a Saturday and by Saturday night I could barely swallow my own spit. I could only take in water in sips amounting to the size of a pea. I tried to have LITTLE TINY slivers of sugar free, fat free, frozen yogurt which sounded soothing to my swollen, hungry belly - it caused me to slime for about 40 minutes before I was able to swallow my own spit again! Forget about eating. Not even soup! Not even clear broth! Because that visit was on a Saturday, I had to wait until Monday when the doctor's office reopened before I could get in for an unfill - which irritated my stomach more. Fortunately, the surgeons fill nurse was there on Monday. She's awesome. When she pulled the fill out, sure enough there were 1.9cc's of fill in there. My original 1.4cc's PLUS the .5cc's that idiot of a surgeon added at the time of my SUPPOSED unfill! I was furious. I went the whole weekend in MISERY because this jerk-off thought he knew what was best for me - and didn't even inform me of what he was doing. I'm furious about it still. The fill nurse took my fill down to my current 1.2cc's and I'm beginning to feel better today but I'm still on liquids and will stay on them until this Sunday - 7 days of liquids just to be sure I don't cause another PB re-irritating my already irritated stomach! This has been a horrible experience and I don't plan to have another fill until I can't lose another ounce no matter how much I restrict calories and increase my activity! I will never again compare my fills with anyone elses, nor will I agree to have fills on any kind of schedule. Needless to say, I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, let that surgeon touch my body ever again. If the fill nurse isn't there, I'll leave. Even if I have to pay for an office visit he'll never touch me again. I'd never use his facility again except that his fill nurse is wonderful (compassionate, careful, HONEST - pick whichever one you like, she's all of that and more), and, because I didn't have surgery in the U.S., I don't want to go around looking for another local who'll see me. Here is my advise for anyone wanting to know about getting fills: 1) If/when you get a fill, do it in slow increments - more is not better, or even cheaper. It will cost you in the long run to need unfills and refills when you could have got to the same place COMFORTABLY by sneaking up on your sweet spot. 2) If you think you might be too tight, GO GET AN UNFILL! It's not worth the misery or the irritation and possible damage to your stomach to try to keep your fill in an attempt to lose weight faster. That's not what I was doing, but I see that on LBT frequently. 3) Make sure YOU call the shots - not some numb-nuts doctor who thinks he knows everything. Once again I must learn to trust my own instincts (a lesson I thought I had learned long ago) and listen to what MY body is telling ME! Sorry to go on and on, but this is the first time I've written it all down and I'm still pretty steamed about it. LOL - Um, what makes you ask? Good luck with your band and weight loss journey. __________________ DonnaB Adversity introduces you to yourself. - Anonymous

Haven't been sleeved yet but hoping this is still ok when I am as its soo good. I scoop of Protein powder (vanilla tastes best) 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk 3 or 4 ice cubes Small banana Scoop of yogurt of choice Cup of kale Cup of spinach 1/4 frozen blueberries Something to sweeten if you want i use organic blue agave syrup). May need to add a bit more liquid at times I use Water if it needs more. It makes quite a bit I usually give a cup to both my son and fiancé. I'm sure ill have to make it WAYY smaller once sleeved.

Hi to all you fellow banders out there. All I can say is "Thank goodness for this website"!! I am 10 days post-band & for the last 5 days I have suffered from a reallly bad tummy upset. I'd not read anything on this subject anywhere else until I found this forum & was really starting to panic. I'm still on liquids (mainly s/f squashes/cordials, jelly & smooth yogurt/fromage frais, with the occasional icecream!) for two weeks (on instructions of my surgeon) then I can start on the mushy stage! Roll on Wednesday!! I've been lucky so far, no pain since day 3, no meds, no gas pain, no port pain, but my major concern was with the band slipping! The hospital placed sooooo much emphasis on not eating things for the first couple of weeks that would make your stomach muscles contract, so as not to break the stitches keeping the band in place. I'm sure that my stomach must have been moving like a washing machine, the feelings this tummy upset has generated!! Can anyone put my mind at rest on a couple of other things? Up until Thursday, I felt a real restriction when taking my liquids, even small sips of liquid seem to stick in my throat, but since yesterday morning, the fluids have gone down ok. Is this just the swelling in my stomach going down & the fluids passing through more easily or is this a sign that something is wrong with the band? Lastly, my wounds don't seem to be healing at all, not even the hole in the back of my hand from the drip, which is only small. I have changed the dressings & kept them clean & dry, they don't seem to be infected or anything, but I'm worried that the stitches will have dissolved & the wounds aren't closing up. Is this normal & is there anything I can do or take to speed up my bodies healing process? I've emailed the hospital for their views on the above, but with it being the weekend, I don't expect I'll hear anything till monday, earliest. Many thanks, in ancticipation! Suzi :thumbup:

Hi Everyone, Why to first month is so difficult. You are about to change everything you know about eating and your body. Your brain for all of you life has been used to you eating almost anything you wanted and large amounts of food. I never stopped and gave this much thought, when I wanted to have WLS. All I was thinking was about getting the fat off my body and feeling healthy again. I spent a lot of year being fat and this was my chance to change the roller coaster of losing the weight and regaining it again. So for me I had to spend the first 10 days having nothing but Clear liquids. I could only have about a ¼ of a cup of anything when it was time to eat. I felt pretty good, but this first 10 days were the worst. There are only some many clear liquids. I had various kinds of broth—chicken was my favorite. I had Jello, white grape juice, apple juice, Water with Crystal Light, decaf tea—Earl Gray and my life saver was sugar free all natural fruit popsicles. If my stomach felt quizy this really seemed to clam it. I had problems finding a Protein Drink that was clear that I liked. I since have found some. They are made by Syntrax and they are called Nectar—all kinds of flavors that can be mixed with water. It is very important that you try to get some protein the first 10 days. These first 10 days are difficult because my brain is screaming at me “I am hungry.” We call these head games because your brain is trying to control you. Your brain can play some mean and ugly games with your mind and what you are thinking. You are NOT hungry; you are getting what you need for these 1st 10 days. You NEED to give your new stomach time to heal and that is why you need to follow exactly what they tell you to eat. The next 10 days is so much better. 10 days of nothing but creamy foods. I thought I was in heaven when I got to this stage. I could have my favorite Protein Drink. I love Premier Protein Drink—I get mine at costco. I have since found 2 other Protein drinks made by Syntrax that I also love—Mint Cookie and banana Cream. I could have cottage cheese, sugar pudding, yogurt, and creamy Soups. Some Creamy style Peanut Butter. I still could also have any of the clear liquids I was having before. Remember you are only going to be able to eat about 2 oz. of anything when you eat. Your new stomach can now only hold food about the size of your thumb. The next 10 days are getting a little better. It is 10 days of mushy food. I found this stage a little harder, but I became a little creative. I took some home made chicken Soup and put it in the blender, veggies worked great to make mushy, sweet potato was great instead of a regular potato. I also had applesauce at this point too. I tried to watch my carbs too—no more than 20 carbs per day. I always made sure I had my protein drinks at least 2 per day. I was told to have at least 70 grams of protein per day. Premier Protein had 30 grams per drink box. Another challenge I had was drinking enough water and getting the Protein Drinks down too. It felt like I was always sipping and drinking something. This is just what you have to do. Eating is like having a job and you have to do the best you can to get everything inside your body that you need. I had problems swallowing my medication during this time. I learned to smash the meds up into a power with a mortar and then mixed the powered medication with applesauce and that is how I took my meds. You may have problems with constipation too. I use 1 cap full of Miralax everyday in the morning. I put 1 cap full in with my Protein Drink and mix it in my Magic Bullet. I still use Miralax all the time. It is not habit forming and helps because we eat a lot of protein and that causes the constipation. Remember there is a reason you need to follow the diet that your doctor has given you. Different doctors have different things they may want you to be eating. These were what my doctor had me do. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. Suzanne Sleeved 10/28/2008 Lost 105 lbs.

Start drinking calories (...no, not booze). But stuff like smoothies and milk and liquid yogurts, things you can sip gradually on days when your solid food tolerance is low. I’ve had those days too, though I’m not underweight - I just can’t cope with food, and I have to be mindful and make sure I fill the gap with healthy liquids.

1. First question may be a bit silly and I know everyone has their own unique experience, but I'm wondering what to expect on the actual day of surgery. For some reason the surgery itself doesn't make me nervous because I know I have an excellent doctor, but being put to sleep makes me a little nervous. Also, I'm nervous that I'll wake up into excruciating pain.. Is this the case ? Either way I know eventually it will all be a minor detail but I'm just curious to see how others have reacted to surgery. For my surgery, I was wheeled into the operating room, had a few pleasantries with the staff, then bam woke up in the recovery room. No mask being put on my face, no slow fading out . . . I was just there chatting with people one second, then the next second woke up. When I woke up I did have pain in my shoulder (from the surgical gas) but I wouldn't call it excruciating. My team did an excellent job on pain control the whole time I was there. It wasn't a big deal. 2. My second question has to do with hair loss. Is there anything I can do from now to prevent my hair from falling out/ thinning. I know getting in my Protein is key, but is there anything else I can do? No, there isn"t anything you can do to prevent it. Don't waste your money on massive amounts of biotin or some sort of special shampoo. It will either happen or it won't. There are good ways you can cut and style your hair, as well as cosmetic tricks, to hide hair loss if you get a severe case of it. Usually the hair loss starts around month 3 and stops and the hair starts growing back somewhere around month 6. 3. My third question has to do with excess skin. Again I know each person is different and there are many factors to this. My question is did anyone find that toning exercises or any kind of body butters/lotions help at all? No. If there were some sort of magic trick to prevent excess skin, no one would need plastic surgery because word would spread and everyone would do it. The thing is, you already have the skin you have. You can't prevent it, it's already there. If having excess skin is going to bother you a lot, start saving your pennies for plastic surgery now. 4. My fourth and final question has to do with pregnancy after being sleeved. I don't plan on starting a family for another 4-5 years but I'm curious if the sleeve has affected anyone's pregnancy.. Did anyone find it hard to take in the proper nutrients ? Was it hard to bounce back from pregnancy? Did any complications that may not be obvious arise due to the sleeve? I haven't had personal experience, but my sister (a physician) says that pregnant women require an extra 300 calories per day to nourish the fetus, plus a prenatal vitamin. It's not hard to get 300 calories per day. Make a protein shake with whole milk and a tablespoon of peanut butter and you are just about there. Or eat a handful of nuts twice a day. Instead of having yogurt for breakfast, have scrambled eggs with cheese and avocado, plus eat a couple slices of dried mango for an after-dinner snack. Trust me, once most sleevers get a year or two out of surgery, they don't have trouble adding in 300 calories. They have trouble *not* adding in 300 calories when they don't need to! You'll be fine

Michael, I have done cream of potato, cream of mushroom, mashed potatoes with veggie soup juice over them, sugar free pudding, yogurt, applesauce. I've tried refried Beans as well...they weren't so hot. I've not been eating/drinking what I should. I have been so discouraged. Cried myself to sleep that last few nights. I've been so weak and I know it is because I am probably nearing dehydration. I woke up this morning in the mindset that I WILL eat more today if it kills me. I HAVE to get my energy back. I have a lot of pain at the top of my abdomen. I just pray it gets better soon.

I promise it will get better. I was you at Christmas time. I was sleeved 12/14/15 and couldn't have solids yet. Made a full turkey dinner for my family but ate yogurt for Christmas dinner.! I actually enjoyed my Easter dinner today, in very very small portions. Next holiday you will too! It will be different, portions are smaller and sweets will probably be avoided. With 2 small children I have a house full of candy but with sleeve power I haven't ate it!

Hi all, Sorry in advance for the TMI I am 10 days post op and I visited my dietician yesterday. She said since I was eating yogurt and pudding and keeping it down, I can slowly introduce purée into my diet. Yesterday ate puréed chicken and mashed potatoes (about 3 spoons of each). I seemed to be fine yesterday (I ate around 5 pm). However, I woke up at 4 in the morning and it felt as if my esophagus was burning and I had a weird taste in my mouth (close to vomit). I woke up in the morning and my stomach has been in knots and I feel cramps. Throughout the day it went away. I have been drinking a lot of water but I’m not 100%. I didn’t eat a thing except hot chicken broth and water. I’m not even hungry. Has anybody ever had this problem? I see the doc on Tuesday. How long did it take you (if any amount of days) to adjust to the purée diet? Pudding and yogurt I never had a problem with during the liquid stage.

All the nutritionists say that same thing. Personally, I don't find them very helpful. Mostly because I want to know WHY a lot of times. Or I need help and they just say--"you're doing great." But I don't know what it is that is great especially when I feel like I'm floundering. Anyway, don't get hung up on data. If you wait to eat until you are hungry, you might overeat. You should eat Protein every couple of hours. Which basically is Breakfast, lunch, dinner and Snacks. Maybe if you just ate smaller portions during those meals? You said you aren't hungry anyway. And eating every few hours keeps you from getting hungry. My nutritionist had me stop doing the shakes when I went on solid food. Every once in a while I'll add them back in but I found that I am eating enough protein that I don't need them. I try to have yogurt or cottage cheese as my snack instead of the shakes. If I know I will have a hard time getting enough protein in, I drink the Isopure Protein Drink which is an acquired taste (and I now really like them) but is better than the shakes. Also, the fact that your weight loss is less, is normal. Losing a few pounds a week is pretty normal from what I hear. The more you exercise, the more you can lose each week. So, as much as it pains me to say it, focus on getting in your protein and get lot's of exercise. I know that they have me starting to watch the grams of sugar in food now but they have never mentioned sodium. I just try to keep it low by eating protein, veg, and fruit with some carbs. Those don't have sodium so you naturally keep it at bay. I don't think I'm helping you but I'm definitely helping me by writing this! I need it reinforced! Best of luck.

I puréed and added unflavored Protein powder to every kind of Soup I could find (that didn't contain rice or noodles)....cream of shrimp, lobster bisque, butternut squash, split pea, French onion, bean with ham, ginger Thai, Chinese hot and sour, Tuscan chicken broth, cream of asparagus, broccoli cheese, chili, etc. Also had refried Beans with melted cheese, soft scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, hummus, plain Greek yogurt flavored with Protein Powder and/or Torani syrups, mashed potatoes with unflavored protein powder, homemade guacamole, egg salad, and pureed tuna fish with mayo and mustard. And of course still drinking Protein shakes through all the stages.

Hi- If you want something unflavored, you can get the Beneprotein from Walgreens. You usually have to order it online as most stores don't carry it yet. It is whey Protein and unflavored. I add it to shakes, Soups, pudding, yogurt, etc. Stacey

I am 7 weeks post op and am having difficulty with vomiting after eating meat or fish. I will chew it for at least 60 seconds and even after a bite or two I will throw up everything and it tends to continue for a few hours. I grill my meat or broil it with no oils and I do not understand why I can't keep it down. I can't even do protein shakes as they make me sick so i'm living off of yogurt and i have oatmeal in the morning. My doctor put me on meds but it's making it worse. I'm not losing a ton of weight. I have to add that my surgery was a revision to 2 previous nissen fundoplications so I also had work on my esophagus . Can anyone recommend anything else I can eat to get my protein? Also, any suggestions on incorporating fish or chicken without getting sick. Ren

I am afraid you are going to screw up your metabolism. You need to eat at least 1000 calories a day or you body will go into starvation mode. Believe me you body never forger that. You need to eat Protein with every meal or you body will start eating you muscle. Muscle burns more than fat. You want muscle. Here is the menu they gave me: Sample Menu: Breakfast meat Carb Fruit/Veg. 2 eggs Waffle/toast 1 pat butter 1/3 cup light yogurt & 1 egg 3 slices turkey bacon 1/3 cup oatmeal 2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter 1 slice toast with 1/ 3 cup low-fat cottage cheese 2 peach slices I egg 1 turkey Sausage Waffle/toast 1 pat butter lunch Meat Carb Fruit/Veg. ½ cup diced, grilled skinless chicken breast mixed salad greens 1 Tbsp. light dressing 4 Turkey Slice – 1 string Cheese 3 slices of lean turkey breast, ham, or roast beef 1 slice low-fat cheese lettuce, tomato, & mustard 1/ 3 cup Low Fat Refried Beans 1 oz. shredded 2% cheese 3 Baked Tortilla chips 1/ 3 cup Black Bean Chili 1 oz. shredded 2% cheese 2 peach slices dinner Meat Carb Fruit/Veg. 3 oz. oven-fried chicken breast 1-2 Tbsp. cooked carrots 3 oz. grilled chicken breast 1-2 Tbsp. grilled vegetables 3 oz. roasted pork tenderloin 2 slices cooked cinnamon/Stevia apples 3 oz. oven-fried tilapia 2 Tbsp. low-fat coleslaw 3 oz. grilled salmon 2 Tbsp. mashed sweet potatoes Snacks 1-2 Meat Carb Fruit/Veg. Protein Drink 8 oz. skim milk ½ cup cottage cheese 1 oz. low-fat Milk 1- 2 Tbsp. peanut butter 2 Celery or 1/ 2 apple 1 /2 cup light yogurt