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I'm so sorry. I have some pretty terrible food aversions myself, but for a very different reason than you. But hating food is not good no matter the reason. Being frightened of food is a bad place to be in your mind. I'm not going to bore you with my own exhausting story, but instead tell you what I'm doing to help myself. I've taken an interest in looking at recipes online. I was pretty lazy prior to surgery with cooking good, meaningful, healthy, quality food. I was a bad mom, letting my family eat frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, fast food. Basically all kinds of fast, tasty garbage. When I cooked, I cooked like I was feeding an army because I wanted everyone to feel full and have seconds if they wanted. How awful I was about that. I can't change the past, but I'm changing the NOW and the FUTURE. I try to make things that are delicious yet nutritionally sound. Food can be a scary thing for me now, but I try to keep it interesting by investing time and effort into it. I get very happy when my family gives me a thumbs up and kisses for making a new recipe that they want me to make again. I'm struggling with health limitations that have decimated my interest in food. Sometimes it can be so hard to will myself to take a bite of anything because I know it will hurt. Making something to be proud of feels very therapeutic even if I only take one small bite of it. I'm very picky now about ingredients, flavors, quality. I'm not saying this is the right fix for your struggle, but maybe try to find something about food that sparks an interest. Even if you create some lovely fruit art to eat with your vanilla greek yogurt lol! Even if your brain tells you that you WILL NOT eat that food you're thinking of making, make it anyway. If you can't make yourself taste it this time at least explore if you like the smell. See if others like what you made. Feed back from friends and family feels good sometimes. As for being scared that you might not reach your goals--well, that scares me too. I'm sure a lot of people on these forums will tell you that's always lurking in their mind. It's like a monster under the bed and a really hard thing to deal with. But you HAVE to eat just like I do. You WILL slow your weight loss by refusing to do it. You will watch your hair fall out, your muscles shrivel up. Hug yourself right now. You agreed to surgery because you wanted help with control, you wanted a healthier body, you wanted to be a better person than the one you were before surgery. Don't forget it. Think about that and instead of opening up a can of tuna, gross , make yourself a chicken tenderloin with sesame and garlic. You can even strive for similar calorie goal for now, but make each calorie super delicious! Hug, you can do this.

My sleeve was done on 8/14. I see the doctor on Wednesday for my 4 week check and an upgrade to puréed foods. All along I have been having a hard time meeting my liquids and protein in. Getting better but improvement needed. Eating a Greek yogurt now. But I am not going to complain as I am 41pounds down as of today. But really looking forward to soft foods which is about 2 weeks away.

Hi I feel like crying... today I had my first experience with blockage of food in my esophagus. It felt like I was about to have a heart attack or something , I was on the verge of passing out. Stupid me thinking I would push it down with some yogurt since you can’t drink.. I made it worse. My heart was palpating really fast , I was getting dizzy , I was shaking on my feet until I put a finger in my mouth and vomit most of it out... what came out was a weird thick slimey substance I had left over tilapia fish from yesterday which was dry. I knew before hand it would be a risk of me eating it cuz of the dryness but here I am , still eating it. 2 bites and I went through hell. I’m 3 weeks and 4 days post op. I still feel something blocking but I’m drinking water.... Food is my enemy. Before the surgery it was my enemy and i abused it made myself morbidly obese and now after surgery It feels like it tries to kill me. I know I’m super emotional. I never experienced being thin and care free, seeing people who are thin and care free of what they eat makes me so jealous and makes me feel so low. I have to watch out for the rest of my life of the stuff I put in my mouth. Life is unfair but we deal with it. This by far worse than dumping syndrome. I have learned my lesson. No more tilapia fish for me for awhile. Thanks for reading xoxo

I've been using plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. I'd always heard about doing that but couldn't bear to try it. Well, now post surgery I'm doing it and it's really not bad. It has a similar sour-ish taste but of course more health benefits.

I start my day with a Premier Protein drink. If I don't, I struggle to get all my protein in. I just can't eat enough to do it. I follow that up mid-morning with a boiled egg or greek yogurt, sometimes hummus and cucumber slices. I have coffee 30 minutes after breakfast. My pouch is like iron. I seem to tolerate everything so my choices are limitless but I definitely feel restriction so my portions are small. I don't want to stretch my pouch out so I tend to eat 5 or 6 very small meals a day. I always eat protein first, always. If I don't, then I can eat more food which is not good. Protein fills me up to the point that I often can't eat anything I paired with it. If I get scared that I might have stretched my pouch out then I do a liquid only day the next day and that seems to reset it and help me feel the restriction. I've only over eaten twice and felt miserable both times. Tight chest, painful stomach and felt like the food was overflowing in my stomach back up my esophagus. It was awful.

Could it be your mind playing tricks on you? http://www.eatbydate.com/dairy/yogurt-shelf-life-expiration-date/

I thought I should relate this especially to Tea: My yogurt smelled a little dicey this afternoon, but I figured, "Meh, I'll give it a gamble." (You know, cuz I thought of you throwing out your good yogurt due to the expi date being past its prime.) Well, that might not have been the smartest decision I've ever made. I'm not feeling so fresh and lively right now.

This actually does happen. I'm just now eating my first meal--PB&J "yogurt" with SF Hershey's chocolate syrup. ROFLMAO! Yep yep, better living through chemistry. I have a salmon salad planned for lunch and I'm like, "Fork! I don't wanna go make it, I don't wanna eat it...maybe when I get hungry later, I'll just go grab a couple of ounces of leftover salmon and call it done."

Ok, yesterdays's DD=500 cals. First meal was around 12:30ish. Last meal was 8:30pm. Lifetime member of the Clean Plate Club. CPC fork you! PB&J "Yogurt" Turkey & Lt Cheese Wedge Lettuce Wrap with Veggies and Grk Yogurt WF Italian Dressing Dip Blackened Atlantic Salmon (yeah-whataboutitsueme), green beans, avo/tom salad Food Log for 09.06.18 (click to enlarge)

For lunch it's pretty easy choice: turkey rollup with veggies, salads with protein, green soup. I eat the same things for breakfast and lunch cuz it's just easier and plus I am very satisfied by these items. Here are some of my favorite breakfasts: Avocado "Toast" Bean/Egg/Cheese Breakfast Taco Egg White Delite Nuked Breakfast Sandwich PB&J Yogurt Egg White Puff with or without cheese

No way! Lol sounds like my yogurt but I use frozen Blueberries, french vanilla syrup non fat Greek yogurt, raisins, peanuts, chia and hempseed .

ACAI BOWL 1 packet of unsweetened acai puree (Trader Joes) 1" piece of banana granola dust (crunchy granola pulsed into dust with nutritional yeast) greek yogurt Blend together the acai puree and the banana (this will make several servings) Use 1 - 2 tablespoons to top greek yogurt. Sprinkle with granola dust

Can I just tell you all that I didn't get around to breakfast until 12:30pm and when I did, I re-fell in love with it all over again? I haven't made this in a LONG time. I can't have just a bowl of Greek yogurt cuz it pushes my insulin too high. So I make my own "yogurt" out of mixing Greek yogurt with 2% Daisy cottage cheese + 1oz of PP vanilla protein. I will usually add about 4 drops of liquid Stevia to it. This morning (hehe, er noon) I remembered about my old PB & J concoction using Walden Farms Blueberry Syrup and HEB organic frozen blueberries and Vitacost Peanut Butter Slim peanut butter powder. Jasus, Mary, and Joseph! Hold me. It made a 4oz ramekin full and I sucked it down in less than 10 minutes. But it was so dang delicious!! You should all run out and buy the ingredients. It was def a "better living through chemistry" moment I thought I needed to share! *snort*

Hey can I play? I'm just starting week 2 of purees. Thought it could be helpful to someone to see how much I'm getting in these days. I had surgery 3 weeks and 1 day ago. OK, the first one is an Acai bowl: greek yogurt, acai puree blended with tiny piece of banana, granola ground into dust with nutritional yeast and sprinkled on top. Second is refried beans with cheese and guac. I also like this with some mild enchilada sauce on top - I can't wait to get back to spicy! Last group is meatless meatballs smashed together with nutritional yeast, marinara, and ricotta then topped with mozzarella cheese.

Expiration dates are like, worse case scenario. Items last well beyond them, assuming they're not stored in poor conditions. Most aren't expiration, they are best by dates. Yogurt (and sour cream, etc. ) are already "spoiled", so at worst they will just become more sour. Fairlife is ultra pasteurized, so that faaaar extends the shelf life.

So beforethe end of my fast I tried to eat some yogurt, had about 1/8th a cup before I realized that it had expired while I was away. Couldn't tell but tossed it anyway, then I had a piece of turkey jerky, nuts and seaweed snacks. Let's call that another 500cals lol I like to overshoot.

Lately mine have been pretty bad. When I had the lap band, I had gas all the time, but it was odorless. I think part of it might be because of all of the dairy that we tend to consume. Protein made from whea, lots of emphasis on protein drinks, cheese, yogurt, etc. I don't know if incorporating more animal protein will help, I'm honestly lazy about cooking and frankly I find it easier to get the dairy based protein. For now, I try to hold it until I'm in a secure location (Bathroom/outside) and then pass the gas. If you find something that works, I'm all ears though!

I'm on week 8 also (July 17), but can't have the variety yet that you do. I'm also in a stall that has lasted 2 weeks. Very frustrating and demoralizing. Always feel hungry, and nothing satisfies. Have never had nausea, vomiting, acid reflux. Long for caffeine and a real salad. I have a regular b'fast I've been on for over a year: 4 oz plain greek yogurt, 1/2 t Zing, 3 oz strawberries, rasp, or peaches. I add a scoop of Unjury plain so b'fst is a 31g protein. I don't mind that every day. Lunch is 4oz cottage cheese and V8+collagen protein = 27g protein. I can make a choc latte protein shake for 40 g protein, but I am so bored with it. So I am getting 98g protein per day and still feel empty and unsatisfied. I keep hearing that protein is the way to end cravings, and provide satisfaction. I wonder how much protein I need to get to that point, and when this stall will end. Bummed.

The days I'm in the office 2x a week I'm in the same boat. Start by getting a well insulated lunchbox which has a good bit of room and some really good re-usable ice packs. And a bunch of small containers. I make a shake for breakfast and then pack a midmorning snack, which for me is Oikos Triple Zero yogurt and 2 tablespoons of granola. Lunch is 4 ounces of chicken breast, chopped and mixed with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Early afternoon snack is a salad with balsamic dressing (about 2 cups). Mid to late afternoon snack is cheese. Dinner varies, if I need to pack it. Keep in mind, I'm 2 years out so I may be able to eat things you can/t.

I do lunchables and snack on one all day really as I can't have much food at all at one time. Also cheese cubes, pimento cheese (homemade), protein bars, and cheese curds are my current favorite. I'll do any kind of salad, egg salad, triple zero yogurt, and even plain old strawberries or blueberries.

So I am two weeks and one day postop and down 28 lbs from gastric sleeve surgery. As of today my diet consists of soft refried beans, scrambled egg with cheese, yogurt, protein drinks, and soup. The doctor allowed me to have flaky fish today. I have stalled though the last two days. I’m getting my fluid intake between 58-64 ounces. I seem to be eating between 1/2-2/3 cup at a meal. Not Drinking is the toughest during a meal. does that sound about norm?

Food for the day: Rotation of teas, water and even a coffee w/PP! Turkey paleo wrap (lazy, need to go shopping) Peanut brittle from my local health food store (too much sugar sadly so this is the last first and time) Maybe yogurt later, doubt it... Around 58 g protein (include PP) Lost count of oz of fluids Non fasting hours 3-9pm

Ok, so I support your vegan/vegetarianism. Swearsies. I support your IF and doing it how you want. We all deserve to do our plan our way--regardless of anyone's opinions--even assh*ts like me! I can't answer the questions about cultures who base their societies on plant based foods. I can't even say what will or won't "possibly" happen to any of us who don't get our protein in. Dr. Weiner and Dr. Vuong don't seem to think protein is a major issue. Please don't be stressed out by me! I was just answerin' your question about why I expressed concern for your 4 hour eating window and why I didn't apply the same filter to Silly. ((hugs)) You certainly look healthy and beautiful and I suspect if your doc or RD didn't think so, they'd run tests, and if it was protein related, they'd come up with a plan for you!!! And it would not be a plan developed or espoused by some schmoe on the internet (aka me). You know I'm a professional worrier, right? But what you and Tea say does have quite a lot of logic and food for thought in them and it challenges my belief system. That's ok. What usually happens is they force/encourage me to examine/re-examine and grow in some way--stretching myself and my paradigms. God knows I have not been tearin' up the tracks in the lbs lost department. And I have been the diligent one eating every meal, eating every damn gram of protein...and now worried that I'm eating too much. ROFLMFAO! So maybe you guys DO have the right answers! I do know the thought of eating a snack today or even dinner is kinda repulsive to me. It's 4:30 and work has run late, and I'm just now getting to my green soup! Holy crap! So I truly don't know if it's best to acknowledge that and not force another meal/more protein on me. Or if I should just break it down and have yogurt or PP in coffee. Part of me is afraid to do things like this, cuz I do not want to be that girl that lives on PP and yogurt cuz it's easy and convenient for me and takes zero fuc*s to make. You know? I used to do that with cheese (and btw, did I mention cheese and salami too?) LOL...so it's just my own personal nightmares I'm probably visiting on your guys through projecting! God I would make a sucky counselor!

Hello ... it's me Yes, right before my vacation my schedule was hectic, and work travel makes it harder for me to get all my protein in. Plus when my hair loss stopped, I stopped being as diligent with protein or supplements. Then vacation was a free for all, so not getting sufficient protein then either. I am and always have been terrible with fluids. Before this surgery I probably only ever had 64 oz a day if it was beer But I do believe that protein and supplements are necessary for long term health. I don't push to get exactly 60g of protein. If I get 50g I'm good with that. I know 60 is better but that takes even more protein supplementing, and I can only drink so much Muscle Milk . Pre WLS my diet was very starch based, so I can imagine I rarely hit 60 g then either. As far as IF, and the 4 hour window. Well, I only do IF on days that are easy, and it comes naturally. I don't force it. If I'm hungry, I'll give it a half hour or so to see if it passes, If it doesn't I eat. If I'm traveling and food temptation triggers hunger either physical or head hunger (hard to differentiate sometimes), then I eat. So really, IF is just a function of my lack of hunger, some days. The only thing I have changed since learning about IF is I wait for a half hour when I feel hungry, and I try not to eat too late at night to extend my window. But even then, I'll eat late if I'm truly hungry. So in reality I'm just manipulating my eating times very slightly, and sticking the IF label on it. I would do this whether or not IF was a thing. The fact it may increase weight loss and or diminish hunger, is just a bonus. I really try not to eat if I'm not hungry. Sometimes there is a social obligation to eat. But being around food makes me hungry usually, so I'm then eating while hungry, lol. But if I'm just working at home, or running errands, or whatever. I'm not going to eat just to get my protein in, or to eat a set number of meals, or hit a certain number of calories. I think if my body isn't telling me to eat, then I should listen to it. If on the rare day I go all day without any hunger. I will have a protein shake plus something else protein dense, like a yogurt, or protein soup, or jerky, in the evening to get close to that 60 g goal. So yesterday was a not hungry day, so that's why I did the 4 hr window. My body was really done eating. I seriously couldn't finish that protein soup I had made, with the intention of getting to 57g. No need to be scared for, or worried about me. Although I do appreciate it!

I have also had success with the band. I followed all the drs instructions and have no regrets because it changed my life for the better. I started out at 276 and I’m 178 now! The way I eat is completely different now. I work out and I diet like a normal person. I don’t try to beat the band or see what slides down. I have had zero complications and it has been years. My favorite food used to be chicken wings. I can’t eat them anymore, new fav food is sushi. My taste buds have changed. I used to love chocolate anything. I now eat a balanced diet and have incorporated yogurt, vegetables I can digest, salad is tough sometimes, soups, ground turkey, and even tofu. I don’t crave meat because I can’t really eat it but I try to get my protein where I can. All good things and hope to lose another 45 lbs. and I will continue to do my best everyday. Good luck!