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You are EARLY in the process. All I can tell you is that right now, you need to be treating everything you intake as if it is part of your prescription diet. Because it IS. It may be months before things taste normal again. Until then you need to nourish your body in spite of it. You don't take your supplements because they taste like Skittles, you take them because this is what you signed up for to get healthy. It's the same with your Protein supplements. Right now, do your best to get down whatever the prescribed amount is. Now, that said, there IS hope if you don't fancy shakes, (me either). Once you can take solids, there are lots of products to help you get your protein in if you can't get it all from whole foods. I can't achieve the number I should without at least one supplement per day and I'm more than 2 years out! I do a Protein Bar, protein muffin, protein bread, protein Pasta, protein hot chocolate or latte... Something to give me about a 20g boost at least once per day. Sometimes it's in a product I purchase, sometimes I make my own Protein Bars using whey protein as a component. Point is, it's rare that I ever do a "shake", but I do supplement. Other simple swaps like spinach for lettuce, greek yogurt for regular, Fairlife milk for regular (you can do that one now on liquids) can all help get you there. Hang in there! Work your plan like the prescription that is is and you'll get there!

I finished my 6 month insurance program the end of July but the first appointment I could get with my surgeon is Next Weds... I've been experimenting with protein and I really enjoy the banana cream and chocolate muscle milk light. I'm going to try the cookies and cream this weekend. I got the powder so I'm also going to experiment adding it to plain Greek yogurt and see if that helps to change things up! Good luck! The visits flew by once I was on month 3!

Good Morning, I am still on mushie and also very hungry. I am eating about 1/2 cup of food every 2hrs. When two hours comes I am starving. Iam making good choices. 1 egg in am,protein drink,yogurt,cottage cheese, I have processed chicken and mixed with mashed potatoe and on the side a little butternut squash. That was all a total of 1/2 cup. I am walking about 5 1/2 miles aday. But I spread it out once in the am and pm. That really helps keep my mind off being hungry. Where is your kidney pain? I have a pain on my left side in front that really bothers me when I walk. Dr. said it was muscle tissue from the port.

I don't see why you can't eat a pizza burger minus the bun. I had my surgery the same day as you and am on soft foods and have had a cheeseburger the other day with sliced tomatoes on top. It was a small burger but it was good and satisfying. I think you'd feel better if you start eating some different types of food you do take pleasure in. Why can't you have salmon, or some other soft fish? Refried beans with some sour cream, taco sauce, cheddar cheese and guacamole in it? Chili? Deli meat? Greek Yogurt? Tuna? Eggs? Applesauce? Butternut squash? Green beans? Steamed carrots? Soups? Mashed potatoes? Oatmeal? Anyway, just named some of the things I'm allowed on my plan on the soft food stage. Do any of those things appeal to you?

Sorry..hit a button and off it went to be posted before I was ready. Anyways, Can you guys give me an idea of what kind of things that you are eating. I am only eating/slurping yogurt drink, yogurt, Soups, Water, and crystal light. I have tried to take some Multivitamin and Calcium but they really made a mess of my tummy. Maybe because I wasn't eating enough. What do you guys think?

miralax is what I add to my coffee, Protein drink or yogurt just about everyday. I have also bumped up my Fiber intake and that has also meant more calories (200 roughly more per day). My weightloss has slowed a bit I think because of the slight increase in calories but I hated the feeling of "fullness" that the miralax didn't quite help.

I think it's ok to have fruits and veggies in moderation. I just prefer having more proteins but for fruits I add half a banana in my shake and I have been having blueberries and cherries cause they are in season. Sweet tooth comes and goes but usually the protein shake takes care of that need. Last night I bought this quinoa blueberry pudding with coconut milk and I have tried their banana one with chia seeds and coconut milk pudding and it's delicious and low in sugar and high in protein. The brand is called comfy house foods. Oh I also have skinny cow or weight watchers ice cream time to time. I have it as a treat 2-3 times a week. But all in moderation. Also I don't dump. I did early on but not anymore but then again I don't eat much sweets to begin with. But def eat eggs and meatloaf. I also add benefiber to my shakes or yogurt to get fiber cause I am not having much of fruits and veggies

I also had my surgery on August 26th and i totally feel what you are saying about the liquid diet. Some things that are helping me through are the wonton soup broth. I love it. My doctor has allowed me to progress to thin cream soups, yogurt and pudding which satisfies the sweet tooth. Yesterday i was allowed to start thin mashed potatoes (this is the only time my doctor will allow mashed potatoes) and today I'm allowed to have well chewed bananas and strawberries. I'm not sure what eating plan your surgeon has you on but these are some foods that have really helped me through. I'm allowed to start slowly adding scrambled eggs on Wednesday. Cream of wheat is another food that has really kept me satisfied. It's warm, filling and you can use splenda brown sugar to sweeten it a little. I read that you've been chewing on ice chips but maybe try a sugar free popsicle. You can chew on it and it taste good. I also have the same problem with the stomach growling. Sometimes i have a hard time telling if i'm hungry or not. I have figured out for myself that if my stomach is growling and i'm light headed, then i'm hungry.

Has anyone else suffered any emotional problems while on the pre-op diet? I did it for 7 days before learning that my surgery was moved back 2 weeks. By day 3, I was a wreck. I cried at the drop of a hat. Really...I started bawling after hearing a song on the radio...it wasn't even a sad song. I had to leave work one day because I couldn't stop crying. I was also very irritable...to put it mildly. Normally, I'm a relatively laid back person...but I was clenching teeth and slamming doors at the littlest things. Last, but certainly not least, I got stupid. Really stupid. I would lose my train of thought mid-sentance and frequently walk into a room without any idea why I'd entered. In general, the word I'd use to describe my emotional state during this pre-op diet is rollercoaster...without the ups. Oh, there were physical effects. I lost 6 pounds in four days. I was shaky, nauseus, and cold all the time. But I expected most of that. The emotional symptoms caught me completely off guard. I kept track of what I was eating and realized that I wasn't eating nearly enough. I know the idea is to lose weight, but 500 calories a day is simply not enough. Although I was really bummed that my appointment was moved, I am seeing it now as a chance to capture the lessons learned and do it right the next time...which starts Thursday, 10/23. Lessons Learned: Buy Protein powder! I picked up Ultimate Nutrition Protein Isolate in chocolate creme at GNC. It was $19.99 for 57 servings. It tastes great and mixes up pretty well. I'm going to pick up vanilla before the 23rd so I can mix it with juice (I'm allowed a few cups a day). Start the day with a Protein shake. Do not attempt to survive on a cup of sugar free fat free yogurt. Eat every 3-4 hours. I ended up going 5-7 hours between "meals" because nothing sounded good to me. I will force myself to consume SOMETHING every few hours to keep myself from getting shaky. Take a Multivitamin. Every day. I bought chewable ones since I won't be able to swallow the traditional, massive Multivitamins. Don't cook for the family. During these two weeks, they're on their own. Not that I cook a lot for them...but making eggs and toast every morning for my son was torture. Coming home to the smell of garlic bread had me ready to gnaw off a limb and eat it. Along those same lines...avoid family meals if at all possible. I will be spending a lot of evenings at the library. Have a plan for how you'll spend your time, when you'll eat, and what you eat. Here's my plan (yes, this is more for me than for you): My son has karate or cub scouts on Tuesday and Thursday evening. Even if I don't take him...we don't eat a "normal" dinner on those nights. It's just sammiches or Soup and we don't usually eat it together. I have therapy on Wednesday nights...which means I'm not home til after 7. That gives the boys plenty of time to clean up dinner. This Friday will be a challenge...but we usually go grocery shopping on Friday nights. On the way home, we pick up fast food (I know, I know). I am planning on picking up a bowl of soup from Panera. That way I can feel like I'm eating out without messing up the diet. We play D&D on Saturdays with a group of guys. We don't snack at the table (everyone has a weight issue) and dinner is pretty solo. This coming Sunday, we're spending most of the weekend at the local zoo "Spooktacular." Costumes and animals...and $8 hot dogs. We never eat at the zoo and you can bring your own food. So I plan on eating beforehand, bringing protein Water, and a cup of Soup at Hand. Next Monday, I've got another appointment in the evening. Which means I won't have to watch the boys eat whatever delicious, carby-goodness they plan on preparing. I am taking off Halloween to go to my son's fall festival at school. I know that sounds like torture, but the parents really don't get to eat much at these things. I plan on eating right before hand, bringing protein water, and eating right after. We're having family portraits taken on the 2nd. That will be a challenge because we're going to a friend's house where there will be food and schmoozing. Thankfully, my husband hates this woman and the visit will be brief. I've never been so happy about his feelings toward her. The following Monday will be the hardest night for me since we have absolutely no plans. I'll have to book a client call or something for that evening. If not, I may go to the library to work instead of doing it at home while the boys eat. Whew...I feel like I wrote a book here. :biggrin: If you made it this far, I'd love to know if you had/are having emotional issues during the pre-op diet and if you have lessons learned to share with us.

My center recommended clear liquids through day 3, then full liquids through day 7, purees through day 10, then slow cautious forays into mushies. I'm 12 days post-op and I've had a dream recovery (other than a cracked tooth, dental abscess, and root canal... but that's another story). I've never felt nauseas and I've kept down everything I've tried to eat. So, my favorite purees were: Corned beef hash and scrambled eggs Chicken salad: canned chicken, greek yogurt, sweet midget pickles, and curry powder. I ate about 1/4 cup of those at a time. Usually corned beef and egg for breakfast and chicken as a late lunch/early dinner. My first non-puree was mashed potatoes. Since that I've been branching out... my first "real" food was grilled salmon.... yum! Went down easy too. Last night I had this genius idea that I would blend my protein powder with a little milk and some sugar free fat free ice cream. It was delicious! But I didn't want it to melt so I ate it too fast... ugh! No more ice cream for me!

I'm with you, I hate soup. Hate it always had. I wanna chew my food. This phase was difficult for me, I used egg beaters and would make scrambled eggs 1/4c. and 1/4c of cottage or ricotta cheese in them. That was yummy to me. I also have heard several people talk about refried beans with melted cheese and greek yogurt on top. I am so sorry! I don't have much more than that. I think this is the tough part. But you can do it, and it really will be worthwhile.

I am 3.5 weeks out and it has gotten easier just this week to eat a little more. But before that I could only eat 2 oz. And it also depends on what it is. Yesterday I ate tuna salad and could not eat much, but couple hours later was able to finish the scoop. Same with yogurt. But if it is something warm and not too thick I can eat more. Temperature seems to be a factor for me. Also if I try a baked potato nothing works b/c it is just too thick and seems to stick to my chest. I often wonder where IS the stomach/sleeve b/c when I have problems it is always in my chest not what I thought was my stomach. But eating less, but more frequently is definitely a key. It took my hard head a while to learn that.

Tonight I ate yogurt around 5:15- drank water about a half hour later and then another 45 min after that we were walking around Walmart and got the hiccup so there's no reason I should have . So weird! Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 196.6 GW 135

You can always try adding to it. I add Greek yogurt and PB fit to my morning protein breakfast shake, both add extra protein

Good point...I went to the grocery store right before my lunch the other day and I was feeling hungry. I ended up buying some Greek Yogurt pretzels. I grabbed two and ate them - my husband grabbed the bag and put them in the back seat. He told me I should wait until we got home to eat a real meal. (Prior to surgery I would have gotten really mad at him, but now I'm thankful - he's watching out for me.)

Dallas area. First Off, it took me over a year to get approved. :wub: I was 270 lb. Meanwhile, my husband died from cancer. I lost 30 lb on the widows diet......you dont feel like eating, or doing anything--so you loose weight. Finally, I got approved for the lap band in March, and the group I was working with (AIGB Richardson) finally got me scheduled for surgery in June. I was about 250 lb. pre-surgery. I lost 12 lb the first week, and it was very painful. Then came the 1 x month adjustments. It is now November. The first several adjustments literally made no difference. After the soreness left and I recoverd a little bit -- TWO POUNDS in a month, I lost. The next month, THREE POUNDS. Boy I was getting disgusted. Plus I was having to pay $150 per fill because AIGB Richardson couldnt even give me appointments for fills, which were covered by my insurance because they were wretched incompetent and understaffed -- so I had to go elsewhere. After 3 months post surgery, AIGB Richardson FINALLY pulled it together and got me in for a fill. Since I wasn't experiencing any results, they gave me a pretty significant fill. Thats when the puking began, although I was still having HUNGER issues. Inever felt full at a half cup, or even a cup. :mad: That month, I lost a whopping FOUR Pounds. Then I got a very small fill. 1 cc I think it was. I couldnt eat at all, not even thin soup, and I was spitting up water when I drank it, so 3 days later, I had to get the fluid they added removed. AIGB Richardson agreed to see me, since I couldnt' drink water --- they waived their gastapo one visit per month rule. I guess they didn't want my family to sue them If I got dehydrated and died. :w00t:Then came the month from hell. Everything I ate, unless it was soup, I puked up, no matter how much I chewed. I was chewing bites 60 X apiece (so spare me any chewing lectures, please). Couldnt eat chicken at all. And beef was really hard also. Everything except soup, I puked up the first 20 bites, at least. But hey --- I COULD eat fattening cheese --- and sugar laden protien drinks. And spare me please, low fat cheese taste like crap and if I have a choice of only 2 or 3 foods I can eat, I will not go with low fat cheese -- and it that makes me an undisciplined fatso, well, so be it. After puke puke puke puke puke puke, I'd finally be able to hold a little down. Usually, it was evening time before I was able to hold anything down. But once it started to STAY down, and stopped coming up, I could eat a LOT, way more than 1/2 cup!! I could scarf down a HUGE plate of pasta, no problem, once the first 20 bites puking stopped. And, by then, in the evening, I'd be so ANGRY, and so HUNGRY, and so WEAK, I'd eat the whole thing. I have been totally unable to eat in public. Eating with friends or family became a thing of the past. :mad2: For one, I didn't want all my (thin) (somewhat judgemental) friends knowing I'd done a lap band. So, unless I ate thin soup, I couldn't eat ANYTHING in public -- because when I did, I'd have to flee the table after almost every bite --- to puke. And they started to look at me real weird after leaving the table for my 5th trip to the bathroom. :huh2: It was miserable. And as far as my family, who knew I'd had it done--well- No one wanted to eat in my presence, because I had to keep a "Puke cup" alongside my plate -- cuz fleeing the table 20 times a meal just wasn't an option. It was easier to just eat alone, with my PUKE CUP. After a month of this wretched hell, I'd lost a whopping 4 lbs. My AIGB aftercare won't see me any oftener than 1 x a month, unless it's a dire emergency. So, last time I went, they removed .5 cc -- cuz they said something obviously wasnt working right. WELL DUH. That's almost 2 weeks past. They told me that this was not how it was supposed to work, but they had me do barium swallow and said that it LOOKED fine, and they wanted me to see my dr. Well. Great. My dr. couldnt see me for nearly 3 wk, I see him on the 11th Nov. THANK GOD I AM NOT DYING, OR I'D BE DEAD BEFORE I SAW HIM. So -- since they removed that last bit, I can eat without puking most of the time.....but hungrier than he3ll. :thumbup: I can eat a HUGE plate of whatever. Of course, if there is much texture, I still puke, but there seems to be no limitation on the volume I can eat, and my hunger pains gnaw all the time. I still cannot eat EGGS -- a great source of protien, without puking, but hey......a chocolate brownie goes down just GREAT. Never, ever, ever, at any point, has this WRETCHED MISERABLE USELESS CRAPPING lap band worked like it should, just limiting my food intake to 1/2 cup and allowing me to eat semi normal food like a semi normal person. I wouldn't recommend this useless surgery to my very worst enemy. :wub: It's a hoax and a sham, at least for me. I had such high hopes for it!! And I felt just furious, every time I went in for a fill, and this woman, or that woman "Oh, I was banded t 4 months ago, and I have lost FORTY POUNDS, woo hoo!" OR what about the fella who lost 70 lb in 5 months. Not me, no, no. I mean, when you have to suck down protien drinks, which are packed with sugar, and the only things you can even get down are fattening crap, when meats choke you down, even deli meats, well, that's sure not going to work for anybody. I LOVE steamed brocolli. Under no circumstances can I even have a NIBBLE of steamed broccoli--I puke it out immediately. My food choices are so so so limited.....and I have never found a protien drink that was bearable to drink that wasn't saturated with sugar. I got these little protien shots from my dr., they were expensive as gold, but they tasted so awful, it was all I could do not to throw up in disgust when I drank them. boy, you get to be REAL CRANKY if all you can eat all day is something that resemble snail snot with sacharine. As a result of this surgery -- (eliminating the week of painful hell it took me to recover) I have lost less than 15 lb from this miserable surgery in 5 and a half months. And I have been more miserable than I have EVER been in my life. I don't know what my dr. will say, but this is NOT WORKING. I had a friend whose insurance wouldnt pay, she was ready to shell out 15 grand ---- I told her DONT DO IT. Get diet pills, do atkins, do ANYTHING, cuz ANYTHING is better and EASIER than THIS! If I went on weight watchers at least I could EAT normal food!!!! I used to think WW was hard, but it's nothing like this -- live on cheese sticks, yogurt, BROWNIES. and sickly sweet protien drinks. i CANNOT eat vegetables anymore. :crying: I loved vegetables, and they are healthy for you. I was never successful with diets, thats why I thought this stupid as_ surgery would help me.....but if you can't eat protiens or anything healthy cuz they hang up on the lap band --- and if it does not affect the VOLUME you can eat, what the hec good is it????? If I do not see a major difference by the end of the year with this miserably useless procedure, I am having the wretched thing ripped out, and having a magnetized sign made to go on the side of the car that says LAP BAND IS RIP OFF, DONT DO IT. I am 235 lb. I need to get down to 140 lb. That is 95 pounds. At that rate, it will take me about FOUR YEARS to loose this miserable weight. I need to find a job, I lost my job of 7 yr, due to my husband's terminal illness, and face it, we all know employers discriminate against what they call "FAT UNDISCIPLINED STUPID HOGS". Thats how they view you. I'd like to start dating sometime in the future. But we know how middle aged men view women who are overweight, no matter how intelligent or attractive the woman, and no matter how ugly and bald and fat the man....... "Hey, I don't date FAT CHICKS!"---and anything over a size 12 is a FAT CHICK in their eyes. So, unless I can get some of this weight off somehow, and obviously IT WONT BE THRU THE LAP BAND, I guess I am destined to PUKE forever, live on disgusting yogurt forever, and be FAT and have no dates and no job FOREVER. Do I sound bitter, angry and pissed off! Of course I do. I am not normally an angry person. But, when you puke all the time, and when you are hungry all the time, and you can't even eat anything that you LIKE, and you can't share social meals or social occasions with friends or family, and you are still trapped in a fat body in spite of all this misery, WELL HEY. NEWS FLASH. IT JUST MIGHT MAKE YOU CRANKY AND ANGRY. YES. LAP BAND HAS RUINED MY LIFE. I HATE IT. I WOULDNT EVEN RECOMMEND IT FOR MY WORST ENEMY. :wub: :wub: :eek: :smile:

Background: I ate "dinner" at 6 o clock (fish and yogurt). went to church. now i'm up to bat again at the plate-the dinner plate hahaha! not good. and now that it's night and i'm feeling blue i eat another even bigger dinner. I grew up as a grazer. I would eat a little here. Go Play. eat a little there. do my homework. eat some more. And it was all okay. I was a tiny kid/young adult that was healthy and hopeful. As I have gotten older this mode of eating has been slowly waging a war against my waistline. A little bit here and there has turned into a big problem. I guess now the major differance now is that my grazing portions have really increased...eat a lot here. eat a lot there. eat....eat....eat... Now for me grazing provides an opportunity to avoid responsibility for my food and my life. Grazing whenever I feel sad or upset helps me to avoid the problems in my life. Grazing also allows me to trump the food journal system. If I can't remember (or choose not to remember) what i ate because it was a bite here and there, then I can't write it down and feel bad about it. Food journalling makes me feel depressed. So I figure if I'm eating in weird patterns and ways I can somehow avoid the pain of accountability. I really don't know what else to say, other than I need help. Are there any other hardcore grazers out there? how did u face up to what you were actually eating. what rules or strategies did you use?

7 1/2 weeks post op, and I'm at the point where I'm trying different foods here & there to see what my tummy can handle, and determine what will work. This weekend, I did some research & was determined to find things that would be healthier for me. I seem to eat eggs, in some form or another, more often than I'd like. While I try to have egg whites instead of regular eggs whenever possible, it still gets old. Plus, I worry about my cholesterol getting high as a result. While grocery shopping this weekend, I noticed that Dannon Lite Greek yogurts had a few new flavors so I bought a few in hopes of giving those a whirl for breakfast on their own, or adding them to protein drinks so I can get my protein requirement up (something I still seem to struggle with). I also found a greek yogurt with strawberry preserves and chia seeds that had 17 grams of protein. I ate 1/2 of it today, but did have to add splenda because the yogurt was a bit... IDK, tart tasting I guess. I also went ahead & bought several different flavors of Quest protein bars. I think they have about 21 grams of protein. Another way to hopefully get my protein up. We also went to Trader Joe's to see what all the hoopla was about since opening their stores in CO. I have to say, it's OK, nothing really impressive overall. However, with that said, I found something called spinach & kale balls. A serving of four balls (yes, I thought that sounded funny too, LOL), has about 6 grams of protein & about 140 calories. I thought it was tasty, and made a good snack. My 3 month blood work is scheduled in the next month, and I have to admit I'm a little anxious about what the results will say. My concern is that I'm not getting enough protein, and that, while I'm at a healthier weight, and feel better than I did with my extra 100+ pounds, my health isn't as optimal as it should be. No regrets on having WLS, but I must say weight loss is a never-ending challenge. I need to work smarter, not harder.

I had Medicare, so they didn't require a 6 mth diet. So I had surgery exactly 3 weeks from my seminar. I also didn't have a pre op diet (which is rare). I was just told to eat a lite dinner the night before and nothing after midnight. I went to outback for ribs - thats what I considered lite back then! I stayed 1 nite in the hospital (required by Medicare) - your insurance will tell you whether you have to stay or can do OP. The pain was bearable - I had my liquid Vicodin, which I got refilled once. I don't work, but if I did, I think I would've been ready to go back after 1 week for a sitting job, maybe 2 for a more physical one. My pre op diet sucked. I misread my booklet and thought it said 4 weeks of clear liquids and Protein Shakes. I literally starved the first 2 weeks, till I added tomato Soup (thought I was cheating and didn't ell my dr). Come to find out after many month and after re reading my post op directions, I was sposed to be on full liquids for 4 weeks (to include cream Soups, yogurt, pudding) and I wasn't cheating at all! After 3 weeks of liquids only, I cheated and added mashed potatoes. The best thing I ever had. I could've bought stock in KFC! Please don't make the same mistakes as I did tho - my first "real" food was Burger King cheeseburger. Ate the whole thing and felt nothing. Ate normally (just like pre band) for the first 2 fills and 4 mths. Then came my 3rd fill - it was "MAGIC". That's when I really started losing weight. I eat everything, including bread, rice, Pasta. Alot of people can't tolerate them or are on a low carb diet. The only things my band won't tolerate is pizza crust, pineapple chunks, and pancakes (all the P's!) I just eat very little of it. When I go out for a meal (about 3x a week), I can eat about 1/4 - 1/3 of my meal and the rest comes home with me. I just got my restaurant card in the mail today (make sure you get one from your dr) (I've lost the last 2 I've had) which asks restaurants to serve you smaller portions or the kids menu. They charge you the kids price at buffet - it's really nice since I don't eat $12.00 worth of food - ever! The kids menu isn't very healthy, though, so you really have to be careful. I still go to buffets occasionally, only filling my plate once, taking a couple bites of everything. You'll be fine. We're all anxious before surgery. The pain really isn't all that bad. The worst thing is the liquid diet, but if I can do it, anyone can! Good luck! Marci

Dont get discouraged!! Im at day 13 of my stall and I "used" to weigh myself every morning...religiously...like clock work! I put the scale up last week and I only get on it once a week now. I had my surgery a day after you so we are within the same time frame. I have been eating creamed Soups EVERY DAY. I did try some salmon on Monday but could only eat a few bites before it got stuck. I try and stay away from oatmeal and cream of wheat; that's the previous "zero carb addict" in me from my pre-sleeved life. I think if you try and transition from the oatmeal and c.o.w. to stuff like eggs w/ a lil cheese for Breakfast, and tuna, etc that will help. I *was* a fast food junkie cuz i dont know how to cook. But I am being forced to prepare my meals and try and be creative. I have never had an avacado or spaghetti squash in my life! I dont like yogurt and can barely stomach cottage cheese. Try and see food as fuel; try to look at it differently. I was always eating in my pre-sleeved life; everything i did was centered around food!! movies=popcorn, lunch=McD's #2 value meal, friday nite=dinner at restaurant, happy hour w/ coworkers=appetizers, saturdays=bbq grilling w/ friends!! Now, I have had to switch my focus and do other things. During lunch, I walk. No more eating out= soooooo much money saved in my bank acct!! I don't watch as much tv becuz of the food commercials so i find stuff to do around the house. Change your thinking, change your life!! Keep your head up beautiful!!

I rarely drink caffeine now. I used to be a big soda/coffee/tea drinker and I knew it would be a problem if I didn't wean myself slowly. Now, all I drink is Water and herbal tea. I'm allowed Protein drinks, cottage cheese, light or Greek yogurt, broth, decaf coffee or tea, low sodium tomato or V8, Cream of Wheat or farina, sugar-free pudding, cream Soups, milk (2% or less), sugar-free Jello, sugar-free popsicles, and at least 64 ounces of water. It's got enough variety to keep me interested (I hope). And I hope it keeps me full, too.

Hi Kami, I have PCOS as well. In my pre op diet I lost 29 lbs. since surgery (6/27/13) I have lost 20lbs. I was feeling a little down...even after I spoke to my surgeon because he didn't seem too thrilled with my weight loss either. He told me I was at the "low end." Anyway, I have since changed my attitude and I Celebrate EVERY success...even my non scale victories! You will be successful, even if it goes a little slower than other people. The point is...you are losing!!!! Celebrate that!! Since you know that you stall often just make sure you stay on track during those times. Also, find some fun things to do during those times in order to take your mind off of it....bowling, movies, long walks, etc. that stall will not last forever! So...about what I eat. I eat 5 small meals a day, all focused around Protein of course! Each meal is about 10-15 grams of protein. So, one day might be 1. Greek yogurt 2. Drumstick 3. Small Protein shake 4. Another piece of baked chicken 5. About 3/4 cup of chilli. The amounts are pretty small, even though it may seem like a lot of food. I can only take 3-5 bites of anything before I'm full. So, I only count each meal as 10-15 grams of protein. I also drink Water in between these meals. Sol, I hope this helps a little. I just want to encourage you...slow and steady WINS THE RACE!!! We can do this! :-)

Plain fat free Greek yogurt with Splenda and...unsweetened cocoa powder, any extract you like, lime juice or strawberries etc... 1 cup FF ricotta, 1/6 cup powdered milk, 1/3 c Water and 1 T. FF/SF pudding mix (vanilla and cheesecake are my favs.) Blend all. You can also add extract or cinnamon or nutmeg. FF ricotta, season like you would for stuffed shells and heat it with a little sauce. FF refried Beans heated with enchilada sauce and cheese FF cream of...soup and tuna, blended. Just some things that I have tried that I really enjoyed.

Thanks so much margomarie. I was able to get rid of the cpap but it took a little time. Partly because I had to schedule another sleep study to confirm that the sleep apnea was resolved. Keep positive thoughts and be patient. The hormone changes following major surgery are very common. The first few weeks post-op can be something of an emotional roller coaster ride but they usually subside before you know it. Hang in there! No energy, tired and weak are all very common and when you think about it, probably no surprise. Your body is concentrating all of its resources toward the healing process. That's a good thing! But it takes a lot of energy. Perhaps the best thing you can do is get plenty of rest and let your body do its thing. Keep in mind also that it is important to get as much of your doctor's recommended daily Protein as soon as you can. For the ladies that's usually 60g to 80g a day. That can be challenging the first few weeks but it's important to keep working on it. On a low carb diet your body will turn to protein for energy. Getting as much as you can as soon as you can should help with the energy loss. The yogurt and cottage cheese - great ideas!! Most folks find that protein supplements (shakes, powders, etc) are a big help as well. Congratulations on your surgery! It is an amazing, life-changing journey. Are you in the L.A. area? You're gonna love the new you!!

Welcome! You should start a thread and introduce yourself to everyone. Those steriods are bad for putting weight on, I have confidence you will get this regain off now that you are well. In general, I have been really healthy too. I thought maybe I had caught a mild cold until it became obvious I could no longer ignore the chills and fever and body aches. So this is always an interesting question. I am much better today but I had basically 3 days of overeating (compared to my normal) and then yesterday I was hardly hungry - almost like a balancing out day. Today, so far, I feel normal. I think my body really did want more food. I felt AWFUL and could not even muster the energy to do my easy go to foods. After eating the greek yogurt in the house I found myself eating the old easy carby foods. You know, a little cold Cereal by the handful. There was some disgusting microwavable mac and cheese thing I buy for the boys that I even ate (Easy Mac or something). That was absolutely atrocious and I will never buy that for them again now that I have sampled it. My son brought home a pizza and cheesy bread. Because I was feeling so bad, I wasn't making proper meals. I think this can be a good reminder for me how important it is to "eat right" because once you start wandering down a grazing, haphazard way of eating - anything can happen. Good news is that now that the fever is broke and I am just left with a cough, low energy and a stuffed up nose, I am back to eating my normal way and feel no desire to eat that crappy good. I really think alot of it was just that grazing/never quite satiated/don't feel good enough to address it properly thing.