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At the Toronto Centre, many of us have to do 14 days of nothing but nonfat yogurt, cottage cheese, and low glycemic veggies. No fat, no carbs and absolutely no sugar. I am on day 2. It's dreadful, but I am thankful that I had about a week of 'last meals' followed by 'last snacks' and topped off by 'last treats'. I literally stuffed myself with garbage to the point that yogurt and veggies are actually a welcomed change. I feel more energy and less bloated after only 2 days. I don't know about weight, but it has to be effective if it shrinks our livers! Good luck!

Bandster, WOW, what you said really made sense to me. I've fallen in to the soft foods 'easy' trap! I've been eating soft foods because they are easier to get down and that might be where I've been running into problems. I wrote down everything I ate yesterday and today when I got on the scale, I was up a pound. This is SO frustrating. I'd be happy with 1 lb. a week at this rate!! I'm getting VERY close to getting VERY discouraged/disappointed! This is what I ate yesterday - if anyone has any feedback, I'd be very interested in hearing it. 3.5L (~120 oz.) of Water 1 Cup of Tea 2 Instant breakfasts (one morning and one afternoon) 1/2 cup of yogurt, granola & strawberries 1 cup chicken vegetable soup for lunch 1 oz. cheddar cheese 1 cup skim milk 1 shrimp enchilada I didn't exercise because I'm doing Curves 3x a week (and today is my day to go again). Any ideas anyone? Thanks in advance for your help!!

becky!!!!! girl, we have been going through this together...banded same date. and have ran into each other several times with similar experiences. in my opinion, you are not getting enough solid foods. I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR food ALL THE TIME IF I ATE THAT...but that is just me. i was tight, where i was eating like that, and i was miserable. you didn't have anything solid until dinner. now, i know that some people on here do the same thing, and if that works for you great, but those liquid calories in Soups and instant breakfast, and yogurt add up really quick. i think the instant breakfast has like 90 cal, yogurt usually the same, they do have Protein, but mixed with milk you get more calories than protein. but again, i am not perfect. this is a typical day for me: breakfast---around 10..nothing before.. 3/4 slimfast high Protein Bar (190 calories and 15 grams of protein for the whole thing). 3/4 of a 1/2 of a tuna sandwich for lunch..on wheat, with some fritos in the sandwich ( i know weird). for dinner, 4 bites of solid meat, hamburger steak, real steak, chicken...whatever, 2 bites of veggies, and if i have room, starch. ...that is typical, definately not the rule though. for instance last night, i forgot to eat cuz i wasn't hungry, then i had sugar drop, got the shakes, inhaled some tuna salad on chips, threw it all back up because i didn't chew very well..then had nothing else for dinner. so i had nothing for bk, 1/8 of a nacho bell grande taco bell (weakness), and then nothing for dinner....know what i did??? pigged out on ice cream snickers right before bed... that's what i get for not eating. you are eating healthier than i am, but i think you would get less calories with more solid Proteins. my doc has a rule....he doesn't like for us to have milk..EVER...i don't like milk..so no problem for me, and he doesn't want us drinking our food. period. i thought the only way that i could lose weight was to be super tight, but i was wrong. and i feel a lot better now that i'm eating. i lost 4 lbs since last week!!!!

Sorry I haven't posted lately, but there's a bunch of drama going on at work. It's got me pretty stressed out. I was doing great after the fill, but now I'm thinking I may be too tight. I can drink liquids fine, but if I try to eat anything, it hurts. I try to eat yogurt for breakfast and I can't finish it because it hurts to eat it. Later in the day it was better, but the past few days, I can't seem to eat anything. I ordered a salad tuesday night and could only eat 2 bites. It hurt and I couldn't eat anymore. I don't lose weight well when I can't eat anything either. My body holds onto the calories I do eat and then when I can eat something, I'll gain. I want to see if I can lose some weight this week and if it'll loosen up, as it usually does as the month goes on, but if I'm still this tight on Monday, I'm going to see about a slight unfill. At least being this tight I won't be tempted to eat too much this weekend. I'm visiting my parents. I've tried to eat most of the food that is usually okay, and it all hurts. I couldn't even eat soup the other night. This is teaching me to eat MUCH slower though. I can nibble if I go extremely slow. It still hurts, but at least I've been able to get some protein down. I don't have acid reflux and don't feel any other side effects. It just hurts when I eat. Weird. Other than that, everything's going great. Well, work sucks. They are giving us a 2% pay cut due to the budget. But the boyfriend is being awesome and I'm very happy with the relationship. I've met his friends now and I think they like me. Our sleep/work schedules are out of synch, so we don't get to spend as much time together as we'd both like, but he is definitely making a big effort to see me more. I'm looking forward to the weekend. It'll be good to see my parents. I'm just dreaming about solid food!!!

I need to post new pics, though I guess I haven't because the weight loss has been pretty slow. I didn't lose anything for awhile and one week I gained back the weight I had lost the week before, but now I'm at 237 which I'm still pretty happy about because at least it's going in the right direction. I know I could be doing better. I've been eating small portions, but "regular" food instead of "diet" food. I just got really sick of yogurt and cottage cheese. Plus I think I was too tight for awhile and that made me eat whatever I could get down. I did have an "epidsode" today though. I've been able to eat pretty well, small portions but most foods. I've eaten steak several times but only a little bit. Well today, I was out of town for the day with my boyfriend and we didn't get a chance to eat so I was super super hungry by 6pm. I met up with my friends who don't know about my WLS and ordered a ribeye. I ate it way too fast and had to throw up. The worst part was that I thought I was going to throw up right at the table. I ran to the bathroom, but it was really crowded and no one likes hearing someone puke in a restaurant, so I went outside. It was really crowded out there too with people walking around, parking, etc. I just kept hoping it would go down, but no dice. I finally puked by my car. I still felt like I needed to puke more so I paid my tab and told my friends I got suddenly sick. They were really concerned and worried. Then I had to puke again by my car. I got home, barely, and puked a little more and then laid down and was okay. Stupid of me to eat steak fast. I was actually considering getting another fill on the 11th but now I know I should not. I just need to be patient and eat healthier. I'm just impatient because it's not falling off the way it was at first. However, I know that the slow weight loss is better for the skin situation. Other than that, things are going well. I have a couple of days off work so I'm enjoying them. I'll get the official weight loss at the doctor's appointment on Aug. 11th. I'm going to keep hitting the gym and crack down on the food choices until then and hope for a good weight loss.

I'm in need of some support today! I ate 2.5 cups of frozen yogurt this morning for breakfast after a fight with my husband.. I'm ashamed and have not emotionally ate in SO long. Brings back a lot of unhappy memories... just need some love today!

What stage are you at now? I see you had surgery on 1.14.20? Can you give us a little more information? There are lots of ways to "cut" protein drinks to adjust their sweetness. My favorites are: Cut RTD protein drinks with decaff coffee or decaff tea. (Great both hot and on ice and blended into frappaccinos!) Cut RTD protein drinks with fat free milk or nut milks. I like high protein Fairlife or Mootopia fat free. Cut RTD protein drinks with nonfat, plain kefir. Cut RTD protein drinks with nonfat, plain Greek yogurt. Cut RTD protein drinks with nonfat, plain Greek yogurt + 2% cottage cheese to make a "protein soup". Add sf Walden Farms Blueberry or Strawberry Pancake Syrup (it's even better if you add 6g Vitacost Peanut Butter Slim Powdered Peanut Butter--tastes like PB&J without the bread). Make custards with RTD + Add a scoop of favorite flavored protein powder to Greek yogurt and stir well--tastes like pudding. Love Isopure Bananas & Cream this way! Add a half scoop of unflavored protein to a bit of cold broth to make a paste. Slowly add more cold broth until it's the thickness you prefer. Slowly heat but know protein clumps at temps over 145º. You can do this same thing to cream soups like strained cream of chicken. Add a tablespoon of unflavored protein to anything like refried beans, smashed roasted cauliflower, alfredo sauces for zoodles or over well-cooked green beans. Add a tablespoon of unflavored protein to a quick "Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole with Canned Chicken" for soft food stage. So dang good!

Hi Viktoryalynne!!!! Wooohoooo another 11/5 sleever. This is exciting!!! Soda has not been an issue for me. Flavored water works well for me. Lol I'm at Walmart now getting H20, yogurt and almonds!

Welcome, Chelle. I will first say that I did feel pretty good before surgery, although my labwork suggested otherwise. I had been obese for so long that I guess I didn't know better. Once I lost all the weight, I realized how "good" really feels! In answer to your questions: Taking meds: I did have to crush them for a couple of months and it is disgusting. Unfortunately, that's part of the process. I found that the quickest and easiest way was to simply put the powder on my tongue and wash it down with water. (I tried them in liquid, in yogurt, etc.--even worse.). After trying various multivitamins, I found that "soft chews" worked best for me. Even the so-called "chewables" in hard form made me gag. Water: It is indeed very difficult to get the full amount of water at the beginning, but it gets better over time. Bear in mind that protein shakes can count as part of the liquid requirement. Just do the best you can. I had a bottle of water with me all day long and took sips as often as I could. Liquid and puree stages: Yep, they are boring. I found, however, that I had no appetite whatsoever and had to force myself to get enough protein every day, so I didn't really care what things tasted like. If you mean "bland" as in not spicy, that is probably best in the beginning. I ate lots of non-fat Greek yogurt at the beginning, and I got really sick of protein shakes. Again, it's all part of the process and you will get through it. I've never heard of anyone having to "start over" after eating the wrong things during the puree stage. Some people talk about a "pouch re-set" when they stop losing weight, but that's more psychological than an actual physical issue. Good luck! I promise that you will look back in six months and wonder why you hadn't done this sooner!

I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience... I had taken off all the bandaides from my tummy, (left the steri-strips alone of couse) I am very very sore still, and find most of my soreness on my left side. My large dressing/gauge area (where i think my port is?) is the most tender, swollen, and painful. The weird thing is that to the left an inch from where the dressing/bandaides are is where i feel a definite firmness. Naturally Im paranoid that something is wrong, and that the port flipped or somehow moved significantly to the left. I don't have a follow up with my surgeon until Wednesday (5 days away)... Should I worry? Otherwise things are good. I have been drinking chicken broth, k20 pink lemonade protein drink (delicious), edensoy chocolate soy milk, muscle milk, carnation instant breakfast, and have had a little jello here and there as well. I have no interest whatsoever yet in yogurts, cream soups, etc. Clear liquids, and full liquid protein supplements have been great. Today I managed to stay awake a few different times for 1-2 hour increments. I am currently utterly exaughsted and about ready to go back to sleep... Oh yeah did I mention that getting in and out of bed is very unpleaseant? And forgot lying anything but flat on your back.. Oh well. Angela

Ok, well I came home after spending around $45 on stuff at the grocery store. I got 2 little things of meat baby food (I'm sure I will regret this), some cream of wheats, organic lowfat creamy soups-in-a-box, (broccoli? butternut squash/ tomato) a bunch of yogurts, puddings, and i think that just about does it. Have I ever spent so much on so little? I ripped open a boston creme pudding and devoured it right off the bat... Probably shoulda eaten it much slower. For dinner? While my husband and kids have fried chicken, cole slaw, and delicious pan sauted fiddle heads I will attempt to feast on a lovely liquid delight.

I just had my band on 9/12. I was having a hard time getting my fluids in. I had maybe 32 oz yesterday. i was trying to only drink fluids with protein (Isopure, special k protein water) I am also allowed cream soup and plain yogurt, but these aren't of interest to me either. Today I received a call from the nurse who said not to worry so much with the protein and try to get my fluids in. I started with plain cold bottled water and it went down soooo much easier. Follow your dr's instructions by all means, but this has probably saved me from dehydration.

Ok, Reese and Crystal what have you been eating? I panicked today because I had been doing protein shakes and throwing fresh fruit in them with skim milk and now I am not sure that is allowed. My hubby made me homemade chicken broth for dinner that I am going to eat and I ate yogurt and creamy tomato soup for lunch but I just hope that I interpreted the pre op directions correctly. I need a piece of mind because I really want my liver in good condition for surgery. I still have 8 days to get it right.

It probably has different definitions for different people. For me it was the two day pre-op period and the first 10 days after surgery, when I could only have protein shakes, broth and Jello. I just couldn't choke down any more vile broth. I was dying for some yogurt or cottage cheese or oatmeal. I NEEDED my mushies!!!! Fortunately, I went in for my post-op, and got the approval to start with soft foods.

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:

I did use yogurt as well. The drinkable ones are less thick , so they are probably easier to go down, which would be a good choice. good luck to you!

I agree you probably didn't gain 1 1/2 pounds of fat. However potato is a bad choice. My doctor said to choose high protein mushies low fat cottage or ricotta cheese, greek yogurt (use splendra to taste as it is very sour). Week two I could have canned chicken and tuna mixed with low fat laughing cow cheese.

I hope I will be able to have yogurt. That is one of my daily foods. I havn't had surgery yet.

i sleeved on 1/21/13 as well. i can eat 1/2 cup of certain foods.....but i need to leave about bites on my plate when it's pureed c veg chili or refried beans....it becomes tight my chest.soup or yogurt ican eat much more. i think they are ..once you move solid food you will feel feel and stay that way longer.

I am the exact same way! I was sleeved on 1/21/3. I can eat a whole yogurt, pudding, and egg... I get all my fluid no problem. I had a 2 pound weight gain in the past 2 days only lost 8 pounds since surgery. Very frustrated!!

Hi Erin! Hope you are doing ok. Are you on Clear liquids or full liquids? I could't have anything you can't see through for 12 days. Then I went on full liquids, which is anything you can pour, for another week so the drinkable yogurts were ok at that point. I haven't been on line in a few days how did your surgery go?

So far (almost four months out), the only thing I've found that consistently gives me trouble is Mexican-style spices, even if it's super-mild (I don't like much spicy stuff anyway). My stomach has not liked that any time I've tried it. I get the slimes every time, even from just a bite or two. Otherwise, so far I haven't had problems, at least not consistently (and since it's not consistent, I'm more apt to think it's because I ate too fast or didn't chew well enough or something, rather than the food itself). I haven't tried soft/fluffy breads/biscuits/rolls yet (other than one tiny bite), but I've eaten toast and tortillas and such. I don't dump on natural sugars for the most part, as long as I don't consume "huge" amounts, so I don't drink a full serving of juice in one sitting (I'll either water it down or spread it out over a couple hours). I try to avoid added sugars over 5-10 grams, depending on the product (more lenient with yogurt than with some unhealthy treat, for example).

I did try a free sample of it that I received and it mixed well with my greek yogurt, so if you are just looking for a taste-free option that mixes well, it seems like a good source of at least 15 grams of protein. In their videos they say it doesn't mix great with straight water (didn't try it myself), but does mix well with any flavored beverage like Gatorade and with hot beverages like coffee or tea.

I have been a restricter for so long that it is hard for me to let that go -- but what a relief. I don't "diet" now but I am still very mindful. I make good choices, try to focus on Protein, etc. Today is Easter and we had a big brunch. I let myself nibble on cheeses and olives and have a few Mimosas. I had a custom made teeny tiny omelet, skipped everything else not because I wasn't letting myself have it but because I didn't want it. I wanted that cheese! My surgeon's rule of thumb is full for 4-5 hours and I am experiencing that. I am not a Breakfast eater so my midday meal is my first of the day. If I'm hungry later I grab almonds -- four of them. Or I might have one of those 100 calorie Greek yogurts with some chia seeds and a little bit of gluten free Cereal in it. This might be a meal or it might be a snack, depending on whether I'm hungry. Likewise with dinner I might have a real dinner (small, high protein) or just do something like that yogurt. Once in a while I do a shakes day -- will do that tomorrow to tone up my band and brain after a weekend of socializing. I look forward to the shake days -- but that's because of that old restrictive behavior which I'm still shaking off.

I am 4 months out and struggle with food portions quite a bit. Some days 1/2-1 cup is plenty but other days I am still hungry or 1/2 cup is way to much. I've found that it also depends on the food that I am eating. I am able to tolerate Soups, yogurts and fluids/shakes a lot better than other foods. They key is also eating slowly and allowing your brain to realize that you've eaten, feel full and satisfied. It's hard and I find that I have to pace myself still. It's easy to get back into the habit of eating quickly again. Definately a difficult habit to break. Oh and keep up the good work!!