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Refried Beans thined down- cheap, Protein, and tasty. 0% greek yogurt- not the cheapest, but not horrible either Couscous- not sure if I spelled that right, but it's a grain with low to no carbs and lots of protein and it's tiny so it will be easy on the band. My nutritionist said that this could be counted in softs. tuna salad Weight loss oatmeal thined with Water

I will be spending the next week in London at the Holiday Inn Mayfair. I am 10 weeks post-op so I can eat almost anything, but I have managed to become a bit lactose intolerant so I have had to give up on most Protein shakes and rely upon real food. (Protein shakes were difficult to travel with anyway). I could use some tips on local sources of Protein that I can pick up while I am in town. Are there any brands of Jerky, greek yogurt, or other foods I should look for? I am also interested in restaurants and such as sushi bars, tapas, and such where I can get some good protein without too much fuss. Finally I would appreciate ny tips you might have about eating local fare (pubs, curries, etc). Thanks in advance....

Ok, some of you probably already have this but I'm fairly new but just tried this and it's yummy. 1 individual container of plain greek yogurt 2 1/2 Tbls Splenda 2 Tbls of sugar free carmel sauce Stir splenda in yogurt to make sweet and then top with sauce, tastes like pralines n cream ice cream...yummy

Im preop but making my way to the losers bench at a steady rate. So, reading everything here gave me ideas. Im headed to the bahamas for a week and wondered what to do with some foods in fridge since they would spoil. So I broke out the food processor. Using some low sodium beef broth and a partial jar of low fat beef gravy,I pureed and finely chopped some roast beef and peppered beef, stuck it in small portion freezer bags and froze it. We'll see how it holds up and it tasted really good to my preop taste buds..so if your bored with your pureed and mushies, this may be worth a try. Im sure other flavored meats would work as well with their coincided broths/liquids. Not so bland as baby foods. Just thought Id share for those who are sick of yogurt.

Hi linky, how you going? back home 5 days ago!!! Feeling really good an normal!!! Lost 10kg so far and happy about it!! Still on liquid diet , Protein shakes, optislim Soup ( can only have 1/8 a day!) , plain yogurt ( 1/8 a day) and 1 optislim shake a day. Taking all my Vitamins too... Water not doing so well 600ml a day!!!! I'm 3 weeks out today, my doctor want me on liquid for 4 weeks then gradually start eating food.., I'm scared to eat any thing...I'm enjoying my liquids!!! How you going Lincky? What's your progress ? How is your good intake? Are you able to eat much?

Try thinning out with broth. I like to garnish with diced avocado, diced tomato and a scoop of plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It's less fat more Protein. However I agree with @@lauraellen80 you may ant to try it plain first to make sure your tummy can tolerate it. All dressed up it's hard to tell what you are reacting to.

my dr, sid only clear fluids and yogurt 3 days prior to surgery

I love raspberries. I wonder if you could puree and then freeze them for a lovely Italian Ice type treat. Or (I have seen this when blueberries, not sure if it will work with raspberries) but coat them in yogurt and then freeze them and they are lovely little yogurt covered berry treats? Can't wait to see what ideas people come up with. I need to go find a farmers market..

I was sleeved on the 3rd and am allowed a 1/4 cup three times a day (after its been through the blender). I'm struggling to finish that if its anything but Greek yogurt. Was really excited to try eggs today only to discover I couldn't eat more than two bites. Kind of depressing when food was such a big part of my life before. I know it'll be worth it but its not easy!

I didn't actively get into eating fruits until 3 months out (other than an unsweetened applesauce cup or the fruit that was in my greek yogurt) but I did have SOME veggies when in soft food stage. One of my favorites to make was a veggie soup with carrots, onion, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, peppers, and vegetable stock. I also started making no-noodle lasagna which is made using zucchini instead of noodles (it's delicious). So early on it's not so much a worry if you don't get a ton of fruits and veggies in as long as get SOME it's better than none.

Yep, I'm finally here. That fourth fill on Monday did the trick. By yesterday afternoon, I decided to try some real food. First, I had a yogurt which went down real slow. Then, I tested myself w/a solid dinner of chicken apple sausage, asparagus (slightly overcooked on purpose), and pasta. I took very small portions and cut everything super small. The skin on the sausage was a little irritating, but went down OK. But, having the leftovers today at lunch, I got stuck bad. Still no PB. I had to just tough it out until it passed through. Lesson learned... remove the skin on sausage!!! :eek: Its kinda like now is when I really GOT my band. All of the stuff they taught me that I would need to do (small small bites and chew chew chew) was not necessary before and now, all of a sudden, it is. I'm gonna take it easy w/dinner tonight and maybe just have lentil stew or a black bean soup that has been waiting in my pantry for just such an occasion. The really good thing is that I'm still not hungry so I really don't care what I eat. I am a little worried about tomorrow, though. I'm going to a friend's wedding tomorrow night and have no idea what is on the menu or if it will be buffet or served to us. I usually am not a fan of buffets, but I am really really hoping for a buffet this time so I can pick out just a little of the things that I think will work for me. I just really don't want to end up having a stuck episode in public and at a special event like that. My plan is to locate the nearest bathroom ahead of time and cut my food really really really small. Working in my favor are two things. First, all of my friends know I am banded and I am sure she will have sat us all together. So, at least all of my tablemates will know why I am eating such miniscule portions and skipping on meat or dry chicken if that's what is served. They are all very supportive too and won't make me feel weird about it. The other thing is that the bride's own mother is actually banded. So, maybe, just maybe, the menu is actually band friendly. Could I actually be that lucky? :w00t: And then as soon as I survive this wedding, what do I have next? Easter dinner! At least I am hosting so I get to choose the menu. I'm gonna make ham and really creamy delicious scalloped potatoes. Haven't figured out the rest of the meal, but my MIL is bringing baked apples (totally soft and band friendly) and coconut cream pie. Yum! Still gotta figure out some other sides. Really, I think the ham is the only thing that I'm not sure of. I have never baked a ham myself and just hope I can do a good job so it is not dry. And, the good thing is that the only outside guests are my inlaws and they also know I'm banded and are supportive. You know, the thing is that even though everyone knows about my band and is totally supportive. They just haven't seen me ever get stuck before. :eek: And, I would hate to have that happen in front of them and then have them think badly about the band. All of us who are banded know its a learning curve. Every time we get a fill, we have to relearn what works for us and what doesn't. But, from an outsider's perspective, they see you get stuck or in pain once and they think... oh, the band is bad, makes you sick all the time. Oh well, I guess I can't start worrying now about what people think.

I love that yogurt. It's got 13 to 15 g of protein per package, so it's a good bang for the calories, in my opinion. Plus you don't have to mess with it.

Congrats! You are doing really good. Cut the Cipro into tiny pieces and take it with yogurt or SF pudding. ;)

I get mine for $3 a bottle at a restaurant supply company. I put them in Plain Non fat Greek yogurt. I love coconut. I also put it in protein shakes. I love both mint and coconut in the chocolate. In my orange cream protein shake, I also add more orange flavoring..

I'm using the time to try shakes and different soups and yogurts. Then instead of looking forward to the last appointment I plan trips to the beach,concerts,movies. Just had my 21st birthday and I look forward to those that come sooner. And as those go by my last appointment gets closer.

I am allergic to aspartame. It gives me headaches, nausea and vomiting... so needless to say. It's off my list. I have found that Yoplait whips is NOT sweetened with aspartame and are pretty good. It seems like all the 'light' yogurt I've found has aspartame in it. Stevia is the best sweetener that I've found. I have been "OFF" soft drinks for 2 years now, so I don't miss the taste... I am having surgery Dec. 30th and am currently on my pre-op diet. My surgeon suggests Opti-Fast for all his pre-op patients, but that contains aspartame & since I can't do THAT, I'm doing broths, applesauce, yogurt, and protein shakes.

I hate to cook too and still struggle to get as much water in as they want. I do get the minimum 48oz/day but don't always make the 64oz they want. I was so glad to stop eating cottage cheese and yogurt! I scoured the grocery isles for food that looked good and was easy to make (Or better, didn't require making). I have to admit I got a little bit of attitude about my diet when I was ALMOST, but not quite, meeting their calorie and water goals, telling them that I was struggling, and they scolded me and raised my goals. I have a spreadsheet that calculates calories and protein from every food I get with a nutrition label and buy low fat, low sugar foods so the calorie and protein count meets my goal. I got a frown from my nutritionist when I told her I eat ham every day, but I gave her a "look" and told her my calorie and protein goals were being met and she refrained from scolding me. I buy Kentucky Legend Bonless Quarter Sliced Ham because it doesn't have lunchmeat texture and I can just weigh out my portion and eat it cold. I got another frown when I told them I eat beef jerky, but reminded them that 100g of protein is hard to do, jerkey is low calorie and high protein, and I chew it VERY well and spit out gristle. If they have to cut a ball of gristle out of my stomach, then I'll stop eating beef. I switched nuts for peanut butter toast when I started getting hungrier. I eat a lowfat sharp cheddar with crackers. Quaker makes a protein Banana Nut Instant Oatmeal. I also eat 1/2 Atkins Chicken Margherita or Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Grilled Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo (1/2 is less than my 6 oz, but it's easier to just take half and eat the other half the next day and the math is easier too). Those 2 were the best my WalMart carries for frozen food Calorie/Protein ratio that I also liked. For an added vegetable I eat 2oz canned french style green beans with 1/2 oz Velveta low fat cheese heated in the microwave. Tyson makes a fajita chicken that microwaves well if you put a dollop of water on the plate. Turkey bacon doesn't really satisfy my bacon cravings, but turkey sausage is really good. If I'm craving sweets I'll eat a Quaker Caramel Rice Cake or a few dark chocolate chips. Luckily I crave salt, not sweets, and the salt cravings have almost gone away. If I'm going to be away from home for a few hours I pack an insulated lunch bag with a serving of ham, cheese and crackers, and jerkey to take with me. If I'm going to be gone for a day or longer I pack my food in bags and a cooler. I got married a little more than 3 months after my surgery and ate what I wanted at my wedding and during the honeymoon, I just kept the servings really small and took protein with me to make sure I still got enough protein and because I needed to eat more than 3 times a day. After that, I allowed myself one meal out each week, eating my 6oz and taking the rest home. Hubby ate most of the leftovers. After I reworked my diet to include tastier, real food, I switched my protein powder to a Collagen with the added missing amino acid. It mixes best with warm or hot liquids and was approved by my nutritionist. I still use 2 scoops a day, 1 with my protein oatmeal and 1 with my sugar free hot apple cider. I met my goal weight at 7 months, just in time for a Halloween party, and I allow myself a small cheat almost every day (my nutritionist told me to add 100-200 cal per day to stop losing weight and i decided to add a tasty snack rather than rework my diet). I watch my weight to make sure I'm not overdoing it. If I eat out, that's my cheat and it replaces a meal. I order what I want and ask for a container BEFORE the food is served so I can pack away all but 6oz before I start to eat. Some cheats aren't really cheats. I've added in apples, pineapple, strawberries and mango. Breyers Carb Smart Fudge Bars have 50 calories, 3g fat, 2g sugar (0 added), and 1g protein. It's only a cheat because of the low protein/cal ratio. Pure Protein bars could be a meal substitute instead of a cheat and have 180-200 cal, 3-4.5g fat, 2-3g sugar, and 19g protein. I like the Chocolate Salted Caramel that's a little chewy and the Chocolate Mint cookie, which has more of a grainy (cookie) texture but tastes really good. At a party, I may eat a bag of chips (~150cal), or I may give in and eat a single Reese's cup (105 cal). OK, maybe a bag of chips AND a single Reese's cup, I'm weak. Dot's Seasoned Pretzels have 130cal per oz. An entire bag of buttered flavored popcorn has 150cal (DO NOT LICK THE BAG). It's nice to eat something tasty and not worry about if it has enough protein. I just had my 9 month bloodwork done, it's all fine.

I wish I could have them.but my taste buds are bad the sf jello or pudding are way to sweet now and the yogurt just can't stomach it. I have gone thru 3 different chewable vitamins can not stand any, protein water neither. Just hoping to get to my puree stage because looking forward to egg, tuna and chicken salad. Hope my taste buds like them. Keeping my fingers cross. Good luck Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

So I got to go home today! I was keeping down Water and pain pills, so they moved me on to phase II, and that went fine too. Wound pain is being well managed, although I have a lot of gas pain and I'm having trouble with the bathroom. Haven't thrown up any more, and now I'm working on making sure I drink enough water, since I don't have the IV fluids helping me out anymore. My pulse and blood pressure did stabilize, still higher than normal, but good enough that it could be chalked up to trauma of surgery and not any complications. Another thing I thought was interesting is how hard they make it to sleep in the hospital. Between monitor alarms (mine and the others in the room) and blood pressure/temperature checks and drawing blood, I don't think I slept more than 45 minutes at a time. When I got home today I had some water, waited my 15 minutes, had some yogurt, and passed out for two and a half hours. For other people who needed laxative/stool softener: how gross is colace?! Yuck.

Ok guys, I have seen threads before where people said they have a hard time getting much down in the morning. I too have this problem, the bad part is, my tummy is hungry, it makes growling noises, I feel tired and faint, but no matter how much I try the thought of food makes me sick, I feel nauseous looking at it in the morning. I try to drink a yogurt, or have some milk or juice, but I can't even think about food in the morning. By lunch time I'm fine and by dinner I can eat any thing I want (more then I should) What the heck am I supposed to do for breakfast?? We don't eat lunch here until around 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon so I have to eat something in the morning.

Hey Kat, I almost have the very same experience with not wanting anything to eat in the morning, the thought of food makes me sick, and feeling a lil nausea until the afternoon. I also try to get down a small carb control yogurt, but I am pretty sick of Protein drinks. I found at the grocery store some Pepto Bismol tablets and I started taking them two days ago and I have no more nausea feeling in the morning. I still do not want to eat but at least I don't have that sick feeling to my stomach. By afternoon I am ready for a little something but my first fill seemed to have kicked in really good the 2nd week and my fill was on May 18, 2006. Try some of the Pepto Bismol and I guarantee you feel 100% better.

I am 4 weeks out and I will have between 1/2 & 1 cup of food per sitting depending on what it is. Do you have a calorie mark that you have to hit? I was given a list of appropriate mushie food and these goals. Calories 800, Fat 22 grams, protien 68 grams. I haven't been able to meet them with what I am eating (I run out of time during the day) but am getting real close. This is my normal day 8oz protien shake 8am 4 oz carb countdown yogurt 10:30ish 1/2 cup tuna w/mayo and 2 saltines 1pm 4 oz applesauce or Jello 4pm 8 oz Soup or 2 oz meat and some vegtables 7pm I sneak in 1 cup of coffee some days and lots of Water everyday (except weekends - I am not on schedule then and do rather poorly at getting half of what I need) I should throw in another protien shake after dinner but I don't usually get hungry before bed (WOW, isn't that a change) Hope this helps,

I’m trying to transition from liquids to puréed food and feeling not so well today. Thinner purées like apple sauce are mostly alright but thicker foods like Greek yogurt can cause intense pain under my sternum because the air I swallow can’t work it’s way out. It’s breathtaking and stops me in my tracks. Is it too soon? I’ve reached out to my surgeon but in the meantime, do you have any input? I’m just worn out today and not feeling good at all.

Canadian, my fingers are crossed, good luck. Tommy!!! That's fantastic, 93 lbs, now that is encouraging for all of us. As for the ice cream, have you ever tried frozen yogurt. My husband is a big ice cream fan and now he eats frozen yogurt. Chapman makes several flavors, my husband's favorite is cappacino with chocolat expresso flakes and for 1/2 a cup it's about 100 calories. lol about the laundry. What kind of football did you play? We are big Canadian football fans in this house and we have season tickets to the Montreal Alouettes. Go Als Go!

I was just wondering how everyone has been doing myself. Got banded 3/23. Lost a bit over 50 pounds so far, had two fills. Third is scheduled for Sept. 11. Hit a giant plateau for the past month (seriously, the scale didn't budge, no matter how much or how little I ate or exercised or anything). FINALLY started moving again 2 days ago, thank goodness. Hoping to be down 10 by my fill appt (8 left). Hoping I can really drive it home right now since I'm apparently done plateauing for now. Can't eat at all before about noon. Just do a Protein shake or yogurt for Breakfast. I'm trying to get more fluids. I've always been a big drinker but for the past two weeks I have noticed that I've not been drinking much at all (mayyybe 60 oz a day, nowhere near enough for me). So I'm making a conscious effort this week to up my Fluid intake. Other than that, things are going well. I was getting really aggravated about not losing any weight, but at least I didn't gain. Have gotten stuck a few times via user error. I will decide that 11:30am is close enough to 12 to eat, and then get stuck. My body is on some weird time clock. Anyway, hope everyone else is doing well!