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I wouldn't say I cook blandly, but since the surgery I'm not as adventurous with flavors as I used to be. I used to like spicy things and now I steer clear. Probably because I had something early on that was so spicy it made me start coughing and I felt desperate for a drink. I haven't wanted to repeat this. I don't buy specific WLS condiments, but I do measure. I also look at the labels and buy mostly natural ingredients and yogurt based salad dressings.

We were told that Sauces were our friends for dry meats. LIke, my nutritionists advise it LOL. I use yogurt dressings, balsamics, or some naturally sweetened with honey ketchup, much smaller amounts that pre-op though.

I just got my pre-op diet yesterday and was told to start it as soon as I could get to the store. My surgery is on June 26th so that will be roughly 2.5 weeks. My diet is not just liquids either. I have 6 meals/snacks. All but 1 include either fruit or veggie. 1 includes yogurt. 1 includes nuts, peanut butter, beans or hummus. 1 includes meat, veggie, and whole grain starch or 1/2 potato. I'm hoping it won't be too bad. The only real issue is a trip to Disney for the weekend between now and surgery. Don't quite know how that's going to work.

Are they letting you do full liquid or still just clear liquids? I am on day 8 too but i can do full liquid so i can do protein shakes. I have found savior in putting Greek yogurt in a blender with a popsicle and making it super thin. It hasn’t upset me yet so I’m calling it a win.

Thanks Jess. I'm not even sure if it is lactose intolerance. I was sleeved 5 weeks ago and when I wake up I feel good. I find that even water will cause a gas bubble to form and the burping begins. And I'm not aware of swallowing any air. I'm staying away from all dairy to see if it helps but so far I haven't noticed a difference. Only been two days. My gastroenterologist said it could be GERD and has me taking two PPI's a day. I've been doing that for two weeks though and I can say some days are better than others. When it's bad, it's bad. Whatever it is! I can't figure out what's different on the "bad" days as I've pretty much been eating the same things. If they' were bothering me, why would I ever have a "good" day? So I'm eliminating dairy first. I'm concerned about getting enough enough protein each day without the whey protein or the Greek Yogurt. I just can't eat enough meat, fish or eggs. My gastroenterologist did tell me when I'm having a bad day I can add Gaviscon which I can tell you really helps. For that reason, I'm thinking it's more about the GERD. I don't understand how that causes so much excess gas and bloating though? I know it's all trial and error, I'm just afraid I'm not ingesting enough because on the bad days I barely eat or drink anything for fear of making it worse. Hopefully I'll figure it out soon. Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate it.

Many people do develop issues with dairy/whey/lactose post op...as well as aversions and intolerances of other kinds. Most of the time they dissipate by six months out or so. I couldn't eat eggs for months. I had issues with some dairy for several weeks. Your stomach (and intestines depending on the type of surgery) have been cut open. They won't be performing optimally for a while. BUT if you have issues with whey protein it's not a lactose intolerance. It's a different issue. I was just clarifying that issue. So you might have issues with whey protein or you might have issues with yogurt, but you might not have issues with both. So eliminate one and see if the other still bothers you. Then try switching.

Beat the summer heat with this fresh and healthy Greek yogurt bark! When the summer temperatures sizzle, we often wish for a frozen treat to cool us down. This easy-to-make treat is tasty and sneaks in a good amount of protein. Both kids and grownups will enjoy this treat during the heat of summer. Get the recipe for this sweet, healthy treat here .

Follow the rules/guidelines. I see so many posts on forums & social media where people try to advance themselves with food, try to go back to work early, lift things heavier than brute suppose to etc. All sorts of things that are out of their guidelines. I am on a Facebook group for WLS (connected with the insurance/hospital I am associated with) & people are eating mashed potato, yogurts, pudding & creamed soups when that stuff isn’t allowed on our program and they know but say, “oh but it went down fine.” Of course it did, it’s a slider food. People fail to realize that they just had major surgery & just because you feel “okay”, doesn’t mean you can start doing whatever it is you want. That’s kind of how we got fat in the first place. This is a time to start anew, a fresh start, so follow the guidelines.

I made potato and broccoli soup and tomato basil. I stirred Greek yogurt into both to increase the protein. I plan on making split pea and lentil soup.

Usually tea or coffee with protein shake then cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit for breakfast Lunch is salad with protein like chicken or fish

Surgery was 5/29, so far great, no sickness, no pain pills needed. My surgical glue is already starting to peel off, i go back to work tomorrow. I've lost 31 pounds since my first day of my liquid diet. So 31 pounds lost in 21 days. I feel great, I have tried small bites of yogurt, mashed potatoes, refried beans, and sugarfree vanilla pudding. Nothing upset my stomach. Im still on liquid diet other then just a small bite here and there. Getting my water, and trying to get all my protein in daily. I love how I feel, im excited to see how the months to come go. Good luck to everyone on the pre op side, and good luck to us all on post op side. Keep us posted. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm sure people have posted this kind of thing before, but breakfast or lunch? I'm mostly at a loss for breakfast. I'm 7 weeks out and I suppose I'm still on soft foods? I'm gluten free. Anyway, I know a lot of us do shake for the protein boost and I do that often but that can get boring and I do eggs all kinds of ways. What else? I'm a good cook, but I hate cottage cheese so that's out. It's like bariatric breakfast seems like shakes and eggs and I know more than that. LUnch? I guess my brain is drawing a blank. I am not a fan of salad (yes, I know) I just can't think of stuff that's new and interesting. Looking back it looks I eat leftover breakfast, yogurt, some low fat chees, shakes. I need variety! So basically i just want to know, what do YOU eat?

What’s Wrong with Away-from-Home? There is nothing wrong with eating outside the home – unless you are average. That is because the average restaurant meal has more calories, more fat, and more sugar than the average home-cooked meal. You can reverse this, though, with some awareness. Classic Breakfast Sandwiches The classic breakfast sandwich or burrito can have eggs, cheese, and meat. From there, the sandwich can vary widely. An egg white McMuffin from McDonald’s, for example, has 260 calories, while a Croissan‘wich with bacon and sausage from Burger King has 620 calories. Skip the butter and any fried potatoes, such as hash browns or shredded potatoes, and choose: Ham instead of bacon or sausage. An English muffin (or nothing) instead of a bagel, biscuit, croissant, or tortilla. Egg whites instead of whole eggs. Café Choices Coffee shops and bakery-café’s offer all kinds of fresh, tantalizing, and absolutely off-limits foods. Hint: you do not need a cinnamon roll with 50 grams of sugar to start your day. Stay away from the breakfast pastries and breakfast sandwiches on bagels. Instead, you may be best off with an “a la carte”-style breakfast. Look for items such as: Plain oatmeal or oatmeal with nuts as an add-in. Fruit cups or whole fruit. Low-fat cream cheese – you can spread it on half of a whole-grain bagel. Smart Suggestions Starbucks offers some hot breakfast options for under 300 calories – their egg white bites have only 170 calories – and Dunkin Donuts offers some DD Smart Wake Up Wraps for 160 to 240 calories. By the way, a Bismark donut has 490 calories. Subway offers egg whites, ham, and reduced-calorie cheese on 3-inch subs, so you can avoid too much bread. Lunch for Breakfast You may not need to depend on the breakfast menu if the restaurant serves lunch early in the morning. If that is the case, you may be able to get grilled chicken, turkey breast, and cheese on a salad. Bring Your Own There is a chance that you may not realize how easy and quick it can be to bring your own breakfast from home and avoid restaurants altogether. We understand if you have exactly zero seconds to dedicate to making your breakfast in the morning before you leave home. You can stash it in the car or fridge the night before. If you have access to hot water before you have breakfast, these options can work: Protein Oatmeal with an apple or some walnuts. Protein Muffins in flavors such as Blueberry, Double Chocolate, and Maple Pumpkin. Protein Hot Chocolate with milk for extra calcium or protein. If you are going to eat in the car or have no microwave at work, you’ll need something ready-to-eat. Consider: Protein Cereal in Honey Nut, Chocolate, or other favorite flavors. Oatmeal Raisin Protein Cookies. Fruit and cottage cheese or yogurt. A Protein Bar. You can have the best of both worlds: a meal as quick and easy as a fast food meal, with nutrition that fits into your meal plan like a home-cooked meal. Way to start the day right!

@pinknova I didn’t experience headaches but did have low blood sugar causing dizziness, nausea and vomiting. I’d talk to your surgeon. Mine was great and helped me modify what I’m taking in and I no longer am having that problem and my sugar is staying around 80. My surgeon told me that some people are very sensitive to ketosis and suggested I drink a little juice or have something with natural sugar several times a day. I avoid any processed sugar still. But will do a all natural yogurt popsicle, Greek yogurt - I can only eat a few teaspoons at a time but it really seems to help, organic apple juice. Also, when going out I carry a few peppermints in my purse, the ones that dissolve quickly on your tongue. Took me what seemed like forever to figure out what was going on. Wishing you all the best in your journey.. also adding this small bit of natural sugar has not seemed to impact my weight loss I’m down 20 pounds since surgery and had surgery exactly 2 weeks ago today.

Oh.... yogurt, refried beans with melted cheese,eggs, perhaps a softened string cheese, cottage cheese. Protein drinks. those worked for me. I happen to like BAKED tofu not white or jiggly later maybe deviled eggs and shredded chicken thighs. Whoopee. You got a fill... I had a difficult time after 11 years when I was unfilled!!! Fills truly helped. Good luck

Ate mashed potatoes from Boston Market today (a regular size side which I think is 5oz, separated into three sittings), but nothing else. Going to try and get in a PP shake before bed. I'm also drinking water with meals because I feel so dehydrated and don't care about feeling full since I need to eat way more. Just ordered some protein fruit drink packets from the BP store since the PP protein waters aren't treating me well lately. Tomorrow I'll pick up some unsweetened soy yogurt and try blending it with fruit, and maybe freeze it into popsicles. I'm still so angry because my RNY itself is fine with everything I'm giving it. No issues at all. It's just my freaking mind and mouth and throat that are the problem.

Ditto on the small sips at a time ALL DAY LONG. I even keep a small glass of water on my nightstand and may have a sip or two if I wake up. I also diluted the Premier shakes with decaf or hot water which makes them much easier to take---it still took me at least an hour to get one down. I now have about 1/2 of one in my morning coffee since I refuse to use powdered creamer. Jello, sugar free popsicles, Powerade Zero and Crystal Light also can count as water intake. First pureed foods I tried were baked chicken breast, steamed cauliflower and cottage cheese. Baked the chicken in broth and seasoning and then added broth, plain greek yogurt, and Duke's mayo to the food processer bowl until it came out like a moist paste. Too dry does not work. Steamed cauliflower for about 12 minutes until really soft then added some "lite butter" and Montreal Steak seasoning and this is like garlic mashed potatoes. I have also tried baked salmon (yum), canned tuna (meh), green beans (meh). Baking up some cod fillets right now. These foods worked great for me, I still have 10 days on pureed to go. At first I only put a tablespoon on the plate and have increased slowly to about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per meal. I take very small bites, savor them and swallow. No idea why but my program says no baby food, no soups.

Sugar isn't in everything. Stear clear of dairy, fruit, processed foods, and you will eliminate 90% of the sugar in your diet. If you eat yogurt, choose Greek yogurt with less than 20 carbs per container. Fruit and other dairy products are not necessary for nutrition. Don't get me wrong, I eat those things, but I don't have problems with loosing at the moment. Simply put, eat lean meat and non starchy veggies. It sounds boring, but it works! Meat---->Veggies---->Repeat. As far as the fiber goes, you can add a soluble fiber to your water intake. You can find some that are tasteless.

I'm in the same boat and so glad I found this thread! Had my surgery 12/2013 at 229 and went down to 130. 4.5 years post-op and I'd kept my weight down until last year. For some reason, last year my sugar levels got out of whack (now I know it was because of carbs!) so all the starch I was eating made me hungry every hour. Over the last year I gained back 20 lbs and I'm so discouraged. I finally admitted defeat and visited my surgeon 2 weeks ago. He gave me the original post-op food plan and now I'm hoping to get back on track. I use the myfitnesspal app to track my foods and I'm staying away from starch big time. I've lost 2 lbs since then but it's going so much slower than the first time around. It's so frustrating to get on the scale and not see progress!!! I can't figure out how to eliminate sugar completely since everything I eat has some in it (yogurt, even fruit!). He told me to eat high-fiber foods but Fiber One cereal is a starch and spinach leaves isn't helping any so now I'm totally confused. I'll keep checking this thread because I can use the encouragement as well.

The morning rush is common, as your hectic schedule may include working out, packing up, getting your children off to school, and getting to work. It is no wonder, then, that nearly 1/3 of breakfasts are consumed away from home. You may find that you have no time to eat at home, and find yourself depending on a drive-through, coffee shop, or café for breakfast. Fear not: you can get a healthy breakfast that keeps you going through the morning and fits into your weight loss diet. Just plan ahead a little! What’s Wrong with Away-from-Home? There is nothing wrong with eating outside the home – unless you are average. That is because the average restaurant meal has more calories, more fat, and more sugar than the average home-cooked meal. You can reverse this, though, with some awareness. Classic Breakfast Sandwiches The classic breakfast sandwich or burrito can have eggs, cheese, and meat. From there, the sandwich can vary widely. An egg white McMuffin from McDonald’s, for example, has 260 calories, while a Croissan‘wich with bacon and sausage from Burger King has 620 calories. Skip the butter and any fried potatoes, such as hash browns or shredded potatoes, and choose: Ham instead of bacon or sausage. An English muffin (or nothing) instead of a bagel, biscuit, croissant, or tortilla. Egg whites instead of whole eggs. Café Choices Coffee shops and bakery-café’s offer all kinds of fresh, tantalizing, and absolutely off-limits foods. Hint: you do not need a cinnamon roll with 50 grams of sugar to start your day. Stay away from the breakfast pastries and breakfast sandwiches on bagels. Instead, you may be best off with an “a la carte”-style breakfast. Look for items such as: Plain oatmeal or oatmeal with nuts as an add-in. Fruit cups or whole fruit. Low-fat cream cheese – you can spread it on half of a whole-grain bagel. Smart Suggestions Starbucks offers some hot breakfast options for under 300 calories – their egg white bites have only 170 calories – and Dunkin Donuts offers some DD Smart Wake Up Wraps for 160 to 240 calories. By the way, a Bismark donut has 490 calories. Subway offers egg whites, ham, and reduced-calorie cheese on 3-inch subs, so you can avoid too much bread. Lunch for Breakfast You may not need to depend on the breakfast menu if the restaurant serves lunch early in the morning. If that is the case, you may be able to get grilled chicken, turkey breast, and cheese on a salad. Bring Your Own There is a chance that you may not realize how easy and quick it can be to bring your own breakfast from home and avoid restaurants altogether. We understand if you have exactly zero seconds to dedicate to making your breakfast in the morning before you leave home. You can stash it in the car or fridge the night before. If you have access to hot water before you have breakfast, these options can work: Protein Oatmeal with an apple or some walnuts. Protein Muffins in flavors such as Blueberry, Double Chocolate, and Maple Pumpkin. Protein Hot Chocolate with milk for extra calcium or protein. If you are going to eat in the car or have no microwave at work, you’ll need something ready-to-eat. Consider: Protein Cereal in Honey Nut, Chocolate, or other favorite flavors. Oatmeal Raisin Protein Cookies. Fruit and cottage cheese or yogurt. A Protein Bar. You can have the best of both worlds: a meal as quick and easy as a fast food meal, with nutrition that fits into your meal plan like a home-cooked meal. Way to start the day right!

Hello fellow sleevers- need some advice and encouragement. I am two weeks post op and having a real hard time with the second phase foods. Soup, yogurt, and a soft boiled egg were “god sends” after being on clears for the first week. However, after “enjoying” some of those for the first few days, I now find myself having an aversion to all of them. Just the site and thought of protein shakes, yogurt, eggs and soup makes me nauseous. Even sipping water, something that I always did prior to surgery, doesn’t interest me. Is this normal?? Have my taste buds gone through some transition along with the surgery? I’m staying the course and trying to consume at least 70-90 g of protein, but it is real difficult!!!! any advice? Is this just temporary?? Will it all change once mushy foods are allowed? Yes, weight is coming off but it sucks in there process. Thanks for you help and advice.

thanks for the info! I so appreciate it!!! I go to doc tomorrow and ill discuss it with him and then my nutritionist as well. I do try and eat yogurt sometimes but only one teaspoon full and i cant take anymore.

Whey protein has no lactose (whey protein “isolate” means they have isolated the whey and separated it from the other parts of the milk including the lactose), but yogurt does.

Since my sleeve surgery 5/3/18, I've had excess gas and bloating but no diarrhea, the opposite, along with what feels like spasms or cramping. I was not lactose intolerant before surgery but NUT said it's possible after surgery. I'm walking and following all instructions and thought this would be better by now but it isn't. Since the surgery I have been having whey protein and Greek yogurt so I'm wondering if that's what's causing this? Maybe this is just how it is for a certain period of time after the surgery? Any thoughts or recommendations anyone has is greatly appreciated.

I had part of a container of light Greek yogurt (don't remember what flavor) and part of a banana mashed up. The banana was especially delicious!