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The first 3 days are the worse and then you leave "withdrawal" and it gets better. What else are you allowed to have? I was on full fluids but hate yogurt so the dietician allowed to have lite ricotta cheese (4 oz) once a day. Good luck. Drink, drink, drink....

Ok everyone here is the thing, I'm being banded on 1/25/07, and I just have a few more questions to ask. Ok on the two week pre op diet should I A. Stop smoking until after surgery, and B. should I go on this 10 days or 14 prior to surgery date, because all I am allowed is glucerna weight loss shakes *very expensive* juice broths teas lowfat or plain yogurt not very exciting haha. Ask your surgeon. Each has their own pre- and post-op guidelines. Also what kind of anasthesea do they use is like gas or is it like the liquid valume stuff they pump in your iv. In the prep area I was given some kind of liquid thruogh my IV that made me a little loopy. They called it "happy juice" and "milk of amnesia". In the OR I was given gas. The last thing I remember before waking up was them putting the mask on... it was a little crooked on my face, and I thought - "All the gas will leak out and I'll never fall asleep..." Then I was waking up. Or does it depend. Also what I want to ask is some statistics like how many ppl have their band after years of having it in, Well, then you'd have to know specifically what you want to know. "How many people after years" is impossible to answer. I know two sisters banded in 2001 and both still have their bands. or how many have died from it None to date, that I'm aware of. Refererring to the band itself. or how many bands have eroded etc. The erosion percentage is something like - less than one percent (if that's now inaccurate, someone please correct me). So find some literature and get a number of how many people have been banded, and multiply by .01 and that's your worst case scenario. Just a few scary thoughts. One other thing guys I can't sleep on my back I have to normaly sleep on my somache is this going to be a problem? I doubt you'll be able to sleep on your stomach, at least in the first week. It took me (I think) 2 days to get into my own bed. Until then I was sleeping in a recliner. Once in bed I slept on my back propped up on about 5 pillows, or on my side with a pillow under my stomach to support the port incision. How much pain medecine do they give you is it all liquid, how much pain are you in when you wake up from sugery? When asked to rate my pain on a scale of 1 - 10, which they asked me before I was fully awake, I answered "like a half". I just didn't have any pain. Within the first 45 minutes of waking up I was given a dose of hydrocodone. And upon release they have me a rx for a week's worth. I took about half of it, then went to liquid Tylenol. I didn't have significant pain unless I was standing, sitting, coughing, sneezing... or hitting potholes in the road.

The type of yogurt you get has a *lot* to do with the taste. Out of all the greek yogurts, Fage is by far my favorite. Normally Fage isn't in with the yogurts in the dairy case around here, often you have to go to the tree hugging section of the store to find it. It's very smooth, not gritty and has a nice tang. Try mixing in sugar free syrup like Torani or Archer Farms. Archer Farms had a pumpkin spice one during the holidays that was delicious.

I was also banded on the 24th and have done very well with the liquids....I haven't been hungry at all....I got to start on soups, pudding, yogurt, jello and of course protein shakes and water....and have been ok with it all. O yea sf popsicles....I have lost 9 lbs.. so far good luck to you

Yup...I made it through the Clear liquid weeks. I am now to be on full liquids for a week...Thank God I can have a latte again!! I do have a question...I am pretty sure that I have NO restriction, and I am afraid that I still eat too much, and/or too quickly. Are we supposed to take 30 minutes to eat 2 Tbsp of Malt-o-meal?? I can go through it pretty quickly, the same goes for cream Soups, yogurt, pudding... What type of potential damage am I doing by eating too fast? Also, I am still unfamiliar with what it feels like to be full. Still, I am down 13 pounds in two weeks, even during the healing stage!! Sheryl Dr. Wetherille 244/231/140

Greek yogurt is good on Protein and lite. Seafood. chicken. Im 6 weeks out and I don't get enough Water in either...or protein. I have to make myself drink and I try to make all my meals have good protein but the meals are so small. Its hard.

I'm still allowed just full liquids, which to my doc means strained Soups, cream of wheat (watered down with milk), Greek Yogurt, and SF pudding. At my 2 week check-up, which is Tuesday, a day prior to my actual 2 week mark, I will get cleared to move to mushies. I can't wait. Liquids aren't filling me up as much as I expected them to. Oh, and I drink Protein shakes between meals.

I haven't been brave enough to try Greek yogurt since surgery and I love it but did try the diabetic friendly low carb dannon. Don't try it! It's not good at all!

Lisa, I know that I have had great weight loss the amazing thing is that I have been stalled for over a week now. As far as my diet goes ever since I was told I could advance to the mushie diet I have kinded cheated and not chopped or blended any of my food. I have had absolutely no complications with my new tummy. I see people posting that they barely get down 1 egg and I have been putting down 2 or more if I eat them alone. My typical daily diet is 2 scrambled eggs with a piece of toast for Breakfast, a greek yogurt for a snack, tuna or chicken salad for luch sometimes with whole wheat crackers, then a cheese stick or half cup of cottage cheese for another snack. All of that takes place at my work between 8 - 4 I usually have around 200 calories left for dinner where I try to have chicken, a vegetable and a potatoe. As for my hunger being an acid problem, I don't think that is the problem. I have been using liquid zantac sine the day I was able to return home after surgery. I have also tried using tums with no change. Hope this answers some of your questions and I will be looking forward to your feedback.

I think you the regret you are feeling is normal-I know I felt it and still feel it sometimes-I am early on but I do understand what you mean. It is a kind of mourning the loss of freedom in what you eat, the pureed stage of the diet is horrible and i have got to the stage of almost puking when I eat cottage cheese or yogurt. I am sure I may never eat cottage cheese again. I am getting to the stage where food is just what I have to eat to live. I think we can go through the 5 stages of grief with this surgery! Some people may laugh at me but I think it is normal to do this

I am not starting this thread for actual answers, merely to get it off my chest. I am struggling, I mean really struggling. I am so out of control and I blame noone except myself. I wont clean my house out of these foods because I have done that a million times in my life and it hasnt worked. I have to learn to have them in the house and ignore them, or have them in moderation. I mean, before banding I hated ice cream. I love it now, I have it about 4 times a week. Grrrrr...peanut M&Ms, my biggest downfall. I have great restriction, eat small meals and feel full, then BAM 7.30pm comes...the kids are in bed and I am like a raging animal going through the cupboards looking for food...cant just be anything though...fruit, yogurt or healthy things just dont cut it. Now let me talk about exercise, each night I go to bed thinking tommorow I will start walking or anything. I go to sleep so motivated, and the next day I just cant be bothered. I have to give up smoking for my TT next month. I gave up for 3 days last week and in those 3 days I put on about 5 lbs. it scared the crap out of me and I turned into this psycho that bit the kids head off with anything that came out of my mouth. Hubby didnt want to come home from work...he was scared!!! I have read all the threads...keep temptation out, see the bigger picture, wake up to yourself...I know!!! I really know and I knew it before banding and it didnt work, and nearly 11 months later its not working after banding. I wish I had energy...I wish I wasnt tired all the time, I wish I wasnt addicted to chocolate...I wish I had motivation and I wish I had self control...One more thing, I wish I could give up smoking without going to hell and back in the process. *sigh*

I'm still on full liquids. Lunch today was a bowl of tomato soup with a spoonful of Greek yogurt in it. Tastes just like thick, rich sour cream!!

If ur on anything u can drink thru a straw, why r u limited to broth? I was on full liquids for 4 weeks. I had 1/2 cup of Progresso Tomato Basil soup (yummy, btw) or Andersons Split Pea about every 3-4 hrs. Warm stuff fills me up more than pudding or Jello. If I never see another cup of split pea soup, it'll be too soon! I was also allowed soupy cream of wheat/malt o meal and yogurt. Good luck to u!

i'm not running, so maybe that's the difference? typically i have greek yogurt w/fruit. btw - doing nothing today:)

Copied from http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2012/01/frozen-protein-drops.html Tons of interesting recipes I want to try on this blog. Frozen Protein Drops A quick and easy, weight loss surgery friendly frozen protein snack... Shelly's Frozen Protein Yogurt (or Pudding) Drops 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (or sugar free Pudding) 3-4 Tablespoons (to taste) of any Protein Powder Mix together till well combined. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and drop tablespoons of the mixture (yields about 25 drops) or fill an ice cube tray. Freeze till solid about 2 hours. Store in the freezer (up to a week or so) and pop a few in your mouth whenever you want a frozen protein treat or add to smoothies for an extra protein boost instead of ice. In this batch I used Celebrate ENS in strawberry & chocolate Milk. I had weight loss surgery in one of the hottest summers on record. I would have LOVED these that summer. I kept hearing the music of the ice cream truck driving by the house and it about drove me nuts.

B -1 cup Unjury protein broth + 1 cup coffee (the real stuff) + vitamins Lunch - 2 ounces baked chicken Snack - 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese Dinner 1/2 Stuffed Chicken Breast (Rouses Bacon wrapped + cheese + ham YUM)+ a few small peas After dinner snack - prob yogurt (need to get more calories ....hahahah....that NEVER was a prob before!)

Warm a 3 oz can of chicken. Then spoon in 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt. Then sprinkle a little reduced sodium taco seasoning over it and mix everything together. Mexican flavor!!!

For plain Greek yogurt? That stuff is rank by itself!

My name is Heather and I was a fast food junky, lol. Right after banding I had a rough time with this during the post op phase. I did not eat fast food, but I craved it so much that it was almost painful for me to drive past and Arby's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, McD's, etc. Part of my problem with overeating was impulse control - you could immediately get whatever you wanted from a fast food joint. After a few months I stopped having cravings. I knew that almost everything I could buy would make me sick, so I didn't even want to bother with it. Now I have something from a fast food place maybe one every week or two and there are options. You can get a grilled chicken patty at McDonald's for $1.40 where I live. They just put it on a piece of lettuce in a side salad container. That is actually filling and is enough food. If I am extra hungry I might get two, but I could never finish two. Fruit & Yogurt parfaits are also not too shabby. Grilled chicken sandwiches are great anywhere but it is hard to get them without bread sometimes. I just toss the bread. A personal favoite is the spicy chicken fillet from Wendy's but it is big and I can't finish it. It is breaded - but I think I have only had it 2-3 times since banding. Their chili is also decent with some hot sauce and not too many calories either. Taco Bell is great with the zesty chicken bowl or refried Beans. These can be ok options for a bandster. I can never finish a bowl, but a side of beans is just the right size. A crunchy taco supreme works as well in that the crunchy tortilla doesn't get stuck, the sour cream makes it go down well and there are really not many calories there. I don't eat burgers or fries anymore. They just don't satisfy me and I can definitely pb on fries. Burgers are just too greasy (never bothered me before but with the modified diet I can't believe I used to like them).

It depends on the day. Haha. In the early days, I ate 4-6 times per day. Now days I do a complicated rotation. It's the way I maintain my weight. This morning I was 129.4lbs--a Christmas Miracle I'm waiting to see if it sticks or not! If it does yay, if it doesn't I won't be devastated). But I'm at the bottom of a maintenance window I would not be sad to reduce by another 5 lbs to my BDG Goal = Barbie Dream Girl Goal. So it's business as usual for a Thursday for me = Meal 1: B1 - 3 protein lattes with 1oz of Premier Protein + 7 drops Vitacost Liquid Stevia + Decaff + ground cinnamon 1 cup tea (green decaff tea + Earl Grey decaff tea + 1 shot of unfiltered ACV + 1 lemon wedge + cayenne + ground cinnamon) Meal 2 (optional): B2 - I will either eat around 10-11 or I will skip if not hungry. Meal 3: L-Big Ass Salad (1 1/2-2c of salad + 2-3oz dense lean protein + 2-3tbsp Zero Cal Dressing + 1 serving healthy fat (I will eat this until full. Sometimes it's the whole thing and sometimes I finish the balance as my afternoon snack) OR Turkey Cheese Rollup with raw greens and veggies OR Green Soup OR Green Smoothie with fiber OR Can of Sardines and Raw Veggies Meal 4 (optional and regulated by hunger): AS-Either leftovers from lunch OR cup of Herb OX no sodium broth + baby greens + mushrooms OR 1 hardboiled egg OR 3-5 oz of raw veggies + 1/4c fat free Greek Yogurt Dip (Tzaziki, Ranch, Onion, Asian) Meal 5: D-3oz protein + 1-2oz veg + 1oz avo/1oz tom + 1 serving healthy fat or extra cheese Meal 6 (optional and regulated by hunger): BS-usually a decaff + 1oz Premier Protein OR 1-2oz underripe GS Apple or pear + 1tbsp nut butter OR 14g walnuts or almonds OR 1 square 90% Lindt Chocolate + 14g walnuts or almonds

I know exactly what you are talking about! I had been wondering why I could eat bread and other things when everyone said they couldn't. Well, after my last fill, I'm always trying to find something I CAN eat. Chicken just doesn't work at all anymore. Neither does beef unless it's shredded and I'm very loose. So sick of yogurt and cottage cheese. Haven't found a really good protein mixture, but still trying. Have just seen a few suggestions, but keep them coming! Getting frustrated!

Be glad, my pre-op diet is a complete liquid diet starting on Nov 24-surgery is scheduled Dec 1st. I can only have protein drinks, low-fat cream soups (strained), sugar free jello or pudding, yogurt-no chunks. I am on a clear liquid diet the day before surgery. After surgery-I have to follow the same liquid diet for 2 weeks before adding soft foods. But it will be worth it.

I am 4 days post surgery. I have NO energy...I know that I didn't have a lot before the surgery because of the weight, but I had more than this. I am walking around the house as much as I can. I am drinking my Protein Shakes, lots of Water, some tea. I have eaten some yogurt, applesauce, and broth. All of which is on my instructions. I would like to be doing some normal things, Am I rushing it ? Any advice is welcome. I know I am still on the liquid diet and that is fine, but I want to be able to do more. I really don't see how people go back to work at this stage...I am a teacher, so thankfully, I have the summer to recover and get used to my new lifestyle. I can't get the ticker tracker to show up on here!!

There is not just soft fish and yes tuna would be ok...you might want to mix it with something though like mayo,don't worry about fat content just yet. Sole,haddock steamed with lemon,pureed chili,soft boiled eggs,mashed potatoes,yogurt,mashed carrots,mashed turnips. You can blend or mash anthing,just make sure there are no big lumps. C

Well I am at 5 months now and since I was 3 months I’ve honestly eaten basically every type of meat. I limit the red meat and don’t tolerate greasy food well so I limit it a lot, but I have tried about everything without issue. I prefer shrimp and other seafoods or chicken because they are less likely to make me feel bad. I haven’t eaten ground turkey yet and don’t really plan to start. It is super unappealing to me. I like regular turkey but ground turkey and chicken are not something I am interested in trying. I also love beans for variety. I think adapting to focusing all my meals on protein has been a big change for me personally. Has taken some adapting but the results have been awesome so I’m all in. I also gave up yogurt after week 4 bc I was able to hit protein goal without it.