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I had my first experience with dumping syndrome after trying a Greek Yogurt drink. I just looked at the protein and not the sugar content. Whoops! It's pretty unpleasant and a good lesson to learn. Thankfully, I was at home. This would've been embarrassing in a public restroom.

Surprisingly I'm doing great too! Two shakes per day and soup at night have kept me sustained. Even taking my grand daughter to McDonalds yesterday was tough, i took my shake with me! I'm allowed yogurt so that was my treat. In four days, I was down six pounds so that made me smile.

Welcome back @Miss Topaz! I missed you! Thanks for checking in here. Your voice is important! On a sadder note...I'm not so well behaved these past few days. I believe I can trace it back to the green smoothies and 15 extra carbs per day. Now many of you will say bullsh*t on that one. But I'm very hyperinsulinemic and know from my past history that 15 carbs can be very significant for pushing me over my limits. I was starving and also SOOOO munchie hungry yesterday. It's been this way since April 10th (ironically, the day I started the green smoothie experiment). My will power broke down yesterday. and Iron Will (my pouch) was besieged and overrun. I had taco salad (homemade) with 4 Quest cheddar and sour cream chips. You gasp, "Oh no! Not taco salad!!!" But see, taco salad is part of my kryptonite group. I have a hard time controlling portions. They are usually GINORMOUS. And they also usually contain things that are hard on me (like charro beans, black beans, and/or grilled corn). Last night it contained 1/4c beef taco meat + 1/8c charro beans + 1oz tillamook cheddar + 1oz Grk yogurt + 1/2oz shredded cabbage +1/3oz avocado + 1tbsp cilantro + 1tbsp green chile salsa and 4 Quest Cheddar Sour Cream Protein Chips. That may not SEEM like a lot to you, but it was closer to 3/4c of food rather than my 1/2cup volume. It was over my 3.5oz by weight limit. And it DID NOT FILL ME UP! I wanted more even after I finished. But sooo weird. I felt nuts guilty like I'd had a big time badass binge. My meal has 263 calories in it and 10g carbs with 3g fiber = 7n carbs. But that's about 100 to 150cals more than I've been eating per meal. Then, less than 2 hours later I added insult to injury. For dessert I came back and ate 1/2 of an Atkins Dark Chocolate Decadence Bar and and 6fl oz of Fairlife FF Milk. AT THE SAME TIME! WTF???? WTF is wrong with me? I swear I didn't even give it a thought that hey dummeh! What are you doing eating and drinking at the same time? My dessert was 139 cals and about 7g of net carbs. My total day I had 750calories and yet I feel like I ate 7500cals. OMG>sooo sooo sick last night. Like wanting to vomit/gagging/praying I vomited and cramping sick. Nothing much came up except for a few foamies and drools, and tg no Big D. But it was close enough to convince me that I should never eat one of these again. The Atkins bar stuck in my pouch (I think?). I didn't realize it was chewy from lc caramel. I thought it was more like a piece of cake with icing. Big mistake! I honestly don't even know why I bought them. I had read one of the posts on here about someone wanting a rich deep chocolate brownie and that set me off craving my old Texas Sheeth (Sheet) Cake and a glass of milk. Uggggh!!!! But I really felt like I had lost control of my sanity with the choices I made yesterday. And all because I felt like I was coming down with a head cold and was too pooped make our grilled chicken breasts. And so I rationalized like the crazy woman/addict that I am, to get what I wanted. To give my body a FIX--a hit of serotonin and dopamine. My food drug buzz. So weird huh? But in doing some sleuthing, I've realized that since I began forking with my afternoon snack of green smoothies, my hunger has increased--so has my desire for more comforty food than just KISS food. I want the comfort preferentially over the healthy right now. And see? That's my old pattern rearing its ugly head. So I'm gonna reel it in now. And seriously have to look at my actions and have accountability for MY poor choices. I'm not gonna beat myself up for it beyond this accountability post, but I'm not gonna sweep it under the rug and claim this wasn't a screw up that has the potential to mess me up. Sorry notserry. But everything in moderation doesn't do well with me. If you give me an inch I will take a mile. And frankly, I don't know how small she made my pouch or how much malabsorption I have cuz I feel like it isn't very much. So in many ways, I feel like I'm in the same boat I was in pre-surgery. I'm afraid to weigh this morning but I'm going to. Ok, back. Weight was 196.2lbs. Way to reward bad behavior, body.

I start my Pre Op Diet today. It’s beginning to get real. I have been preparing by doing Protein Shakes, yogurt, Water, Jello, and ice pops for 2 of the meals and then having what I wanted for one meal. Had my share of food funerals with friends. I must say that I have some really amazingly supportive friends. We are now in our 50’s and friends for 45 years. We went out Friday night for my last bender and we all committed to getting healthier and all committed to begin walking rather then always going out for dinner. HW 227 Current Weight 213.7 Surgery Date 4/25/18 Getting excited.

Do not eat anything that tastes sweet. Period. It leads to the wrong gut bugs developing population in your gut and forcing you to crave what they want, which is sugar in some form. It’s the only craving you can’t satisfy with healthy food, so don’t ever eat sugar free popsicles, jellos, or fruit. At least no fruit for 6 months. Develop a taste for roasted root veggies, even potatoes - all gut bugs need carbs but the better populations love starchy vegetables. Make your treats be things like 85% or higher dark chocolate or potatoes or roasted other root veggies. Stay away from all sweets. Each time you eat, eat protein. Use veggies and beans or seeds as your bite or two of carbs after the protein each time you eat. When I get the munchies now I eat 90% dark chocolate which you can eat in small quantities, and it is no longer a candy. It’s got very little sugar so it’s more of a vegan antioxidant with a pick me up than a sweet. I kept fruit out of my diet as my nutritionist suggested for 6 months. Now I can have one strawberry a day or a handful of blueberries. I’m only 9 lbs from goal. I am so glad that now sweet things make me feel quite ill. I used to have a sweet tooth. I eat at least 50% fat every day, so I know for a fact ain’t fat making us fat. So if I want a triple cream cheese or full fat yogurt (plain) I go for it. Or a juicy steak. I never look for low fat or lean anything. Eat fat, plenty of protein, and some veggie carbs. It will really lower your cravings I promise. Those gut bugs are too powerful when they want something.

yogurt, sweet potatoes cantaloupe and spinach also good sources of potassium.Swiss chard, navy beans, lentils avocados, winter squash salmon Brussel sprouts and V8 juice. Of the top of my head,that's the ones I remember. There may be more that I'm not thinking,of. Hopefully there will be something on that list that may help. Almonds, cashews. pumpkin seeds. sunflower seeds all high in magnesium as well as broccoli. Could be a lack,of that, I remember they give magnesium sufate to slow down premature labor, if it works for those muscles stands to reason it might help,with cramping. 👍👌😝

The struggle is real. I try to compensate for the protein with greek yogurt and egg whites. It's better than not getting any protein. I suffer through 1 protein shake a day.

Thanks Alex. That's awesome news! It's hard to find the WF Marinara and some of the other WF products. @nycgirl18 I kinda stick to the same WF products lol. I've tried many of the dressings but my faves are: Italian Asian Sesame Ginger I also use the Amazin' Mayo, both Chipotle (my fave) and the original. I like to combine them with Country Dijon or Lowensenf Extra Hot Mustard cuz it cuts some of the sweetness. I also use the WF Ketchup combined with Heinz Reduced Sugar to cut the calories and carbs even more. I use WF cocktail sauce in combo with the HRS ketchup to make my own Southern cocktail sauce with lots of horseradish for only 8cals/2tbsp. I also use the WF Marinara combined with the lowest cal/carb marinara from HEB to make a SUPER low cal/low carb marinara. I use the WF Marshmallow Cream combined with Vitacost Peanut Butter Slim Powder to make super low cal/low fat/low carb Fluffernutter (great on pork rinds). What? Don't judge. I use WF Blueberry Pancake Syrup on low carb pancakes, cottage cheese, yogurt and in smoothies. Hope this helps you.

I’m also going on a cruise 7 weeks after being sleeved. This will be my 31st cruise, but I’m already mentally planning how I will be successful. I will still be on purée foods then. Lots of soup and yogurt for me. I’ll be taking protein shakes and unflavored protein powder to add to things.

I tried protein water, not a fan. I get some protein from greek yogurt and egg whites. I don't have problem drinking water, I love it. I can only get 1 shake down a day. Ive tried all the favors but I just can't stomach more than 1.

I had the same - I lived on Gatorade and diet cordial until I found a soup I could stomach - I couldn’t do water. Little sips little sips. They told me at the time - don’t worry about diet right now just don’t get dehydrated. Then I moved onto a brand of high protein yogurt and lived on that for awhile until I could do purée. It wasn’t until about a month maybe 5 weeks before I could do protein shakes and get my numbers ideal. It is a big adjustment for you and your stomach. Be kind to yourself, the first few weeks are the hardest but it gets so much better.

OK, y'all. No sooner was I craving greens, than I'm feeling "deprived" and hungry and wanting more food. So weird. LOL. The cravings are out in force this week. So I decided to do another experiment. I know that I can safely eat 3.5oz of food by weight (measure on a digital scale). And usually that 3.5oz is a mixed meal and it will ALWAYS fit in a 1/2c measure (by volume), that I actually set on the scale and tare between things in the meal (ie protein, veggies, sauces, cheese, toppings like Grk yogurt, or sliced almonds, etc). Today I decided to go bold and see if I could bring on the "meat sweats." (Gotta love Progressive and Flo...) So I cooked all the shrimp I had since it's SUPER low in cals and has the highest protein return. Peeled and deveined it. And measured out 1/2c volume on the scale. It took 3.2oz of cooked shrimp! Yahoooo! Under my weight limit for a meal. Score! So I added in 2tbsp of my homemade lc/low cal cocktail sauce (8cals/2tbsp) and dayum, shazam!!!! I was able to finish the entire 3.2oz of cooked shrimp + 2tbsp cocktail sauce. I am full--but not stuffed. I feel satisfaction and don't feel "snacky." So now I'm gonna see how long it holds me. Oh, btw, that meal gave me 19g protein; 2g fat; 3g carbs for only 107 calories.

I'm wondering if that might be the way to go. I feel like it would be less expensive to buy an unflavored powder and then just add that to other stuff - soup, yogurt, possibly water and crystal lite, assuming that doesn't make it taste nasty (do they make protein powder you can mix in water instead of milk?). I think regardless I'm going to have to get the powders and mix my drinks just because of the cost. I'm hoping that will be less of an issue by then but I'm not counting on it lol

Nothing cheap but nothing outrageous either. My favorite is Whey+ by Legion Athletics. You can only get it online but all of the flavors are great and the calories are low. They also have an unflavored powder that you can mix in soups/broth and yogurts!

Walden Farms = WF (I've negotiated with myself that the value of zero calories/carbs/fat is worth the reduced pleasure in the taste of WF products. I make KNOCKOUT dressings...but they are packed with olive oil and fat grams, calories and things that go bump in the night--and I'm still trying to stay around 450-550cals for now while I'm in this early 2 month weight loss phase. WF dressings I tolerate well: Italian, Asian, Sesame Ginger. I also use WF cocktail sauce to mix with Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup and stuff to make a delish low cal, LC cocktail sauce. I also use WF ketchup to make a low cal version of 1000 island. I use WF Blueberry Pancake Syrup as a topping for yogurt and cottage cheese. I use WF Marinara in combination with the Central Market Taste of Italy Marinara sauce for a SUPER low cal/low carb version of marinara and pizza sauce. ) Nooge = Nutritional Yeast. I use either Bob's Redmill brand or I buy from bulk bin which is Red Star. It tastes a little like parmesan cheese without as many cals + more protein. For 16g (2 heaping TBSP) it's 60cals; 8g protein; 1g fat; 7g carbs; 4g fiber; 3g net carbs; 0g sugar. I rarely if ever eat a full 16g serving. Usually it's more like a teaspoon or sometimes a tablespoon. HEB has it.

I don't think so. I'm one who keeps carbs low, low or lo lo. LOL. But I add low glycemic fruit here and there--and as many veggies as I possibly can. Not too much in 1 day--but that's just me. Today my AS is scheduled to be 3 slices of Hillshire Farm Naturals Black Forest Ham + 1oz of fresh blackberries (sale+beautiful=score!) Last night I didn't feel like making dinner so we just had my "breakfast cereal" which is 1/2c mixture of 2% cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Isopure protein powder, PP (1oz to make it liquidy), 6g sliced almonds, 6g Fiber One, and 1/2oz blackberries. Sadly, I did get hungry about 2 1/2 hours after dinner--so am testing them again today with just the ham. I routinely have a snack of homemade coleslaw (1/2c) or salad made with WF dressings (so not to waist calories) and red fat feta or red fat blue cheese crumbles and sometimes some grated egg. Or I have a 1/2c of cooked veg with a spoon of Nooge on it. This morning I had scrambled egg whites with baby spinach and mushrooms and 1/2sl of 2% Kraft deli deluxe, and hatch green salsa, 1/2 c of goodness! 86cals; 11g prot; 2g fat; 5g carbs; 1g fiber; 0g sugar.

I am on the 2 week pre op liquid diet that started Wednesday. My surgery is April 25th. Unfortunately, I wish I could eat pudding and yogurt however my doctor has me on a CLEAR liquid diet which means I am restricted to broth, sf jello, sf popsicles, mio, crystal light etc. I can have protein shakes however but those get tiresome real fast. I am having no trouble meeting my fluid intake however I am so hungry I'm nauseous and not now. I've been feeling foggy, and occasionally dizzy even though I am taking vitamins religiously all of the ones my doctor told me to. Does anyone know of anything I can add to my clear liquid diet to give me a little reprieve?

Just an update, I had my surgery April 2nd. Stick to the pre op diet and lost 15 lbs before surgery. I’m 10 days post op and have lost another 11 lbs. I have to say that I was very uncomfortable immediately after surgery, the pain from the gas is sort of weird and it’s just hard to get comfortable and pain medicine really didn’t help. Once I was up and walking around and sipping fluids I felt sooooo much better—so to all you getting sleeves in the future, the first couple hours after surgery suck but push through you will find relief! Especially from walking. It has definitely been an adjustment drinking I was a “gulper” before now I constantly sip. I feel full from very little amount of food like 2 tablespoon of yogurt and I have to eat really slow. Just today I am starting to have my apetite back, I’m still on full liquids until I see my surgeon next Thursday and I’m hoping he advances me to puréed. Good luck everyone!

Baked ricotta is a yummy soft food. I ate a lot of tunafish mixed with hummus at this stage or those tuna creations in yummy flavors becuase it added to protein content. There is also canned chicken and crab if you can stand that. No mayo of course but I find the hummus a very yummy alternative, or avocado and lemon. If it is too hard for your tummy I recommend using a food processor. I also ate greek yogurt, mashed sweet potato with a little olive oil, homemade protein ice cream was a favorite too, fat free re-fried beans with a little taco seasoning and fat free sour cream on top heated in the microwave. Hope any of these help!

So, I got my pre-op diet plan. Two days before I have to do stage 2, the full fluid stage where I can have yogurt, protein shakes, and cream of wheat. One day before is nothing but clear liquids, so it won’t be tooooooo bad.

Fast food is a fact of life for so many of us, so is it really reasonable to expect it to disappear from the scene after bariatric surgery? Note: This isn’t an article on “How soon after surgery can I eat pepperoni pizza and wings?” This is an article on making the best choices you can given your situation. Consider Macros That is, “macronutrients,” or carbohydrates, fat, and protein. The news is bad on the surface since the average fast food meal has more carbs and less protein per calorie than the average home-cooked meal. You can work to turn this around, though. Carbohydrates: Cut back on carbohydrates by skipping the starchy sides: French fries, potato chips, and hash browns, steamed, fried, or Mexican rice, and breadsticks. Try to go “green” (lettuce wrap) or “naked” (no wrap) with your burger, tortilla, or sandwich; if the fast food joint cannot honor your request, just eat the filling with a knife and fork, and throw away the bread, bun, tortilla, or taco shell (if you are feeling guilty because of starving children in third-world countries, make a donation. You’ll do more good than you would by adding starch to your hips). Protein: How can you boost your protein intake at a fast food restaurant to be what you need? Skinless grilled or baked chicken, lean cold cuts, cheese, and beans can all up your totals, and yogurt is an increasingly common side option. Even a small burger patty can give you 10 to 15 grams of protein, although it comes with a few extra grams of fat. A good protein goal for a meal is about 20-30 grams. You can get that for 200-300 calories with any of the following. Burger King Double Cheeseburger, no bun; Grilled Chicken Garden Salad, no croutons; or Veggie Burger with cheese, no bun or mayo. McDonald’s Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad, no cheese; or Grilled Chicken Sandwich, no bun or spread. Taco Bell 2 grilled or fresco steak soft tacos, no tortillas; chicken or steak Power Menu Bowl, no rice or cheese. KFC Grilled Chicken Drumstick plus green beans or side salad. Panda Express Grilled Teriyaki or Asian Chicken. Fats: Your first order of business is to avoid anything fried. You will be avoiding excess grease while also avoiding sneaky carbs in breading – did you know that the amounts of carbs in onion rings and fried chicken are comparable to the amounts in bread? Also, watch the fatty spreads – think mayonnaise – salad dressings, and dips. Find the Vegetables Protein and vegetables…does this sound familiar? It should, since your goals when eating at a fast food restaurant should be the same as when you eat at home. Vegetables help fill you up without filling you out, and it is best to eat as many of them as you can handle with your pouch or sleeve. It may take a little more digging to find vegetables at fast food restaurants than at home, but you can usually do it. Here are a few leads. Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and any other available vegetables on burgers and sandwiches. Order a side salad or baby carrots with your meal. Check for salads with grilled chicken as an entrée. Pile salsa and diced vegetables onto your naked burrito. When “Value” Isn’t Besides the convenience, the deals are among the most tempting things about fast food. For pennies more, you can often add fries and a drink, or you could get a second burger or taco for half the price. Don’t do it! “Value” depends on what you want and need; why would you pay extra, even if it is “only pennies more,” for extra fat, sugar, starch, and calories? A healthier definition of “value” might be to pay the least you can for a meal that is convenient, delicious, and healthy. Why include “oversized” in your definition? For those times when fast food simply makes sense, go for it – just keep yourself on track by reading the menu carefully and staying focused. You can do it, no matter where you end up. You might as well enjoy it!

Consider Macros That is, “macronutrients,” or carbohydrates, fat, and protein. The news is bad on the surface since the average fast food meal has more carbs and less protein per calorie than the average home-cooked meal. You can work to turn this around, though. Carbohydrates: Cut back on carbohydrates by skipping the starchy sides: French fries, potato chips, and hash browns, steamed, fried, or Mexican rice, and breadsticks. Try to go “green” (lettuce wrap) or “naked” (no wrap) with your burger, tortilla, or sandwich; if the fast food joint cannot honor your request, just eat the filling with a knife and fork, and throw away the bread, bun, tortilla, or taco shell (if you are feeling guilty because of starving children in third-world countries, make a donation. You’ll do more good than you would by adding starch to your hips). Protein: How can you boost your protein intake at a fast food restaurant to be what you need? Skinless grilled or baked chicken, lean cold cuts, cheese, and beans can all up your totals, and yogurt is an increasingly common side option. Even a small burger patty can give you 10 to 15 grams of protein, although it comes with a few extra grams of fat. A good protein goal for a meal is about 20-30 grams. You can get that for 200-300 calories with any of the following. Burger King Double Cheeseburger, no bun; Grilled Chicken Garden Salad, no croutons; or Veggie Burger with cheese, no bun or mayo. McDonald’s Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad, no cheese; or Grilled Chicken Sandwich, no bun or spread. Taco Bell 2 grilled or fresco steak soft tacos, no tortillas; chicken or steak Power Menu Bowl, no rice or cheese. KFC Grilled Chicken Drumstick plus green beans or side salad. Panda Express Grilled Teriyaki or Asian Chicken. Fats: Your first order of business is to avoid anything fried. You will be avoiding excess grease while also avoiding sneaky carbs in breading – did you know that the amounts of carbs in onion rings and fried chicken are comparable to the amounts in bread? Also, watch the fatty spreads – think mayonnaise – salad dressings, and dips. Find the Vegetables Protein and vegetables…does this sound familiar? It should, since your goals when eating at a fast food restaurant should be the same as when you eat at home. Vegetables help fill you up without filling you out, and it is best to eat as many of them as you can handle with your pouch or sleeve. It may take a little more digging to find vegetables at fast food restaurants than at home, but you can usually do it. Here are a few leads. Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and any other available vegetables on burgers and sandwiches. Order a side salad or baby carrots with your meal. Check for salads with grilled chicken as an entrée. Pile salsa and diced vegetables onto your naked burrito. When “Value” Isn’t Besides the convenience, the deals are among the most tempting things about fast food. For pennies more, you can often add fries and a drink, or you could get a second burger or taco for half the price. Don’t do it! “Value” depends on what you want and need; why would you pay extra, even if it is “only pennies more,” for extra fat, sugar, starch, and calories? A healthier definition of “value” might be to pay the least you can for a meal that is convenient, delicious, and healthy. Why include “oversized” in your definition? For those times when fast food simply makes sense, go for it – just keep yourself on track by reading the menu carefully and staying focused. You can do it, no matter where you end up. You might as well enjoy it!

Add some mayo to that tuna! LOL *cry face* Your diet makes me sad! I cook a lot and take leftovers most of the time for lunch. I use Kayln's Kitchen for a lot of my cooking inspiration. She has her website broken down by diet type. I try and do Keto mostly. Instead of jello, I would add something with protein. You could do cottage cheese, a low fat cheese stick, Greek yogurt, or even a non starch veggie. I personally eat a lot of edamome, brussle sprouts, and chick peas.

A lot depends on your doctor's schedule for food transitions, at 2 weeks, I would have had to puree the soups and couldn't have noodles. I could have yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, cream-of-wheat or thinned oatmeal, basically anything that had a "blended" texture.