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It is interesting to hear about the issues some of you have had with scar tissue. I just had my sleeve and my doctor removed my scar tissue from my band prior to doing the sleeve. It made my surgery about an hour longer, but he did not mention that I would have any issues with restriction. I guess it depends on the doctor and how they operate. I was sleeved on 4/9/14 and I have plenty of restriction. It takes me about an hour to drink 8 oz of water and I can't even get through half a serving of yogurt before getting full. Already down 23 lbs (includes weight loss from week long pre-op diet). It goes to show that it's different surgeon to surgeon and patient to patient.

The shoulder pain is normal unfortunately. I was banded 9/4 and am still having the pain. Heating pad, GasX and WALKING are the only things that really seem to be reccomended for that. Stomach noises.. oh yes.. mine has been pretty noisey too. If you are having that much trouble with getting down a yogurt, I would stick to liquids. My doc had me stay on clear liquids for the first week anways. I just moved to full liquids, and then will move to mushies next week. But every doctor is different in what they reccomend. Hang in there.. I'm a week out.. it really does get easier!

I am being banded on tuesday and I am on clear liquids on day one. Days 2-14 full liquids- strained soups, yogurt,cream of wheat, softly scrambles egg beaters, applesauce, refried beans. My dietition said to puree the beans and add some broth to make them runny, looks gross but very filling. Days 15-28 mushies.... At this point there are many options. I bought a stick blender and look forward to using it. Anyway I just listed some of what's on my list, hope it helps and good luck.

I had surgery on 8/11/09. I have to say that this last day or two, I have finally say that I am feeling hungry. I have stayed on my clear liquids-full-liquids and am now on the soft diet faithfully. I can't afford to blow all of this over some food. I find that the creamed soups are very helpful in the food department, along with the Protein shakes. Yogurt is helpful too. Just try to find things to keep yourself busy w/o always thinking of what you can't have in food. Think about what the journey's end will bring you.

I haven't had any since surgery, only had maybe 1 in my life. I hate yogurt and don't touch it. We have a ladies only forum that you can post in for your feminine needs

My surgery was 11/14/13 - 4 weeks ago tomorrow...Here's an update on what's going on with me. The Protein shakes are really getting to me. I’m so sick of them!!!!! I know it’s time to start changing it up – I have to the break the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate barrier. This week I found a sample pack of Health Wise Soups that I forgot I purchased before surgery. Jackpot!!!!! The Cream of chicken was so good – it has a little less protein (15 grams vs. 20 with a shake), but that 5 grams of protein was worth my sanity that night. I have also had the chocolate mixed with warm 1% milk and some sugar-free peppermint syrup. That was a nice treat on a cold, snowy night reading my book. This morning, I mixed a chocolate with a cup of decaf coffee, a splash of 1% milk and some sugar-free salted caramel syrup – Caramel Mocha, anyone? Yum! I also have some products on order – hot chocolate (high protein), oatmeal (high protein/low carb) and some Click decaf coffee. I need to get out of this rut – getting your protein in is so important and it’s difficult to get that last shake in, mainly because I just don’t want it. I haven’t stepped on the scale in a week – tomorrow is weigh in day and I’m a little scared. I feel really good physically – I still get tired easily, but for the most part, I feel good. I’ve been exercising at the gym walking at least 2 miles per day and usually 2.5 miles or more. Yesterday I did a personal best of 60 minutes and 3 miles (thanks to the hubs for saying he had a few more minutes of his workout left, so I ended up going a whole hour!). I’m more worried about the mental aspect of weighing and not getting the result I’m looking for. I feel like I’m getting smaller – I didn’t feel like that late-last week or early-this week, but I do now. I don’t know if that is Water retention or me just being psycho… I am still in the same jeans I wore pre-op, which is a little depressing. I think I was in denial about how tight those jeans really were pre-surgery! Plus they are made out of that stretchy jean-like material, so about 10 minutes after you put them on they will stretch to your bulk – a great characteristic if your fat and lumpy. They certainly aren’t tight now and they are a little loose in the waist. I will probably need to get new ones in a couple of weeks. I can’t wear my 2X Old Navy yoga pants any more – they literally fall off me. I am keeping one pair as a reminder of how big I really got. I should burn the rest of them. Tomorrow I move to a “soft foods” diet. I have been on puree foods the past two weeks, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t puree a lot. I let my chompers do the pureeing for me. My surgeon and my local doctor are polar opposites when it comes to food. My surgeon said, “Introduce foods as soon as you can and no need to puree if you have teeth and saliva.” You could almost hear my local doctor gasp when I told her that – she is much more conservative and I think if she thought she wouldn’t have a mutiny on her hands, she would make patients wait a year before trying Greek yogurt. So, I’ve been doing a hybrid mainly for my sanity. I chew, chew, chew and chew some more. The Eat Slower app is also a helper – it slows you down and helps remind you to chew your food. I purchased the Carb Balance Tortilla shells – the whole-wheat fajita size has 3 net carbs. I have had dreams about those shells! I want a taco (small, baby taco) and a pizza with the shell as the crust. Mmmmm…can’t wait.

Side effect of post op antibiotics maybe. The only thing that helps me is diflucan and many doctors will prescribe over the phone... Especially if they recently prescribed you antibiotics. First try your surgeon, then your gyno, then your pcp. Remember probiotics and yogurt.

Angermom - Wow! 40 pound is great! If I could do that I'd be happy! I do seem to be less hungry yesterday and today than I was day 2 and 3! But my dr. says liquids until 1st appointment which works out to be 15 days!!! It really hard trying to add variety. The yogurt idea is great. I'm going to try adding strawberry Protein to vanilla yogurt for lunch.

You are not a baby, you don't need baby food. (I stole this from someone on here) Liquid (full liquid) drink smoothies w protein, protein shakes, greek yogurt, pudding, jello, soup (add blended cottage cheese for more protein in your soup)............ Mushy, get out your blender and throw in some chicken w a bit of low fat gravy, tuna salad........ it is mushy, but tastes like chicken/tuna and a tonne of protein, if you want fruit, throw it in the blender, same with veggies. You don't need baby food and besides carbs, there is nothing good in it for you.

I am a March 19th..I am eating pretty much the same as everyone else..refried beans, shrimp and broiled fish, chewed well, greek yogurt, egg beaters with turkey sausage mixed in for breakfast, I do miss a fresh salad..don't know when I can have that, but I am really focused on the protein righ now. I also found Chick Fil A will sell their chicken salad in a cup for about $3. It makes 2-3 meals for me! Pudding and jello is getting old. i do eat lunch meat with a little grated cheese and squirt of mustard in it (my version of a ham sandwich!) Y'all share some more ideas! im learning a lot from this site!

Sleeved 3/18/13 and allowed eggs yogurt refried beans cottage cheese and sf pudding. My diet was advanced to this at my one week postop checkup. The only thing I have eaten is cottage cheese and refried beans no more than 2 oz at a time. The thought of plain eggs makes me ill which is why I have not eaten them and I can barely stomach the sicky sweet protein drinks which is why I won't eat sf pudding either. I am so exited for my 3 month postop visit because I will be given more foods to eat.

Rosarita no fat refried bean for me too. Usually 1/4 of a cup with 1 teaspoons of shredded cheese and 2 deli slices of turkey is about all I can eat at one time. When I eat that I still get a pain under my breast bone that hurts for at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours after. I tried cottage cheese, tuna, yogurt and egg. I am still using at least 1 Protein Drink and sometimes 1 Protein Soup a day. Being 4 weeks out I still can't get 60 grams with just the food in this stage. I see the Dr for my 1 month followup on Friday.

I've been on purees for 6 days now and I've yet to truly "puree" anything...it might help to think of it as a mushy food stage, in a way. I've been continuing a Protein shake a day (most days), greek yogurt, sugar free pudding, refried Beans with Laughing Cow cheeses, ricotta bake, oatmeal (yuck), grits, and very soft scrambled eggs (make with milk). So far I haven't been bored and it is SO much better than liquids! No one says you have to puree meat if you don't want to.

I haven't posted in awhile because I have been so disappointed in myself & my journey so far. I have seen other people post about struggling & have seen a lot of people criticize them. I don't need that right now as I am already hating myself. I thought that I was prepared for this journey, but the reality has hit me hard. I had a large part of my stomach removed & I am never getting it back. I will never be able to eat the way I used to again. This should be a good thing, right? The first couple of weeks were the easy part. I went down 31 lbs. in the first 2 weeks & that is exactly where I have stayed. I am still 381 today. This is not a stall. I did have a stall during week 3 where I was completely on plan, but not losing anything. I actually gained. Then the small amount I gained came off & I haven't moved at all now for 2 weeks. This is completely my fault. I haven't been exercising. I haven't started my vitamins. I don't get in all my water every day. I don't follow my nutritionists guidelines. So, I am obviously not expecting that I would have gone down anymore. I have read so much on this board about people not being able to tolerate foods, sliming or vomiting. I know that is difficult for those people & I am not wishing that I would be sick. It's just that I have been able to tolerate anything & everything that I have tried. My offices food guidelines are very strict & I have not kept to them. According to my nutritionist my diet should be Breakfast: 1 protein shake, Lunch: 1 protein shake, Dinner 3 oz. of protein, 3 oz. of vegetable & 3 oz. of salad, Snack (if needed) 1/2 a piece of fruit or 1% cottage cheese. Period. No drinking milk (not even in tea, coffee or protein shakes) though I am allowed cheese & yogurt & no carbs except what naturally occurs in the aforementioned dietary outline. I need to total 60-70 grams of protein a day, less than 20 grams of carbs per day & at least 64 oz. of water per day along with my vitamins & exercise. I do not know what is holding me back from following the program except my own mind maybe. I want to be able to treat myself. I want to enjoy my food. So, that is what I have been doing. I have been having flavored lattes multiple times per week over the past two weeks. Today I spent over 4 hours getting 10 chicken nuggets & a large mocha frappe into my stomach. I had nothing before & I know that I won't have anything until tomorrow. I have also been allowing myself 2 cigarettes a day. I am sharing all this for different reasons. One reason is there might be others going through the same thing & I want them to know that they are not alone. Another reason is that I need massive encouragement. Before anyone suggests professional help, I have already set that up. I am seeing my nutritionist again in 2 weeks instead of 4 because she knows that I am struggling. My surgeon's office also has a psychiatrist on staff that deals specifically with bariatric patients pre and post-op & I have set up an appointment with her. For years I have lost & regained the same 30 lbs. over & over again. I have not been below 380 in about 3 years now. I knew that getting sleeved wasn't going to "cure" my obesity. I just thought that I would have a longer period of time before I would be able to tolerate different foods & that I could resolve any other issues before then. I am feeling so sad & just beating up on myself. Yet, I keep giving myself a reason to beat up on myself every day. Every day this goes on the worse that I feel about myself. This should be incentive enough to stop, but I haven't. I have so many reasons to treat my body well and I am not. Has anyone else experienced anything similar to this or know anyone else who has? Do you see something that I don't? Any words of encouragement? Any hope for me?+31

How is the Whole30 plan going? I've been considering it, but I'm not sure I can give up my daily yogurt and night glass of red.... ????

Hey! I get very discouraged. But I keep trying. I see no change in the scale for weeks at a time, but in trying on my levis I hadn't worn in awhile - they were too loose! So - according to the physiologist at the hospital where I go for exercise, I'm gaining muscle and losing fat - but muscle weighs more! She said my body is "morphing". YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE! It doesn't fall off by dieting only. If you are exercising regularly but still eating too much you will stay the same. Maybe your band isn't tight enough yet. I finally got to the "sweet spot" at 6.1 cc's. My band was a 10cc. For a loooong time I could eat a horse if you put it in front of me. Not anymore. One cup of food (protein and veg combined) fills me up for about 2 to 2-1/2 hrs. Then I need my "snack". Usually a string cheese stick and a few almonds or 6 oz of greek yogurt with some fruit. KEEP AT IT! Don't give up!

I can't stand the pre-made shakes. I've been making my own shakes with skim milk, greek yogurt, some instant espresso dissolved in a little warm water, & a scoop of vanilla protein powder. The powder doesn't taste so sweet with the other stuff cutting it & the coffee flavor keeps me happy first thing in the morning. I've also used unflavored protein powder a couple of times with skim milk & yogurt & a little Mio or Crystal Light mix & that gives me an even less sweet drink.

I will soon be entering my puree stage of my post op diet. I think fruits will be easy it puree and make them taste good. It is the protein I am concerned about. I will have cottage cheese and yogurt however does anyone have any suggestions for pureeing meats? My dietitian recommended using chicken with some broth but I don't imagine how good that will taste at the constancy of applesauce. She did say that I could take meatballs or meat loaf and puree with sauce which doesn't sound too bad, but I have heard some people have a hard time getting beef down. Are there any baby foods that anyone can recommend? Lol it sounds so unappealing but I am getting very hungry on my liquids. Also is tuna and egg salad allowed at this stage? I see some people separate puree and mushies? It looks like my dietitian combined puree and soft food stage. My last questions is what veggies do people like pureed? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Three days is nothing. My MX dr required liquids and yogurt. I started slamming protein drinks also. I was at a lower BMI too and I don't think that has anything to do with it anyway. It's prep for surgery regardless of what you weigh I think that's what you were saying/asking?

It is my official weigh-in day. So here's my new ticker... I made it to my first mini goal. :clap2: :clap2: I ordered my ipod this morning. Yippee!!! I also graduated to mushies this morning. I was never so happy to eat a smushed potato. I could only eat about half of it though. This is the list of what I'm allowed to eat now: In addition to the clear and full liquids, you may have the following: Cream of Wheat Oatmeal/Grits Scrambled eggs Mashed potatoes and gravy Refried beans Queso Yogurt Pudding Applesauce Cottage cheese (small curd)

thanks everyone for replying to my post - I feel a bit guilty this morning for whining to you all... and you're right Alexandra, (love your new picture by the way, you look about 19 in it now!) I should come on line for support more if that's what I need. Unfortunetly that is typical me, isolate myself and then complain about being lonely! Oh and thanks for the complements - i look far from gorgeous but am surprised at the change in my face - I don't have as many chins now! Also my stomach has gone down a lot if you know what I mean. I am really enjoying eating - I eat so little that I can really enjoying full cream yogurts, and salad dressings - dieting used to be so miserable with all the "diet" foods tasting of additives and sweetners. I am also delighted to be at a point where I seem to have broken my bad habits - eating between meals and eating at night - I was going to bed at nine some nights just so I wouldn't snack! But I'm taking each day as it comes - next month I may be blending big macs and cadbury's buttons! (chocolate buttons!) I'm ashamed to say I am doing precious little exercise except for christmas shopping so am hoping catch the New Year's Resolution fever for joining the gym - my husband got me a great membership for my birthday! Jennye - Definitely all the weight loss is down to the flip-flops - but tragically it's bloody freezing and wet here in Ireland at the moment so I'm back to wearing red runners! Babs - hang in there - this is pretty much the hardest time of the year to stick to a rigid plan - it will all come together again in the new year! Shelly - loved your pictures too - we are going to kick super-model ass next summer! better go - must make dinner for kids - thanks for cheering me up guys xx :kiss :kiss :kiss

With my clinic’s program, you begin "mushy foods" after 2 weeks of full liquids (Protein drinks, brothy part of Soups, yogurt)...and you're on mushies (egg salad, chicken salad, refried beans) for 2 weeks before slowly introducing easy-to-eat solids (like fish). So no, you'll likely NOT be eating "beef or chicken" at the reception... But you could ask them to see about an appetizer from the mushy category (even if it’s served on a carb, you can eat only the ‘salad’ part), or mashed potatoes/whipped veggies with the meal -- if you feel comfortable doing that. Or you could be "making the rounds" of guest tables while eating is in full swing. Have a Protein shake in your bag/car to drink between the ceremony and the reception to keep hunger at bay while you Celebrate (a good tip right before you do anything where temptations abound). At least then it’ll only be head-hunger you battle.:hungry: How to help -- Along with volunteering to do the pre-wedding phone calls (confirm florist, cake, limo etc.), you could offer to assemble favors and/or write names on place cards. Unless you have a uniquely close relationship with your son’s fiancé, the mother-in-law isn’t generally expected to play a huge roll in the details. (NO offense intended here, but the bride’s "officially" gonna have you (not just your son) in her life from "this day forward" -- this is the last time your opinion on "the big stuff" won’t have to be a consideration for her! Many brides would prefer the soon-to-be in-laws not be in the details of this event. Not me, of course -- my in-laws live out-of-state, so I wanted them to feel as welcome as possible at our wedding! But they also weren’t "right there" to grate on my last nerve at what can only be called "a stressful time" for the bride! Plus, the doing part of "my wedding" was something I was able to enjoy with MY mom...something I’d dreamed about since a little girl, ya know? Please, don’t be offended by my honesty or if she doesn’t seem overly receptive to your efforts!) Physically -- you won’t be able to lift that grandbaby yet, but you will be able to dance with your baby! Or at least I was dancing with my 1-1/2 & 4 year-old at a month out. Bending, stretching & lifting were painful when it tugged at my port site, but mostly I was feeling pretty good by then! Barring any complications, you’re gonna be feeling great! Yes, it will be a challenging environment, especially if they go buffet rather than sit-down, but you can do it! Congratulations, both on choosing to get banded & on the wedding! Relax! (It’s so much easier than I thought it would be!) And have a wonderful time!

My surgery is 12/28 as well, and I'm a few days into my liquid diet. Below is the diet my surgeon's nutritionist gave me. Basically Premier Protein Shakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a mix of vanilla greek yogurt, broth, jello, apple juice, and milk for additional snacks, which shakes out to around 1000 calories/day. I'm not loving it but I'm managing, and I'm following it pretty well except that I don't like popsicles so (with my surgeon's approval) I'm swapping those out for one Yasso Greek Yogurt Vanilla Frozen Bar per day (WAY better).

cottage cheese or greek yogurt...shortly you can add Kashi go lean cereal with milk... the cereal has 14 gms of protein +whats in the milk, and tastes good! I also bake things with Bobs Red Mill low carb baking mix... I had chocolate donuts with almond butter for breakfast today...Check eggface for great low carb high protein baked recipes.

I went to a neighborhood block party. Everybody brought food! I remember wanting a meatball SO badly. I brought my own treat-- no sugar yogurt pureed with a little paw paw + Sweet N' Low. It was delicious. Still wanted that meatball. Just keep in mind what your end goal is and you'll be fine!