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I am really hoping the ulcer will be cleared by my next appointment, January 7th. I'll give it another month from there before I test my luck on even mild stuff. I am getting a little tired of being on bland, unseasoned puree. My life is greek yogurt, broths, and cottage cheese. But... if I can conquer 10 weeks of puree, I can do anything. hahaha.

yum that sounds good key...I never could handle greek yogurt but that may work...There are some recpies out on the www for protein ice cream...always wanted to try one but havent yet...what about freezing your yogurt like the gogurt for kids? I also shave ice for snowcones and add sugar free syrups...yummy.

I'm 20 months out now so my capacity is greater. However looking back at my food logs at 8 weeks I was eating 90% protein. Protein shakes, 2 oz beef, 2-2.5 oz chicken, 3 oz fish or shrimp, Greek yogurt (the majority of a 5.3 oz container), beans, etc. on the rare occasion I had room, I would add in some softer veggies like broccoli or cauliflower. At that point for breakfast I was eating protein shakes and lunches were usually egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, etc. 2-2.5 oz. Hope that helps

I just mix things into plain Greek yogurt - like a packet of ranch dressing mix, for example.

A testimonial from the website of the hospital I will be banded..... insipires me whenever I feel like I need a pick-me-up... just wanted to share. I have found that there are certain "stones" that you must claim as your own and use with almost religious zeal to keep the tool of bariatric surgery sharp and effective. I think every person who has this surgery builds their own cairn out of the stones that they discover work best to encourage them. So here are a few of mine. Stone #1—Quiet Reflection This one takes different forms for different people—prayer and meditation, transcendental sauntering, yoga, sitting quietly, being. Take your pick, but this is an important discipline as it keeps the bariatric patient in touch with the one thing that our weight and former dependence on food distanced us from—our feelings. You must think about how you feel, stay aware of how you feel and set your compass each and every day to make all of the choices that keep you feeling good, feeling lean, and feeling in control. Stone #2—Meaningful Movement Do something. For me the compliance to this particular "stone" is profoundly personal and it took me almost four years to figure out that I would exercise far more consistently if I would work out early in the morning versus in the evening when I almost always had a conflict or flagging motivation. Committing to a time that no person or event could challenge and making it virtually impenetrable from interlopers made this one of the most significant assurances for me. If I start with this stone on the cairn—even if it is just a 45 minute energetic walk—everything else seems to fall in place. Put simply, if I even reluctantly walk over and pick up this stone (no matter how heavy) and carry it to my weight loss cairn each morning, I know that I will virtually run and, with little effort, pick up the rest of the stones that day and stack them on the monument of the day's success. Make this stone anything you like—for me it is walking, rowing, dancing, or maybe a touch of light weightlifting that I should actually do more often. Stone #3—Liturgical Vitamin Ceremonies My vitamin consumption has become an almost holy symbol of my intent to honor the body this surgery gave me. I bought a tea box (a wooden box with 12 square compartments) that sits next to my favorite chair. Every morning and night I open it up to behold the vitamin selection that assures my good health. There they all are—the multi vitamin, the Co-Q10, the calcium, the Colace (still needed from time to time). I take vitamins several times a day, and each time I take one, I whisper "I am good to me." Stone #4—The Security of Staples Always, always, always have the staples you need to stay the course for good health. This takes discipline and a list (laminated and always with you). For me, the staples are hard boiled eggs, fat free cottage cheese, Montreal steak spice, Lite Havarti cheese, apples, blueberries, fat-free yogurt, and Crystal Light. These must be in my reach at almost all times or I will most assuredly make the same bad choices that caused my weight gain. Make your own list and carry a small cooler in your car everyday if you must—and I have—so that you have no excuse. Never, never go home without knowing that you have the staples you need there. I do better without too much choice. An important related "stone" to this one was a hard one for me to acknowledge and eventually convince the rest of my family to join me in honoring. I cannot have any food in my house that is not desirable for a weight-loss patient to consume. Once that first year of no appetite passes and hunger makes its inevitable return, the same temptations you once knew will be back. Even though you will feel rotten if you succumb, it is just too tempting. I find the de-temptation of the home environment and replacing it with staples (symbols of on-going health) is critical for me. Any family member frustrated by this strategy can find plenty of excuses to sneak out of the house for a non-healthy treat. Stone #5—Surround Yourself with Stone Masons This has to do with the ongoing support we all need in life to achieve any of the goals we set before us, particularly the goal of good health after weight-loss surgery. For some, this may mean participating in support groups. I have had a mixed reaction to formal groups for bariatric patients. Prior to surgery, I found the groups to be absolutely inspiring with so many stories of success transformation. They were a remarkable source of hope during a time of despair. However, not long after my surgery, I found that most support groups were negative. The participants focused on what wasn't working, what they couldn't eat, or what they didn't like. Since I had been totally prepared for the changes that my surgery was intended to bring, I did not find what I wanted in a group. Look intentionally for a support group that absolutely encourages the excitement (and yes, reality) of a body that has been readjusted completely to bring about a transformation. Yes, our cups may now be literally half full, but our lives and futures are virtually overflowing. Surround yourself with people who see it that way and, do as I did, select your own personal support team. The people on that team are your stone masons who will help you set the stones you choose in place and secure them for life. Stone #6—Celebrate and Play At least once a quarter, take a day to do nothing but celebrate. Keep a list of the things that you always said that you would do when you lost the weight—take a hike, ride a horse, go to a concert, climb a mountain, go sit on the beach and watch a sunset, shop, etc. Write down everything you can imagine and, like a bucket list, do them one by one. Plan these important days, give them to yourself and review the stones in your weight-loss structure. If you can, take the day off on your surgery anniversary and honor your good health. Stone #7—Share the Joy Take some of the new energy of life that is most certainly one of the extraordinary benefits of weight-loss surgery and give it away to somebody who needs it. Do this in whatever way the world calls you to give something back. People carry "weight" in very many ways and I think we end up with an obligation once ours is gone, to help others carry their own or lose it as the case may be. Stone #8—Lighten Up and Face the Facts The reality of my numbers is as follows. The last time I weighed prior to surgery, I was a precious but substantial 327 pounds. I would lose a total of 167 pounds, 18 of which have found their way back. Of course, this predictable weight gain is a fact that strikes sheer terror in the heart of any person who has struggled with weight loss and knows how easy and devious the return of pounds can be. However, using the stone stacking method described here, I have discovered how to maintain my weight within about a two-pound fluctuation over the past year. Put simply, the balance of stones and habits for me that I have in place right now will accommodate maintenance. What I also know is that if I want to be as lean as I have been (which I very much would), I will have to exercise a bit more and trim some additional calories out of my diet to create that outcome. These are facts, not magic and not a failure of the surgery. Just a reminder that I will have to continue to use my stones in different ways everyday for the rest of my life to sharpen the tool of my surgery and create the monument to good health that I want my cairn to be .

I also just started the puréed phase, so far I've had SF applesauce, yogurt, cream of wheat, and an egg. I am also looking for ideas! I first had applesauce and my stomach gurgled and I could feel it churning! It was so weird, I'm not hungry so I don't even know when to eat and how often. I have noticed today that my stomach has a tiny bit of pain after eating, maybe I'm eating it to fast? Or is my stomach just trying to figure things out?

Welcome Cheri, and congrats on the positive decision you have made for yourself! Like NJ Chick said this is not just to look better, it is to BE better and to have a better quality of life for you AND your kids. As already mentioned, every Dr had different reccomendations regarding diet. I had some good advice before my surgery and that was (for the last 2 weeks) live as if I was banded -- I walked alot, drank tons of water, gave up caffeine and soda, and aside from a few "last suppers" ate a soft, bland diet (eggs, cream of wheat, yogurt, cottage cheese etc). It helped me get ready both physically as well as mentally for the changes that were to come. That way when my surgery rolled around I wasn't in for such a huge culture shock at the same time as trying to heal and deal with all the emotional changes going on. Everyone's recovery is different. I am in shock to hear about people going home from hospital the same day -- I stayed most of 2 days after. I also took a week off work, and if I worked full time would have had to take more as I needed to nap in the afternoon for several weeks after. Surgery affects everyone differently and I wish you a great recovery. As far as needing help around the house I say if you have people offering -- take it!! It can only help you recover faster, the less you HAVE to do! Best wishes!

Ooooh Peanut Butter sounds delicious right about now. But the idea of PB getting stuck in my band is a bit terrifying! I'm taking a couple weeks off of work. I had some time and didn't want to rush getting back into the swing of things, but already I am bored at home and can't wait to have more to do than just "recover." My next stage includes soft cooked eggs, yogurt, blended cottage cheese, thinned mashed potatoes, and thinned lowfat refried Beans, so I'm definitely looking forward to that!

Hi, Thank you so much for replying to my thread. Please don't scream, but I'm not consistently eating low carb/sugar but I'm a heck of a lot better than I was a year ago. Mornings/Breakfast: 1 cup 2% Fairlife milk, with sugar free Nestle Breakfast essentials chocolate powder, 1 cup coffee. This makes my own latte-ish drink. An order of Sous Vide egg bites (egg white and red pepper) from Starbucks (170 cal). Lunch: Frozen entree with at least 15g protein but fewer than 10g of sugar. Snack: greek yogurt with fewer than 10g of sugar or starbucks frappe Dinner: whatever the family eats...last night it was spaghetti. Because of the size of my stomach, I can't eat as much as I used to so I really don't understand why I'm not losing more.

Hey Hope4momof4 great post, thanks for adding the calories. You are getting more than enough protein, couple minor suggestions. Here's how your diet compares to mine, I'm eating about 800-1000 calories per day: 2 eggs in morning, have less protein ( only 12G) but also less calories (125) than smoothy. Morning snack non-fat yogurt. 17 gram protein, 90 calories For lunch and dinner think about using a scale for protein and veggie portions. For lunch I eat 3 ounces protein (usually chicken) 23 g protein, 200 calories. Afternoon snack- sugar free pudding 60 calories For dinner I'm using 3-4 ounces of protein and 1/4 cup of brown rice or pasta and 1/4 cup of green veggies. Salmon 2x per week, Chicken 2x per week, steak once. Usually about 300 calories, 20 grams protein. One more thought if I look at weight loss by month, don't get too depressed with only first month, there's more weight loss to come. Stick to your plan, you can Here's my weight loss by month: First month 16 lbs 2nd month 13 lbs 3rd month 10 lbs Let me know what you think, Tex

To me, I thought most of the fruit juice flavors were disgusting. The only exception was the fuzzy navel, but I wasn't THAT crazy about it. I haven't tried crystal sky. I have in my possession strawberry mousse, vanilla bean torte, and chocolate truffle. The best one with Water is the chocolate truffle as it tastes like a yoo hoo. The rest taste better with milk, or milk and kefir/yogurt. Once I get to the stage when I can add fruit I am sure that my taste buds may change a bit.

I'm 9 weeks out and I'm eating a Protein shake with a banana blended in for breakfast, about a 1/3cup of some kind of protein for lunch, and the same for dinner. I'll usually have an 80 cal yogurt for a snack or maybe some pieces of cheese. I've just started trying to get in some veggies like green Beans or broccoli. I also put some cheese on top of my chicken or whatever to add more protein. I have some low fat swiss that's carb free and only 50 cals. Something else I've been doing is broth with powdered Gelatin in it. That's 10 more grams of protein and 50cals. What I'm wondering is....how many calories were people consuming at this point out? I average about 780/day. I also am not losing weight. I went up a pound last week then finally lost that today but it's been stalled at 243 for about 1 1/2 week. Argggh! Also, sorry to post this in here but I haven't figured out how to start a thread and ask these questions.

Sw 265 Cw 225 I think. Need to weigh. I might be down more that was last week. Put on a pair of pants today that used to fit like a glove. There is a full 2 inches of room around the entire pant-size 18. Just last week I bought 2 pairs of size 16 pants so I have pants for work. I am currently in all my 'skinny' pants. Love that! Can't wait until I cannot wear those anymore!! For your food challenge I would say get some hummus and pita-heat up the pita-I get mini pitas and then smear some hummus on top and sprinkle with feta. I also love to make a quesadilla- put a little olive oil in a pan place a small corn tortilla flat is the pan let it heat up, smear a little salsa on the tortilla then sprinkle with lowfat shredded cheese. Also, I love beef jerky as a snack and Peanut Butter with crackers. I have a hard time digesting meat so I eat a lot of yogurt too. Mix in a little granola or some seeds or fresh fruit to change it up a bit. I love string cheese-best bariatric snack ever. The other cheese I like is the laughing cows-one of those and some crackers is good. Also, make some tuna salad or egg salad with lite mayo, some green onions. Get some variety in or you will be bored of food!

@@ejones8979 when I went to my post-op appointment last Friday, the doctor told me I could transition this Tuesday, which will be two weeks exactly. I am looking forward to it, but more for a change of pace, not that I am craving food. I went shopping today and stocked up on Soup, yogurt, pudding and cottage cheese :-)

Sorry not to answer you sooner @Sajijoma - I've been swamped with work lately, and a family event too. So today I knew I had a lunch meeting, so I previewed the menu and called to ask how much meat was on the steak salad (3oz) so I started logging with that, and then added foods to get to my targets. - Breakfast I had 1/3 of an ounce of "Just Strawberries" (crunchy dried ones with no junk added, and 1/3 ounce is quite a bit really) and a "peppermint mocha" version of my Protein drink; 1 scoop Isopure low carb chocolate flavor made hot with a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and two shots of espresso and peppermint extract . - Morning snack was 4 ounces lean Board's Head sliced deli chicken and 3/4 of an ounce of home-roasted cashews I make (less fat/salt/sugar) and half an ounce of aged Gouda. - Lunch at the restaurant was lettuce, a few grape tomatoes, a few toasted pecans and the rare steak - and light on the dressing! - Afternoon snack is 3 ounces non-fat Fage yogurt mixed with another scoop of isopure Protein powder (Combat is good too!), 1/3 ounce dried Just Peaches, and a Mediterranean chicken breast skewer from costco. Also 2 tablespoons cream in my iced coffee with some stevia - yum! - dinner will be 4 ounces scrambled egg-whites , one slice of bacon, 3 more ounces of nonfat Fage yogurt topped with a bit of SF Torani vanilla syrup and 2 ounces of frozen blueberries. - My evening snack (which I finally realized helps me avoid late night foraging!) is half a chocolate chunk Quest bar with half a tablespoon of Justin's Peanut Butter on it. This is fairly typical, though I don't usually have that much fruit. a couple times a week I get my carbs from mug cakes or other things like Halo Top ice cream, maybe skim milk in a small Cappuccino, or Combat protein powder has 5 carbs to a scoop, but 25 grams of protein! My Isopure I get at the Vitamin Shoppe has no carbs or fat, but also 25 grams of protein. It's a LOT of food, and not right for everyone, but after a terminally long stall I finally accepted that it could be my body was needing me to eat more and be really stable in my intakes so it could stabilize enough to begin losing again. I lift weights at the gym four days a week (two upper body days, two lower body) for about 25 minutes including stretching, and do some form of cardio on three of those days for about 20 minutes -- HIIT on the treadmill usually or by swimming laps the same way. Some days I use the torture machine (i.e. stairclimber!) but only rarely. I've consistently lost 2 pounds per week, this week 2.5 (yay!) and I can finally say I'm never hungry or deprived feeling. I have bread or a treat if I want to factor it in, and if it's REALLY good, but decided there's no point in eating mediocre stuff. Hope this is helpful. I aim for 60 ounces of Water each day too. Kate Wow - sorry for such a long answer just now!

It's so interesting to see what each doctor says. Like pre ops. I had liquids the day before with mag sulfate that night to "clean me out". I would love some yogurt. But i didn't see that on my list, darn.Lucky you get to go to mushies already tomorrow? I still have to go this route a few more days, some cream of wheat would be nice LOL

Frankensleeve: Attention! We are about to vomit!! Erin: Frankensleeve, don't be stupid. We don't have any food in you. All we had for dinner was yogurt and that was hours ago! Frankensleeve: I don't care! We are about to vomit! You can't tell me what to do. Erin: Frankensleeve, just calm down. Frankensleeve: No!! Here it comes.... [Erin vomiting VIOLENTLY] Erin: What the f*$#, Frankensleeve?! We didn't even have anything in there. You just made me spend 30 minutes violently throwing up clear liquid and bubbles! And now I have petechial bruising around my eyes from heaving so much. You a#*hole! Frankensleeve: Enjoy the post-vomit nausea, b(*$#! What was Frankensleeve's problem? Has anyone else randomly vomited on an empty stomach? Did you ever figure out why? If so, please share so I can avoid ever doing that again. Afterward, I was (barely) able to keep an anti-nausea pill down. (BTW, I am 4.5 weeks out from being sleeved and everything had been going swimmingly until last night when the intense nausea struck suddenly and fiercely.)

Sunday - Breakfast - Atkins Shake Lunch - Oatmeal Applesauce Cottage Cheese Dinner - Chicken Enchilada Caserole Green Beans Snack - SF Popsicle Yogurt Pudding I got the Chicken Enchilada Caserole recipe from my mom. First time I made it. It makes 8 servings 330 calories...I could only eat 1/2 a serving. Let me know if you want the recipe.

Tuesday - My Happy Birthday B - Atkins Shake S - Oatmeal L - Cup Broccoli Cheese Soup from Quizno's D - 1/2 Serving MeatLoaf, Spinach, Mashed Potatoes from Boston Market Wednesday B - Atkins Shake S - Oatmeal L - NF Yogurt, Unsweet Applesauce D - TBD

Wow, this is a great idea!!! I was so hard on myself when I wasn't losing weight. Looking at the posts here, I wasn't really as bad as I thought. My food was healthier probably even, but, my portions were probably too large. I admit, now that I am doing Nutrisystem with the band, I don't have to count calories as much (they do it for me) Do most of you have to eat at the same time? I do, or I get off track. I wake up around 8:30am I have to take thyroid medicine, so, I can't eat for 2 hours. I have my Calcium bar (90 calories) around 10:30am 11:30 today, I had my Cranberry granola bar-120 calories 2:30p I had lunch chicken salad and melba toast-approx 170 calories 4:30p Lite yogurt-110 calories-no fat 6:30p I have a salad with just lettuce and parmesan cheese and low fat dressing-approx 170 calories? I don't know the calorie content of lettuce. It was a small tupperware type bowl. 8:30p I had vegetarian lasagne (210 calories) 10:30p I have soy sour cream and onion chips (110 calories) If I counted right, 980 calories. I eat basically every two hours. I feel like I am constantly eating, but, since I started this, it jumpstarted my weightloss again. I have lost 15 pounds in less than a month. Before this, I had plateaued for about 8 months. I haven't even started back excercising yet. I had been really lazy in that dept. I know with the lapband, you are suppose to only have 3 meals, but, I found I was hungrier and would eat more when I did eat.

Ok, so I'm catching up on my journaling. Come on everyone!!! And yes, this REALLY is how much I eat. I barely let a bite get in that I don't count. ALTHOUGH, there's probably some skim milk in my coffee that I don't count for. No sugar in the coffee though. Anyway, see below for me "Weekend from Hell Due to Booze" and then the past two days of "Retribution" !!! Friday -- 4/21 protein bar -- 230 2 protein bars -- 380 Half a Quesidilla -- 400 3 Margeritas -- 510 4 vodka sodas -- 280 soco lime shots --150 __________________ 1950 Cals - 1800 RMR - 160 cals walking and dancing = -10 Saturday half chicken parm -- 200 carnation instand bfest -- 220 Edamame - 50 cals 3 mojitos (160 each) -- 480 2 chu-cumbers (150 each) -- 320 sake --30 3 vodka sodas (70 each) -- 210 2 soco lime shots (70 each) -- 150 __________ 1660 cals - RMR - dancing -- holy cow batman!! look at all that booze!!! :faint: Sunday half a milky way -- 130 3 bloody marys (120 each) -- 360 one bottle wine -- 150 2 chicken fingers + 3 french fries - 300 2 vodka sodas -- 210 1 soco lime -- 75 Armurulla -- 275 half mac and cheese -- 220 half chili -- 170 _______________ 1865 - RMR - walking to and from yankee stadium Monday half bowl of cereal -- 100 box of mac & cheese -- 500 2 chocolate bars -- 500 crackers with lowfat cheese -- 90 tuna fish sandwich -- 220 pint frozen yogurt -- 600 ________________ 2010 cals - RMR ARGH!HH!!! H!H!H! Totally hungover from a weekend of nonstop drinking! Mac & Cheese???? chocolate bars??? What was I thinking!!??! :angry Tuesday 4/25 Grilled chicken 150 Protein bar 280 Chili 190 Cracker with cheese -- 60 Milky way 130 Popsicle -- 60 _____________________ 870 total cals :clap2: Wednesday 4/26 cup of milk -- 90 cals 1 cup of grilled chicken + broccoli + light dressing = 150 protein bar-- 240 big leafy salad with cucumbers, 1/2c grilled chicken + light dressing = 150 ______________________ 630 total cals as of 9pm but I'm sure I'll snack when I get home. :clap2:

06/07/06 Breakfast - shake, Oatmeal lunch - Lean Cusine chicken & Green Beans Snack - Yogurt dinner - Chicken (PBed it) 2nd Dinner - Mashed Potatoes Snack - All Bran, Milk, Strawberries ~1,000 calories

Breakfast: Cheerios Lunch: fudge graham bar (it sounds junky, but, actually it was one of those health type food bars-170 calories Lite yogurt-keylime pie fruit cup 32oz bottle of water Dinner: Salad with ceasar dressing (I didn't realize until tonight how many calories in it, 170 for 2 tbsp. ) I probably was using at least 3 or 4 no wonder I wasn't losing weight lol beef with noodles (tv dinner) 32 oz water snack: chocolate peanut butter bar-120 calories and tastes icky lol Megan (sp), I am so jealous, peas, onion rings, mac and cheese? I haven't been able to eat those things since my surgery. You go girl!!!

Tuesday Breakfast - (SOS) Atkins Shake, Oatmeal, Benefiber Lunch - Tuna Salad Dinner - Tilapia, Broccoli, Squash, & Carrots, 1/2 cup potatoe (plain) Snack - Yogurt Calories - 1,040

How much tuna, salmon, etc. are you eating? My guealss is that you might be trying to eat too much. You mention another type of food (yogurt + egg) that would be about 3 ounces. If you are trying to eat 3 ounces of fish, or even 2 ounces at this point, it is no wonder you are struggling. I couldn't eat that much until at least 9 months post-op. So, if you haven't yet, maybe try just one ounce of tuna and see how that goes. I had good results with shrimp and scallops (or, rather, scallop -- just one was plenty for a meal!) early on. Have you tried anything like that? Or maybe some other light fish such as sea bass, halibut, or john dory? I know a lot of people recommend tilapia, but I personally dislike it, I think it is mushy and icky tasting, plus I've seen how it is farmed and it is revolting! So I can't personally recommend it, though I know a lot of people swear by it. Good luck!