Search the Community

I would never consume my daily calories in alcohol. But I want to enjoy my life. I also tend to work out longer on days I do to make up for it. And yes I even log every drink I take in myfitnesspal. Yes I consume alcohol and yes I eat ice cream, well delicious frozen yogurt sometimes. Everything in moderation, that was always the problem I had before the band and it has helped make amazing changes to the way I choose to live my life.

At 3 weeks you can have Baked fish, canned chicken Canned tuna, egg whites, creamy peanut butter ( 1 tbsp) a day, low fat cottage cheese Canned fruit no sugar I get fruit cups, bananas, soft cooked or pureed vegetables. Light yogurt Deli meat turkey breast sliced thin

I've got a grocery list started. My dietician recommends crystal light, propel, calorie free or sugar free drinks, broth Soups, and sugar free popsicles. These are "free" foods that you can have in unlimited amounts. Other foods like gatorade, reg. Jello, popsicles, light yogurt, or Protein shakes I can have in limited amounts because of the sugar. I'm not real excited about doing this, but the nurse expained to me that the longer you can do this diet, the better it will be for your surgery. Your liver will get smaller and be out of the way for the laproscopic surgery. I'm going to try my best! I'm going to the grocery store tonight.

Cottage cheese or greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is often made from milk that has been enriched by boiling off some of its Water content, or by adding extra butterfat and powered milk, It contains a higher Protein density than regular yogurt, which is largely casein protein. Cottage cheese does, too. You can find more about health benefits of cottage cheese at https://wikihomenutrition.com/cottage-cheese-health-benefits/

String cheese, yogurt (carb smart & greek), lunch meat, protein shakes, protein bars..

when I was pregnant I used to eat plain yogurt and dip kit-kat bars in the yogurt .... When I was little I used to eat dog biscuts ,sick huh ?

fruit yogurt with cheese garlic bead dipped in soda (mostly sprite or diet coke) rather yummy!! Otherwise i am really picky with my food - i think fruit in a normal salad is just like totally WRONG!! WHO DOES THAT MY GOD! And pineapple in pizzaa?? GOSH! Pehehehe!!

Think of a narrow necked bottle, like a ketchup bottle. You can drop m & m's through it fairly quickly, but something that is going to stick together and gum up in the neck, like scrambled eggs, is going to form a blockage. No matter how much you chew scrambled eggs, the pieces still stick together and form a plug. Yogurt, if it's thick, can do that too, although it is a thick liquid and if you are taking small spoonfuls, it shouldn't cause a problem. I'm making this up as I go, but that's why I think some foods that we don't expect to have problems with get stuck. Also, time of day has a lot to do with it. Many of us are just tighter in the morning, so morning foods seem to give us more problems than stuff we eat for dinner. Does that make sense?

I'm drinking two protein shakes a day and I've been eating chicken and eggs mostly sometimes I’ll have tuna. I'm only allowed to have 2 ounces of protein at a time. And in between meals I’m supposed to have fruit and yogurt.

Ar40 I can drink w no problem so I'm drinking my premier protein only one and the rest of the protein I try to take from cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs. I hate stalls but the good thing is I'm not gaining at all the scale is just stuck on 226 grrrr. But just the fact that I'm not gaining makes it OK, I knew this would happen. I went back to work yesterday and everyone noticed the difference and when I was taking my lunch I noticed a couple of them looking to see what I was eating and how much. Lol. Haters everywhere waiting for u to fail. I walked around during my breaks to get some exercise in. I think I'm gonna wait a week before I step on the scale again because its a little frustrating right now w the stall.

so we paisana lol Mi tia did a sancocho for me the other day and it was the bomb and imma try the Peanut Butter. Have you tried regular eggs? and yes girl , preimer Protein is so good it taste like a milk shake I know all about Mangu. Im from Puerto Rico and it is one of my favorite dishes. Try reduced fat peanut butter and see if your stomach likes it. I had a problem with it feeling too heavy at the beginning but now I can have small amounts. I love egg beaters. and premier Proteins are my main source for protein. Do a "sancocho" and the broth of that gotta be super good. lol ohhhhhhhh but you know about mangu excuse me lol yes i know they have alot of carbs but i only ate like 4 baby spoon and i was full , like i felt like i went to the buffet girl . so i know this surgery is working because before i would eat a whole plate . as far as protein and Water i try everyday to get the 90 gr i need but its hard i am so sick of shakes its not even funny . you have any ideas of other ways i can get my protein n ? i know yogurt is one of them , i try laughing cow cheese that give me like 12 . also where are you located ? and when we gonna be able to see you girl post a pic lol So you had some mangu? I love Mangu. Be careful though platanos have a lot of carbs. Don't worry about stalls its only temporary and don't weight yourself everyday. Try to get more protein in and water this will help. Hey Hun ! I Am doing great ! Still having issue with getting my fluids and protein in but everyday it's get easier , today I mashed some plantain up to like mash potato form it was awsome !!! Lol plantain is a staple in my country lol we can't eat it with anything , I just hope I don't have any stomach issues later on tonight ? How much have you lost so far ? You still at a stall I feel like I am ! I been at 230 for like 5 days ughhhh

Thanks for the update Jenelle good to know what u can tolerate and what makes u feel really full how are you going with getting in all your fluids? I have no problems with fluids, I still can't get my 64oz but I think I'm getting around 40 maybe a little more, which my DR. said is ok for the first month and to work my way up. Fluids, yogurt, cottage cheese and pudding don't make me feel as full. Scrambled eggs, peanut butter does. I have not venture with mashed potatoes or other stuff yet.

So you cheated a little on your post-op diet. When you were supposed to be on liquids, you had a few spoons of mashed potatoes or a swallow of yogurt, both nice and soft. Maybe you ate a few Cheez Doodles, but what’s the big deal? They’re like eating flavored air, aren’t they? And the McNuggets you tried during the puree phase? You chewed them really well, and you could only eat three instead of your pre-op portion of six – isn’t that great? No, it’s not great that you could only eat three McNuggets. And yes,cheating is a big deal, and I’m going to tell you why. You’re not going to get away with this one. Miss Jean has eyes in the back of her head. She sees the cookie crumbs on your face and the neon orange faux cheese film on your guilty fingers. SOME DEFINITIONS OF CHEATING The word “cheat” has two main connotations. One is cheating in the sense of lying and deceiving. It’s intentional dishonesty. You know what you’re doing is wrong, but you do it anyway. The other connotation of “cheat” is unfaithfulness. Unfaithful to a vow or promise you made to another person or to an organization. When someone cheats you, do you just shrug and say, “Oh well, he was having a bad day”? Let’s say you bought a car that you thought was brand new, and later discovered that the dealer had fiddled with the odometer and charged you full sticker price for a car with 1200 miles on it. Would that be okay with you? And what if your spouse, the person you trust with your life, cheated on you by sleeping with your best friend, would you be able to just shrug that off? If your child got a B+ grade by cheating on a test by copying answers from the student at the next desk, would you be proud of him or her? And what if you found out that a coworker betrayed you by using the great idea you confided to him or her and taking credit for it when it worked out splendidly? Would you still be eating lunch with that coworker? Or what if you donated money to a political candidate who you admired, and he or she spent it on a vacation in the Bahamas instead of on re-election expenses. Would that be okay with you? Would you vote for that candidate ever again? I’ll take a guess at your answers to these questions. In none of the situations I’ve described would you be happy or proud. In fact, you’d be disappointed and angry. So just how can you think it’s no big deal to cheat on your post-op diet? EXCUSES, EXCUSES I can hear grumbling in the room. I think I just heard someone saying, “I had to eat that mashed potato. I was so hungry and miserable and cranky from being on liquids for a week, I couldn’t stand it another minute.” I do understand very well how you felt, but in the big picture of world hunger, where babies die because their mothers eat so little that they don’t produce enough milk for nursing, your and my hungry misery is a big So What. And someone else is whispering, “My best friend’s surgeon let her eat mashed potatoes on her third day post-op, so it must be okay for me to do that too, even though my surgeon told me to wait until my 15th day post-op. It’s not my fault that every surgeon has a different post-op eating protocol.” While it’s true that surgeons’ eating instructions vary widely, you signed on with your surgeon, not your best friend’s. Presumably you chose your surgeon because you and/or your insurance company believe that he or she is well-qualified in laparascopic bariatric surgery. During your psych evaluation, you affirmed that you understand what the surgery involves and that you can and will follow instructions. You nodded when the shrink asked if you’re ready to make all the lifestyle changes needed for success. You nodded when the dietitian asked if you understood your pre- and post-op eating instructions. You scribbled your own name on a sheaf of release papers to indicate that you were informed about the risks involved and despite those risks, gave your surgeon permission to perform surgery on you. In addition to all of that, you spent weeks or months jumping through hoops to prove your need for bariatric surgery. Perhaps you suffered through a six-month pre-op diet. You had lots of medical tests and evaluations, most of them not much fun, because you were so eager to get your weight loss show on the road. You had surgery, suffered some degree of discomfort from your incisions and gas, and finally heaved a sigh of relief because all the struggles are over now. But then you discovered that there are still more struggles to survive because of that stupid post-op liquid diet. Yet despite jumping through all those hoops, in less than 60 seconds you blow it by popping a Cheez Doodle in your mouth, and justify that with the aforementioned misery excuse. And man oh man, that must have been some really serious misery, because evidently it drove out of your mind all the very good reasons for faithfully following that post-op diet progression. You forgot that one of the most common causes of band slips is the patient’s failure to follow the post-op diet. You forgot that food can get stuck in the stoma or esophagus and cause an obstruction or vomiting. You forgot that vomiting can disturb the position of the band, especially when you’re a new post-op and your stomach is still healing from surgery. You forgot that in order to move mashed potatoes or Cheez Doodles through your digestive system, your esophagus and stomach must expand and contract, which can disturb the position of your band and cause it to slip. You forgot all the promises you made to your bariatric team and to yourself about healthy eating and weight loss success, because you were so miserable and just a few little cheat bites are no big deal. I’ll try to give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you thought that being able to eat the Cheez Doodles without having any uncomfortable side effects or complications like a stuck episode, a PB, sliming, chest pain, esophageal dilation or spasms means that it’s okay to eat the Cheez Doodles. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s a wrong assumption. Cheating eating can cause problems without you ever knowing it until it’s too late. Cheating eating is just plain foolish. YOU’RE NOT ALONE Now here’s the good news. You’re not alone. Nobody enjoys the post-op diet progression. If any of us were good at following diets, we might not need bariatric surgery in the first place. And only infants enjoy a liquid diet. But in a sense, as a new post-op you’re a bariatric infant who must consume liquids because your body isn’t ready yet to handle anything else. Cheating on your post-op diet is cheating your health in a major way. If you already cheated once or twice or ten times, that’s not a good reason for continuing to cheat, so don’t do it again! I believe we should begin any project as we mean to go on. If you can’t follow your post-op diet, exactly when are you going to begin your healthy post-op lifestyle? Are you going to wait until after your first fill, or your second fill, or at some hazy time in the future? If so, don’t come running to me when your scale stays stuck on a number you hate. NOW is the time to begin your healthy lifestyle. NOW is the time to practice good band eating skills and making good food choices and controlling portion sizes. Doing that may not be easy, but it’s not impossible either. Losing a massive amount of weight is a big, tough project, but if you respect your band, it's going to be easier than any of your past weight loss attempts. Let me clarify that: it's going to be easier if you follow instructions. In addition to that healthy lifestyle, there’s another very good reason to stick to your diet. At some point you’re going to have to face up to your past and acknowledge that food and eating have been a major problem for you. The fact that you’re struggling with your post-op diet is a symptom of that. There’s no shame attached to that struggle. As mentioned above, if we didn’t struggle with eating, we wouldn’t need bariatric surgery at all. So I suggest that you look at the post-op diet (and your pre-op diet too, for that matter) as a rite of passage. During this rite, you’ll be painfully aware of just how many food devils you possess, because without food to shut them up, they’re going to be jumping up and down and screaming for your attention. But their wish is no longer your command. You’re going to send them a clear signal: that you’re not going to submit to their demands any more. From now on, you’re going to follow your surgeon’s and dietitian’s eating instructions no matter how much commotion those devils make. You’re in charge now. As the saying goes, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Do yourself a favor, and make it a day without Cheez Doodles!

I know there's a lot of recipes online for Protein pancakes, but I'm not a big fan of cooking and even less of a fan of grocery shopping, so I thought I'd wing it with what I had in the house this morning. I made 1/2 batch of Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk pancakes with 1% milk and added 2 instead of 1 egg and a scoop of unjury Protein powder. It made 8 pancakes...I ate one and froze the other 7 for future "grab and go" microwave breakfasts. I had no syrup in the house so I topped it with a little bit of butter and a pinch of sugar (yes, REAL sugar) with a side of 1/2 sausage link. YUMMY!!! For those of you who count calories and stuff, I did some calculations as I was mixing. I normally don't track anything, but don't worry, I got all "A's" in math.... Turns out each pancake (without the butter and sugar) has about 3.5g carb, 5g protein, and 54 calories. Sorry, didn't look at the fat numbers. Anyways, it was a nice change from all the eggs and oatmeal and yogurt and shakes I've been having for Breakfast, and I'm stuffed!

Hi all, I start my pre op diet on the 25th of july and my surgery day is 8/7/2009, i can have diet soda on mine so i hope that helps me get through it, it is crazy how different drs have different views and ideas on pre op diets. I don't go to my preop app. till July 15th.I think this diet seems pretty easy compared to some of the diet others are on. but according to the book i got here is my pre op diet, Breakfast 10-15 gr of carb less than 200 calorie Low carby Protein supplement Shake/drink Morning Snack 6oz glass V8 or 6 oz of diet OJ lunch 10-15 gr. carbs less then 200 calorie Protein supplement shake/drink dinner 20-25 gram carb 300-350 calories, Frozen meal(Lean cuisine, smart ones) Snack Low carb Protein shake Or 6 oz of light/no added sugar yogurt and 1 oz of mixed nuts or 3 cups unbuttered popcorn or 1 oz cheese and Medium-sized apple,orange or banana can drink unlimited amounts of sugar-free beverages, including reg or decaf coffee, tea , and diet soda. and no more then 2 8 ounce cups of skim milk.

Wow you are lucky! I'm required to be on liquids for a full week! My only permissible items are water, sugar free jello, boullion or clear broth, decaf coffee and tea, Crystal Light and other no calorie (sugar free) beverages, and sugar free popsicles! I'd kill for some soup or yogurt!

If you’re putting off your weight loss surgery (WLS) because you’re worried about hair loss, you’re not alone! And if you were surprised when you suddenly started to lose your hair a few months post-op, you’re not the first WLS patient to be caught off guard. Here are a few facts on hair loss after weight loss surgery. It’s actually a condition called “telogen effluvium,” which happens when more of your hair is in the resting stage than the growth stage, so you end up losing hair faster than it grows. Telogen effluvium – and hair loss - can be triggered by stressful events like WLS and the WLS diet. It’s more common after gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgeries than after the lap-band. Hair loss is most severe around 3 to 6 months post-op. It’s hard to predict who will lose their hair and who won’t after WLS. Also, there’s no fail-proof protection against hair loss. But there are a lot of promising strategies that work for some WLS patients that may work for you. The best part about them is that they’re also good for weight loss. Protein: 65 or More Grams Daily Protein is the foundation of your post-op WLS diet. It’s a nutrient that lets your surgery wounds heal. It also helps you maintain lean muscle mass as you lose weight. And when you get enough of it, it can help reduce hair loss. Lap-band patients need at least 65 grams of protein each day. Sleeve and bypass patients need 80 to 100 or more grams per day. Go lean with sources like tofu, chicken breast, tuna, egg whites, and non-fat yogurt and cottage cheese. If you can’t hit your needs with food, go for low-sugar protein shakes, protein powders, and protein bars. Water: Not an Afterthought Fluids aren’t always top on your mind when you’re worrying about your weight loss diet, but maybe they should be. When you choose calorie-free ones, they can help reduce hunger and lose more weight. Plus, water prevents dehydration and symptoms like headaches and fatigue. It also promotes healing and lets your body function - and that’s good news for your hair. Aim for at least 64 ounces per day of calorie-free fluids, such as water, flavored waters, diet sports drinks, and broth/bouillon. Feel free to go for more, though! Biotin and Silica: Ask Your Surgeon Biotin and silica are essential nutrients. You can usually get enough of them from diet alone, but WLS changes that. Some people swear that biotin and silica supplements can reduce hair loss, but the science doesn’t yet support that. Talk to your doctor before taking these supplements. Biotin is usually safe even in high doses, but too much silica can be a problem. Essential Fatty Acids: Fats Are Good! Fats are high-calorie, and they make many foods off limits: think fried foods, creamy foods, and fatty meats. But some fats are good, and they’re the ones that you’re most likely to be deficient in after WLS. The possible results? Scaly skin and…hair loss. You don’t need huge amounts of fats to stay healthy. You could see a difference just by getting a little more omega-3 fat in your diet. Once you’re into the mushies/pureed foods stage, you can get omega-3’s from pureed boneless salmon and canned tuna. Later, you can add walnuts and flaxseeds. If you’re not eating these foods, you might want to ask your doctor about a fish oil supplement. The Extras Why does hair fall out? Stress! So let’s see…what stresses have you already put on your body? There’s the stress of surgery; the stress of starving your body at least, that’s what your body thinks when you drop down to 1,000 calories a day; the stress of changing your entire lifestyle and possibly your relationships. When you think about all the stress in life, it’s a wonder anyone has any hair left at all! So when possible, try to reduce stress however you can. Get enough sleep. Take time for yourself. Exercise daily. Laugh it off…whatever “it” is, it’s probably not worth losing your hair over! Taking good care of yourself after WLS can help prevent hair loss, but not always. Still, you can take heart in the fact that it probably won’t last for more than a few months. And at the other end of those few months, you’ll be down several pounds. Isn’t a little hair loss worth it if the payback is to be healthy?

I started purees a couple days ago. Haven't tried them yet, but my plan has fat free refried beans on the list of recommended foods. Just make sure to puree them - they recommend maybe thinning them out a little. I've tried a scrambled egg twice. Takes me a long time to finish it. I love cottage cheese, so have had that (did NOT like it with protein powder mixed in) and it goes down well. Have also had chicken salad made with canned chicken and greek yogurt, whirled in the blender. Today will try some roasted red pepper and tomato soup with unflavored protein powder.

After weight loss surgery, you may need to eat three to six small meals and snacks per day, plus drink at least 64 ounces of fluids at times separate from your meals. Add your nearly constant eating and drinking to a busy lifestyle, and you probably have quite a few strategies for hitting your nutrition and fluid needs! Which meal and snack helpers do you use? Do you live off of protein bars and shake powders? Do you use pre-packaged salads and pre-cut veggies? Do you take advantage of ready-to-eat products such as rotisserie chicken, yogurt, and string cheese? Also, what are your indispensable helpers for taking your food and drinks everywhere with you? Do you have a favorite water bottle, protein blender, and set of containers? What other tricks do you have for making on-the-go weight loss easier? Share here!

Hi Everyone, I would like to join as well. I was banded on 12/4, and so i'm working on day 4 of 2 weeks of Clear liquids. (I can't wait for milk and yogurt!) Since the diet is pretty strict, i'm going to go for a goal of 16 lbs. Good luck to everyone else! Gretchen

I have a dry gallon of them on my counter (they have been there for 6 months no issue -1/3 of the way done now) so I add them to everything, dry.I cook then into bean dishes, falafel, salmon croquettes, smoothies, on yogurts, in salads. I add a dry sprinkling to almost everything (they fluff up quickly depending on the food it's added to) that hempseed, and tumeric goes into almost everything I eat. VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

Hi there, it sounds like you are doing well with your new banded life. I am enjoying a Protein and fruit shake most days around 11:00 or so. I'm not hungry in the morning. Today I skipped the Protein Shake because I knew I would be having lunch with my parents at a retirement center. Sometimes when I'm there I have a thick soup but today it was tomato and I don't like that plus it's thin, so I had a small bowl of cottage cheese and broccoli. I came home and ate a protein bar (200 calories 20 grams of protein -- the 20 that I missed out on by not having my shake). Dinners are whatever I am cooking for the family but just a little of it. If I'm hungry beforehand (usually, as I haven't quite got my timing down right), I might have some applesauce with a dollop of plain yogurt or something like that. I've been making chilis and stews and those seem very band-friendly. I like chicken thighs and will probably be making those next. I do them in stock so they are really falling apart. Last night I had the hungries after dinner and I had a Popsicle. That seemed to appease me.

You are so lucky you get to have full liquids on day 2 out of surgery. I have to wait a week. The first thing I'm gonna try I think will be a cream Soup then maybe yogurt if i can handle the soup good. That's if I can have yogurt on full liquids I have to check my list. Unlike revdrkatie I don't have to get out and do anything big till Monday. I had my surgery the same as you and her. I'm wondering if you can stretch your pouch on liquids because I feel so full and bloated when I drink anything. How about you? Good luck with your recovery. ~~~Stephanie

I'm feeling the overfill today...ate quick oats, to church, grocery, ate some frozen yogurt, then a few chips then a1/2 bowl of Cereal then 2 eggs scrambled with chopped hotdog and cheese finally feeling satisfied. All went down okay but think I need my 1st fill. But won't eat again until dinner and maybe only a smoothie. Sounds too much huh?

I get that stuck feeling often. This a.m. took an excedrin just one and it feels stuck. I know it's not but the pressure is there a little. Yesterday was my 45th wedding anniversary and we went out to dinner...I couldn't get anything down had to slime what I had already tried. But I had this problem with breakfast too. I can go several days in a row no problems and some days can't keep down the same foods I ate the day before. It happens maybe twice a week or so. But I sent the salmon back yesterday twice then finally order the parmesain crusted tilapia and when I got home was able to eat half of it. Then had a little strawberry frozen yogurt almost got that pressure feeling with that. Don't know what's going on. Need to maybe slow down even more.