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My instructions said I can start eating creamy Soups on Day 4 So I made some cream of mushroom just to try. I whipped it in my Blendtec before heating it up to be sure there was NO bits of anything. Then I added almond milk. I had 1/2 cup over an hour and felt almost relieved. You could try taking one spoonful of greek yogurt and really swish it around in your mouth first. Congrats!! we were sleeved on the same day and I am down 12 lbs in five days.

I wonder why it needs to be plain yogurt ??? On my full liquids/soft foods for week two says we can have bannanas... And melons?? I would think strawberry would be ok?

I'm also scheduled for August 22 & am on day 5 of clear liquids & 4-5 protein shakes a day. Day 3 was the worst so far for me, including a headache, but today I am a bit hungrier than yesterday. I find that sugar-free Jello or broth is more "filling" for those super-hungry times. Also, some sugar-free drink mix, like Crystal Light, seems more filling than plain water. Some surgeons do allow full liquids but mine doesn't. If your surgeon does allow it try thicker soups or yogurt.

I agree with the other commenters. This has been my struggle so I definitely understand. You aren't eating enough calories so your body is holding on to everything for dear life. LOL! Plus you are only 10 weeks out which is still early. I would suggest eating something every two hours. Yogurt. Fruit. Protein bars. Nuts. Jerky. Boiled eggs. Veggies. I know it is hard while still trying to get in your Water though. Good luck.

Yes I was told that I actually have to eat to lose weight. Limiting your calorie intake to less than 1000 a day can actually impede your weight loss. Doctor said that if I am tight all day and can't get solids down, have yogurt, cottage cheese or Protein shakes. I should be around 1200-1400 a day to stay balanced. Your body goes into starvation mode and you burn muscles for fuel before your body goes after the fat. I was not eating at all two weeks after my last fill, and had to see my PCP. When he weighed me, I had gained 2 pounds since the fill and said that to him, and thats when he told me the above.

Thanks for your feedback! This restriction thing is NICE!! I have a yogurt at 5:30pm and its 10pm now and Im still not hungry. FINALLLYY!!!! Drinking water is scary...I get it down but it makes me burp and if I drink too big of a gulp, it hurts....sip sip sip

Is it ever allowed? Low fat? Frozen yogurt? Any form?

I understand exactly what you are saying about the stomach ..I start my day early too..SOmething that I don't see you doing is a Protein shake. Maybe you didn't say. My nutrionist told me...always a protein shake..and get creative with adding things--such as a lil peanut butter-- using milk. The other thing that she told me that has just made me a very happy person is fruit. I was not a huge fruit eatter before my band but now -- I have a new found love for apples. She explained that the more Fiber I put into my diet the less I will need fills..and it will help with losing weight. I am about 12 weeks post -op and have cut back on my protein shake to once a day...add a banana, ff milk and tsp of Peanut Butter...it really makes me feel fuller then a yogurt. If I am having a second one because I am famished..which has only happened just a few times...I leave out the banana and milk...to cut calories...that is the only thing with them they are important but can be very caloric - GOOD LUCK

Buttercup, I am at 3 weeks out. this is what I eat. dinner I may change it up a bit but not much. Protein shakes really help! Good luck! BKFST: string cheese: 60 cals, 1 carb, 8 protein Mid AM: GNC Amp protein shake: 2 scoops 140 cals, 4 carbs, 30 protein Mid AM: Soy light vanilla milk: 1/2 cup, 80 cals, 10 carbs, 6 protein Lunch: Tofu (1 slice): 30cals, 0 carbs, 8 protein Lunch: Oikos greek yogurt 1 tbsp. 8cals, 1carb, 1 protein another Protein Drink same as Mid AM w/ soy milk Dinner: 1/2 can canned chicken white meat, 60cals, 1carb, 13protein This will give you 558 cals, 24 carbs, 97 protein (I know it high but you can adjust the shakes if you want.) Now I dont know if this is exactly right for you as I am adjusting as well. Hope it helps tho.

I had my band put in over 2 yrs ago. My doctor was very strict - liquids only for the first 4 weeks, but he included Protein drinks in with the liquids. In fact, I had a Protein Drink the day after my surgery while still in the hospital. I just recently read thru my post op instructions again (for the heck of it!) and I'm so mad at myself! I thought he wrote that I was to be on clear liquids + Protein Drinks for 4 weeks. After a week or so, I was starving so I added cream Soups to the mix. I thought I was cheating the whole time. It read "clear liquids, yogurt, pudding and creamy soups". I would ask your doctor to verify the info. That seems like a long time to go without any protein. Altho you can get protein in Isopur (you can get it from GNC online) and it's a clear liquid. You can also get powdered flavorless protein that you can add to any clear liquid if necessary. I drank ONE of the Isopures I bought (a $100 worth) after my surgery. My nurse said they tasted like Jolly Ranchers. They don't. I think they're nasty. But if it's true that s/he wants you on only clear liquids, it's nice to know there's a choice. Good luck. Hope they let you eat creamy stuff too - it's nice to know you haven't cheated when you start starving! Marci

I was banded on Wednesday and I'm feeling pretty good. My belly is still tender, but only the incision where the port was inserted. The other incisions are fine. I've had little or no gas pain but i've also been on my feet walking around my house a lot and I've heard that walking helps. Today was my first day out of the house. I went to church and then went to Kroger. I was pretty pooped by the time I got home. The only pain med I have taken is Aleve twice a day. As far as I know, my doctor didn't do any other repair work so maybe that is why you guys are still in pain. Hope you're all feeling better soon. Are you hungry? I wasn't hungry until yesterday. My doctor is allowing me to have creamy soups, yogurt, veggie juices, and diet ice cream plus the Protein shakes. I haven't felt really full but then I'm not sure I know what that feeling is like. That scares me a little because I'm afraid I'll overeat and then throw up and I sure don't want to cause any slippage. Let me know how you all are doing please.

Epic failure today trying to mix the vanilla flavor with some greek yogurt. I have it in the freezer with hopes that if I make it like ice cream or frozen yogurt that I'll be able to tolerate the taste. I took 3 bites, and I wanted to throw up.

I also take Metformin. I haven't had a problem yet with my halves going down, but I haven't been filled yet either! I have a pill crusher, but yuck, those things are bitter. I don't always remember to take my evening one, but whenever I check my blood levels they are right where they need to be. I would definately call your PCP and see what he says. I was a grazer before. I'd walk past the kitchen and grab chips or almonds or Cookies. It's been tough, but I've really had to be strong. My new "craving" is cottage cheese. I would have laughed in your face and smacked you with a slice of pizza if you had told me that two months ago. You need to go shopping and have quality stuff on hand. I have so much Soup, sugar free pudding and Jello and yogurt around that I'm not having to worry when I really really feel the need to have something to eat. I bought some little square sushi or dessert plates at Target for 99 cents each and those are my plates. I also bought a 6 pack of colorful, plastic baby spoons that actually look like toothbrush handles. It helps with the portions. Instead of moaning over the amount of food I'm missing out on I look at the plate and say "Hey, look how little satisfies me!" (EVEN if I DON'T feel that way!)

TG this isn't another "I feel like a failure 10 days post op". I think there is a presumption that if you don't lose all this weight quickly you wasted money and you are a loser. You are not!! If you are a failure than I need to just to jump off a bridge for only losing 30 pounds a in a year. Yes, sometimes I feel disappointed but I know I would never ever have lost it without the band. I am slightly annoyed at doctors who vary so much on lap band advice - by reading the boards some doctors yell at their patients for only losing a pound a week while my doctor is over the moon when I lose a pound a week. You will have to keep getting fills until you hit the sweet spot. It took me 6 fills in 7 months to get really get there. I wonder why doctors don't seem to explain what this is as so many people on this board seem to think 1 or 2 fills will magically work which usually wont make a difference on most people. For instance, I am satisfied with yogurt and string cheese. Fills 1 thru 5 - I would have rolled my eyes at that - it would have taken 6 oz steak and mash potatoes to fill me up. Hang in there and don't compare yourself to others.

Maybe more of a question for your nutritionist but I would imagine it would be things like mashed potato's, refried beans, yogurt (without thinning with milk), etc.

Talk to your Dr, a lot of Dr's have an alternative pre-op diet is basically a high protien, low carb diet. Mine allowed me to have lean meat, cheese, low fat yogurt, non carb veggies, light salad dressing, etc... It was much easier to follow and after surgery he said my liver looked great which is the main goal. I lost 15lbs on the pre-op diet, at good, and still shrunk my liver. If your Dr allows this than do it... if not then stick to his diet but one mistake does not make you a failure. Good luck!!!!

Hey y'all! I am about 3 weeks out and on mushies/softs. I can eat about 2 ounces of yogurt or pudding. I can one tablespoon of mashed potatoes (with cheese and bacon seasoning) or one tablespoon of the eggface ricotta bake at any given time. Does this amount sound right for where I am? Thanks so much! HDub

It all depends. I make my own salad dressings and use REAL olive oil or REAL homemade MAYO.. but then I cut it with avocado or salsa or something else so overall there's a lot of dressing.. but less fat than dressings made the traditional way. I use full fat cheese. I EAT THE chicken SKIN.. (but only my OWN chicken skin off of my ONE chicken leg) I use half and half in my coffee.. 2T every morning. For cottage cheese I use 1% because that's the kind I like the best. I make my own yogurt and I like it with whole milk the best. I like a lot of fat in my diet and I account for it in my calories. It's REALLY easy to go crazy with too many calories if you're doing full-fat everything so just be careful how many calories you're getting

You will feel normal again! I remember that was the question I asked myself most in those early days. I'm pretty sure I even posted it on here a few times. "Will I ever feel normal again!??!?!" But I eventually did and you will too! It's hard to believe right now, I know, but you really really will. As for the pureed stage, I never once ate any actual pureed food. I had my Protein shakes, yogurt, and recipes from this page: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html The Baked Ricotta saved me!

wasabubblebutt, and all, You are correct. A "destroyed" metabolism isn't a good description. I believe it is that you can slow your metabolism way down by bad dieting habits over the years. Eating certain foods and no exercise and your metabolism will be slower then a person who eats good food and exercises. Most of us on this forum probably have slowed our metabolism down to a crawl before the band. The minute you "diet" your metabolism crawls because most of he time your body thinks it is in starvation mode. And I was NOT discounting what she said just because she was 19. But to say "I know it all" is a common example of a 19 year old point of view, and the fact that certain parts of the brain do not mature until 25 (like the part that says 'look before you leap because you may not like where you land') is a fact (at least in the latest 'discoveries')). So, age does have to do with perspective on things and giving advice. I do not believe that the person is unintelligent or anything like that. You know, what you said is true, IF a 15 year old is going through what we are...but that could NEVER be the case because we are NOT 15. And she is NOT 45. I didn't have this done at certain ages because i was not 'ready". You have to exhaust all avenues first. surgery is and should always be a LAST choice. (although i am NOT promoting "dieting" but a change of lifestyle). She would have to have a change of life style AFTER the band anyway, or she will just get fat again or not lose much to begin with). All i am saying is that in the teenage years, IF she made the other changes , truly made the other changes, she probably would not need the band, because having bad habits for 10 years is not as bad as having them for 30 or 45 years in some folks cases. Most of us have found the dedication after the band, because it helped us with discipline (pre-op diet even started this) and we learned nutritional information (some in classes pre-op and from this forum, and in general as we have become more dedicated). Yes, the feeling full helped, but it is alot easier to keep to 300 calories until dinner then it was before the band because i eat better food to fill that void (yes the void is smaller). But, I could eat ice cream at lunch instead of my fat free yogurt that is 60 cal. i could eat that snickers instead of the fat free pudding that is 100 cals for snack. But again, we are not 15. When I needed to lose at 15, and even 20, 25, whenever i felt i had gained, i would have discipline and ate less and worked out more. At one time, I had a gym for he weekend and a gym for during the week. I got fat when I stopped watching what I ate, stopped working out and got a sit down job, and all the self esteem issues were smothering me all at once. I should have taken care of those self esteem issue FIRST, when young, and paid attention more to me so that as i got older and life didn't go my way, I could have handled it better. I believe, and I truly do, that a teens self esteem needs to come from within FIRST, then deal with the body issues. I got the band, because I dealt with the "me" first. Or I wouldn't have been successful, thus far. I realize that each of us is unique and do not have the exact same issues as all bodies are unique. Some heal quicker, some heal slower etc. But the one thing that is most common is the lumping of age groups. As a rule, 15 year olds will lose easier then 25 year olds. 15 year olds will run rings around 35 year olds. easy? no. easier? yes. The band is good, but surgery isn't. I don't believe, and this is just MY belief, that at 15, such a young age, not even really out of puberty yet, body changing so dramatically still, one could explore all avenues honestly and wholeheartedly and still come up with surgery as the only answer. Would you let your child get lasix surgery done at 15 (IF you could get a doctor to perform it at that age)knowing her eyes haven't fully developed/grown? Why should her stomach be so different? Because we are sensitive to it? Because we made mistakes as youths (and it wasn't NOT getting the surgery) so why should she? I will shut up now,, (I know you are saying (finally lol)) and will not reply no matter what (lol).

I'm on mushies, but I've been eating some soft solids too, chewing them to uber mush in my mouth. Today - Breakfast was Protein shake and supplements, snack was low fat cottage cheese, lunch was small dill and lemon tuna salad with low fat mayo and some melon and vegetable cocktail. dinner was homemade humus - just blended canned chick peas with garlic, ginger, and lime and super soft poached trout with 0 cal butter spray, lime, and sodium free potassium salt. some berries and low cal cool whip for dessert. and LOADS of bottled Water flavoured with lime and stevia (herbal sweetner) all day long. later will have a Dannon silouhette fat free and sugar free yogurt drink, and before bed chai tea made with low fat coconut milk. I aim for 900-1200 calories a day, and 70-100 grams of protein, and stay under 30 grams of fat. I use fit day to track it. I try to pick foods low in fat, low on the glycemic index. I'm eating homemade humus and other blended bean mixes with garlic and lime and ginger a fair bit. Microwaved mashed yams with butter flavor spray. low fat dairy - the yogurt drinks, cottage cheese, and fat free processes swiss cheese slices. Lots of berries, rasperries, blackberries and blueberries mostly. Also melons. Occasionally advocado. fish - tuna, salmon, trout, artificial crab all of these I've been eating mashed well into a soft salad with low fat mayo and lime. Egg sensations brand egg whites the cheese and chive flavor, with a little butter spray cooked in the microwave egg poacher, or I let them cool and add low fat mayo to make mock egg salad... one of my favorites. I usually mash my fruit with a couple of table spoons of cool whip light, and if the berries need it, a little stevia to sweeten it up more. Also motts no sugar added apple and peach sauce blends. pureed vegetable Soups the kind you buy pre-made in the cartons. - blended green vegetable, pea soup, carrot soup, butternut squash soup, are some of my faves. Getting veggies drinking vegetable cocktail too. I aim for 4 servings of veggies a day, and 3 of fruit. It's been great so far. XO Leila

Lorrie1, I am glad I could help. as for the "liquid diet", you are right it is mostly things like yogurt and strained soups etc. Basically, you are trying to shrink your liver before the surgery and not irritate your stomach afterward. My docs' rule of thumb was "If you can get it through a straw, you can have it". I almost had that NY Strip through the straw by day 7, but.....no, I am kidding. I was so excited and nervous about the surgery, and busy second guessing myself, it really went by quickly. I started watching those shows on the Discovery channel like "Super Obese" and some others and thinking that I should be able to do this on my own, I shouldn't need the surgery, blah, blah, blah. Then I decided that I should not "should" on myself. This was something I wanted to do and needed to do so I could lose the weight and keep it off, once an for all! I wanted to be healthy, and now I am. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. Back to the liquids, my hubby made me this awesome pumpkin Soup when I was on the pre-op and post-op diet and it was a lifesaver. It's not sweet so it does not taste like pie, it is a savory soup that is very dinner like (I first had pumpkin soup at an upscale restaurant). Pumpkin has a lot of Fiber so it makes the soup really stick with you for a while and keeps things moving in the lower regions. You can also substitute butternut squash if you want. I have attached the recipe in a Word document. I think you will like it if you give it a try. I also have a list of pre-op tips like doing all of your shopping including getting a stool softener ahead of time. The combination of pain meds and reduced Fluid intake (while you learn to coordinate you food/fluid intake) tends to constipate a lot of people and you don't want to strain, so a softener REALLY helps. You don't want to take a laxative because you have so little food intake that you don't want to rush the nutrients out of your body. Anyway, I will look for that list and post it for you. Meanwhile, here is the pumpkin soup recipe. Pumpkin Soup Recipe.doc

I relied heavily on protein shakes for the first few weeks, but have lately changed to Greek yogurt. The same level of protein but fruity and doesn't taste so much like chemicals (to me shakes just taste artificial). They come in 1/2 cup portions...and you could thin them with a tablespoon of skim milk if you wanted. You can also get shakes that have more calories AND more protein. My choice is usually Atkins Dark Choc Royale...about the best one I have found. A friend likes Muscle Milk. BUT I agree that you will have trouble losing weight on such a low calorie regime. You can't get your metabolism out of park with that. I didn't really lose weight after the band operation until I started eating 1200 calories a day. Then I lost 2-3 lbs a week. Lately it has slowed and I think I have to lower it a bit or settle for a smaller loss or 1-2. As you lose weight you need fewer calories to maintain.

The hernias, heartburn, and small issues are easy to deal with. You never have to worry about meal planning if you have yogurt, cottage cheese, rotisserie chicken, smoked salmon, tuna, veggies, PB2, Proteins, etc. on hand. I love this simple life after a lifetime of cooking hearty meals. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I do a bean bowl. ¼ cup black Beans, salsa, shredded cheese, dice avocado. You can up the Protein by adding dollop of greak yogurt instead of cream cheese. Everything else is allowed on a soft diet and give you protein plus Fiber. As you progress to all foods cucumber and baked cheese chips are good alternative. I even read that some people bake pepperoni slices.