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Hi! I had my surgery on December 8, 2014. My starting weight was 258 lbs and at my 2 week visit I was at 241 lbs. On Tuesday I'll weigh myself and see were am at. I really haven't started to workout yet, no energy yet. Am going to start to walk tomorrow and see how far I can go. Like some I'm finding getting enough liquids is very hard. Worried about going back to work on the 12th and how am I going to get enough liquids in when am always on the go. Thinking about getting a watch with a timer to go off every 15 minutes to remind me to stop and drink. So far am now lactose intolerant, which I wasn't before. I was a big milk fan. I had a bad reaction to cottage cheese but willing to try yogurt and cheese to see if I can tolerate them. I was told by the Dr. to look for lactaid free yogurt and cheese. Anybody having this issue too?

I posted this somewhere else...but I buy the plain 0% fat greek yogurt and add Smuckers Sugar free jams to it for flavor.

This is an amazing process for those of us who automatically thought that any growling in our intestines is hunger (::::raising my hand:::. One thing I learned is that what I thought was hunger is not. What I thought was my "stomach" growling was actually my intestines processing what was already there. I have learned to trust the other manifestations of hunger -- feeling a little light headed and irritable is where I look rather than intestinal/abdominal cues. When I was a week out and on liquids, I had intense head hunger. Being home and recuperating led to lots of TV, which led to lots of hamburger and pizza commercials. I also realized that all the things I had prepared -- pudding, sugar free custard (I had a great recipe), yogurt -- grossed me out. I wanted salt. So I found some Soup and pureed the heck out of it. That worked better!! It is okay to be hungry at this stage, though. Just don't eat what you're not supposed to. You won't die. Follow your doctor's / nutritionist's instructions to the letter. If they say don't eat solid food, don't eat solid food. If they say drink 64 ounces of liquid, drink 64 ounces of liquid. What keeps me going when I need to do things that my pre-op self didn't want to do is some self-talk: the old me may have eaten that, may have chosen not to exercise, may have not followed instructions. The new me has changed her lifestyle and does what she needs to do. It is too soon, though, even if you were allowed solid foods, to eat ground beef or a brisket. I'm five weeks out and I was advised not to eat beef in any form for a few months, as it might be too rich for our new plumbing to process at this point.

There is some fear mongering to an extent, and it's justified. It's easy to get a lot of empty calories from liquids. Slider foods (things like mashed potatoes or ice cream) you'll find you could still eat quite a decent amount of only a few months after surgery. The risk/concern is that because it's easy to have more of those foods people will transfer a food addiction to those. For instance my NUT told stories of somebody that nibbled on pizza all day long. They couldn't eat more than a piece in a single sitting, but the constant grazing led to weight gain. Same with somebody snaking on the mini Snickers all day long. Yogurts are a staple in my diet. No, they don't fill you up but it's a healthy snack and easy way to get protein in. I don't like offices that make this giant banned list of foods. You can eat nearly anything a few months after surgery. It's just a dangerous path to go down for a lot of folks. Some things are gone and have stayed gone (foods that I struggled with). Other things I allow myself to have maybe once a month and I'm fine with that. Pasta used to be dinner at least 2 nights a week. Now I have a little bit maybe once a month and that's all I care about having. I don't have cravings for it like I used to. If I never had it again I really don't care, and I was a massive pasta lover prior to surgery. I get why they do it but I think there are better approaches to take. The straw thing is mainly in the beginning to avoid the risk of drinking too much too quickly. I use straws now but have to remember that I can't pound a drink down like before.

Slept with body pillow on my side somewhat last night. Didn’t sleep great. Trying to avoid pain tabs if possible but have taken them at night. I’m finding that I’m having “mind” hunger vs physical hunger. Like I could go for a Krystal burger but not hungry for one. Hooefully go to yogurt, strained soup, protein shake after day 4 according to post op plan.

Hey all, I was at the grocery store today and came across a brand new Greek yogurt made by Yoplait! I've heard a lot of you talk about Greek yogurt because it's so high in protein and low in carbs and figured I would have to go to a specialty health market to find it. So I was surprised to find it and just thought I'd share. :thumbup1:

Anne, i had some greek yogurt yesterday and the had the runs ALL NITE LONG!!! BAD GIRL!!!!! just thought Id share! Also, I tried to go back to work yesterday and I was NOT READY. I took a few more days off. Im so bored at home tho. How have you been feeling?

I feel like alot of what I been eating has caused discomfort or heart burn , can someone give me some starter foods to move first to because I'm back to only yogurt and broth right now 2 1/2 weeks out :/

600 calories with yogurt and Protein???

Basically, you need to think Atkins diet, plus at least 60 to 70 grams of protien, whey chocolate is really good., I used 2% milk., or you could use 1%, cut out all carbs., ie: low fat yogurt, protien drinks, protien bars, lean meats, fish, grilled chicken only.. keep your fat and carbs to a minimum.... again think Atkins... I did this for 7 days before surgery...thanks to some advise and I am doing great, I had surgery on 3/7 and so far I am doing awesome and I have lost 7.8 lbs.. Hope this helps, good luck. and don't worry its not as bad as you think.... :huh2:

My heating pad...not really a grocery item but it is a life saver! Also the jello and yogurt I loved prep I can not stand postop. Cream of wheat with a little butter and Splenda....yum!

Don't stick to the 1/4 c every 3 hours. That's way too little food. You're almost two weeks out, you should be able to eat almost normally at this point. I'm two weeks out and I can eat 1-1.5 c of food per sitting (depending on the food) and my Dr. approves of this. It's normal nutrition. Ultimately you'll be looking for that amount per meal, 1-1.5 c. Eat when you are hungry, not by the clock. If you are truly hungry - eat. It will prevent you from feeling sick and prevent your sugar from tanking. Eat complex carbs and Protein to keep you fuller longer. Avoid Soups, yogurt, ice cream, Jello, anything that is liquid or liquid like because they'll slip right through. I find that soft cooked Pasta keeps me full for 4-5 hours, potatoes do the same thing (all approved Phase II foods). Soup makes me hungry an hour later. Protein shakes stave me off for about 2 hours. Start tracking your food - the time you eat it too - The Daily Plate is really good for this (there's even an iPhone app) - and that will help you figure out what keeps you fuller for longer so you can eat foods that will help you lose by keeping you full.

Got my band a week ago today. Been on clear liquids for this week. Get to move to liquids (creamy soups and yogurt in addition to the clear liquids), for a week starting tomorrow, then a week of soft foods (mushies) and then week 4 is when I start eating regular foods. A week of clear liquids has been rough, but I did it. Can't wait to have some soup tomorrow. Good luck to you!!! Becky

All these ideas are good. But wow, I buy Bariatric Advantage meal replacements in a bag and only pay $60 a bag. I order it straight from them. I generally add frozen blueberries and cinnamon and it comes out like a brilliant blue cinnamon streusel ice cream. I guess I will get tired of it but haven't yet. It is still pricey but I figure it really isn't bad, with the things I add it works out to about $2 a serving, which is a meal. I use the greek yogurts as they have so much protein, but I love yogurt and the Greek is so much more 'yogurty'. You could add one to your shake mixes to change the flavor some. I started doing that because I tried to go vegetarian and my hair started falling out.

I have also ordered an unflavored Protein called Fundamental Protein. It doesn't have any other additives other than they whey, which is nice because they usually have sweeteners, etc. If you bought unflavored, you could mix it with all liquids, yogurts, Soup, etc...

Nobody has mentioned the one I like - Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein. I've had chocolate and strawberry and they provide 26 g of protein and only 8 g of carb. I have to say, though, they taste really good when made with skim milk but not so good with water. The milk adds protein, though. I don't care for Muscle Milk and cannot stand yogurt no matter how many times I try it with different stuff added, it just tastes spoiled to me.

You might find unjury chicken broth works. Tastes good and has plenty of Protein. Good Luck. Will you be starting purees soon? That might make things easier. What about greek yogurt? That saved me in the early stages!

Hang in there it will get better. Also, just because you can't get your protein in early post op does not mean you are a failure. Post op I had a hard time getting my protein too. I could not tolerate the protein shakes and I tried many brands. I still to this day- nine months post op despise them. I just made sure I stayed very hydrated ( small sips) and I lived off Greek yogurt and strained soups until I got to the puréed stage. From there on out you can get your protein from food instead of shakes. I used all the protein powder I had to make protein pancakes( once I was able to eat solid food) and I also mix it with my Greek yogurt. I get my fair life milk at my local grocery store ( Publix) it taste just like regular milk but you get the bonus of double the protein. You will be a success. Lots of luck

So I am eating my first mush food today. I had refried Beans (black beans), low fat shredded cheese and a little guacamole. My stomach feels like it is constricting when the food hits it? Is this normal. I am not feeling nauseous or anything (maybe a little gassy) so I stopped and took a few bites of my cottage cheese. Same thing. I also had a hernia fixed when I got the sleeve. I did get a Greek yogurt down this morning and a few bites of scrambled egg (it ended up being too dry for me) Anyone else have the constricting pain when first eating?

So I got sleeved exactly a week ago. The following was posted by me at OH for those of you who frequent both sites. I'm just trying to get some insight into a really frustrating situation. I was on IV fluids only until Monday, when I started clears. I was on clears until Tuesday afternoon when my info packet said I could move to purees (including mashed potatoes). So since Tuesday, I've been eating the following: -Refried Beans (made me a bit bloated and unhappy) -Yogurt drinkables with splendaa(very pleasant, easy on my stomach) -pudding cups (fill me up fast, but pleasantly satisfying) -Soup with the chunks strained out, though not necessarily clear broth (ie, tortilla soup and hot & sour) -Soft tofu mashed into thin paste -Runny oatmeal with milk and Splenda -Starbucks Iced Latte with no sugar Now bear in mind I just got back. Protein drinks and sugar free options were very slim down in Mexico, so I had to commit minor carbicide a few times, just to get something in me. But is there anything on this list I should definitely NOT be having one week out? Only the beans felt like a bit too much. I'm also trying to better understand the when and when not to drink in relation to meals, even if the meals are mostly liquid. My doctor's diet schedule is incredibly vague "Softs: 3 days to three weeks" and a lot of the other ones overlap. The confusion comes because Angeles Health's own literature is so damned inconsistent. I dug up one version of their post-op plan that outlines Week1: Clears, Week2: Protein shakes, Week3: Puree, etc. But my doctor's nutritionist handed me a paper packet that said to go from clears to puree on Day 4! So I did, and it even listed mashed potatoes as an option! I'm so confused! And now you all have me worried. My own nutritionist isn't seeing me because she thinks there's no point since my diet is so restrictive. I flat-out told my surgeon and his team I was having yogurt drinkables, strained soup (not necessarily clear), and mashed potatoes and they voiced no objection. *sigh* Another issue is that when you're released from the hospital, they cut you loose and want you to stick to the diet plan. We found no easy protein shakes in Tijuana, nor did we find anything low-carb that I could eat in the pureed category. We really were left to our own devices. My stomach feels okay. I was eating mashed potatoes extremely slowly, licking little bits from my spoon and could only eat an ounce or so before feeling full. I'm perfectly happy to scale it back now that I'm back in the States. Should I just go back to my pre-op protein shakes? How do I know if my sleeve is okay and didn't get stretched?? The potatoes were okay at first, but now I just feel a bit bloated. I guess I'm trying to get some peace of mind that I haven't done any permanent damage to my new sleeve. PS - The coffee dried me out, so I think I've learned my lesson on that.

Hi there! I'm right there with you. . .I had my surgery on Dec 29, 2009 and have lost an incredible 150 lbs . . . however since January 2011 it slowed down and came to a screeching halt. . . I've teeter between 200 - 210 lbs all the time. . . i have found what my problem is has been night eating. . . ugh that was my big problem before surgery too. . . so i've tried to decrease that bad habit. . .as with sodas, i drink diet, but limit them to 2 a day. . . instead of potatoe chips I eat pork rinds, instead of chocolate at night i eat those whipped chocolate mousse yogurt things (only 1 though) and/or some yummy fruit. . . and of course TONS of Water splashed with lime juice and lots of ice. . . for my alcoholic beverages, I use a little diet soda, splash of lime juice and rum and limit it to Friday and Saturday only. . . never beer or malt beverages. it's the little changes that could help. . . i haven't lost any weight by doing this but I haven't gained either and to me that is the most important. . . you could throw in extra exercise as well to help boost your metabolism a bit. . . good luck, i hope this helps you. . . some folks will think this is totally dumb, but it works for me. . .

Looks average to me. I'm almost 8 months out and I can eat 2.5-3 oz of firm Protein, a few crackers or a /12 slice of bread, and about 1/4 cup of soft vegetables or fruit at a sitting. For example today's menu: 8 a.m.: Caffee Latte with 8 oz. soymilk 8:30 a.m.: 1/2 slice whole wheat toast, Yogurt shake with 1 cup greek yogurt, splenda, splash of OJ, and a couple of berries 12:30 p.m.: 2 oz. chicken breast, 1 oz. lowfat cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup vegetable barley Soup 4:00 p.m.: 1.4 cup greek yogurt dip (mixed with packaged ranch dressing), 3/4 cup mixed veggies (baby carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas), 1 tablespoon lite Peanut Butter and 1.2 graham cracker 6:30 p.m: 3 oz. ground beef, 1/2 cup vegetable barley soup (This is planned - I haven't had dinner yet) Lynda

Plain Greek Yogurt flavored with dry Jello crystals .... or .... 1 Poached egg and Johnsonville maple flavored sausage links (2-3) ....or.... 1 egg scrambled with grated cheese. These are things i eat post-op .... I ate the same pre-op, just more of it...lol

The Protein mix I tolerate best is Six Star whey protein. In chocolate and vanilla. If they're out of this, my alternate is EAS powder, or the EAS carb advantedge pre-mades in strawberry or French Vanilla (both of which have to be -COLD- or they suck). I'm rarely a purist with my Protein drinks. I will not mix them with Water, I tried gagging through that and it just didn't work for me. I will either mix them with Skim Plus milk or Silk, or sometimes the Skim Plus cut with Light OJ, about 2:1. For chocolate powder I will usually blend in either a scant spoonful of Peanut Butter, or the same of Nutells, or some sugar free Kahlua flavored coffee syrup and ice, or some sugar free Hazlelnut coffee syrup & warm the milk. For vanilla I will put in about 1/5 packet of Butterfinger flavored cocoa mix, or some low sugar/low carb regular cocoa mix, or some sugar free cider mix, or fruit (not too often, I don't like the texture of the tiny seeds). If I do the milk/OJ combo, I will just add ice and sugar (formerly Splenda, but I'm not really buying into the artificial sweetners too much anymore). Outside of protein pwders, for my liquid phase (very short compared to yours), inclusing thick liquids, I would rely on Cream of X Soups (mostly chicken), or golden mushroom, or the brothy variety of southwest chicken with all chunks strained out. Split pea Soup was nice, as was lentil soup. Clam chowder that had been whizzed up to blend in the chunks. Plain old low sodium chicken broth. Drinkable yogurts. Etc.

Did your doctor not give you much guidance in what you should be eating? If you aren't hitting protein & water goals your focus should change to that immediately. We were told to get 60g of protein in minimum a day. The target should be between 60-80g of protein, keep carbs low, and don't stress about calories at this point. In addition try your best to get 64oz of water in. At 3 weeks out most people are in the pureed stage. Things like cottage cheese (blend a small portion of fruit up to add to the flavor) and Greek yogurts are good to have in your diet. The Oikos triple zero yogurts are 15g of protein in a serving. Cottage cheese is typically at least 10g in 5oz. Compare that to the 1-2g of protein you're getting from an entire banana. If you're struggling with water try mixing things up. Do Powerade Zero, Propel waters, Crystal Light, etc. I would mix a small amount of diet cranberry juice (the 5 calorie kind) in with my Crystal Light drinks to give them a bit more flavor. I keep a 32oz Powerade bottle as my measuring cup so to speak. I fill that up with my Crystal Light and as long as I get two of those down a day I know I'm hitting my water goals (your protein drinks do count towards water intake as well). I honestly think if you change those things up you'll see things kick into gear more.