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It will be a while before your stomach is "wired" correctly again. Those sensors that used to tell us we were full get all screwed up after surgery. This is why measuring out your portions is so critical. You could be over stuffing your new stomach but your body can't tell you "stop!" at this stage, or it does signal you but it's way too late. While it's true some people can only manage 2-4 oz after a few weeks and others can comfortably do 6 oz you'll have to figure yourself out. Also keep in mind that not all ounces are equal. I find that I can have 5 oz of yogurt and feel like I didn't even eat, but 4 oz of ground beef left me feeling stuffed.

I didn't even tell my mother or my sister. My husband, two teen daughters and my best friend knew. That was it. I'm 6 months out and 75 pounds down from my high weight in April 2016. When people comment on my weight loss, I thank them. When they ask what I'm doing, I tell the truth, but not the whole truth : I eat a high Protein, low carb diet I exercise 4-5 times a week for at least 1 hour and work with a personal trainer I'm working with a doctor and dietician for guidance It's not easy, but it's been worth it. The only person I told at church was our associate rector, and even then, all I said to her was I was having a procedure and wanted her to hold me in prayer. Same thing at work - I just said I had to have abdominal surgery and would be out for a few days. I just spent the weekend with my husband's family and they don't know and didn't. While you are paying attention to everything on your plate, no one else is. I was able to eat mostly on plan -- I did bring a few Oikos yogurts and some Protein Bars as a just in case. Don't tell anyone you think will be a Negative Nancy.

A good topic! Here are mine premier protein My top choice. Easy on the tummy, love the ready to go shakes and tasty. I am now experimenting cooking with them too! My favorite food right now is oatmeal made with a protein drink. My husband jokes it is like soup but it works for me. I got the idea from, I think,@Travelher. Favorite combos for oatmeal Chocolate + Powdered peanut butter Carmel or vanilla + canned pumpkin and dash of pumpkin pie spice Any flavor + a little sugar free syrup Isopure unflavored I was really skeptical about an unflavored protein powder but I do like it. In the beginning, I thought it had a weird texture but now I don't notice it. I typically add it to a V8 for my post work out food. Lots of vitamins and electrolytes in the V8 and adding the unflavored powder, I get protein too! I did try this mixture with oatmeal and avocado, it was pretty good. Very much like a soup but it was good. Yeah, I know I'm a little crazy. Quest Like the quest bars. I tried a few from the store like someone said and then bought in bulk on Amazon. The mint chocolate chunk is good. Powdered peanut butter For several months after surgery the smell of peanut butter was gross and then that changed! Pbfitt at Costco is a good price Yogurt! Sugars can be really high with some yogurts. I like the Dannon light and fit the best. Good luck. I am excited to see more suggestions

Thanks!! I thought maybe you meant grams when you were talking about the protein? Someone gave me info about a powder protein that each scoop gives 30 grams of protein. It dissolves well in water. If you like yogurt there are some with high protein - sometimes 12.

The P3 packs that @Vinasu mentioned are life savers for me. I also bring apple slices, almonds, and sometimes Oikinos zero yogurt. I keep lunches cold so they are fast quick and easy.

Wanted to update on where I'm now at: Had my 4 week follow-up appointment with my doc yesterday. Said everything is looking good and I'm on track. Weighed in yesterday morning at 291 which puts me down 27 lbs since surgery. Starting to really see/feel the difference now in the weight loss. I recently got back into my old size 42 jeans and had to buy a new belt yesterday because they're already starting to fall off my butt. I imagine I'll be back into my 40s soon enough. Only downside I've experienced is that some of my old sciatica pain seems to be wanting to creep back into my life. I think it's largely due to being more active over this past week in walking again. The good news is that I don't have the pain that I used to have, but in the evenings I can feel my hip wanting to "limp" along like before along with some numbness in my foot. Trying to get up and moving around at work as much as possible. I'm pretty lucky in my job that I have the flexibility to get up from desk when I want. food wise my doc's office has a fairly strict regimen to follow but for the most part am cleared to eat about 90% of regular foods. Still have to stay away from stringy veggies, no nuts/seeds, and no "heavy" meats like steak. The biggest upside is that I can now eat most meats again like ground beef, chicken, tuna, and so forth. Last night was the first time I've had ground beef in 6+ weeks and my whole half cup of food was so wonderful! I was past burned out on yogurts and cottage cheese so it's great to be able to eat as close to normal as possible after nearly a month and a half. Every now and then I still get some oddball pains/aches but they seem to pass day to day. I think part of it is again because I've been getting more active. The only incision point that ever bothers me slightly is the one closest to my belly button. Yesterday it hurt a bit, but today nothing. Looking to get back into going to the gym in the next week. Before when I was going just to try and lose weight I had no desire to go which made me sad because I used to love being a gym rat. The sciatica pain was a huge hindrance and the main reason the fun of working out was gone. I'm hoping that with the weight I've lost so far and getting back into lifting/stretching that it will help my sciatica and get some strength back into my hip & leg. While life is really different now when it comes to food I feel better right now than I have in years and do not have any regrets despite some of the initial hurdles. In two weeks I have another follow-up visit and that should set the course for a while. Looking forward to what the following weeks & months will bring.

I had bypass done on the 13th. I unfortunately got inflammation in my ribs on my left side. Omg painful and uncomfortable but that's the only pain I am in. I use gene pro for my Protein mix. I am only able to eat sugar free Popsicle, Gatorade, yogurt n Jello. I crave sweet foods which I honestly never hardly ate before..

I need some advice guys. I am 4 weeks post-op tomorrow. I had surgery done in Tijuana so I have very little guidance post-op. I should be in pureed/mushy food stage but the thing is, I HATE the way it feels to eat. I do get some hunger, it's just the way the food feel as it goes down it feels uncomfortable, gurgley, gassy . I have tried eggs, refried Beans, tilapia, cream Soups, and yogurt. Most days I only eat for one meal and so I'm still depending on Protein shakes for most of my meals. My question is, Is this ok? should I try to eat more often?

I remember my first cracker lol. I don't eat them often and only 1 when I do. I'm glad I can have lettuce. I like the crunch w/o guilt. Me too on the same thing different day. Makes grocery shopping easy though. Protein shake for breakfast @ 5 tuna and yogurt for lunch which is normally 2 separate meals at 9 and 12 around 3 I have a snack which is killing me at the moment. .5 serving of lunch meat thin slices and Colby jack cheese 1 serving. Most days. Dinners are different and weekends. But Mon- Thursday breakfast and lunch its the same. I stick to that better. Carbs are high cal and most slide through just leave me hungry soon.

Don't know if you've seen this site before or not, but gets recommended a lot. There are some good recipes on there - http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html For my soft food/pureed stage I didn't do anything crazy. I couldn't do blended foods. I tried once with soup and it didn't taste right at all. So I stuck with the basics: cottage cheese with a tiny bit of pureed fruit, lots of yogurt, sweet potatoes, refried beans, scrambled egg with a bit of picante sauce, etc. One of the best things I had was the ricotta bake recipe that can be found on the link above. That was so damned good I wish I would have made it sooner. Even when I'm out of the pureed stage it's going to be a staple in my diet. It's super easy to make and is really good.

Hi. I was sleeved on 2/6. As others have said your doctor or nutritionist should have given you a plan to follow. I was on clear liquids for day 1 and 2. I am currently in my 2 week full liquids phase. I have a dr appt tomorrow and should be moved on to the soft/mushy phase. Each phase is currently approved by my nutritionist and doctor. I have stuck to this religiously. Not because I think I can't handle moving forward but because these stages are designed not only for healing but also preparing for huge life changes. I am in this stage gratefully. I cook dinner for my family and sit with them and visit while they eat my awesome home cooked meal and I sip on my shake or eat a vanilla yogurt with PB2. It is a mindset that must be changed that you are depriving yourself of anything. You are giving yourself a life of good health, good eating, healthy portions, and a happier life. Change your mindset and that protein shake isn't so bad. Good luck with your journey. Keep us posted on your progress.

You will be able to eat more and more as you progress through the first few months post-op. This isn't unusual and it's nothing to panic about. My nut says I can eat a cup of food at a time now that I'm 5 months out, and generally, she's right. I couldn't eat a cup of dense Protein like chicken, but I can eat a cup of Soup or yogurt, which pretty much go right through. With regard to stretching - personally (and based on what I've read/seen) I don't think it's stretching as much as it is eating around the sleeve. Imagine my surprise when I decided to have "a few" potato chips. I counted out a serving, tracked it, and was not even a little affected by the intake. I could have eaten the whole bag! You've heard of slider foods - well, believe me, they are a thing. Because sliders don't close the pyloric valve they slide right through and your capacity is much higher. Obviously this increases calorie intake and voila - weight gain ensues. One rule I don't break is drinking when I eat. This will also cause you to eat more than you should because it pushes food through the sleeve allowing you to accomodate more volume. I'm not perfect - I eat small pieces of chocolate here and there, I have popcorn and chips once in a great while, sometimes I'll have a small piece of bread with butter. 95% of the time, though, I follow my plan and I measure and track everything in My Fitness Pal (even the popcorn and chocolate!) That, to me, is the key - being aware of everything that I'm eating. Presurgery I ate with abandon, and that's never going to be the case again.

I am a week out and am craving a pomelo. I am already tolerating nonfat Greek yogurt and watery oatmeal. I normally peel the pomelo completely before eating.. has anyone had citrus this early in the game??.

The ricotta bake at that stage was heaven!! I highly recommend making that one. The recipe makes a large amount (for you) so you can portion it out and refrigerate it. Then you have easy heat and eat meals. You'll start getting your energy back now that you are working towards real food. Ideas for soft food stage: Scrambled eggs, nonfat re-fried Beans, ricotta bake, cottage cheese, I made a mini omelette (scrambled eggs with laughing cow cheese). low-fat greek yogurt (you can add Protein powder to it too), egg salad would be good too, oatmeal with Protein Powder.

I move to week 2 post op tomorrow and get to transition from Clear Liquids to full liquids (Soups, yogurts, milk, Protein shakes) What is your favorite week 2 food? I am so excited!!!!

I was done on the 9th, I'm on clear liquids for 3 weeks (March 2!) then purée for 3 more weeks before going to normal eating. I did get an ok to have yogurt beginning this thusday, but limited to 4 oz twice a day. It seems rediculous, but I've come this far to not follow their process at the end.

Hello everyone I'm a day or two away from two weeks I was sleeved 8th of February. I've gone down almost 20 lb I'm writing to here others experience and share my thoughts. One thing I've learned is every doctor has a different diet. It's annoying because some people get to indulge in what others can't and you sometimes feel jealous. Lol. After one week I was allowed to have yogurts cream of soups. They helped me get through that week cause the liquid was killing me emotionally. I know I may complain and other had to do this longer and so me complaining seems ridiculous but it's how I felt. I see my doctor Thursday. I'm hoping to here I can it ground meat something of actual food. Some people are allowed this and cheese and beans. What did your doctor allow? And how did it sit with you?

I make dinners and deserts for my family. My trick is to immediately wash my hands if anything gets on them, do not lick. I also keep in mind the dumping syndrome. I know what it feels like when you are trying new foods and you get sick. I also love how I look since I lost weight (not trying to sound conceited). After being heavy all my life, I don't want to give up how I feel about my self now. I keep up with my fluids and try to find foods that I can have and enjoy. This is no lie, Taco Bell pinto's and cheese is my staple. They give you relatively small portions and I season them with taco seasoning, garlic or onion powder and they are delicious. I also make a conscious effort in determining how full I feel and usually do not eat the last bite as then it pushes me into feeling stuffed. Oikos 21gram nonfat blended fruit yogurt (available at my local Walmart) is also one of my go to foods. When I find myself drifting towards old habits, I think of how good I feel and the new clothes I bought and get right back on track. I only started working out consistently a short while ago and do one mile walking videos which helps as well. Sometimes, you think you are hungry when in fact you are very thirsty. When you feel hunger, try drinking more Fluid. Good Luck!

Greek Yogurt. My NUT also told me to start adding some 100% fruit juice in to get more calories. So I drink a little more OJ

Don't worry...you're gonna feel full as all get out soon enough. I've been on the pureed stage for almost 2 weeks. Things like yogurts, Protein shakes, and other thin items go down without much fuss. Some heavier things I tried like eggs, the ricotta bake, sweet potato, etc. sat really heavy. I would still be careful on portions because things still aren't wired up right at this point. I try to keep everything to 1/2 cup or less per "meal" to be on the safe side.

I eat Greek yogurt every morning for breakfast for the protein content, but it’s only 100 calories. I will try the refried beans with cheese. I don't know about tofu yet because it may interfere with my thyroid medication.

I am 14 weeks post op. I definitely feel hungry when it's time to eat. My nutritionist recommends to eat 6 small meals a day to help with the hunger. You may be waiting too long in between meals to eat. Four to five hours is quite awhile for your stomach to have to wait for more food in between meals. Try eating a Protein snack like an ounce of chicken or rolled up sandwich meat, yogurt or string cheese in between your regular meals of Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stay away from carbs for Snacks. That should help with the hunger. It certainly helps me.

Came in this morning at 292.2 which puts me 26 lbs down since surgery. Tomorrow will be my 4 week follow-up appointment. Hopefully will be cleared to go back to normal foods. I am beyond burned out on Protein shakes, yogurt, and cottage cheese! I'm mixing things up as much as I can but have had to rely on those to hit my daily protein goals. All in all still doing pretty good. Really wanting to get back to the gym so hopefully doc gives me the okay for that as well.

I don't think I've ever met anyone that regretted it. Almost 2 years out and I still keep my protein up. Mostly nonfat plain Greek yogurt, fish, nuts,, and my standard morning breakfast two pieces of string cheese. I do cook but with limited time sometimes I only need convenience There are a gazillion recipes out there and you will find what works for you. Just keep your protein up and enjoy the ride it will be smooth bumpy Smith bumpy [emoji12]

About to start mine on Friday! The dieticians has been really strict and I will only be allowed: 4x weight watchers soups (tiny cans) 4x muller light yogurts 1x pint milk (semi skimmed) per day