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I've been cruising around the Internets and found the following: Ideas: Cottage cheese Egg salad Laughing cow cheese Mashed cauliflower Corned beef hash No-Noodle Lasagna This recipe is suitable for the pureed food stage. Ingredients: Low fat ricotta cheese Spaghetti sauce (look for sugar free sauce) Grated parmesan cheese Directions: Put two tablespoons of ricotta cheese in a bowl. Top with one tablespoon of spaghetti sauce and one tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese. Microwave for three minutes. Variation: One you progress to the soft stage, you can add cooked ground beef to the lasagna if you like. Pureed Foods I had a request from a newer post-op to do a blog post of the pureed foods I ate. So per request here you go. Disclaimer: Remember post-op nutritional plans vary. My sister had the same surgery with a different doctor and we had very different plans. Foods that worked for me may be on your no list. ALWAYS check with your medical posse first. There's not much you can do but survive this part of the journey. The liquids through pureed/soft food phase are miserable and until you start eating "real food" again you will feel like a patient. It gets better I promise. Four kitchen gadgets helped me during this phase: Black & Decker Mini Chopper Food Processor - I used this during the pureed stage several times a day and still use it several times a week. It is fabulous and just the right size for us. I've owned mine for 6 years though I've gotten way more use out of it as a post-op. Hand Blender (Stick Blender) - This is an absolute must for whizzing homemade and store bought Soups. Oster Beehive Classic Blender - some people have Magic Bullets but I just use my regular blender. A must for Protein shake making. Rival Crock Pot - The trick to not hurling on meats is moisture. Crock pots make meats moist. Here's some things I ate: Beans: I made post weight loss surgery standard refried Beans with melted cheese but I also whizzed up other beans too black beans with salsa and a little sour cream and cannelini with a teaspoon of pesto sauce mixed in. One of the first meats I remember eating was Roast Beef Hash in a can. Yes, it resembles Alpo but in the beginning you will eat things you won't dream of eating later on. Here's a favorite: I steamed cauliflower poured over a homemade cheese sauce (like for mac & cheese) and whizzed that up. Here's the recipe: Shelly's Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole 4 cups Cauliflower, steamed 4 Tbs. Butter, divided use 1/4 cup Flour 1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard 1 tsp. Salt 1/4 tsp. Pepper 3 cups Milk 3/4 pound Sharp Cheddar Cheese (3 cups) 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (optional) Steam cauliflower set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, blend in flour & seasonings. Add milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in cheese; pour over steamed cauliflower and mix till combined. Top with optional crumbs mixed with remaining 1 tablespoons of butter. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. You can add cooked ground chicken, turkey or beef to this too. Throw your portion in the Black & Decker Mini Chopper Food Processor and whiz away. Crock Pot Stews: Store bought and homemade stews. This recipe is still one of my favorites. The gravy is to die for and really helps in the whizzing process. Do not leave out the 1/4 cup of wine. This cooks for 7+ hours you won't be catching a buzz from the beef stew but it really makes a difference in the taste. Shelly's Crock Pot Pot Roast 3-4 pound boneless Chuck Roast 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup 1 package Lipton Dry Onion Soup mix 1/4 cup White Wine (don't leave this out the alcohol cooks away) 1 whole Onion sliced Optional: The last hour of cooking I sometimes add the following: 1/2 cup frozen Peas 1/2 cup frozen Carrots 1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms Place a 3 or 4 pound boneless Chuck Roast in a pan and brown both sides about 5 minutes a side. Place the brown meat in a crock pot and add a can of undiluted cream of CHICKEN (yes chicken) over the top of the roast and spread it around just the top. Then empty a package of Lipton dry Onion Soup mix over the cream soup and don't mix it. Drizzle 1/4 cup of white wine down the side of the crock pot. Place onion rings on top. Close the lid. That's all there is to it!! Don't add any additional Water either. Cook on low for about 7 hours. In the pureed stage I whizzed this up it's not pleasant to look at. Is anything after it is whizzed up really? but it tastes awesome. BTW Now I eat this (un-whizzed of course) with a side of sauteed spinach or cabbage. Soups: I made alot of homemade and store bought soups and used my Braun hand blender to puree them. You can hide unflavored protein in soups for added protein. Remember "unflavored" just means not chocolate or vanilla it doesn't mean tasteless. There is no tasteless protein. Salads: Crab salad - with a squeeze of lime and a dab of mayo, chopped avocado Chicken salad - with dill or curry powder or a little pesto sauce Tuna salad - with cannelini beans, a squeeze of lemon juice or Italian dressing. Egg salad - with curry or dill. I used mayo or a mayo/yogurt combo to moisten. I added things like wasabi mayo or a T of chipotle in adobo for kick. I use/used full fat dressings and mayo. I don't do fat free. I mean come on we are eating tablespoons of food at least they can taste good. This was a surgery on my guts not my taste buds. Feel free to substitute with the fat free nuclear waste product of your choice. I used my Black & Decker Mini Chopper Food Processor and whizzed them till they were smooth. I have a lot of recipes posted in the blog for salads I basically used those but eliminated the crunchy items (nuts, fruits). For an Italian fix: Shelly's Baked Ricotta 8 oz of Ricotta Cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 large Egg, beaten 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning salt & pepper to taste 1/2 cup Marinara Sauce 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave. For a sweet Italian fix: Mix ricotta cheese and SF Torani syrup for a mock cannoli filling. Other: Fage Yogurt with SF Torani syrup Faux Ice Cream - freeze yogurt or Protein shakes in popsicle makers SF pudding (with or without added protein) oatmeal and Cream of Wheat (with or without added protein) I wish I would done this back then: Protein Ice Cream soooo good.

This is different for everybody. The best thing I can recommend is to follow your surgeons rules on when to start to eat and drink things (including alcohol). In my case it is six months out but that is my NUT. Keep in mind because of the surgery we get intoxicated A LOT quicker then before. One drink could be too much.

My doctor was the same no alcohol or asa two week prior

I would follow whatever your doctor's instructions are. They all seem to have their own ideas on the topic so it's best to just stick with whatever yours says. Personally, I stay away from alcohol most of the time because of the calories. If I do indulge once in awhile, I'm just careful to count the calories against my daily allowance.

My surgeon advised me to wait a year, and I did. Alcoholic beverages are empty calories, which as a new Bandster you need to avoid. Also, post banding, less alcohol will have a greater effect on you. The best approach is to discuss this with your surgeon.

You need to ask your doctor to be sure, but I'm guessing no. Alcohol is a blood thinner and they tell you to stop all blood thinners (alcohol, NSAIDS, etc) 2 weeks before surgery.

Okay, I know this may sound like a stupid question but... My surgery is Monday and tonight is my sisters birthday. Does anyone know if it would be okay to have just ONE drink? I was thinking maybe even just water with a little vodka in it?

So I planned on waiting a few months before experimenting with alcohol, but sometimes life throws well laid plans out the damn window. Was with my mom this morning driving her to a consultation for a lifestyle lift. She was so excited, dressed to the nines and I even did her hair and makeup. We arrived and were walking into the building when I heard her cry out. Turned around and she's on the ground not moving. Long story short, she fell badly and on pavers. And she's on cumidin. So now we are both covered in blood, ambulance to the ER, 40 some stitches later, her right leg and knee is destroyed and she can't walk or move her leg. Immobilized. Got her home and in bed, went to pick up scripts and stopped for a small bottle of vodka. F it. So a double vodka later, with Water and mio, and I feel nothing. It's like I didn't even drink it. I might have another and report back.

The bottom line is to follow the surgeon's and NUT's guidance to a t. So many people are pushing the limits or either not getting guidance on what they're supposed to do. I was told why not to use a straw, why to avoid straws, how much to eat for the first 12 months, to measure, to eat protein first. But I see so many people fresh out of surgery asking when they can drink alcohol, eating pizza at 3 weeks out, sucking on foods and spitting it out, etc. I try to refrain giving my opinion because you tend to get pounced on. There's also this huge race for the weight loss. The Sleeve is a slower weight loss than the Sleeve. This is a marathon, not a race.

For me it's not as much the cost as it is the inconvenience. I live 20 minutes from the closest store and order most of my goodies online. When my grown kids or grandkids come over and raid my stash I'm screwed until I either make a trip to the store or place an order! I feel horrible, but I have started hiding my food, inside canisters, under my bed, in the back of my closet. I feel like an alcoholic or a drug addict.

My doc said I'm good 4 weeks out to drink alcohol.

Decide if drinking is really something you want to do. As a post op, I went through a short lived phase between month 4-6, having a drink a couple times a month. Yes, it was a little nice to relax with it. However, desire for it has since vanished. None whatsoever. Maybe most people drink post op just because they were not allowed to do it after surgery. Again, think about what drinking really means to you at a coping level, whether that means coping in social events or coping with your own subconscious. You may find that you really do not need it and, then, will find out you really do not want it. Sugar is kind of in a similar boat as alcohol post op. Complex id stuff to think about, but it might help. One of the best artifacts for me personally as a post VSG is coming to grips with who I am and not what I think others want me to be.

Empty calories, and high in calories. I do have a non carbonated alcoholic drink every so often, maybe once a month, but I did not have one until I reached goal, I reached goal in six months and had a mixed drink at about fourteen months out. I hope this helps. My doctor said a year, some say six months. I'd err on the side of caution, but I'd also follow YOUR doctor's plan.

My doc said 6 weeks and was most concerned with calories and carbs than the alcohol itself. One of my fav pasttimes was being "overserved" margaritas on Girls Night Out. I went out with my friends recently and drank a margarita - nursed for over an hour (because I wasnt sure how it would affect me) and all it did was give me a headache.

I know my surgeon's rules were "no drinking for one year post-op" but he also acknowledged that was the number one most commonly broken rule. And not to be holier-than-thou but I did it. I did NOT drink alcohol for one year post-op and my husband is sleeved and he also made the one year mark. Obviously it wasn't incredibly hard for me to give it up, and even one year post-op the glass of wine that I had hit me pretty hard (now I'm a lightweight.) I'm not saying you have to do what I did, but I'm just saying that it can be done. I still rarely drink, maybe a couple of times a year at parties, weddings, dinner groups, etc. but just be careful because alcohol does have a harder effect on the post-sleeve body.

Every dr is different. mine said at 6 weeks, I could have a small amt of alcohol. I drink about 3oz of red wine about 4-6x a week. Had a sip off hubbys beer a few days ago (3 mths out) and that was enuf for me. I do miss a Corona Light on a hot day. Yes, we're not sposed to have beer ever again. That being said, as I said I had a sip of hubbys. had a sip of his diet Coke last week and the world didn't come to an end. I would never drink more than a sip tho. Too scared of what would happen.... Not sure he should be drinking to excess however, no matter how far out he is...

This was always my main question and my surgeon said no beer but after 5-6 months you can introduce hard liquor, however he said it will take much less to get drunk because the alcohol is immediately absorbed into the body.

Im writing on behalf of my husband as we were both recently sleeved..... He knows beer could be a bad idea bc of carbination, but wonders about alcohol. he understands that alcohol could slow weight loss, but is only concerned with it being detrimental to his healing. He does not drink daily but likes to drink to excess at special events ie. weddings, BIG sporting events... and if you do/ did drink- how soon after surgery?

I plan to give up white rice, white Pasta, white bread, and white potatoes for life. Not because I CAN'T eat them (I don't know if I can or not) but because I DON'T WANT to eat them. Those were always trigger foods for me, along with sweets of any kind (another thing I'd like to ditch forever). It's like an alcoholic giving up alcohol. He can't just have a drink once in a while - he has to stay away from it completely. I guess I'm a "carboholic". I will eventually have healthier carbs like brown rice, wheat pasta, sweet potato, and whole grain bread, but in very limited amounts. That being said I think white rice would bother me if I ate it. I think that because I bought Beanitos to try and they didn't sit well with me. I only ate two but that's all it took. I tried them twice with the same result - gurgles, burping, and foamies. One of the ingredients listed was rice flour - I'm assuming that was the culprit, because the other listed ingredients are common in other foods I've eaten w/o trouble.

It always sends off warning bells in my head when I hear things like this. It means that alcohol is pretty important to you, and you may have trouble with it when you can no longer "use" food. Please be aware!! You might blow off this post, and think, "alcohol is not a problem for me." If that is the case, it should not be a problem to give it up.

This is exactly what got me started. I'm really concerned that every vet on here tells us that the hunger will return and you will want junk again and the weight will return. And then there are all these threads saying, the hunger HAS returned, I DO want junk again, the weight HAS returned. But we're not always drawing good connections between those. I also worry about telling pre-ops or new post-ops that it's okay to break rules because they could of course, DIE from breaking rules. I worry when we tell them to ignore their doctor's orders because our doctor's orders were different. Well with all due respect, first we are not doctors (most of us anyway), and second, we have no idea how our doctor's complications rates differ from their doctor's rates. Their doctor's advice could be spot on. My husband and I were sleeved by the same doctor on the same day, and had different pre-op diets! We have to believe there's a reason behind the differences. I know this is just my perspective and I'm presenting it as such, but there are days when I sign onto the forum (entirely too often every day!) and feel like I'm an alcoholic in a bar because we're all taking about cheating and eating fun stuff. All I need is to give myself permission, or for someone else to give me permission, and it will be off to the races with me unless I'm really vigilant. So I too am a bit frustrated and I've had several cups of coffee and have no excuse. Thanks for listening.

You know what has happened to me... over time. I care less and less about my food addiction and more and more about the rest of my life. That doesn't happen overnight and I am FAR from perfect. I am a person who definately has "treats". I probably have one or two alcoholic drinks a week for example. I go out with friends and we sometimes like happy hours etc. I didn't do that during the loss phase, but now that i am in maintenance - it is something I really enjoy - it is a social event and in my world, "normal" behavior. I however KNOW that ice cream is a demon with a red dress on. That stuff is like poison to me... I eat it and can't seem to stop at a reasonable quantity... and then i feel physically sick. So, I don't want to tell people... go ahead and have that martini - because I don't know YOUR world and if you can control it appropriately. I do what works for me and one of the reasons I do 5:2 is so that during my non fast days I don't have to be quite so careful. I don't go crazy, but I feel normal ... and comfortable. I do really believe that people who want to get to goal should take seriously being pretty hard core in those early months... first year or so. My opinion... to each his own though.

Something I've learned is that it IS possible to stop losing, and even gain, on the sleeve if you stop being mindful of what you eat. Yes, we can have a bit of this or a bit of that sometimes, but for me, sometimes often turns into a daily routine - which is why I needed the sleeve to begin with - and why I'm still not at goal at over a year out. That's why this is a TOOL - not a 100% going to fix everything. Because it's not. There is still a LOT of work that we have to do daily. That's why it's so important to try to change your mentality about food completely. You have to remember you are an addict (at least I am) - you wouldn't hand an alcoholic a beer, you wouldn't give a recovering meth addict a crack pipe ... KWIM?

I appreciate your knowledge on the subject of addiction. I also think you were very smart to seek help with issues that may have been a tirgger before your surgery. I was one of those people who never thought I had a food addiction. Until I started therapy well before my surgery. . . and then had surgery. What really made it clear to me that I am a food addict was how my body/brain reacted to the pre-op and post-op diets. I felt like what I imagine an alcoholic feels like when they can't have a drink. I craved that food high that made everything "better" and numbed me to any emotion that I didn't want to feel. Even now, the sleeve doesn't allow me to eat the quantity of food to get my high I loved so much. It has been a very tough road, and my therapist has been my saving grace. Now at almost 5 months out I'm feeling more in control and my withdrawals have mostly gone away, but I will always struggle with this. I've learned so much about myself, finding what works for me to manage my addiction. By the way, there is sugar in just about everything OR it breaks down to sugar almost immediately in our body (like simple carbs and alcohol). My therapist said the research shows that sugar is AS ADDICTIVE to our brains as HEROIN. Yep! Heroin addicts who stop using usually turn to sugar because of the similar dopamine response in the brain. Interesting stuff!

Alcohol does not enhance anything for me.... But let me smoke a little bit of that good stuff and I transform into something "dangerous" (as my Sugar Daddy says) (but no real danger- I promise!)