Search the Community

I found this back bacon that gives 20 grams of protein for 5 thin slices. I have it will 1/2 an English muffin. I also sometimes have 1/2 an English muffin with peanut butter or melted cheese. I like eggs, but can't have them every day. Some days I have a Greek yogurt.

I dropped nearly all the weight by the 12 month mark. Since then, it's been a lot slower and had I been following the diet here in Europe, I'd have lost more (I've been here 3.5 months and only lost 8 pounds, but it's from all the physical activity, as I've been eating and drinking bad stuff like CRAZY and need to get back on board when I return home). I had a lot of complications my first few months, hated food and developed an intolerance/nauseous reaction to almost everything, so the first 100 lbs were gone in less than six months. I'm a picky, fussy eater who never cooks and is very busy, so I just found the right foods and stuck to them hell or high Water, lol. I rarely ate full meals during my first year because that simply didn't work for me (I'm so busy and always on the move). I just found the right combo of stuff at CVS/Walmart/gas stations (high protein/low carb nutrition bars, this special milk called Fairlife (it filters lactose and sugar out, Protein added, I used it like a Protein shake because regular protein made me nauseous), protein gummies, fruit/veggies on the go (snack packs that would have sliced apples with yogurt/sugar free caramel, or diced watermelon, or carrots with Peanut Butter, etc), protein gummies, and TONS of cheese. I also eat fast food pretty often, but I limit it. Chili from Wendy's, hot dog with chili from checkers with only a tiny fraction of the bun, cheeseburger from mcdonalds with the bun pulled off, taco bell pretty consistently (I either get crunchy shell or peel away most of the flour tortilla). I didn't do hardcore exercise (but between school, work and internship I was working 90-100 hours/wk), although I did walk everywhere. Walked as much as I could, because I knew I could sustain that. My biggest tip is to BE REALISTIC about your preferences/likes/habits/behaviors. I didn't try to completely change myself, because I knew I'd fail if I tried to be one of these "make ten meals, freeze them in tupperware, use cauliflower crust and complicated healthy recipes and go to the gym every day" people. They are WONDERFUL, they are successful, but they are not me. So I tweaked/adjusted things, creating a plan I knew I could maintain. There wasn't really a wagon to fall off of. I still eat fast food, I just skip the fries and pull the bun/breading mostly off. If I want dessert or a snack, I indulge, taking a few bites and then toss the rest in the trash or give it to a friend. That way, I'm not obsessing over it, I've satisfied the craving, and I haven't binged/gone overboard. In the end, you'll find what works best for you. You may be one of the people who takes great joy in completely changing everything, establishing brand new cooking/exercise routines for yourself, etc. Whatever the outcome, just find something you can LIVE with.

No purée specific stage on my plan. I had to do 1-2 days Clear liquids (in hospital), full liquids for two weeks which included yogurt and pudding, then 3 months of soft foods, followed by a return to "normal" with no restrictions (other than Protein goals and carb/fat limits). For the soft food phase, it was recommended to move slowly. I never actually puréed anything; I just chose naturally soft foods like refried Beans, tuna with ff mayo, soft scrambled eggs, etc.

My husband has been a raving lunatic and pretty much useless since I had my surgery. I think he is having a hard time wrapping his brain around it. There are lots of people here who will help you. Use the search feature for threads about needing or getting support. Also make friends with people here you age? Or maybe close starting weight or surgery date? He is very emotionally supportive but not very helpful, though he does shop and cook for himself and our teen aged son. I only shop for myself. Makes it easier. I buy about the same thing every week: Large tub of of 2% milk cottage cheese Large tub of Greek yogurt 2 cans of albacore tuna in oil 2 1/2 gallon containers of unsweetened cashier milk extra fruit as needed (we have kale in out garden year round and store apples, pears and kiwi from are garden) I also use: 1 medium sized yam About a pound of assorted fruit Cucumber, carrots and 1/2 pound of kale for juicing 1/2 of a chicken ( I pouch it in chicken broth because it needs to be moist so it doesn't get stuck 1 tub of unjury unflavored Protein (I buy it on the internet) To prep meals: I divide the chicken into 6 portions (our chickens are small) 1dump a cup of yogurt into the bullet (you can use a blender) and add a scoop of protein powder, some Stevie and vanilla blend it then fold it back into the rest of the younger in the tub. I usually have 4 oz so that's 8 servings. I mix 2 scoops of just protein powder into the cottage cheese same way. I like it lumpy but if you like it smooth you can blend the whole tub. I make tuna salad no celery because it does go down well. But I do use pickles and onions and some mayo. 2 cans make 4 serving If you don't have a juicer, I do realize that most people don't you can buy fresh pressed juice the small bottles will make 3 servings of Protein shake. Logos the "super foods" versions as they have vegetables mixed with the fruit so are lower in sugar and carbs Sometimes I make the shakes with unsweetened cashew milk because it only has 25 calories (and very low carb or no carb) for 8 oz I bake a yam and cook vegetables for three or four meals (about 11/2 cups. So for one meal a day I might have 1 oz of yam 1 oz of vegetables and 3 oz of meat. I do add a bit of butter to my veggies. It's good to get some fat every day. I like 1/4 of an avocado.i add it to my shake or have it with my tuna salad.

A couple of ladies on this site suggested to me to try yogurt or sugar free pudding. I have been using the yogurt and haven't tried the SF pudding yet.

That's the phase I'm on... I'm eating fruit (no skin) tuna, chicken salad (light miracle whip) 2 chopped boiled eggs, scrambled egg for breakfast (just 1) low fat yogurt.... I haven't tried lean ground beef or turkey yet but I'm getting there tho

I drink Water first thing when I wake up. I drink a Premier in the Morning through lunch time. I add Powdered Protein to SF Pudding/Broth/Yogurt/etc. I start drinking about half an Isopure in the afternoon. I then drink another Premier from dinner to bed time. Lots of water in between drinking the protein drinks. If you like jello - make a box of the sugar free. Instead of adding the cold water add a cold Isopure. Example - Grape jello + Grape Isopure.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! I hope you are doing well and making progress towards your goals this fall! As the holiday season gets underway, it may be time to renew your commitment, remind yourself about your motivations, and fortify yourself with a few new strategies to get you through the season. We have it all in this newsletter! Just Getting Started with WLS? Quick Checklist Tips for Staying on Track This Holiday Season BariatricPal in the Community: Updates on Our Efforts! Get what you can from the newsletter, then come talk about it and whatever else is on your mind on the BariatricPal forums! You can find all kinds of inspiration, tips, and support for your stage of the WLS journey and type of WLS. Can’t wait to see you there! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Just Getting Started with WLS? Start Here! The beginning of the weight loss surgery journey can be a scary time. You have so many decisions to make about whether to get WLS, when to get it, who your surgery will be, and what type of WLS you want. You have a lot to learn about pre-op and post-op preparation, your pre-op and post-op diet, and changing your relationship with food. But you can do it! Here are a few items to consider as you move forward. Put Yourself in Good Hands The WLS journey is a lot easier when you start off on the right foot. That means finding a surgeon and healthcare team who are right for you. Your chances of success are higher when your surgeon has good success rates and your entire healthcare team provides the information you need to prepare for surgery and the rest of your life. Come Hang Out on BariatricPal What do you get when you join a community of hundreds of thousands of people just like you, who are interested in weight loss surgery? Answers to your questions from members who have been there, done that, and members who are going through it at the same time as you. Ideas about how you can make your journey easier, such as recipes, tips for eating out, and packing lists for the hospital. Recommendations about surgeons, bariatric vitamins, protein shakes, and pretty much anything else you could need on your WLS journey. Extra accountability if you choose to use free tools such as a weight tracker, photo gallery for before, after, and along-the-way pics, and a blog. Maybe it would be quicker to answer, “What don’t you get?!” Build Your Support System Aside from the BariatricPal community, who will be supporting you every day? You have an advantage if your family and friends are on board. They can help you by agreeing not to eat too much junk food in front of you and agreeing not to store it in the house; or by taking care of the children a couple of times a week while you hit the gym; or by lending you a shoulder to cry on if you have a down day. Neighbors and coworkers who are trying to lose weight can also be good candidates to be part of your day to day support network. Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Tips for Staying on Track This Holiday Season Time flies, and never faster than during the holiday season. If you have not already seen mounds of candy from Halloween, you will soon see all kinds of extra treats pop up everywhere as even more holidays approach. You can be sure that the temptations will not go away until people make their New Year’s Resolutions, so you had better have a plan for keeping your weight in check this season. Set Realistic Goals Weight loss is harder this time of year because of holiday parties, food gifts, family dinners, and treats that mysteriously show up in the office. It is not a sign of weakness to change your weight loss and eating goals during the holiday season. It is a sign of wisdom because you are accepting the circumstances and adjusting to them. You might want to adjust your goals to give yourself a little extra slack while still moving towards WLS success. For example: Postpone WLS until January if you are unable to stick to the liquid pre-op and post-op diets during this season. Change from weight loss to weight maintenance mode temporarily, or adjust your weight loss goals to be a little slower than you have been losing weight. Adopt a “tiny-tolerance” instead of a “zero-tolerance” policy when it comes to treats. Allowing yourself to have small bite of your favorite holiday treats guilt-free can help keep you from losing control and eating the entire pie. Arm Yourself with Healthy Alternatives You know temptations will be everywhere, so you can plan ahead to fight cravings. Just keep a few healthy favorites on hand so you can grab them instead of whatever diet disaster starts tempting you. For example… Protein Hot Chocolate Protein Brownies Nacho Cheese Protein Pasta Peanut Caramel Protein Puffs Make Life Easier for Yourself You are likely to be busier than ever as extra obligations such as gift shopping and spending time with family and friends come up. Don’t let lack of time get in the way of your weight loss! You can make sure that healthy meals and snacks are just minutes away by planning ahead. Use meal helpers such as bagged salad mixes and rotisserie chicken, and cook larger batches of healthy recipes on the weekend to use during the week. Have single-serve Protein Entrees and Protein Pasta Dishes to pop in the microwave for a low-calorie, high-protein meal in minutes. Have ready-to-eat snacks around so you can grab one instantly. Examples include whole and cut fruit, washed vegetables, nuts, hummus, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and grilled chicken breast, not to mention Protein Pretzels, Protein Bars, and Protein Chips. The BariatricPal Store can help you stock up on the the foods you need to stay happy and healthy this season. We guarantee lowest prices, and you can use coupon code BPNewsletter10 for a 10% discount off your entire first order! BariatricPal in the Community: Updates on Our Efforts! We’re always working on fighting obesity however we can, and this month started with a bang! We were at Obesity Week in New Orleans this October 31 through November 4. The event is sponsored by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society (TOS), and the list of surgeons, other healthcare providers, and industry reps we met reads like a list of “who’s who” in bariatric care! BariatricPal is working to build all kinds of partnerships to improve our ability to fight obesity through weight loss surgery! BariatricPal was also a partner in National Obesity Care Week (NOCW), October 30 through November 5. The purpose of NOCW is to improve the quality of care in medical settings. We worked to increase awareness of obesity care by spreading the word however possible and by joining the TAKE5 challenge. If you missed NOCW, you can still do your part to advocate for better obesity care! Those are the major updates from recent times, along with a few tips to start you off properly this holiday season. For tons more tips and inspiration, just stop by BariatricPal whenever you are ready. We love having you spend time in the community! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

I'm 5 weeks out. I can't handle eggs or yogurt so Breakfast is typically a Protein shake. lunch always ends up being a oz of deli meat and cheese. dinner tuna, tilapia or shrimp and 2oz baked sweet potato. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I took it slow and added a different food every couple of days. Protein (meat/fish) with juice/thin gravy/mayo, cottage cheese mashed down, soft scrambled eggs, thicker Soups blended, Greek yogurt (no bits), mashed advacado. I pureed mine in a machine and made sure it was as fresh as it could be especially in the first year, so soups were home made, chicken corn fed and organic etc etc. Did your team not give you a guideline to follow?

My diet allows me suger-free pudding and greek yogurt for week two, so I thought that would be enough to produce some solid. Sent from my SM-T817V using the BariatricPal App

I started my liquid diet yesterday. I guess every Dr gives patients different menu's. I could have fat free yogurt, sugar free popsicles, sugar free pudding. Jello sugar free, zero Gatorade, Water water. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

I hate to tell you but I am 5 weeks out next Monday and I still have extreme food aversion. I don't want to see food or smell food. I don't want to watch people eat. The idea of watching cooking shows makes me want to barf. For a couple of weeks I was able to get down 2 Premier Protein shakes a day. It took me several hours to drink each one (I would drink a little, put it back in the fridge for a while, drink a little more, etc) I was really working hard to get those 60-70 grams of protein a day, plus my Water. I could also do some Soup, or maybe a little yogurt, every day. This past week I added scrambled eggs and was able to get one in most mornings. This morning I am trying oatmeal and only getting a couple of spoonfuls in. I know how hard it is, I am still tired. So thankful I don't have to work! My NUT says this will all get better in a few weeks. Next Monday I am cleared to eat anything I want to try and I hope and pray I can add tuna and some other protein sources. I don't understand people who eat real food a couple of weeks out from surgery at all. Some are allowed to and some are disregarding their surgeon's program but either way I just don't get how they are chocking down the things they eat. On a side note I have lost almost 30 pounds since surgery. I think having a tight sleeve, food aversion, and starting back slowly just may pay off. But it is HARD. Much harder than I ever thought it would be. I feel hungry but nothing sounds good and even things that do sound good are hard for me to get much down.

- Drinking or eating ice cold food - It took me a long time to figure out that my stomach just simply doesnt like it at all. I knew about cold Water because every morning i have to drink room temp or warm water to wake my stomach up. But even now 2 years, 2 months post op i have really trouble with drinking ice cold milk, even yogurt....it just needs to warm up slightly and then i dont get a gut ache. - The amount of time spent on planning my meals/snacks. I find if i dont, then i end up going off plan. So, i need to make sure that I have the right foods in my fridge and pantry always.Traveling makes that harder to do. I have to be on purpose about water and Protein or i lose track. If i eat crap, i feel like crap and i crave good protein and good carbs. If i do take a day where i go off plan and eat more carbs, It is harder to get back on track.

Read the above and take my other hand and hold on tight. The three of us can do this. When that food craving hits change the channel. Think of something else. Pre-plan what you will eat. When possible pre measure your food and have it ready to go. I have pouches of tuna in the cabinet. Pre measured portions of cottage cheese and yogurt in the refrigerator. I keep the family's Snacks out of my site. Portion control is big for me. I can easily overeat if I don't weigh and measure. YOU GOT THIS! Had lapband surgery 10/12/16

I am 4 days into purée stage! So far I made a big pot of pinto Beans (dry beans, half an onion, chicken bullion cube, pepper, garlic and a bit of tabasco plus about 3 cups water) and cooked that sucker for about 4 hours, then strained the beans and puréed it in my blender. Tastes so much better than the standard Protein drink and those beans have much needed potassium to boot. Put a tiny bit of cheese on there and it feels like your having restaurant style refried beans! I have had that for dinner 3 days in a row now and not sick of it yet. Then I decided on a whim to just purée some canned Soup I had been drinking the broth from. It was okay, but I get grossed out by the idea of some puréed foods. Like if I know what it is supposed to be pre-purée, I cant eat it... haha! So that idea only made it one meal. I think I am going to try making some lightened hummus next (love hummus!) and maybe some puréed Cauliflower (there are some great recipes on Pinterest). I had some mashed potatoes today, but those are like a treat for me because of the high carb/low protein counts. Also eating Greek yogurt, low fat cottage cheese and sugar free lime Jello. Those all make nice little Snacks. Good luck! This is a hard one to navigate, but still a billion times better than the liquid phase. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@ Lisamergs thanks for your response... So do you think its the surgery itself that leaves you with the desire not to eat or its more so a mental change for you? Sent from my SM-G530T using the BariatricPal App Well...I'm not sure lol. Likely a combination of both. Definitely do NOT feel hunger on any regular basis. Early on, if I was "late" for a meal, and got too far out, and then went to eat, I'd be in pain. Odd thing isn't it? And again, I do not think that was a normal reaction. I learned that if I found myself in a situation where I was going to miss a meal, and knew I'd end up in pain then as soon as I COULD eat, having a Protein shake was a better choice than, say, meat and veggies. I also found that if I was experiencing actual PAIN from not having eaten, a simple forbidden pretzel or cracker chewed well was able to quell it. Those were the few only times I ate carbs... And I'm not prone to being a binge-eater, so I could literally eat just the one or two. As soon as my pouch settled down, I'd have my yogurt or cottage cheese. Most meats, on most days, still do not set right with me. I'm more likely to have a triple zero Oikos (15g protein) with a scoop of protein powder added to it (20g protein) for most meals... Boring, but I hit my protein goals, and today I hit my goal weight. 132 lbs lost since my surgery date. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Wow that's awesome I can only hope to have a similar experience and congrats on your goal???????????? Sent from my SM-G530T using the BariatricPal App

@ Lisamergs thanks for your response... So do you think its the surgery itself that leaves you with the desire not to eat or its more so a mental change for you? Sent from my SM-G530T using the BariatricPal App Well...I'm not sure lol. Likely a combination of both. Definitely do NOT feel hunger on any regular basis. Early on, if I was "late" for a meal, and got too far out, and then went to eat, I'd be in pain. Odd thing isn't it? And again, I do not think that was a normal reaction. I learned that if I found myself in a situation where I was going to miss a meal, and knew I'd end up in pain then as soon as I COULD eat, having a Protein shake was a better choice than, say, meat and veggies. I also found that if I was experiencing actual PAIN from not having eaten, a simple forbidden pretzel or cracker chewed well was able to quell it. Those were the few only times I ate carbs... And I'm not prone to being a binge-eater, so I could literally eat just the one or two. As soon as my pouch settled down, I'd have my yogurt or cottage cheese. Most meats, on most days, still do not set right with me. I'm more likely to have a triple zero Oikos (15g protein) with a scoop of Protein powder added to it (20g protein) for most meals... Boring, but I hit my protein goals, and today I hit my goal weight. 132 lbs lost since my surgery date. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I still take mine with applesauce. 11 weeks out. I've tried yogurt and pudding which are ok, but I always go back to applesauce.

10 to 12 ounces of what? At a year I can only have 4 ounces of dense Protein. I can eat endless amounts of things with high liquid contents. Like I could have 16 ounces of yogurt if I didn't think it was disgusting. Are you eating 10 to ounces of dense protein or something else? If you eat things that don't trigger restriction. You won't feel restriction...

My 2 week pre-op diet is very similar to your except I can only have 2 Protein shakes and 1 can of hearty Soup. 1-2 sugar free Snacks (pudding, Jello, Popsicles) ff cottage cheese or ff yogurt. And I can have all the sugar free drinks I want. I'm on day 2 and struggling. My SD is 12/13 live2ride - 12/13/16

What is on your post-op food plan? It is important to follow the food stages carefully as you heal. Even if you don't have an appetitive (which is very normal) you need to treat eating like a prescription. Getting in enough nutrition, especially Protein and fluids, is critical for healing and for weight loss. At three weeks I was on soft foods: which meant things like tuna, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, deli turkey, chili, etc. Your primary focus should be making sure you are getting in all of your protein and fluids. The World According to Eggface blog has lots of ideas for each food stage.

shedo82773. Thank you. I tried the yogurt and it is sooo much better and even has protein! I can't wait to get off all these medications.

There are many resources on line with post-op diet plans you can use for the short term. It's not ideal, but it sounds like you were cut loose without any real support, and if I read your post right, your surgeon doesn't have you eating anything with significant Protein. You have got to ramp up your protein in order to heal. It will be very important for you to find a doctor to follow up here stateside, ASAP. A bariatric specialist would be ideal, but many are leery of doing followup on another surgeon's work. The 2nd best option would be a gastroenterologist. If nothing else, find a primary doctor who knows something about bariatric patients. Here's a link to one of many bariatric diet phases that you can use UNTIL you get a local doctor. http://www.floydbariatrics.org/floyd-bariatrics-sleeve-gastrectomy-diet.html However, since you are having complications, you are going to need to move very slowly and carefully through the phases. I would start with finding a Protein shake you like and add that in, because you have to have protein to heal. The link I gave says 72g, which is a good start, but if you can push that up closer to 100g/day so much the better. Once you can tolerate the shakes well, another good first food is greek yogurt (blended, no chunks of fruit). You also need to be getting LOTS of fluids in - Water, broth, gatorade, popsicles, sugar-free Jello, etc. Anything that is liquid at room temperature and you can generally see through it counts. Recommended amounts vary, but a generally good rule is a goal of 64oz/day, increasing it as you can to 100+/day. Then add foods ONE AT A TIME, starting with things that are liquid, and VERY SLOWLY working toward pureed foods. Add a new food for a couple of days and make sure it's sitting well with you before you add the next. I hate that you had no education and no good followup. Right now you need to focus on three things: get a local doctor, get your protein in, and get your fluids in.

I used a minichopper - looks like a tiny food processor and only costs about $10. Pureed either canned tuna, chicken or salmon with about a tablespoon of plain nonfat greek yogurt. I really liked the flavored pouches of tuna and salmon for this. I lived on that during pureed stage. The ricotta bake is good also. And cottage cheese - no need to puree that just chew it well.