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Rice is one of those foods that seems to give a high percentage of banded people a problem. So it's not surprising that you had trouble with it getting stuck. If you try it again, take tiny bites and chew well, and if it STILL gets stuck, you may just have to write it out of your diet in the future. I eat no-fat, sugar-free yogurt for breakfast every morning and will sometimes have either an egg or a low-fat string cheese stick with it. Lunches are usually 1/2 cup chicken or tuna salad with crackers, and 1/2 cup of vegetables or fruit. Supper is usually my big meal with my husband. I'll have 3 oz of grilled chicken, grilled hamburger patties, baked fish or some other meat plus 1/2 cup of vegetables. I'm not a person who requires a lot of variety in my meals. Some things I try to keep on hand are low-fat cheese sticks, light yogurt, refried Beans, eggs, high-Fiber crackers, canned and frozen vegetables, bananas, apples, Peanut Butter, South Beach High Protein Cereal Bars, canned tuna and chicken in Water.

I am going to be completely honest. In the beginning, I was counting my calories and making sure that I stayed between 1000 and 1200 a day. The last couple weeks I have been lazy about it, but I am still losing. Here are some things I eat. Breakfast During the week (M-F), I have a Protein shake (EAS Carb Control) and some sort of fruit or a Fiber 1 bar. Weekends, I usually have a cup of Koshi Go Lean Cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk or Weight Control oatmeal lunch This varies...last week, I had turkey and cheese on wheat bread with mustard. This week I am going to have a salad with chicken breast. Sometimes I have Laughing Cow Cheese with 6 reduced fat crackers and a yogurt. I could have yogurt and a string cheese. dinner Some ideas...1/2 of a chicken breast with a cup of veggies, a turkey burger with cheese, chili, Soup, Chicken Parm. I do not deny myself food either. If they have something at work, I eat it. If I dont, I find myself wanting it even more. I just eat an extremely small portion of it. I went to a birthday party for a kid and I had a cup cake. I go to dinner with my friends to the Olive Garden and Applebees. I just watch how much I consume. I drink Water and crystal light and sometimes Diet Snapple. Though I have wanted a Pepsi and I will have it. I do workout almost every day. 35 mins on the Wii. 35-45 mins of resistance training (weights, body ball or resistance band) and 30-45 mins of cardio I hope this is what you wanted. It is working for me, even though I do not follow all the rules. I do not have any Fluid, so I am able to eat basically anything. The PA in my office jokes with me telling me I wasted my money because I am basically doing this myself. I say it is the best $5 I ever spent!

Maybe nuts, hummus, edamame beans and edamame pasta, nut butters , "Better than beef" is a fairly decent substitute for ground meat recipes. (Got it at target) Yogurt, eggs, extra protein milk, protein bars....lots of tofu. Baked, breaded, soy sauce flavored.. Just a few suggestions to get ya going Good luck!

Try it. I did vanilla unjury with plain Fage zero. Then I added the usual cinnamon and a bit of splenda. It makes the greek yogurt extra filling to your stomach.

I am 1 month post-op today. The first week was hard especially the first 4/5 days. It DOES get better. I have no regrets. I feel good, I am working out now and trying to get my energy level up since I gave up caffeine pre-op. I was discharged on full liquids +yogurt but the protein shakes and yogurt were too thick so I had to seriously water them down. Hang in there.

I don't know if you are a costco member or have a trader joes nearby.... but if you search for either of those you will find threads started by me where people put in "favorite finds" from those places. I like to cook but am often time challenged, so I love healthy - nearly ready to eat food. There are some who eat lean cuisine type dinners but I can't bring myself to do it. I feel like I eat so little - I want it to be stuff I love or at least like! I bet others will post some easy peasy stuff but here are just a few things: -greek yogurt -all natural sandwich meat with cheese, ideally wrapped around a dill pickle -low carb/low calorie/healthy sausages - there are several varieties I really like and can just heat and eat -I buy salmon patties (from Costco, but you can get them elsewhere) I grill em and put them on top of a yummy bed of salad greens. I use olive oil and white balsamic vinegar for dressing and it is really really good! -Do you like seafood - lots of places have ready to eat shrimp... yum -egg beaters and baby turkey sausages are a regular Breakfast for me - lots of Protein and very low cal/low carb -any kind of sandwich, but instead of bread, use a lettuce and make a wrap! -grocery stores often have premade things that are quite nice. It is expensive, but since 1 serving is probably 3 meals, it suddenly becomes more economical! -tuna in a pouch can be good over salad or as a main ingredient in one of those lettuce wraps Come on people - I know there are lots of other amazing ideas out there!

I've been able to drink up to 16 oz since day one, I'm on day 12 post-op, I'm eating non-cottage cheese, non fat Greek yogurt and of course my protein shakes, I'm concern that I don't have restriction and I'm constantly hungry, I have to force myself no to eat. Is anyone else facing anything like this? If my Dr took 70 off my stomach why am I so hunger and not feeling restriction

In full liquid stage, my plan allowed cream soups, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, and all Clear Liquids. I was lactose intolerant but did well with unjury chicken, Greek yogurt with Splenda, French vanilla Gold Standard whey Protein mixed with soy milk and Anderson Split Pea soup. For variety, I added Starbucks instant decaf to my vanilla Protein Drink. Lynda

I'm just shy of two weeks out now. My surgery was a little different than the traditional ones, so I'm not sure if this works with the normal diets, but I've found that pureeing silken tofu and adding it to dishes works great. I was really sick of the sweet shakes and I can't have artificial sweeteners, so I needed an alternative. Silken tofu puree has a similar texture to yogurt, but it takes on the flavor of whatever you add it to, and it's a great source of Protein. I like it mixed with creamy soups (I make potato soup without the chunks of potato and stir in the tofu). You can also put it in smoothies. I suppose you could even double up and add protein powder and tofu to get even more protein in your diet at once. If you're allowed cottage cheese, try that mixed with just a tiny bit of fruit puree. I actually bought some babyfood peaches and i put about a teaspoon for every two tablespoons of cottage cheese. I'm lactose intolerant, but the Lactaid brand cottage cheese is great. i was craving mexican food, so i came up with an alternative to a layer dip that included foods i'm allowed to eat: refried Beans, plain greek yogurt, and a thin layer of pureed guacamole. I like it cold and just eat it by the spoonful, while I used to eat with with chips (and topped with cheese). It satisfied my craving and had protein! Again, not sure when this is ok with the "normal" surgeries, since these are higher carb, but when you're able, i also suggest thinning oatmeal and grits with extra milk. I'm using about 1.5 times the amount of milk required (lactaid brand), which gives me extra protein and helps it go down more easily.

Many thanks for all your advise Much appreciated. Bmi of 38 and 100 kg It not that I am stuffing my self constantly it just I can eat as before. I don't snack but I cook for my family and feel they have to have a good dinner everynight. I not a sweet eater but love my bread cheese spuds and butter But have cut down greatly due to circumstance s as a full time carer I would say it the sedatary life style With not exercising enough Going to start to day with some gently exercises Got my first fill and my port is in my sternum, I think I would have like it in my tum but it done. Port had flipped so not agood first fill the pain of turning it on my breast bone was agony But two days since and alot of pain killers as feel I have a constant ache in my cleavage now But I read other messages and I will get through it and remain positive I don't eat a lot of breakfast lunch would be a salad or a nimble bread sandwhich and low fat yogurt Night time alway was my problem I know worse time to eat I have stew or some form ofpotatoes and veg a little meat not a big meat eater and have a bowl which is a bout two cups full and then at bed time I have a low fat custard or yogurt or sometimes both

Hello. I've been banded for almost 4 years and have lost 95 pounds, give or take a few. I had a fill in January and was very restricted for about 2 weeks. Since then, the band has worked like I had hoped. I would eat a little and be full. I had to be careful, small bites, chew, chew, chew. However, for about a month, I drink my usual 12 oz protein shake in the morning and coffee, yogurt for lunch, 48 oz. of water throughout the day and then eat and drink whatever I'm hungry for, for dinner. The problem is that the evening eating is getting more and more. It seems like I can eat a lot some times and then other times things just get stuck. I think getting enough water has a lot to do with it but I'm scheduled to see my doctor in a couple of weeks and I'm not sure if I need a fill or not. I don't weigh myself a lot but I think I've lost about 5 pounds since January. I'd like to lose another 15. Any suggestions???? Thanks

Lou, congrats! I'm sure you'd doing a great job. Men usually drop the weight faster, too. Kathy, I recently saw a post by you on a different topic. You're doing a great job! You had a longer journey to onderland, but you'll be there before you know it! I know I don't think of myself as "fat" anymore. I finally see myself as just overweight. I am not disgusted by what I see in the mirror (when clothed, at least) and I can't remember the last time I put myself down either verbally or mentally. I view these things as huge strides in the right direction. I still don't see myself as "skinny" or "thin" yet. I see myself as more normal, even though the BMI chart has me hanging out in obesity land. But I'm no longer morbidly obese, at least! I had twins three years ago and MY WORD the things those sweet babies did to my stomach. I'd be a full shirt and pant size smaller if not for the large band of twin skin around my middle. Yes, this excess skin and fat does still make me a little uncomfortable, though I'm a far more confident woman than I used to be. I still find myself shocked at how large I am when I lie down in the bathtub...when it all spreads out and I see the space I take up, I can't believe I'm 60 pounds lighter at all. The reflux is now just a part of my life. I sometimes forget to take my pill and don't immediately have the burning hell in my esophagus anymore, so I hope it will eventually go away. I eat very small portions, but sometimes I love to eat! I had the Ahi Carpaccio appetizer at Cheesecake Factory a while back (well, part of it, anyway) and actually enjoyed it enough to ooh and aah over my dinner. Amazing! The lactose intolerance is a little harder. I didn't expect it the way I expected the reflux. I miss cottage cheese and yogurt. But for the most part, it's not that bad and it's not too tough to avoid foods that will make me ill. It does limit my protein options, though. I am losing hair but I'm not seriously alarmed yet. I had a ton of hair on my head and losing a bit of it isn't hurting me so far. I enjoy shopping. I fit in almost everything I try on! It's the best part, I think! I'm down to 11/12-13/14 or L pants, and L shirts. It's pretty neat to be able to shop in any store. I've also gone down a shoe size. The "ladies" are very sad little ladies these days, but they fit in normal sizes again. I figure it's nothing a little surgery can't fix in the future and I don't worry too much about it. My main issue right now, and the one I'd love to hear feedback on, is that my husband and I are in disagreement about my goal weight. I picked the highest weight I could be and still have a normal BMI. I wanted to be able to have a doctor actually view me as a patient and stop telling me my weight is causing all of my problems. I wanted to be taken seriously. My husband likes short, chunky women. I am currently the size I was when we met. He's already mourning the loss of my butt and chest. He really wants me to stop losing in about 20 pounds or so. He's been incredibly supportive despite the fact that he never felt I needed to lose weight in the first place. He's a fit, active man himself but he loves curvy women. I'm actually insecure about the thought of losing too much weight. In most relationships, women wouldn't worry about this, but I'll have other men paying attention to me (it's already happening more now that I'm losing) and he'll be looking for the chubby women in the room! It's like the opposite of how I've felt during my marriage. I never worried my husband would cheat on me with some skinny blonde, because the man likes fat women! Any advice? Is anyone else dealing with this? I trust my husband, but I've always known he's very attracted to me. I'd hate that to change simply because of my weight. We're very open about what we find attractive, and not one time has my husband ever found a thin woman attractive. I will say that his idea of a pretty woman got larger as I got larger over the years though. I wonder if this will work in reverse, too? I have a fantastic marriage. I'd really hate to ignore his feelings about my body, the same way he'd make me crazy if he shaved his head knowing I hate it, but ultimately we both realize that it's my choice. Well, it's been a great five months for me. I'm losing slower than I like because it's been a stressful month and a half of traveling. But overall it's great and I was able to simply get back on track. I absolutely LOVE my sleeve. I cannot imagine regretting this surgery. I'm grateful for it every day. In those five weeks of completely stressed out travel (and we have a few months more of being displaced to look forward to, I think) I ate whatever I wanted...I gained about three pounds but maintained after that. I was able to jump back to protein first and I've dropped ten pounds in less than two weeks. My sleeve ROCKS. I want to hear how everyone else is doing now! ~Cheri

Chobani Yogurt and protein shakes. Oatmeal and farina work great as well but there isn't much protein in those foods but you can always add protein. Sometimes I will have some canned salmon with farina...Tastes great.

Beef is my no go now. And so are dairy products like cottage cheese and yogurt (heavy dairy?) I can only have 1 cup of milk a day if im lucky. Oh, eggs are a no go too. Sucks that all of them are so high in protien lol

. I usually do about 4 small meals a day. 10 weeks out yes! String cheese with turkey wrapped up, Cottage Cheese with peaches or pears, grilled chicken, Greek yogurt. That is my normal. I have went back to clear liquids a couple of times. Thanks for the reply. Maybe start doing 2oz at 6 small meals a day.

I just want to hide in a yogurt corner...

I was told three meals and one or two snacks,and that they should total 1,000-1,200 calories. 300 per meal 100 per snack. Although I find I'm eating a little less for meals than that,especially breakfast. Breakfast is generally 100 calorie whole wheat English muffin with cheese or almond/peanut butter, prunes and for me coffee. Lunch is a protein,fruit and veg, supper is protein,veg,maybe a starch.Then I generally have a yogurt for a snack or a fruit. Hard boiled eggs for protein too. Sometimes, crackers or wheat for thins for a snack.

I'm approaching my third week post op. Everything had been going well. I have been on a liquid diet for the three weeks. I've been taking in my liquids just fine. Today was my dietitian appointment. I was skipping to my appointment because I knew today is the day that she would allow me to eat mushy food in addition to my liquids. She said I can eat refried Beans, substitute eggs, cottage cheese, and yogurt. But I can only have TWO TABLESPOONS of it per meal. My mouth dropped. I assumed that I would be able to eat up to 2-2 and a half ounces. But is the two tablespoons normal at this stage?

I eat almost no meat (I can go days in a row without it). I've done fine with Protein. I eat a lot eggs, cheese (string cheese and cottage cheese are especially high in protein), and Greek yogurt. Although I'm only three months out so I'm still drinking a Protein shake every day, too.

If you are near a kroger's, they have a carbmaster milk that has 11 grams of protein, also carbmaster brand yogurt there has alot of protein. I am 7 weeks post op and get all my protein in with food and one shake a day.

I did track. Up until last week. I was really struggling with what I thought was an acceptable caloric goal, because my nut won't give me one. They practice the hunger trust model. So, I took a giant leap of faith and decided to trust my sleeve and that the surgery did it's job. One thing that I discovered in this is that my body is now at the point of needing healthy fats. Yesterday I had a full fat yogurt, half an avocado, 2 servings of cashews, at least announce and a half of reduced fat cheese...you get the idea. Try adding in a healthy fat to each meal you have. That will keep you full longer and feeling satisfied way longer. I'm able to go up to 5-6 hours as long as I add in a healthy fat source. You are welcome to come find me and add me on. Myfitnesspal....I haven't tracked for a week but everything up to that point is there. Or add me on Instagram...I've been posting pics of my meals for those following me on there...I'm gomekast on both apps. Here is what I've been doing food wise..I'm a creature of habit and cook in batches, so I tend to eat the same things for a while. Breakfast-Quest bar and dannon light n fit Greek yogurt. Snack-cashews..if I need it Lunch-half an avocado sprinkled with verde salsa topped with 3 oz tuna salad(made with aprox 3T ff miracle whip and 2T relish) Dinner-half a chicken breast burger, half cup cottage cheese, two strawberries.(sometimes skip cottage cheese and add in half of an egg muffin I have made up) If I get hungry later after dinner, I will snack on some planters brand Peanut Butter chocolate spring mix I found at target. It's a yummy treat. Hope some of this helps... My stats are HW 286 SW 279 CW 189 Kelly

Ive been wanting to try these because I thought they weren't greek style yogurt. I cannot do the taste of greek yogurt.

I had my surgery Feb 18th. It was a struggle for first 3 weeks, but now that I can enjoy some food it has become easier. I am down 32 lbs. I like to make my own chicken broth, has so much more flavor than cans. Yes, I know it has more fat & calories, but you need something in your stomach to make it happy. I do also have Bryers non fat fudge bars..this soothes my stomach. Water: at first I was sipping small amounts as directed. I am able to drink large amounts as long as there is no food to push it down and stretch stomach. I verified with my Dr. So basically I flavor my water with sugar free crystal light, lemonade country time and can easily drink 8-12 oz in 30 minutes if I wanted to. I am now eating sautéed soft fish with spinach. It digest well when your at 5 weeks. Poke is a good one too cuz it will digest, Cottage Cheese, scrambled eggs topped with tsp of non fat Greek yogurt. You can do it. It will be worth your suffering. 🤗

Chew your food thoroughly Digestion begins in the mouth. Your saliva contains important enzymes that begin to break down food in your mouth, so it will be less work on your stomach. Ideally, you want to chew your food until it reaches applesauce-like consistency. Chewing more thoroughly also helps you to slow down. For many of us, it is a habit to take a bite, chew a couple of times and then swallow it down with a chug of water. But after bariatric surgery, you can no longer do that so it is even more important to chew your food. Use a baby spoon While it is important to chew your food thoroughly it also helps to take small bites of your food. Using a baby spoon or chopsticks may slow you down and regulate your bite sizes. If you are having a difficult time tolerating chicken, try smaller bites before giving up. When you eat smaller bites, less food will reach your stomach all at once and it may prevent nausea. Eat every 2-3 hours Since you can no longer tolerate large portions at a time, it is important to eat small amounts of food every two to three hours. This will give you more opportunities to eat enough protein. You can have protein drinks or eat a high protein snack like string cheese. Eat protein at every meal By building your meals around protein you will be more likely to hit your daily protein goals. Every meal or snack is an opportunity to help meet your daily protein goals. Pack high protein snacks Having high protein snacks on hand is key to meeting your daily protein goals. Examples include cottage cheese, string cheese, tuna, hard boiled egg, and sliced deli meat. These are portable snack items that you can store in the fridge at work or in a thermal lunch container. For more ideas on what foods to eat after bariatric surgery, please be sure to check out my Top 10 Dietitian-Approved Foods to Eat After Bariatric Surgery. Experiment with different types of protein Everyone has different tolerances after bariatric surgery. I have met some people who never had any issues with food, while others need to avoid certain foods for a period of time. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of protein. After surgery your taste preferences may change, so be willing to try foods that you previously didn’t like. If you cannot tolerate chicken then try yogurt. If you don’t like yogurt then try white fish. For other ideas on different protein sources to try download my free guide, Top 10 Dietitian-Approved Foods to Eat After Bariatric Surgery. Eat protein first The cardinal rule after surgery is to eat your protein first. This may seem counterintuitive because you may have been programmed to eat your vegetables first. But after surgery, your pouch size is so small that you need to make sure to fill it with protein first because you may fill up quickly. Yes, vegetables are important too. but you will be able to eat more of them as your pouch size expands. In the meantime, please make sure to take your multivitamins. Add PB2 to protein drinks PB2 is a peanut butter powder, but it is lower in fat and calories than your traditional peanut butter. Although peanut butter can be a healthy source of fat, it’s usually not recommended right after bariatric surgery due to its high calorie and fat content. PB2 can be a flavorful addition to your protein drinks, smoothie or yogurt and be a sneaky way to get more protein. Use protein drinks Including protein drinks in your diet is essential to meeting your protein needs in the first few months after surgery. Even if you ate protein at each meal you would likely not be able to meet your protein goals because of your new pouch size. Most surgery centers recommend using a protein drink during the first 6 months after surgery. As your pouch size expands you will be able to get most of your protein from food and reduce your protein drink intake. Experiment with different protein drinks to identify which one you tolerate best. Although whey isolate is usually recommended if you cannot tolerate it then try a different one such as egg white protein. Use Quinoa as your grain If you have started to include grains in your diet then quinoa can be a good choice after surgery. It is higher in protein than other grains and high in fiber. You can have a small amount with a stir-fry or add to soups. Please join my Facebook group if you would like to receive Dietitian-Approved Bariatric Recipes on your weight loss surgery journey.

Tracy, alot of times if you eat yogurt it helps with effects from antibiotics! I wanted to lose 20 or 30 pounds before we meet in Alabama. I didn't!! Think I can lose them in a week? I am being a pretty good bandster, and exercising pretty well, but still at same weight. I have good restriction also. Oh well, I am up in weight, but still the same Jane. Off to do laundry and stuff before work!!