Search the Community

I have been "heavy" my entire life, but I started getting morbidly obese about 15 yeas ago after a back injury. I had two back surgeries, first one 8/2007, second one in 11/2009. I also broke my left ankle (for the 5th time) in 10/2010. After a major foot surgery in 3/2011, I decided to go for the sleeve. About a month out from surgery, I got pregnant and abandoned my WLS plans for the time being. I had the baby (best thing ever!!) and got back on track for surgery in October of 2013. I then caught the NORO virus from my kid and spend two days sitting on the toilet and vomiting into the waste basket. That freaked me out so much that I backed off from the surgery. My back and foot pain was getting worse (one of the five screws in my foot/ankle had broken and wow, the pain has been intense!) and all the doctors were telling me it would never get better until I lost about 100 lbs. at least. At the time, I was about 330. The doctor for my foot told me that he would have to take out all the pins, put in thicker ones, and reinforce the area with steal plates. This did not sound like it was going to help get me out of pain. So, back to the bariatric surgeon. I started with this again in February of 2015. My doc put me on a diet pill to help with appetite suppression, and I lost almost 50 lbs. from March 2015 - June 2015. It took a while to get all of the insurance requirements met, but it was finally approved, and my surgery was on July1. I am 23 days out of surgery, just started my 4th week post-op, and while it has not been easy, I would not go back. I had the sleeve because I did not want to have as many issues with malnutrition as I have heard can happen with bypass. I know that I will eventually get to eat real food again, just not nearly as much, and I am so happy with the weight loss. The biggest issue I am having is getting my Protein. I am a vegetarian and the idea of drinking milk repulses me. I am not a vegan, will eat cheese and yogurt, it is just milk that grosses me out. Soy milk was not something I wanted to try, but I find the light vanilla and light chocolate is palatable. I am still experimenting with different protein supplements, but I feel confident I will eventually find one that I can get down. I have found a few suggestion on this forum that give me hope. :-) I hope this info has helped. Good luck!

I had to get another blood draw and they told me I was lacking in potassium and my blood pressure was super low. I was also recommended to drink a bottle of Gatorade Zero as well. Right after surgery every time I would shower the steam would make me want to faint/vomit and standing up in general was an absolute nightmare. I am about 4 weeks post-op and am still struggling to eat anything besides greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and tuna lol. My starting weight was 278 and now I am down to 241. It is very exciting! Keep up the great work.

I'm 3 months post op and I also forget to eat. I'm going to be seeing the nutritionist for the first time after surgery in two weeks and now is definitely the time. Not only do I forget to eat (and drink enough water) but it seems to be so much work to get in the Protein drinks which I still supplement with because there's no way I can get enough protein otherwise. I still have a tendency to eat too fast which can cause nausea but it could be lack of Water as well. It's a work in progress for sure. I start the day with a Protein Drink and often that's more than I can handle for Breakfast. Sometimes I'll have eggs (2) for lunch or crackers and cheese or yogurt and fruit with granola/cereal. Another protein drink and then supper. Not sure whether I'm getting enough calories or perhaps the wrong calories. Hopefully, the nutritionist can give me some ideas. Ruth

I live with my fiance in a little flat and I cook just about every day, nothing fancy, I normally end up making what he wants to eat and then what I want. It isn't too hard to make two separate things, as long as they aren't too complex. Since August 09, I have been entertaining 5 people at my flat every Tuesday, so all in all it is 7 people on Tuesday (though I hardly count), and I have no trouble at all cooking for them, even if I make something that I cannot eat, I instead grab some greek yogurt or something of a similar sort. Or, of course, I can always fill myself up tasting the food as it cooks. :smile:

Thanks, i'm sure you will hear from me alot as I get through this. I am also online Mon-Fri from 9-5 at work. It's so hard for me because I have been such an unhealthy eater for so long. This morning I had to force myself to eat yogurt. It was the first time in my life eating it and I didn't really like it but I needed to eat something. This is a big struggle for me. But let me know how you do with the chicken? How are you eating it? Mashed up?

I never thought I would be sooo happy to be on "full liquids!" That clear liquid diet was the worst- I was feeling so run down and weak. Today I started full liquids. I had a little of a smoothie, a little vanilla yogurt, a few bites of fat free/sugar free pudding, and tonight I am going to have a little cream soup! Yeah! :whoo::whoo::whoo: I feel sooo much better now I have some nutrients in me. I thought I had to do the full liquids for two weeks, but found out I only do them for a week and then on to mushies. Can you tell I am happy? Ha!

Not sure where I got this from.. somewhere that I was doing research on.. but thought it might be useful for this thread. Increase Your Chances of a Good Fill The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill. 1. Be sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill. (Remember, Water is your friend). Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty water bottle past the TSA security check point. Bring some of those "to-go" packs of Crystal Light, they’re ideal! Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your water bottle, pop one in, and then you will have plenty to drink. (Hint - If you flying in for a fill, while you're on the plane, grab a couple of those white barf bags. It’s good to keep one in your purse or car, for "emergencies".) 2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc) please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before. In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours. ANY food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro 3. Don't drink COLD fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stoma and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine. Let the ice in your drink melt and hour before a fill, and then you'll have room-temp fluids to drink right up to the fill time. 4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either. 5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back. 6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they DO happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave. 7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stoma to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out. 8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before! 9. Please don't get a fill if you are having ANY trouble with the current level of fill. This means ANY regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the VERY most, not able to get enough calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids. More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe. 10. First fills are routinely given at 6-8 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills. 11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily. 12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will NEVER be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info. A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied (NOT "FULL", but simply "satisfied, not physically hungry". for about 3-4 hrs. 13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on. 14. Learn to recognize YOUR "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should STOP eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing. Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the docs cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above. It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart. Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is NOT to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a GOOD fill later. SLOW and GRADUAL is the key! Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems. • After a “fill” you are on a clear liquid diet for 24 hours; then, soft for 24 hours; then, regular food o Clear – juice, water, broth, miso Soup, tea - no salty or iced drinks. o Soft – V-8, yogurt, cottage cheese, smoothies, (no ice cream), pureed Soups, squash, apple sauce. • Call me if you are unable to sleep lying down due to reflux to schedule a slight “unfill”. Do not talk yourself into “working through the reflux”. • Eat Protein at every meal; eat your protein first in order to facilitate proper digestion of this complex food. • Eat three meals daily or six small meals; do not snack – ¼ to ½ cup per meal • Drink water instead of mindless munching (add lemon to water) between meals. DO NOT DRINK LIQUIDS 45 MINUTES BEFORE AND 60-90 MINUTES AFTER YOUR MEALS.• Make sure your bowels are moving daily with ease not effort • Add Fiber into your diet if you are not having complete bowel movements – 1 tablespoon ground flax seed• Have some form of movement every day for 30 minutes • Avoid white flour and white sugar products • You are not allowed to be on an ice cream diet • You may not lose weight if you’re not eating enough • Eat slowly between bites; take small bites; sip your drinks. • Chew your food slowly • Throw out all the junk food in the house • Don’t buy anymore junk food • Eat organic as much as possible to avoid increasing exposure to false hormones, antibiotics, and other toxic substances • Join a support group, Curves, or weight watchers. • Stop eating after 7:30pm during the summer; and 6:30 in the winter • Keep working on the mental emotional component to comfort food eating • Schedule another fill when your portion sizes increase to “old day” sizes or you are feeling hungrier earlier then you remember. • Journal about your feelings, keep a food diary, create a collage of what your future looks like and hang it in your room. • Create a collage of images you want to let go of and burn the collage. • Laugh every day RECIPES FOR AFTER A FILL Master Cleanse Drink (adjust lemon, ginger and cayenne to taste) 4 oz of apple juice Pinch of cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon fresh grated ginger 4-8 TBls of Lemon juice 4Tbls of Maple Syrup or Honey Pinch of salt top off the blender with filtered water Blend till mixed Strain and drink ½ - 1 Quart a day SMOOTHIE: FOR DAYS WHEN YOU ARE ON SOFT FOODS AFTER A FILL OR UNFILL - A 24 HOUR REQUIREMENT FOR POST FILLS AFTER LIQUIDS. 2-4 oz of apple juice or Rice or Soy Milk 3-5 ground almonds 1-2 teaspoons of flax oil ¼ cup of frozen fruit ? berries, bananas, mangos, papaya 1-2 Tbls (or packet) Protein powder (I use a Rice Protein which is hypoallergenic and tastes pretty good) ¼ teaspoon Bee Pollen (do not add if allergic to bees or huge environmental allergies) ½ - 1 teaspoon of chlorella or spirulina

Teresa, you've been doing so well lately! I'm so proud of you. Our little cheerleader's joined the team! 5/11/06 B: 1/2 yogurt: 120 calories, 5g protein L: Sweet pork salad w/ lime ranch dressing - guessing 700 calories, 25g protein??? D: Salisbury steak & asparagus - 200 calories, 20g protein S: Dark chocolate caramel & walnut bar - 270 calories, 6g protein Totals: 1,290 calories; 56g protein

Hi Guys! I'm not from Maryland but it sounds like you guys are really good at journaling so I hope you don't mind if I join y'all?!?!?! I've been using the "Food Journal" thread but it doesn't seem like a lot of people are keeping up with it. So here goes the past few days: Ok, so I'm catching up on my journaling. Come on everyone!!! And yes, this REALLY is how much I eat. I barely let a bite get in that I don't count. ALTHOUGH, there's probably some skim milk in my coffee that I don't count for. No sugar in the coffee though. Anyway, see below for me "Weekend from Hell Due to Booze" and then the past two days of "Retribution" !!! Friday -- 4/21 Protein bar -- 230 2 Protein Bars -- 380 Half a Quesidilla -- 400 3 Margeritas -- 510 4 vodka sodas -- 280 soco lime shots --150 __________________ 1950 Cals - 1800 RMR - 160 cals walking and dancing = -10 Saturday half chicken parm -- 200 carnation instand bfest -- 220 Edamame - 50 cals 3 mojitos (160 each) -- 480 2 chu-cumbers (150 each) -- 320 sake --30 3 vodka sodas (70 each) -- 210 2 soco lime shots (70 each) -- 150 __________ 1660 cals - RMR - dancing -- holy cow batman!! look at all that booze!!! :faint: Sunday half a milky way -- 130 3 bloody marys (120 each) -- 360 one bottle wine -- 150 2 chicken fingers + 3 french fries - 300 2 vodka sodas -- 210 1 soco lime -- 75 Armurulla -- 275 half mac and cheese -- 220 half chili -- 170 _______________ 1865 - RMR - walking to and from yankee stadium Monday half bowl of Cereal -- 100 box of mac & cheese -- 500 2 chocolate bars -- 500 crackers with lowfat cheese -- 90 tuna fish sandwich -- 220 pint frozen yogurt -- 600 ________________ 2010 cals - RMR ARGH!HH!!! H!H!H! Totally hungover from a weekend of nonstop drinking! Mac & Cheese???? chocolate bars??? What was I thinking!!??! :angry Tuesday 4/25 Grilled chicken 150 Protein Bar 280 Chili 190 Cracker with cheese -- 60 Milky way 130 Popsicle -- 60 _____________________ 870 total cals :clap2: Wednesday 4/26 cup of milk -- 90 cals 1 cup of grilled chicken + broccoli + light dressing = 150 protein bar-- 240 big leafy salad with cucumbers, 1/2c grilled chicken + light dressing = 150 FF popsicle-- 60 cals ______________________ 690 total cals :clap2:

There was a new nurse at my band doc's office today! She's a WHOLE lot easier to convince that I needed .2 more cc's in my band. I'm certain the other nurses would have MAYBE given me .1! I'm lovin this 2.6 cc restriction. Wednesday, 6/28 B: 1/4 Metagenics shake - 32 calories, 3.7g protein L: South Beach Kung Pao Chicken - 300 calories, 32g protein S: Yoplait light cherry yogurt & 1 slice deli turkey - 113 calories, 9.5g protein D: Apex chocolate meal replacement shake w/ peanut butter & banana - 400 calories, 25.4g protein Totals: 845 calories, 71g protein Oh yeah, and SkinnyMini? SCOLD!!!! Just don't do it again or I'll have to spank you.

:hungry: B- protein shake -100 calories,15 protein :hungry: L-chunky chicken & dumpling soup,broth only 70 calories,protein 9 :hungry: D- tryed a spoon of yogurt but too thick! My fill's a little tight today! snack-tryed a few Doritos but got stuck ,ALOT of burping sounds coming out of my throat all day,is this normal?Kind of uncomfortable when mixed with any kind of food.:cry

SouthBeach Diet Tips and Guides The SouthBeach Diet is different from the Atkins diet in that it is not a low carbohydrate diet. Regardless of which phase you are currently in, you should follow these recommendations: Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, decaffeinated beverages such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda every day Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily Take 500 mg of calcium for both men and women under the age of 50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day Eating can be both pleasurable and healthy as long as you eat the proper foods. All the meals in the SouthBeach Diet consist of healthy combinations of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dishes can be made by anyone and the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores. These foods will satisfy your hunger without depriving your system of the low-quality starches and sugars that caused problems with your blood chemistry in the first place. The SouthBeach Diet does not involve counting calories, fat grams, or portion sizes. This plan was designed to be simplistic and will help you understand the principles of metabolism and put it to work for your own body. A major key to success with the South Beach Diet is the Glycemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods based on the effect on blood sugar levels. When you start adding foods back into your diet in Phase 2, keep your focus on low-GI foods such as apples, berries, grapefruit, high-fiber cereal, and whole grain breads. Preparing For The Rest Of Your Life Mindset Change for South Beach Diet You have learned what the South Beach Diet is, how it works, and what to eat. Now, you need to get prepared to change the way you eat, for life. Start by accepting that the first couple of weeks will be a big change but one you will not regret. The first morning of this diet, you will eat a breakfast that may consist of a two-egg omelet with two slices of Canadian bacon, cooked in either spray canola or olive oil. In your old life, you may have toasted bread or a bagel and had fresh fruit or fruit juice to go along with your omelet. However, with the South Beach Diet, the bread will have to wait. Most people have been conditioned their entire life to add bread to meals. You have toast with breakfast, sandwiches on bread for lunch, dinner rolls with dinner, and cake, cookies, or pie for dessert. However, during Phase 1, you will have to forget about the bread. It may take a few days to leave old habits behind but keep in mind that it is during this time that your body’s inability to process sugars and starches is being reversed. After trying numerous diets, most leave you feeling hungry, is one of the most difficult aspects of any diet. A common denominator seen with overweight people is that most of them skip eating breakfast. When this happens, blood sugar drops, which then increases the desire for bad carbohydrates to escalate until lunch when the entire meal is blown. Planning for South Beach Diet Planning will help you stay away from snacking or substituting things that are not healthy and could cause weight gain. Remember that once you start into Phase 2, carbohydrates will start being introduced back into your diet along with fruits. You also need to remember to eat your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, even if you do not feel like it. Some of the greatest low-fats foods to incorporate into your planning include cheese and yogurt to replace the fats since they have no bad carbohydrates. In addition, the sugar is found in the lactose, milk sugar, is one of the things you can have with the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a lifetime change, lifetime commitment, and a lifetime of health and vitality! How Does The South Beach Diet Work? As mentioned, the South Beach Diet is unique, successful, easy, and works in a three-phase process. Unlike many other so-called diets, with the South Beach Diet, simply substitutes your bad carbohydrates and fats for good ones. After trying this, you will be amazed by how well and quickly it works. South Beach Diet Phase 1 South Beach Diet Phase 1 lasts for two weeks. During this first phase, you will eat normal meals of chicken, beef, turkey, fish, and shellfish, lots of vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts, and garden salads using 100% olive oil for your salad dressing. Each day for 14 days, you will eat three, well-balanced meals. While eating until your hunger is satisfied may go against most diets, with the South Beach Diet, it is part of the plan. Trying to lose weight and become healthy by depriving the body of food makes no sense. In addition to the three meals each day, you will also eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, and then again between lunch and dinner. Even if you do not feel like eating these snacks, for the South Beach Diet to work, you need to, and after dinner, you will even have dessert. Additionally, during this phase, you can drink all the coffee and tea you want and be sure to drink lots of water. You may be thinking that this is a lot of food - it is! With most diets, you deprive your body, eating only small portions of foods that are unappealing. The change you will make during this phase is that you will cut out all bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar. Keep in mind that these eliminated foods will be added back into your diet, starting in Phase 2. In addition to taking these foods out of your diet temporarily, you will also need to avoid beer, or any kind of alcohol. Once you start Phase 2, reasonable amounts of wine can be added back in. Instead of feeling overwhelmed about the foods that will be taken out of your diet during the first two weeks, stop and think about this for a minute. To achieve a life of health and lose unwanted weight, two weeks is a small investment to make. After all, you are worth it! The first two or three days will be somewhat challenging, but breaking any bad habit starts out a little bumpy. Once you pass this small hurdle, the rest of the time will go by quicker than you think. When you see the results that these changes bring, you will be glad you did not give up!

So I eat a LOT of Greek yogurt, but there's only a handful of flavors that I like and you gotta admit, eating the same 3 flavors day after day for breakfast and sometimes lunch gets a bit redundant. I have heard that mixing a 5.3oz package of Greek Yogurt with 1/4 package of sugar free jello pudding makes a yummy snack, especially if you are having a sweet tooth craving. I think I'll try this, but from what I've read it turns the Greek yogurt into a mousse almost, light and fluffy in texture, but not as bitter, so for everyone who doesn't like Greek Yogurt because of the bitter aftertaste, this may be for you! I also read that some people freeze the mixture to make a type of healthier high protein ice cream. I just found a recipe for mixing blended banana into a cup of greek yogurt, add a bit of lemon juice, and a bit of honey and freeze to make pops. Has anyone tried any of this?? Or have any suggestions for healthy high protein snacks?? For lunch today I took a slice of turkey breast, a slice of provolone cheese, and a pickle and made rolls with them because I can't handle bread on my sandwiches it fills me up too quickly. I think tomorrow I'll try a piece of avocado with the turkey and cheese. Night all!

becky!!!!! girl, we have been going through this together...banded same date. and have ran into each other several times with similar experiences. in my opinion, you are not getting enough solid foods. I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR food ALL THE TIME IF I ATE THAT...but that is just me. i was tight, where i was eating like that, and i was miserable. you didn't have anything solid until dinner. now, i know that some people on here do the same thing, and if that works for you great, but those liquid calories in Soups and instant breakfast, and yogurt add up really quick. i think the instant breakfast has like 90 cal, yogurt usually the same, they do have Protein, but mixed with milk you get more calories than protein. but again, i am not perfect. this is a typical day for me: breakfast---around 10..nothing before.. 3/4 slimfast high Protein Bar (190 calories and 15 grams of protein for the whole thing). 3/4 of a 1/2 of a tuna sandwich for lunch..on wheat, with some fritos in the sandwich ( i know weird). for dinner, 4 bites of solid meat, hamburger steak, real steak, chicken...whatever, 2 bites of veggies, and if i have room, starch. ...that is typical, definately not the rule though. for instance last night, i forgot to eat cuz i wasn't hungry, then i had sugar drop, got the shakes, inhaled some tuna salad on chips, threw it all back up because i didn't chew very well..then had nothing else for dinner. so i had nothing for bk, 1/8 of a nacho bell grande taco bell (weakness), and then nothing for dinner....know what i did??? pigged out on ice cream snickers right before bed... that's what i get for not eating. you are eating healthier than i am, but i think you would get less calories with more solid Proteins. my doc has a rule....he doesn't like for us to have milk..EVER...i don't like milk..so no problem for me, and he doesn't want us drinking our food. period. i thought the only way that i could lose weight was to be super tight, but i was wrong. and i feel a lot better now that i'm eating. i lost 4 lbs since last week!!!!

tuesday b-yogurt w/nuts l-fish sanwich,baby cone ice cream(mcdonalds) s-1/4c coca cereal w/a splash of milk d-4oz pork chop,cof,cream,4splendas __________ 32oz c.lite we are having a sm party for my son tomorrow i will have some cake and ice cream.:thumbup:

I just had my one month w/my surgeon, and dietician. I am cleared to go to the gym and eat solids but I feel I’m not there yet, food-wise, just by listening to my body. I’m stilll doing protein shakes, yogurts and some Bariatric broths to be sure I get all my protein. I can still only eat a small amount in a sitting!! Bit feeling good 💪🏼💪🏼

I was sleeved on sept 20th. I am down 48 lbs! Very happy and noticed that I am losing weight in places like my elbows and noticed my arms are smaller. I have gotten into a routine of med taking and protein drinks. I work in a hospital but the cafeteria usually has good choices for me. I am eating lots of Greek yogurt, chili, lunchmeat, chicken salad. Things are going great. No nausea, and I've only gotten sick one time- because I ate a piece of cake. I wanted it so bad! But now I've learned to just have a bite and I'm good. I admit I'm not exercising enough. But I use the elliptical about three times a week. Very happy I did this!

One thing you need to remember as well is to take time for your meal. I know what the pace is like in the ER, you won't be able to gobble your food down and get back to work. You have to take some time for yourself. It took me some time to get used to this, but when i eat, i take a bite, then put the fork down and chew. Each bite i do that. Its now a habit for me, it makes you slow down. My pureed stage, i had scrambled eggs, lots of yogurt(low carb, some have a lot of sugar), refried beans, which after 4 weeks of liquids was great, once i handled that ok, i had tuna fish, etc. Just because its called the pureed stage doesnt mean it has to be pureed. ohh, cottage cheese was on that list, but the only thing i like to do with cottage cheese is scrape it into the trash. Best of luck to you.

Unflavoured Protein one scoop 25 gr add to anything, cream Soup yogurt, pudding. Protein shake for breakfast and snack 30- soup with 25 gr I've already had 55 by lunch Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

my dr, sid only clear fluids and yogurt 3 days prior to surgery

I eat yogurt, cottage cheese, low calorie protein bars at times, nuts, grilled chicken, beans etc. etc

I am so sick of making myself get in protein shakes cottage cheese yogurt mashed potatoes and beans. What are some soft food ideas?

My doc. had me start "trying" to swallow a Tbl. spoon or 2 the first 2 weeks, and then pureed foods after that. (Obviously my main source of nutrition was shakes. I felt like I was a baby on formula!) Week 3 I could eat soft and mushy foods and work my way up. I know by week 3 I ate my first scrambled egg and was regularly eating 1/4 c. of yogurt or cottage cheese. A few weeks after that, I worked my way up to a half cup, but I have the slimy puke reaction if I take a bite or 2 too many. chicken and I have gone our separate ways, but crab is a great food for me too. (I had crab cakes last week. YUM.) I think if this is normal for you, this is normal for you, and your surgeon knows what s/he is doing. Do you count your calories/protein on MyFitness Pal or some other website? That helps me know when too much is too much if I am feeling particularly hungry.

I'm still having pain and taking pain meds. I can tolerate the pain, except my blood pressure goes up significantly when I have pain and gives me the worst head ache. I'm going to have to request a refill. I'm sick of Protein shakes, but still sipping a bit each day. I prefer chicken broth with unjury protein added. Been able to get in more Water yesterday and today. Probably still not enough though. Also drinking some crystal light and G2, and having Popsicles and hello occasionally. Oh, and ate some yogurt yesterday, but I don't like yogurt much so it's hard to eat. Can't wait to eat some stage 2 foods. Thinking of making a chicken or tuna salad in my vita mix so I can eat that. Next week. My doctor said I could try a scrambled egg on day 10 and then some fish if the egg is tolerated. Looking forward to it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My daily menu is nothing exciting. I usually have a Protein Shake and a half, and then something of the Soup variety for dinner. I've been digging light creamy Soups, because they have a lot of flavor. I don't think I've been doing 64 g and 64 ounces, but I've been doing about 50. That's what my doctor suggested. I have my 10 day postop tomorrow, and I'm probably going to be cleared for soft foods. I can't wait! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App When you have soup how much do you usually have? Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App I can drink 8oz of broth now. Been primarily living on premier Protein shakes, broth with protein added, G2 drink, crystal light. I've had yogurt once, still not something I actually like, and I've had cottage cheese and refried Beans with plain greek yogurt mixed in. On christmas I did have two spoons of mashed potatoes drenched in turkey juice and a shred of turkey that I chewed to death. I also have chewed some string cheese into mush too. I know these things aren't on my current list, but I'm careful to not swallow anything until it's mush. My doctor said I could have a scrambled egg with cheese on day 10! whoohoo.. and if that goes well I could also try some fish. She seems to be less strict on the stages than I see in other programs.