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I can have 4 shakes day , 8 oz of skim milk, 1 cup of sugar free pudding with Protein powder mixed in , and a cup of low carb yogurt . And then the usual unlimited Popsicles broth and stock . @@cindyw41 I am going to try the every 2 hrs to eat., that sounds helpful . My husband took me out to dinner and my stomach is in knots because I'm so nervous. But I know I got this !! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Cervidae brings up some great points. As an aside, sometimes on-plan foods can trigger dumping. Refried Beans are a go-to purée for many people. They sent me running to the potty. Try foods individually to make sure they work with your new stomach. If something doesn't work out the first time, wait several weeks and give it another try. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. Sometimes you can develop an intolerance (or distaste) for a food that used to work for you. I had this with yogurt Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had to drink 4 shakes a day but I could also have 1 serving each of Yogurt, unflavored applesauce, sf pudding, sf Jello, 1/2 cup cooked veggies & 1/2 cup oatmeal I spaced my meals out every 2 hrs. It seemed that I was constantly eating. So it took the urge to snack away. I did not cheat..I was afraid of having surgery delayed/canceled if I didn't lose enough. I was extremely tired the first couple of days but felt better on day 3. Don't be afraid to be around people who are eating. I Carried my lunch box (it looks like a purse) everywhere filled with things that I could eat. Not one eatery/movie theater said anything to me. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So I am 2 weeks post op tomorrow. I am to be on a liquid diet for another week then I can move to puréed foods. I have done some "testing" based on what others have said. Do you think this is ok or should I just stay on my liquids for another week. I'm going crazy just having Soup broth, ice pops, yogurt and really thin oatmeal. I have tried some soft stuff out of the soup and I've had no issues. I even took a small bite of chicken and just really chewed it well and no issues. Just looking for some thoughts on moving to puréed stuff a week earlier than my dr tells me to. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So sorry for your loss, I imagine this is a difficult time for you. Forgive the long post. I too am a newbie. I am 6 weeks post op. and although I may not know a lot-- I'm certain it gets better... I'm sure the vets will speak on it. I am going through a similar situation in terms of not enjoying my food. When I really think about it, I haven't "enjoyed" anything since surgery. So-- I try not to think about it. Now I will say this. I had 2 slices of bright red, sweet, juicy cold watermelon on Saturday evening I truly enjoyed that- unexpectedly. You too will receive unexpected gifts. Otherwise I learned early on I have to re evaluate my relationship with food. How I think about it and changing the mindset. I grew up eating what I loved. Didn't have a weight problem so my parents never checked me about what I ate. I grew up and continued to eat what I loved. Some good, some not so good. Bad habits formed so because of poor food choices throughout the years, I am here. I've enjoyed food long enough. I'm sure I will again but right now "eating to live" is the mantra to live by. YES. Protein can be challenging. Especially at this stage. Get in the good habit of meal planning and Identifying foods which will help you reach your goals. I meal plan on Sundays I calculate based on what I'm eating or what I'd like to eat-- what it will take to get me to 70g and then I execute a plan to get it in for example : AM protein shake 30g AM snack yogurt 15g lunch Salmon (2oz) 13g Mid afternoon snack Colby jack cheese 5g dinner Grilled chicken (2oz) 16g Nighttime snack (optional) ____________________________ Total 79g Protein I have 9g to spare so I know in the future I can cut back in certain areas to enjoy more fruit and veggies with meals or as snacks at my discretion. It can still be challenging especially eating slow. I can usually have my protein shakes, yogurt, and snack items without issue. But Salmon or chicken-- I'll have small bites and walk away for 5-10 minutes come back to it, rinse repeat until its gone. it seems like more of a task than it is enjoyable but I'm sure it has everything to do with our restriction right now which will improve as time goes on. My incision site is just now healing! The other ones were fine. The one at the belly button I think finally closed over the weekend. I think it actually got worse before it got better. Like I barely noticed them after week 1 then most of them started closing up and scabbing over but around week 4 the belly and left lower abdominal incision were cutting up!!! Itching and tender but no drainage warmth redness or signs or symptoms of infection. You've discussed it with your team, they checked assessed it, ruled out infection so just continue to keep it clean and put a little coco butter or Vitamin E oil on it and it will soon be a distant memory. You're still very early out so you're still in either pureed or soft foods stage. It does get better. I think I lived on protein shakes, baby food and fruit smoothies with greek yogurt mostly to get me through the day. So I do hope that you can find something that works for you. I did start blending my Premier Protein shakes with frozen fruits like banana (w/ chocolate) Mango or peaches (w/vanilla) strawberry with (Strawberry) it was my best bet for getting close to my protein goals so I HAD to make it work!!! Then something happened about week 4... I stopped making excuses and feeling pity for myself as for why I wasn't meeting my Fluid or protein goals and I decided to be more involved and proactive in the process. I created a plan, I defined goals, I created charts, and timers or reminders to take supplements, eat or drink. I created food and exercise logs and journals to track what I eat- to assess whether I hit my protein and fluid goals, I created a weight log thanks to @@Red_lips_and_confidence to track my progression every Sunday for the next year I put them all in a binder and created week/month tabs so that when I go to my visits, if necessary my team can see what I'm doing and where I can improve. I'm not always there but I'm always re evaluating and trying to improve. identifying barriers and strategies to overcome. it's a lot of work, but we didn't come this far for nothing. So if you need a bit of encouragement you got it!!!! You're not alone and you can DO this!!!! Just wanted to share whats been working for me recently. You don't have to do all of this but you have to find and do what works for you. Maybe you can focus more on your plan since you can't leave the house . Hope things get better for you soon.

Well tomorrow is my surgery. I'm excited and scared all at the same time. I've read so much on what to expect but I'm still nervous because I have no idea how I will be. On the plus side, my doctor wanted me to lose 40lbs before surgery and I'm officially down 40lbs as of today! With the just clear liquid diet today, I should be down even more tomorrow. For those of you that have had the surgery done recently...give me a few pointers! Also, for those of you on post op diets...if I don't like cottage cheese, applesauce, or yogurt...what do I do? LOL Thanks in advance everyone!

Hello everyone who just got sleeved or who answered... Doingitmyway Are u drinking Protein drinks ? If so what kind ? I'm drinking nectar ones mixed with Water I also dilute apple juice. And when I feel I can't get water down or fluids I'll chew ice crunch ice from sonic is the best I eat sugar free Jello and with full liquids I eat cream of wheat and I feel full I make it watery so that it's easy to go down. I do get hungry at times but I drink fluids to take that hunger away. I was feeling pain in my larger incision but it has gone away now I also eat vanilla Greek yogurt no fruit in it also if u feel u can't front Protein Drinks cuz they are to plain u have a nutrabullet and I put ice in it and. Frozen fruit like peaches mango bananas a scoop of protein and water and make it like a smoothie then I spoon it like ice cream it's the best if j don't finish it I'll put it in the freezer till I'm ready for more and just let it thaw and blend it again Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Haha. I don't even like yogurt that much so not dying to try it. I'll wait a little while longer. Thanks all.

@@justhere4theshow The changes are very interesting, aren't they? My biggest weakness pre-surgery was baked goods...cupcakes, Cookies, cakes, pies...anything sweet. Now I don't even think about those (thankfully!) I like to add romaine, celery, onion and pickle to tuna or chicken with greek yogurt or light mayo. I can only get down about 1/4 cup, but the additions to the Protein make it not so boring and give it some texture.

Follow your doctor's order first, always. I have been taking about 8 pills in the morning and about 10 at night. I take them all together with a sip or two of a protein shake. No pain, just nausea that lasts about 2 minutes and then passes...my surgeon said I could take capsules and smaller coated tablets from day one, but anything big or chalky needed to be crushed and mixed with yogurt (thinned with milk) I have none that fit that description, and have done fine since right after surgery. My doc recommended the sleeve because I take so many meds; the bypass would affect absorption. This is just my experience. Always be safe and follow the rules from your doc

I have problems with yogurt pre-op! ???? Sent from my KFFOWI using the BariatricPal App

I, too, grew weary of lliquids but I forced myself to soldier through it. To make matters worse, I am a savory person, not much of a sweets eater, so all the shaakes and pudddings and yogurts and Popsicles... URP!!! My saving grace was the soop aisle at Fresh Market. There are blended soops like Butternut Squash, Black Bean, Tomato Bisque, Portabella Mushroom... They come in a carton and were absolutely delicious. I added a little unflavored proteen and sipped on them at "meal time". I still choked down my Premiere, but the Soups were fabulous as I was on liquids for almost a month post-op. EDIT: YES, I CAN SPELL. I HATE IT WHEN ALL MY WORDS HYPERLINK. ARGH!!!!!!

I bought GENEPRO based on how many people say you can't taste it. I've used it in a V8 Splash diet juice, I can taste it. I'll try your pudding/yogurt hack and see if that works for me better.

Are you allowed pudding, Jello, or yogurt? Thankfully they were included in my full liquid meal plan. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have been eating cottage cheese, yogurt, refried beans (pintos and cheese from Taco Bell are amazing!), soup, egg salad, scrambled egg with cheese. I want to try the ricotta bake. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am in week nine post surgery and really sick of eating eggs, yogurt, and Protein shakes. I still enjoy the fruit. I am craving carbs for the first time and broke down and bought the low carb Protein Bars on this website. Feeling very guilty about it. My dietician said to avoid rice, Pasta, bread, potatoes, and starchy foods altogether for the next six months when my weight loss will most significant. Is this one person's opinion? Can I eat a Protein Bar or oatmeal occassionally if it's in moderation?

Which foods have protein? Protein is found in meat, fish and chicken. For vegetarians and those less keen on meat, there’s protein in cottage cheese, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, cheese sticks all the beans you might put in chili—except green beans. There’s also protein in meat alternatives like products from Morningstar Farms and Boca. You can usually find these products in the frozen food section. Protein amounts vary so check the labels. How much protein do I need? I tell my clients aim for 60-80 grams per day. Anyone with kidney issues might need to be much lower so it’s important to work with a dietitian specializing in bariatrics and kidney disease to get the protein prescription right for you. Can you get too much protein? If you’re drinking more than a two protein drinks per day along with multiple servings of protein, it’s easy to get up to 90 grams per day or more. There IS such a thing as too much protein and greater than 95-100 grams per day is starting to push healthy levels. p.s. Did you know the body simply cannot absorb more than 30 grams of protein per meal? If any of your protein drinks or bars are promising more than this per serving, don’t be fooled into thinking you are giving your body that full amount. Is protein really that important, anyway? Oh yes my friends, it is. Here’s why. Your body needs protein for its daily operations—cell building, transportation and repair work-- just to name a few. If you don’t feed it enough protein it will use the protein it has in storage (your muscles!!!) while stopping all fat burning activity. It does this because it senses that this is a crisis situation and perhaps a famine is ahead. Any body fat on hand has become more precious than a winning Powerball ticket and will be protected appropriately. It’s a common myth that after WLS you can eat whatever you want because you can’t ‘overeat.’ My advice? For optimal weight loss, that you can sustain, pull a Goldilocks and strive to get the amount that’s not too low and not too high but just right.

Bariatric Dietitian Elizabeth Anderson didn't exactly love school but she has an odd fondness for it now as September approaches and she's had a great deal of quality time with her teenager! Find out what she learned in all those nutrition science classes as she answers some common WLS questions in Protein 101. Which foods have protein? Protein is found in meat, fish and chicken. For vegetarians and those less keen on meat, there’s protein in cottage cheese, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, cheese sticks all the beans you might put in chili—except green beans. There’s also protein in meat alternatives like products from Morningstar Farms and Boca. You can usually find these products in the frozen food section. Protein amounts vary so check the labels. How much protein do I need? I tell my clients aim for 60-80 grams per day. Anyone with kidney issues might need to be much lower so it’s important to work with a dietitian specializing in bariatrics and kidney disease to get the protein prescription right for you. Can you get too much protein? If you’re drinking more than a two protein drinks per day along with multiple servings of protein, it’s easy to get up to 90 grams per day or more. There IS such a thing as too much protein and greater than 95-100 grams per day is starting to push healthy levels. p.s. Did you know the body simply cannot absorb more than 30 grams of protein per meal? If any of your protein drinks or bars are promising more than this per serving, don’t be fooled into thinking you are giving your body that full amount. Is protein really that important, anyway? Oh yes my friends, it is. Here’s why. Your body needs protein for its daily operations—cell building, transportation and repair work-- just to name a few. If you don’t feed it enough protein it will use the protein it has in storage (your muscles!!!) while stopping all fat burning activity. It does this because it senses that this is a crisis situation and perhaps a famine is ahead. Any body fat on hand has become more precious than a winning Powerball ticket and will be protected appropriately. It’s a common myth that after WLS you can eat whatever you want because you can’t ‘overeat.’ My advice? For optimal weight loss, that you can sustain, pull a Goldilocks and strive to get the amount that’s not too low and not too high but just right.

I didn't have trouble with yogurt, but I did with other foods. I think it is somewhat normal Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

While I was allowed yogurt as soon as I started full liquids - on day 3 post op, I didn't actually try it until two days before my 2 week post op appointment. Honestly, before that I don't think i would have done well with it because of the thickness. even when I did try it - I only had one ounce very slowly per day for a while, then 2 ounces. Last week (week 8 post op) was the first time I ate a half carton (little over 2.5oz) at a time. So this early out - if you're struggling, back off it for a while and try it again in another week or so.

It might be too soon fro you. Even though the food stages exist as guidelines, they just mean you can TRY those foods at those times, not that you HAVE to be eating them then. Everyone heals at a different rate. Have you tried drinkable yogurt (the stuff for kids?). I actually started that before moving onto thicker yogurt.

Ok. I'm going to stop apologizing for all of the questions cause clearly, they just keep coming. I was sleeved on 8/8 and am still not able to eat yogurt very easily. I'm on liquids but can also do Jello, yogurt and sugar free pudding. I've done fine with everything else but still struggling with the yogurt. Did anyone else have this problem? Maybe I'm just trying too soon?

I am 11 days past surgery. Every time I eat, my stomach feels backed up. Almost like my food takes a really long time to go down. It hurts a little bit. Even if I eat just 3 or 4 bites, spaced out. It takes me so long to eat just a few bites of yogurt. Anyone else experience this? I don't remember anyone telling me that this would happen, but then I wasn't exactly fully coherent before I left the hospital. It's making me nervous. ~~ LadyDarkness415 ~~

Did you receive a nutrition guide from your surgeon's office? This is what is on my list for the pre-op liquid phase, but every surgeon is different. May be worth a call to the office! Pre-op Liquid Phase (2 weeks prior to surgery) Water Decaf Coffee/Tea SF Jello SF Popsicles broth 1% Skim Milk LF Cottage cheese Light (RedCal) Yogurt Low Carb Protein shakes SF pudding No sugar added fudgesicles No sugar added hot choc LF Creamy Soups (strained) Tomato Soup Unsweetened applesauce Cream of wheat/oatmeal or grits (1x per day)

I still have my gas pains in shoulder, yes the left one.Still only on clear liquids and unsweetened applesauce for crushed pills.The acid pill tastes horrible. A little belly gas pain but gas x strips seem to help.post office visit tomorrow and they may move me to full liquid diet, protein shakes,nonfat yogurt creamed soups....