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I am almost 4 months out. Can not tolerate protein shakes. Tried all brands, flavors, vegan, whey, rice. So I got this organic sliced turkey and string cheese. If I eat 2 slices and 1 string cheese, that's 22g of protein. Plus super easy to prepare or take with me. I also have no problem with Greek yogurt. So I eat a lot of that. I mix tuna with Greek yogurt rather than mayo. Hope you get to feeling better.

Natures Bounty D3 5000iu gel capsules 3 days/week Source Naturals B12 1mg sublingual 3 days/week ( I was taking Twin Labs B12 until I read we should be taking methyl cobalamin, not cyanocobalamin) I still had some source of life gold chewable vitamins leftover which I gagged down until they were gone. Started the Vitamin Code capsules probably 2 weeks postop, but was taking the Vitamin D gel caps starting day 4. I had also been taking Solaray calcium capsules (opened and mixed in my yogurt) and Garden of Life Healthy Blood iron capsules too. But my calcium and iron were both high on my 6 month labs so I discontinued them. And I wouldn't bother with the "fat burning" pills. You will lose plenty of fat without a fad diet pill. Kinda surprises me they have such a thing...makes it look like they don't have faith in their own surgeries. Oh yeah, and I live in the boonies, so I get everything online (except the vitamin d the local grocery store carries).

Thanks for responding, Fluffy, especially with such a well-thought out post. I understand now that I may be 'too early' in the process. I'm such a slow loser and am hitting multiple stalls...that I was looking for anything I could do that would help. I have started tracking my food/water/liquids intake in the myfitness tool now that I was given macros by my dr's office but their plan has me consuming more carbs than I am comfortable with as I'm a big keto devotee and I lose better when I keep carbs low as a general rule. I did 'Atkin's' way back in the day and lost 80 lbs and kept it off for a decade. I restarted a keto WOL 15 months before having surgery as this way of eating helps my body feel better. Now I'm wondering should I follow dr's plan & not attempt to modify to be lower carb...unsure if only being 2 mos post op if my body would prefer that...but having had this body for a number of yrs (lol), I have such a difficult time losing weight...period. Usually it comes off much faster when I keep carbs below 20 ideally...or 30 for a stretch. Below is your list and I just wanted to put my responses in but I get what you are saying about it being too early for me to do IF. I'm hoping some of the things on your list that I'm already doing will have me better prepared should I go down the IF route later in this process: 1. FOLLOW your doc's and RD's plan for you and the stage you're eating at. You MUST be able to easily get the required protein in per day that they prescribe for you. And the amount of fluids you're told to consume. 2. Follow the rules of WLS. No eating drinking 15/30 or 30/30 depending your doc's plan. 3. Get ALL of your daily Vitamins in without skipping a single dose. I've been fortunate that I haven't had an issue with this even directly after surgery 4. Get to walking. And maybe even get to doing core strengthening exercises. Started hiking with youngest daughter several weeks ago. We've been consistent to this day. We currently do 2 x's a week and are looking to increase this but waiting for temperatures to cool down so we can do so..I also swim in my pool a couple times a week. 5. Protein first at every meal/snack >> al dente veggies >> a tiny bit of healthy fats (and that's it). Protein always first, especially since I'm only 2 mos post-op. If protein goes down ok, then I eat whatever veggie if i have one. 6. Cut out ALL C.R.A.P. (google it)--that means no sugar, grains, starchy root veg, starches, refined products, fake stuff, "treats" such as Protein Bars or Water drops. Severely limit the use of sugar substitutes. Did this 17 mos ago when I embraced keto WOL although I never believed in enormous intake of fat so my version had fats limited to ones that are healthier. I tended during this time to stay away from protein bars but if in a desperate pinch as I had a bad habit of not eating regularly (working so much I'd forget to eat, etc.) I might have one. I was a big user of artificial sweeteners during this period although I kept an eye on the research about them possibly causing hunger and many other things about them. Currently my limitation is 2 to 3 packets of splenda (or another fake sugar) a day in my post-op world. 7. Start drinking green tea now (I use decaff) and look into Earl Grey Tea. Ironically I just got a tea brew bottle and a pack of..I think it is green tea in a subscription box that I get. 8. Try to keep your carbs to <30g net per day (subtract Fiber grams of carbs from the total carb count to get net carbs. Yes, I'm a big believer in this! Trying to figure out how to fight myfitness pal as it does not have food listed in its DB, from what little I've seen, with net carb count. I may have to hand add all my stuff 9. No "snacking". Eat 3 meals + 1-3 small mini meals per day in order to limit meal portions to the volume recommended by your doctor and to reach your protein totals each day. A mini meal is an organized, orderly, planned event. Snacking is not. Snacking is hedonistic and reckless and it's possible to do a lot of damage with a single snack event. Since I'm 2 months post-op..this is usually covered although I am not yet this structured as I'm still having occasional issues at mealtime. My mini-meals are not yet planned, thought out events. Well, it's more like I know I will have a carbmaster yogurt in between my breakfast premier protein shake and my next 'meal' which is always an intake of real protein (i.e. meat that I can tolerate and is not a fatty meat). I also will parse out 7 almonds, etc. I think where I'm at is more like 'practicing for where I need to be'? I DID find myself recently..and it is always late at night as often don't eat my 1st meal of the day until almost 11 AM...going to get sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles but I was NOT hungry. It is old habits trying to creep back in. Was really upset that I started to 'go there'..this is a very slippery slope for me! 10. Aim to get 2-3oz of protein per meal (lean dense protein, no casseroles, no deeply satisfying gooey cheesy high reward meals. Keep is simple: grilled chicken, sauteed chicken, poached or sauteed fish, etc. No meat lube or stuff that adds to the pleasure of the food experience. My protein meals are much like what you said. Haven't had a casserole yet...wait, I did. It was shredded chicken I made in crockpot with chicken broth,fat free cream cheese and salsa..but no cheese involved. It is one of the few ways I can get 'moist' chicken. The macros do fit into my keto version including keeping the fat down more than most keto plans.

Welcome, Chelle. I will first say that I did feel pretty good before surgery, although my labwork suggested otherwise. I had been obese for so long that I guess I didn't know better. Once I lost all the weight, I realized how "good" really feels! In answer to your questions: Taking meds: I did have to crush them for a couple of months and it is disgusting. Unfortunately, that's part of the process. I found that the quickest and easiest way was to simply put the powder on my tongue and wash it down with water. (I tried them in liquid, in yogurt, etc.--even worse.). After trying various multivitamins, I found that "soft chews" worked best for me. Even the so-called "chewables" in hard form made me gag. Water: It is indeed very difficult to get the full amount of water at the beginning, but it gets better over time. Bear in mind that protein shakes can count as part of the liquid requirement. Just do the best you can. I had a bottle of water with me all day long and took sips as often as I could. Liquid and puree stages: Yep, they are boring. I found, however, that I had no appetite whatsoever and had to force myself to get enough protein every day, so I didn't really care what things tasted like. If you mean "bland" as in not spicy, that is probably best in the beginning. I ate lots of non-fat Greek yogurt at the beginning, and I got really sick of protein shakes. Again, it's all part of the process and you will get through it. I've never heard of anyone having to "start over" after eating the wrong things during the puree stage. Some people talk about a "pouch re-set" when they stop losing weight, but that's more psychological than an actual physical issue. Good luck! I promise that you will look back in six months and wonder why you hadn't done this sooner!

Argh, I just added my info from yesterday and somehow lost it. Sometimes this UI baffles me! Anyway.... So, yesterday was tough. I was soooore from my Sunday workout, and having cravings like crazy. But, here was my back to basics plan: 1 egg + coffee & milk & equal for Breakfast 1 egg + yogurt for lunch string cheese for snack roast chicken + string Beans & shallots for dinner. I need to get in more Protein and water!!

Hi all, I missed posting yesterday, but I'm on track! July 29, Friday:Weighed in this morning at 186.3!! Breakfast: Yogurt smoothie (3/4 C. Fage 0 Plain Yogurt, 1/8 C. OJ, 1/4 C. Water, 2 strawberries, Splenda): 15 grams Protein, 115 calories Lunch: 1.5 oz. chicken, chopped with 1 T. lite mayo and 1 T. honey mustard, 1/2 C melon: 10 grams protein, 140 calories Planned Dinner: 2 oz. meat, 1/4 c. vegetables : 14 grams protein, 165 calories Planned Snack: 1 scoop French vanilla Gold Standard whey Protein, 1/2 C. Starbucks Via Decaf Italian Roast, 1/2 C. plain soy milk: 27 grams protein, 155 calories Planned Protein, 66 grams, Planned Calories: 575, Water: On cup 4. Need to step it up a bit. Vitamins: I forgot my Calcium at lunchtime today. Exercise: My trainer was sick today so I need to work out one day this weekend. I am planning to clean the garage and count that as a workout! July 28, Thursday:Went to the outdoor movies last night. I followed my plan to take my dinner for a snack but I didn't have my evening Protein Drink until I got home around 11 p.m. I didn't want it but I drank it anyway to get to my protein goal. I did pretty good staying on plan but I had one bite of an apple fritter that hubby was eating and 1/2 cup microwave popcorn. So calories for Wednesday were 663.Breakfast: Yogurt Smoothie (3/4 C. Fage 0 Plain Yogurt, 1/8 C. OJ, 1/4 C. water, 2 strawberries, Splenda): 15 grams protein, 115 calories Lunch: 1 oz. low fat salami, 1 oz. low fat string cheese, 3 grape tomatoes: 15 grams protein, 140 calories Dinner: 1.5 oz. taco meat (carne asada and al pastor) : 10 grams protein, 110 calories Snack: 1 scoop French Vanilla Gold Standard Whey Protein, 1/2 C. Starbucks Via Decaf Italian Roast, 1/2 C. plain soy milk: 27 grams protein, 155 calories Protein, 67 grams, Calories: 520, Water: 64 oz. Vitamins: Took my calcium at lunchtime today. Just because I don't want to doesn't mean I can't do it! Took an Iron pill before bed.Exercise: 45 minutes fast walk with walking group this morning.

Hi all, Well we went to casino yesterday and I had bad stuff for dinner and couldn't face drinking my Protein drink after I got home at midnight.On Friday I missed my protein drink and nighttime Vitamins because I was super tired and fell asleep at 8 p.m. so actual calories and protein for Friday were 43 grams protein and 445 calories. I feel pretty drug out today, but I am on track with food and vitamins and catching up on the Water. July 31, Sunday: Breakfast: Yogurt Smoothie (3/4 C. Fage 0 Plain Yogurt, 1/8 C. OJ, 1/4 C. water, 2 strawberries, Splenda): 15 grams protein, 115 calories Lunch: 1 oz. lunch meat, 1 oz. baby bel lite cheese, 1/4 avocado, 5 whole wheat crackers 11 grams protein, 185 calories Planned Dinner: 2 oz. steelhead trout, 1/4 cup mixed veg.: 14 grams protein, 125 calories Planned Snack: 1 scoop French Vanilla Gold Standard Whey Protein, 1/2 C. Starbucks Via Decaf Italian Roast, 1/2 C. plain soy milk: 27 grams protein, 155 calories Planned Protein, 67 grams, Planned Calories: 585, Water: Need to step it up- only downed 3 so far. Vitamins: Took my lunchtime calcium today! Exercise: Planning to do 1/2 hour taped sit and be fit after lunch today. July 30, Saturday: Breakfast: Yogurt Smoothie (3/4 C. Fage 0 Plain Yogurt, 1/8 C. OJ, 1/4 C. water, 2 strawberries, Splenda): 15 grams protein, 115 caloriesLunch: 2 oz. lunch meat 10 grams protein, 50 calories Dinner: 1/2 oz. chicken wing meat,cheese and sour cream from potato skin, 1/2 fried zuchini stick, 1/2 onion ring inside and 2 bites fried outside, inside of a pork pot sticker: 5 grams protein, 200 calories (guestimate) Snack: Decaf Soy Latte, saltine cracker, 1 t. peanut butter:7 grams protein, 150 calories Protein, 37 grams, Calories: 515, Water: Got it all in. Vitamins: Missed lunchtime calcium Exercise: None today unless you count walking around the casino for 5 hours :-)

Hello everyone, I was banded on August 31st. The incisions never hurt but the shoulder has been real sore! I did all to do for the gas, got it out, now I am thinking it is just that nerve. But, each day it does get better, but oh wow, it hurt. No sick at my stomach at all which is good. I am now on a protein shake for breakfast, soup and yogurt for lunch and the same for dinner. It is going fine. Pre-op appointment is this Friday. Take care everyone and congrats!

:thumbup: Day 9 post op Glad to hear you are getting about. Ii'm having difficulty with the walking and need to go earlier in the day. Today was upper 90's and way too hot. I had a scare yesterday. For some reason I felt ravenous yesterday night (around 11:30pm) and lightheaded and dizzy. So I had some yogurt and a protein drink. Today I feel much better. I have been able to keep down pureed soups, without straining them, but as you said, eating very slowy. I think I may have not been getting enough to eat. I wasn't told to count calories, only protein and carbs. But will count some today and see where I stand. I am so envious you can sleep in your bed. I can only manage about two hours still, then back to the recliner again. I had a dream of putting a Lean Cuisine Spaghetti tv dinner in the blender.:wub: I'm trying to figure out how to take a movie of the kitties snoring, if so will send it to ya. Thanks for your inspiration.

I noticed that my tastes changed with yogurt. I use to love love love me some yogurt. When I had to eat it on my full liquid stage, I HATED the taste of most of them! I was so upset! I haven't been able to eat much to see what else I don't like, less than a month out, I willl have to see what the future holds! Kelly

Not a problem at all! I'm glad you got some sleep. I haven't slept well in days either. Not good for either of us It seems everyone's preop diet is slightly different. Mine consists of 6 glucerna (I begged to use Atkins instead), 2 no fat or low fat yogurts with sugar substitute, 2 8oz servings of 100%juice, and all of the sf no calorie drinks i want up to the day before surgery. The day before surgery is nothing but clears. I am so allowed sf Jello during my preop.

Egg drop soup was my favorite and filled me up. I also ate thin gravy, yogurt, fruit juices, bouillon cubes. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I got this list out of Dr. Ortiz's book LAP BAND FOR LIFE. :hungry: Cereals-grains like beans, lentils or whole wheat bread or oats Vegetables-carrots, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, mushroom, onions, tomatos, squash Fresh Fruit-He suggest one piece at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Apple, blueberry, grapefruit, kiwi, orange, plums, mango meat, poutry, fish-the size a deck of cards, light meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, legumes, egg whites. Milk, cheese, yogurt-2 servings a day. non fat or 1% milk, low fat cottage cheese, nonfat yogurt Fat-3 servings. avocado, almonds, a little olive oil. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, low cal drinks such as Crystal Light. Buy a pedometer and log at least 10,000 steps. Audree

I hope I am full too like you were on the fish when my solids come. I didn't feel any restriction today, like I was. I kept my portions the same and ate the same amount, except I added an extra yogurt and a couple bites of hummus. Even if I don't have restriction anymore, I want to keep my calories at 1200 like I did today. I will be excited to begin South Beach because it always has curbed my appetite. We will get there together!!!

I was also banded by Dr. Ortiz and had a great experience. I go for my first fill on Wednesday. Some things I added were V8, drinkable yogurt, creamy split pea soup, tortilla soup ( bought a bad at the market and added water, purreed), and purreed chili with a can of V8. The 3 weeks go by fast!

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=600 align=center bgColor=#ffffff><TBODY><TR bgColor=#b2e7f4><TD vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#b2e7f4><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: #000000; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-FAMILY: Palatino Linotype, Georgia, Times New Roman" vAlign=top>Frozen chocolate Cheesecake Bites! (2 Bites: 40 calories, 0g fat, 100mg sodium, 6.5g carbs, 0g Fiber, 1g sugars, 2g Protein = 1 Point!) Meet our new favorite use for ice cube trays. Ingredients: 3/4 cup Cool Whip Free 5 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese; softened 1 tbsp. SPLENDA, Granular 10 tsp. HERSHEY'S sugar free Syrup Directions: Using a fork, vigorously mix Cool Whip, cream cheese and Splenda until smooth and well blended. Evenly distribute mixture into 10 sections of an ice cube tray. Tap tray firmly on the counter a few times to get mixture to settle flat. Next, top each with a teaspoon of chocolate syrup. Tap tray again to settle. Place tray in freezer until Bites are solid -- at least 2 hours. Once frozen, Cheesecake Bites should pop out easily (if not, run the bottom of the tray under the faucet for a few seconds to loosen them). Makes 10 Bites! </TD><TD width=20></TD></TR><TR bgColor=#b2e7f4><TD colSpan=5 height=10></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=5 height=20></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR bgColor=#b2e7f4><TD vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=2></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> 2. Prepackaged crab cakes (love crab cakes. They give me my protein, they are easy to eat even on tight days and there are endless recipes or pre-packaged ones available. Also salmon in any form. Can find them at Trader Joes or Henry's) 3. Tilapia fish with homemade tartar sausce out of yogurt and relish 4. Chili Beans from Wendy's 5. The bean and cheese burrito from Taco Bell with out the tortilla Tex-Mex Cheesy chicken Chowder Ingredients: 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup thinly sliced celery 2 cloves minced garlic 1 tbsp oil 2 cups milk 1, 16 ounce jar chunky salsa 1, 8 ounce package Velveeta 1, 4.5 ounce can diced chiles <DIR><DIR><DIR><DIR>1 ½ skinless, boneless chicken (bite-sized) 2, 14 ounce cans chicken broth 1, 32 ounce package frozen Ore-Ida diced potatoes 1, 2.64 ounce package country gravy mix </DIR></DIR>corn chips (optional) </DIR></DIR>In 6 qt Dutch oven, cook and stir onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken, then cook until chicken is no longer raw. Then, add broth and diced potatoes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for approximately 12-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender (stirring occasionally) In separate pan, dissolve gravy mix in milk (until it’s gravy lol), and then add this gravy/milk mixture into the above pan of ingredients. Then, stir in cheese, salsa, and chiles, and then reduce heat to low. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. This can be served over cornchips, but without it’s great too! Nutritional Info: (Based on a 1 cup serving, and this recipe above will make about 16) 303 calories 15 g fat 35 mg cholesterol 857 mg sodium 26 g carbs 2 g fiber 16 g protein *** find a low-sodium chicken broth, skim milk, lower fat ingredients, etc..) Obviously you can choose the kick of the salsa and chiles. Also, I like to use the canned chicken (usually a white/dark meat combination), because for me it goes down easier. :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: Almost Veggie Chili <HR><TABLE height=233 width="73%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width="66%">Ingredients</TD><TD width="9%">Calories</TD><TD width="6%">Fat(g)</TD><TD width="9%">Carbs (g)</TD><TD width="10%">Protein (g)</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">3/4 pound ground turkey</TD><TD width="9%">582</TD><TD width="6%">32</TD><TD width="9%">0</TD><TD width="10%">66</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">1c diced onions</TD><TD width="9%">53</TD><TD width="6%">0</TD><TD width="9%">17</TD><TD width="10%">0</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">1 can of diced green chilis</TD><TD width="9%">10</TD><TD width="6%">0</TD><TD width="9%">2</TD><TD width="10%">0</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">4-6 cloves of minced garlic (I buy the processed kind because it's easy) </TD><TD width="9%">18</TD><TD width="6%">0</TD><TD width="9%">4</TD><TD width="10%">0</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">2 cans of drained pinto, kidney, black or garbanzo beans (your choice -- mix it up!)*</TD><TD width="9%">414</TD><TD width="6%">1</TD><TD width="9%">76</TD><TD width="10%">26</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">1 can of diced, stewed tomatoes (buy the Mexican style, if available) </TD><TD width="9%">71</TD><TD width="6%">0</TD><TD width="9%">17</TD><TD width="10%">2</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">1 small can of tomato paste</TD><TD width="9%">139</TD><TD width="6%">1</TD><TD width="9%">33</TD><TD width="10%">6</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">1c diced carrots</TD><TD width="9%">53</TD><TD width="6%">0</TD><TD width="9%">13</TD><TD width="10%">2.6</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">1c various veggies -- zuchinni, corn, bell peper-- whatever </TD><TD width="9%">28</TD><TD width="6%">0</TD><TD width="9%">8</TD><TD width="10%">1.5</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">chili powder, cayene pepper, cumin, black pepper to taste 1/2-1 teaspoon ea</TD><TD width="9%">x</TD><TD width="6%">x</TD><TD width="9%">x</TD><TD width="10%">x</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">1-2c of chicken stock</TD><TD width="9%">38</TD><TD width="6%">1</TD><TD width="9%">1</TD><TD width="10%">5</TD></TR><TR><TD width="66%">Total servings: appx 13 -- Breakdown per serving</TD><TD width="9%">108</TD><TD width="6%">2.5</TD><TD width="9%">13</TD><TD width="10%">8.3</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Brown first 4 ingredients in a large soup pot with a small tad of vegetable oil or cooking spray. Add rest of ingreients to pot, with just enough stock or Water to cover contents. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Serve with melted cheese and fresh onions on top. Variations: Vegetarian: Replace turkey with texturized vegetable protein or tofu, and chicken stock with vegetable stock. Usually veggies have their favorite meat replacement. Or skip the replacement and add another can of beans or more vegetables. Also be sure to add a tablespoon of either Peanut Butter or miso soup concentrate to the mix. You won't taste it, except that it thickens the soup and gives it a good mouthfeel. This was the secret ingredient to my Vegan Chili which I lived off of for the 2 years I was a vegetarian. Meat-Lovers: Replace turkey with beef; add 2 strips of bacon to the chili for flavor. If you want more meat, subtract a can of beans and replace with meat. Others: You don't need to follow this ingredient list exactly. My cafeteria often puts in leftover chicken breast, in tiny chunks, instead of ground turkey. If you have some old brocolli or green beans, they can do well here as well. Chili is like a casserole -- supurb left-over management.

This is an email from the lady I told you that lost 130 pounds in a year. I asked her to email how she did it!!!!! It is awesome!!!!! Anyways,you CAN be at goal in 6 months,believe me and you have exactly what it takes..............................determination and discipline. That is going to get you where you want to be.I know you noticed right away how all these women have lost only 40 to 50 pounds in a year or even longer.I was right where you are a few months ago and I said to myself,that is NOT going to be me! I spent alot of money for this band and I am determined to make it work for me,no matter what!I was banded on Feb 20th and by October I had lost 115 pounds and than no longer had fat to lose but had alot of hanging skin,that's when I had my tummy tuck done. Like I told you at the meeting.I ate (eat) only once a day,sometimes twice depending if my family invites us to go out to dinner but I count all calories and try to pick things that are really low in calories. Most of the times I am way under what "they " require but hey,like I said to myself, I'll do what ever it takes.Like you,yes I was tired when I didn't eat enough,so I started to make sure when I did eat it was meat .In the very begining I would usually have a weight smart frozen pot roast with veges meal for lunch and I still wouldn't get full so I would have a large salad on the side or some days I would have a large chicken breast on a salad. My favorite and most eaten meal was a carne asada taco salad from a real mexican restaurant,I just don't eat the shell! I would eat this "lunch" as late as I could hold off,usually around 3pm because I never ate breakfast.Then usually after eating that much food,( I really stuff myself with this meal) my hunger would stay away until really late at night,that's when I would have a yogurt or one of those 100 calorie snacks.When I am hungry before lunch or even after I keep drinking coffee,it keeps my hunger away bug time.I was never a coffee drinker until recently.Most importantly,I walk everyday about 2-3 hours after I eat my lunch and walk 2 miles,then when the weight started to come off,I found walking to become easier and I started to run a little between walking. The weight did stall sometimes and I would have to eat more for a few days,then I would notice the weight loss again. You are so lucky,you did this with your BMI being so low,you have so much less to lose than the rest of us.You're going to be beautiful by summer time!

I am 3.5 weeks out from my surgery and feeling pretty good. I've started exercising again and had a meeting with my nut last Friday. She told me I should be eating around 800-900 calories right now and not be hungry. I'm not sure if she forgot/didn't know that I have absolutely no fill..... I am hungry! I ate 1 scrambled egg and 1/2 cup of high protein Greek yogurt for breakfast and I didn't even feel full afterwards. I won't get my first fill until August 1st (I'm going to call tomorrow and ask if I can come in sooner). I am officially in bandster hell. I'm keeping my calories around 1100 (what my nut said was my upper limit) and I'm exercising daily (walking for 45 minutes fast or spinning or elliptical) but I'm hungry and cranky all the time. How did you all get through bandster hell? I just need some tips to get me through until I can get a fill! Sooo hunnngggrryy

I followed Dr. Aceves post op diet to the letter. Since he did your revision, I sincerely doubt you need to worry about a leak. He has never had one, so I can't see any reason why you would be his first. On my 10 days of full liquid, I had egg drop Soup from the Chinese restaurant. I had a lot of different Protein shakes and tomato soup with cottage cheese blended in a blender so that it was smooth and creamy. I also had yogurt. On my 10 days of soft foods, I ate a lot of chicken salad, tuna salad and egg salad. I choose whatever foods were on the list I was given. When I moved to solids, I decided I didn't like the feeling so I stayed on mushies longer and tried a couple bites of solids per day. It was not easy in the beginning. I got full from 2-4 bites of food. One time I ate some fish and thought I was going to explode. I needed to learn to stop eating before I felt full. I was much more full 20 min after I was done eating than I was at the table. I bought those little cans of already made chicken salad. I looked at my portion on my plate and imagined if it would fit in that can. If it was more than that, I knew I would be sorry later. I am much better now at knowing when to stop. I can eat anything I want and I just know by looking at it when to stop. It's hard to get a full signal Feel free to ask anything you need to. We are all happy to help!

Surgery 719...Yea, I was very surprised that we don't get any restriction till after post op appt. and swelling goes down. I do feel like I can eat more than the 1/2 cup, but try to stop at that point. So afraid I will gain weight. My post surgery full liquids diet says to eat 5 small meals a day. So I would have some lite yogurt or lite yogurt smoothies around to help thru the hunger. Or maybe some sugar free jello so you aren't' getting to many calories. Good luck Rita

Hi. I got lucky and my surgeon/NUT had me on pureed 2 days after surgery. The 1st in the hospital was oatmeal, and then some formed pureed chicken, peas and mashed taters for lunch. taters were good, mixed em in with the chicken, left the peas alone. I have been eating oatmeal for fiber (helps to regulate the output, lol) -- with some Prot Pwdr mixed in, yogurt, pureed soups (with extra PP mixed in), shakes (but not too many luckily), refried beans with melted cheese, scrambled eggs with melted cheese, and very mushy/pureed chicken, egg and salmon salad. I also pureed some LF Turkey chili... Have also had 'fun' making 'super puddings'... Sugar free pudding with Prot pwdr, milk and and add in if I can think of one. Best one yet-- jello SF choc fudge pudding, unjury choc splendor powder ---chocolatey goodness....and then swirl in a Tbsp of peanut butter when I eat it for an extra 7-8 g of protein. I am not hungry, getting in about 60-70g a day... more like watching the clock and eating on cue. I get the mouth hunger though....haven't been tempted - tempted enough to cheat, but this AM I was thinking "I really would love something crunchy...." and "I want bread"... funny, a friend of mine had this 7 yrs ago...told me she had the mouth hunger/craving for crunchy....shoved a whole handful of doritos in her mounth, chewed it up, then spit them out, just to relieve it. LMAO. I am not there....yet. On another note, I found a company that makes comfort food type stuff, lo fat, lo sugar... out of dried ingredients, so when it arrives, it is in powder form. you add hot or cold water, and they 'say' that it smells and tastes like the 'real food'....even tho it looks like pudding. I ordered a few things, so will let you know.... I ordered the higher protein 'entrees'....like mac& cheese, fiesta tacos, bbq with cornbread. I am both scared and excited to see how these are. LOL. Company is "Pure-a". I have my 2 week check up with surgeon tomorrow .... and 2 more weeks left on pureeds. I think I can make it. :-) HW (Jan 2013) 231 SW (9/23/2013) 222 CW (10/6) 211 I am 5'1". :-) so far, so good.

Hi all, This group is pretty buried within the forums, so I can see how I missed it until now (and I can also see why it's pretty inactive). I would have really liked to read a story like mine from someone else while I was researching the sleeve surgery. So, here's my story and I hope it helps someone. I would love to hear from anyone and try to pump some life into this forum! I'm a newbie, just 12 days post-op, so I am still learning everyday and ask the veterans dumb questions all the time. But I still think my experience just coming to terms with knowing the sleeve was for me might help another low BMIer in a similar situation. I'm 31 years old, 5'6" and started at 180lbs (29 BMI). I had a lot of backlash from friends and family when I made my mind up to go forward with this, but ultimately everyone ended up being supportive after they realized there was no talking me out of it and the surgery was done. For low BMIers wondering if the sleeve is too drastic for them, I'll tell you it's a personal choice and a lifelong commitment. That being said, I was a major yo-yo dieter. I binged on food for weeks, gain 35 pounds, then went vegan cold turkey (cold tofu? Lol). Lost 30lbs. Then went on a binge, gained 40lbs, then did Atkins (extreme difference from vegan), lost 35lbs. I've been repeating this cycle of bingeing then dieting (insert any fad diet here: HCG diet, Orange Theory obsession, phentermine, personal trainer 3x, vegetarian, back to Atkins, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers...) since I was 12 years old. Anyway, the highs got higher and I never made it back to my pre-binge numbers. I got exhausted from dieting. Frustrated with myself and my lack of impulse control. I looked into WLS. My mom is the same as I am, just add another 100lbs. I went with her to a weight loss seminar and learned about the sleeve. I was ready to sign up then and there; finally, I found something that could be a real tool to help me maintain a healthy weight for life - you can't binge if you can only eat a half a cup of food at a time! Unfortunately, the US healthcare system wanted me to be a 35 BMI to get the surgery. And, if I wanted to waste a couple years of my life, I guarantee I would've made it there, and I would have brought along my new friends diabetes, high BP, and joint pain. Instead, I researched getting the sleeve in Mexico where I could pay a fraction of the cost of surgery in the US, and they were willing to do the surgery within 2 weeks of my filling out paperwork and a deposit for just about anyone BMI 28 or higher. I went w/ Dr. Ortiz at OCC. I was THRILLED with the entire experience. When I arrived in Mexico I began having doubts, but the staff and the other patients put me at ease. There were several very low BMI patients with my same issues. An interesting fact the surgeon told me is that once you gain 30 pounds the likelihood of you losing the weight and keeping it off without surgery is 10%. I already knew I didn't fall into that 10%. So I did it on 7/22/16. After my pre-op diet (which was absolutely the hardest part of this entire process!), I weighed 173 pounds on date of surgery. I'm 12 days out and weigh 163lbs now. I really think that being low BMI and healthy were 2 major reasons I had such an easy surgery. Aside from a little nausea caused by the anesthesia (I never threw up, just felt icky for about an hour) and getting the gas out, I had no complications. My incisions are all tiny. I have no pain in my abdomen. I'm a stomach sleeper and can sleep on my stomach. I was only on pain meds a couple days past surgery (and I just took what I was told, not sure I even had any pain ever). Getting 64oz of liquid in the first 2 days didn't happen for me, but as soon as I could introduce the Protein Shakes, this process became totally workable. I'm currently drinking 3 Premier Protein drinks p/day and get 90g of Protein per day. I drink 48oz of regular Water and 16oz of Vitamin water. I enjoy tomato Soup with almond milk and yogurt drinks (the yogurt adds another 12g of protein, bringing my count up to 102g) as my Snacks. I mix my Vitamins with the soup and the yogurt, because I'm not supposed to take them as pills yet. The biggest issues for me are mental. At this point, I haven't had solid food yet, so I just miss eating. I get to start my pureed phase on 8/5, so I'll let you know how it goes. I'm very excited for cottage cheese, poached eggs and the ricotta bake! My dr's goal for me is 150lbs, because that puts me in the healthy BMI range, but my goal is 130lbs. Here's my before shot, I'm going to update it on the 22nd of each month: Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Wow Im so happy I found this forum and topic!! Im a 30 BMI 5’ 3 170 and have dieted since I was 12. A few years ago I reached my highest weight ever of 229 but that was pregnant. my skin has been stretched out terrible. I lost 70lbs after losing the baby weight of 29lbs. So I got down to 130. But of course Im back up again. My pre diabetes keeps coming and going depending on my current weight. I honestly can’t handle it anymore. I eat 80 percent paleo not sugar or breads. No soda. I mean CLEAN!! But the scale keeps creeping up. I can’t work out like I use to do some health issues and joint pain. I don’t dare tell anyone because of the shame I feel about getting this done. I wanted to be a health coach and now Im having surgery. Its hard to explain. No one knows but my husband. So I have you guys to talk too. Im headed to Mexico next month to have surgery with Dr. Ponce at INT. Any advice on pre op and post op would be most appreciated. Im afraid of getting hypoglycemia after surgery. Also will I be able to work out hard like running and stay hydrated down the road? Im worried about throwing up and having acid reflex the rest of my life and regretting my decision. My doctor wants me to do 3 days before surgery of just yogurt and water. Is that really necessary? Also 10 days liquids. That freaks me out!!

Really??? LOL I actually think it's pretty darn different. The standard advice is to eat your protein (and the word "protein" in that context almost always means meat or dairy) first and then if you can fit in other healthy foods, do it. (As you mentioned in your post, fitting in 1-2 oz of broccoli around your protein, maybe, if you have room.) In contrast to this Dr. Weiner strongly emphasizes eating vegetables first and fitting in protein around that. He also recommends plant foods - veggies and legumes and fruit and raw nuts - ahead of meat and dairy and has fairly low protein requirements - about 50g compared to many bariatric plans encouraging 80-100g. (Of course he isn't vegan by any stretch and I've seen him recommend yogurt smoothies and small amounts of animal protein, etc. He even said in one video that he doesn't think that a fully plant-based diet is "necessary for the general population." So yeah, while we're claiming him he's not necessarily "ours," know what I mean? Just a good resource!) While Dr. Weiner's diet is "low carb" compared to our pre-op sugary diets, it's certainly not low carb in the bariatric sense. You can't eat many fruits and certainly not any beans and whole grains and still remain under 30-50g carbs. It's also low-fat. Difficult to be low-fat and low-carb at the same time! He also promotes eating in abundance instead of focusing on calories, a huge difference from most bariatric plans. You just need to eat your abundance from healthy plant foods (Obviously you still end up eating fewer calories because you're eating high-volume, low-calorie foods but it's the mindset that helps make a difference!) So on a spectrum with keto/Atkins on the left and veganism on the right I'd say he's definitely well across the center line to the right, while most bariatric plans are basically keto except with low-fat dairy and some wiggle room for beans. Sorry for the long post, Fluff - I am fully carbed again, having eaten an abundance of fruit, oats, and rice in the last couple of days that I've been free from my liquid diet. So I'm all peppy and ready to argue again!!! Heehee!

I’m one week post op. (June 4). I’m sipping flavored water alternating with protein drink all day. I have small amts yogurt, SF jello and SF popsicles. I know I’m not getting enough protein and hydration. I’m having no nausea and tolerating everything well and have lost about 6 pounds since date of surgery. BUT I’M HUNGRY??!! I thought the sleeve would kick out my hunger - when does it start?!!