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Ice cream should be on your no-no list for a long time. It's too easy to take in too many calories. You can keep some containers of Greek yogurt in the freezer. It's harder to over eat on it, but you still get the ice cream-like texture.

Not at all. Immediately post-op (after discharge, so day 3) I was allowed up to two ounces of any soft protein (cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, yogurt, refried Beans with cheese, etc) three times per day, plus Protein Shakes. It was tiny portions, and I generally could only eat about half. I would set a timer for one minute between bites and chew chew chew! I was also supposed to eat whatever I comfortably could out of the two oz portion within 30 minutes, then stop. My stages progressed from there, but as you can see, to liquids, no purees, etc. It's interesting for me to hear stories about people who "cheat" and jump stages, saying, "I ate refried beans while on Clear Liquids, and it made me so sick!" I think the reason I never got sick or felt uncomfortable is because I didn't have a huge period of time post op with no real food. It's a different approach than most surgeons take, but it worked for me!

I've been drinking the premier protein drinks and adding coffee to them. Of course, that won't help you if you dislike coffee. For me it's amazing. I think we may have a different pre-op diets because I'm only on protein drinks and clear liquids - no yogurts, etc. I just bought chicken broth from Costco and add seasoning to it, and it's a really nice change from eating all the sweet things like jello and Popsicles. The coffee really cuts the sweetness of the protein drinks too.

Hello. I'm on day 7 of the liquid pre-op diet. When I heard that I was allowed certain greek yogurts on the diet, I wasn't too concerned with it. But I'm mainly doing yogurt and shakes. I'm already feeling so bored with them and I know I have a long ways to go, as I have to do this for 2 weeks post op too. Then the pureed diet will probably include a lot of those foods too. Last night I tried ProtiDiet chicken Flavor Protein Soup. It was good. It was different. I probably wouldn't have liked it had I been eating my usual way, but since I hadn't had anything like it in days, it was rather satisfying. What I would have given for a few noodles to chew though! I was looking at other protein Soups online. So many have bad reviews. They are also so expensive. Paying $13-20 for (7) packages (makes 6-8oz) is crazy. I know people say you can put your plain Protein powder in soups/broths, but then others say the protein sometimes doesn't dissolve right in the heat. I was wondering if you could take a tomato soup and add protein powder? Does it make it gross? Are there some powders that work better than others? I'd like it to dissolve, not get a weird gel texture, and also not add a weird flavor. Is that possible? Any other suggestions for variety on the this stage? I know they say sugar free jellos, puddings and popsicles too. I have to watch the artificial sweeteners though. Has anyone taken Isopure and made it into popsicles? I was wondering if that'd work? I'm sure these questions have been asked before, but when I search, it's hard to find answers. Thanks for your help.

I am not an expert. I haven't had surgery yet, but I've been pursing and researching WLS since last November. I've been seeing the surgeon since January for my insurance required 6 month diet. My surgery is next week. I know it is hard searching through the topics trying to find answers to your specific questions and it feels like a big step to make a post, so I'll try to answer what I can. In my area (Upstate NY) I actually hear WLS advertised on the radio. A few different hospitals advertise their weight loss options and they have a free seminar you can go to. I ended up doing my seminar online. So you might want to contact your area hospital and ask if they have or know of any free seminars in the area on WLS options. Or if they can refer you to a bariatric surgeon. Many general surgeons can do the surgery, however I think it's nice to go to a practice where that is their specialty. The doctor I chose has a big practice catering just to that. It is listed in their hospital's online directory under "weight loss." I would make my first step be finding one of these centers or surgeons who specialize in WLS and then making the initial consult. They discuss SO much in that appointment and can answer so many questions. Having worked much for surgeons in the past, I don't think you'll get many options in picking the time of day of your surgery. You can request a morning surgery, but that usually doesn't mean you're guaranteed that. I think in an ideal world, being the second surgery of the day would be perfect though. They are warmed up and awake, but not exhausted. I can't speak from experience about the loose skin. I do know genetics and age have a lot to do with it. I've lost a lot of weight on diets in the past and my skin caught up each time. It was slower weight loss, so the skin shrunk along with me. I know that with WLS, it's the rapid weight loss that makes the skin appear extra saggy at times. Then it will shrink some more with time. Will it shrink totally back to tight skin? Everyone is different. If you're young, with good genetics and hydrate well, maybe it will. I think it's likely you'll have some areas you don't like though. With my weight loss in the past, my stomach always kept it's saggy pouch, even though it did get smaller and wasn't noticeable under clothes. As for diet, my surgeon is requiring a 2 week pre-op liquid "stage 2" diet and then I will do this same diet for two weeks post op. I'm on day 7 of it right now. You focus on high protein liquid. I'm supposed to be trying to get at least 80 grams of protein per day. I am not supposed to be having any sugars either. I can have skim or whole milk, black tea or coffee (but need to switch to decaf a couple days before surgery too), sugar free puddings, sugar free jellos, Protein Shakes, high protein/low fat/no or low sugar yogurts, protein soups/broths (without chunks). It kind of sucks. I am doing mainly yogurt and protein shakes through the day. 2 weeks after surgery, I'll be evaluated and switched to pureed foods. You still aim for the protein, but can eat pureed things in the mix. And then I believe it is 1 month post op, I switch to soft foods. This is a pretty typical WLS diet around surgery time, but surgeons are varying it now. Some don't require the 2 weeks pre-op. They say they do those 2 weeks to shrink the liver so that the surgeon has better access to the stomach, which makes sense. Some keep you on clear liquids for a few days after surgery. It can vary a bit, but this is my protocol. I'm not sure there is a best season. I want to be free of this weight NOW. So, NOW is the best season for me. LOL. Good luck on your journey. I think once you can get in for a consult or go to one of the free seminars that a lot of places offer, you'll get a lot of questions answered.

It's hard. I'm six days out myself. The Protein drinks aren't pleasant. Try them over ice (makes it easier for me). It takes me close to two hours to do a Protein Drink. I can eat about two ounces right now. I stop as soon as I feel discomfort or start burping. I'm already sick of sweet, so I concentrate on savory flavors for my food. I've had broth from Thai Tom Yum Kha Soup, cream of wheat with Greek yogurt and some dill and seasoned salt (tastes like tzatziki sauce), and some other cream-based soup. This is all on the "full liquids" part of my diet. I don't move on to purée for another week. My advice is to take tiny bites (1/4 tsp), just dip the tip of your spoon in and eat that. It helps to slow you down. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

2 weeks for me 4 shakes a day . With the unlimited broth Popsicles sf jell pudding. But I can have 8 oz skim milk and a Greek yogurt daily . Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Started my pre-op diet today. Failed somewhat miserably. Lol. Im really just like a fish outta Water here. My old surgeon had a whole plan where 2 weeks before you do two shakes a day then like a real food Protein dinner...only lean meat and veggies. My new surgeon has no plan of the sort he just said it'd be nice if I lost a few pounds before surgery. Im trying to follow my old surgeons plan cuz its more structured. Today I was ok with the one shake in the morning. Im still waiting on my other shakes so I had a Protein Bar and fruit for lunch. Dinner got a lily crazy because a lot was happening, I had chicken that I'd stuffed with spinach and feta but then I messed up by having noodles with it. Right now I feel like a failure, but I've also discovered that Im going to just stick to the shakes and broth packets fruit and yogurt cuz eating real food is just going to complicate things for me.

For those of you that are having trouble with Protein shakes. I too find them making me feel ill post surgery. I have been using GENEPRO by Musclegen Research for over a week now and it has been great. I put it in almost everything. One tablespoon is 30 grams. So it is easy to get between 60 and 90 grams in a day. I've put it in cottage cheese, yogurt, Soup, mashed potatoes, almost everything! No taste whatsoever!! Seriously it's been great. It was recommended buy my nutritionist. I'm thankful she did. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Let’s face it . . . sometimes your taste buds want something that crunches. Before surgery, we see a lot of chips and crackers listed snacks. These are in the carbohydrate food category and are limited after surgery. Happily, there are a couple of protein chips that are on the market. Kay’s Naturals Protein Chips come in single serving bags. Each single serve bag has 12 grams of protein from soy protein isolate. This is a good quality protein source. There are a total of 15 grams carbohydrate and 4 grams fiber. That makes the net carbs 11 grams. So, these chips have more protein than carbohydrate. Another protein chip is the Quest Protein chips. Each single serve bag has 21 grams of protein from milk and whey protein isolate. These are good quality protein sources. The Quest chips have a total of 5 grams carbohydrate per single serve bag. Both the Kay’s Naturals Protein Chips and Quest Protein chips come in a variety of flavors. Quest chips can be found at GNC and online. The Kay’s chips are available online. For those of us that adore chips and dips, these chips are great dipped in salsa or a Ranch style dip. To add more protein to your Ranch dip, you can mix plain Greek style yogurt (a 5.3 ounce cup), 1 tablespoon low fat mayonnaise and 1 or 2 teaspoons Ranch dip mix. Finally, we’ve got a way to have crunch with a punch of protein!

Kay’s Naturals Protein Chips come in single serving bags. Each single serve bag has 12 grams of protein from soy protein isolate. This is a good quality protein source. There are a total of 15 grams carbohydrate and 4 grams fiber. That makes the net carbs 11 grams. So, these chips have more protein than carbohydrate. Another protein chip is the Quest Protein chips. Each single serve bag has 21 grams of protein from milk and whey protein isolate. These are good quality protein sources. The Quest chips have a total of 5 grams carbohydrate per single serve bag. Both the Kay’s Naturals Protein Chips and Quest Protein chips come in a variety of flavors. Quest chips can be found at GNC and online. The Kay’s chips are available online. For those of us that adore chips and dips, these chips are great dipped in salsa or a Ranch style dip. To add more protein to your Ranch dip, you can mix plain Greek style yogurt (a 5.3 ounce cup), 1 tablespoon low fat mayonnaise and 1 or 2 teaspoons Ranch dip mix. Finally, we’ve got a way to have crunch with a punch of protein!

I'm 2weeks out and today I'm pretty nauseous :-( Did get one Protein drink in and a yogurt but I think I'm done for the day. I force the Water down because dehydration is no joke been there. Hoping it passes soon Sent from my SGH-T999L using the BariatricPal App

Eat a lot of lower fat proteins (turkey, tuna, Greek yogurt, etc) and non-starchy vegetables and drink tons of water.

Not all surgeons have as strict of stages. After hospital discharge I had no liquid stage. I was (on plan) eating yogurt and cottage cheese 3 days post op, scrambled eggs, ground beef, Beans, etc 4 or 5 days post op, and professed quickly from there to no restrictions on texture. I had no nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or any other complications. I'm down 111 pounds and approaching 11 months post op, and 9 pounds to goal. I don't share this to encourage anyone to not follow their surgeons plan- I absolutely believe everyone should follow their instructions as given. I just find it very interesting how varied post op plans are, from what I followed to 3 solid weeks of liquids immediately post op. Good luck to you in your journey!!

Are you on Clear Liquids or full liquids? I'm post-op and still on full-liquids. I really wanted savory today. You can do Soups (or broth). I had some Thai Tom Yum Kha Soup broth for my dinner. For Breakfast and lunch I made a concoction of cream of wheat, plain Greek yogurt, and a pinch of dill and seasoned salt. It reminded me of Tzatziki sauce, and hit the spot. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

A food that's usually doesn't have any nutritional value that "slides" easily through your sleeve allowing you to consume larger portions. Sometimes it's not an issue and helpful to get your Protein (yogurt, creamed soups) but other times when it's popcorn, chips, ice cream, etc - it's not a good thing.

I am a 46 year old female living in NC, and really need someone who has been through this process to help me through mine. I am a slow loser. HW 235 SW 219 CW 203. I have identified a few areas that needed some change--I was taking in too much sugar for about 2-3 weeks (hidden in my greek yogurt) and I felt pretty stupid for missing that. I desperately need to break out of this stall I have been dealing with for 3 weeks. I can't seem to get under 200 to save my soul...even after reducing the sugar--I read every label carefully these days!! I never thought it would be harder to lose after surgery. I really expected my weight loss to just be automatic as long as I followed my plan. Nothing could be further from the truth! I am trying to get more exercise, but I have fibromyalgia, so I have to be very careful or I can land myself in bed for three days. I think my body is just holding on for dear life; afraid I will starve so it won't let go of too much weight yet. Anyway, if we have anything in common, or if you think you might be able to help me, please get in touch. Thank you!

On Tuesday I will begin eating cream Soups and liquid yogurts drinkable yogurt and I'm needing some ideas as to what I'm able to eat besides cream of chicken cream of mushroom cream of celery Soup and my able to write blend vegetables together and eat them either. Can anybody give me some ideas as to what else I'm able to eat for the next 2 to 3 weeks 2 weeks on this second and third week thank you Sent from my SM-N900T using the BariatricPal App

Day 12 of my pre-op diet and I've lost 12 lbs. Can't complain about that. I'm actually doing pretty well on it since they allow plain oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and veggies, as well as replacing one of the four shakes with a few ounces of chicken or fish or some egg whites. I'm being creative with what my menu options are for these two weeks. I met with my surgeon on Friday to discuss the risks and what's to come after. I am amazingly calm and not nervous at all. My surgery is Tuesday morning, 7/19 at 8:45am. I'm trying not to think about pain and gas (and gas pain). I'm just looking forward to the newly shaped me that is on it's way! Best of luck to all the other 7/19-ers (as well as everyone else here).

Great progress! I've lostb18lbs total. Not too much pain, more uncomfortable than anything. I walk alot which really seems to help. My original bmi was 31. I'm still on somewhat liquids and yogurt consistency. Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

@@TracyBar It really is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me. I'm not swinging really high or really low, but I feel a little bit off. I'm not sleeping really well so I'm assuming that doesn't help, but I have no doubt the hormones are doing something! Stage 2 in our program is just broth, pureed, non-cream based Soups, yogurt and fluids. I would kill for a scrambled egg! When is your surgery?

My pre-op diets have been pretty straightforward: 4 whey Protein isolate shakes per day (I like Syntrex Nectars, 0 fat, 0 carb, 25 protein) made with Water or skim milk (skim changes the carb/prot count slightly... I actually use unsweetened vanilla almond milk which adds fewer calories than skim milk). I can also have 1+ cup of strained, low-fat cream soup like Healthy choice (I like the chicken and the celery) OR 1 Light and Fit greek yogurt. I can also have unlimited sugar free Jello and sf popsicles, and drink whatever non-carbonated, sugar-free, Clear liquids I like, including decaf coffee. There's pretty much no guess work here! DISCLAIMER... I AM NOT YOUR DOCTOR (but I do have a degree in nutritional biochemistry). FOLLOW THE DIET PLAN YOUR DOCTOR OR NUT GAVE YOU. However, since you asked, I honestly think your diet is way too high in carbs for it to be effective in burning glycogen from your liver (a.k.a. liver shrink). Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate, stored in many tissues but mostly the liver. When your diet is deficient in carbohydrate, your body converts that stored glycogen to glucose, the sugar that we need for energy and cell function, thereby shrinking your liver. All that fruit, bread, crackers, and potato in your diet is recognized by your body as glucose. Since you're getting adequate glucose from your diet, your body won't detect the need to convert the glycogen in your liver to glucose- you already have enough.

Beef chicken turkey or pork jerky, greek yogurt oikos triple zero, cheese stick, veggie sticks with hummus or almond/peanut butter, boiled egg, grilled veggies, etc.

I follow the soft foods meal plan (stage 3), but I get hungry. One to two ounces of turkey doesn't cut it, even if it's followed by 1/4 cup of yogurt. And the "slice" of pear? I had a whole nectarine and was not uncomfortable. I'm finding myself reaching for a Protein shake or low fat string cheese to tide me over between meals. I know I'm not supposed to snack. Anyone else have this problem? Also, I'm on my 7th day of a stall. I am exercising and drinking my Water and taking Vitamins.

Hi y'all, I'm about 3 weeks out from surgery and I'm starting mushy foods tomorrow, right in time for vacation. However, in the full liquid stage, I've had some trouble eating certain foods (yogurt, milk, some types of protein) because of nausea. This has caused me to not eat as much as I should be able to during my full liquid stage. I'm excited to be able to eat more "real" foods but I'm terrified of getting sick. In addition, I am very sensitive post surgery to flavor and aftertaste. I am already very tired all of the time and I'm worried that nausea and my picky taste buds will keep me from beginning to increase my calorie intake. Have any of you struggled with something similar? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App