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I saw (albeit in a nectar ad...) the suggestion to mix: Nectar Lemon Tea w/Crystal Light Peach Tea. Supposedly is delish..........but I haven't tried it. Is there some reason no-one is suggesting smoothies: frozen fruits, plain lo cal yogurt, unsweetened apple juice, whey powder -- run thru the blender for an icy drink. My big problem: makes too much.

How is it going? I got sleeved 6 days ago and I'm back at work and 8 pounds lighter! The hospital and doctors were great. Now, I'm trying to figure out what I can drink that tastes ok, not too sweet and will give me energy. I made popsicles with my protein powder and fruit and yogurt and put them in the freezer for this, but they taste gross. I've been trying all kinds of stuff. I'm going to try Slim Fast low carb in chocolate, I hear on the forums that it's a favorite.

When you pack your own Snacks to bring to parties and your friends houses, such snacks include a Water bottle, 3 or 4 crystal light to go packs, your own spoon, and a 6 oz. yogurt that will last you all night. That reminds me! I left my spoon at my friends house last night! Damnit!

Hi, that is my day too. My sister and are both scheduled for March 24th. 10 day pr-op diet today. Sounds like between some of your, 3 protein shakes and up to 2 cups of cottage shees, yogurt, applesauce, etc. Nervous!

Keep in mind that physical hunger isn't just a function of your fill level. It's also related to your food choices. Solid food provides early and prolonged satiety, while liquid & soft foods (even "healthy" ones like protein shakes, cottage cheese, yogurt, SF pudding, etc.) or "slider" foods (such as thin, crispy foods - potato chips, thin crackers, popcorn) do not. Try to emphasize dense fish (halibut instead of flounder, for example), animal protein (like poultry, pork, beef), non-starchy veggies, and fruits.

I've been eating puréed black Beans with mashed potatoes. This was really good. I've also been eating Greek yogurt, applesauce and tomorrow I'm going to make guacamole and try a tuna salad. I may even make the deviled egg mixture too. Just open to anything right now. The nurse pretty much told me what I already knew. I've been able to eat about 1/2 cup or so.

My heating pad...not really a grocery item but it is a life saver! Also the jello and yogurt I loved prep I can not stand postop. Cream of wheat with a little butter and Splenda....yum!

:thumbup:Hi Im from Perth Australia and when I read your messages am not quite sure what I am doing. I was banded on June 2nd and it has been fine so far with shoulder tip pain and feeling tired at the end of the day. I have been following the book given to me by the surgeon re Lap bands and that is all I have done so far. A week of fluids initially clear and now thicker things like soups and yogurt seem to go down well. It is a bit less tight than it was a week ago as I have not had a fill.Is that correct? Any advice would be good. Also how long did people have off work as I am a nurse and am due to go back this Sunday 11 days post op?:smile:

Down 31 since surgery on Nov 5! I have a Atkins shake in the am, Greek yogurt for lunch and a protein shake for dinner! Started puréed foods yesterday!

I have been doing the same. Broth, water, some protein shakes, popsicle and even some yogurt.

Don't be scared. I misunderstood my directions and was eating lentils, cottage cheese, and yogurt from day one. 6 months later, the restriction is there, firmly tugging at me and it is just physically impossible to eat HALF of a normal, single modest serving of anything. I've lost slowly in comparison to other people, but I've lost 70 lbs. You can do this. Good things WILL happen to you.

I'm on liquids but my NUT said I could have yogurt to since I have had a hard time with liquids and protein. So how does everyone know when they are full say 7-21 days out? Possible even a month out? I'm 11 days post op and I have no idea when I'm full and I don't want to mess up my sleeve by eating/ drinking too much.

Hey all...I've been on what they called a modified liquid diet since a week ago today. My bariatric nurse said that if I'm hungry, eat. She said to make good choices like nonfat/lowfat, which I've done. I am down 7 lbs. I've eaten strawberries, watermellon, some grilled fish and chicken. As far as the liquids, it's been protein shakes, tomato basil soup (Progresso) which is wonderful along with nonfat cottage cheese, plain fat free greek yogurt with dry sugar free jello mixed in (which is pretty good) some skim milk, sugar free pudding and pudding pops. My doc didn't require me to lose weight prior. He said it was to reduce the fat around the liver. The first couple of days of the pre op diet I was sick! I had bad headaches and sick to my stomach. I am so much better since I added a little food in there. Hang in there everyone...it'll all be worth it! We've got this!!! I will be banded next Tuesday June 5th!!!

Good Morning Ladies! Congratulations Patty, hope you're feeling better day by day. As for creamy soups, my doctor told me I could have anything that would go through a straw, (but don't use a straw). My fav was blended sausage gravy from Hardees. All soups, especially that Campbells Hand soup, just chew up the food at the bottom and spit it out, LOL, but enjoy the broth. I didn't do protein shakes then, I thought they were all made with milk, YUK, but now I love protein shakes from Tropical Cafe. I used the advertised on TV, Magic Bullet Blender. You can make your own smoothie and add yogurt, and fruit. I had the shoulder/neck pain too, massaging it helped the most. Hope all my other galpals are doing great. WL for me now is none, I need a fill, but I've gotten very comfortable with what I can eat at this point, enjoyably so, which is not a good thing. I plan on a fill middle of June, like Eileenie said, time to get chit or get off the pot. Sherry, you must have been watching the same infomercial as me this am, LMAO, sure made it look easy and fun. Crazy new website, can't get use to the ads, but I figured it was coming. Hugs to you all!

I was banded on December 14, 2007 - Friday and I am back to work... I was very ouchie the 3 days post op but once I stopped taking the pain medication I started to feel better. I didn't feel as dizzy or light headed. One Alieve gel cap kept my pain at bay. It is day 5 post op and I cannot wear a regular bra- which suck.... a sports bra does not quite support the twins... hahhaaaa... sorry, but it is true! I am living off tomato soup, drinkable yogurt, pudding cups and haven't ventured out into the world of mashed potatoes or pintos and cheese yet... any recommendations? I stupidly tried tuna fish yesterday morning - i do not know what came over me but i did... dumb! my stomach was saying "no no no" like amy winehouse after the first small bite... i could have done some major damage.... can someonce slap me?

Hello Bandsters, I was banded on Monday November 3, 2008, so it’s been a full week. I can report that I had serous gas pains since Wednesday, but today I feel a lot better, and both ends are working. I still have a little tenderness at the surgery wounds, but no pain. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but we picked a bad time of the year to get banded. My Birthday is tomorrow, the 11th, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, good grief. I’ve been on liquids for good month, and I am praying that my Doc puts me on mushy foods this Wednesday. Does anyone have any great ideas for Birthday treat; I can have puddings, Jell-O’s, and yogurts. Oh yes, other question. I see tickers and other info on the blogs, how do you install them? Thanks, and good luck to everyone. RBK.

Don't stick to the 1/4 c every 3 hours. That's way too little food. You're almost two weeks out, you should be able to eat almost normally at this point. I'm two weeks out and I can eat 1-1.5 c of food per sitting (depending on the food) and my Dr. approves of this. It's normal nutrition. Ultimately you'll be looking for that amount per meal, 1-1.5 c. Eat when you are hungry, not by the clock. If you are truly hungry - eat. It will prevent you from feeling sick and prevent your sugar from tanking. Eat complex carbs and Protein to keep you fuller longer. Avoid Soups, yogurt, ice cream, Jello, anything that is liquid or liquid like because they'll slip right through. I find that soft cooked Pasta keeps me full for 4-5 hours, potatoes do the same thing (all approved Phase II foods). Soup makes me hungry an hour later. Protein shakes stave me off for about 2 hours. Start tracking your food - the time you eat it too - The Daily Plate is really good for this (there's even an iPhone app) - and that will help you figure out what keeps you fuller for longer so you can eat foods that will help you lose by keeping you full.

Kate, I am going to disagree with your assessment of my eating habits. I believe I HAVE found what works for me. I love Protein drinks and it is a good way to get my protein. To get enough protein on a full Vegan diet you have to eat a lot of weird food that I don't like any better than I like meat or fish. I eat my cottage cheese, eggs, plain greek yogurt etc and I am happy with it. I have lost > 60% of my excess weight in 5 1/2 months and they only promise 60%. I am basically happy with what I eat. I eat some veggies every day and a small amount of fruit about 3-4 times a week. Before I had surgery I was drinking whey Protein from Walmart for Breakfast and an evening snack and loved it. Just because I can't tolerate the taste of steak and pork chops doesn't mean I'm not getting my nutrition. I am doing what works for me. I enter every single bite and drink that I take on MFP and I get 80-120 gm protein/day and am satisfied with what I'm eating. My 3 month lab follow-up lab work was the best lab results I have ever had since I was in my 40's. So I don't think it's broke and I'm not gonna try to fix it:)

I was sleeved on June 14th and have lost 35lbs, so far! I drink Water or zero carb Isopure, coconut flavor, pretty much constantly. Chobani and Yoplait Greek yogurt, Lucerne Protein plus milk w/ unjury chocolate Protein powder, and split pea Soup make up most of what I consume every day.... Occasionally I'll have a poached egg or some salmon sashimi, but my diet is still pretty basic. I walk 1- 1.5 hours everyday, with 3 lb ankle weights on both legs, and and am doing some light strength training 3-4 times a week. If I'm watching TV or working on the computer, I sit on my stability ball to try and strengthen my loosey goosey stomach muscles.....

WARNING - MAY BE OFFENSIVE!!! DO NOT scroll down if you are easily offended. I didn't write it, but I laughed purdy derned hard at it! DIVORCE LETTER Dear Connie, I know the counselor said we shouldn't contact each other during our "cooling off" period, but I couldn't wait anymore. The day you left, I swore I'd never talk to you again. But that was just the wounded little boy in me talking. Still, I never wanted to be the first one to make contact. In my fantasies, it was always you who would come crawling back to me. I guess my pride needed that. But now I see that my pride's cost me a lot of things. I'm tired of pretending I don't miss you. I don't care about looking bad anymore. I don't care who makes the first move as long as one of us does. Maybe it's time we let our hearts speak as loudly as our hurt. And this is what my heart says: "There's no one like you, Connie." I look for you in the eyes and breasts of every woman I see, but they're not you. They're not even close. Two weeks ago, I met this girl at Flamingos and brought her home with me. I don't say this to hurt you, but just to illustrate the depth of my desperation. She was young, maybe 19; with one of those perfect bodies that only youth and maybe a childhood spent ice skating can give you. I mean, just a perfect body. Tits like you wouldn't believe and an ass that just wouldn't quit. Every man's dream, right? But as I sat on the couch being blown by this stunner, I thought, look at the stuff we've made important in our lives. It's all so superficial. What does a perfect body mean? Does it make her better in bed? Well, in this case, yes, but you see what I'm getting at. Does it make her a better person? Does she have a better heart than my moderately attractive Connie? I doubt it. And I'd never really thought of that before. I don't know, maybe I'm just growing up a little. Later, after I'd tossed her about a half a pint of throat yogurt, I found myself thinking, "Why do I feel so drained and empty?" It wasn't just her flawless technique or her slutty, shameless hunger, but something else. Some nagging feeling of loss. Why did it feel so incomplete? And then it hit me. It didn't feel the same because you weren't there to watch. Do you know what I mean? Nothing feels the same without you. Jesus, Connie, I'm just going crazy without you. And everything I do just reminds me of you. Do you remember Carol, that single mom we met at the Holiday Inn lounge last year? Well, she dropped by last week with a pan of lasagna. She said she figured I wasn't eating right without a woman around. I didn't know what she meant till later, but that's not the real story. Anyway, we had a few glasses of wine and the next thing you know, we're banging away in our old bedroom. And this tart's a total monster in the sack. She's giving me eerything, you know, like a real woman does when she's not hung up about her weight or her career and whether the kids can hear us. And all of a sudden, she spots that tilting mirror on your grandmother's old vanity. So she puts it on the floor and we straddle it, right, so we can watch ourselves. And it's totally hot, but it makes me sad, too. Cause I can't help thinking, "Why didn't Connie ever put the mirror on the floor? We've had this old vanity for what, 14 years, and we never used it as a sex toy." Saturday, your sister drops by with my copy of the restraining order. I mean, Vicky's just a kid and all, but she's got a pretty good head on her shoulders and she's been a real friend to me during this painful time. She's given me lots of good advice about you and about women in general. She's pulling for us to get back together, Connie, she really is. So we're doing Jell-O shots in a hot bubble bath and talking about happier times. Here's this teenage girl with the same DNA as you and all I can do is think of how much she looked like you when you were 18. And that just about makes me cry. And then it turns out Vicky's really into the whole anal thing, that gets me to thinking about how many times I pressured you about trying it and how that probably fueled some of the bitterness between us. But do you see how even then, when I'm thrusting inside your baby sister's cinnamon ring, all I can do is think of you? It's true, Connie. In your heart you must know it. Don't you think we could start over? Just wipe out all the grievances away and start fresh? I think we can. If you feel the same please, please, please let me know. Otherwise, can you let me know where the fucking remote is. Love,

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.

Losha- If you are ready for the surgery, you are ready for a life change. I've been morbidly obese for 15 years, and you must realize that this is not a cure all, and that the liquid diet, the semi soft diet, and following your doctors orders will be your goal. I've had the band since 8/2/06, and even tonight, I realized that I ate my yogurt too fast. There will be days when you don't loose weight, and days when you do. It will stop the yoyo syndrome, and you won't be able to eat a lot at one time, but you will suceed if you follow your doctors orders, so that should be your goal - my best to you and good luck Caroline

JDru - you aren't kidding about missing meat! I went to Albertsons yesterday for a couple of things and walked by the meat counter. I stood there staring at the steaks. I tried and tried to figure out a way of cooking one and making it a "mushy" without completely ruining the steak. Unfortunately (or is it fortunately?) I could come up with anything so I went on and got my yogurt. Overall I am doing well. The scale has been stuck for a week, and I am getting disappointed with that. I did so well the first two weeks, it upsets me that this week the scale didn't move at all. I even tried uping my exercise - instead of walking 1 mile, I've been going for 2. Hope you and Sandranoelle are doing well!

Hi all, Just wanted to update, I am 11 days out and feeling really good. I have some port pain but it is just "uncomfortable" I haven't even felt a need for tylenol. Still on liquids, I am starting to feel hungry. I have been eating soup, water, yogurt and protein drinks. According to the the doc it will be another week before I can go to solid foods. I am feeling ready but I understand the implications if I don't adhere to the instructions. My clothes are getting big and friends are starting to notice that I have lost some weight. When I think about losing the 20+ lbs that I have already lost, I see 2 10lb bags of potatoes and realize that is a lot of mass to lose.... very cool.

I have posted on the general forum about my experience. I was banded on 9/16/2008. On 1/31/09 I had emergency surgery to remove the band and repair my stomach - I had a hole along the bandline and I was leaking air into my body cavity. Luckily I had gone to just yogurt with probios because I though I had gaz so somehow there was no food to infect me even worse. This was followed by a second surgery on 2/2/09 to help stop a massive infection. I spent three weeks in the hospital - left on 2/20/09. My symptoms appeared about a week/11 days earlier. I woke up bloated on my left side. No pain. I disregarded for another 6 days where I went to my generalist. She felt a mass. Called the bariatric surgeon and they thought perhaps a hernia. A cat scan was arranged another 3 days later. Two days later, Sat 1/31/09 I got an urgent message to get to ER because the Cat scan revealed air in my abdmoninal cavity. A lot of it. I called the bariatric surgeon and got her partner. I was told by this surgeon: " You dont sound like you have air in your abdomen (this is a critical situation), the Cat scan must have been wrong. You should have them redo it. It cant be the band, they dont erode at 5 months" Luckily, I still went to ER and from there was taken in an ambulance to another branch of the hospital which did bariatric surgery. I was wheeled into the operating room and soon after operated. I would have likely died had I not gotten to ER and been operated. Out of the whole 3 weeks, I only remember about 12 days. I was delirious the first half of my hospital stay. I was confined to a bed with a nasal gastric tube, and 24/7 Ivs pupping me full of antibiotics and hydration. It appears more like a leaking staple or a staple that pulled? then erosion from what I have understood. I am unclear how that would happen. Anyone Its taken me 3 more weeks to be able to take a shower without feeling faint. Two weeks before I could even drive/walk to my mailbox. I was exausted. My voice has been altered by the nasal tube and its gotten squeaky. I HATE it. I am almost back to normal except I must eat very little to protect my stomach. In 2 days I will graduate to 5-6 oz 3x a day. I was on 2oz of food 3x a day the last 2 weeks. Basically I must pretend I have a band though the scaring is so bad, I will never be a candidate for bariatric surgery again. The original surgeon has not called to ask how I am doing. However they have been asking and trying to get my hospital records. That's been very dissapointing. Finally, I think my insurance is picking the tab after I have paid my deductible but I am not 100% sure. If not, I am really concerned what 3 weeks, 2 surgeries, several cat scans and other tests with cost. From what I understand I am now at a higher risk of intestinal occlusions. My stomach was attached to my abdomen and I feel it. I am no longer a candidate for bariatric surgery, and therefore at a very high risk of regaining the 62 lb I have lost. I forgot, a very important thing. My surgeon told me that sometimes in obese people there is not always a fever to reflect an increase of white cell and an infection. That was my case. Zero fever until after the operation. So, if your stomach gets very bloated, call your doctor. Oh, and I missed a 2 weeks 1/2 trip to New Zealand. Grrrr.