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Wed, Aug 12 b: 1 cup coffee w/ sugar and french vanilla creamer ms: 1/8 cup chocolate covered raisins (about) l: 1/2 fruit and yogurt parfait from mcdonalds as: 6 white cheddar cheese nibs d: 1 BITE cheeseburger patty/no bun, 1 BITE chicken nugget from mcdonalds i have a question...how do you figure the calories for something you ate when it literally was one bite?

:wow2: is all I can say....I've just ben reading the last 3 pages, I cannot belive how much weight some of you have lost already! That is Soooooo encouraging. Lara: you made me laugh so much re: 'I felt like my entire backside must have disappeared somewhere' that sounds great to me....I know what you mean though want it to go from your tummy first though, cos I would too. It does concern me too about balancing work and food, as I work away so much from home, I dont know how Im going to cope, I guess I'll have to nip out to the shops and buy microwavable soup, and yogurts? Also, what is jello? Is it jelly (crystles disovled in water and it sets?) Have a great day everyone!

Did you recieve a booklet that was for post-op? I got two. They look alike. One is for post-op. The front cover has a womans picture and it says "I can succeed." They actually look just alike. I got one post op and the other in my pre op info folder. The booklet is by "Inamed Health," the company that makes the band. That might really scare ya, I am sitting here reading this sentence..Your stomach can only hold 1/4 cup of food ( or 2 oz.)at one time. Eat 3 small meals. It is page 2 of the booklet. I am assuming they are talking about right after surgery. It also says it is very important the first few weeks to avoid putting pressure on the new stomach above the band. If you have an Inamed Band your doctor's office will have this booklet. It is very informative. But as always follow your doctors orders to take care of the band. I am still post-op liquids. But not after Wed. I get mushies, purees, pudding, yogurt, hot cereals, ect. I am looking forward to it too. Good Luck.

Hi Everyone, it's been awhile since I've checked in. So few of us still following up. Where did everyone go??? Glad to hear everyone posting is doing well. I had my first fill of 3cc's 2 weeks ago. My weight is bouncing around and when I lose, i have not been able to keep it off, I'm -4, +4. Lowest I've been is 209. Maybe I should just stay off the scale for a while. I've started Zumba and love it. I would go everyday if I found classes daily. So much fun. Do go if classes are offered near you! I notice my clothes fit differently, so, maybe, I'm toning. I've had a funny stomach ache the last few days, so I've been drinking protein shakes and sticking to mostly soft foods like greek yogurt. Not sure if it's a bug, or just the new fill adjustment settling in. Stuck gas? It's just not really going away. I read that some people have a delayed response to fills. I thought it sounded wierd, but now I'm reconsidering. I'm avoiding sodium and I don't do carbonation either. I have not had any problems specifically with any sort of food, not bread, not anything which I am thankful for since it's asparagus season here in VT. My next fill isn't till june 10th and (although usually i'm inpatient) I'm glad it gives me some more time to figure out how my body is responding. Be well everyone!

Others are probably going to disagree with me, but I would say eat your fruits and veggies! A balanced diet works best for me, than focusing on ONLY protein, or protein first. Just see what works for you. I think you are getting plenty of protein just on the protein drink, and should be fine. I just switched up my diet recently, eating fruits, veggies, yogurt, granola, cheese, all organic, and ive been dropping the weight like crazy! I am still eating my turkey and chicken, but I eat the other stuff too. I hope it continues this way. Just play around with your foods and see what works best for your body and weight loss (and most importanly, health!!!).I also am taking in an average of 1400 calories, sometimes even 1800, and losing weight! I am sure most others eat half of that or less. Everyones bodies are so different, and not everyone does well with high protein, low carb. low calories. You just have to experiement. Good luck! And keep us posted! As for the constipation, try some Miralax until you can get more fresh fruits and veggies in And of course, make sure you are drinking enough fluids and exercising, at least walking, because that will keep things moving along.

Syntrax Nectars are Whey Isolate I think and they are wonderful. I add just a small amount of apple juice to enhance the flavor and I love them! Gold Standard makes a great product as well that is whey isolate. I became lactose intolerant after surgery and cannot eat cheese, yogurt or anything with dairy. But these protein drinks are fine... Living the dream, Laura

I thought your name sounded familiar and I think I seen you on you-tube I am going to check after this cause I'm pretty sure I have saved your video, I have alot of them, they have such great ideas and information. That ricotta/mozarella cheese bake sounds real good and I am going to keep that one in mind. I did buy a couple of cans of refried beans, I never had them before but I know I'm not going to want to do alot of preparation of foods the first couple of weeks so the easiest is what I am going for. I also have a ton of greek yogurt now and I love them, only thing that after a few days I'm not going to want to look at them..LOL Are you doing anymore videos updates, I would love to see how you are doing!! Grateful as always..

I feel compelled to add that I struggle with getting all my protein in still & am unable & unwilling to give up my coffee!! Most days.I.drink one shake & eat one protein bar but today I just haven't been hungry at all so I've forced everything I can in....I'm a puker unfortunately so I can't push too much or I am sick & miserable! I do drink water all day. I cannot stomach eggs & peanut butter sticks in my throat & I throw up which really sucks!!! I eat a ton of fish & seafood. Little to no chicken, beef, etc because I can't seem to get it down. I looooove seared ahi & eat it almost every other day, if not more often. It's my favorite! Smokes salmon, cream cheese & capers on whole wheat flat bread is my go-to lunch. Yum! I also eat Greek yogurt w/ berries a lot. Ok, done!!

I'm the same as you, my Dr. say's 3days of yogurt and water?... I'm still shaking my head as far as the death row statement I feel the same way...OMG!!! I feel like shouting ... my date is Oct 22nd

I agree. The food you are eating is filling you up without providing much nutrition. I am 5 weeks out yesterday, here is a sample of what I eat in a day...I am not perfect, just throwing out ideas. Breakfast: premier Protein shake (30 G protein) or Dannon light n fit greek yogurt (12 G protein). On occasion I've had 1/3 serving of malt o meal with a dab of yogurt and teaspoon of truvia mixed in. Doesn't provide much, but if I'm sick of the other two this is what I've had. Morning snack: if I've had a shake for breakfast I'll have a Greek yogurt and vice versa Lunch: 1 oz albacore tuna mixed with a little mayo or plain Greek yogurt, sometimes sprinkle a little ranch powder for a diff flavor, sometimes with 2 crackers or few bites of soft fruit. Pm snack: cheese stick, 1/4 c cottage cheese or chike protein iced coffee Dinner: little bit of whatever I cooked. Last night, 1 oz salmon and 1 piece steamed cauliflower. Salmon was a little too dry for my tummy so I added a spoon of Greek yogurt on top and sprinkled with Parmesan Snack (if needed): sugar free Popsicle, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese I am slowly incorporating more real foods and trying for less shakes and soft foods, but obviously that's a slow process. My main goal is to hit 75 G protein a day which I almost always do. I log every thing I eat because I'm not great at estimating intake. I'm currently hitting 600-700 calories a day which my nut thinks is good but she'd really like me tone at least to 800 with a long term goal of 1100-1300. Hope this helps.

My surgery was 8/22, and also included the repair of a huge hiatal hernia. (Huge is the clinical term...I thought they were trying to justify the extra 90 minutes and $16k.) I had some rough pain after surgery, spent three nights in the hospital, and stopped taking pain pills on day six. I tolerate liquids ok, though feel like there’s a traffic jam in the middle of my chest when I swallow anything - even water. On day 7 or 8 (Days have blurred.) I got a wicked rash across my torso and right arm. I’m fairly certain the rash is an allergic reaction to the antiseptic soap they sent home to wash my incisions. I think mostly to keep me sedated, and thus not an inconvenience over the holiday weekend, the Rx for the rash was 200 mg of Benydryl every 4 hours. I spent the last 3 days as a zombie - sleeping so much that I’m afraid I’m now dehydrated. I’d go to the ER, but, since my own doctor’s office doesn’t seem to listen to me, I’m afraid they won’t listen to me, either. I’m feeling panicky... I’m supposed to return to work on the 12th, and I’m only tolerating applesauce and yogurt, and I’m so weak, I can’t begin to describe it.

I broke down and got some of the greek yogurt at walmart the other day. Today I tried it for the first time..... Yumm! I used 1/4 cup yogurt, 2 tbl of kashi very berry granola, 1 strawberry diced up, 1 tsp honey. I think that you could flavor it to meet any taste... even could use the SF flavored Syrups or Pudding like Bea did. I can really tell this new fill is helping. I finally for the first time cannot GULP water. I had restriction before but could still gulp... Now I have to sip and chew to goo. I can't wait to see if the scales moving :tt2:

I’ve found a breakfast that I stick with every day. 1/4 cup part skim ricotta mixed with a packet of Splenda and a few drops of vanilla. I eat that with 1/4 cup of berries or sliced peach. I make a lot of cold cucumber yogurt soup and have that for lunch with a couple slices of turkey breast. When the weather changes, I’ll have to find a hot option. I love Asian style dumplings, so I’ll eat a few of those for dinner, along with spinach or zucchini cooked in some chicken broth. I’m looking for good ideas too. I’m 8 weeks out.

Wow welcome to all the joiners of this thread For the record I have 200 lbs to lose total and I know I can achieve that goal! A friend had bypass a litte more than a year ago and is now already fighting to keep from gaining her back. She lost 200 lbs in a little less than a year and will spend the rest of her life with an alterred body that may or may not be able to absorb necessary nutrients. It will take me a couple 2-3 years to reach my goal and that is ok. The band isn't for everyone and for some the bypass is a good choice, only you can ultimately decide that. I say try the safer first if it doesn't work well for you, you can always switch to some other wls method later. Dezadoo youa re in week 2 it looks like. Mushies at week 2, while I am not your doctor, I truly believe you are safe to move on to mushies, just always excersise caution, go slow and start with stuff like yogurt and move up to stuff like scrambled eggs and refried beans. As for hunger, you will be hungry till you get restriction Grats on being banded

Every surgeon is different. I am also on puree and I can have puree fruit and veggies as long as it isn't corn, celery or anything stringy. I can have puree chicken and tuna, mashed potatoes, puree eggs, vegetable juice, cottage cheese, milk, light Greek yogurt, puree soups, light margarine, light mayo or salad dressing, oatmeal, apple sauce, cream of wheat. Its a pretty big variety. Next appt is next Wednesday and hoping to progress to soft foods. Hope everyone is doing well.

I'm beginning to think I need to quit reading some of these posts. I had my surgery 2 weeks ago today. I've only lost 7 lbs since surgery, the rest was pre-op. I had trouble with liquids and just this week tried yogurt and cottage cheese. I have to say, I am really glad you all are losing weight but it depresses the hell out of me.

071, Everyone is different for sure, but don't worry about the post-surgical pain. It should be a small bump in the long road ahead. Mine wasn't so bad. 3 wks out I still have a twinge or two, but nothing that is keeping me from doing anything. As for the protein, at first this will come in the form of drinks or shakes. I use Pure Protein Frosty Chocolate, 1 scoop, added to 1/2 c milk and some ice chips to make a shake. It's not bad at all. 2 a day gives you 50gms of protein, and then eating Greek 0% Fat yogurt a couple times, and your'e there. Protein will help you heal, and help you lose weight. Try and focus on the END RESULT, which will be worth the struggles at the beginning. You can do it!

I usually eat yogurt or cottage cheese. Sometimes I'll throw a few blueberries on the cottage cheese (like maybe 10 of them)

I usually have half a packet of weight watchers oatmeal for breakfast, cheese stick for 10:30 snack, yogurt for lunch, I sip on clear protein drink all day (200 calories, but it gives me 48 grams of protein), and dinner is harder... I've had a few pieces of rotisserie chicken, sometimes fish, but it's rarely more than a few bites of anything.

I wouldn't try tuna with yogurt. Sounds absolutely ghastly! It's been my experience with the NUTS that I've worked with in the hospital, that discussing fats is difficult. They don't tend to be big on any fat, bad or good.

Today is my first day posting so forgive me if I don’t get the lexicon right the first time. Surgery Date: March 5, 2018 Starting Weight: 261 Surgery Day Weight: 250 Today’s Weight (Week 1): 241 I had a 90 day program working with a dietician and completing all of the pre-operative testing culminating in a 3 day liquid diet prior to surgery. The first day of the liquid diet was hard, but the excitement of my upcoming surgery made the other two days fairly easy. I arrived at the hospital last Monday morning at 5:45 am and was wheeled into surgery at 7:45 am. I don’t remember much of that first day but I was up and walking that afternoon and evening. I was sore and there was pain but it was managed with Roxycodone every 3-4 hours (as long as my blood pressure didn’t drop too low - overnight, I had to wait 6 hours between doses as my BP had dropped below 100 systolic. Day 2 at the hospital was filled with trying to get my fluids in and trying to get the gas out! The pain I was experiencing was mostly related to my abdomen being bloated with gas as a result of the laparoscopic procedure. I was successful on the former (sip, sip, sip!) but woefully unsuccessful on the latter. (In retrospect, I wish I would have walked more that second day.) I was released by noon on day 3 and recovered the rest of the week at home. Below are just a few things that I’ve learned. Please share some of the things you’ve learned as well wherever you are in your journey and let’s help set expectations and share great ideas! 1. When you begin your protein shakes, your bowels will start moving again! I called my Drs office panicked because I pooped! (A bit scary after not pooping for almost a week!) 2. For me, I was unable to lay on my side until Day 6 comfortably. I used a comfy recliner most nights which prevented me from trying to toss and turn from side to side (I’m a side sleeper) 3. Sugar free popsicles are great! 4. I don’t know if this will last, but my taste for broth has changed. Pre-surgery - and for my whole life - I have loved beef and chicken broth. But now, I can’t stand it. 5. You will get bored on the all liquid diet post op. Look for things you can combine. On my plan, I was allowed coffee. The protein shakes I found to be quite chalky in my mouth. On Day 5 I combined the two, using my flavored protein shake as a “creamer” to my coffee. It was warm and delicious and now the only way I get in my protein shake. 6. Listen to your pouch. The one thing you don’t want to do is pop the pouch. The staples need at least 3 weeks to fully heal so follow your surgeon/dietician’s program exactly. No cheating! Two tips my surgeon gave me - if you hiccup, you’ve overfilled - and if you want to clear your pouch sooner, stand up very straight for a few minutes to help facilitate drainage through the small intestine. 7. You will get tired easily - so push yourself but don’t overdo it. I started out walking throughout my house the first few days, up and down the stairs, went outside on Saturday and walked up and down the driveway, and finally went out to a few stores with my husband yesterday. I did okay at the grocery store until we went to check out. All of a sudden I was super tired. When we went to Home Depot to pick out a barn door, I found a chair to sit in while my husband picked up a few things before meeting me in the door section. I was ok walking back to the car but was tired the rest of the evening. Take it slow. Today starts Week 2 and I get to add applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes and oatmeal. It’s nice to have something warm and chewy in my mouth again. I will continue to post updates and invite all other March surgery dates to join. Thanks, Roxine

I understand. I do know that some people cannot tolerate the protein powders so they make shakes with a Greek yogurt base. That way you can flavor them as to your own taste. I think it is a while before we can make fruit type smoothie drinks, I would prefer those made with the yogurt base myself. There are companies that make a protein powder that is unflavored that you can add to yogurt and other soft foods. I will check out the juice cleanse Maybe I need to do that too.

Longhorn, I'm taking 9 days off my teaching job. I will work at the computer from home. I do translations. If I don't work or do something productive... I'll get depressed. I went to the grocery store to check out all the yogurts,puddings,drinks etc. I'm so excited.

Good Luck Andie and Banded4life!! You both will do great and will be on your way to a new adventure. I am so glad I did this procedure and can't wait to start reaping the benefits! Those of you who have had the procedure..did you have any trouble consuming anything thicker than water or broth 4days after your procedure. I've tried to drink protein shakes, tried yogurt smoothies and they both cause me pain. So in the last 4 days I've only had like 300 calories because the broth only has like 5 calories per cup..lol..So I really am hoping that this pases soon...not like my body doesn't have lots to live off of. Oh, and on a more personal note..when were you able to go #2, i feel like I have to go and nothing...probably because there is nothing in my body..I tried taking some child laxative to give it a little push but still nothing...if you don't mind sharing I just want to make sure that this is normal.. :paranoid

I was banded 1 week ago on the 8th. Feeling better now but was supposed to eat some yogurt and cottage cheese yesterday and didn't get much down and it didn't set well at all. Now today I don't want to eat anything and didn't even want my shakes. My desire for anything is gone and no desire for anything. Has this happened to anyone? Do I just keep trying? Everybody talks about being hungry and I can't stomache the thought of anything!!!