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So it is the end of my 6th fast day - week three and it has gone well... got a little hungry earlier, but lasted out and enjoyed my frozen fruit and yogurt! All packed and ready for out school trip to Spain! It is gonna be a lot of fun - with a little stress added in but that goes with the turf! Not sure how I am going to get my fasts days in; I will see how it goes! Wish me luck... speak to you soon x

Great Topic Christi85!!! Chobani Greek Yogurt Nature's Best Isopure Green Olives Health Wise Protein chips, bbq and ranch sugar free popsicles OS Trim Beef and Ostrich Snack Supreme Protein Bars Nuts: almond, sunflower, walnut, and pistachio sugar free jell-o Jay Rob Protein powder canned chicken split pea and ham Soup frozen fruit shrimp

I was sleeved on the 16th and am currently on soft foods phase. Has anyone tried fresh greenbeans? I just strung and broke a whole pot of them but not sure if I should try them or not. I have done ok on eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt but can only eat about quarter of a cup and then wait 30 mins and do the other half of the cup.

CherieElise - I am with you. I had no real problems. The gas was okay but I sort of expected it and knew just to let it go. Luckily I had a single room. LOL. Once I was up and about I felt good. I am sore, like someone says the lower abdomen feels like over worked muscles. You are asleep so no telling what they do to you when asleep, jumping jacks or something. HEY THIS ISN"T A DRUM....In any event went back to work today. Glad I did as it was so mental I forgot to move. Truly. I talked to the dietician today because I was concerned that the liquid Protein drinks were not seeming to go anywhere and I thought I may have screwed something up. She laughed and said no the Protein Drinks are mostly liquid and they flow right thru (Duh) and she told me to put the protein into nonfat blecky yogurt which I did and added some sugar free pudding. Not bad. Won't make it an always and forever meal but hey what are our options. YOu just have to make the best of it. Once that decision is made you should know what you want and you will do whatever you need to do to achieve it. Surgery was not cheap, even with insurance and I have a lot riding on this.For my family, friends but most of all - FOR ME.......It was a journey from the day I decided to lose weight in late Dec and I lost 50 lbs until the two weeks of shakes and I lost another 10. I will not say I didn't put a bite of something in my mouth tho because I did. And it was all I needed. Which made me proud! In any event if your mind is not on the end result it will not succeed. I hope I don't have to eat my words in six months but I ahve a good team with me and as their test kitchen (I was the dr's first lapband in his own hospital) I feel I have to give them all the info and feedback I can so they can work with others. We all have to keep our chin (s) up and get fit and healthy together. I want to see all of us posting a year from now!!!!!!!

Hi!!! I am Mary Jo. I am 53. Have two children, age 31 and 26. Husband - SKINNY always. Started at 319, by time of surgery was 270. Surgery was Mon Aug 8th. Not alot of weight loss since, maybe 5-6 lbs and I am sure it is a lot of that water weight. Still doing shakes only with some jello and broth and can do yogurt. I can't have anything more solid until 9/22 apparently. I see others are actually able to have soft foods etc. I am not sure if I feel the band or not. I don't have any real issues but if I drink too fast or even sneak a bite of something when the fam isn't looking (Daughter and BF live with us) I feel a "heaviness" mid-belly which for a person of size probably is the lapband area, right? Surgeon feels it is my "trigger". I do not have a fill. That won't be for three more weeks until I am healed. Just keep the convo going. It is nice to know I am not alone. I live in Lakeland, FL and will go back to work tomorrow. Glad I took a whole week off just to chill.

I buy almonds that are already sliced for me (you can usually buy slivered or sliced almonds in the baking aisle or bulk food store). The slivered ones tend to brown quickly, so I prefer the sliced. It does not slide for me, I find it very filling ( I also mix with yogurt as well). It keeps me full usually all morning!

Caryn, I don't really like eggs that much but I have 1/4 c scrambled egg beaters and one Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patty for breakfast. I cook 4 patties in a non stick skillet to get them browned and reheat one a day till they are gone then do it again. When I want one I nuke it and it takes me less than 3 minutes to fix it since the sausages are already cooked. I put some 2% shredded cheddar in the eggs so I can tolerate them. The reason I like this breakfast is because it stays with me for hours and is 170 calories and 20 grams of protein. The bar and mini wheats are both carbs and go thru you quickly. That's why you get hungry faster. We are supposed to eat our protein first and then round out our meals with vegetables and carbs. My Dr wants me to eat at least 70 grams of protein a day. Protein stays with you the longest and you won't get as hungry. It's hard to get in that much some days but maybe you could take some deli meat, nuts and Greek yogurt with you for lunch. Apples, dry roasted almonds and one of the little mini Babel cheese rounds are good together. Lots of protein. Tuna fish has lots of good protein too. You can make it ahead also. Thanks goodness Halloween is over. My hubby and I stayed home. We usually go to the Fall Festival at church but I did not want the temptation of all that food I could not eat. I didn't buy any candy and turned off all the lights and pretended we were not home. Isn't that terrible? I am one really bad grandmother and neighbor. Everybody throw all that extra candy out or give it to your kids. Tell them to hide it from you. I remember hunting down my kids pumpkins when they were at school. I know none of you have done that have you? It called to me all day long so I understand where you all are coming from. Hang in there Stronagnoff. You can last another week. Only weigh in the mornings. If you weigh in the afternoon you have all you have had to eat and drink all day in there and you will weigh more. Nor a correct weight and it can be discouraging. Drink lots of water and don't stress. We can do this! Blessings, GG

That's fantastic Coops! I do have a question for you. Yesterday I skipped a meal and it really messed me up. My stomach had a total empty feeling all evening and then when I woke up today until about 1:00pm. It was horrible. Today I am adding some yogurt and omeprazole and will eat salad for dinner. Thanks to your sharing, I will avoid the flour and grains. Happy your doing better also.....

I was sleeved 11/15 in NJ. I had no nauseau or pain, sore of course, and the gas/reflux was pretty bad (get those Gas X strips!) but that was because they fixed a hiatal hernial. I'm doing really well, so far down about 11 lbs per my scale. I'm eating protein shakes, sf jello & pudding, plain/vanilla yogurt (non fat), I can have milk, oatmeal, pureed veggies, mashed potatos, broth or pureed soup, SF Ice pops, crystal light, tea, water, gatorade etc. The yogurt cup or jello/pudding cup is about a serving for me per meal. I'm doing fine, don't feel overly hungry, my body tells me when I need to eat and I'm listening to it. Supposed to get about 45-60 oz of liquid plus 70-85 g of protein per day.. I feel like all I do is eat and drink trying to get it all in! After 3 weeks of soft/puree foods, then I will move to more of a solid. I'm glad I did it, and I was a nervous wreck! Good luck to everyone having their surgery this week and in the coming weeks. It truly does get better every day.

Okay, I'm just catching up on all the new posts, lol. I have always been a snacker, my plan has been three meals and three snacks all along, and I doubt that will ever change. It's the only way I can get in all my calories for the day. I do have mostly high-protein snacks (Quest bars are my current passion, but I also eat cheese, yogurt or boiled eggs for snacks) and carbs are not really a major temptation issue for me. That said, I don't really have too many bad snacky items in my house, aside from a few things my husband likes, so I can't be that bad even when I want to LOL. Work doesn't have very good snacky food either, so not much temptation there. I feel very lucky in that!! The one thing I've noticed is that I eat more chocolate now than I did pre-op -- not more at one go or anything, but I have never been a chocolate fan really, and now I have to have my dark chocolate a few times a week. So I do have that as a naughty snack every day or so.

I never got emotional with my NUT but almost did with the Psych. Whenever I get talking about my weight issues and what got me to where I am, I get emotional so don't feel bad. We all have those days! I'm not a Breakfast person either. Breakfast for me is coffee. On a good day I might eat a yogurt or piece of fruit but I'm just never hungry in the morning. This is why I tend to overeat later in the day. Since I know I have to have breakfast, the Protein shakes are perfect for getting something in my stomach without being that hungry. Coffee really isn't that hard for me to switch to decaf but I always have to have flavored creamer in it. I can't do fat free creamers, yuck! So for me, I will most likely just give up coffee altogether. It will be hard at first but if I can't have regular creamer in it, it's going to suck so I'd rather do without! LOL

Lacto/ovo vegetarian. Still love my greek yogurt and a good soft boiled omega 3 egg now and then.

Okay, here goes my experiment! Today I will eat one egg, one protein shake made with water, one container of greek yogurt with walnuts, and one protein shot, for a total of 600 cals, 78g protein, 21g carbs. After work I will go for a 2 mile run or 20 minutes of intervals, and lift weights. If it works like I hope it will, I should be down 3 pounds by the weekend. Let's see what happens!

Every doctor is different! We were told after 3 days of liquids to start the mushy food phase. 60 grams of protein per day. Cottage cheese, yogurt, retried beans, tuna ,etc. along with protein drinks everyday, mashed potatoes is on the list as well, haven't tried them though. I don't want to eat carbs without the protein. I haven't had any issues.

GS 6/12/14 - I am eating small curd low fat cottage cheese, mixed protein powder into sugar free puddings and jello, sliced deli turkey, fat free Greek yogurt, baked beans, frozen fully cooked meatballs and grilled chicken, home made sloppy joe with no bread, meat only chili, scrambled eggs, hummas with a few low fat pita chips, and some low fat frozen yogurt. Hope this helps.

I'm 10 days out and having big issues with protein especially the premade ones way to sweet. I got a sample pack from Unjury.com and mixing the powder ones with some frozen berries is easier for me to get them down. The last few days I've had to pretty much force myself to eat as I'm not that hungry. Are you able to do puréed soups, yogurt, applesauce right now? These are ,y go to right now.

Mine is way stricter than yours. Clear liquids and protein drinks only for the first 4 weeks, though I can add light or fat-free yogurt and sugar free pudding at 2 weeks post-op. Week 5 I can start purees, then week 8 I start soft foods.

Welcome! I'm sorry to hear about your pain and the unsympathetic surgeon. That is really crappy. I was on Clear liquids for a week before I could advance to yogurt, so it *could* be that you just need to heal more. In the meantime, at the very least, you should look around (or better yet have someone look for you) for liquid tylenol. That would be a lot easier to get down than cut up pills! I was able to get it at my local grocery store. I hope you find some relief soon!

Hey y'all: Sorry I've been MIA for a few--it's been a hectic time at work (it's the centennial of the founding of our university, so lots of extra programs, concerts, etc.). Down to 187 without really trying--so very strange--I honestly think it's the focus on veggies and fruit that's doing it. I don't eat a lot of cheese any more, either, so that might be helping (?). Most Protein now comes from vegetable sources (nuts, beans) and some dairy (milk, yogurt), but I eat a lot more vegetables and fruit than I have in a long time. I'm actually really looking forward to summer's bounty at the farmers' markets that I frequent. Wednesday is my 1-year sleeve-aversary. I'm going to try my hardest to get 1 more pound off between now and then to Celebrate that date with 120 pounds GONE. 120 flipping pounds--off my body. I am SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL for this sleeve!!!!!

she did say plain yogurt thinned with milk, i would imagine same holds true for pudding, and yes you can have sugar free jello, i just didn't, even though i do have it, just jello'd out...i did have v8 juice today and orange juice yummmmm, and coffee YAY. got downstairs in the lobby and smelled that coffe and forgot to ask, so i called back up there and told melissa to ask someone and she asked barb and she said decaf.....:eek: ive heard alot of people on the vst.com talk about going straight to chinese rest. and getting wonton and drinking the broth, it does sound goooood....:rolleyes2: Now, whats this about nerves, your the one who told me not to worry about anything, so whats your beef. hmmmm, beef.

So sorry I've been out for a bit. My husband and I do travel-related stuff, and we took a group of students from my university on a post-graduation cruise. It was a blast--the kids were fantastic, very nice, very mature, and the trip was wonderful start to finish. BEST NEWS: Despite drinking more than I usually do (I probably had 2 fruity rum drinks a day plus a glass of wine with dinner) and eating dessert every evening (chocolate melting cake--yes, with ice cream), I got back on the scale this morning and celebrated that I am exactly the same weight as before we left. Yep. No gain. No loss, either, which I didn't really expect--I think everything balanced out, since we did a LOT of walking and running around, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, and I actually did use the ship's gym and walking track a couple of times. I had no trouble finding food that was appropriate for me and my still-picky sleeve. I discovered that I still could not tolerate prime rib or pork roast (had bites off my husband's plate to check), but sleevie LOVED most of the seafood options. Also really, really loved the wok-cooked vegetables available at every lunch--you select your own veggies and they add meat (I just did veggies) and sauce and cook quickly in a wok--fresh and delicious and very good for me! I ate fruit and hard-boiled egg whites for Breakfast, frozen yogurt or soft-serve ice cream as a snack, some peanuts, veggies for lunch with a couple of thin slices of cheese, and the dining room dinner (appetizer, usually Soup for me; entree, usually seafood or vegetarian; and dessert, always chocolate melting cake for me!). It was easy, delicious, and I felt GREAT during the trip--not stuffed or uncomfortable. I will say that the plate/bowl size was incredibly large, even by American standards--they held a ridiculous amount of food. And the serving utensils were designed to give out big glops of food--even things like sour cream were self-serve with these HUGE serving spoons. salad dressings were provided in squeeze bottles that had really wide-spout tops--designed for fast service, but the end result is that people poured on HUGE amounts of these things really easily. And I noticed that in fact, you could correlate the food choices to the body type of people eating them--thin people of every age ate fruit, veggies, and a modest amount of heavier Protein food; heavier people ate really big portions, fattier foods, and several different Desserts at a single meal (it's an all-you-can-eat buffet at every meal on board). It was really kind of eye-opening, having so recently been in the "other camp," as it were. My sleeve has made it possible for me to see/smell/be around food and NOT WANT IT. This would never have been the case before. I would definitely have overindulged, and if I didn't, I would have felt like I was missing out on something. We went to a "midnight Mexican buffet," and I had--NOTHING. Nothing looked good enough to eat just because it was there. It was kind of strange--I noticed into the second or third day that I wasn't even thinking about food--I was just enjoying the activities and the company. :-) Normal relationship with food, maybe?? is it possible?

I am doing the same thing. I find myself getting grumpy because I can't eat for 12 hours so I'm hoping the 12 hours from dinner to breakfast will be enough of a break. Today I had a protein shake for breakfast.... For lunch a Chobani Greek Yogurt.... dinner a protein shake

- I felt the same way! all liquid all the time - makes me gag. so everyday I add something (I know I'm not supposed to) but I have a yogurt or sf jell or a piece of plain turkey. If not I would scream. I figure three days before surgery (which is this Monday 11/12) I will have nothing but a few shakes; water and clear broth. I can't drink 5 shakes a day - simply can't do it. Other people may be able to, but not me. Good luck everyone!

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks for me. I am on purees for another 10 days. It is definitely getting boring and I am a vegetarian so that makes it even more restrictive. Lots of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta. I still need 2 shakes a day to meet my protein goal. I have noticed that I am able to handle slightly thicker textures now- still no big or solid chunks but I have "graduated" from baby food applesauce to regular applesauce!

I was sleeved on June 3rd. Still on what they call pre-select foods (fruitless yogurt, refried beans, soft eggs, etc.) and protein drinks. The only one I found that I can stand is the Atkins Low Carb w/ 15g per shake. I tried Isopure before surgery and it was ok, but for some reason, now I can't stand it...and we loaded up on it. Great! I keep trying one every few days to see if it goes down any better. Getting better at the water/clears, but still not close to 64oz - maybe 48 on a good day. Did anyone hit a stall at around 2 weeks? I haven't had any movement for 4 or 5 days. I know my body could be catching up; but I guess I just didn't expect a stall this soon. I'm down 25 pounds since the start, and 14 pounds since day of surgery. Am I having to great of expectations? Trying to get more walking in, but I'm just now starting to feel half way normal again. Still having some pain around the big incision; how long before that goes away? Still hurts to bend over completely and I have 2 small kids I have to take care of - so there have been instances where I've had to move them. My whole rib cage feels like I got beat up! Thanks all!